"hehe……"

Jiang Jiaojiao chuckled, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped out. "My people were stopping the villains and accidentally injured the prefect's guards. I hope the prefect won't blame me?"

Her pale yellow silk robe accentuated her voluptuous curves, highlighting her slender waist, delicate eyebrows, bright eyes, pretty nose, and red lips—a truly exquisite and noble appearance.

Prefect Mei forced a smile and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness is too kind. How could I possibly blame you?"

His gaze swept over the severed arm of Guard Mei, filled with disdain and anger.

A broken weapon can be replaced.

But... even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. This woman clearly doesn't respect him at all!

Magistrate Mei's eyes were sinister as he brazenly sized up Jiang Jiaojiao.

She truly is a beauty from Kyoto.

Even though she's chubby, she still manages to look exceptionally beautiful.

Prince Chen has already entered his daughter's backyard, so this Princess Chen... no longer exists. He can reluctantly take her into his backyard.

At that time...

Isn't the Jin family just the fat meat in the mouths of the Mei family?

Thinking of this, Magistrate Mei's gaze towards Jiang Jiaojiao gradually became more intense.

Jiang Jiaojiao felt as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake, and goosebumps rose on the back of her hands. The Jin family boys immediately stepped forward to block Magistrate Mei's disgusting gaze.

Magistrate Mei is old enough to be Jiao Jiao's grandfather, how dare he?!

It was as if it sensed Jiang Jiaojiao's presence.

Marquis Fuyu slowly opened his eyes, his pupils moving, his lips trembling, "Jiao... Jiao Jiao."

The dirt and grime on his body were still there, his hair was disheveled and a single white strand was faintly visible, as if he had aged ten years in a single day.

Jiang Jiaojiao's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

The Marquis of Fuyu's eyes also reddened.

He fled the capital with his family to guard the mines in Shu County, because he didn't want to be used as a tool by those people in the capital to make things difficult for Jiaojiao...

What Minister of Rites, what Marquis of Fuyu?

He simply wanted to be a source of support for his younger sister and Jiaojiao, so that no one would look down on them or humiliate or hurt them because of his Jin family business.

Just then—

Another carriage came speeding by.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, the curtain was suddenly lifted, revealing the anxious face of the Jin family patriarch.

Seeing her eldest son's disheveled appearance, her eyes instantly turned red.

"I told you to go and get reinforcements, and look what you've done! What kind of pathetic marquis are you! We can't control the mines in Shu County anymore. We need His Majesty to send someone capable!"

"We'll go back to Kyoto right now to apologize!"

Filled with pent-up anger, Old Master Jin roared, and wherever his gaze fell, the people bowed their heads in shame.

The miners, in particular, were immediately thrown into a panic.

They finally found a kind-hearted family who gave them enough to eat. If they leave, how will they survive the winter?

"Grandpa, please calm down! It's all...it's all this foolish woman's fault! She was instigated and misunderstood the Marquis of Fuyu's good intentions!"

The woman's husband quickly apologized.

In the short time that followed, he had already heard from others about how his wife had stirred up trouble.

Seeing that the Jin family's anger had not subsided.

The man gritted his teeth and slapped the woman across the face. "It's my fault for not controlling this woman properly! I... I'll divorce this wicked woman right now and let you do whatever you want with her!"

"Ah—you—you dare hit me!"

"You want to divorce me?!"

The woman covered her face, seeing that her usually timid and obedient man dared to hit her and even wanted to divorce her. She turned around and started fighting with the man.

"You heartless bastard! I've been living off you all this time! I've endured hardship and raised your children! You beast, you dare to divorce me? I—I'll fight you to the death!"

“You almost died in the mine, and they not only want your wages, but also… they want to pay me and the children! They hired you, so they have to be responsible for our family!”

"If he doesn't pay, he's heartless and depraved!"

The woman started yelling and cursing at the top of her lungs, spewing out all sorts of vulgarities without any restraint or reservation.

"What are you looking at? Don't you all think the same way? We're all dirt poor, we can't even afford a full meal, and in this freezing weather, we might freeze to death any day! But what about him?"

"He's rolling in money, yet he refuses to give any of it to help us poor folks! How can he be so heartless!"

The woman's spittle flew everywhere.

The surrounding crowd was taken aback by these words. Their guilt over injuring the wealthy Marquis due to the misunderstanding vanished instantly. Some people whispered among themselves, discussing the woman's words, and some even nodded slightly in agreement.

Some even echoed, "That's right, why does he get to live a life of luxury while we suffer here..."

In an instant, the people's emotions were reignited.

Jiang Jiaojiao laughed in exasperation.

"Heh... So in this world, it turns out that whoever is poor is right. I heard that Prefect Mei has a golden house in his house. Why don't you ask him to take it out and give it to you?"

"Bullying the weak and fearing the strong? Do you think my Jin family is powerless and easy to bully?"

Upon hearing this, the entire Jin family, young and old, stepped forward and stood in unison behind Jiang Jiaojiao.

The woman was about to argue when her husband covered her mouth, his face turning red with shame.

Just then.

An elderly man with white hair, dressed in a long robe, walked out from behind the crowd, leaning on a cane.

He knelt down before Jiang Jiaojiao and the Marquis of Fuyu, his voice filled with sorrow, "My esteemed guests! This old man begs your forgiveness on behalf of the common people! This old man is the headmaster of the prefectural school..."

"Over the years, we have watched as everyone has gone hungry and naked, and one by one, the students of the prefectural school have left their homes. It's not that they are ungrateful and heartless, but that no one has taught them anything!"

"They fight over a bite to eat and a piece of plaster for themselves. They simply can't survive like this! I beg you, I beg you, please don't abandon them!"

The old man's weathered face was incredibly tragic and sorrowful.

Magistrate Mei's face was ashen, sending chills down one's spine. He twitched a finger, and the guards understood, preparing to forcibly drag the old man away.

The old man suddenly raised his head, his cloudy yet furious eyes glaring directly at Prefect Mei. "Over the years, you have held absolute power, increasing taxes and corvée labor, harming students! You destroyed my prefectural school and teaching institution, causing the people to be displaced and suffer unspeakable misery! Aren't you afraid of retribution?!"

You are a sinner for all time!

"you--"

The old man pointed a trembling hand at the silent crowd, “You—you are human beings, not beasts! How can you not distinguish between good and evil! How can you not tell right from wrong!”

"Over the years, who exactly has broken your backbone and made you live a life worse than pigs and dogs? Don't you have any idea?"

"Have you ever thought that your descendants will all be like you, living their lives as beasts, at the mercy of others!"