Protect Our Patriarch

……

As they were speaking, the flying carriage slowly descended outside the east gate of Changning Commandery.

"Kree~"

A red-crowned crane flapped its wings, elegantly landing on the yellow mud, and let out a soft cry.

The previously chattering carriage suddenly quieted down. The three core disciples, including Ji Mingyu, subconsciously straightened their clothes, presenting their best appearance.

"Let's go~"

Fang You'an led the group out of the carriage.

The weather was cloudy, and the light outside the city was not good, but the appearance of the four of them still made people feel as if a light had shone before them.

Whether it was their looks or their temperament, all four of them were outstanding among their peers. Especially their spirited posture and vibrant demeanor, which easily won people's favor.

Especially Fang You'an, who was leading the group, his temperament was extraordinary, with a transcendent demeanor. Standing among the crowd, he gave off the feeling of a crane among chickens. Even the city lord, Xiahou Hongde, who was also in the Heavenly Realm, was not as impressive as him in terms of demeanor.

Many of the family heads present couldn't help but feel a touch of admiration and envy, spontaneously thinking, "If only our family could produce such a prodigy."

Even the clan leader of the Huangfu's Clan, Huangfu Jinhuan, and the clan leader of the Lei Clan, who were both in the Heavenly Realm, were no exception.

Is it them?

In the crowd, Wang Shouzhe raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.

He had also wondered who the direct disciples from the academy would be this time, but he hadn't expected it to be Fang You'an and his group.

But on second thought, it made sense.

There weren't many idle direct disciples in the Zifu Academy. It was reasonable for Fang You'an to bring some of his junior brothers and sisters to do a large-scale task.

As he was pondering,

City Lord Xiahou Hongde had already greeted them with a full smile, saying, "Are you the pride of heaven from Zifu Academy? I am Xiahou Hongde, the city lord of Changning Commandery. I apologize for not being able to welcome you from afar."

After saying that, he took out his identity token for the other party to check.

Fang You'an also followed the rules, scanning the identity token with his spiritual sense. After confirming the other party's identity, he returned the courtesy gracefully, "City Lord, you are too kind. I am Fang You'an from the Xuanbing Hall of Zifu Academy. I am here with my junior brothers and sisters to assist you in dealing with the disaster in Changning Commandery."

As he spoke, he also took out his token and the appointment document jointly issued by Zifu Academy and the Commandery Lord's Mansion.

Xiahou Hongde did not dare to neglect, but also followed the rules, carefully checking the token and appointment document.

After confirming that there was no problem, he bowed even more respectfully, "I pay my respects to the Inspector General and the other Inspectors."

Whether it was the other party's appointed position or the identity of the direct disciple of the academy, he could not afford to slack off.

Not to mention this Inspector General Fang You'an, who was young but had profound cultivation, behind him was the one from Xuanbing Hall... Among the Zifu elders in the academy, that one was definitely not easy to provoke.

Moreover, he had heard that the disciples of Xuanbing Hall in Zifu Academy were all very strong in individual combat. The core disciples were all extraordinary warriors, let alone a direct disciple in the Heavenly Realm. How could he underestimate them?

"City Lord, you are too polite. You are my senior, just call me You'an." Fang You'an was a rare good-tempered person in Xuanbing Hall.

"How dare I, Inspector General You'an." After a brief exchange, Xiahou Hongde said, "Let me introduce you to the clan leaders of our Changning Commandery."

As soon as his words fell,

The two clan leaders of the Lei Clan and Huangfu's Clan, who had been waiting for half a day, immediately walked up with smiles on their faces, followed by the other clan leaders.

The arrival of a direct disciple of Zifu Academy at Changning Commandery was a rare event. If they could establish a relationship and form a good bond with him, it would be beneficial to their clans.

As for Wang Shouzhe, he was a step slow and ended up at the back.

His allied clans were not particularly enthusiastic. After all, they had seen a lot with Wang Shouzhe recently.

Although the direct disciples of the academy were of high status, they were not so easy to curry favor with. It was more practical to stick to Wang Shouzhe.

"Inspector General You'an, Inspectors. These two are Clan Leader Lei Qiuwei of the Lei Clan and Clan Leader Huangfu Jinhuan of Huangfu's Clan."

Following the rules, Xiahou Hongde first introduced the two Heavenly Realm clans.

Lei Qiuwei and Huangfu Jinhuan immediately bowed with smiles on their faces, "We pay our respects to the Inspector General and the Inspectors."

Fang You'an was not the kind of person who was aloof from worldly affairs. He understood that when working at the local level, he still needed to rely on the local powerhouses, so naturally, he would not snub them.

