Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved-Chapter 194 - The First Step Privately Forging

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: The First Step, Privately Forging Weapons

Chapter 194 -194: The First Step, Privately Forging Weapons

“Governor Gao has committed numerous misdeeds and does not deserve to be the parent official. The Prince has already sent him to the Government Office Yamen. Governor Gao has done much evil and his crimes are severe, so you might be summoned to court to testify. Everyone, don’t be afraid, just go and tell the truth. This time, with the Prince backing you up, Governor Gao won’t escape the punishment of Great Yan’s laws.”

After helping the eldest person in the crowd to stand up, Murong Jiu spoke earnestly to those who were present.

They were all victims.

They had undoubtedly sought justice from the government before, but Governor Gao had powerful backers and they weren’t able to see him punished. Now it was different, Murong Jiu told them, this time they had the support of the Prince.

Indeed, with those words, everyone present was immensely grateful, and their anxious hearts found some peace.

Then Yu Yan nodded to the people, indicating that Governor Gao would definitely not end well.

He continued, “The Princess Consort has heard of your exploitation by Governor Gao, leaving you hungry, and has brought food especially for you all. Everyone from Tea Ridge County, gather here and line up to receive the food supplies.”

“What? There are also food supplies to be collected?”

Everyone looked at one another, their expressions filled with disbelief, thinking they had heard wrong.

They had gone from meal to meal with no certainty of the next, and although they had thought about scraping together some silver to buy food, the summer floods had ruined many of the fields, causing food prices to skyrocket. They were already struggling to afford it, and now prices were even more out of reach.

But they had never imagined that Prince Ling and Princess Consort Ling would actually distribute food to them!

It wasn’t until they had the food in their hands that they truly felt the reality of it.

Every family received a share of rice and coarse grains. In addition to that, there were steamed fragrant meat buns, one after another, with every person getting two palm-sized buns.

Many children had never tasted meat in their lives; after one bite of the meat bun, they exclaimed in amazement to their parents, “Mom, Dad, is this what meat tastes like? It’s so delicious. My wish now is to be able to eat meat buns again!”

Their parents stood beside them, wiping away tears. Before Governor Gao came, the people weren’t so destitute that they couldn’t afford even a taste of meat. It was truly due to Governor Gao’s heinous exploitation that they were left without even a grain surplus, let alone meat.

The people were deeply grateful to Prince Ling and Princess Consort Ling, with some even regarding them as Bodhisattvas come to relieve suffering.

Yu Yan wore a mask, so no one could see his face, but Murong Jiu was barefaced, and to the people, her face was indeed like that of a celestial being.

In the eyes of the people, this “celestial being” was now administering acupuncture to an elderly lady’s head.

She was the elderly woman who had been kneeling at the front that morning, thanking them; she was blind from crying. She had two sons, both married, but their wives were beautiful and had caught Governor Gao’s eye. They were taken by force, and unable to bear the humiliation, they both committed suicide. Revenge attempted by her sons led to their disappearance, their bodies only found half a month later, bloated in the water.

Her eyes went blind from crying then.

In her previous life, Murong Jiu had treated people who had gone blind from needlework, but not from crying. After consulting with her master, she decided to give it a try.

This elderly woman’s plight was truly tragic; she only had her five-year-old granddaughter left to live with her. The little girl sat quietly beside her, so small that she could be mistaken for a three-year-old, and she still couldn’t speak.

After completing the acupuncture treatment, Murong Jiu told her, “You won’t see any effects in one or two days. Come over every day from now on, and bring your little granddaughter with you.”

The elderly woman thanked her profusely but insisted that she could not trouble her anymore.

“It’s no trouble at all; I like lively places. Your granddaughter has a charm that I find appealing. Please continue bringing her tomorrow,” Murong Jiu replied.

Hearing this, the elderly woman agreed.

It wasn’t until the next day that they discovered not only had the Princess Consort invited them, her grandmother and granddaughter, but she also allowed many other children to come and play, even dedicating a room for them, filled with various snacks and treats.

Listening to the children’s voices of happiness, excitement, and satisfaction, the old woman felt tears brimming in her eyes.

When it was time to take her granddaughter back in the afternoon, she discovered that her granddaughter had actually started to speak!

The old woman’s wrinkled face silently wept, a feeling of pitiable loneliness emanating from within.

Upon seeing this, Murong Jiu quickly intervened:

“Don’t cry, your vision was blinded by tears, and if you continue crying, it might never recover. You still have to take care of your little granddaughter. She isn’t mute; she’s just had no one to talk to, which made her slightly solitary. Let her keep coming over to play with the other children, and soon she will be just like any other child.”

After speaking, she had her people escort the grandmother and granddaughter back home.

The reason for inviting the children to play was that they were too thin, which reminded Murong Jiu of her own children’s final days, skin and bones. Each memory caused her heart to ache as if it was being tightly clenched by someone.

She might not have been able to improve conditions elsewhere, but now Tea Ridge County was her territory, and since she had the means to make them happier, she would not be stingy with her resources.

In the days that followed, Murong Jiu had her people bring the children over for food, drinks, and fun.

A portion of the remaining fortune amassed by the corrupt Governor Gao, who had exploited the people, was given to the victims, while the rest was divided equally among each household in the county.

Those who had relocated also received compensation.

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In just a few days, everyone in Tea Ridge County underwent a tremendous change in spirit. No longer numb, indifferent, or despairing, everyone looked forward to the future.

During the day, Murong Jiu kept busy, exploring the lands around Tea Mountain with her master, Xiao Wen.

Her master said that the soil of Tea Ridge County was indeed suited for medicine planting, that many medicinal herbs could grow there.

If the people of Tea Ridge County cultivated medicines, they would definitely yield a higher return than the current tea crops.

Moreover, there was no need to remove Tea Mountain. There was plenty of land around it for planting herbs, and the mountain itself had dry land, which was even more ideal for cultivating some less common medicinal herbs.

Jun Yuyan had planned to accompany Murong Jiu, but his people discovered the location of a mine. However, there were signs of landslides in the area, so Jun Yuyan needed to be present to direct operations personally.

After two days, Jun Yuyan, who had been working from dawn to dusk, finally found time to have breakfast with Murong Jiu.

After breakfast, Jun Yuyan took Murong Jiu to the newly discovered iron mine.

The location was on the back mountain, a bit far to walk. The road had been leveled and widened. Jun Yuyan usually rode a horse, but because Murong Jiu was pregnant, a carriage was arranged.

However, it still took three quarters of an hour by carriage to reach the destination.

Upon alighting from the carriage, she saw strict guards. Murong Jiu looked back and noticed sentries every few steps along the road.

Jun Yuyan smiled, “It’s better to avert danger ahead of time.”

Murong Jiu nodded earnestly, “That’s exactly right. Later on, when we mine the iron ore, there will certainly be noise, so we’ll also need to build a workshop as a cover.”

Once she saw the iron mine for herself, her smile grew even more radiant.

Excellent, there really was an iron mine.

The first step in rebellion, the secret forging of weapons!