Chapter 871

First Volume, Chapter 871: The Commotion in a Small Place

Shocked cries rose and fell around the scene; the people's despairing, hollow eyes reignited with hope as they burned with intense gazes fixed on Qin Feng.

"Lord Qin has truly come to stand up for us!"

"Wonderful! Old Heaven has finally opened his eyes!"

"Lord Qin is a good man, but… he's still from Liang Kingdom…"

"So what?! We can't even survive—why care which country he's from?!"

"Exactly! We're Da Di Subjects, yet we need a Liang man to save us—is there anything more tragic in this world? I don't care which country Lord Qin belongs to—he's a Living Bodhisattva now!"

The crowd of civilians surged with fervor, shouting in unison: "Living Bodhisattva!"

Qin Feng had no intention of causing a commotion; he came to Changshui County merely to ensure his plan proceeded smoothly and avoid unnecessary complications.

But Bei Di had just endured a great war, followed immediately by freezing cold, and life had become unbearably hard—all the people lived in despair.

At such a moment, anyone offering aid would naturally be met with profound gratitude.

The Beidi Court had not ignored its people entirely; it had previously opened granaries to distribute grain for relief, making a tremendous decision—but the National Treasury was empty, civilian morale was boiling, and all policies prioritized "stability," so the court turned a blind eye to local officials and gentry exploiting and seizing grain, fearing deeper intervention would worsen the domestic situation.

This caution was not without reason, but the result was terrible: money was spent, grain was donated, yet the people did not praise the court—in fact, civilian morale worsened further.

This is what it means: money spent, nothing accomplished.

Of course, this couldn't be entirely blamed on the court; the court's resources were limited, and its full attention was focused on three major matters: relations with Liang, trade agreements, and the regions of Sangzhou and Zhuozhou.

The Ministry of Revenue, responsible for people's livelihood, was controlled by the Hawk Faction, who opposed Qin Feng simply to oppose him, so their concern for the people naturally diminished greatly.

Under mounting pressure, Bei Di's domestic situation was dire!

But these matters were no longer Qin Feng's concern—at least not until Jing Qianying returned to the Beixi County War Hero household.

"What's your name?" Qin Feng asked the next woman, his tone gentle.

Over the next half a Envoy, Qin Feng showed extraordinary patience, individually inquiring about the conditions of every woman present; those with elderly relatives or young children to care for received one sack of grain as compensation.

Women who had been merely seized by the Wu Family, and whose households bore lighter burdens, received half a sack of grain.

After all the women had been dealt with, the men were addressed: those who had not come voluntarily received half a sack of grain; those who had come willingly were taken to the County Yamen for temporary lodging.

After everything was settled, fewer than fifty strong men remained from the original hundreds.

These men came from impoverished households and had braved the freezing cold to earn money to support their families.

Qin Feng glanced at Wu Heng; before he could speak, Wu Heng already beamed with a smile, bowing deeply.

"Lord Qin, rest assured—I'll make sure these men are properly arranged."

"What are you all standing around for? Go fetch materials, set up shelters, and bring firewood from the mansion—this freezing weather—if anyone freezes to death, can you bear the responsibility?!"

The crowd of civilians stood stunned.

Wu Heng, relying on his kinship with Wu Dagui, had long been tyrannical; no one dared provoke him—even passing him on the road might result in arbitrary harassment or beating.

Yet now, he seemed like a different person—utterly obsequious.

Only when the crowd noticed Wu Heng's fawning gaze toward Qin Feng did they realize he had been utterly terrified by him.

Meanwhile, the Wu Residence had descended into chaos.

Wu Dagui paced back and forth, hands behind his back, like an ant on a hot pan.

He had originally planned to give Qin Feng a Downward Warning, to make Qin Feng understand who truly ruled this land.

But Wu Dagui had been brutally humiliated by reality.

First came the news of Wu Qi's death, then Wu Heng was dragged away like a helpless chick.

The dozens of Protectors sent to support him dared not utter a single sound.

Only then did Wu Dagui awaken: his handful of men could only bully civilians—against Qin Feng and his Tiger Wolf Elite Troops, they were nothing but cannon fodder.

Just moments ago, Wu Dagui had been called back to the Back Courtyard by his wife, expecting family matters—only to discover in horror two Attendants of the Imperial Guard seated on Stone Stools, watching him with cold, sinister stares.

His family members huddled together, trembling in terror.

On the ground lay the corpse of a household servant, blood already cold—who knew when these two Attendants had slipped into the mansion?

At first, Wu Dagui assumed the servant had provoked the Attendants and earned his death.

But when he asked, he nearly fainted.

The Attendants killed the servant solely as a warning to Wu Dagui—nothing more.

"This… is the Attendants of the Imperial Guard…"

Wu Dagui sank back into his chair, palms sweating; every thought of the Attendants sent his heart pounding.

Qin Feng was as kind as the Attendants were ruthless!

Now Wu Dagui dared not wish for anything—he only hoped Qin Feng would calm his anger, or his family's ruin was imminent.

At that moment, Wu Heng staggered back in.

"Master! Master! Quickly, send people to the County Yamen to build shelters!"

Wu Dagui frowned in confusion: "Why build shelters?"

Wu Heng gasped for breath: "What else? To house those laborers!"

Hearing this, Wu Dagui's face darkened: "A bunch of Nubi—why bother housing them?"

"This is insane—is Qin Feng really a Living Bodhisattva Reincarnation?"

"Even if he is, why should he drag me into it? He should pay and work himself!"

"I've already sent hundreds of Stone of grain—lost a fortune—and now I have to build shelters? How much money will this cost?!"

Seeing Wu Dagui's resentment, Wu Heng turned pale and quickly made a "shhh" gesture.

Wu Heng pulled Wu Dagui aside, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Master, stop complaining—Lord Qin doesn't deign to feud with us. Be glad."

Hearing this, Wu Dagui's frown deepened: "So… Qin Feng isn't going to come and demand justice?"

Wu Heng sighed and smiled bitterly: "Lord Qin never intended to come—don't scare yourself like this."

Seeing Wu Dagui still visibly shaken, Wu Heng had no choice but to patiently explain: "Master, I've figured it out!"