If we kill them, wouldn't that just solve the trouble for those aristocratic families?
She had to ensure that they were alive and well, at least until she got the money.
"Ninth brother, our father ruled the world with benevolence and virtue, and to chop him off like this is too cruel."
"Mr. Lu, do you think I'm right?" Chen Jingxi said to a man in black clothes.
She had met Lu Ziteng several times. He was Chu Jingyue's study partner, the youngest son of the Minister of Justice, and the backer of Xiangji Grain Shop.
Lu Ziteng thought for a moment, "Princess, what you said makes sense."
Chen Jingxi nodded. "What about you? Do you think what I said is right?"
The others hurriedly bowed and said, "The princess is right."
"Since all the gentlemen have said so, I feel relieved."
Chen Jingxi returned to his seat, glanced at the shopkeepers kneeling below, and slammed the gavel. "You still refuse to plead guilty? Are you waiting for someone to rescue you?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Ziteng frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "What do you mean, Princess?"
Chen Jingxi explained, "Master Lu, you just arrived and don't know the situation yet. Just now, these shopkeepers threatened me. They said that if I dared to touch them, the people behind them would never let me go."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ziteng's face turned cold, and his eyes shot towards the kneeling shopkeepers like knives. He asked in a deep voice, "Is there such a thing?"
Chen Jingxi continued, "Isn't it? What they said reminded me. This matter is probably not that simple. Tell me! Who ordered you to do this? What's the conspiracy behind it?"
The shopkeepers looked at each other, and finally stole a glance at the group of young men, but quickly lowered their heads and replied in trembling voices, "No... no one instructed us to do this. It was our own greed that led us to do such a wrong thing."
Lu Ziteng said hurriedly, "Princess, perhaps they just want to trick you because you're a woman. You don't have to take it too seriously."
"Really? But this princess feels that things are far from that simple."
The shopkeepers hurriedly said in unison: "Princess, please understand! It is really our greed that caused us to do such a mistake. It has nothing to do with others!"
"Since it has nothing to do with others, why are you refusing to plead guilty? What are you trying to hide?"
"We plead guilty." The shopkeepers hurriedly took the pen, signed their names on the confession, and pressed their fingerprints.
Then the lawyer handed over the confession letter, and Chen Jingxi read it and nodded.
"Master, go get some shit for the shopkeeper Yongxing to eat."
Master: “???”
Others: “???”
The shopkeeper of Yongxing begged for mercy: "Princess, please spare my life! I was confused for a moment and spoke wildly. I know my crime, and I beg Your Majesty to be magnanimous and forgive me."
"Do you know you're wrong?"
"Yes, I know I'm wrong."
Chen Jingxi nodded. "Since you know you're wrong, I'll reward you with a pile of fresh shit. Take it down and let him eat it."
"I was wrong, Princess, please spare my life..."
Chen Jingxi propped up his chin and looked at the other shopkeepers, "Do you want to taste some shit?"
The shopkeepers shook their heads wildly.
"Remember to pay the fine in full as soon as possible."
"The little people understand."
The bailiffs put these profiteers in jail.
Chen Jingxi stood up, walked over to Chu Jingyue and patted him on the shoulder. "Ninth brother, thank you all very much. It's a little late today. I will host a banquet at Tianxiang Tower another day and treat everyone to a big meal. Please be sure to come and show up."
Everyone bowed and expressed their gratitude.
——
When Chen Jingxi returned to Prince Su's Mansion, she saw Ji Yunzhou sitting leisurely in the living room sipping tea, "You haven't left yet!"
Ji Yunzhou didn't answer her, but asked directly: "When did you know that Jing Huai had wiped out the bandits?"
Chen Jingxi said casually: "Last night."
"So this is why you can sleep."
Chen Jingxi raised an eyebrow and asked, "What else?"
Ji Yunzhou was a little dissatisfied: "Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I told you, how can I still hold the cup?"
"Jing Huai really values women over friends."
"I'm his princess, so he'd naturally write to me. Why would he write to you? Could it be that you and he have..."
As soon as she said this, Ji Yunzhou's mouth twitched. Although Chen Jingxi didn't say it out loud, it could be seen from her inquiring eyes.
He was suspected of having a homosexual tendency.
"Princess, you think too much. Jinghuai and I are not what you think."
"Hey, that's not the best."
"The princess has completely offended all those noble families this time."
"Yeah! I need more people to protect me when I go out next time."
"Princess, aren't you afraid at all?"
"Afraid? They are not afraid of offending my Su Wang Mansion, so what should I be afraid of them doing?" Chen Jingxi said lightly.
Suddenly, Butler Wu hurried into the hall, "Princess, the imperial edict has arrived."
Hearing the word "imperial edict", Chen Jingxi couldn't help but frown slightly.
After a while, Chen Jingxi came outside the hall and saw an eunuch waiting there with an imperial edict in his hand.
Chen Jingxi took a few steps forward, knelt on the ground, and bowed respectfully.
The eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud.
Chen Jingxi lowered his head and listened carefully to every word. The general meaning was that there would be rewards for meritorious service in this disaster relief and bandit suppression.
When the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, Chen Jingxi was stunned.
The old emperor actually stabbed her in the back, even though she had just helped him get so much silver.
He immediately gave Chu Jinghuai ten beauties.
Seeing that Chen Jingxi hadn't moved, the eunuch delivering the imperial edict whispered, "Princess Su, please accept the imperial edict."
"Receive the order?" Chen Jingxi looked up and asked.
"Yes, Princess Su, please accept the order." The eunuch who announced the order was respectful on the surface, but very arrogant in his heart. Princess Su was too ignorant.
"Eunuch, I can accept this decree, but please take this beauty back with you."
The eunuch who announced the decree was amused when he heard this. "Princess Su, what do you mean by this?"
"I can accept the decree, but forget about these rewards."
"Princess Su's thunder and rain are all the grace of the emperor. This is the reward from the emperor. I believe that Princess Su is a smart person. Accept these people and our family will pretend that nothing happened."
"Otherwise, if you bring this to the Emperor, you will be the one who suffers."
Chen Jingxi smiled and said, "My Lord, you are kind-hearted. However, after the prince returned from the battlefield, in order to make amends to me, he made a vow that he would never marry again in this life, nor would he have a concubine again."
"If I accept these girls, wouldn't that make the prince a villain who breaks his promise?"
"Princess Su, you are disobeying the imperial order." The eunuch who announced the order was angry. He didn't care what oath Prince Su had sworn.
If Princess Su refuses to accept these people, then he will be in trouble for announcing the decree.
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