After refusing marriage, she was pampered by the prince who acted as a shield.

Chapter 509: Let's Take Action

"Is one meal a day okay?"

"To be honest, I've also considered this in the manor. If we do it this way, we can ensure that everyone in the city has a full meal, while minimizing the losses."

Lin Rusi wanted to refute, but the magistrate directly produced the previous records.

"I did this without the Emperor's decree. I have already broken the law knowingly. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"Okay, you must eat your fill. I'll keep an eye on things. Don't try to fool me with anything else."

The magistrate did not refute them, but instead ordered his men to take them to the granary and retrieve all the grain they would need for the next day.

The next day.

Many refugees, who were so hungry they were eating grass and tree roots, smelled a sweet aroma that belonged only to rice.

"Am I just hallucinating because I'm so hungry? Why do I smell food?"

"It's not an illusion, the magistrate has set up a porridge stall!"

With his shout, the people who had fallen to the ground immediately got up and rushed towards the direction where Lin Rusi and the others were.

Seeing the menacing look on that group of people, she simply had the constables stand on both sides and immediately ordered them to slow down.

"Each person gets a bowl of rice per day, plus some pickled vegetables."

"Thank you, Madam, thank you, Magistrate!"

Noticing that many people didn't even have bowls, Lin Rusi bought some old bowls and plates from the restaurant so that people could take away what they needed.

At first, some people tried to take advantage of the situation, but when they joined the group a second time, Lin Rusi noticed.

"What, do you want to die a gluttonous ghost?"

"This is my first time queuing, please trust me, Madam."

Lin Rusi looked at the bowl he had hidden, said nothing, but pointed to the corner of his mouth.

"What happened? I accidentally bit my lip and it bled, it's nothing."

"Are you feeling guilty?"

The next moment, the person was thrown out of the line.

"If I find out again, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Lin Rusi spoke slowly, yet her words carried an undeniable authority, prompting him to cautiously take two steps back.

"This rice is only distributed because the county magistrate is kind-hearted. It's just a small amount. If you were to let one person starve to death so that they could be fed, would you be able to live with yourself?"

Upon hearing this, the other party was taken aback again, but then quietly slipped away.

Lin Rusi had long anticipated this possibility, so she made marks on the bowl and the pickled vegetables, so that no matter how careful she was, a trace would be left after eating them.

I'm not worried at all that the other person won't eat, since they've already gone hungry for several meals.

After finally waiting for the last person to leave with their rice bowl, Lin Rusi sat down to rest.

But just as she raised her hand to press twice, Fan Zhe's voice came from beside her.

"Madam is truly kind-hearted. Instead of taking a cut from people at a time like this, she has asked the magistrate to open the granary."

"They've already spent all their money, so what profit could they possibly make?"

Their sole purpose is to allow those with the strength to conserve their energy so that they can protect the others as they leave.

Lin Ru thought of the soldiers and looked thoughtfully at the opposite side.

Fan Zhe naturally understood what she meant, and his smile became even more sincere.

“I just finished harvesting the grain and have a lot left in the manor. Would you like to buy some from me, Madam?”

"Don't worry, we're all doing good deeds. I won't charge you a single penny more. I'll sell it to you at the usual price."

Upon hearing this, Lin Rusi looked away, not wanting to pay any attention to the other person.

Sensing this change, Fan Zhe had no choice but to resort to his trump card.

"If you could introduce me to that miracle doctor and heal my father, I could offer some free treatment, enough to feed them for three days straight, how about that?"

"Really?"

"It's true."

Nothing to do is to commit crimes or to steal.

Lin Rusi was well aware of the other party's thoughts, but for the sake of these people, she hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"You wait here, I'll go get the doctor."

"By the way, why hasn't Brother Jingyang shown up yet? Has he already left?"

"gone."

Upon hearing this blunt answer, Fan Zhe's expression changed, and he was about to lash out when he heard a sigh.

"He went to the neighborhood to collect food. Don't let his appearance fool you, he has quite a few connections. He should have a lot of food when he comes back."

"I hope so."

Fan Zhe spoke in a voice barely audible to himself, then did nothing more, completely waiting for the other person to return.

What he didn't know was that Lin Rusi brought back not only a miracle doctor, but also a whole host of other strange and wonderful things.

The two entered the Fan residence together, only to be driven away again through the back door.

"As you know, many people loot the mansions of wealthy merchants after the riots, so I had no choice but to move my belongings overnight."

"My guards didn't keep up."

"Don't worry, the location isn't far. After you see my father, his illness should be almost cured. Then we'll go back, and there won't be any problems."

Lin Rusi silently wished it were so, then picked up the steaming tea from the table.

But just as Fan Zhe thought she was going to drink it and revealed a ferocious smile, a cup of hot water was splashed on her face.

Before the person could even react, they felt their body go limp and collapsed.

"I thought you would have a better way, but who knew you would just take it by force. It seems I was too eager to help you."

Lin Rusi looked up at the guard who had poked his head out, and took out two pills.

"Give him the food, and then drive the carriage back to the Fan residence."

"How are we going to explain this?"

“He won’t remember those things, and he certainly won’t doubt what I say.”

Once they were certain that Lin Rusi had a solution, the guards didn't hesitate any longer and directly stuffed two pills into Fan Zhe's mouth.

Just as he was about to pour water for someone, he suddenly heard a muffled groan.

Thinking the person was about to wake up, I raised my hand to knock.

"Don't move, I just gave him something nice."

Having served the two men for so long, he knew exactly what the so-called "good stuff" was, and the guard immediately threw him to the ground.

After the other person's neck twitched, their eyes suddenly opened.

"We went to your granary, agreed to bring the grain back by horse-drawn cart tomorrow, and then we parted ways."

"You'll be so tired when you get back that you'll sleep soundly until dawn."

Hearing Fan Zhe repeat it word for word before collapsing again, Lin Rusi and her bodyguards left immediately.

But just as she boarded the carriage, another person who looked exactly like her walked towards the inn from another direction.

"If such a Gu worm exists, why doesn't Madam directly manipulate the person and make direct contact with the person behind him?"

"You think I don't want to, but we don't have enough control. Being too passive like this makes it easy for others to notice our weaknesses."

That would not only alert the enemy, but might also cause the stability of Jiangnan to collapse instantly. She would absolutely not do something that would be a losing proposition.

Meanwhile, inside the inn, 'she' sighed as she looked at the ever-growing number of refugees below, then turned and walked towards the carriage in the backyard.