Then Zhui Feng added, "Do you know that Ruan Dafeng went to the capital to file a complaint with the Emperor? And the person he accused was none other than the current Emperor's second son, Hongshi."
Upon hearing this, the village chief was surprised to learn that Ruan Dafeng had actually gone to the capital and submitted a petition to the emperor, and to the Second Prince no less. He asked helplessly, "What do you want to know?"
Zhui Feng replied, "Tell us everything you know."
Knowing that there was no point in hiding it anymore, the village chief had no choice but to tell Zhui Feng and the others the whole story of the "drought" in Geshan Village.
Zhui Feng was also shocked after hearing what he said. He did not expect that there was such a big hidden story behind this "drought". He realized how unsuccessful his mission to Geshan Village last time had been.
After finishing his sentence, the village chief looked at Zhui Feng and said, "I've told you everything I know. I don't know anything else. You should leave now!" He no longer wanted to get involved in the power struggles between the officials.
Zhui Feng said, "Now that you know the truth, in order to bring the truth to light, we must take you back to the capital to restore your sight."
The village chief refused, saying, "I can't go. The journey to the capital is too long. My old bones will fall apart before I even get there. You should find someone else."
Zhui Feng said, "Then let us take your son with us; he knows the truth too."
The village chief hesitated. What if something happened to his son on the way? He asked, "Can you guarantee my son's safety?"
Zhui Feng nodded. The village chief pondered for a while, and finally thought of Ruan Dafeng's selfless act of traveling a long distance to seek justice for his fellow villagers. He gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, let my son go with you."
Then the village chief called out his son, Tiezhu, told him the whole story, and finally let him go with Zhuifeng and the others.
Tie Zhu was a tough man. Hearing that his fellow villagers had died because of those corrupt officials, he wanted to avenge them. He said, "Father, don't worry, I'm willing to go to the capital to testify for Ruan Dafeng." Then he said to Zhui Feng, "Let's go!"
Zhui Feng cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Excuse me." Then he turned to the people beside him and said, "Let's go."
Just as Zhui Feng was about to step out of the courtyard, the village chief's voice came, asking, "How is Ruan Dafeng?" His voice held a cautious inquiry: "Is he still alive?"
Zhui Feng replied, "Sorry, I don't know."
The village chief inside the house sighed helplessly.
Not long after Zhui Feng and the others left, the people sent by the Eighth Prince to find Ruan Meiying's family also arrived in Geshan Village. They inquired everywhere, but because the Ruan family was afraid of ruining their reputation, they had hardly ever mentioned Ruan Meiying to outsiders. Therefore, few people in the village knew her, so they didn't find out anything. Someone told them to go find the village chief, who might know, and even pointed out the way to them.
They went directly to the village chief's house and asked him if a person named "Ruan Meiying" had ever lived there.
The village chief was still replaying the events in his mind when he heard someone inquiring about the daughter the Ruan family had supposedly abandoned. He sensed something was amiss. He remained silent, lowered his head, and pretended to think for a moment before saying, "I have no recollection of her. There shouldn't be such a person in our village."
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