Lingcheng was a vast and sparsely populated city, yet it shouldn't have had so many laborers. The county magistrate of Lingcheng was a man in his early thirties, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations the previous spring and was assigned here as an official.
The magistrate of Lingnan bowed respectfully and answered truthfully, "General Sun, the flood in Nanzhou requires the construction of dams. Since Nanzhou lacks manpower, the laborers exiled to Lingnan were all sent here to build embankments and defend against the floods. But rest assured, General, the rations allocated by the court have not been withheld. Even the lowest-ranking laborers receive two bowls of porridge daily."
Sun Qingmei swept her gaze over the laborers. Under the silver moonlight, they all looked exhausted, huddled against the walls in sheltered spots, fast asleep. Yet none appeared emaciated.
