mtl008 Chapter 375 Princess Rouan 25
Chapter 375 Princess Rouan 25
“Remember all the faults of the Du family and pass them on to your family.”
Wang Dao said calmly, "I will be of great use to you then!"
Out of consideration for their kinship, he would not hand these things over to the emperor, but the Du family had to pay the price he was owed!
Wang Suizhi frowned for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "I will trouble Father to inform the people of that clan."
Wang Dao nodded in agreement, promising that he would ensure his clansmen properly greeted the Du family.
He glanced at the sky, his expression softening: "I haven't seen you in a long time, and I miss you dearly. Let's have dinner together tonight."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Suizhi stood up: "Your Highness does not allow me to return late, I'm afraid that won't do."
Wang Dao's expression darkened: "Your Highness, do you even need to concern yourself with such matters?"
Even servants get holidays.
Wang Suizhi gave a faint, bitter smile: "Father, please forgive me!"
Wang Dao patted his shoulder and sighed, "My poor son, when you return to the Wang family, I will make sure you don't suffer such injustice!"
Wang Suizhi nodded and left. The moment he stepped into the carriage, his expression suddenly turned cold.
He expressionlessly brushed over the spot where Wang Dao had just touched, as if wiping away some dirt.
Having reached an agreement with the Wang family and coordinated the supplies in the capital, Ling Yi led a large entourage away from the capital in the twelfth lunar month.
Grain, cloth, various medicinal herbs, books, and officials' carriages formed a long procession at the city gate, trampling the snow into mud.
This winter is exceptionally cold, and walking is particularly difficult.
The increased heat consumption by people and horses, and the even greater consumption of food and charcoal.
And this is just the beginning.
On the fifth day after leaving the capital, the carriage began to break down.
Even though the craftsmen who accompanied the vehicle tried their best to repair it, it was to no avail.
First, the officials' entourage lost their carriages, then the officials' sons from prominent families, and then even Princess Lingyi gave up her carriage for those who had fallen ill on the road.
Riding on her horse, Ling Yi looked at the group of officials shivering from the cold as they headed north, and shook her head helplessly.
Traveling in winter is truly exhausting.
They have lost nearly a hundred men, who have been relocated to post stations and cities along the way.
Some of the remaining people either backed out or wanted to get into the carriage.
But Lingyi is still outside; how can she allow them to get into the carriage and enjoy themselves?
If we run out of grain, we can't send it back to Beijing; if we run out of medicine, we can't buy it again. But you, my dear colleague, if you fall on the road, I can issue a transfer order at any time to send someone from Beijing to replace you.
So please ride your horse obediently.
If you really don't want to, you can ride in the princess's little carriage and wear the little shoes that the princess embroidered for you by hand, and from then on your career will be smooth sailing.
Although Ling Yi had been rumored to be clever in the court for some time, few people took her seriously.
His Majesty's daughter can be gilded however she wants; with a word from the Emperor, even a fool becomes a genius.
After traveling with the princess for a long time, everyone put all their previous thoughts behind them.
This princess is not just not a fool, she's ridiculously clever.
Trying to fake illness or give her the runaround is just a pipe dream!
Despite being a young lady who had never been involved in court affairs, her political acumen was frighteningly sharp.
Along the way, she confiscated the property of three prominent families, and killed wave after wave of powerful local gentry who had wreaked havoc in the countryside.
Even before reaching the most severely affected areas, the people there were already on high alert.
According to reports from servants of several noble families, the people there, because of the princess's actions, are no longer as perfunctory as before, and have actually begun to take disaster relief seriously.
Isn't this a way of deterring villains from afar?
Ling Yi didn't even glance at those suspicious and fearful probing looks.
How did those guys know she was beheaded? It couldn't be that the internet was invented in this place where there's no electricity, could it? Of course, it must have been a message she sent over by fast horse!
This was both a deterrent and a warning.
Anyone who doesn't stop after she goes on her trip is just waiting to die!
With such murderous intent, Ling Yi did not stay in the residences of the city officials on her first day in the city, but went directly out of the city.
Horses were no longer allowed here, so she could only travel around by sled pulled by livestock.
Then, a sea of people appeared.
The disaster relief funds and supplies that were initially sent out were not distributed properly, and officials suspected of embezzlement and dereliction of duty became the first people she targeted to establish her authority.
Hot blood was spilled onto the winter bricks, and it froze into ice in no time.
Ling Yi stood on the high platform, coldly watching the person who had just shouted "I am a member of the Du family" now lying on the ground. Her eyes slowly swept over the indignant young men from noble families, and she said indifferently: "Today, there is no distinction between noble and lowly, no distinction between poor and noble families, only those who can do things and those who cannot do things but are dead."
"You have made no mistakes in the past, and today I grant you permission to resign from your posts."
“Those who have made mistakes in the past, but have suddenly realized their errors and are capable of doing so, will have their crimes reduced by three degrees.”
"Those who are incompetent, foolish, and have made mistakes are all like this!"
The woman's voice carried far in the howling north wind. The swirling snowflakes pelted the officials, large and small, standing in the snow, piercing through their priceless fox fur coats and chilling their hearts to the bone.
When did members of noble families become so easily slaughtered?
What exactly does this princess want to do?
What is Ling Yi planning to do?
She just wanted fewer people to freeze to death, and for those who were clearly wealthy but still reached out to others for firewood to save their lives to hurry up and die!
As if sensing her determination, the officials in Lingyi's area became much more efficient.
Those whose houses had collapsed were gathered together to reduce the need for firewood.
The idle men and women were organized to chop wood and make coats. After working for half a month, they could provide their families with warm clothes and earn enough to barely fill their stomachs.
Due to the large number of people affected by the disaster and the difficulties in transportation during the winter, the disaster victims are not eating well.
Thin porridge so clear you can see your face reflected in it, along with small, solid buns filled with wheat husks, and occasionally some pickled vegetables to supplement the salt.
This is food that even the most aristocratic families would feel would shorten their lifespan just by looking at it, yet it makes the eyes of disaster victims light up.
Not freezing to death in winter, not being sold into slavery, having enough food to barely fill one's stomach, and being able to take medicine every two days if one catches a cold—what could be better than this?
In the north, spring doesn't officially arrive until April or May.
After finishing her disaster relief work in March, Ling Yi turned her attention to spring plowing.
Don't misunderstand, she didn't mean to discourage farmers.
What she wants to do is make those who took advantage of the chaos to seize land spit out everything they've swallowed, along with their own lives!
In the past, people's lives were of utmost importance, but now...
It's also important that they lose their lives!