Just as Granny Wu was intently rummaging through the bushes, someone suddenly called out to her from behind: "Granny Wu, what are you looking for?"

Granny Wu was startled; in the entire Qingshui Village, there was only one person who called her "Granny Wu."

She turned around cautiously, trying her best to hide her guilty conscience as she bowed: "Your Highness, Princess Consort."

Zhong Muyu raised her hand slightly: "I saw Granny Wu acting suspiciously just now, I wonder what she was doing?"

"Your Highness is too kind. I just lost something and wanted to come out to look for it. If Your Highness has nothing else to say, I will continue looking for it."

As she spoke, Granny Wu looked like she was about to run away, but Zhong Muyu silently raised the earring and shook it: "Granny Wu, you wouldn't be looking for this, would you?"

Upon seeing this, Granny Wu panicked instantly. She tried her best to calm herself down and said, "That's right! Where did the Princess find it? This humble subject thanks Your Highness!"

Zhong Muyu withdrew her hand: "Don't thank me yet. Let me ask you, what were you doing at my water pipe?"

"Water pipe? I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Don't know? I found this earring in the grass next to the water pipe, and my water pipe was damaged last night. That kind of place is overgrown with weeds and rarely has anyone around. Do you think that's a coincidence?"

"Does Your Highness suspect me? But... but you have no evidence! Can you really determine that I am a commoner just because of an earring that was left there?"

Seeing Wu Mama's self-righteousness, Zhong Muyu sneered, "What's so difficult about that? There's a lot of water accumulated there because of the broken water pipe. Anyone who walks over there will definitely get their shoes wet and muddy, right? Wu Mama, can I see all your shoes?"

Granny Wu's heart sank. She had done it at dawn, busy back and forth, and hadn't had time to wash her muddy shoes.

However, she still wouldn't budge: "Does Your Highness insist on making things difficult for this humble subject? You've already decided that this humble subject did it, so I'm afraid you won't believe anything I say."

"How could that be? Everything should be based on reason and evidence. Whether it is you or not, I will make a fair judgment."

Zhong Muyu whispered a few words to Zaochun, who nodded and quickly ran away.

"What does Your Highness intend to do?"

"To prevent you from saying I'm framing you, I had Zaochun call people to witness this. You ruined what I worked so hard to make, so I have to get an explanation."

Zhong Muyu sat down on a roadside stone, unhurried and calm, which made Granny Wu break out in a cold sweat.

She wanted to run away, but if she did, wouldn't that confirm her guilty conscience?

After waiting anxiously for a while, Zaochun arrived with his people.

She went to find the village chief, and some villagers who liked to watch the spectacle followed her. Notably, the village chief was accompanied by a well-dressed young man who appeared to be a well-educated man from a good family.

After everyone bowed and paid their respects to Zhong Muyu, the village chief asked, "The Princess Consort sent someone to find me. What happened?"

Zhong Muyu returned the greeting politely: "Village Chief, you've come at the right time. The water pipes I repaired a few days ago were damaged. I went to check them today and found Granny Wu's earrings at the scene. So I would like to ask the village chief to help me judge whether she did it."

"Your Highness is too kind. Since it is your matter, I will certainly handle it impartially."

"Alright, the area where my water pipe was damaged is full of water. Anyone who stepped on it will definitely have wet and muddy shoes. So please, village chief, take everyone to Granny Wu's house to check it out."

Upon hearing this, some villagers spoke up: "Village chief, you can't do that! Aunt Wu is a widow. It's not proper for us to go to her house for an inspection like this."

The male villagers nodded. In ancient times, the separation of men and women was strictly enforced. How could they allow so many men to search a widow's house?

Zhong Muyu said, "What's so difficult about that? Just let Zaochun lead people to search. We've called you all here simply to be witnesses."

Everyone nodded, and Zhong Muyu then signaled Zaochun to pick a few people to go look for it. Before long, Zaochun came out with a pair of shoes covered in mud.

The water on the shoes was still wet, but that alone doesn't prove anything.

"Your Highness, this servant also found an axe."

In early spring, he handed the axe to Zhong Muyu.

Granny Wu said, "Don't every household have an axe?"

The village chief said, "Your Highness, these shoes alone don't prove anything."

"Village chief, don't worry, let's go and take a look at the damaged area together."

So, Zhong Muyu led his men to the place where the water pipes had been damaged.

She walked over and used a few small branches to fence off an area.

"When I arrived, I found footprints here. Now, I'd like everyone to take a look and see if the shoes match the footprints."

Upon hearing this, the man who had been following the village chief spoke up: "Let me do it."

Zhong Muyu glanced at him with suspicion. This person was a bit strange; his clothes and demeanor were out of place here. She wondered what he was here for.

The village chief said, "Then let Mr. Chi take a look. Your Highness, don't worry, Mr. Chi Xuanzhu is the most renowned teacher in the village, and I am at ease letting him handle it."

So he's the village schoolteacher?

Chi Xuanzhu first carefully observed the footprints on the ground, and then checked Wu Mama's shoes. He said to everyone, "These shoes and these footprints do match."

Granny Wu was shocked: "Even so, it doesn't prove that I did it!"

In early spring, she asked, "If it wasn't you, then what are you doing here?"

"I...I just came out for a walk because I had nothing to do!"

Early Spring sneered: "Taking a walk on a weed-covered mountain path instead of the main road? You better tell the truth!"

Startled, Granny Wu stumbled and knelt down.

Zhong Muyu turned to the village chief: "Village chief, you saw it too, she deliberately damaged my things, what do you think we should do?"

The village chief hadn't expected this, but even if Zhong Muyu asked him, he had no authority to decide, so he could only say, "It's entirely up to Your Highness the Princess to decide."

"Alright, then make her compensate me for the money I spent on the plumbing, and then send her to the authorities to spend a few days in jail to teach her a lesson."

After saying that, Zhong Muyu tossed the gold earring in her hand to her.

Hearing Zhong Muyu say this, Granny Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

The matter is settled. A few months in prison isn't too bad. If Zhong Muyu were to make a fuss as a princess, she might be tortured, and whether she can survive would be a question.

The village chief agreed, and then said to Granny Wu, "Someone, take Wu Xiuying to the government office."

Two villagers stepped forward and grabbed Wu Mama's arms. At this point, Wu Mama gave in and let them take her away without resistance.

After the matter was resolved, the onlookers dispersed. After the village chief and the others left, Zhong Muyu looked at the section of water pipe again, feeling a mix of emotions.

The thing I worked so hard to make was ruined by someone.

"Let's take this broken section apart in early spring."

"Ah? Your Highness, you..."

Zhong Muyu explained, "We'll dismantle these broken ones, plug the drain outlets to avoid wasting water, and then make another one to connect later."

The two of them hurriedly dismantled the water pipes when a voice suddenly sounded behind them: "Let me help you too."