247: Settle the refugees

East Lin City indeed had grain reserves in the Changping Granary, as well as a medicine storehouse, but these were strategic materials for responding to sieges and famines. News of them could never have easily reached the tribes deep within the Southern Border.

Let alone rumors with such specific targets as 'Lord Situ is providing relief to refugees.'

There was certainly someone manipulating things behind the scenes!

"Who told you all this?"

Situ Jun's voice grew a few degrees colder, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze with frost.

The old man was intimidated by his Aura; his legs went weak, and he replied tremulously:

"It was... it was a few days ago. Some people dressed as traveling merchants passed through the village and told us... They even said if we went too late, we wouldn't be able to receive relief... Several nearby villages believed them and are all rushing toward East Lin City!"

People dressed as traveling merchants?

Situ Jun almost immediately thought of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce—only they had the ability and the motive to reach into the Southern Border tribes and spread such precise rumors targeting East Lin City!

Even if it wasn't the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce, it was certainly a force that held a grudge against him!

What a vicious overt plot!

Exploiting the refugees' survival instincts to push them toward East Lin City as 'weapons'.

If he opened the gates to accept them, the grain reserves would be rapidly exhausted, and the city's order would be crushed by the population pressure; if he closed the gates and refused them, his reputation for 'benevolence' would completely collapse. Not only would it incite a popular uprising, but these desperate refugees might also be exploited by other forces and turn into rioters endangering East Lin City!

No matter which path he chose, East Lin City would fall into massive trouble, consuming a great deal of energy and financial resources.

What an insidious scheme!

Situ Jun's face was as dark as water as his thoughts whirled. He had to stop the situation from worsening immediately, otherwise, by the time the refugee army truly arrived at East Lin City, it would be too late.

He stopped questioning the old man and turned to the Guard captain to issue orders quickly, his voice clear and decisive:

"Immediately send a message back to East Lin City and convey my orders word-for-word to Yang Feng, the General of the City Lord's Mansion!"

"First, enforce martial law at the four gates, strengthen patrols, and dispatch extra manpower to Guard the city gates. Without my personal handwritten order, no one is allowed to open the city to accept refugees without authorization!"

"Second, immediately find a flat area with sufficient water outside East Lin City to set up a temporary camp. Establish porridge stalls and medical tents to provide food and treatment for the refugees. Order must be maintained during this period; no looting or trampling incidents are allowed, and a large influx of refugees into the city is strictly forbidden!"

"Third, dispatch reliable personnel to blend into the refugee groups to investigate the specific identities and characteristics of those merchants spreading rumors. If necessary, use the Hidden Guards to capture a few alive for interrogation!"

"Fourth, notify the City Affairs Department to mobilize all available resources to urgently procure grain and medicinal materials from other channels and secretly transport them to the temporary camp outside East Lin City as a reserve for emergencies!"

"Fifth, strictly inspect all merchant caravans entering East Lin City recently, especially those from the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce. If any suspicious activity is found, detain them immediately; do not let a single one go!"

"Yes! My Lord!"

The Guard captain looked solemn and immediately took the order.

He took a sound transmission talisman from his breast pocket, carefully recorded Situ Jun's orders with his Spiritual Sense, and then condensed Spiritual Power at his fingertip, lightly tapping the sound transmission talisman.

A faint light flashed, and the sound transmission talisman turned into a streak of light, racing toward the direction of East Lin City.

Situ Jun's gaze remained cold. These orders could only temporarily stabilize the situation; the true root of the problem lay with these refugees who were constantly swarming toward East Lin City.

If their destination could not be changed, trouble would continue to find its way to his doorstep.

He walked back toward the old man, his tone softening slightly but still carrying an unquestionable authority:

"Old man, you have been deceived. Although East Lin City has reserves, it does not have the capacity to provide relief for all the refugees. If you rashly enter the city, it will only make it impossible for even more people to survive."

The old man was stunned, a look of bewilderment and despair appearing on his face:

"Then... then where should we go? Are we really just supposed to wait for death?"

