CHAPTER 330: CHAPTER 330: RIOTERS (PART 3)

At this moment, Jiang Shaohua was still unaware that the first wave of famine refugees she encountered had already reached the Capital City.

This group of refugees consisted mostly of young and robust men. After receiving the five-pound food reward from Jiang Shaohua, they did not eat sparingly. Instead, they filled their bellies, eating well for three days, doubling their speed in fleeing the famine.

As for the source of the food for the subsequent days, it remained unknown. In any case, by the time they reached the Capital City a few days later, there were hardly any children in the fleeing group, and the number of women had also been significantly reduced.

The majestic and towering gates of the Capital City were now before their eyes. The refugees wept with excitement.

They had endured countless hardships, abandoning their homes and livelihoods to escape the famine, and had finally reached the Capital City. The Capital City was the most prosperous place in Da Liang, with the Imperial Palace, the court, the Emperor, and numerous officials; surely, they couldn’t ignore their plight.

"We finally have a way to survive."

"Heaven has eyes, we’ll enter the city gates now."

The cries and shouts mixed into a cacophony, when suddenly a man’s voice emerged: "Everyone, calm down. First, line up in front of the city gates. If the City Gate Officer asks about our origin, just tell the truth, but remember to add that it was the Nanyang County Princess who gave us food, allowing us to make it to the Capital City."

This man was one of the refugees who had wanted to approach the Commandery Princess but was stopped. He was also the leader among this group of refugees.

Upon hearing these words, the refugees responded chaotically, managing to form two long lines, and walked towards the city gates with anticipation.

Unfortunately, before they got close to the city gates, a group of more than twenty people charged towards them on horseback.

The leading City Gate Officer, clad in armor, appeared imposing, his gaze sharp, and shouted sternly: "Where did your group come from?"

This City Gate Officer was none other than Zuo Yue, the Zuo Family military general Jiang Shaohua had encountered upon entering the Capital City that day. Though his official rank wasn’t high, his position was crucial, responsible for opening and closing the city gates daily and inspecting those who entered or left. Anyone suspicious or posing a threat had to be stopped for thorough examination.

Zuo Yue was patrolling the city walls early that morning when he noticed this group of ragged refugees, all young and robust, causing his suspicions to rise. He immediately dispatched a squad to question their origin.

These famine refugees, capable of killing and robbing for food, and consuming human flesh in desperation, still harbored an ingrained fear of court officials. At the sight of Zuo Yue’s authoritative presence, most of the refugees knelt, habitually kowtowing, some pleading for mercy, others crying about their hardships, creating an incessant clamor.

Zuo Yue’s face darkened, his gaze sweeping towards the refugee leader: "You, come forward and clarify your identity and origin."

The male refugee leader, who had once served as a village chief and thus possessed some insight, wasn’t as intimidated. However, when Zuo Yue’s fierce stare bore down on him, his legs grew weak. Forcing himself to remain steadied, he approached and knelt, quickly explaining that they were famine refugees suffering from a locust plague.

"You’ve been hit by a locust plague, so you should have gone to the government for relief. Why come to the Capital City?" Zuo Yue’s voice contained not a trace of sympathy or compassion, his eyes coldly glinting. "You are wandering aimlessly without authorization, violating Da Liang Law. You’ll be executed for this!"

Indeed, the Da Liang Law had such provisions. Without travel permits, wanderers could be arrested and dealt with by the government anywhere.

The refugee leader was drenched in cold sweat, kowtowing thrice, pleading: "Sir, we truly had no other means to survive. We fled here seeking life. When we left, there were over six hundred of us, but now there are only two hundred. More than sixty percent perished along the way. We beg you to allow us through the city gates!"

The other refugees also wept and kowtowed.

Zuo Yue’s heart was as hard as stone, unmoved in the slightest. He loudly ordered the soldiers to drive the refugees away. The soldiers showed no mercy, raising their horsewhips high and bringing them down heavily.

Beaten refugees cried out in despair, some collapsing to the ground, others embarrassingly scrambling to flee. Zuo Yue’s face bore a cruel smile, almost of pleasure.

Just then, the refugee leader suddenly shouted, "It was the Nanyang County Princess who sent us here. The Commandery Princess gave us food and told us to come to the Capital City. You can’t drive us away!"

The moment the words "Nanyang County Princess" reached his ears, Zuo Yue’s smile froze, and a murderous gleam flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand, and the soldiers halted. The refugees, thinking there was a turn for the better, raised their heads hopefully.

"Did you really encounter the Nanyang County Princess?" Zuo Yue asked slowly: "What did she say to you?"

The refugee leader, believing he had grasped a lifeline, hastily recounted the events of meeting the Commandery Princess that day. With his minimal wit, he even fabricated some of the Commandery Princess’s "instructions."

Whatever Zuo Yue thought of, his lips curled into a cold smile. He suddenly turned and instructed, "Men, arrest these rioting mobs and throw them all into the dungeon."

The refugees were stunned.

Weren’t they fleeing from famine to come to the Capital City? How did they suddenly become rioters?

But the soldiers already pounced like tigers and wolves.

Even though there were only twenty soldiers, and the refugees numbered almost ten times that, no one dared to resist. Just like a group of pigs and dogs, they allowed the soldiers to kick them down and tie them up.

Soon, dozens more soldiers rushed out from the city gates, bringing long ropes with which they bound the hands of all two hundred refugees into several chains, dragging them away crudely as if they were salted fish at the market.

Zuo Yue wasted no time, mounting his horse and heading straight to the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

By now, it was already afternoon, and Prime Minister Wang was fortunately at the mansion. Hearing that Zuo Yue had come, Prime Minister Wang was somewhat surprised and immediately instructed: "Let him into the study."

After a cup of tea, Zuo Yue hurriedly entered Prime Minister Wang’s study, cupping his hands in salute.

Prime Minister Wang gestured lightly to return the salute, then directly asked, "What urgent matter brings you here in the middle of the day?" Among the top military families in Da Liang, the Zuo Family had been strongly supported by Prime Minister Wang. It was fair to say that the entire Zuo Family were loyal subordinates of the Prime Minister.

Zuo Yue, especially loyal to Prime Minister Wang, immediately reported the "riotous mob" incident: "... These rioters, incited by the Nanyang County Princess, assaulted the city gates with the intent to rebel. I have arrested them all and imprisoned them."

"How should we proceed next? Please instruct, Prime Minister!"

Prime Minister Wang’s facial muscles twitched, his lips quivering as he struggled to hold back: "Whose idea was this?"

Unaware of the situation, Zuo Yue proudly straightened his chest: "It was I, esteemed Prime Minister. That Nanyang County Princess has repeatedly offended the Prime Minister during her six months in the Capital City. Out of magnanimity, the Prime Minister has not held grudges against her, a mere woman. However, her audacity to incite refugees to the Capital City, causing chaos and unsettling the citizens, cannot be tolerated lightly. Please, Prime Minister, enter the Imperial Palace right now and report this matter to the Emperor..."

With a dull thud!

Prime Minister Wang slammed his hand heavily on the desk. The pen and ink on the desk shook, nearly flying off: "Fool!"