Just as he was about to return the courtesy and introduce his junior brothers and sisters,

Suddenly,

Brother Yangde shouted, "Isn't that Junior Brother Shouzhe?"

Junior Brother Shouzhe?

As soon as these words came out, they attracted everyone's attention.

Fang You'an also saw Wang Shouzhe at the back of the crowd.

He was slightly stunned, somewhat delighted, and immediately bowed to Lei Qiuwei and Huangfu Jinhuan, apologizing, "Excuse me, I've just spotted an acquaintance. I'll go and say hello first."Under the leadership of Fang You'an, the disciples of Xuanbing Hall all walked towards Wang Shouzhe with smiles on their faces. As they passed, the people of Changning Guard made way for them.

Before Fang You'an could speak, Wang Shouzhe took the initiative to greet them, "I am honored to meet Brother You'an, all the other brothers, and this sister."

Fang You'an returned the greeting warmly, "Brother Shouzhe, it has been over two months since we parted hastily at the academy. I didn't expect to meet you again under such circumstances."

Ji Mingyu, Li Yangde, and another core female disciple, Qian Cailing, also hurriedly returned the greeting, all calling him "Brother Shouzhe".

They all knew that Wang Shouzhe was a nominal direct disciple of Master Changchun.

Although the word "nominal" was added, they all knew that it was a helpless move. As long as Wang Shouzhe was willing, Master Changchun could accept him as a direct disciple at any time.

Moreover, they also thought it was natural. Brother Shouzhe, who is not yet thirty years old, was able to defeat Ji Mingyu at such a young age. If he wanted to join Xuanbing Hall, their master Binglan would probably accept him as a direct disciple.

The atmosphere of the academy is such that it does not talk about one's background. If your strength is not up to par, even if you are born in a Purple Mansion family, some core disciples and direct disciples will not take you seriously.

But like Wang Shouzhe, who purely relied on his own strength to gain his status, even Ji Mingyu admired him and dared not fight him again.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wang Shouzhe also learned their names and greeted them, "Brother Yangde, Sister Cailing. After this matter is over, don't rush to leave. Allow me to entertain you properly."

Seeing their familiarity, the faces of the families of the eight-grade clans became somewhat subtle. Their relatives and allies were naturally pleased, while the rest looked slightly complex.

The two clan leaders of the Heavenly Human clans, Lei Qiuwei and Huangfu Jinhuan, were obviously embarrassed.

They rushed to the front, hoping to curry favor with the direct disciples and core disciples of the academy, but they didn't expect them to be so familiar and close with Wang Shouzhe.

Even the city guard, Xiahou Hongde, was stunned for a while before he stepped forward and laughed, "It turns out that Clan Leader Shouzhe is so familiar with the seniors of the upper peak, which is really enviable. However, this is not the place to talk. I have prepared a banquet at Baiwei Pavilion to welcome the seniors of the upper peak."

Obviously, he also saw the embarrassment of the other clans and couldn't help but step in to defuse the situation.

At the same time, Wang Shouzhe's status in his mind was invisibly elevated by several levels. It seemed that the information he had received about the academy was not comprehensive, and he had underestimated Wang Shouzhe!

Fang You'an and the others, of course, would not refute Xiahou Hongde's face. They followed the crowd into the city.

Under the guidance of the city defense camp, the group went straight to Baiwei Pavilion.

Of course, the Baiwei Pavilion in Changning Guard could not compare with the headquarters of Baiwei Pavilion in Longzuo Commandery.

When they arrived at Baiwei Pavilion, they found that Qian Xue'an, the manager of the Changning Guard branch of Qian's Trading Company, was already waiting at the door.

With his increasingly large belly, he greeted Fang You'an and the core disciples of the Purple Mansion Academy with a smile like Maitreya Buddha.

Seeing Qian Cailing, he bowed deeply and said, "Xue'an pays his respects to Aunt Cailing."

"So it's Xue'an." Qian Cailing looked him up and down, "You've gained weight again in just two or three years. So you're in Changning Guard too."

Qian Cailing had a deep impression of Qian Xue'an.

Originally just an insignificant collateral relative, he unexpectedly rose to prominence, making several significant contributions to the family. Even the family's ancestor had mentioned his name twice.

What an honor! Even she, Qian Cailing, a core disciple of the academy, had a deeper and deeper impression of Qian Xue'an.

Of course, this was also because Qian Xue'an was good at networking. He seized the opportunity to visit the academy every two or three years.

She, Qian Cailing, had also received many benefits from Qian Xue'an, so her impression of him was naturally deep.

