The King of Black Fog

Master Meng, Meng Minshou, terrified out of his wits, grabbed the hem of his robe and ran over.

"Master Li, it's my fault! It's my fault!" he said while slapping his own face, "I'm old and sick, and my ears are not good; I didn't hear your noble words!"

"Can you hear them now?" Li Changzhou asked him.

"I can hear, I can hear now!" Meng Minshou nodded repeatedly.

Li Changzhou walked towards the group of men, and people quickly cleared a path for him.

Perhaps there were those who did not recognize him before, but the news of Master Li surviving an assassin's attack had dominated the newspaper headlines for two days. Wait a few more days, and not just Song City, but all of Xia Country would know what he looked like.

Li Changzhou approached the group of men and asked them, "Do you recognize me?"

Some nodded, some shook their heads, and others looked indifferent.

"Sir, please, give us something to eat!" the man who had been beaten earlier pleaded.

"Insolence!" Liu De roared, stepping forward with his left foot and whipping out his right leg.

"Stop!" Li Changzhou shouted.

Liu De quickly withdrew his foot, bending at the waist and stepping aside.

Li Changzhou ignored Liu De, glanced at the man persistently kowtowing, and then looked at the dockworkers who dared not hope yet couldn't help but feel hopeful.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the guests just leaving the pear garden.

"I don't know if you recognize me," he called out loudly, "whether you do or don't, let me introduce myself here."

"I am Li Changzhou, Li Xinghua's second son, the acting City Lord of Song City."

The wide street fell silent; everyone was looking at him.

"I have stopped you all for one reason," his gaze sweeping over the elegantly dressed gentry, "the Song City port has been blocked by sea ice, and the dockworkers have no work, their families have nothing to eat."

"I plan to donate money to open a porridge shop, and if anyone is willing, I also invite you to generously donate and lend a helping hand!"

"I'll donate!" a young nobleman raised his hand.

"Good! How much?" Li Changzhou asked loudly.

The young nobleman was stunned, not expecting to be asked on the spot.

He hesitated, embarrassed to donate too little yet reluctant to donate too much.

"A hundred Money!" he said.

"Thank you, brother!" Li Changzhou bowed his fist to him, then asked, "Does anyone else want to donate?"

As things had progressed to this point, it was necessary to donate—today's events would definitely be reported. Not donating would affect their reputations, and the worst case was losing the good impression of the public, leading to not buying products from their factories—it would be truly unfortunate and costly.

People started donating money one after another.

Some donated two hundred, others as little as thirty. Li Changzhou had Liu De get paper and pen from the pear garden right there, collecting money with one hand and registering it with the other.

The event grew in scale, and people from inside the pear garden came out.

Upon understanding the situation, Chun Emperor said on the spot:

"Thanks to the noble people for honoring me with the title 'Chun Emperor,' allowing me to live without worry about food or clothing, but I've also experienced days without enough clothes or food, and I know what that feels like, Master Li, I am willing to donate a hundred, and I will perform in Song City for three days. All the ticket earnings from those three days will go towards your porridge shop!"

"Good! Chun Emperor, you are noble indeed!" People clapped all around.

"The lady matches the lord! Chun Emperor truly deserves that title, and if you ever need anything in Song City, just come to the Commander Mansion and find Li —myself!" Li Changzhou clasped his fists, deeply admiring the other's character.

Chun Emperor smiled brightly, generously clasping his fists and said in a mannish manner, "It is only right, Master Li, no need for thanks!"

"Thank you, Master Li, thank you!" The dockworkers all knelt down, those who had previously held back tears now cried openly.

Li Changzhou turned around, taking advantage of the time people were donating, he had a few more words to say.

"Tonight, I will have someone set up the porridge shop straight away, and starting tomorrow noon, everyone can come to the front of the Commander Mansion to collect porridge. If there is an emergency, you can ask me for banknotes now."

"Thank you, Master Li, thank you!" they said.

Li Changzhou pressed down with his hands, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Everyone, while I serve as the acting City Lord of Song City, I am fully dedicated to focusing on one thing—ensuring everyone has work, earns wages, and can feed themselves and their families!"

"I've heard that a 'foreman' might dock your wages, and gangs might take protection money, but from today, if anyone dares to dock your money, make you pay protection money, I give you the right to fight back!"

"If someone breaks your leg, drag him to the Commander Mansion!"

"I will stand up for you!"

A light bulb burst with a pop, but nobody was startled; they all looked at Li Changzhou standing in the middle of the street.

"Some of you say, this is our fate," Li Changzhou's gaze fell on some of the older workers.

"But I tell you!"

"From now on, I am your fate! I give you the right, I permit you, I order you, you are entitled to the right to work!"

"To support yourselves and your families on your own strength! To earn the remuneration you deserve!"

"Anyone who dares to deprive you of this right is defying my commands, and anyone who defies my commands, I will take his life, understood?"

His voice boomed like thunder, leaving the scene utterly silent, no one daring to respond.

After a while, an elderly worker with gray hair tremulously asked him, "Sir, do you mean what you say?"

"If I promised, then it counts!"