Jiang Chan carefully put away the heavy "blood-written board," and then carefully wrapped several typical rotten wood sections and inferior soil samples with another tattered cloth.

"A blood oath and physical evidence aren't enough," Jiang Chan said, looking at the crowd. "We need to let more people know! We need to make it impossible for corrupt officials to suppress their crimes!"

She read it aloud, in a simple rhyme:

"The rain is pouring down, and the riverbank is covered in shoddy construction materials."

The officials have full granaries, while the common people feed the fish and shrimp.

The wood is rotten as mud, and the black heart is filled with mud and sand.

Where can the wronged souls seek justice? The drums resound throughout the capital!

After she finished reading, she looked at Little Stone, "Stone, did you remember? Read it again after me..."

Little Stone nodded vigorously, his childish voice filled with grief and indignation, repeating the nursery rhyme with Jiang Chan over and over again.

Soon, the other children, along with Aunt Zhang and Old Li, all started reciting along.

Simple words, carrying a tearful accusation, like cold seeds, pierce into everyone's heart.

"I've got it!" Jiang Chan looked at Xiao Shitou and the other cleverer children. "Paddle the raft to other disaster relief settlements and sing this nursery rhyme! Let everyone know! Do you dare?"

"I dare!" Little Stone puffed out his thin chest, his eyes shining brightly.

"Let's go too!" shouted several other children.

“Ergou,” Jiang Chan turned to him, “there is something even more important that only you can do.”

Er Gou immediately straightened his back: "Girl, you speak!"

“Yesterday, I heard from Old Li, who came back from collecting grain,” Jiang Chan said in a low voice, “that Imperial Censor Lin, who was sent by the province to inspect the disaster situation, has settled down in Dayangzhuang in the neighboring county. Tomorrow at noon, he will go to the next place via the official road.”

Er Gou's eyes widened instantly, and his breathing became rapid.

“You’re the best swimmer and the quickest-witted person.” Jiang Chan stared at him. “Take this with you!” She took out the copy of the blood-written letter that was carefully wrapped in oilcloth, and a small piece of the most rotten wood that she had deliberately kept.

"Tomorrow, mingle among the refugees lining both sides of the official road. When Imperial Censor Lin's sedan chair arrives, seize the opportunity and rush out! Block the chair and cry out for justice! Hold this blood-written letter and this rotten piece of wood high! Let everyone see it! Remember that?"

"Stop...stop the imperial censor's sedan chair?!" Er Gou's throat went dry, and his heart pounded wildly.

That's an extremely high-ranking official!

"Scared?" Jiang Chan's eyes sharpened.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Er Gou suddenly straightened his neck, grabbed the oilcloth bag, and clenched it tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force. "You saved my life, girl! I'm going all out! I won't rest in peace until I expose the corrupt official's black heart!"

The next day at noon. On the official road leading to Dayang Village.

The floodwaters receded, leaving the roads muddy and impassable. The roadsides were crowded with ragged, emaciated disaster victims.

They sat or lay down, their eyes numb and desperate, waiting for the government's meager porridge, the smell of which seemed endless. The air was thick with the stench of mud, sweat, and despair.

In the distance, the sound of gongs clearing the way could be heard.

"avoid--!"

"Lord Lin is on inspection—!"

A commotion arose among the crowd on the official road. A squad of soldiers in neat uniforms, wielding fire and water sticks, drove away the disaster victims in the middle of the road. Behind them, a blue official sedan chair, escorted by soldiers, slowly approached, its curtains tightly closed.

Er Gou, dressed in an even more tattered outfit he'd somehow acquired, his face smeared with thick mud and ash, huddled among a group of disaster victims by the roadside.

He stared intently at the approaching blue sedan chair, his palms sweating, his fingers trembling slightly as he gripped the oilcloth bundle. The piece of rotten wood in his arms pressed painfully against his chest.

The surrounding crowd numbly made way, their eyes vacant.

Just as the sedan chair was about to pass the spot where Er Gou was hiding—

"Your Honor, I've been wronged!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted! Like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

Like a leopard that had been lying in wait for a long time, Er Gou unleashed all his strength and suddenly leaped out of the crowd! He shoved two unsuspecting soldiers aside with his shoulder and rushed straight towards the official's sedan chair!

Thump!

He knelt heavily in the cold mud in front of the sedan chair, splashing up a large amount of mud! At the same time, he used all his strength to raise the blood-stained book wrapped in oilcloth and the piece of black, rotten wood that smelled of decay high above his head!

"The river management officials are embezzling funds! The dikes are shoddy! They've killed countless people! We beg you, Your Honor, to bring justice!!!"

He screamed and cried out, his voice trembling violently with excitement and fear, tears streaming down his face, his forehead pressed firmly against the cold mud, yet the evidence he held high remained as steady as a rock!

The glaring oilcloth wrapping and the rotten wood exuding an ominous aura were incredibly conspicuous under the midday sun!

The sudden turn of events stunned everyone!

The soldiers reacted, roaring as they lunged forward to seize the man, shouting, "Insolence!"

The disaster victims on both sides of the official road also became agitated, and countless numb eyes instantly focused on the evidence that Er Gou held up and his heart-wrenching cries.

"The wood is rotten!"

"The dam is fake!"

"Corrupt officials kill people!"

It was unclear which of the children mixed among the disaster victims were shouting out the nursery rhyme that Jiang Chan had taught them, in their tender yet indignant voices!

"...Where can the wronged souls seek justice? The sound of drums echoes throughout the capital!"

Nursery rhymes are like sparks splashed into a hot oil pan!

"The wood is rotten!"

"Corrupt officials kill people!"

More disaster victims, their long-suppressed anger ignited by the scene before them and the nursery rhyme, began to shout along! The voices grew louder and louder, converging into a wave of anger!

The soldiers were taken aback by the sudden surge of public sentiment, and their grip on Er Gou loosened slightly.

"Silence!" A deep and authoritative voice came from inside the sedan chair, accompanied by a subtle, almost imperceptible vibration.

The deep, authoritative voice from inside the sedan chair was like a block of ice, crashing into the cacophony of voices. The noisy crowd instantly quieted down, countless eyes fixed intently on the lifted sedan curtain.

A slightly aged hand lifted the curtain, revealing a thin, serious face. His hair was gray, and his eyes were sharp as an eagle's; it was none other than Inspector Lin.

His gaze first fell on the figure in the mud in front of the sedan chair, who was holding a bundle and a piece of rotten wood, his forehead touching the ground and his whole body covered in mud. Then it swept over the piece of wood in Er Gou's hand that exuded a rotten smell, and finally landed on the glaring oilcloth wrapping.

"Bring the men and the evidence." Imperial Censor Lin's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power.

Two attendants immediately stepped forward. Instead of roughly dragging him, they helped the trembling Er Gou to his feet and carefully took the oilcloth bundle and the piece of rotten wood that he was holding high in his hands.

The package was opened slightly, revealing a blood-written letter on a tattered cloth and a few blurry pages of account books.

Imperial Censor Lin's gaze lingered for a moment on the dense, bright red handprints on the blood-written letter, then he picked up the piece of rotten wood and squeezed it hard with his fingers—

Click!

The rotten wood shattered with a crack, and black powder fell in a flurry, accompanied by a pungent, musty smell.