This small conversation seemed insignificant, but the heads of the families in Changning Guard couldn't help but look serious, and their hearts became more solemn.

It seemed that among the core disciples of the academy, this female core disciple named Qian Cailing seemed to be the least noticeable, but she was actually from the Qian Clan.

In the entire Longzuo Commandery, the Qian Clan was a famous fifth-grade Purple Mansion family, with a very prominent status, and almost no one dared to provoke them.

Even Wang Shouzhe looked at Qian Cailing a few more times, not expecting that Sister Cailing was actually Qian Xue'an's aunt.

The Purple Mansion Academy was indeed a place where dragons and tigers hid.

Or perhaps, the foundation of the Qian Clan in Longzuo was indeed incredibly deep.

Afterwards, there was naturally a warm reception. With Qian Xue'an, a skilled socializer, present, the atmosphere was much livelier.

After three rounds of wine.

Fang You'an's face became serious, and he bowed to the people seated at the banquet, "Everyone, we have eaten and drunk, but the disaster cannot be ignored. I, Fang You'an, have been entrusted by the Commandery Office and the academy to supervise and resolve the disaster. I would like to ask everyone here for your help. City Guard, I saw many refugees gathered near Changning Guard from the air earlier. I wonder if there are proper arrangements for this?"

As soon as the main topic was mentioned, everyone's faces became serious.Xiahou Hongde's face was solemn as he said, "The middle and lower reaches of the An River have been severely affected by the disaster, with many refugees heading east. Since only thirty percent of Changning Wei has been affected, many refugees have gathered here and refuse to leave. I have ordered the construction of many temporary refugee camps and opened the granaries to provide porridge for the refugees. However, the number of refugees is increasing, and the grain storage in Changning Wei is limited. We will eventually run out."

Fang You'an's brows furrowed, "We, the senior brothers, have taken the lead, and some junior brothers and sisters are coming overland, collecting grain and fodder along the way. But I'm afraid that won't be enough to quench the immediate thirst. We need the local gentry to contribute."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

The head of the Ningxi Party Clan, Party Zhenghe, said with a bitter smile, "Governor Xiahou, our Ningxi Party Clan's lands have been completely flooded. The tenant farmers and civilians in our jurisdiction have all fled to the nearby towns. If we don't get any help, I'm afraid our clan will..."

The other clans also showed bitter expressions, indicating that it was not the harvest season, and each clan was living on their remaining grain. Each clan had also suffered significant losses.

"The food issue can be managed," said Qian Xue'an of the Qian's Merchant Group, "I can still raise some, enough to cope for a short time. The problem is that the number of refugees is increasing. Are we going to drive them to other places? As far as I know, the two Wei cities upstream, Dingnan and Zhenze, are even worse off. Countless fields and houses have been washed away, especially in Zhenze Wei, which is now a vast ocean, with countless casualties. The surviving civilians and tenant farmers probably have no homes to return to."

"Hmph!" A murderous intent flashed in Fang You'an's eyes, "Dingnan and Zhenze Wei, they neglected flood control, leading to this disaster. The days of those two city guards are numbered. Let's not talk about this for now, we need to find a way to settle these refugees."

Upon hearing this, the clans fell silent again, each calculating and pondering in their hearts.

Wang Shouzhe knew, it wasn't their fault.

After hundreds of years of development, most of the clans' territories in Changning Wei were already saturated. Increasing the number of tenant farmers and laborers would not bring significant economic growth, but would increase various consumptions, forming a burden.

But they couldn't easily refute Fang You'an, who came with the title of "Governor".

Don't be fooled by his gentle demeanor now. If they really angered him, he might wipe out an eighth-rank clan as a warning to others.

After some thought, the clan leaders began to express their positions. One clan would take in one or two thousand refugees, another would take in two thousand. Although they were doing their best, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the large number of refugees.

Someone even suggested that Donghai Wei or other Wei cities should also take in some refugees.

At this point, Huangfu Jin stood up and said, "Our Huangfu Clan is willing to take in five thousand refugees."

Lei Qiuwei also quickly said, "Our Lei Clan is also willing to take in five thousand refugees."

With this, Fang You'an's face relaxed a lot, at least these local tycoons were not shirking their responsibilities.

"Brother You'an," Wang Shouzhe pondered for a while, then stood up and said, "Our Ping'an Town is willing to take in forty thousand refugees."

What?

Forty thousand refugees?!

Everyone was shocked, their eyes all focused on Wang Shouzhe, their faces full of disbelief.

Wang Shouzhe, however, was full of regret.

If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't digest it all at once, he would have liked to take in all the refugees. Because the more people the Wang's Clan had for their upcoming development plans, the better.

...