What should have been a harmonious scene was unexpectedly ruined by a voice.
"How utterly hypocritical. People's hearts are fickle. Right now they may be grateful to you, but if you do something that harms their interests in the future, they will still criticize you and won't say a single good word about you."
"Such acts of kindness and accumulating virtue are nothing more than self-pity; how foolish!"
Su An looked up at the sound and indeed saw Xie Qingfeng standing not far away, arms crossed and a mocking expression on his face.
Upon hearing this, the image of them threatening to burn her alive flashed through her mind, and a feeling of suffocation and despair spread through her heart.
Her expression faltered for a moment, then she turned to look at the people, her eyes gradually filled with pity.
How could she not know all this?
But these people may lack a conscience, but she cannot.
For some people, their deaths are insignificant, but if she were to stand idly by, she would likely be haunted by guilt for the rest of her life.
In another sense, helping these people is also helping herself.
Su An's lips tightened, and a hint of relief crossed her face.
"So what? These people may be ignorant and easily misled, and used as pawns, but in the end, they are innocent. How can I bear to stand idly by and do nothing about innocent people?"
After saying this, she let out a long sigh, a smile appearing on her face as she raised an eyebrow at Xie Qingfeng.
"Besides, if they are really the kind of people you described, then whether I help them or not will not affect me. But if they can learn something from this experience and feel grateful, wouldn't that be a good thing for me?"
Innocent? Upon hearing this word, Xie Qingfeng's pupils constricted, and his face was filled with anger.
Are there any innocent people in this world?
However, they are all cunning and hypocritical people.
He glanced sideways at Su An and gave a cold, indignant snort.
"Incomprehensible. You'll regret this later."
After saying this, he left behind a solitary figure and departed from the crowd.
Su An stood there dumbfounded, her brows furrowed, rolling her eyes to herself and muttering to herself.
"No, are you alright? I haven't even called you cold-blooded and heartless yet, and you're already calling me unreasonable! That's really ridiculous."
Fu Zhun couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle softly. He glanced with pity in the direction Xie Qingfeng had left before explaining, "He meant no harm; he was just afraid you would repeat the same mistake."
Repeating the same mistakes...
Although it was just a short sentence, Su An gleaned a lot of gossip from it.
She crept closer, whispered in Fu Zhun's ear, and tentatively asked.
"Could there be some story behind the miracle doctor? Anyway, he's already gone, so let's tell him!"
"Don't worry, I promise I won't tell anyone, he won't know."
As she spoke, she quickly held up three fingers and gave Fu Zhun a playful guarantee.
Even after she talked herself hoarse, Fu Zhun still didn't reveal a single word, making her so anxious she scratched her head in frustration.
Fu Zhun still had to investigate the case, so he went back first.
Only a few guards remained to help Su An process the remaining medicinal herbs.
After finishing her business, Su An was in a good mood and hummed a little tune as she returned to the shop. Unexpectedly, she ran into Chu Yi, who was dressed in a flashy manner, on the way.
It was too late to turn around and leave at that point.
Su An had no choice but to bite the bullet and greet Chu Yi in a casual manner.
"Your Majesty is out for a stroll too! What a coincidence."
Upon hearing this, Chu Yi swiftly unfolded his folding fan, moved closer to her with deep affection, and began to flirt with her.
"Miss Su is so innocent and lovely. How could there be so many coincidences in this world? Meeting Miss Su was actually something I deliberately arranged."
"I've missed you dearly these past few days, so I came here to try my luck, and I never expected to actually meet you. Miss Su, don't you think this is the legendary match made in heaven?"
His smile was as warm as a spring breeze, but to Su An, it seemed somewhat creepy.
Su An subconsciously took a step back to create distance between them, and gave a forced smile.
"Ahem... This Floating County is indeed a bit too small, Your Majesty. You may continue with your business, I'll take my leave now."
With that, she turned to leave.
But Chu Yi saw through her intention and stepped forward to block her way.
"I went to great lengths to see Miss Su, but she is so indifferent. It truly breaks my heart!"
"On the way here, I heard that Miss Su ransacked the pharmacy and distributed the medicinal herbs to the people. Such a good deed is truly rare. I am very pleased that Miss Su has such a magnanimous heart!"
Su An also felt she had done a good deed, and now that Chu Yi had praised her like this, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up. She waved her hand modestly and said, "Not at all, it's all what this commoner should do. Your Majesty is too kind."
Just as she was feeling happy, she saw Chu Yi's smile gradually freeze, his tone turn cold, and he shouted at her.
"You're supposed to let the Prince of Zhenbei save the lives of the people in the city, help him win over the hearts of the people, and consolidate his position? What? Are you going to rebel with him?"
The sudden noise startled her, and her body trembled violently.
No, he probably has paranoia!
How can everything be linked to treason and rebellion?
After realizing what was happening, Su An was immediately filled with anger. He snorted coldly, stuck out his neck, and retorted righteously.
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. Fu Zhun was wholeheartedly devoted to the people and never had any ulterior motives. He even ended up spending his days in a wheelchair for the sake of your country."
"But he never complained. It is Your Majesty who lives in suspicion all day long. Doesn't he get tired?"
She had thought her words would wake Chu Yi up.
Unexpectedly, after a moment of stunned silence, he only let out a cold laugh and continued to mutter stubbornly.
"I have known him for many years and I understand his character. His so-called 'wholehearted devotion' is nothing but a ploy to gain fame and reputation. I will absolutely not approve the disaster relief funds for him. If he truly wants to help these people, let him figure out his own way!"
It is truly terrifying for a ruler to disregard the lives and deaths of his people due to suspicion.
Su An's eyes flickered, and suddenly an idea came to her.
The next moment, she looked at Chu Yi with a strange expression and asked in confusion.
"They can't even allocate disaster relief funds. Has the national treasury become so empty?"
Chu Yi was stunned for a moment, then became furious and embarrassed. His face darkened, and he questioned her through gritted teeth.
"Su An, are you questioning my ability to govern? How dare you!"
Seeing that something was wrong, the guards behind Su An quickly gripped their sword hilts and stared at Chu Yi warily.
But Su An simply shook her finger with an innocent expression, responding mysteriously.
"No, no, Your Majesty misunderstands. What I actually meant was that I have a way to make the national treasury abundant. Ah, no, not only the national treasury, but also Your Majesty's private treasury."
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