The shopkeeper laughed dryly, "Princess Su, my Yongxing Grain Shop is a small business. How can we possibly determine the price of grain?"

Chen Jingxi sneered, "Boss, you and I both know whether Yongxing Grain Shop can control the price of rice."

"I don't understand what you're saying, Princess Su. But speaking of this matter, if Prince Su hadn't been incompetent and let the relief grain fall into the hands of bandits, how could we be in this situation?"

When the people heard this, they all agreed.

"That's right, if it weren't for Prince Su, they wouldn't have to pay such a high price for rice."

"Princess Su, why are you stopping us from buying rice? What are your intentions?"

"Do you want to see us all starve to death?"

"As a princess, how could she possibly understand our suffering?"

"She has a horde of servants and delicacies every day, but she is preventing us from even having enough food to eat. If she doesn't buy more, we won't even have rice to eat in a while."

"We want to buy it, why can't we buy it?"

Chen Jingxi frowned as he looked at the people who were clamoring non-stop.

Suddenly, an egg was thrown from somewhere and hit her.

"Princess!" Han Yu stopped the people and there was no time to stop them.

Chen Jingxi looked at the egg liquid on his body and laughed at himself: Fortunately, it’s not a rotten egg.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper became even more proud. "Princess Su, Princess Su, you see, it's hard to offend the public. You should go back early! The price of food is rising. Even if the emperor comes, he can't change this fact."

Chen Jingxi glanced at him and asked, "How can you be sure that it can't be changed?"

The shopkeeper scoffed, "Does the princess think she can change?"

Chen Jingxi glanced at the chaotic scene and sneered, "This princess says yes."

"If the princess can do it, I will stand upside down and eat shit."

"Boss, I'll take note of what you said."

Chen Jingxi stepped forward and said loudly, "Everyone, be quiet and listen to me. My prince is in Pingliang providing disaster relief and suppressing bandits. He is not missing, and the victims of the Pingliang disaster have been rescued."

"What? Princess Su, what did you say?"

"This princess said that the prince is fine, he is not missing, and the relief grain has not been looted."

"What is going on?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Chen Jingxi sneered, "What's going on? Of course these unscrupulous merchants want to spread rumors and slander our prince, taking the opportunity to squeeze your hard-earned money."

The shopkeeper hurriedly said, "How is this possible? Princess Su, please stop talking nonsense."

"Is this nonsense? You'll know soon."

"Princess, the person has been captured."

"Very good." Chen Jingxi glanced at the person in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Tell me! Who instructed you to spread rumors?"

The visitor glanced at the shopkeeper and said, "No one, I just said it because I saw others saying it."

Chen Jingxi sneered, "To slander the current prince is a crime punishable by death. Drag him down and chop him off."

"Help me! Princess Su, I'm not the only one who said Prince Su is missing. Why are you killing me?"

"Yes! Why did this princess only kill you? It doesn't matter if you don't know. When you go down, the King of Hell will tell you. Drag it down."

Everyone was shocked.

"Please spare me! Princess, please spare me! Shopkeeper, please save me."

The shopkeeper said, "Princess Su, is it fair that you are being so partial and perverting the law, taking human lives so lightly?"

"Isn't what I, the princess, have said about his crime clear enough?"

"He's just telling the truth, what's his crime?"

"The court hasn't issued any obituary. How did he get this information? I now suspect he's a spy sent by the enemy nation."

The man knelt down quickly and said, "I am wronged! Princess, I am from Ma Village and not a spy."

"People from Majia Village, you've been working hard, walking over twenty miles every day just to go into the city and tell people about the prince's disappearance."

The man took a deep breath, "I...I..."

Chen Jingxi said sternly, "Tell the truth."

The man kowtowed several times and said, "I'm Ma Gui. I came to the city half a month ago and wanted to buy some rice on credit from the shopkeeper to make porridge for my wife, but the shopkeeper said he would give me 50 kilograms of rice."

"You're talking nonsense." The shopkeeper tried to resist, but was pinned down by the guards.

"I dare not say anything nonsense. The shopkeeper said that if I go back and tell the villagers about Prince Su's disappearance, he will give me the fifty kilograms of rice."

"Then the shopkeeper said he would give me a pound of rice every day, as long as I spread the word to people in the city."

Chen Jingxi sneered in his heart. No wonder they couldn’t find out who spread the news at the beginning.

If this man hadn't been greedy, they really wouldn't have been able to catch him.

The shopkeeper said angrily, "How dare you slander me."

"How dare I? I still have more than 30 kilograms of rice at home."

"Shopkeeper, do you have anything else to say?" Chen Jingxi asked.

"Princess Su, even if I told him to tell you, so what? Prince Su's disappearance is a fact."

Chen Jingxi laughed. She didn't expect that this person would still be so arrogant at this point.

"Boss, are you deaf, or do you think what I just said was bullshit?"

Han Yu: “…” Princess, please speak more elegantly.

"Princess Su, you said the Prince of Su is not missing. Do you have any evidence? As far as I know, the Prince of Su did not arrive in Pingliang ten days ago. And the journey from the capital to Pingliang is only seven days. Princess, where do you think the prince went?"

Chen Jingxi smiled and said, "Of course they went to suppress the bandits. Didn't this princess explain it clearly enough? As for the evidence..."

Suddenly, a gong rang out, and a line of officials shouted along the street, "The Pingliang bandits have been apprehended by Prince Su, and all the relief grain has been delivered to the victims."

After he finished speaking, another gong sounded, "Dong..."

I came just in time. Chen Jingxi smiled and said, "How about this evidence, shopkeeper?"

The shopkeeper's face suddenly turned pale, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"How dare this profiteer cheat us out of our money? Folks, tear down his shop."

Chen Jingxi immediately ordered: "Take the person away."

As for how the people demolished or looted the Yongxing grain store, Chen Jingxi didn't care.

She didn't mind causing a little trouble for the emperor and those aristocratic families.

"Princess, all the shopkeepers and waiters have been arrested. Do we want to bring them back to the palace now?" Ling Feng asked.

"No, send them all to Jingzhao Prefecture. This princess will hold a court hearing."

Ling Feng frowned, "Princess, since ancient times, no woman has ever presided over a trial. I'm afraid your actions will be impeached by the censor."

Chen Jingxi smiled brightly, "Lingfeng, this princess has the emperor's decree, so why should I be afraid of the censor?"

"As for those outdated customs and practices that say women can't judge cases, well, that's just prejudice."

"This princess will not only try this case, but also let those pedantic people see that women can also hold up half the sky. This world cannot exist without women."

After saying that, Chen Jingxi walked ahead with a step that showed no regard for anyone.

Ling Feng said to Han Yu, "Do you think the princess is more arrogant than the prince?"

"You just found out today."

Chen Jingxi stood in front of the gate of Jingzhao Prefecture with his arms folded across his chest.