This is very strange.

If Gu Feng's fate was that of a wealthy merchant, Gu Changge could still understand. After all, Gu Feng indeed had quite a talent for business. But this emperor's fate was somewhat unexpected. He couldn't see any sign of an emperor in Gu Feng at all.

"Senior Brother! Senior Brother!"

At this moment, Qingfeng, whom he had just sent out to gather information, came running back, waving his hand from afar with a clear look of urgency on his face. "There's really something happening outside. A lot of people have gathered at the mountain gate!"

"People?"

Gu Changge temporarily set aside his doubts and turned to frown at the young Daoist acolyte. "What kind of people?"

Qingfeng said, "It's a group of refugees fleeing from famine. They're all gathered at the mountain gate hoping for a bite to eat. Master is having a headache over it."

Upon hearing this, a look of realization flashed in Gu Changge's eyes.

Last year and the year before, the Hexi Circuit in the Fusu Kingdom suffered a severe drought, with crops failing completely and even water becoming scarce. Although the Shannan Circuit also had little rain, it had numerous large rivers flowing through it, so it was never short of water and was hardly affected.

"Senior Brother, how did you hear the sounds from there?"

The young Daoist acolyte Qingfeng looked at Gu Changge with great curiosity, knowing that the distance from here to the mountain gate was quite far. Qingsong Courtyard was at the back mountain, while the mountain gate was at the front, spanning the entire Lingyin Temple.

"Want to know?"

Gu Changge looked at the young acolyte with a smile.

The young acolyte nodded vigorously, his eyes full of anticipation as he looked at Gu Changge. He really wanted to know!

"But I don't want to tell you."

Gu Changge chuckled, ruffling the little guy's hair, then got up and walked outside, deciding to check out the situation at the front.

Qingfeng's expression froze for a long time. It took him a while to react, his face turning red with embarrassment as he shouted at Gu Changge's back, "Senior Brother, you're such a big fool!"

"Then you're a little fool, aren't you?"

Gu Changge's voice slowly came from afar.

The young acolyte was frustrated but had no choice. He stomped his foot and decided to follow along.

...

Lingyin Mountain wasn't particularly low. From Fengbo Pavilion, one could even overlook the scenery within Rising Dragon City. A stone staircase of about six hundred steps had been built at the front mountain, and at this moment, looking down the staircase, there were many people standing or lying around.

"Please, Daoist Priest, have mercy and give us some food."

"Be kind, I'm starving to death."

"Please save my child, he hasn't eaten in three days!"

"Help!"

A group of ragged refugees prostrated themselves at the mountain gate of Lingyin Temple. The entire stone staircase and the area below the mountain were filled with people as far as the eye could see.

At the mountain gate, several Daoists from Lingyin Temple were looking at this scene with headaches. These refugees were all emaciated, looking as if a gust of wind could blow them over. Some of the children were so starved that they were barely human, with only a thin layer of skin over their bones.

A look of pity flashed in their eyes, and they all turned their gaze towards Daoist Qingxu, who was equally troubled.

Daoist Qingxu was at his wit's end. To save or not to save? Lingyin Temple still had some grain in storage, but there were hundreds of people kneeling here. The temple's grain wasn't even enough to fill their stomachs for one meal.

The most troublesome part was that according to the information he had received, a large number of refugees from the Hexi Circuit were pouring into Shannan. If they saved this group, more would surely come, and even if they sold the entire Lingyin Temple, they wouldn't be able to feed them all!

Just then, Daoist Qingxu saw Gu Changge approaching. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, as if he had found his backbone, and quickly walked up to Gu Changge.

"Changge, look at this..."

Daoist Qingxu pointed to the refugees in front of the mountain gate. If anyone in Rising Dragon City had the power to aid these refugees, besides the government, it would be the wealthy merchants led by the Gu Family.

Gu Changge looked at the refugees in front of him and frowned slightly. Why were there so many refugees? Lingyin Temple was not located by the main road of Rising Dragon City; it was quite secluded. If one or two refugees had found their way here, he could understand, but how did such a large group suddenly appear?

"Qingfeng!"

Gu Changge suddenly called out.

Qingfeng, who had been running over and was now panting heavily, quickly responded upon hearing Gu Changge's voice.

"Senior Brother!"

Gu Changge turned to him and asked, "When you sneaked into the city to buy things yesterday, did you see many refugees?"

Qingfeng felt a bit guilty upon hearing this. He wanted to deny going, but he keenly sensed the seriousness of the current atmosphere.

"No, I didn't see many."

"Not even outside the city?"

"The city doesn't allow refugees in. I only saw them outside the city."

Hearing Qingfeng's words, Gu Changge's frown deepened.

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Daoist Qingxu suddenly realized something upon hearing this. He glanced at the refugees below the mountain and frowned, "Changge, do you mean there's something wrong with these refugees?"

Gu Changge calmly said, "It's not that there's something wrong with the refugees, but the way they arrived is problematic."

"After all, these refugees hadn't yet arrived in large numbers at Rising Dragon City yesterday. Our Lingyin Temple is in a remote location; it should take a day or two for them to spread here."

Although Lingyin Temple was at a corner of Rising Dragon City, Moon River came from the north and then turned out from the east gate, heading southwest. The two were separated by the riverbanks.

"When refugees arrive at a place, they first gather at the city gate, asking the government to open the granaries. Only when that doesn't work do they scatter to find food on their own."

Daoist Qingxu was startled and said, "You mean someone deliberately directed these refugees here?"

"That seems to be the case, but to know for sure, we need to ask."

Gu Changge glanced down, then walked over to a woman sitting on the stone steps with a child in her arms.

The woman looked like an ordinary commoner. The child in her arms was very thin and weak, seemingly not having eaten for a long time, lying in her arms with eyes barely open.

Seeing Gu Changge squat down in front of her, the woman couldn't help but lower her head in panic, a deep sense of inferiority, fear, and shame flashing across her face, as humble as dust. But perhaps thinking of the child in her arms, she pursed her dry lips and bent down with difficulty, saying, "Please, be kind, give us something to eat. The child hasn't eaten in days."

"Qingfeng, take out what you're hiding in your arms!"

Gu Changge said calmly without turning his head.

Qingfeng's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Gu Changge's back. Senior Brother, how did you know that?

Despite his reluctance, seeing the scene before him, he hesitated for a moment but still took out the scallion pancake hidden in his arms.

The scallion pancake was wrapped in oil paper, but it had long gone cold due to the time. Yet the oily sheen on it still made people swallow involuntarily.

The eyes of the surrounding refugees, starved to the point of turning green, lit up. The sound of swallowing echoed continuously.

Their eyes were fixed on the scallion pancake in Qingfeng's hand, the aroma of the scallion oil assaulting their senses and reason.

Qingfeng was startled by the sight and hurriedly hid behind Gu Changge.

Gu Changge glanced around, his voice calm and unruffled, "Sit down, all of you!"

Buzz—

The air was filled with lingering echoes. After he spoke, the restless refugees around him were suddenly jolted, and their ferocious faces instantly turned to fear.

An inexplicable sense of terror arose in their hearts, as if a sudden pressure was making it hard for them to breathe.

Everyone looked at Gu Changge in horror.

Gu Changge looked at the woman in front of him, took the scallion pancake from Qingfeng's hand, and handed it to her, saying, "Answer one question for me, and this is yours."

The woman's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "Please ask, sir!"

The surrounding refugees couldn't help but look at the woman with envy.

Gu Changge asked, "Who told you to come here?"