The street was already deathly silent, and Li Wentian's words made the entire street freeze for a moment.
The crowd stared in astonishment at Fu Zhun, never expecting that the once imposing Marquis would become so fearful in front of the Prince, like a mouse before a cat.
But then again... this is the famous Prince Zhenbei, who wouldn't be afraid of him!
A deep sense of awe appeared in everyone's eyes.
"Your Highness is mighty!"
"This humble subject pays respects to the Prince of Zhenbei, may Your Highness live a thousand years!"
"This humble woman is deeply grateful to Your Highness for saving my family during the city's crisis. Thank you for saving our lives!"
Everyone knows about Fu Zhun's deeds of leading troops to rescue the city some time ago, but because he used the emperor's name, some people who did not know Fu Zhun's identity only realized it now.
"The safety of our Fuyou County is entirely due to the protection of Your Highness. We, your humble servant, pray for Your Highness's blessings and wish you boundless good fortune!"
"May Your Highness be blessed with boundless good fortune!"
Looking at the people who were still kneeling respectfully on the ground, his expression calmed down, and he raised his hand slightly and said, "There's no need to kneel anymore, get up."
The crowd's expressions changed, but most were unable to contain their excitement and kowtowed in gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"
Seeing this scene, Su An sighed inwardly and tried to take a step back.
The sight of people bowing to the prince was so spectacular; she couldn't possibly bear it.
Fu Zhun noticed her movement, his eyes darkened, and he grabbed her wrist: "Where do you want to go?"
Su An: "..."
Huh? Hmm?
"No, the people are kneeling to you, so I should step back a little... or should I kneel to you too?"
Su An awkwardly struggled with her wrist, feeling like her cheeks were burning hot under everyone's intense gaze.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Fu Zhun tightened his grip, looking at her intently. "You've always been with me; you don't need these formalities!"
The unusually heavy tone startled Su An, who instinctively opened her mouth and said, "I know, I know, I don't want to kneel either, why are you getting angry?"
Looking at Su An's carefree face, Fu Zhun closed his eyes slightly and exhaled.
It seems he was overthinking it.
He loosened his grip and released Su An's wrist, rubbed his temples, and looked at the people, saying, "Everyone, please continue whatever you wish to do, there's no need to hold back."
"As for you," Fu Zhun paused, his gaze falling on Li Wentian, who was kowtowing and trembling, not daring to speak, and slowly said, "Marquis Jiayu, Li Wentian, you must be the backer behind the Qingzhou clerk."
"I have heard that you indulge in wine and women and live a dissolute life, and that you act without restraint because of your status as the emperor's brother-in-law. I never expected that you would dare to condone your advisor to take action against the people of an entire city."
Sweat streamed down Li Wentian's face as he kowtowed desperately, crying out, "Your Highness, I'm innocent! The advisor from Qingzhou is just my father-in-law! But, but I truly know nothing about his shady dealings!"
"It's just like the rumors say. I'm only interested in enjoying myself, why would I care about his dirty deeds!"
So it was his father-in-law! Su An immediately felt a surge of anger and resentment.
So Li Wentian isn't innocent either!
"You don't know?" Fu Zhun raised an eyebrow, his eyes instantly turning sharp and piercing Li Wentian: "Then why did you lead people to cause trouble in Fuyou County?"
"That's right, tell the truth! You dare to lie in front of the Prince? You'll regret it!" Su An stood next to Fu Zhun with his hands on his hips and shouted in support!
Li Wentian was so frightened that he trembled all over. His eyes darted around rapidly, and he quickly pushed the pot away, saying:
"How could I dare! Your Highness, it was the prefect who told me to do this. He told me that there were rebels causing trouble in Fuyou County and asked me to come and help quell the rebellion. I thought I could earn some merit, so I just came to take a look on the way!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Zhun narrowed his dark eyes and instantly understood what was going on.
His expression turned colder, and without exposing Li Wentian's sophistry, he rebuked him in a chilling voice:
"Regardless of the reasons behind it, as the Marquis of Jiayu, you should have set an example and shouldered your due responsibilities. However, you have allowed your subordinates and relatives to act recklessly, causing your advisor to disregard human life and act arbitrarily. You cannot escape blame for this."
“He has been a corrupt official who abuses his power and acted tyrannically. He should kneel down and reflect on his actions. He can only be allowed to stand up when the people present forgive him.”
This last sentence was said to Lin Yong, meaning that he was put in charge of supervision.
Lin Yong immediately cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Your Excellency will certainly have someone keep a close eye on things."
"Why bother having someone guard him?" Su An suddenly interjected, glaring at Li Wentian with a menacing look.
"The county town was besieged, and many people were killed or injured. He was one of the murderers, and the people were all victims. Why not let the people watch him kneel down and reflect on his actions? This will not only allow everyone to vent their anger but also make him realize the enormity of his sins!"
These words struck a chord with Lin Yong, who immediately nodded in agreement.
“That makes sense.” Fu Zhun nodded slightly, looked at the crowd around him and said in a deep voice, “Marquis Jiayu will kneel here to atone for his sins and beg for your forgiveness.”
Only then did the people come to their senses.
They were already excited to see the legendary prince, let alone that this prince was not only approachable but also helped them, the common people, to punish corrupt officials. The crowd became even more enthusiastic.
"Your Highness is so kind and benevolent, may Your Highness live long! I am so honored to have met Your Highness, my ancestors' graves are practically emitting auspicious smoke! Please accept these things from me, Your Highness!"
"Yes, yes, I also have some vegetables and fruits that I grew myself. Your Highness, please accept them. This is a blessing I have earned!"
The crowd surged toward the two like a tidal wave, forcing the hidden sword guards to reveal themselves and stop them.
However, the common people didn't care. Seeing that they were the prince's men, they enthusiastically stuffed all the things into the hands of the sword guards.
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