Thinking of this, Ji Xingzhi couldn't help but smile bitterly, shook his head, and said to himself in his heart: "Ji Xingzhi, Ji Xingzhi... You have lived in vain for so many years in the Dixi Continent."
Liu Yang finally realized that Ji Xingzhi was angry, and quickly explained: "Sir, your subordinate..."
The Court of Justice is like the Black and White Impermanence in the hearts of the people. It can be seen how powerful the means of the Court of Justice are. He just couldn't bear to see such a young child get hurt. If the emperor sent him to kill the enemy, he would draw his sword without saying a word. If the emperor wants his subject to die, he will die.
Unfortunately, Liu Yang didn't have the chance to finish his words. Ji Xingzhi had already interrupted him and said, "Bring the people in the room out."
As for what Liu Yang wanted to say, Ji Xingzhi was not interested in knowing and did not want to listen.
Liu Yang followed Ji Xingzhi's gaze and also noticed something strange in the room.
So, he nodded in understanding, stood up, drew the long sword that he had been carrying on his back, and approached the room step by step.
It was already dark, and the room was pitch black and silent. As Liu Yang approached, the child could no longer hold back and rushed over, blocking Liu Yang.
After what just happened, the children who were not so hostile to Liu Yang looked at him steadily, as if they believed that Liu Yang was a good person. Their tone was not so aggressive or forceful, but rather contained a hint of pleading: "Uncle, this matter has nothing to do with them. I stole the money alone."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yang turned around and looked at Ji Xingzhi, asking what Ji Xingzhi meant.
Ji Xingzhi tilted her head and said indifferently, "It's up to you."
When Liu Yang heard this, he smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."
After Liu Yang asked several questions, the child opened the door of the room and told the truth about stealing money.
It turned out that there were several other children in the room. Some of the children who stole the money were still very young and were huddled timidly in the corner of the room.
The room wasn't big, with no furniture like a bed; it was completely bare. Since the sealed-off mansion and courtyard were supposedly uninhabitable, perhaps for fear of being discovered and expelled by the soldiers, the floor was covered with mattresses, and the children probably slept together on them, so it was no wonder their shoes were piled outside.
As Ji Xingzhi expected, in addition to the children, there was indeed an adult in the room, a woman in her forties, dressed in coarse linen clothes, with disheveled hair lying on the mattress. She must not move, with her eyes closed, her face pale, her lips cracked and peeling, and her face as peaceful as death. If it weren't for the regular rise and fall of her chest, Ji Xingzhi would have almost believed it.
No, I almost thought the woman was dead.
Ji Xingzhi took a look and found that the woman had sunken eye sockets, a spotty face, deep wrinkles, yellow and dull hair, a faint bluish complexion, and no flesh on her cheeks. It was no exaggeration to say that the woman was so thin that she was just skin and bones.
After taking the woman's pulse, Ji Xingzhi discovered that the woman who looked terminally ill was actually about to starve to death because she had not eaten for a long time.
Looking at those children, all of them were malnourished. Ji Xingzhi couldn't help but wonder, in the most prosperous country of the Five States, the prosperous imperial capital of Lizhou, at the feet of the emperor, there were people who almost starved to death. It was really... unbelievable.
Liu Yang was also surprised by this.
Ji Xingzhi and Liu Yang took the hungry woman and children to find an inn to stay at and asked the inn to prepare a lot of food. It was not very rich, just some porridge and side dishes. They had been hungry for too long and it was not suitable for them to eat too much at once. However, some simple meals were enough to satisfy them.
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