CHAPTER 445: CHAPTER 445: WHATEVER YOU WANT, I’LL DO AS YOU SAY

He called Si over: "Go to the Xiao Mansion now and have the people there buy five hundred kilograms of grain in the city, also distribute porridge outside the city."

"Let the refugees line up, and they must not claim repeatedly, otherwise, they won’t get any. If there’s still leftover, distribute the porridge again in the evening."

Prefect Xie also got involved.

"Then the porridge for tomorrow will be the responsibility of the State Mansion."

Prefect Xie sighed: "In fact, it’s good to come out sometimes, to understand the hardships of the people; it’s better than just sitting high above as the prefect."

Pei Shu’er smiled and said nothing.

In this era, if changes were not made fundamentally.

If the problem of drought is not solved, if heavy taxes and levies are not addressed, the issue of refugees will never cease.

In fact, the number of refugees will only increase.

This isn’t something that just a prefect can change.

The only ones who can change all this are the decision-makers, only the emperors.

But the Emperor of Dayan will remain on the throne for some time; even his successor hasn’t changed the tax and labor requirements.

During times of war, taxes are also increased.

However, these things are still somewhat distant from her, and she doesn’t understand politics.

Thinking about these things has no meaning.

When they arrived at the previously prepared barbecue site, Lin Yu and Lin Hong set up the grill.

This was taken out of space by Pei Shu’er, and she did some antique processing to it before claiming she went to a blacksmith to make it.

Fortunately, the difficulty of making this grill isn’t too high; in fact, it wouldn’t be difficult for a blacksmith to make it either.

When Pei Shu’er took out the skewers threaded with bamboo sticks, Xiao Shen was dumbfounded for a moment.

"Just this?"

Pei Shu’er smiled and said, "Yes, just this."

Xiao Shen was a bit puzzled; honestly, it was just adding a bamboo stick and slicing the meat and other vegetables thinner; it doesn’t seem to change much.

Is it really worth coming outside the city just to grill this barbecue?

Prefect Xie also felt this barbecue was probably about the ambiance, just to relax a bit.

The taste might not actually be anything special.

Pei Shu’er was grilling there, while Tang Zan was assisting beside her.

Prefect Xie looked at Tang Zan, practically finding it unbelievable, and subconsciously nudged Xiao Shen’s elbow.

"Hey, you say this is still Tang Zan?"

He and Xiao Shen used to be quite unruly in the Capital, right?

But Tang Zan was even more unruly, practically disregarding everyone.

They showed it on the surface.

But Tang Zan, his arrogance was in his bones.

As if no one was worthy of his attention or efforts.

Such a Tang Zan made those noble ladies of Beijing fall for him.

Even when he was just a handsome young man.

But no one could approach him.

Prefect Xie shook his head with a smile: "I fear those noble ladies in the Capital, if they knew Tang Zan was willing to break the rule of gentlemen staying away from the kitchen for a Pei Shu’er, would faint from crying."

The high mountain flower in their hearts, at this moment, was by the barbecue, holding a bamboo stick, flipping kebabs, brushing marinade.

All for a Pei Shu’er whom everyone in the Beijing noble circle disliked.

Clearly, any noble lady from the Capital, taken individually, would be a thousand times better than Pei Shu’er.

Not to mention Pei Shu’er had that old affair with the Third Prince.

Xiao Shen sighed: "Looks like Tang Zan really likes Pei Shu’er."

Prefect Xie smiled: "You may not know this, but according to inside information..."

After saying this, Prefect Xie seemed to remember the cold receptions he’d faced over the years with Xiao Shen, snorted coldly, and stopped talking.

This piqued Xiao Shen’s curiosity.

Now that Xiao Shen’s mother had hope, he was also reconciled with past events.

Moreover, while blaming Prefect Xie, the person he most resented was himself.

He rarely smiled a bit: "Speak up."

Only then did Prefect Xie snort coldly and finish the story.

"When Pei Shu’er disappeared before, Tang Zan nearly dug three feet into the ground to find her. At that time, experts from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were massively deployed to the Gulan Military Camp, and the first task at the Gulan Military Camp was to send those people down the cliff."

"He himself went countless times to the bottom of the cliff, where it’s said a river flows, and he searched many times, asking all the nearby households."

"For this, he even had an artist specially paint Pei Shu’er’s portrait; dissatisfied with the artist’s likeness, he painted himself, and in the end, painted as if Pei Shu’er was alive in front of him."

After a pause, Prefect Xie sighed.

"But still, he couldn’t find her."

"The Dazi had it quite miserable during that time; those caught were sliced and fed to dogs, and I heard even the Dazi Kedun was captured."

While surprised, Xiao Shen couldn’t help but feel a bit sour in his heart, even he didn’t know where this sourness came from.

Originally, they loved each other so much.

Xiao Shen asked, "How did you find out?"

Prefect Xie snorted a couple of times: "This matter caused quite a stir, and I have my own channels for information, so of course I knew."

At this moment, Tang Zan raised an eyebrow, leaned over to Pei Shu’er’s ear, and whispered.

"Why does Xiao Shen keep looking at you?"

Pei Shu’er raised her head to look at Xiao Shen, only to find him turning his head away.

Pei Shu’er said, "Aren’t you overthinking?"

A dark gleam flashed in Tang Zan’s eyes, he pressed his lips and said nothing.

Pei Shu’er smiled and said, "What, are you jealous?"

Tang Zan twitched the corner of his mouth: "How could I be jealous, my wife’s charm is dazzling, I’m happy for it."

Pei Shu’er’s eyes were full of laughter; she just felt that Tang Zan’s words sounded quite sour.

"Tang Zan, don’t overthink."

Tang Zan stubbornly said, "I’m not overthinking."

Pei Shu’er raised an eyebrow: "What, Tang Zan, don’t you trust me?"

Tang Zan glanced at Pei Shu’er with resentment, then turned his head around again, and continued using the brush in his hand to brush marinade.

Pei Shu’er’s eyebrows raised even higher, with a bit of anger in her voice.

"Tang Zan?"

Tang Zan sighed and finally resigned, putting down the brush, and regardless of his oily state, he carried Pei Shu’er aside.

The two of them slipped into the small forest.

Tang Zan’s voice was magnetic and low, with his lips close to Pei Shu’er’s ear.

"Of course, I believe you, it’s just that when I see someone looking at you, I can’t control myself. Thinking about the person I love being eyed by others, I get violently angry."

Pei Shu’er looked at him, and after seeing the murderous intent in Tang Zan’s eyes, she couldn’t help but sigh.

She knew this was an aftereffect of Tang Zan’s obsession that hadn’t completely healed.

"Don’t worry, I’m yours, no matter what happens, I’m always yours."

Tang Zan grunted an "um," and Pei Shu’er knew this was a sign of his insecurity.

After all, she had once fallen off a cliff right before his eyes, the aftereffects must have been quite severe.

She cleared her throat.

"Then what can I do to make you not feel sad, not jealous, not envious? I’ll listen to whatever you say!"

Tang Zan’s eyebrows raised high, his eyes filled with interest.

"Hmm?"