"May I have your name?"
"My name is... my name is Jiaoyue." The woman's voice was very low. In the past few years, the men who came to their village would only wave for them to serve them and would never ask their names.
“Jiaoyue is a wonderful name.” Jiang He wanted to reach out and help Jiaoyue up, but withdrew his hand due to the traditional separation of men and women. “Get up. How about this, you take me to see where the fertile fields were before.”
Jiang He had already guessed that the uninvited guests who came to the village seven years ago must have been the self-proclaimed upright family.
To drive away the wild animals in Fengshan? It should be to dig up the good things in Fengshan.
Thinking of this, a mocking smile appeared on Jiang He's lips. Since he was here, he was determined to find out the truth about the whole Fengshan area, and the first thing he needed to do was to find out about the village.
"good."
Jiaoyue led Jiang He and his group to a place where the once fertile fields had become dry wasteland. Jiang He bent down and pinched some soil, which was dry and hard.
“This place is right next to Fengshan Mountain. It’s strange that such a large area has become wasteland…” Jiang He gave Ling Ku a wink, and Ling Ku immediately understood what Jiang He meant. It was probably because the land had been hollowed out.
"Wait a minute."
Just as Jiang He was about to take a step forward, Jiao Yue's voice rang out, "You can't step on this. Those people said it would be dangerous to step on it, and the consequences... you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."
"With just one sentence from them, has no one trampled on it all these years?" Even Jiang He couldn't help but darken his eyes.
“We are all women and children, we dare not disobey.”
In that instant, Jiang He suddenly felt sad for Jiang Yu.
The girls' school benefited the entire Dayu region, yet in such a place, there were still women who could not even survive and had to sell their bodies to earn a little food.
If Ayu knew, she would be heartbroken.
"Someone, go and get some rakes."
Jiang He nodded to Jiao Yue, then walked onto the wasteland. Not only that, Jiang He deliberately stomped on it hard, and after seeing a clear footprint collapse, a murderous intent appeared in Jiang He's eyes.
As expected.
"Jiaoyue, you should go back first."
Jiang He led the group quickly toward Fengshan. Jiaoyue opened her mouth, but didn't say anything to stop them.
There are some things that women and children cannot do, but these people are men.
Perhaps they can find their father and brothers?
Thinking of this, Jiaoyue lowered her eyes. Seven years had passed, and she didn't even know if her father and brothers were still alive.
......
"My lord, there seems to be a trap inside."
Ling Ku picked up a pebble and threw it into a hole, and immediately a sharp arrow shot out.
"There really are secret passages!" Jiang He took a few steps forward. "Digging secret passages in the cliff to transport things out shows that the aristocratic families have gone to great lengths. These secret passages were dug with the help of the Yun family."
Jiang He spoke with certainty, because he had seen these blueprints on Yun Mo before.
Yunmo drew many blueprints for Jiang Yao, including one of these secret passages.
Jiang He drew out the mechanisms on the blueprints from memory, and said, "Avoid these mechanisms and take people inside to take a look."
A glance around Fengshan revealed a distinct depression, directly beneath the fertile field.
There are several other places that Jiang He has sent people to investigate one by one, and he is already starting to run out of manpower.
Jiang He himself joined the search team, and did not return to the village until sunset.
Three men were seen being tied up.
Jiang He immediately reacted and kicked the three men three times, causing them to scream in pain.
"Report your name, where you're from, and everything you know about this village." Jiang He's spear slammed against the ground, sending a chill down the spines of the three men. "I don't have much patience."
"Who are you? What right do you have to arrest us?"
"That's right, arresting people without authorization is a violation of the laws of Dayu. Be careful, the county magistrate might come and arrest you."
"Arrest us?" Jiang He laughed out loud. "I was afraid he wouldn't come."
"Tell me the truth!"
An hour later, the three of them revealed everything they knew.
Jiang He was also furious. Almost everyone in Pi County knew about the situation, but the Pi County officials had never done anything about it. They deserved to die.
"What do you take this place for? A brothel where you don't have to pay?" Jiang He grabbed one of the men by the collar in anger. "Do you think you can be at ease giving away some food as charity?"
“We’ve told you everything we know, please release us…” one of the men said weakly. “The county magistrate is my uncle. If I don’t return home tonight, he will definitely come here to arrest you tomorrow.”
"Okay, I'll wait for him."
Because of the commotion Jiang He made, none of the villagers slept a wink all night.
As soon as it was light, Jiaoyue came looking for them again. "You should take the mountain path quickly. You can't afford to offend Shi Houde."
"It's alright."
Jiang He slowly wiped his spear. Ling Ku hadn't returned all night, and that was what he was truly worried about. As for the Pi County magistrate who was coming today, Jiang He's spear was waiting for him.
"you......"
Jiaoyue seemed to want to say something more, but was grabbed by a child who ran over. "Sister Jiaoyue, the county magistrate and the others are here."
"Hurry up and leave, or it will be too late." Jiaoyue's eyes were red with anxiety. She could tell that these people were all good people.
"Walk?"
Jiang He picked up his spear and strode towards the village entrance, saying, "I want to see what this county magistrate of Pi County has to offer."
......
"My nephew came to your village yesterday and hasn't come home all night. Where is he?"
As soon as Jiang He arrived, he saw the county magistrate of Pi County arrogantly shouting at the old man in the lead, "If anything happens to my nephew, I guarantee that your entire village will not receive a single drop of food."
"That corrupt official is courting death!"
Jiang He moved with lightning speed, grabbing the county constable of Pi County by the neck in an instant. "You worthless piece of trash, yet you dare to call yourself this official."
"Who are you?"
"Someone like you doesn't deserve to know my name."
Jiang He stood there straight, and the county constable of Pi County immediately shut up, saying, "You wait, I will report this to the county magistrate and have Magistrate Lu come to arrest you."
“Magistrate Lu? Very well, let him come along too.”
Jiang He's eyes were clouded with unease. Pi County—it turned out that the local government was aware of the situation in this village, yet they allowed the women and children here to be bullied.
"you!"
Seeing the county magistrate and his men slink away, the villagers' gazes towards Jiang He changed. "Hero, thank you for standing up for us, but how can the common people fight against the officials? You should leave quickly."
"Don't worry about me, I'm waiting for the magistrate of Pi County."
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