"No need to panic."

Situ Jun raised his voice a few notches, not just for the old man to hear, but for the refugees gradually gathering around as well:

"My East Lin City will not stand by and watch you starve to death by the roadside. Now, pass the word down immediately—all tribes seeking survival at East Lin City need not travel further and waste their strength. From this moment on, everyone head toward the outskirts of Qingshui Town!"

"Qingshui Town is less than ten li from here. It has water and open flat ground, making it a good place to set up a temporary camp. East Lin City will immediately send people outside the town to build camps and distribute grain and medicine to help you settle temporarily and weather this crisis. As for those tribes who are already near East Lin City, have them gather and camp outside the city; they are not permitted to enter."

When the refugees heard this news, there was a moment of dead silence, followed by a burst of whispered conversations.

Their faces were full of uncertainty; some were excited, some were skeptical, and others still carried despair.

But when they saw the well-equipped and solemn-looking Guards behind Situ Jun, and saw Situ Jun's own unquestionable bearing, the doubt in their hearts was gradually suppressed.

A faint glimmer of hope was rekindled in their despairing eyes.

"My Lord... is what you say true?"

The old man asked tremulously, a hint of expectation in his voice.

Situ Jun nodded:

"I, Situ Jun, never go back on my word. Go quickly to pass the word and organize the people to head for Qingshui Town. I will later send someone to notify the garrison officials at Qingshui Town to implement this."

"Thank you, My Lord! Thank you for the City Lord's grace!"

The old man was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Situ Jun.

Seeing this, the surrounding refugees also knelt one after another, repeatedly shouting, "Thank you, My Lord," their voices filled with gratitude.

Situ Jun raised his hand to signal them to rise:

"No need for such formalities. Organize the migration as quickly as possible; do not waste time."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to stride back to the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Hua Hanxiang had been listening nervously to the commotion outside. Seeing Situ Jun return, she hurriedly lifted the curtain and asked worriedly:

"Husband, is the situation very serious? Were those people... really led to East Lin City on purpose?"

"Yes."

Situ Jun nodded, his expression still solemn:

"Someone wants to use the refugees to drag down East Lin City, or even cause chaos within it. I'm afraid this matter is not that simple."

He looked at Hua Hanxiang, a hint of apology flashing in his eyes:

"Hanxiang, I originally wanted to take you slowly to see the scenery of the Southern Border, but now it seems we must speed up. We must reach the Nether Crow Cave Mansion as quickly as possible; the situation there is likely more urgent than we imagined. There can be no more delays on the road."

Hua Hanxiang immediately shook her head, her eyes showing no sign of complaint, but rather a bit of determination:

"Don't worry, Husband. I understand the weight of the situation; your important matters take precedence over everything else."

Situ Jun felt a warmth in his heart and squeezed her hand. Then he issued an order to those outside the carriage:

"Leave one person to go to Qingshui Town to explain the situation to the local officials and have them assist with the refugee settlement first. Everyone else, full speed ahead! Bypass the refugee groups. If anyone blocks the way, give a warning; if the warning is ineffective, you may disperse them as appropriate, but remember, do not take any lives!"

"Yes! My Lord!"

The Guard captain shouted in response and immediately instructed a Guard to return to Qingshui Town.

The carriage started again, the sound of wheels rolling over gravel becoming hurried.

With the Guards clearing the way, the carriage's speed suddenly increased. Along the edge of the official road, it bypassed the slowly moving refugee groups and sped toward the heart of the Southern Border.

Outside the window, the figures of the refugees were quickly left behind, gradually turning into blurred black dots. Situ Jun glanced back at the endless stream of fleeing people, his eyes deep as the night.

The mere spread of Toxic Miasma could never have forced out so many refugees. It was clearly the fighting between Cultivators that had disrupted the Southern Border, combined with the deliberate inducement of those with ulterior motives, that forced these people to flee their homelands and become 'Sharp Weapons' to strike at East Lin City.