Chapter 53

Five days later.

A woman rode a horse to the southern city. Due to the drought, the harvest this year was very small, and the people were slowly recovering. In the morning, porridge was distributed at the gate of the city lord's mansion. She sat casually on a stone bench under a tree, watching the people line up to get the porridge.

"Line up, come one by one!" Wang Luoge, the son of the Southern City Lord, shouted loudly, standing in the porridge shed to maintain order.

The people took the porridge in their bowls and found a place to eat before leaving.

A few people squatted under the tree with porridge in their hands, casually glancing at the woman over there without paying any attention. Recently, more and more people have come to the south, all of them dignitaries and nobles, either to collect donations or to give out porridge. They have long been accustomed to it.

But they would still look up at her secretly, after all, they had never seen such a beautiful woman.

"This porridge has been getting more and more delicious lately. Every time I finish drinking it and go home, I feel that everything else tastes bad."

"Hahaha~ Of course steamed bread and pickled vegetables can't compare to white rice porridge!"

"I think this porridge tastes good too. It didn't taste like this before. I'm a bit addicted to it."

A few people chatted casually, and after finishing their porridge, they took their bowls and left with light steps.

The woman looked at him with a frown on her face. She suddenly stood up and walked to the porridge stall and said coldly, "Give me a bowl of porridge."

"Huh?" Wang Luoge, who was about to leave, looked at her in surprise. She looked like she didn't look like someone without money to eat, did she? But he still quickly filled a bowl of porridge and handed it to her.

"Where are you from, young lady? Can you tell me your name?" Wang Luoge looked at her carefully and felt that she was very familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her before. He raised his peach blossom eyes and asked with a smile.

The woman didn't reply. She took a sip of her porridge, her eyes filled with gloom. Poppy.

"Where's your father?"

"Ah? My father is in the mansion. Does the girl know my father?" Wang Luoge asked cautiously, wondering if this girl was a child left behind by her father outside. The mansion was already in chaos, and this girl looked noble. Would she come here to cause trouble?

"Take me to him."

Wang Luoge was stunned, a look of disbelief flashing across his handsome face. Could this girl really be... More excitement to watch. He just found a daughter a few days ago, and here comes another one today.

"Okay, come with me!" Wang Luoge said in a very good mood, and took the woman with a cold face in.

For some reason, it felt very stressful to walk in front of her, so Wang Luoge had to slow down his pace and follow beside her while showing her the way.

This girl is so noble that no one can compare to her. Is this person really here to claim her kinship?

Wang Luoge brought her to the flower hall and asked her to wait outside first. He quickly ran in to find his father. He had to inform him no matter what so that the old man could be mentally prepared.

The woman stood and looked at the City Lord's Mansion, which was quite luxurious.

"Hey, whose girl is this? What are you doing in our City Lord's Mansion?" A sharp female voice came, and several women came over together. The voice was obviously made by the fat woman in the middle.

"I'm asking you a question! Are you deaf?" Seeing that she was indifferent and ignored her, the city lord's wife walked up to her and said.

A few days ago, a young lady from a remote village came, and why is there another one today? How am I going to live like this from now on!

"My mother is asking you a question! Are you looking for death if you don't answer?" A girl in a goose yellow dress and many pearl hairpins on her hair spoke, looking at the person in front of her arrogantly and jealously. This face is so good, it would be great if it was hers!

She was wearing a wooden hairpin to hold her hair, looking incredibly poor. Her long black dress was made of a fabric I couldn't tell, and she had no accessories around her waist. She was holding a bowl of porridge, but she did have a white jade ring on her finger that looked more expensive. I wonder what rural place she came from! And she's so uneducated.

"Hey! Are you mute? Can't you speak? Come on, throw this woman out. The City Lord's Mansion doesn't allow just anyone to enter!"

The palace guards surrounded them instantly, but stopped in their tracks after receiving a cold look from the woman. They were brought in by the young city lord... It would be bad to throw them out!

"Go ahead! Isn't my words enough?" the fat woman shouted, the scars on her face cracked.

"What are you guys arguing about? Don't you want to live anymore? I want to see who comes to claim my kinship!"

A rough voice came over, and Wang Luoge walked over with a middle-aged man.

"Master~ This woman is ignoring us! Look at this..."

"What are you looking at? Go back to the yard!" The city lord shouted at his wife. He was extremely irritable. Nothing had gone well in the past two days!

"Master! You..." The fat woman covered her face and cried. If the city lord recognized her relatives again today, she would die in front of him.

The city lord stood on the porch, looking at the woman in the sunlight. His eyes suddenly widened, and he ran down with a look of panic on his face. Just as he was about to salute, he heard the woman say, "City lord, my name is Tang Qing."

"Okay, okay, Miss Tang, please come in!" The city lord bowed and invited her in. As he passed by Wang Luoge, he cast a fierce glance. "That bastard actually let the emperor stand in the yard!" He hoped the emperor would let it go, otherwise these blind men would all be finished!

Wang Luoge followed, confused. Why did he feel his father was so humble?

The fat woman and the other women were all stunned. Who on earth was this woman? She looked good, but there was nothing good about her!

The city lord closed the study door, knelt down in front of Zhou Xuanqing with a bang, and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, your servant Wang Zijun pays respects to the emperor!"

"What?" Wang Luoge was shocked when he heard it and looked at the woman sitting on the chair, fiddling with the bowl in her hands. No wonder she looked so familiar! Wasn't this the empress he had met six years ago?

"Your Majesty, I, Wang Luoge, pay my respects to you. Please forgive me for any offense I have committed just now!" Wang Luoge knelt beside Wang Zijun and said with some fear.

"Wang Zijun, have you ever had porridge from the porridge stall?" Zhou Xuanqing put down the bowl and asked in a cold voice while looking at the person kneeling below.

Wang Zijun glanced at the porridge on the table and said timidly, "Your Majesty, I have drunk it."

What happened? Why is the emperor so angry? Is there something wrong with the porridge?

"Then you remember the smell of poppy!"

"What? Your Majesty, I...I remember! Could it be that there is something in the porridge..."

"Remember?" Zhou Xuanqing asked back, then stood up leisurely, his eyes filled with coldness as he said, "Wang Zijun, I would rather kill millions by mistake than let a single one go. If I can't find out by tomorrow, I will kill the entire City Lord's Mansion!"

"Your Majesty...your Majesty obeys!" Wang Zijun knelt on the ground. Although it was already late autumn, sweat continued to pour out of his body. How could there be poppies...