Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 410 Wang Qinian's Frustration

He was so angry that he almost drew his knife to fight back, but Yuan Xiaomiao seized on his weakness and threatened him, leaving him to watch helplessly as his sister was humiliated.

"grown ups……"

Wang Qinian's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded, his teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding, and his fingernails were digging deep into his palms, drawing blood.

"What? You're not happy about it?"

Yuan Xiaomiao raised an eyebrow, his lewd expression growing even more pronounced.

"Don't worry, as long as you behave and handle things well with the Crown Prince, your sister will have no worries about food and clothing in the manor."

"Remember to have someone send her to my residence later. I'd like to 'treat' her a little tonight."

After he finished speaking, he deliberately patted Wang Qinian on the shoulder with a force that carried a strong sense of humiliation.

Wang Qinian kept his head down, the stray hairs on his forehead obscuring the hatred and humiliation surging in his eyes.

He could feel the rain around him getting louder, pounding on his eardrums and on his already battered heart.

"That corrupt official!" He cursed in his heart again and again, but no matter how loud the curse was, it couldn't withstand the cold reality—he was just a minor prefect, powerless and insignificant, and no match for the deeply rooted Yuan Xiaomiao.

"As for what His Highness the Crown Prince just instructed,"

Yuan Xiaomiao straightened her rain-soaked clothes, her tone becoming nonchalant, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.

"Whether it's searching for late summer food or taking stock of grains and medicinal herbs, you can decide for yourself."

"Don't work too hard, but don't be too perfunctory either. Don't let the Crown Prince find fault with us, and don't expose our secret."

He yawned, deliberately sticking out his belly and putting on a lazy look: "I've been working so hard on the affairs of Chuzhou these past few days, my body can't take it anymore, I'll go back to my residence to rest now."

"You'll have to deal with the mess yourself."

After saying that, Yuan Xiaomiao threw her head back and burst into a wild laugh. The laughter sounded particularly jarring in the rain, full of unbridled arrogance.

He turned and staggered toward his private residence, his obese figure gradually disappearing into the rain, leaving behind a trail of nauseating smells of alcohol and cosmetics.

Wang Qinian stood there, watching Yuan Xiaomiao's figure disappear around the corner, his clenched fists finally trembling uncontrollably.

His fingernails dug deep into his flesh, and blood dripped from between his fingers into the mud, only to be washed away instantly by the rain, just like his unspeakable humiliation and anger, which could only dissipate silently in the cold rain.

He hated Yuan Xiaomiao's shamelessness and ruthlessness, hated his own cowardice and incompetence, and hated the injustice of the world even more.

Good officials like Shi Wanxia, ​​who genuinely care for the people, are in grave danger, while corrupt officials like Yuan Xiaomiao can escape justice and even use his family to threaten him into aiding and abetting evil.

What's the use of being hateful? He had already been dragged onto Yuan Xiaomiao's pirate ship long ago.

From the moment he was forced to embezzle dam materials, from the moment he watched helplessly as his sister was defiled without daring to resist, he knew that he would never escape unscathed.

Wang Qinian slowly released his hand, looking at the deep bloodstains on his palm. The hatred in his eyes was gradually replaced by a kind of desperate numbness.

He took a deep breath, the icy rainwater making his throat ache.

He couldn't disobey the Crown Prince's orders, nor could he ignore Yuan Xiaomiao's threats. He was like a rat caught in a bellows, caught in the middle, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and move forward.

He raised his head and looked towards the riverbank, where he could still faintly hear Wanxia's shouts during the search.

For some reason, he suddenly began to pray silently in his heart—hoping that Lord Shi would be safe and sound, and that there would be more light and less darkness in this turbid world.

The rain was still falling, drizzling down, as if silently mourning the suffering of Chuzhou.

Wang Qinian composed himself, straightened his rain-soaked official robes, and turned to walk towards the government office.

He still had a lot to do: take stock of the provisions, allocate manpower, deal with the Crown Prince... Every step was fraught with danger, but he had no other choice.

But the bloodstains left by his clenched fist and the deep resentment hidden in his eyes ultimately became an unknown scar in the turbulent city of Chuzhou.

The wind of late spring, which should have been warm, instead carried moisture and the smell of earth, pressing heavily on the traveling group.

The sound of horses' hooves was rapid on the official road, and the wheels splashed water as they rolled over the mud. Cui Jiu led the way, holding the reins tightly. The jade pendant at his waist swayed slightly with the bumps, but he didn't even bother to look down at it. He kept looking towards the horizon—the direction shrouded in dark clouds was Chuzhou.

Three days ago, they received an urgent letter from their master in Qinghe County.

The letter was written in hasty handwriting, with ink stains showing signs of haste. It only stated that torrential rains in Chuzhou had caused flooding, trapping the garrison and the disaster victims. Food supplies were exhausted, and medicines were cut off.

He ordered Cui Jiu to immediately take the young master Cui Yu'an and Wang Jinqian, the daughter of the Langya Wang clan, with enough food and medicinal herbs to rush to Chuzhou to provide support.

"Cui Jiu, how much longer until we reach Wangcheng?"

A clear, yet somewhat weary voice came from inside the carriage; it belonged to Cui Yu'an, the young master of the Cui family.

He lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing Zhang Shang's face, which still had a youthful air but already showed signs of maturity, with his bangs slightly disheveled by the wind.

Cui Jiu turned around and cupped his hands: "Reporting to the young master, after passing the mountain ridge ahead, and traveling another ten miles, we will reach the river mouth outside the city."

"As the letter says, Wangcheng is the closest supply point to Chuzhou. We need to rest here for a while, check the amount of grain, and then take the waterway to Chuzhou."

A pretty face peeked out from the other side of the carriage curtain; it was Wang Jinqian.

Her plain dress was covered in dust, but it couldn't hide the calmness in her eyes: "Brother Cui Jiu, we saw many people fleeing along the way. They all said that the flood in Chuzhou was dangerous. We need to prepare more medicine for external injuries and prescriptions for treating epidemics, as epidemics are most likely to break out after a flood."

"Miss Wang is right."

Cui Jiu nodded, "The list of medicinal herbs was doubled before departure as you requested. It's just that the mountain roads are difficult to travel, so the convoy is moving a bit slowly. Hopefully, we can make it in time."

As they spoke, the group had already crossed the mountain ridge. The scene before them suddenly changed—the river, which should have been clear and sparkling, was now murky and muddy, with broken logs, haystacks, and even scattered pieces of clothing floating on the surface.

The reeds on the bank were swept away and lay scattered about. The muddy ground was filled with puddles of varying depths, and the air was thick with a damp, rotten smell that made one's chest feel heavy.

"This……"

Cui Yu'an lowered the carriage curtain and quickly walked to Cui Jiu's side. Looking at the tragic scene before him, the weariness on his face was instantly replaced by solemnity. "The water level is so high?"

There were already a few people busy at the mouth of the river.

Several men dressed in coarse cloth and short jackets were dragging the bodies that had floated to the shore ashore with long poles, their movements numb and heavy.

There were several simple wooden planks piled at their feet, and a deep pit dug next to them, clearly indicating their intention to bury the unclaimed bodies on the spot.

"Young Master, Miss Wang,"

Cui Jiu said in a deep voice, "I will take a few men to check the damage to the river channel."

"The flood has breached the embankment, and the waterways are probably difficult to navigate. We need to find someone who is familiar with the water to inquire about the situation, otherwise the grain and fodder boats may not be able to move forward."