"They say you have to see the stolen goods to catch a thief and the two adulterers to catch them in the act. Now that the mine has been dug up, we should bring the person up first, no matter if they are dead or alive, so that you can give an explanation to the prefect."
"So that the Prefect can give an explanation to the people, won't he?"
Jiang Jiaojiao stood there with her head held high, exuding an air of supreme dignity, her gaze unwavering, refusing to yield an inch.
Iceface's expression shifted as he stared at the deep, dark mine entrance. Such a massive tremor suggested that the situation inside was far from optimistic, with countless casualties likely already.
Finally, after a brief silence.
The icy-faced man gave the order: "Go save them!"
After speaking, he turned his cold gaze to Jiang Jiaojiao again: "If any casualties are found..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Jiaojiao interrupted him without hesitation, saying, "This princess will personally go to the government office to plead guilty!"
Upon hearing this, the Jin family men's faces, which had been filled with elation at the opening of the mine, instantly changed, and they hurriedly tried to dissuade them.
"Jiaojiao, this matter has nothing to do with you. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be us. As for those rascals, once they come out, we'll drag them to the government office to beg for forgiveness immediately!"
"Yes! When our elder brother brought us to the mine, he said that with greater responsibility comes greater risk, and we were already mentally prepared."
“No one wants to see a mine collapse. As long as we do a good job in the follow-up rescue and reassurance, I believe His Majesty will understand us.”
"Jiaojiao..."
Hearing her grandfather and uncles' caring words, Jiang Jiaojiao felt a warm current surge in her heart. This time, she would protect them and the Jin family no matter what.
In fact, there was no need for Ice Face to give orders; Qian Panpan simply ordered people to go to the bottom of the mine to check.
The person with the icy expression is just a witness.
The guards swiftly entered the deep, dark mine to launch a rescue operation.
As time ticked by, everyone's anxiety grew with each passing second.
Finally, after a long and agonizing half hour, under the expectant and fervent gazes of everyone, those who had entered the mine for rescue slowly emerged, looking bewildered and helpless.
They looked at each other, their faces filled with doubt and confusion. The crowd, which had been full of hope, suddenly erupted into a frenzy, anxiously asking, "How is it? Have you found him?"
However, the answer they received shocked everyone present.
"Inside the mine... there wasn't a single living person, not even a corpse!"
This news struck like a bolt from the blue, booming into everyone's ears.
Grandpa Jin's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He gripped one of the guards tightly and asked again urgently, "Are you sure they were really inside before the mine collapsed?"
Faced with the old man's questioning, the mine guards scratched their heads, equally bewildered.
It's possible that only one of them made a mistake, but it's impossible that all the guards misjudged the situation, right?
As everyone fell into deep confusion.
Jiang Jiaojiao finally breathed a sigh of relief; Dao Hong had succeeded!
Jiang Jiaojiao quietly tugged at her grandfather's sleeve.
Grandpa Jin was stunned. He understood from Jiao Jiao's eyes that this... this was Jiao Jiao's doing.
No wonder Jiaojiao appeared here before them.
Qian Panpan looked at Jiang Jiaojiao, then at Old Master Jin, and then back at Jiang Jiaojiao, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, as if she were looking at the most dazzling star in the sky.
Wow!
That's amazing!
How could someone be able to foresee the future and conjure up living people?
No wonder she set her sights on that woman!
Hahaha--
Qian Panpan almost burst out laughing, but fearing being discovered, she quickly turned around and lowered her head, pretending to wipe her sweat. While having people comfort the frightened family members, she also had people search around.
If it's not inside the mine, it must be outside.
They can't just turn into butterflies and fly away.
When the families heard that there was no one in the mine, they were both surprised and delighted. They helped each other and staggered towards the inside and outside of the mine, calling out the names of their loved ones.
"father--"
"Er Gouzi—"
"Third child—"
"Master—"
The calls came one after another.
The man with the icy face froze, but finally, disbelief appeared on his face. "No one, living or dead, not a single one?"
"yes."
The guard nodded cautiously.
There were a few rags and shoes, stained with blood, but not a single living person or corpse was seen. In broad daylight, it was like seeing a ghost.
Upon receiving a response, his icy expression darkened completely.
Just then.
A rapid sound of horses' hooves approached from afar.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fast horse galloping towards them, only stopping abruptly as it approached.
The rider on horseback tumbled off his horse in a disheveled state, barely managing to regain his balance before crashing to the icy-faced man. He glanced quickly at the Jin family members and reported anxiously in a low voice, "Chief Mei! Something terrible has happened! They—they're taking people towards the government office!"
Who is it?
With an icy expression, he glanced at her coldly and said impatiently.
He was trying to come up with an excuse to kidnap the Jin family and take them to the government office.
The guard, caught in his sharp gaze, stammered, "It's...it's those miners! The people from the mines, they're carrying people, making a huge fuss with gongs and drums, heading to the government office to plead their case! And...and..."
"what else?!"
Iceface's expression changed drastically. He suddenly reached out and grabbed the guard by the collar, lifting him up.
The guard turned pale with fright, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He stammered, "They...they said...that someone deliberately blew up the mine to steal money and kill people! They want the governor to do justice for them!"
These words struck like a bolt from the blue, plunging the crowd into a deathly silence.
Ice Face's expression instantly turned ashen. He abruptly raised his head and glared at Jiang Jiaojiao and the Jin family members, his gaze like two sharp blades, wishing he could tear them to pieces on the spot.
Without a word, he turned and leaped onto his horse, shouting, "Go! Catch up with them quickly!"
We must not allow the people under their control to reach the prefectural city alive!
Before the words were even finished, the guards responded swiftly, leaping onto their horses and whipping them to gallop towards the government office.
Seeing the guards who had come charging in with menacing air, they fled in panic.
Jiang Jiaojiao's smile grew even brighter. This is wonderful!
My cousin and the innocent civilians were all safe and sound, successfully escaping this calamity.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, and her mood became lighter and more cheerful. "Let's go to the government office too. How can such a big matter be left out for us, the aggrieved parties?"
The words "victim" were uttered.
The Jin family men's eyes lit up immediately. That's right! How dare they bomb the mines under their jurisdiction? As the aggrieved party, shouldn't they go to the government office and cry their eyes out?
then.
The Jin family men, along with Jiang Jiaojiao and Qian Panpan who insisted on going to see the play as witnesses, all boarded the carriage and headed towards the prefectural city in a lively atmosphere.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com