At 4:00 AM (寅正), in the main hall of the backyard.
Qin Zhaoyue sat at the head of the table, her legs shaking as she looked down at the people below.
She felt that she might be incompatible with the fate of sleeping in late. How many times has this happened?
Anyone could sense the heavy atmosphere at that moment.
Knowing what was going on, Suimo and Yaoguang stood behind the princess, one on the left and one on the right, keeping their eyes and mouths down, even their breathing was very soft.
Liu Yan was baffled. What was wrong with getting up a little earlier? He usually got up earlier for court than this.
“This…” he broke the silence first, “Your Highness, this is Zhao Hengjiang.”
"It's actually the Sixth Princess?" Zhao Hengjiang was surprised.
He was submerged underground at the beginning of the flood, so he naturally didn't know who the imperial envoy sent by the court to provide disaster relief was.
However, as a former military general, he knew a bit about court affairs, and this Sixth Prince... didn't have a very good reputation.
What was Your Majesty thinking? Why would you send someone like this?
He naturally dared not say anything, and when he glanced up at the sixth princess at the head of the table, she looked like someone who was not to be trifled with.
"This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness, the Sixth Prince."
Qin Zhaoyue showed no reaction whatsoever, acting as if she hadn't heard anything.
Seeing that she didn't seem inclined to lead the interrogation, Liu Yan spoke up, "Tell me, who does 'lame' represent?"
When Zhao Hengjiang met the Xuanji Guard, he already knew that the secret files had been cracked.
At this point, he steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and made a condition: "I need to see Qingshan first to ensure his safety."
Qin Zhaoyue nodded. Her love for her son was understandable.
She stood up, slowly walked to Zhao Hengjiang, and looked down at him.
"Sixth Prince?"
The next moment, the sole of the shoe landed on his face.
Bang bang bang!
"You want to see your son, right? You want to ensure your safety, right?"
Bang bang bang!
"The Xuanji Guard went to great lengths to rescue you, and now you want to negotiate?"
Bang bang bang!
"Don't you know who the Xuanji Guard is? You're getting too big for your britches, aren't you?"
Flowing Flame: ...
No, if you're going to kick someone, just kick them. Why are you glaring at him like that? What did he do to you?
"Phew..." Qin Zhaoyue exhaled a deep breath, feeling refreshed...
He returned to his seat at the head of the table, as if nothing had happened.
Zhao Hengjiang: ...
Good heavens, those dozen or so kicks almost broke him apart, but we can be sure that this person really is the Sixth Princess.
The fact that he has the audacity to kick someone means his son is really alive?
Liu Yan looked as if he had seen a ghost, because he had just sensed true energy from the Sixth Princess!
Her gaze swept towards Yao Guang, but as if she had expected it, she immediately turned her head away.
It's one thing if she finds out herself, but do you expect her to reveal the princess's secrets? No way.
Liu Yan recalled His Majesty's instructions before leaving the capital and immediately realized that this sixth princess was no ordinary person.
As for Zhao Hengjiang being beaten... the mighty Xuanji Guard sent a fourth-rank expert down to rescue him, and he, a Divine Martial Realm expert, even personally escorted him. How dare he make demands after all that?
Getting beaten up is pointless, you deserve it!
After calming down, Liu Yan said, "Yao Guang, tell him what happened."
He only read the letter, so his understanding was incomplete.
This time, Yao Guang obeyed orders and began by recounting how Lord Yin Zhe rescued the female constable, explaining the situation concisely.
Hearing that Qingshan insisted on returning despite knowing that Lao Qi might be in trouble, not wanting to implicate the villagers Keng Ding, he couldn't help but nod in approval.
This is exactly the kind of thing his stupid son would do.
The process was not complicated and was finished quickly, after which the hall fell silent.
"I didn't get up at dawn to see you standing there silently, Commander Liu Yan. Show me the skills of the Xuanji Guard."
Liu Yan readily agreed, "Yes."
"Wait! I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Qin Zhaoyue rolled her eyes. A sapling won't grow straight if it's not pruned, and a person will become unkempt if they're not disciplined.
Zhao Hengjiang dared not hide anything and simply told the whole story.
Aside from the county government and the mines, he only suspected one outsider during the three years of illegal mining.
"Last year, around the end of the year, Lao Qi caught a cold and didn't go to the mine. I asked someone to get some medicinal herbs and secretly sent them back in the afternoon."
I had already secretly rebuilt my true qi, and from a distance I could tell there was someone else in his room, and the other person also noticed me.
The man did not avoid the question, saying he was a relative from his hometown.
I didn't think anything of it at first, but later I realized that something was wrong with everything.
"Old Qi is from Yanyuntai in Xuanwu North Road, but that person clearly has the accent of Zhongchen Road."
He spoke fluent and standard Mandarin, like someone from Fengjing, and possessed an extraordinary air about him.
Even without any arrogant behavior, his every gesture exudes nobility.
After that, I became more observant and realized that Old Qi was indeed acting strangely.
"If we have such relatives, getting him out of here would be no difficult task..."
At this point, Zhao Hengjiang secretly glanced at the people in the hall.
Neither the Sixth Princess nor the officials of the Xuanji Guard showed any surprise before continuing:
"It's too easy for the mine to make a few people disappear; it's not a difficult task at all."
If Lao Qi had the help of a benefactor, it would be nothing more than an accident, a change of name and household registration, and he could start a new life in another place.
But he didn't; instead, he had a very easy time at the mine.
Fearing that people might not have understood, Zhao Hengjiang offered another explanation.
Miners are cheap, let alone criminals. There are too many cruel methods used in the mines, and nobody cares about their lives.
Those with relatives or some wealth would be gradually exploited by the soldiers under Ye Ling's command.
In the beginning, a small amount of money could buy a full meal or a break.
Once the soldiers have figured out the enemy's situation, they will immediately escalate their actions.
To live like a human being, one must continuously show filial piety until one is completely drained of resources and no more can be squeezed out.
Besides filial piety, another option is to take risks.
Everyone in the hall understood what this meant; it was nothing more than illegal iron ore mining.
They either pay you or risk your life; otherwise, you'll be forced to do the hardest work and eat the worst food. Even the strongest body can't last three to five years.
That's the strange thing.
Qi Zhenyuan did not participate in the illegal mining; the work he did was ordinary, and Ye Ling's subordinates never forced him to do so.
Moreover, Zhao Hengjiang and his son were close to him, and it was clear that he was still in good health.
How could that be? Unless the person behind him gave him a huge benefit.
If you have that ability, wouldn't it be better to just get them out of there? Why keep them suffering in the mine?
"What truly made me suspect that person was after a landslide..."
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