In the following days, Jiang Jiuniang remained silent, while things got rather ugly at the Cao family's place. The little beggar lived up to expectations, spreading the news throughout the city. Everyone knew that the prefect was going to take action against a little beggar, so even some of his previous deeds were brought up and he was severely criticized.
Before Jiang Jiuniang arrived, Lu Baichuan led his men to retake the city and stayed on the border outside the city, so he naturally had no time to manage the affairs of the city.
At that time, the prefect was incompetent. He didn't think about settling the refugees on the street, nor did he set up soup kitchens to help the people. Some people even went to the prefectural government office to cause trouble and were beaten out.
It was only after Jiang Jiuniang arrived and offered to provide free medical treatment to the people of the city that Prince Jing personally put pressure on the government, which reluctantly began to take action. However, the government's actions were petty and lacked the boldness of Jiang Jiuniang.
Life in the city has improved, and everyone had forgotten the unpleasant things that happened before. But Cao Zheng is a heartless person who actually attacked a little beggar, which is why the people's memories have been awakened.
In an instant, the city was filled with voices denouncing Cao Zheng.
The people aren't fools. They know that Jiang Jiuniang is still living in the city. If things escalate, they certainly won't turn a blind eye. But after a while, when the army returns to the capital, Jiang Jiuniang will naturally leave, and then no one will be able to uphold justice for them.
Therefore, we must take advantage of this time to resolve the matter.
As a result, the voices in the city denouncing the prefect grew even louder.
This matter was completely unexpected by the Cao family. Cao Shulan hated the little beggar so much that she wanted to send someone to deal with him quickly to prevent future troubles, but Cao Zheng stopped her.
"How can you still be so stupid at a time like this!"
Cao Zheng had been so angry lately that he had fallen ill, and now seeing his daughter doing something foolish only fueled his rage.
"We need to resolve this as soon as possible. That little beggar has made such a big fuss; he must have someone backing him up. If something happens to him, won't we be the ones people talk about? You should use your brain!"
Cao Zheng practically yelled, "If only this daughter were a little smarter and more efficient, none of this mess would have happened."
Cao Shulan burst into tears, terrified: "What should we do now? Waaaaah..."
Originally, she only wanted to make Peng Yuan miscarry, make Qin Jian dislike Peng Yuan, and then take the opportunity to rise to power. How could something so simple be so difficult to do?
People outside don't know the truth and think that her father did all these things, which directly affects his official career. If this isn't resolved soon, her father will be held accountable when Prince Jing and others return.
“I suspect that this was not done by Jiang Jiuniang and the others. Two women don’t have that kind of ability. I guess there is someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes.”
Cao Zheng forced himself to calm down. There was no use in being anxious at this time; he needed to address the root cause.
"Then who else could it be?"
Cao Shulan's heart was in her throat. She hadn't expected that other people would get involved, but in Cao Zheng's eyes, this was actually a good thing.
Cao Zheng did not answer directly, but instead instructed, "Find an opportunity to find out Jiang Jiuniang and the others' attitudes, see what their attitudes are towards this matter, come back and tell me, and then we will make a decision."
"yes."
Cao Shulan nodded. Although she was somewhat unwilling, she had caused this problem herself, so she had to solve it herself.
Peng Yuan was so frightened that she rarely went out anymore, but Jiang Jiuniang still insisted on going to the workshop to check on things.
The villa wasn't far from the workshop, and Jiang Jiuniang was used to walking there alone, taking the opportunity to shop and buy some food.
Cao Shulan chose to meet Jiang Jiuniang by chance when she was eating at a roadside stall.
"Mrs. Lu, what a coincidence to run into you here! I also love the wontons from this place!"
As she spoke, she asked the owner to cook her a bowl. The owner glanced at her silently, thinking she looked unfamiliar, and his eyes revealed a hint of disdain. "And she says she likes his wontons?"
The boss rolled his eyes discreetly, but Cao Shulan didn't notice. She sat down at Jiang Jiuniang's table and chatted with her with a smile.
Jiang Jiuniang hadn't expected that she would dare to come out to see her under these circumstances. She didn't show it on her face and greeted her in a very friendly manner.
"Miss Cao, you have such refined tastes, arriving so early."
Jiang Jiuniang continued eating her own food, occasionally offering a perfunctory response to Cao Shulan.
Seeing that she was gentle and didn't seem to know anything, Cao Shulan continued, "Yes, this wonton shop suits my taste. I come here to eat whenever I have free time."
"Yes, that's great! Miss Cao and I are truly kindred spirits! Don't let the small size of this stall fool you, the owner's wontons are absolutely authentic!"
Just then, the owner brought over Cao Shulan's wontons. Hearing Jiang Jiuniang praise his skills, he immediately smiled and said, "Madam, you flatter me. It's just a small business, barely enough to make ends meet. How could it be as good as you say? But it is my honor to have you like my food!"
Jiang Jiuniang walked this street every day and was familiar with almost every household. The street vendors all knew her, knew her identity and what she had done for the people of the city, and respected her greatly.
"Of course I'm praising you because of your excellent skills, don't be so modest!"
Jiang Jiuniang chatted with the boss with a smile, completely unaware that Cao Shulan was sitting next to her.
However, Cao Shulan was not angry. Instead, she was relieved to see the conclusion drawn from Jiang Jiuniang's reaction.
"Why isn't Miss Cao eating?"
When Jiang Jiuniang turned around after finishing her chat, she noticed that Cao Shulan hadn't touched her chopsticks yet. She kindly reminded her, her face beaming with a warm smile, showing her incredibly friendly nature.
"I'll eat it now, haha! I was just curious because I saw that Madam knew everyone around her."
She felt much more relaxed, and even though she was a little disgusted by the uncleanliness of the roadside stall, she still took a bite.
"Oh, I pass by here every day and often eat around here, so I've gotten to know people over time. Miss Cao, didn't you say you also often eat here? Don't you know how to talk to the people here?"
Jiang Jiuniang spoke seemingly unintentionally, but her expression was one of concern.
Cao Shulan had already thought of a solution, so she pretended to be embarrassed and whispered, "My father is very strict and doesn't let me go out casually. I usually have to disguise myself and sneak out, so I don't dare to make a fuss."
Jiang Jiuniang immediately put on an understanding look and chatted with her for a while with great sympathy before saying that she had something to do at the workshop and would have to leave first.
As soon as Jiang Jiuniang left, Cao Shulan immediately put down her chopsticks. She had eaten several wontons in a row to make it look more realistic, and now she felt extremely nauseous.
She hurriedly left with her maid. The wonton vendor came over to clear the dishes and saw the half-eaten wontons. He took a bite and said, "You dare to say you like my wontons with this? What bad luck! These people are so hypocritical. How can they all be as approachable as Madam Lu!"
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