Bei Chen secretly told Xie Zhaozhao about Zhou Shaoyu's arrangements.

With a sly smile, Bei Chen realized that he had completely submitted to Emperor An.

"Did he ask Xu Li something?"

"Emperor Chen questioned Xu Li, but I do not know what the two discussed."

Xie Zhaozhao said with a smile, "The people's livelihood is Emperor Chen's concern. I'll just watch the show from the sidelines."

She indeed took Xiao Heng'er, along with Yuan Yuan, Man Man, Bei Chen, and Xi Luo, and went out to observe the people's conditions.

He specifically sought out the prefect and said, "Lord Guo, I know you are loyal and worried that someone might harm me, so you put fake civilians on the streets. If that's the case, then my trip has been in vain."

You're not putting in the hard work regularly, and you're just blatantly putting on a show? Are you sure you want to continue this job?

Guo Rong was terrified and immediately knelt down, begging for mercy: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I was just worried that some people were blind and offended Your Majesty. I will restore myself to normal immediately."

Open the city gates and open the market.

They simply sent patrolmen to ensure thorough coverage of the streets.

People have been barred from entering the city for several days, and those who were counting on selling New Year's goods to make a fortune before the holiday are getting desperate.

As soon as the roadblocks were removed and the city gates opened, everyone poured in, and the streets became noticeably more lively and bustling.

Xie Zhaozhao was walking down the street carrying Xiao Heng'er. She looked like a wealthy lady with her young child, accompanied by maids and servants.

Yuanyuan bought a lot of trinkets, especially snacks. The two of them ate as they walked, chattering away and commenting on them.

After getting tired of walking around, the group went to a food stall for a meal.

Just as they were about to enter the food court, they saw four or five men carrying leather whips, walking and whipping a group of ragged women, saying, "Behave yourselves."

These people were bound together with two long ropes, but they were not wearing shackles or fetters.

Xie Zhaozhao wondered if she was a female prisoner who had been exiled.

Xie Zhaozhao glanced at him coldly, then carried Xiao Heng'er and continued walking towards the food court. She was the emperor, but the laws were strict, and it was normal for crimes to be punished.

As those people passed by, suddenly, a woman knelt down beside Mo Yan, grabbed his leg, and pleaded, "Young master, please, buy me. I'll do anything you ask."

Mo Yan frowned, struggled to break free, and said, "I'm sorry, I don't need any more manpower."

Xie Zhaozhao and the others stopped and looked at the woman who was hugging Mo Yan's leg. She was wearing cotton clothes and had a relatively young face with a good appearance.

The woman kowtowed desperately to Mo Yan, pleading repeatedly, "Young master, I am the eldest daughter of the Yu family. I am proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Buy me, and I will be your concubine, maid, or servant. Please, save me."

When she pleaded with Mo Yan, the men leading the group remained silent and just stared at him.

Bei Chen said, "These people are slaves. Those escorts aren't government officials, they're thugs from a brokerage firm. They're going to take them to the brokerage firm to sell these slaves."

It must be that the Yu family committed a crime; the male members were either killed or exiled, and the female members were to be sold off.

If someone buys her, she will become a concubine or a servant; if no one buys her, she will only be sent to brothels or similar places.

So the woman desperately begged Mo Yan, because Xie Zhaozhao was a woman, and Mo Yan looked like a single man, dressed in rich clothes, so his status must be extraordinary.

Mo Yan pushed her away: "I don't need anyone."

At this moment, another woman came up and pleaded, "Young master, please keep her. If you don't buy her, she will have to be sent to a brothel. Please, have pity on her. She was originally a candidate from Lizhou to be sent to the capital to be selected as a concubine, but she was delayed and is now neither good enough for a high-ranking position nor suitable for a low-ranking one. If you take her back, you will definitely not lose out!"

Just as Mo Yan firmly refused, and the woman and girl pleaded, Xiao Heng'er suddenly said, "I won't accept it."

Manman couldn't help but laugh and said to Moyan, "Young Master said he won't accept it."

Upon hearing this, the woman looked over resentfully, then suddenly saw Manman, her eyes widening as if she'd seen a ghost: "You..."

Xie Zhaozhao was very perceptive and immediately said to Bei Chen, "Go and find out if these people are all from the Yu family. If so, bring the older women into the private room. I... have something to ask them."

After saying that, Xie Zhaozhao and Yuan Yuanman carried Xiao Heng'er into the restaurant, asked the waiter for the best private room, and sat down.

Yuanyuan held Xiaoheng'er and looked out the window.

Bei Chen walked up to the thugs and asked, "Gentlemen, are all these slaves members of the Yu family?"

The broker, thinking he had met a wealthy man who wanted to buy them, immediately flattered him, saying, "Not all of them are from the Yu family, but all the women from the Yu family are here. Do you want to buy them, sir? We can discuss the price if you buy a lot."

Bei Chen said, "Point out a few of the older women from the Yu family; my master wants to meet them."

As he spoke, he placed a two-tael silver coin in the broker's hand. The broker was pleased and told the slave to wait by the roadside.

It's freezing cold now, and these people are shivering by the roadside, but they're all willing to wait.

If a distinguished person wants to see them, they might be given some food, and they might even be bought by the person.

But the woman from before resolutely refused to let them go, shouting, "They won't buy it. If they want to buy it, they can just buy it directly. Why call them in one by one to talk? They might be trying to dig up other secrets of the master."

Mo Yan laughed from the side: "Didn't you just ask this woman to come with me? What, you're not willing now?"

The woman remained silent and pulled the woman who was clinging to Mo Yan's leg back into the group.

But the woman refused to leave, pleading with Mo Yan, "Please, take me with you. I will never forget your great kindness, young master, even in three lifetimes."

As they were talking, the thug pointed at the six women and said, "You lot, come out here."

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