Days later, Hejian Province, the Northern Wastes.

The land was a cracked, barren expanse stretching to the horizon. Skeletal remains of trees stood like twisted sentinels on the desolate plains. Along the official road, bodies of the starved lay where they fell, the air thick with the stench of despair and decay.

A group of refugees, their faces sallow and frames gaunt, shuffled forward with numb determination. Rumors of a soup kitchen in the prefectural city had reached them.

"Mother, I'm hungry..." a little girl, skin stretched tight over bone, whimpered, weakly tugging at her mother's tattered clothes.

The woman, her complexion waxen and eyes hollow, just kept moving mechanically, devoid of even the energy to offer comfort.

Suddenly, a commotion stirred ahead.

"The magistrates have posted a notice! The Shadow Hand has ordered the recruitment of strong laborers! To repair waterways and dig wells! They provide food! And pay wages!"

"True or false? Is this a trick to press us into hard labor?"

"It's the Eastern Depot men themselves announcing it! See those soup kitchens over there? The Shadow Hand ordered them built! Hurry and get in line!"

Skepticism and hope warred within the refugees, but the words "provide food" pulled them like a magnet.

Soon, massive soup kitchens were erected outside Hejian city. Cauldrons bubbled with life-sustaining, if not thick, rice gruel. Eastern Depot agents and local guards maintained order, their expressions stern, but none dared to withhold a single grain.

Farther out, by dried-up riverbeds and on barren plots, thousands of able-bodied refugees, under the direction of minor Ministry of Works officials and Eastern Depot Inspectors, began dredging silt and digging deep wells. The work was hard, but as they felt the tangible warmth of copper coins in their hands and ate two solid meals a day, many felt their eyes sting with unshed tears.

"The Shadow Hand... is a good man!"

"A just and noble lord!"

"Our savior!"

Someone shouted it first, and soon, grateful cries rose and fell like waves. Many refugees knelt, kowtowing in the direction of the distant capital.

They knew nothing of the intricate schemes at court. They only knew that when they were at the brink of death, the man legendary for his cruelty, the Shadow Hand, had given them a lifeline.

---

[Ding! Host's implementation of the 'Public Works for Relief' policy is effectively alleviating the northern disaster, stabilizing public morale, and significantly improving Great Xia's foundational infrastructure. Conforms to 'Reasonable Expenditure' criteria. Massive funds continuously invested... Comprehensive evaluation refund multiplier: x4.]

[Phase 1 Refunded Funds: 8,000,000 taels of silver. Deposited into system inventory. (Note: Subsequent continuous spending will generate ongoing refunds.)]

[Ding! Host's measures have saved numerous refugee lives, gained the genuine support of the common people, and significantly altered the host's negative public image. Righteous Points +200!]

[Great Xia Imperial Mandate significantly increased by +50! Current Mandate: 75 / 10000!]

[Alert: Rise in Imperial Mandate allows host to perceive the arcane energy of the world. Foundational cultivation technique 'Imperial Zenith Revelation Manual' automatically activated and initiated.]

A warm current abruptly surged from Liang Jing's core, flowing through his limbs and bones. The faint, insubstantial breath characteristic of his body, long accustomed to the palace and lacking exercise, instantly grew solid and profound. His senses sharpened noticeably.

So this... is the feeling of cultivation? Liang Jing clenched his fist, feeling the faint but very real power within. A spark of exhilaration flashed in his eyes.

Spending money not only gives returns, slaps faces, and earns points, but also directly boosts my strength?!

This Path of the Righteous System is practically a custom-made, invincible cheat for me!

---

Liang Jing's consecutive grand gestures in the court and the north landed like two sharp slaps across the faces of Grand Tutor Lin Wenzheng and his traditionalist faction.

Their memorials impeaching Liang Jing for leading the nation to ruin still piled high on the Emperor's desk, while Liang Jing was already quelling the northern disaster and winning the people's hearts.

It made their previous attacks seem laughable and pathetic.

Lin Wenzheng was so enraged he shattered several antique vases in his manor, yet he was powerless. Liang Jing was using a strategy of pure, undeniable force—massive spending of real silver and gold. They had no means to counter it.

"Grand Tutor, we cannot let this continue!" a trusted disciple urged anxiously. "Now the common folk know only the Shadow Hand, not the Emperor, not the court! If this persists, the state will cease to be a state!"

Lin Wenzheng's face was dark. "Do you think I am unaware? But now he controls immense wealth and holds the Emperor's trust. We..."

"Perhaps we should approach this from another angle," another disciple suggested, a cunning glint in his eye. "I've heard Liang Jing has been frequenting the Royal Archives lately, seemingly researching ancient texts. Perhaps we could... arrange a little 'accident' for him?"

Lin Wenzheng's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He did not immediately object.