Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

Chapter 524: Shimi

next morning

"Master, the food has been prepared. The servants have set up a tent on East Street as instructed and have delivered all the food there." Lord Long stood beside Bowen who was enjoying breakfast and reported respectfully.

Bowen calmly picked up his handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of his mouth. "How much food have you prepared this time?"

There was a hint of pride in Long Ye's tone. "Master, we have prepared a total of twenty carts of food, each carrying fifty dan."

Bowen was shocked when he heard the amount and stood up subconsciously. "Master Long, your dedication is truly admirable. Qiushan is truly blessed to have a father like you who understands the greater good. However, this is such a huge amount of food, I'm afraid it would be difficult for me alone..."

"Master, you don't have to worry." Long Ye hurriedly explained with a smile, "I have arranged for the second son and the housekeeper to assist you in distributing rice. If you feel tired, the servants will take over in time."

He knew that such a large amount of food could not be left to Bowen alone; the entire Long family had to participate in the rice donation. After all, although this was done in the name of the Crown Prince, the Long family must also share in the benefits and reputation they deserved.

"Okay, in that case, let's set off now." Bowen nodded, and then walked outside with Long Ye.

Last night, the news that the Crown Prince had instructed Dilong Villa to open its granaries spread like wildfire throughout Nanyang Prefecture. Long, winding lines had already formed at the rice distribution sites on East Street, and the people were whispering and discussing the matter.

"Why don't you tell the prince to open the granaries and release grain?" A woman asked with a puzzled look on her face.

The old man beside her glanced at her and said, "Women's opinions! The Crown Prince has no real power now. The power is firmly in the hands of Concubine Sun and her faction."

Another young man echoed, "Yes, the Crown Prince has long been sidelined by Concubine Sun. He can barely protect himself, yet he still cares about us ordinary people. How pitiful."

"But why does Dilong Villa listen to the prince?" someone else asked.

"It's really unclear. When did Dilong Villa surrender to the prince?" Everyone looked at each other, all bewildered.

A well-informed person in the crowd said, "What do you know? Lord Long sent Young Master Long to Wenyuan Academy in the capital. The head of Wenyuan Academy is a die-hard supporter of the crown prince."

When the people were discussing the matter heatedly, a luxuriously decorated carriage slowly drove up, with the flag of Wenyuan Academy, the first academy in Dayan, prominently displayed on the carriage.

Under the gazes of the people, Bowen stepped down from the carriage. Lord Long, who was standing nearby, had already arranged for his servants to quickly build a simple yet stable platform at the rice donation site.

Long Ye led Bo Wen onto the stage. After they settled, Long Ye coughed twice and cleared his throat. "Fellow villagers, this is Master Bo Wen, the renowned First Master of the Great Yan State! Master Bo Wen has come to Nanyang Prefecture this time on the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who has ordered Longshan Manor to release grain to help us all through this difficult time."

Bowen nodded slightly, his eyes gently sweeping over the orderly line of people below the stage, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He could tell that Long Ye was truly a pragmatic man. So many people had already arrived so early in the morning to line up for rice.

Then, Bowen said loudly, "People of Nanyang City! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince always holds the people of the world in his heart. As the legitimate heir of Great Yan, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent and kind-hearted. To have a crown prince like His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is truly a blessing for the people of Great Yan! Next, Lord Long and I will work together to donate rice to everyone."

Amid the cheers of the people of Nanyang Prefecture, Bowen, Long Ye, Long Er and a group of capable servants of the Long family all got busy distributing the white rice to the people.

An elderly woman with white hair, clutching a bag of white rice she had just received, cried out with tears of excitement in her eyes, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly merciful!"

A young scholar, also carrying a full bag of rice, with excitement on his face, raised the bag high in his hand and shouted: "The government doesn't care about our life or death, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cares about us. From now on, we will only recognize His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

A burly man followed suit and said loudly, "Our Nanyang City has been suffering from disasters for so long, and no one from the imperial court has even shown up. Instead, the crown prince, who was driven out of the capital, has asked Dilong Villa to open its warehouses and distribute food to us. We must never forget this kindness!"

At this time, while helping to distribute food, the Long family's housekeeper took the opportunity to sigh, "Fellow villagers, our Lord Long is thinking of you all! But with this natural disaster, food prices have skyrocketed, and Lord Long has his own difficulties. With so many people in the Long family to feed, everyone has their own difficulties!"

Long Er, distributing food swiftly, chimed in, "Yeah, we all have our own difficulties. In my opinion, when something like a natural disaster hits, the government is the one that should be most proactive!"

In the crowd, a slovenly-dressed, ruffian-like thug, clutching his newly-received grain in one hand, shouted with disdain, "Government? Humph, what do they care about? Our county magistrate is probably still enjoying himself in the arms of the ladies at Baihua Tower. Why would he care about us?"

As soon as these words were spoken, a barrage of insults rang out.

"When Lord Wu was here, our Nanyang City was not like this! At that time, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. It's not like now, when disaster strikes, no one cares!" said an elderly uncle angrily.

"Yes, yes, how can that corrupt official be compared with Lord Wu! Lord Wu is dedicated to the people, but this guy now only knows how to pursue pleasure and plunder the people's wealth!" An auntie next to him also echoed.

The news that Dilong Villa was distributing food on the orders of the prince soon reached Luo Jing'an's ears.

"What!" Luo Jingan, who was lazily leaning on the couch, was so shocked when he heard the news that he jumped up from the couch.

The prostitutes who were flirting with him were frightened by this sudden change and scattered aside in panic.

An official in official uniform stood trembling nearby and continued to report truthfully, "Sir, every word I say is true! Last night, the news that Dilong Villa was distributing grain on the orders of the Crown Prince spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys. Early this morning, the people flocked to East Street to collect the grain. I saw it with my own eyes: the two brothers of the Long family were distributing grain to the people there. Moreover, at some point, Master Bowen from the Wenyuan Academy in the capital also arrived in Nanyang Prefecture."