In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

At this moment, the entire county was like the calm before the storm, and the actual managers were restless and uneasy. The elite troops sent last time were originally intended to attack the mines directly, but who would have expected that those soldiers had already had different intentions before they arrived at their destination. Some fled in panic, while others were suspicious of each other. In the end, only a few were able to return safely, less than a hundred people.

Listening to the depressing and heavy report, Shi Zhubu felt an indescribable anxiety in his heart. He looked at Chen Xiancheng with a frown, as if he was carrying a heavy burden: "Mr. Chen, this situation is really a crisis. When we need people, we must find a way to get them back!"

County Magistrate Chen closed his eyes in deep thought, with a bitter smile on his face. He shook his head and said, "We are already struggling to take care of ourselves, so how can we care about them? Surviving from the outside is the best strategy. I have sent Sun Ying to get information, hoping to stabilize the people's hearts in the county. You should quickly pass the order to strengthen the guards in various parts of the county and strictly prevent the big families from escaping, so as not to make things worse."

The Dianshi was extremely worried when he heard this. He couldn't help but interject, "I think we should ask the county magistrate to ask for help from above! If we let those rural people attack the county, the consequences will be disastrous!"

He knew very well that although they had sidelined Li Wei in Xishan County, at this critical moment, the report to the higher authorities requesting help still had to go through Li Wei.

County Magistrate Chen sighed and nodded in agreement: "What the Dianshi said is absolutely right. We do need the support of the county magistrate. Without further ado, let's go and pay a visit to the county magistrate."

They all knew that the matter was beyond their control and they could only hope that the county magistrate could do something to stabilize the situation in the county.

With heavy hearts, the three of them came to the backyard of the county government office where Li Wei lived. They saw the county magistrate, Li Wei, leisurely sipping tea and chatting with his son Li Bin in the yard.

Li Bin looked worried and said anxiously: "Father, the county is in chaos now. Is it time for you to step in and take care of it?" His restaurant was forced to close due to the turbulent situation, and he was extremely anxious.

Li Wei sneered and said indifferently: "So what if it's chaos? Aren't they trying to deal with me? Now that I can't even protect myself, how can I deal with them?"

Li Bin was stunned when he heard this, and asked in confusion: "Are we just going to let things develop like this?" He knew Li Wei's character very well, and he would never sit idly by and watch others bully him.

Li Wei flashed a sly smile on his face, and whispered to Li Bin: "Bin'er, the entire west is now in chaos, and the court's economy is in danger. You should return to the capital as soon as possible, where you may be able to be saved. Since the court decided to levy taxes on the west, it means that a huge hole has appeared in the court's economy."

Although he was angry at the foolish behavior of the natives in the county, he also knew that even if he held great power, he could not change the plight brought about by the drought. Without food, all efforts would be in vain.

As the night deepened, the town of Xishan County was brightly lit, but the light could not dispel the fear and anxiety in people's hearts. Shi Zhubu, Chen Xiancheng and Dianshi left the county magistrate's residence with heavy hearts. Their steps were heavy and slow, and every step seemed to carry a heavy burden.

Soon the three of them were caught and taken to the yard where Li Wei was.

"Greetings, Master!" The three of them saluted Li Wei after entering the yard.

"It's great that you three came! I wonder how the tax collection issue is going!" Li Wei pretended to be completely unaware of the news outside.

"Please forgive me, sir! We messed up the tax collection! Not only do those peasants refuse to pay taxes, but some of them have even gathered together to rebel!" County Magistrate Chen was the first to admit his mistake.

"How could this happen! Didn't you say you would handle it? How am I supposed to explain this to my superiors?" Li Wei roared, his heart filled with panic. If it weren't for County Magistrate Chen and the County Lieutenant, he would have rushed out and cut those people into pieces.

County Magistrate Chen and the Dianshi both knelt down and kowtowed, crying, "Mr. Magistrate, please calm down! We are incompetent, and we beg you to punish us!" They were both furious in their hearts, and who would be willing to endure this?

"Forget it, get up!" Li Wei waved his hand and said, "You three can go back! I have my own plan."

"Thank you, County Magistrate!" the three said in unison, then stood up and left the county magistrate's mansion in shame.

Li Wei showed a sneer on his face: "Humph! I'll see what you can do!"

"Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened!" County Magistrate Chen said excitedly at this time.

"Is there anything worse than a rebellion?" Li Wei looked at him and asked calmly.

"Tell me the truth, sir! The military equipment of our county has been abandoned for a long time. I'm afraid that the people in the mines will soon not be satisfied with staying in the mines. After all, so many people consume a lot of food! If they come to attack our county, we will have no way to deal with it! So please report to the provincial government to send troops to assess the rebellion here!" County Magistrate Chen said anxiously.

"The provincial government? How many troops do you think they can mobilize? If we invite troops here now, can we afford to support them? Besides, how can the provincial government mobilize troops for such a trivial matter as yours? It's simply wishful thinking!"

Li Wei sneered: "You have really caused trouble this time. I don't think you have anything to say!"

"Mr. County Magistrate..." County Magistrate Chen wanted to argue, but Li Wei interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "Don't try to persuade me anymore! I can't save you this time! We must find a way to quell the rebellion as soon as possible!"

"This..." County Magistrate Chen and the Dianshi looked at each other in bewilderment.

Li Wei stood up and said, "Okay, I will try to ask the state government for help. But don't hold your hopes too high. I think the situation around here is similar."

As the night deepened, Xishan County seemed to be shrouded in an invisible haze. After leaving the county magistrate's residence, Shi Zhubu, Chen Xiancheng and Dianshi felt heavy and anxious. They knew that Li Wei's indifference and ruthlessness had made the situation in the county even worse.

The three of them went back to their houses, but none of them wanted to sleep. They gathered together to discuss countermeasures. Shi Zhubu said worriedly: "What should we do with the county magistrate's attitude? If those miners really attack us, won't we just sit there and wait for death?"

County Magistrate Chen sighed and shook his head, saying, "The county magistrate is no longer willing to take care of this matter. We can only find a solution ourselves. The only plan now is to strengthen the defense of the county and send people to neighboring states and counties for help."

The Dianshi nodded in agreement: "Yes, we must act quickly, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

Therefore, the three of them took separate actions, on the one hand strengthening the defense of the county, on the other hand sending people to neighboring states and counties for help. However, they all knew that all these were only temporary solutions and not fundamental solutions. The real solution was to fundamentally solve the food problem caused by the drought.