The group's destination was Liangzhou, but they encountered some strange things less than a day after passing Qingzhou.
The roadside was overgrown with weeds, and it was hard to find even a single footprint, as if no one had set foot on this land for several months.
Although the prefectures are far apart, there should be some travelers and caravans passing by on ordinary days, but the scene before us is so desolate that it is frightening.
Lu Jingze raised his hand to signal the team to stop, his brows furrowed slightly.
"My lord, Qingzhou City is less than fifty li ahead. If we quicken our pace, we should be able to reach it before dark," a subordinate reported in a low voice as he rode forward.
Lu Jingze pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Let's not go into the city today, let's rest here for the night."
So the group turned to the nearby dense forest and set up camp.
The guards sprang into action, setting up tents and lighting campfires.
Wang Xiuxiu sat beside the carriage, looking at the busy figures around her, feeling a vague unease in her heart.
She always felt that there was some unknown secret hidden in this desolate land.
In the stillness of the night, accompanied by the scattered lights, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.
The guard on guard duty immediately ran back to report, his expression changed, "Sir, something's not right. Those people don't seem to be coming for us; they seem to be chasing someone."
After hearing this, Lu Jingze turned his gaze into the distance.
After a moment, he gave a deep order: "Extinguish the campfire, everyone hide. No one is to act without my command."
Upon hearing this, the guards quickly extinguished the campfire and sought out hidden places to conceal themselves.
The campfire was extinguished, and darkness enveloped the surroundings.
Wang Xiuxiu followed closely beside Lu Jingze, her heart pounding as she watched the crowd gradually approaching in the distance.
Just then, Lu Jingze suddenly draped his cloak over Wang Xiuxiu's head.
Instantly, darkness enveloped her, but the familiar aura inexplicably gave her a sense of peace.
She hid under her cloak, and could only hear the clamor of horses' hooves.
Later, it seemed that Lu Jingze gave the order to intercept them, and gradually, swords clashed.
After an unknown amount of time, the cloak was lifted, and Lu Jingze reached out to help Wang Xiuxiu to her feet.
Wang Xiuxiu then realized that Lu Jingze's guards had actually rescued a blood-covered man from that group of people.
As the guards dealt with the body, Lu Jingze looked at the stunned Wang Xiuxiu and pulled her into his arms.
"Stop looking." Lu Jingze gently pressed her head against his shoulder.
Wang Xiuxiu obediently leaned against him, but her gaze couldn't help but drift towards the man she had rescued.
His body was covered in wounds, indicating that he had been severely tortured.
"Does that person... need my help treating their wounds? I learned a little bit about it before," Wang Xiuxiu asked softly.
"No need, they'll handle it. You go back to the carriage first, we'll leave in a bit," he said, tying the cloak belt for Wang Xiuxiu.
Wang Xiuxiu drifted off to sleep, and when she regained consciousness, the carriage had already entered Qingzhou territory overnight.
"Have we arrived in Liangzhou?"
"No, we won't go to Liangzhou for now." Lu Jingze's tone was somewhat solemn.
The group headed straight for the Qingzhou government office.
In the middle of the night, even the prefect of Qingzhou was dragged out of bed.
Wang Xiuxiu was placed in the backyard of the government office. Lu Jingze left people to protect her and then led his men to the front hall to discuss important matters.
Qingzhou is adjacent to Liangzhou. If something happens in Liangzhou, Qingzhou will definitely be aware of it.
Sure enough, without Lu Jingze needing to use torture to extract a confession, the prefect of Qingzhou told the whole story as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
When Lu Jingze returned to the backyard, radiating coldness, Wang Xiuxiu was staring blankly into space.
Seeing him approach, she quite consciously moved aside.
Upon seeing this, a smile finally appeared on Lu Jingze's face, which had been gloomy all night.
Alright, this little ingrate has finally learned his lesson!
"Has something happened in Liangzhou?" Wang Xiuxiu asked, unable to sleep.
"Um."
Lu Jingze sat on the edge of the bed, took off his shoes, and lay down.
"Can you tell me about it? I can't sleep."
Lu Jingze pulled her into his arms. Wang Xiuxiu was warm and cozy, like a hot water bottle.
“The royal servants in Liangzhou hoarded land because of their status. Local officials deceived their superiors and refused to report the situation. The people were driven to desperation, which led to a riot.”
"Oh oh oh~"
"What do you mean, 'oh'?"
Wang Xiuxiu looked up at him. "House slaves? Aren't those royal relatives afraid of being exposed later, so they used the pretext of house slaves disregarding the law to extort money?"
Lu Jingze looked at her, and although he didn't want to admit it, he still nodded.
"But there's one thing I don't understand!"
"you say."
"Judging from your appearance, you probably didn't know the details beforehand either. So, how exactly did Liangzhou manage to keep such a big matter a secret?"
Lu Jingze looked at her, his gaze deep and complex, and finally just sighed softly.
What Wang Xiuxiu asked was also what Lu Jingze truly lamented.
Nearly a quarter of the grain in the Da Xi Dynasty's national treasury was collected from Liangzhou every year.
However, it was precisely because of Liangzhou's abundance that it attracted those who were blinded by greed.
They stretched out their greedy hands again and again, seeking personal gain, until they completely took control of this rich land.
Many years ago, the founding emperor of the Great Xi Dynasty, in order to show his benevolence, bestowed the land of Liangzhou upon those members of the royal family who had made outstanding contributions, as a sign of supreme honor.
These lands were not only a form of material wealth, but also represented the emperor's favor and trust, making the recipients feel extremely honored.
However, this gift also became the source of hidden dangers.
As time went by, the land was inherited and passed down through generations. Liangzhou was gradually occupied by members of the royal family, forming a vast sphere of influence.
Although recent emperors have recognized this problem and attempted to curb its development by reducing the rewards bestowed upon Liangzhou, the damage already done is irreversible.
These people not only possessed abundant land resources, but also accumulated enormous wealth.
Unlike ordinary merchants and officials, these members of the royal family were rich, powerful, and had no shortage of prestige and status.
They used their power to continuously expand their sphere of influence and even began to interfere in local government affairs.
Their royal status made local officials deeply wary, fearing retaliation for offending powerful figures.
Therefore, local officials often choose to remain silent about the true situation in Liangzhou and dare not report the facts.
This situation has continued until now, and the matter has become increasingly serious, finally provoking public outrage and making it impossible to cover up any longer.
The capital city had noticed some signs of trouble, otherwise they wouldn't have sent Lu Jingze on this official mission.
These are all unimportant pieces of information, and there's no need to hide them. It's perfectly fine to tell Wang Xiuxiu.
What Lu Jingze really wanted to know, however, still depended on that person.
Lin Yufan, the one who was rescued by Lu Jingze on the road, has finally been temporarily out of danger thanks to the doctor's best efforts.
Lin Yufan briefly regained consciousness during the journey, but his physical condition remained very weak.
When he learned that Lu Jingze was an important official sent from the capital to Liangzhou, he insisted on meeting Lu Jingze despite the doctor's advice.
But before he could even see anyone, he fell into a coma again due to exhaustion.
Knowing that Lin Yufan's condition was critical, Lu Jingze instructed his men to keep a close watch on him and to report immediately once Lin Yufan woke up.
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