In the open space, besides the villagers who were rescued from Liangjia Village, some villagers from nearby areas came from their villages after hearing that something had happened at the market. Their children had come to the market early and had not yet returned.
As time passed, more and more people came to this place. Yin and Qingyan were surrounded by guards and went up to the platform, where two chairs were placed side by side. Qingyan looked at the people who came and rushed to the group of children to look for their children. Some people saw that their children had been burned and began to cry and shed tears.
Some, however, failed to notice their own child and instead focused their attention on Qingyan.
"Suxin, ask the villagers to quiet down for a bit. We'll explain the situation to them later," Qingyan said helplessly. The chaotic scene was unsettling.
Su Xin walked to the edge of the platform and used her inner strength to soothe the villagers.
Her clear voice quieted the crowd down.
Many of the children cried to their parents about Jingxian's condition. Upon hearing that their own children had been harmed by people they had trusted, many people began to feel remorse.
"Four, those four on the edge are probably causing trouble!" Four conspicuous people had blended in among the villagers. Although they tried their best to maintain expressions similar to the surrounding people, the shrewdness in their eyes could not be ignored.
What?!
Yin looked at her with some confusion. Qingyan shifted her body and moved closer to Yin's side.
"The four people in the upper right corner, those people seem to be anxiously searching for someone among the children, but the smugness in their eyes can't be ignored." Qingyan pouted. Yin's observation is not meticulous enough, bad review!
In her mind, Emperor Yongzheng was meticulous in his work, so how could he be so muddle-headed?
Yin slapped his forehead. He had been so focused on dealing with the children's plight that he had forgotten to observe the people around him.
His comfortable life in recent years has made him less vigilant.
"Su Peisheng, have someone keep an eye on those four," Yin waved to Su Peisheng, beckoning him closer. "Never mind, just bring them all here!"
Yin would absolutely not allow these troublemakers to mingle in the group; otherwise, there would definitely be trouble.
"Fourth, bring them to the platform and let the villagers of Liangjia Village and the surrounding area recognize them to see if they are from our village." Qingyan tried hard to recall the methods used in modern TV dramas.
At this moment, she really wanted to complain!
Yin glanced at Su Peisheng, waved his hand, and told him to do as Qingyan had done.
The people's emotions were gradually calmed down, and the situation was brought under control.
"Fourth Prince, you go and handle this!" Qingyan wanted to hide behind Yin. After all, the Qing Dynasty was still a place where men were superior to women, and she wanted to save face for Yin.
Yin didn't mind, patted her little hand, and said, "Let's do it together."
The few people on the edge were escorted to the platform by the guards. Looking into Yin's eyes, they couldn't help but feel a hint of fear.
Pfft!
Qingyan burst into laughter; these people were clearly frightened!
Are these the kind of people those who plot rebellion use?
Yin's glare immediately deflated these people.
"Why are you arresting us?" Among these people, there was a clever one. Seeing that he was sure to be in trouble after being caught by the two of them, he wondered if he could cheat his way out of this.
Qingyan gave a cold laugh, and the villagers below were drawn to the actions on the stage, with everyone's attention focused on the platform.
"Fellow villagers, which village are these people from?" Yin waved his hand, signaling the guards to turn the men's faces toward the villagers. He wanted to confirm whether these people were native inhabitants of the village.
The people looked at the four men and tried hard to recall them.
"Didn't this person say he was from Liangjia Village?" In several nearby villages, some people recognized the group. Two of them claimed to be from Liangjia Village, while the other two said they were businessmen.
The village chief looked up and examined it carefully, then showed it to several elderly people, none of whom recognized it.
These six old men have lived in Liangjia Village for over fifty years, and they know even the young kids who have gone out to work.
"Old Yang, don't try to smear our village. The Fourth Young Master's disaster relief efforts are close to our area. Are you jealous or something?" The village chief of Liangjia Village was naturally not going to stand for it. He would never allow the village's interests to be harmed.
Given the current situation, he must keep the village away from trouble; otherwise, they will surely be blamed by the surrounding villages.
"Really?" Old Man Yang was stunned. Many people in his village said that these two people were from Yangjia Village!
Several elderly people stepped forward, and the other villagers believed it as well.
The way everyone looked at the four people on the stage changed. Qingyan noticed this and felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.
This situation is most advantageous to them. As long as there are no traitors in the village, they are not afraid that their fellow villagers will be misled.
"Fourth Young Master, these people came to our village yesterday!" The village chief said quickly, looking at the men who had been tied up by the guards.
Those who disguised themselves as merchants and plotted rebellion were all caught and beaten with ox-tendon sticks.
The guards stared at the dozen or so people in front of them. Judging from their appearance alone, everyone would think they were simple, honest farmers.
"These people aren't from the village?" Qingyan's eyes widened.
Qingyan pointed to those people; they all spoke with the local accent.
“Gege, these people are definitely not from the village. Those children who do small business outside won’t come back when it’s market day.” The village chief shook his head. They didn’t say a word, listening to the children’s explanation. These people were speaking the village dialect and said that they went out with them because they were offered eggs.
The village chief regretted his poor judgment in choosing people, which almost led to the villagers being burned to death. Now, he feels terrified when he thinks about it.
She nodded. This way, it would be unrelated to Liangjia Village, and Yin wouldn't have to worry about being constrained in his actions.
"Fourth Brother, you handle it." Qingyan sat back in his chair. "Suxin, have the imperial physician check on the villagers who were surrounded by the fire. Those who came out later might have been burned. Village Chief, should we leave people in the ancestral hall to fight the fire?"
The series of questions raised at the banquet warmed the hearts of the villagers in Liangjia Village who had just experienced a disaster.
"Princess, we left some strong men behind to put out the fire. The ancestral hall probably won't survive!" The village chief shook his head helplessly. Before they could all come out, the main hall of the ancestral hall had already collapsed. The ancestral tablets were wrapped up by the old folks and buried in the courtyard.
Fortunately, the guards, seeing that they were old, didn't pay attention to their hands and feet, otherwise it would have been a real problem.
Qingyan was surprised. Seeing that only the side hall was burning, shouldn't the villagers who were running out be helping to put out the fire? (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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