Ruan Jiu saw Xiao Wang approaching slowly, accompanied by Liang Jingzhuo.
She glared at Xiao Wang with full of resentment.
He came neither early nor late, but only showed up after someone was killed.
Xiao Wang was quite puzzled when he caught Ruan Jiu's look.
"Why are you glaring at me just because you had a quarrel with someone else?" Xiao Wang said coldly.
Always referring to himself as "I" in that old - fashioned way.
Is this guy a toad in disguise?
The more Ruan Jiu looked at him, the more annoyed she became.
Xiao Wang saw the woman lying on the ground, her eyes wide open but looking lifeless.
There was still blood oozing from her lower abdomen. It was obvious that she had just been killed.
"What's going on here?" Xiao Wang pointed at the woman on the ground and asked seriously.
The commander of the soldiers was the first to explain, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this woman tried to escape without permission, so we had no choice but to execute her on the spot."
"You're lying!" Ruan Jiu immediately retorted, "She just wanted a bowl of plain porridge!"
Hearing this, Xiao Wang cast a sharp look at the commander.
The commander was so scared that he immediately knelt on the ground and exclaimed, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, I was afraid that she would spread the epidemic to this noble lady, so I didn't allow her to get close!
As for this noble lady, she insisted several times that we let the people out. I don't know what her intentions are!"
"What are my intentions?" Ruan Jiu pointed at herself, "You killed someone casually, and now you want to slander me?"
Hearing this, Liang Jingzhuo quickly stepped forward.
He scolded the kneeling commander, "How dare you slander Miss Shen so casually?!"
Then he said to Ruan Jiu, "Miss Shen, there must be some misunderstanding here."
Ruan Jiu said coldly, "I don't know if there is a misunderstanding or not. But I'd like to ask Lord Liang, why did the woman keep saying before her death that they were not sick?"
Liang Jingzhuo was panicked after hearing this, "Really?"
Ruan Jiu stared closely at Liang Jingzhuo, but his expression seemed normal.
The commander replied, "My lord, the woman did say so before her death. I think it was just an excuse for her to escape."
Ruan Jiu clearly didn't believe this explanation and questioned, "Then why did you kill her to cover up?"
"I'm wronged, noble lady! At that time, she rushed at you like a madwoman. I was afraid that you would be hurt, so I had to execute her on the spot in a hurry."
Seeing the commander's self - righteous look, if Ruan Jiu hadn't been on the scene, she might have believed his nonsense.
But now that the woman was dead, the commander could say whatever he wanted.
So, Ruan Jiu came up with an idea.
She curtsied to Xiao Wang, "I beg Your Highness the Crown Prince to invite the imperial physician to check the people inside carefully. If someone was misdiagnosed, they should be released immediately."
Since the woman had always claimed that she was not sick, maybe the people locked up here were not the so - called people infected with the epidemic.
Ruan Jiu thought that her words would make Liang Jingzhuo panic.
But unexpectedly, she still couldn't detect any abnormality on Liang Jingzhuo's face.
Xiao Wang knew that Ruan Jiu was not a reckless person. Her request must have a purpose.
So, he immediately ordered someone to bring the imperial physician.
After a diagnosis, the answer was completely opposite to what Ruan Jiu had guessed.
All the people locked up inside were infected with the epidemic.
Moreover, many of them were terminally ill and didn't have much time left.
A look of surprise flashed across Ruan Jiu's face.
How could it be?
Was it really that the woman lied to her just to escape?
But why did she say those words before her death?
"Miss Shen, do you believe it now?" the commander complained.
"Presumptuous! How can you talk to Miss Shen like this? She is a great benefactor of our Shuozhou City." Liang Jingzhuo scolded.
Then he said to Xiao Wang, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, I think Miss Shen was just worried about the people in the west of the city. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared, the most important thing is to treat the patients inside."
These words reminded Ruan Jiu.
So she immediately said, "Lord Liang, just now this commander told me that the medicinal materials we sent were only for the rich, and these sick people could only wait to die."
Hearing this, Liang Jingzhuo's face instantly turned ashen. He roared angrily, "Li Wu, you're so bold!"
"My lord, please spare my life! I was just talking nonsense!"
Liang Jingzhuo didn't listen to the commander's defense and shouted, "Someone, immediately lock Li Wu up in the prison and interrogate him properly!"
Obviously, Liang Jingzhuo was very angry. Li Wu was immediately taken away.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, I didn't expect that such a rebellious person would appear under my jurisdiction! It's my fault for not being strict enough in governance. Please punish me, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Xiao Wang remained silent all the time.
His cold eyes showed no emotion.
After a moment, he slowly said, "Do you really not know?"
"I'm willing to take off my official hat and let Your Highness the Crown Prince dispose of me as you see fit!"
Liang Jingzhuo didn't defend himself.
He knelt on the ground and slowly took off his official hat.
Just then, the sick people beside him also knelt on the ground and pleaded for Liang Jingzhuo one after another.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Lord Liang is a great good person. Don't wrong him!"
"Yes, Lord Liang has dedicated himself to the people. We mustn't wrong him!"
"We believe in Lord Liang. He will never do anything harmful to the people!"
Seeing this, Xiao Wang narrowed his eyes.
He quietly listened to the people listing Liang Jingzhuo's good deeds.
It seemed that Liang Jingzhuo had a high reputation in Shuozhou.
But Ruan Jiu was even more confused. Why did the Liang Jingzhuo in the mouths of these people seem like a savior?
But she clearly heard what the woman said before her death.
Where exactly did the problem lie?
Seeing that Xiao Wang was about to let this matter go, Ruan Jiu wanted to say something.
But seeing the people around defending Liang Jingzhuo, she knew that this was not a good time to argue with them.
She took a deep breath, lowered her head, and said nothing.
At night, Ruan Jiu tossed and turned in bed and couldn't fall asleep.
As soon as she closed her eyes, the image of the woman with unclosed eyes before her death filled her mind, and the woman's last words echoed in her ears.
Suddenly, she sat up abruptly.
At that time, the woman didn't want to attack her.
She was fighting for her child with all her might.
That woman was using her own life to attract her attention!
If Liang Jingzhuo really had a problem, he would definitely do something to that child tonight!
Thinking of this, Ruan Jiu immediately got up and dressed.
She hurried towards the west of the city.
Taking advantage of the dozing guards, Ruan Jiu was about to sneak in quietly.
But after walking a few steps, she found that the west of the city at night looked even more terrifying than during the day.
The occasional gusts of cold wind made Ruan Jiu shiver.
Why should I meddle in these affairs?
A thought of retreat suddenly emerged in Ruan Jiu's heart.
After taking a few steps back, she gritted her teeth.
What if they really do something to that child? It's a life!
She let out a long sigh.
Just then, a gloomy voice came to Ruan Jiu's ears.
"Miss Shen, why aren't you resting so late?"