Chapter 1651 Meng Qi's Startle
The stall owner nodded, "That's what those people said, but I don't know if it's true or not."
Meng Yunzheng chatted with him for a few more minutes until Shu Yu finished eating her wontons and called out to him. Only then did he nod to the stall owner, and the group left the wonton stall.
Meng Qi asked in a low voice, "Cousin, what did you say to that stall owner just now?"
"I inquired about something."
Shu Yu asked, "Did the stall owner mention anything about bandits?"
Meng Qi suddenly turned to look at her. Did she know what her cousin had gone to do? So the reason she ate so slowly wasn't because she wasn't in a hurry, but because it wasn't necessary?
Meng Yunzheng repeated the stall owner's words. Shu Yu frowned upon hearing this. Sure enough, it wasn't just bandits causing chaos. The Second Prince and the Third Prince were also using this incident to tarnish the Emperor's reputation and shift the ultimate responsibility for the bandits killing the people onto the Emperor.
Meng Qi was stunned. "So those bandits were all vicious people who couldn't wait for an amnesty?"
Meng Yunzheng glanced at him sideways, "Do you remember what I told you before?"
What was said?
Meng Qi paused, recalling the instructions Meng Yunzheng had given him along the way.
He said, "Don't trust the officials of Chenggu County or even Changjin Prefecture. What the stall owner heard the soldiers say was all lies."
"Those bandits, weren't they death row inmates or exiled people?" Meng Qi took a few quick steps and stood beside Meng Yunzheng, lowering his voice even further. "Then why did those soldiers say that?"
What do you think?
Meng Qi wasn't stupid; he was just young and inexperienced. With a little prompting from Meng Yunzheng, he quickly grasped the point.
Why did the officials and soldiers say that? If they spread such words, the people would think that these bandits were forced into this situation, and that if there were a general amnesty, they would still have a way out and would not be driven to despair.
The one who refused to grant a general amnesty was... the current emperor.
Upon realizing this, Meng Qi gasped sharply.
Are they targeting the Emperor? The officials of Changjin Prefecture and Chenggu County are targeting the Emperor; they're plotting a rebellion!
Meng Qi's heart was pounding; he had never imagined things would be this serious.
His legs were even a little weak at this moment. He grabbed Meng Yunzheng's arm and his voice was trembling, "Brother, how could they be so bold?"
Shu Yu found it amusing. Before, he was very respectful of boundaries and addressed her as "cousin" in a distant way, but now he's calling her "brother" directly?
Meng Yunzheng continued walking forward as if nothing had happened, "They thought this would pave a bright future for them." Of course, it was also because they had chosen the wrong side early on.
"Will our Chenggu County become a battlefield?"
That's hard to say, and Meng Yunzheng couldn't be sure either. The main battlefield is certainly in the capital, but Changjin Prefecture is definitely not peaceful either.
Seeing that he remained silent, Meng Qi's face grew even paler. He thought of the bandits who had deliberately broken in and taken his father away, and wondered how he had gotten involved in such a matter.
"Alright, since we're already here, let's make the best of it. Things have come to this point, so our most important thing now is to protect the people around us. Then we'll wait for the imperial court's rescue. Changjin Prefecture is so big, the imperial court won't abandon us."
General Huang is already on his way with his men, but since they are a large force, they haven't arrived yet.
However, based on the dates, it should be in the next couple of days.
So Chenggu County is about to experience another wave of chaos. Before that, they need to find his father and uncle.
(End of this chapter)
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