Kangxi looked at the speaker, a woman, and asked, "Do you know Xu Nanping? Who are you?"

"Your Majesty, I am Xu Yan, and Xu Nanping is my brother!" Xu Yan said.

"Is this the person you saved?" Kangxi asked the Crown Prince.

"It wasn't me who saved him!" the Crown Prince denied. "It was my men who saved him!"

The Crown Prince felt he had to be extremely careful with his words at this moment. Didn't he see that Su Hetai and Jing Shu were both staring at him?

Emperor Kangxi was speechless. Was it really necessary to be so particular at this point?

Kangxi looked Xu Yan up and down and asked, "Did you come all the way from Jiangnan like them?"

Emperor Kangxi noticed that Xu Yan's clothes were cleaner than those of the others.

"Your Majesty, no! My brother sent me to the capital to file a complaint with the Emperor, but Guo Yunjin discovered it and sent men to hunt me down. Fortunately, I was saved by the Crown Prince!"

"Xu Nanping sent you to the capital to file a complaint, but what did he give you?" Kangxi asked.

"My brother only gave me a petition!" Xu Yan said, pulling the hairpin out of her hair and twisting it gently. The hairpin was hollow, and inside was a scroll of paper.

"Please take a look, Your Majesty!" Xu Yan held the petition above her head.

Kangxi gestured for Liang Jiugong to bring over the petition.

"Now that you've seen the Crown Prince, why don't you hand the petition to him?"

“My brother specifically instructed me to personally deliver this to you, because only you can stand up for the people of Jiangnan!” Xu Yan said.

Emperor Kangxi quickly glanced at the petition and was absolutely furious.

"Do you have any evidence to prove that Guo Yunjin embezzled disaster relief funds?" Kangxi continued to ask.

“Your Majesty, the evidence is with me!” said a short man among the refugees, kneeling forward a few steps.

"Are you a woman?" Kangxi asked, looking at the woman dressed as a man who claimed to be a commoner.

"Yes, I am Xu Nanping's younger sister, Xu Yun!" Xu Yun said. "This is the account book of the disaster relief funds that my brother received!"

Guo Yunjin killed his brother after discovering that he had taken the account book, but claimed that his brother had fallen into the river.

My brother and I grew up by the river. My brother is a very good swimmer, so this is simply impossible.

"At that time, the woman wanted to see her brother's body, but Guo Yunjin said that to prevent the spread of plague, he had her brother's body cremated!" Xu Yun said, crying.

Xu Yan heard the woman hug Xu Yun and start crying.

"Your Majesty, after my brother got the account book, he sent me to the capital to find my sister. After Guo Yunjin poisoned my brother, he sent people to hunt me down. There were ten of us, but when we arrived in the capital, only the three of us were left!" Xu Yun said, crying.

"Your Majesty must stand up for the people of Jiangnan. They are living in dire straits, with houses collapsing and corpses strewn everywhere after the flood."

Your Majesty, we know that knocking on the city gate is a capital offense, but if our deaths can bring hope for the survival of the people of Jiangnan, we are willing to die!

"Your Majesty, do you really want the Yangzhou Massacre to happen again in Jiangnan?" Xu Yun looked at Kangxi without fear.

The Yangzhou Massacre remains a thorn in the hearts of the Han people and a weapon used by those who oppose the Qing and seek to restore the Ming to attack the Qing Dynasty. Such an event must never happen again.

Kangxi took the account book, his face growing increasingly gloomy.

He looked at Xu Yun and said in a deep voice, "You and your sister are both excellent. I will thoroughly investigate this matter, severely punish corrupt officials, and show no leniency! I will restore justice to the people of Jiangnan."

"Your Majesty, I have something else to say!" Xu Yan said.

"Speak freely!" Kangxi said to Xu Yan.

"Your Majesty, the reason why Guo Yunjin was able to embezzle disaster relief funds with impunity is entirely because he has someone backing him up!"

"Who is it?" Kangxi had already anticipated that someone in the capital would be involved, but he was also certain of who it was.

“That man is the Eighth Prince!” Xu Yan looked at the Eighth Prince with resentment. “I once heard Guo Yunjin trying to persuade my brother to join him in his evil ways. He told my brother that he was now working for the Eighth Prince and that he would introduce my brother to the Eighth Prince.”

Upon hearing this, Kangxi was furious. "Eighth Prince, is this true?" Kangxi looked sharply at the Eighth Prince.

The Eighth Prince immediately knelt down, "Father, I am innocent! You cannot conclude that I am involved in this matter based on just a few words from Guo Yunjin!"

"Father, are you really going to let these sisters frame me?"

Before the Eighth Prince could explain further, Kangxi stopped him, saying, "Alright, you don't need to shout. I will investigate this matter thoroughly."

The imperial decree was issued to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice to thoroughly investigate this case, and anyone implicated shall be severely punished!

"Eighth Prince, you should stay in the manor and handle the arrangements for Ulanara's arrival!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your decree! Thank you, Father Emperor!" The Eighth Prince kowtowed with a reluctant expression, as Kangxi had effectively placed him under house arrest.