Shen City did not give Qin Wangshan time to rest.
The morning after his arrival, the courtyard of the city lord's residence was already filled with uneasy murmurs. Officials stood in small groups, whispering among themselves, their expressions tense.
Something was wrong.
Qin Wang Shan sat at the head of the modest hall, his posture calm, his gaze sharp. Though this body was weak, his mind was clear.
"Speak," he said. "What happened?"
An elderly official stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness," he began cautiously, "our grain stores… are nearly empty."
The words landed heavily in the hall.
"How long do we have?" Qin Wangshan asked.
"At most," the official replied, his voice trembling, "ten days. Less, if the situation worsens."
Ten days.
Qin Wang Shan's fingers tightened slightly.
Another official hurried to add, "The harvest last season failed due to drought. Trade caravans avoid Shen City, and the imperial supplies…" He hesitated before finishing, "…have not arrived."
Qin Wang Shan understood immediately.
They were never meant to arrive.
Shen City had been abandoned by the Qinshan Empire long before he ever set foot here.
"And the people?" Qin Wang Shan asked.
The officials exchanged uneasy glances.
"There have already been disturbances," one admitted. "Food prices have tripled. Some families are surviving on thin porridge… others have nothing at all."
Silence fell.
This was not a future problem.
This was a crisis unfolding now.
Qin Wang Shan rose from his seat.
"Take me to the granary."
The city granary stood near the eastern quarter of Shen City.
Once, it must have been a symbol of stability. Now, its wooden doors were cracked, the walls chipped and neglected. When the doors were opened, the truth was laid bare.
Nearly empty sacks.
Rotting grain.
Bare floors.
Qin Wang Shan stepped inside, his expression unreadable.
"So this is the foundation of Shen City," he murmured.
An official swallowed nervously. "Your Highness, we have already reduced rations as much as possible. If we reduce them further, the people may riot."
Qin Wang Shan turned to look at him.
"And if we do nothing," he said calmly, "they will starve."
The official lowered his head.
Outside the granary, a small crowd had gathered. Men, women, even children watched silently as the prince emerged. Their faces were thin. Their eyes hollow.
These were not rebels.
They were desperate people.
Qin Wang Shan paused.
He took a step forward.
"I am Qin Wang Shan," he said, his voice carrying clearly across the open space. "The prince sent here to govern Shen City."
The crowd stirred slightly.
"I will not promise miracles," he continued. "I will not lie to you and say everything will be fine."
Honesty caught their attention.
"But as long as I am here," he said, his gaze steady, "no one in Shen City will be abandoned."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Qin Wang Shan turned back to the officials.
"From today onward," he ordered, "all remaining grain will be distributed fairly. No hoarding. No favoritism."
"Your Highness—!" one official cried. "If we do that, the stores will empty even faster!"
"Then we find more," Qin Wangs Shan replied.
The officials stared at him in disbelief.
"How?" one asked quietly.
Qin Wangshan looked toward the distant hills beyond the city walls.
"We hunt," he said. "We trade. We reclaim what has been neglected."
His eyes hardened.
"And anyone who dares profit from this crisis—"
A chill ran through the officials.
"—will answer directly to me."
That night, Qin Wangshan did not sleep.
Maps were spread across the table in his chamber—old, incomplete maps of Shen City and its surrounding lands. He studied them carefully, marking rivers, forests, abandoned roads.
"This city isn't dead," he murmured. "It's just been left to rot."
A soft knock sounded at the door.
"Enter."
The young attendant from before stepped inside and bowed.
"Your Highness," he said hesitantly, "some hunters from the outer district request permission to see you."
Qin Wangshan looked up.
"Bring them in."
Moments later, three rough-looking men entered. Their clothes were worn, but their eyes were alert.
"You hunt the nearby mountains?" Qin Wangshan asked.
"Yes, Your Highness," one replied cautiously.
"Can Shen City survive on what those mountains provide?"
The men exchanged glances.
"…If properly organized," one admitted. "Yes."
Qin Wangshan nodded.
"Good," he said. "Then tomorrow, we begin."
The hunters stiffened in surprise.
"Tomorrow?" one repeated.
Qin Wangshan smiled faintly.
"Shen City has waited long enough."
Outside, the city slept uneasily.
Inside the ruined residence, a discarded prince began to move his pieces.
And far away—
In the imperial capital of Wushen, unseen eyes were already turning toward Shen City.