After being demoted, my 300,000-strong army trampled the imperial city!

“Winter is approaching, and large-scale migrations are taking place at this time of year. Many people have been injured along the way. This place is specifically for sheltering people who have lost their homes due to floods or are seriously injured and temporarily unable to work,” Yan Qing sighed.

"I see."

No wonder Chen Futu smelled medicinal herbs everywhere, which meant that the rice porridge contained nourishing medicinal herbs. In addition, most of the refugees here were listless, sitting under the withered trees as if they had no hope, with no light in their eyes.

"Your Highness, I plan to establish an almshouse to help these unfortunate people."

Yan Qing spoke solemnly, expressing her hope to obtain approval for a plot of land to build a nursing home.

Looking at her beautiful face, Chen Futu couldn't help but admire her greatly. She was truly a living bodhisattva, and it was no wonder she could make money. It was just a pity that such a person had lost her husband so early, and was also a person with a tragic fate.

“I will give you the land, but you must remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch. If you give someone a favor for nothing, they may not appreciate it in the long run. If one day they do not agree with you in some way, it will be a problem.”

Chen Futu spoke of the blood and tears lessons of the original world. The most famous story was about a man who would give five yuan to an old beggar on the roadside every day. One day, he went out in a hurry and forgot his money. The old beggar asked him to pay back the next day. The man felt bad and still didn't give the beggar the money the next day. The beggar became unhappy, grabbed the man's clothes and cursed him, asking why he had embezzled his money and hadn't given it back.

The story was short, but Yan Qing's eyes widened. "Do such people really exist in the world?"

"Don't believe me? You can try it, but I still suggest you pair it with a light workshop so they can be self-reliant."

Chen Futu has said all he wanted to say; hopefully, she won't go astray.

Refugees arrived one after another to receive porridge.

Everything was fine until suddenly a disheveled man threw the bowl on the ground and smashed it to pieces, spilling soup everywhere.

The steward stepped forward to inquire about the situation, and the man said irritably, "Is this food for humans? It's just plain porridge and dry steamed buns every day. Would it kill you to add a little meat?"

"Are you being picky? If you don't want to eat, go dig in the fields and see if you can find anything to eat," the steward snapped angrily.

The man's eyes widened immediately. "You businessmen spend your days indulging in pleasure and making more money than you could ever spend in ten lifetimes. Why can't you put some minced meat in the soup to nourish everyone?"

"Eat if you want, or get out."

The manager also had a bad temper and ordered the staff to chase people away.

The man immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, "Someone's being hit! A businessman's hitting someone! Come and see!"

The shout startled the patrolling Dragon City garrison, who immediately stepped forward to inquire about the situation. The officer in charge quickly explained the reason.

The man, however, remained seated on the ground and continued shouting, "The Crown Prince has ordered relief for the people, yet you merchants, stripped of your lowly status by the Crown Prince, not only fail to contribute but also mistreat the people. If the Crown Prince finds out, he will cut off your heads!"

"you!"

The steward was so angry that his stomach ached, but he couldn't say anything harsh in front of the garrison. However, more and more people gathered around, complaining to the garrison: "We are all old, weak, women and children here, or injured and sick. We eat plain porridge and rice all day long. How can we be healthy?"

"Yes, we don't need much. Just some minced meat in the porridge so everyone can recover quickly and go back to work."

The crowd chattered.

The soldiers guarding Longcheng were completely baffled.

What kind of time is this to be picking and choosing? There are some things they can't say, and shouldn't say, because Lord Yu has repeatedly ordered that the people should not be treated harshly, and that not a single person should be harmed. So they can only stare helplessly.

The situation continues to escalate.

Chen Futu and Yan Qing witnessed all of this from a short distance away.

Yan Qing's worldview was severely shaken. She covered her mouth and stared at the people in disbelief.

Chen Futu sneered, "That's good. I don't want you to try opening an almshouse anymore. Facts have already shown you what you should and shouldn't do."

"Why is that? You should know that the medicinal herbs in the rice porridge are quite valuable, much more expensive than minced meat, and they're still not satisfied?"

"So some people are called fools. There are only a few scoundrels in the world. Do you really think you live in a fairyland?"

Chen Futu's words were full of sarcasm.

Yan Qing was speechless.

She was wrong. Some acts of kindness should not be shown; once that precedent is set, it only invites trouble.

"So what is your decision?" Chen Futu pressed.

Yan Qing's face darkened, and he called the steward over.

The steward rushed over, complaining with a wry smile, "Madam, what should we do?"

He wasn't worried about whether or not minced meat should be added to the rice porridge; he was worried that if word got out, people would think that the lady was mistreating the common people, and if the prince found out, who could bear the blame?

"Immediately arrange for people to pack up their belongings. We're ceasing the relief efforts. If they want minced meat, they can go to the government-run relief office and see if they dare to cause trouble there."

Yan Qing became angry.

Her kind heart doesn't mean she's easy to bully.

She finally understood what the prince meant: some people deserve the suffering they endure.

Upon hearing this, the manager didn't hesitate and immediately told the staff to pack up.

The people were shocked and immediately asked what had happened.

The steward shouted, "If you want to eat minced meat, why don't you go to the government office and see if they have any? If they don't, you can go to the royal court and ask the prince for minced meat and see if he will give it to you."

"You cannot retreat!"

"Yeah, why are you leaving? If you leave, what will we eat!"

The people aren't stupid.

They knew they were drinking a nourishing medicinal porridge. Most of the people who came here were injured or ill due to floods. Since they were too weak to take such a tonic, they could only recuperate gradually. Adding minced meat and strong medicine would only have the opposite effect.

But what does it matter if you know?

They hadn't tasted meat for three days, and their mouths were practically tasteless. When someone caused trouble, they were eager to gain more benefits.

The manager was delighted to see the people trying to stop him; the more anxious they were, the happier he became, and he urged his staff to hurry up and pack up.

This undoubtedly stirred up a hornet's nest. The people were furious and tried to stop it, resulting in chaos and a complete mess at the scene.

If it weren't for the presence of the Dragon City Guards, the manager and his men would probably have been beaten to a pulp.

Seeing this, Yan Qing was so angry that she laughed. She asked Chen Futu, "Young Master, don't you have anything to say?"

Chen Futu shrugged. "What does this have to do with me? Did I beg you for disaster relief? Now you've gotten yourself into all this trouble, are you scared yet?"

"I……"

Yan Qing was speechless. What could she say? She had brought this upon herself.

Disaster relief is a great deed if done well, but a big problem if done poorly.

If they truly have that kind of intention, they can simply hand over the supplies to the government and let the government provide relief. After all, the government has the backing of the authorities and the protection of the military, so who would dare to act recklessly?

Yan Qing's desire for fame was a miscalculation.

She's really at her wit's end, with everything in such a mess.

Seeing her embarrassed expression, Chen Futu smiled and said, "I have a way to help you solve this problem and make these refugees afraid to bother you anymore, but are you willing to do it?"

"Please speak, Your Highness, and I will certainly comply."