Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 400 Disaster Victims Riot

The sky over Chuzhou City seemed to be soaked in ink, with thick, impenetrable dark clouds pressing down on the city walls, and even the wind carried a damp, fishy smell.

Shi Wanxia's hands, gripping the city bricks, turned white. Her fingertips could feel the silt embedded in the cracks between the bricks—marks left after the flood receded, like scars etched into this crumbling city.

"My lord! There's an uproar outside the city gates!"

The guards' shouts rolled up the stairs, filled with panic.

"The disaster victims completely blocked the city gates, saying they would break them down if they weren't opened soon!"

As Shi Wanxia turned around, the hem of her dress swept across the water accumulated on the battlements, and the splashing water hit her boots.

She looked down and saw the water stains quickly spreading, much like the chaotic situation in Chuzhou at that moment.

Lin Yiyu, standing behind him, gripped the sword at his waist, his brows furrowed in worry: "These people are probably driven to desperation by the epidemic. I vaguely heard someone shout 'There's medicine in the city' just now. Could it be that someone is instigating this behind the scenes?"

"Instigation is certain."

Shi Wanxia's voice was as cold as well water beneath the city walls.

"Prefect Yuan claimed to be ill and did not leave the city, and Wang Qinian pretended to be confused every few days. As grain and medicinal herbs in Chuzhou could disappear out of thin air, rumors could also spring up out of thin air."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the dense crowd below the city gate. Among them were elderly people leaning on canes, women holding children, and mostly emaciated men with burning despair in their eyes.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

We need to live!

"Let us in!"

The roar crashed against the city gate, making the hinges creak.

Suddenly, someone collapsed in the crowd, and screams erupted around them, followed by even more frantic shoving—the epidemic was like an invisible whip, lashing at the last vestiges of reason in these disaster victims.

"We can't force it."

Shi Wanxia made a quick decision, her voice carrying through the sound of her armor rubbing together.

"Lin Yiyu, take fifty personal guards and guard the inner side of the city gate. No one is allowed to fire arrows without my order."

She looked at Shiqing behind her and said, "Go tell the kitchen to take 30% of the grain we brought and cook it into thin porridge. Set up a porridge shed inside the city gate."

"grown ups!"

Shi Qing panicked, "We didn't bring much food. If we distribute it to the disaster victims, the brothers probably won't last five days!"

Even if we can't hold on, we'll still have to split it up.

Shi Wanxia's gaze fell on the boy below the city wall who was trying to climb up the low wall. His trouser legs were rolled up, revealing large patches of festering red rashes on his calves.

"If they rush in, the little wealth in Chuzhou City will only be looted even faster."

She took a deep breath and raised her voice, "Have all the able-bodied soldiers assemble at the foot of the city wall, and then notify the city defense battalion to send fifty skilled carpenters with their tools to assemble inside the east gate."

Lin Yiyu was about to respond when she saw Shi Wanxia lifting her skirt and walking towards the stairwell. She quickly followed, saying, "Sister Shi, are you going down there yourself? It's too dangerous!"

"If I don't go down, how will they believe me?"

Shi Wanxia didn't stop. "Tell the brothers to raise their shields, but don't draw their swords."

On the open ground inside the city gate, Shi Wanxia stood still, stepping through the puddles. Behind her were soldiers lined up in a square formation, their shields forming a wall that blocked the flood victims' view.

She gestured to her personal guards to open the side door a crack, just enough for her voice to carry: "Fellow villagers of Chuzhou, I am Shi Wanxia, ​​here on imperial orders to provide disaster relief!"

The commotion outside paused for a moment, then erupted into even louder shouts: "Liar! Can we trust the officials? We're dying of illness, yet you have medicine in the city!"

"Exactly! Prefect Yuan is hiding and refusing to see anyone; he must have hidden the medicine!"

Shi Wanxia clutched the medicine packet in her sleeve—it contained the last bit of medicine she had brought to treat her cold.

She called out, “I know some of you are sick, and I know you are hungry.”

"But once the city gates are opened, the disease will spread, and no one will survive!"

She waved behind her, "Move the porridge bucket to the door!"

The clattering of wooden barrels drifted through the crack in the door, mingling with the sounds of disaster victims swallowing hard. Shi Wanxia continued, "From now on, anyone willing to work, come to the inside of the East Gate! We'll build temporary sheds and provide meals! The elderly and children who can't move, wait outside the city; we'll deliver porridge there!"

A commotion arose in the crowd, and someone shouted, "Is it really free with meals?"

"I, Shi Wanxia, ​​hereby swear that as long as I have food to eat, I will not let you go hungry!"

Her voice pierced through the rain and mist, carrying an undeniable certainty.

"But if anyone dares to force their way in and injure the people of the city, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from the back of the crowd, and someone carrying a carrying pole pushed forward, shouting: "Don't believe her! There's no food left in the city! Rush in and grab it!"

"It's someone from Magistrate Wang's side!"

Lin Yiyu, with his sharp eyes, exclaimed in a low voice, "I saw that fellow outside the city just now!"

Shi Wanxia's heart sank—Wang Qinian had indeed made his move.

She immediately gave her personal guards a look and whispered, "Take down those troublemakers, but don't hurt anyone else."

The guards darted out of the side gate like cats and quickly dragged back three burly men with fierce faces. One of them was still struggling, saying, "Lord Wang won't let you get away with this!"

Shi Wanxia sneered, drew the knife from Lin Yiyu's waist, and pressed it against the man's neck: "Wang Qinian sent you?"

The man's face turned ashen, but he stubbornly retorted, "So what if it is? Chuzhou is Lord Wang's territory. How dare you, a mere outsider, act so presumptuously here?"

"You are the ones who are being presumptuous."

As summer deepened, the blade slashed through the oily skin, drawing out beads of blood.

"Men, tie them to the city gate and let everyone see the consequences of instigating trouble!"

The smell of blood mixed with the aroma of rice porridge wafted in the rain, and the originally restless crowd gradually quieted down.

An old man with a limp stepped forward, leaning on his cane, and said in a trembling voice, "Madam, we believe you."

"We'll do it, as long as we can have something to eat."

With the first one, there will be the second one.

Half an hour later, more than two hundred strong men had gathered inside the east gate. Lin Yiyu and Cui Zhihao were directing them to clear away the rubble and build sheds.

Shi Wanxia had just breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the disaster victims lining up for porridge at the porridge stall when Shi Qing rushed over, her face pale: "Miss, something terrible has happened! All the pharmacies in the city are empty. Doctor Sun said that if we don't get any more medicine, the patients outside the city will..."

"I see."

Shi Wanxia interrupted her, "Now do something else—knock on every door and tell the girls and ladies in the city who are willing to sew quilts to gather in the backyard of the government office. They will be provided with meals and paid by the piece."

Shi Qing was taken aback: "But miss, where are we going to get the money?"

"Pawn the jewelry I brought."

Shi Wanxia said calmly, "Saving lives is the priority."

Shi Qing bit her lip and left in response.

Looking at the gray rain outside the city, Shi Wanxia knew in her heart that this was just a temporary measure.

The provisions she brought would last at most three days, and the medicinal herbs were long gone. Just then, an aged voice rang out: "Lord Shi."