Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 192 Do I have no pride?

"Your body is exhausted; you can't just eat steamed buns. I'll go and buy you some meat from the town in the rear."

“Then forget it. I usually get fresh meat delivered wherever I go. Why not this time?” Shen Li asked her.

Peony then remembered: "That's right, why didn't your son-in-law bring you food? We always had some on the march."

“He knows that even if it is delivered, I cannot enjoy a hearty meal in a place full of disaster victims. I have the lives of hundreds of thousands of people on my shoulders, and it is difficult for me to relax.” Shen Li spread her hands: “Steamed buns are fine. Remember not to say that I ate them.”

She eats seven steamed buns in one meal? Doesn't she have any pride?

Upon hearing this, Peony had no choice but to do as her mistress instructed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Several bandits laboriously transported dozens of cartloads of goods to the city gate and called out to the top of the city wall.

Li Dayong opened the city gate only after confirming there was no danger. When he saw bags of genuine grain and herbs, he was stunned.

"Boss, this is a document for you, it says it teaches you how to provide disaster relief." Da Kui took the document out of his pocket.

"Who's coming from the other side? Is it an idiot?" Li Dayong really didn't understand what was going on.

"We were captured without finding out anything, we only saw a woman, and the soldiers called her Lord Shen." Da Kui felt a little embarrassed when he answered this.

He was arrested as soon as he left the city, before he could do anything.

Li Dayong naturally didn't know who this person was, so he returned to the government office and found the clerk who had been recruited.

"A woman in office? Lord Shen?" The clerk pondered for a moment and then said, "It can only be one person, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar this year, Shen Li."

"Who is this guy?" Li Dayong asked, frowning.

"This person has a very important background. Her father is Shen Zizai, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Minister of Rites, and her husband is the famous Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Gu Chang'an."

The clerk recounted the story with great familiarity: "This Lady Shen is known as the most talented woman in the capital, and she has shown amazing talent in this imperial examination, which is why she was exceptionally appointed to the Hanlin Academy."

Xuzhou is only a few days' journey from the capital, and he is quite familiar with these prominent figures.

"A talented woman?" Li Dayong sneered sarcastically. "Isn't she just an idiot?"

The clerk looked puzzled. As far as he knew, a fool could not pass the imperial examination.

At Li Dayong's prompting, Da Kui recounted Shen Li's actions and delivered the documents to the clerk.

The advisor gasped as he read, "Is this stupid? This is clearly a trap set for Li Dayong, and two traps at that."

If Li Dayong had done as instructed, there would have been no more refugees in the city, and with the people living better lives, who would still rebel?

If Li Dayong doesn't do as instructed, the refugees, starving and sick, will first rebel against him, and the city will fall without a fight.

Whether he advances or retreats, he will fall into a trap. Perhaps the only way out is to surrender the city.

The advisor analyzed the situation for Li Dayong, whose face gradually darkened. He then hurled extremely harsh insults: "She's a scholar, resorting to underhanded tactics?! Couldn't she have just openly and honestly launched an attack on the city?"

As long as the city is attacked from the outside, he can spread rumors that the army is going to kill them, and the refugees have no choice but to fight to the death.

After eliminating these three thousand men and seizing their horses and muskets, they can immediately launch attacks on surrounding towns and accumulate money and provisions.

However, if Shen Li didn't attack the city, it would be difficult for him to unite the refugees. He even sent food and medicine in, which clearly showed that the court was very tolerant of the rebels and the people and treated them equally.

In this way, the refugees can eat their fill and survive, so who would want to follow him and risk their lives?

"It seems that the best way out is for the chief to surrender the city," the advisor said.

"Bullshit! I'm a bandit, not an ordinary refugee. Do you think I'd open the city gates just to be captured and beheaded?" Li Dayong vented his anger on the advisor.

The advisor wasn't angry. He would offer Li Dayong advice after eating his meal, and whether Li Dayong listened or not was none of his business.

There's no need to even speculate; Li Dayong is definitely going to suffer a loss.

"Boss, another two thousand people have fallen ill today. What should we do?" a bandit reported.

Li Dayong didn't want Xuzhou City to become an empty city, so although reluctant, he still asked, "If we use these medicinal herbs, how should we use them?"

"Soaking in water can alleviate symptoms and also prevent infection," Da Kui said meekly.

"Is there nothing that can cure the disease?"

"I heard a miracle doctor has arrived, but the prescription hasn't been developed yet." Da Kui said, then added, "Oh, that girl said we can ask them for it if we need it."

"Get lost!" Li Dayong kicked the man away. "You worthless piece of trash!"

He gets furious whenever he hears Shen Li's name, and even in his anger, he doesn't forget to instruct: "Don't tell anyone that the medicine and food were sent from the other side!"

Now we can only keep it from the people below; if they all found out, they would probably all be hoping to surrender.

The advisor shook his head slightly. The item came in through the city gates openly, and so many soldiers stationed on the city walls saw it. Wouldn't it spread in private?

This guy is a brainless idiot; he's no match for the other side.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As evening fell, the wind shifted to a southerly wind. The aroma of stewed meat from hundreds of pots wafted into the city from the north, and the soldiers on the city walls, smelling it, began to feel their stomachs rumble and all looked in that direction.

Even those in the city could smell it, and everyone was eager to know what was happening outside the city.

News of the situation outside the city quickly spread into the city, since the people guarding the city were originally residents of the city. When they returned home, they told the people outside the city that the refugees were eating meat and steamed buns made of white flour.

The people in the city swallowed hard as they listened. They were all refugees, but the treatment was so different. Where could they find meat in the city? Even drinking water was a luxury.

"If only rebellion were legal, we could all surrender, eat meat, and live in peace. Wouldn't that be better than having our heads tied to our belts like this?" a refugee whispered.

"That's right, the porridge at noon was so watery I wasn't even full. If we had white flour buns, what would we be doing rebelling?" another person said weakly.

"I heard that the lord from the other side sent medicine and food to our city. The medicine that's soaking in the well is it," another person whispered.

"Really? Is that official really that kind?"

"I heard it was a woman. She arrested Da Kui and a few others but then released them. She seems to be a kind-hearted person."

"That would be great! Do you think they'll treat us leniently?"

"I don't know." The man sighed. "I'm so hungry. If I could have a steamed bun and some meat, I would accept any punishment. When will this end?"