Chapter 894 Taking Action
Then, the snow continued for several days in a row.
The sky was covered in ice and snow.
The nameless village outside the city was already sparsely populated, and with the thick snow covering it, the entire village seemed to be buried. The thin wooden doors could hardly keep out the bitter cold, and everyone huddled in their homes, shivering by the faint flames in the hearth.
Of course, it wasn't just the bitter cold that made them tremble.
In such weather, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the howling wind, shaking the ground and making the houses seem to be on the verge of collapse. The villagers were terrified and, wrapped in their only thick cotton-padded coats, pushed open their doors to check. What they saw left them speechless with astonishment.
A squad of soldiers stormed into the village.
These men, clad in armor and looking fierce, immediately kicked down the fences of several households in the village. The villagers were heartbroken, but dared not say a word. They could only watch as the soldiers rode their horses and rampaged through the village, blocking both the front and back roads in no time.
It seemed as if there were people guarding the village.
Immediately afterwards, someone shouted, "Come out, all of you, get out here!"
The villagers here had been honest and simple all their lives. Apart from seeing some soldiers come to arrest people during last year's plague and the recent accident, they had never seen anything like this before. They were all trembling with fear, and dared not utter a sound as they left their houses and gathered in the largest open space in the village. The snow there was knee-deep, and the people stood there shivering, not knowing what was happening, each one like a frightened bird.
Soon all the villagers were driven here, surrounded by soldiers whose swords gleamed coldly, making everyone tremble with fear.
Then, a person rode up on a horse and walked up to them.
This man was different from the other officers and soldiers. He was wearing a heavy fox fur coat, which looked very expensive and was obviously a high-ranking official. However, he was missing an eye and his face was wrapped in thick gauze. Because he was already thin, with sunken cheeks and thin lips, he looked somewhat mean and ungrateful. In this way, he looked even more ferocious.
In particular, when he rode on horseback and slowly circled the villagers, the way he looked down at them was as cold and ruthless as if he were looking at meat on a chopping board.
After a long pause, the man said, "You are from the same village as Jiang Yu?"
Upon hearing the name, the villagers all took a deep breath.
They naturally knew that the new family surnamed Jiang who had moved into the village a couple of years ago, the old man Jiang Yu, was a carefree man who drank and ate meat all day long. It turned out that he was also a spiritual practitioner who would sit in his house and chant scriptures every night. No one had ever seen such a person before, and they all laughed at him. But he was a good person. When he bought wine and meat, he would often treat people to a meal. The villagers rarely got to eat meat all year round, so although they thought he was strange, they got along well with him. In particular, the children loved to go to his house, where they could eat meat and listen to him tell stories.
Last year, his son came back.
The young man named Jiang Yan seemed to have some ability. After all, in such chaotic times, people who could travel all over the country to trade horses were not bad off, let alone poor. In addition, he was handsome, and many young girls in the village secretly admired him. But he ended up marrying a rich man in the city, which broke the hearts of many young girls.
Unexpectedly, a group of soldiers suddenly came to the city a few days ago and arrested Jiang Yu.
The villagers were in a state of panic. They hadn't even figured out what was going on when another group of soldiers arrived today. But the people had already been arrested, so what could they do to the villagers?
The crowd panicked, unsure of what to do. Just then, the oldest man in the village, leaning on a cane, his white beard fluttering in the wind, shakily stepped out from the crowd, bowed, and said, "Sir, our village has been here for decades, generations have lived here. Jiang Yu only moved here a couple of years ago. His family lives in those three houses in the east of the village, but he has already been arrested."
The wealthy official coldly replied, "So, you're from his village?"
Everyone gasped involuntarily.
Judging from what you've said, it seems that the soldiers who came today weren't looking for Jiang Yu, but rather for these people.
Knowing he couldn't deny it, the old man could only stammer, "Yes, Jiang Yu did move here a couple of years ago. We live in the same village as him, but we're not familiar with his family."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding villagers all chimed in, "Yes, we're not familiar with their family."
"None of us have spoken to him."
"We have no idea what they did."
"Please investigate thoroughly, Your Honor."
The man on horseback squinted with his only remaining eye, looking down at the terrified faces with a cold, emotionless gaze, as if looking at ants struggling for survival at his feet. After a long while, he sneered, "Since we're from the same village, that makes things easier."
Before we knew it, it was the 27th of the twelfth lunar month.
Listening to the howling wind outside, Shang Ruyi had just woken up from her afternoon nap and had just finished tidying her clothes when she heard Tu She'er come to report that Physician Du had come to take her pulse.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but frown: "Why are you here again?"
As usual, unless summoned by the imperial concubines or princesses, the imperial physicians would only come to take pulses on the first and fifteenth of each month, and would not come on their own initiative. But ever since Du Ruoming was promoted, he has been coming to Qianqiu Palace every few days.
Of course, he had a legitimate reason. Firstly, the eldest grandson of the emperor was still young and needed to be looked after frequently. In addition, the weather had been cold recently, and many people in the palace had caught a cold and fallen ill. Therefore, he had to be more attentive. So, he would come to take the pulse and diagnose the Prince of Qin and the Princess of Qin every two or three days. Yuwen Ye was rarely at home, and most of the time, Shang Ruyi would do the work for him.
Seeing Shang Ruyi's somewhat impatient look, Tu She'er said softly, "How about I tell him that the Princess is still resting and send him back?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Never mind, let him in."
Tushe'er then turned and went out, and soon returned with Du Ruoming.
The man was quite polite. After entering, he greeted Princess Qin. Shang Ruyi smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with him. Then she extended her hand for him to take her pulse. After confirming that she was alright, she prepared to have him stay for a cup of tea before sending him away.
Du Ruoming sat down, looked around, and asked cautiously with a smile, "Where is His Highness?"
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