Gu Wenheng was already mentally prepared. Aside from a few close guards assigned to his personal protection, he had dispatched the rest to neighboring prefectures and counties to purchase as many winter supplies as possible.
After all, he had to secure rations for the more than twenty people in his retinue.
Through his recent investigations, he had learned that despite Lu City being a prefecture, it was devastatingly poor.
To make matters worse, the subordinate counties were frequently raided and plundered by bandits. Simply surviving was a major struggle for the locals, let alone paying taxes.
Upon taking office, he found the government office's storehouses completely empty—even the rats in the granary were starved to skin and bones.
The profit-driven officials in Shangjing were likely well aware of the situation here, treating this position like a hot potato. Once they finally managed to toss it away, no one was willing to take it back.
