Chapter 5 Zhao Zhao can also be exchanged for money
Yun Zhao lunged forward, letting out a scream: "Ah!"
"Zhaozhao!"
Xu Qingyi turned pale with fright and rushed forward, screaming.
Yun Huaijin, who was in the wet nurse's arms, was immediately frightened and burst into tears.
"Waaaaah, Mom, it hurts so much! Zhao Zhao is in so much pain!"
Yun Zhao trembled, nestled in Xu Qingyi's thin arms, curled up in a ball, looking extremely pitiful!
Hearing his daughter's cries like a small animal, and hearing his son's loud wailing in his ears.
Xu Qingyi felt as if the sky had fallen.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and for the first time, she roared without any regard for her image.
"Yan Jing! You despicable scoundrel! Since you can't find any embezzled funds, you're trying to force a confession out of me!"
My father shouldn't have saved you on the battlefield back then! You ungrateful wretch!
"Go ahead and kill us right now if you dare! I, Xu Qingyi, will haunt you even as a ghost!"
The onlookers were in an uproar.
"The Prince of Jin is corrupt? How could that be? The Princess Consort of Jin has always been charitable and generous; she could never be a corrupt official!"
"What are you greedy for? Look at those Imperial Guards, they don't even spare children, they're obviously trying to extract confessions through torture!"
"Oh dear, what a tragedy! That baby is crying so pitifully!"
Hearing the people's discussions, Yan Jing secretly realized something was wrong.
That brat did it on purpose! He clearly didn't kick her very hard just now!
Yun Zhao nestled in her mother's arms, a cold smile playing on her lips, but her face turned deathly pale.
"Mother, didn't Father take all the money to build the dike? Why, why are you saying Father embezzled it?"
As if to confirm Yun Zhao's words, the Imperial Guards moved the confiscated items out of the Prince of Jin's residence.
A few boxes of silver and some small ornaments as a reward.
They're not even as wealthy as some minor officials!
"What?! This is hardly a corrupt official!"
“My family is from the south. I’ve seen the prince oversee water conservancy projects before. He always did everything himself. He couldn’t possibly be a corrupt official!”
"That's right, the prince couldn't possibly be a corrupt official!"
The crowd was filled with the cries of children and the angry shouts of adults.
Yan Jing sensed something was wrong and quickly lowered his voice to give instructions to the others.
"Quickly, take him back. I'll report to His Majesty!"
Inside the Imperial Study in the Imperial Palace.
"The common people are blocking the way?"
Emperor Yuanqi, Yunqi, sat on the dragon throne, gripping the dragon head on the handle tightly.
"Your Majesty, nothing was found at the Prince of Jin's residence. According to the Princess Consort of Jin, the money was all used to subsidize the construction of the dike."
Yan Jing kept his head down, not daring to look up at the emperor's face.
Yun Qi chuckled and suddenly threw something, which landed with a "thud" in front of Yan Jing.
"Yan Jing, the ledger is right here. What do you say?"
Yan Jing looked at the "ledger" smashed in front of him and his heart sank.
It seems the emperor is determined to destroy the Prince of Jin.
Whether or not it was real embezzlement, or whether or not the stolen money was found, is no longer important.
Upon understanding this, Yan Jing immediately kowtowed.
"I believe that the Prince of Jin must have hidden the embezzled funds somewhere, but I am incompetent and unable to find them!"
Yun Qi nodded in satisfaction.
"I know you have always been loyal to the emperor. You should make amends by posting the evidence of Prince Jin's corruption throughout the capital and announcing it to the world!"
"Your Majesty, I obey your decree! But what should we do about Your Majesty, the Princess Consort of Jin, and those two children?"
Yan Jing wasn't unwilling to do it, but he knew that no matter what he did, he would only be labeled a cruel official who used torture to extract confessions.
"Yunxuan is, after all, my younger brother, and his child is innocent. After confiscating his property, send this mother and her two children to Lingnan to reunite with Yunxuan!"
