The Queen glanced up at Xia Miaoyuan's anxious face and whispered, "On my way back to the capital, I ran into a group of people who were being pursued by the government."
"Upon closer questioning, we discovered that the leader was actually Liu Tiefeng, the magistrate of Kuqiao County, and the people following him were all disaster victims from the county."
【Ah, Liu Tiefeng, I remember him! 】
When Xia Miaoyuan heard this, he became excited instantly.
He died a horrible death in the book.
The Queen paused, seeing her daughter was no longer reminiscing, and continued, "According to Liu Tiefeng, Kuqiao County was severely affected by the disaster, but local officials embezzled relief funds and ignored the lives of the people. To prevent the truth from being exposed, the government even blocked the official roads and prohibited the victims from fleeing the famine. A large number of them died."
The queen felt her blood boiling and was extremely angry.
[Yes, that's what it says in the book. Buckwheat County lives up to its name, and it's really as bitter as buckwheat.]
[The plot in the book is that Crown Prince Guoguo went to provide disaster relief. At the instruction of Grand Tutor Jiang, the deputy relief envoy colluded with local officials and made a fool of the Crown Prince.]
They selected two or three counties, provided thick porridge and money, and properly resettled the victims, specifically to demonstrate this to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was young and assumed that the same relief efforts were being implemented everywhere in the disaster area.
Xia Zhengqi's eyes bulged out like bells. They actually dared to fool the prince like this. They really didn't take the emperor seriously.
He could never have imagined that most of Jiangxia Province was like Turbulence County, where the victims could only wait for death in despair.
Liu Tiefeng is a man of integrity, unwilling to associate with corrupt officials. Regardless of his own safety, he investigates the inside story of the disaster relief efforts and discovers that it was Grand Tutor Jiang's influence that deceived the Crown Prince, who was the special envoy for disaster relief.
So he took a few strong young men with him and went to the prince to report the news.
[They were chased and intercepted by soldiers along the way, and the journey was extremely difficult.]
When they finally arrived at the prince's disaster relief headquarters, they discovered that the prince had already returned to the capital.
Liu Tiefeng refused to give up and continued to rush to the capital. They wanted to see the emperor and tell him the truth in person.
Along the way, they had no money and relied on begging on the streets for a living. They walked day and night for more than a month before reaching the capital.
When the queen heard this, she was moved and tears welled up in her eyes. Afraid that her daughter would notice, she quickly raised the letter higher.
Xia Miaoyuan was immersed in his own memories and continued to tell the story without realizing it.
However, upon arriving in the capital, they discovered that the Crown Prince had been framed by Grand Tutor Jiang and his followers for embezzling disaster relief funds. The charges were proven, and they had no way to defend themselves.
Liu Tiefeng understood the trick here and knew that the prince had been deceived. He wanted to expose the truth of the prince's frame-up.
【But by this time, Master Jiang's men had already found him.】
He and several fellow villagers were beaten to death with clubs, put into sacks, and thrown into the moat.
Liu Tiefeng was a rare good official, yet he died miserably, worse than a street beggar.
[What's even more hateful is that after his death, his superiors actually impeached him for deserting his post and fleeing back to his hometown when the disaster struck.]
[The Emperor, unaware of the true situation, dismissed him from his post.]
[A good official lost his life for the people and earned a bad reputation that will live on forever.]
Ah... It's so hateful, Xia Zhengqi's face was ferocious.
Afraid that his daughter would find out, he quickly turned his face away.
This time, I must save Liu Tiefeng.
Xia Zhengqi made a solemn decision in his heart.
"Liu Tiefeng is upright and unyielding. He refuses to be wooed by his superiors. He secretly investigates the inside story of disaster relief and decides to go to Beijing to meet the emperor with a few fellow villagers." The queen quickly composed herself and continued to read the letter.
"The government surrounded them, and I, your son, helped them escape by chance. Now I am leading them on their journey. However, those who discovered Master Jiang still haven't given up on hunting them down."
"Your Majesty, isn't Cheng Wan in danger now? What if Grand Tutor Jiang goes crazy and kills Cheng Wan as well?" The Queen looked worried.
"Yeah." Xia Zhengqi sighed.
"Ruoyu, I have decided to send two hundred imperial guards to meet them."
"Whether it's the Crown Prince or Liu Tiefeng, I will protect them all. I can't lose a good official like Liu Tiefeng."
After hearing this, the queen seemed relieved and nodded slightly.
[What? Daddy, you're sending the Imperial Guards? The commander of the Imperial Guards is Grand Tutor Jiang's man!]
You sent the Imperial Guards to meet them, but it would be more accurate to say that you helped Grand Tutor Jiang destroy them.
Xia Zhengqi: ...
Queen: ...
What?! The commander of the Imperial Guards, Wei Jianzhong, is actually also one of Grand Tutor Jiang's men?!
That's the man in charge of 100,000 imperial guards!
Xia Zhengqi felt his head buzzing and his head suddenly became dizzy.
The Minister of War, the Minister of Revenue, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, as well as the governors and governors-general of many provinces are all Master Jiang's men!
Is this not allowing people to survive?
Oh, Heaven, oh, Earth, please give me a way to live!
Xia Zhengqi was overwhelmed with thoughts for a moment, and his whole body froze as he hugged Xia Miaoyuan.
"Your Majesty, I feel that it is inappropriate to send the Imperial Guards. When I was in danger before, I felt that there was something fishy about the Imperial Guards responsible for protection. I'm afraid that Grand Tutor Jiang's people have been planted in the Imperial Guards." The Queen was worried that her daughter would notice something was wrong with Xia Zhengqi, so she quickly found an excuse.
"Although this is just my guess, the matter is of great importance and I must proceed with caution."
[Mother is so smart and perceptive! Daddy, you must listen to my advice.]
Xia Miaoyuan looked up at the emperor, her big eyes blinking, looking so soft and cute.
"Well, Ruoyu, what you said makes sense." Xia Zhengqi breathed a sigh of relief and cast an approving look at the queen.
"Secret guards are the most reliable. They only come into contact with me and only obey my orders. I will immediately dispatch a hundred secret guards, working day and night, to escort the Crown Prince back to the capital safely."
[Yes, yes, the secret guard is reliable.]
When Xia Miaoyuan heard this, he finally felt relieved.
Late at night, the palace was dark and silent, with only a few lights on along the palace path.
Two dark shadows sneaked into Qiuyue Pavilion.
Qiuyue Pavilion is located in an inconspicuous corner to the west of the Imperial Palace. It is a small courtyard that has been abandoned for many years. There are dead branches and rotten leaves in the courtyard, which make a rustling sound when stepped on.
A dilapidated three-story wooden building stood alone in the yard. The building had been in disrepair for many years, and the stairs and floors would creak harshly whenever someone walked.
At this time, Jiang Qiqiu, wearing a coarse cloth shirt and trousers, with a haggard face, was lying in the third-floor attic, his mind full of random thoughts, as if he was half asleep.
The creaking sound of the stairs woke her up completely.
"Qi Qiu, I'm here to see you." A familiar old woman's voice came into Jiang Qi Qiu's ears.
Her eyes lit up, and she jumped up, knelt on the bed and kowtowed: "Aunt, you are finally here. I knew that you love Qiqiu the most and would not abandon her."
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