"Your Majesty is merciful!"
In just a few words, the two had already accused Prince Jin of embezzlement.
Because the people blocked their way, Xu Qingyi and her two children could only be taken to the nearest Dali Temple prison.
In the Prince's mansion, many things were gone, and even the servants' indentures could not be found.
The Imperial Guards had no choice but to imprison them in the Prince of Jin's residence.
Zhichun took off her hairpin, slipped some silver to the official, and quietly went to the Dali Temple with a few clothes.
"Your Highness, it's cold and damp in the prison, please put this on quickly!"
"Zhichun, hurry back to the General's Mansion and have my brother and the others send people to Jiangnan to find the Prince!"
Xu Qingyi took the outer robe and draped it over Yun Zhao's shoulders, then whispered instructions to Zhi Chun.
Looking up, he noticed that Zhichun's expression was off.
"What's wrong?"
"Your Highness, the General's mansion has been raided. They say the General is suspected of colluding with the Prince."
They're all locked up in the mansion now, awaiting their fate. This is all the time I have to sneak out and deliver clothes to the Princess.
"What!"
Xu Qingyi's father was a general who was responsible for guarding the southwest.
The stones produced in the southwest and used to build dikes in the south were the subject of this project, which was overseen by General Xu Zhenbang, the General Who Protects the Nation.
"Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Zhichun felt uneasy; she and her maids were part of the princess's dowry.
Logically speaking, these servants who sold themselves into servitude were all property of the royal palace.
After their homes were confiscated, they were either resold or enslaved by the Inner Court.
But now, not only a few maids, but the indentures of all the servants in the entire Prince's mansion have disappeared!
Xu Qingyi didn't understand where those indentures had gone either, and was completely clueless for a moment.
Only Yun Zhao knew the truth.
The indentures of the servants in the Prince's mansion are now lying safely in her space.
Yun Zhao tilted her head back and looked at Xu Qingyi with an innocent expression.
"Mother, now that Sister Zhichun has lost her indenture, she's no longer the property of the Prince's mansion. Can she go home and find her mother?"
Xu Qingyi, Zhichun: ?
That makes so much sense!
The two of them felt as if they had suddenly entered a new world.
"Zhichun, go back immediately and release all the servants!"
In this situation, we should try to get as many people as possible to leave!
Zhichun nodded heavily.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will make them leave, but Zhi Qiu and the others are orphans, we will not leave!"
Before Xu Qingyi could say anything, Zhichun continued.
"Your Highness, the young master is only half a year old, and the little princess is only five years old. You are traveling alone, so you need someone to look after you!"
"Don't worry, I still have a few silver hairpins; at least I can exchange them for some food on the way!"
When the topic turned to the child, Xu Qingyi hesitated to offer any advice.
She can endure hardship, but what about her two children?
Just as the master and servant were feeling distressed, Yun Zhao slyly pulled a jade hairpin out of his sleeve.
"Mother, Zhao Zhao also has hairpins that can be exchanged for money!"
She secretly slipped it into Xu Qingyi's hand, as if presenting a treasure.
"Where did this come from?"
Xu Qingyi stared in astonishment at the jade hairpin in her hand, its exquisite carving and beautiful color captivating.
Of course, she took this out of the storeroom!
Of course, Yun Zhao couldn't speak frankly in front of the maid.
She had already prepared her explanation.
"Xiaoxue gave this to me; she said her mother gave it to her!"
Upon hearing this, Zhichun's expression changed.
This hairpin was part of the young lady's dowry. She rarely wore it, so why would she give it to the young lady?
Could it be... that the child has also learned to steal?
What Zhichun thought of, Xu Qingyi naturally thought of as well, but there was simply no time to think about it now.
She placed the jade hairpin into Zhichun's hand and whispered some instructions to her.
"Zhichun, go find the rice merchant in the east of the city, buy a donkey cart, then buy rice and clothes, and wait for us outside the city!"
She paused for a moment after saying this.
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