novelaction Chapter 283: The Fish Has Taken the Bait
Chapter 283: The Fish Has Taken the Bait
The guards stationed in the mansion intercepted a message from the capital, only to discover that Prefect Su had vanished.
The letter was delivered to Li Jingyang, who glanced at it casually and then handed it to the side.
Lin Rusi took it; the handwriting on it was extremely familiar.
It was actually the Empress's doing again.
She was initially puzzled. The news of the refugee influx in Suzhou had been going on for more than a day or two, so why did it suddenly reach the palace and order Li Jingyang to lead troops to guard Suzhou, and why was he leaving in such a hurry?
It turns out that someone from the palace was involved; they must have put in a lot of effort.
"I was just wondering how to collect evidence, and she delivered herself right to my doorstep."
Lin Rusi took the note and snorted coldly: "The Suzhou prefect fled in such a hurry that he probably had a lot of things he didn't have time to take with him. In that case, we don't need to be polite."
Even though Prefect Su had fled, the message still managed to arrive via carrier pigeon.
He didn't even have time to tell the Empress about his current situation, which shows how hastily he fled.
If that's the case, then there are some things that probably weren't even packed up in time.
For example, his previous correspondence with the Empress.
It's understandable that the Suzhou prefect could loot so much without being discovered, given the help of the Empress Yuan family.
In that case, he must have sent a lot of benefits to the Yuan family.
She refused to believe that they couldn't find even the slightest clue!
Thinking this, a cold glint flashed in Lin Rusi's eyes.
With Prefect Su gone, the guards who had been watching him were now free.
Li Jingyang assigned them a new task: even if they had to dig three feet into the ground, they had to figure out all the hidden passages and secret compartments in the mansion.
The very next day, the guards who had been searching the secret passage brought someone to see Li Jingyang.
Upon inquiry, it turned out that they were assassins hired at a high price to kill Li Jingyang and Lin Rusi.
Such a coincidence, and coming in through a secret passage—who else could it be but the Suzhou prefect who secretly escaped through the secret passage?
Very well, they've become rats in the street, yet they still haven't given up their thieving intentions.
"He can't explain to the Yuan family that he's lost such a big piece of meat as Suzhou."
A fierce glint flashed in Li Jingyang's eyes, filled with undisguised malice: "Prefect Su, you probably want to use our lives to atone for your crimes against the Yuan family."
"You've got some nerve."
Lin Rusi sneered, her voice mocking: "Looks like you ran in a hurry and didn't bring much money, so you only hired such a weak assassin. Are you underestimating us?"
The assassin below, whose mouth was gagged, glanced at the two men and struggled to say something, but Li Jingyang waved his hand and ordered them to be taken away and dealt with.
You won't get any information out of these pay-to-work assassins; it's just a waste of time.
"We must also strengthen our defenses at the city gates. The situation in Suzhou is starting to improve, and I'm afraid many people will be unable to stand by and watch."
Li Jingyang tapped the table, paused for a moment, and looked at Lin Rusi with a hint of apology: "The mother of the nation is so ruthless and unforgiving. I blame myself for being too soft-hearted towards her, which has caused all this trouble."
"That's not how it works. Being in such a high position in the government, there are always many things to consider. If you were to kill without regard for the consequences, you wouldn't be the Prince Jinglie I know."
Lin Rusi took his hand and rubbed it against her face: "You've done so much for me, I... I really like it."
"Asi." Feeling the smooth touch of her palm, Li Jingyang's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he unconsciously moved closer to her.
Suddenly, a small hand covered his face. Lin Rusi pushed his face back expressionlessly: "There are so many people here, don't you have any shame?"
A group of guards disguised as yamen runners immediately lowered their heads, looking down at their noses and minds, wishing they could disappear instantly and ruin their prince's good time.
……
A month has passed in the blink of an eye.
The crowds of refugees outside Suzhou have disappeared, and the foundation for the expanded wall has been laid, rising more than half a meter high.
Apart from the occasional injuries sustained from the construction of the city wall, the clinic has not received any other injured patients for several days.
Everything is moving in a positive direction, but it feels more like the calm before the storm.
In the past few days, Lin Rusi personally inspected the conditions of the fields outside the city walls.
To make up for the food shortage, the wasteland outside the city was prioritized for planting fast-growing vegetables, while grains, which require a longer growing cycle, were planted on a relatively smaller area.
At this time, some of the first batch of vegetables were already edible. Lin Rusi led people to harvest them in batches, and rewards and punishments were given according to the harvest.
Fortunately, no one was lazy at this time, and everyone received a reward, so the whole field was filled with joy.
Just then, another group of people surged in from the southeast, dressed in tattered clothes and covered in dust, crowding together at the city gate, trying to enter the city.
Seeing that everything here was finished, Lin Rusi simply walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Young lady, you must be the legendary Princess Jinglie. Just as the rumors say, you are truly as beautiful as a fairy and a kind-hearted person." Before the soldiers guarding the city could even answer, someone among the refugees spoke up.
“We are refugees from the Daling Mountains in the east. The crops have all withered and died, and we have no way to survive. We heard that a noble person from the capital came to Suzhou to take in refugees, so we thought we would try our luck here.”
As the man spoke, he tried to kneel down before Lin Rusi: "Please, Your Highness, save us and give us a bite to eat."
Lin Rusi carefully examined the group of ragged and haggard people, and greeted the city guards with a friendly smile: "Take them in. The clinics in the city are empty. Take them for a proper check-up. It would be bad if they were injured and it was delayed."
“But…” The city guard was under orders from Li Jingyang to strictly check everyone entering the city. Hearing her say this, he hesitated.
"If anyone asks, just say it was me who said it."
She smiled and then turned to the group of refugees: "Go in. Once you get here, your suffering will be over. Settle down in peace."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Your Highness."
The group thanked them repeatedly and entered the city in one go.
Lin Rusi, in a very good mood, held the account book in her hands and said, "Go and tell the prince that the fish have entered the city."
Night falls in the clinic.
A group of refugees washed up and showed no signs of fatigue.
The doctor at the clinic had already had his acupoints sealed and was left aside.
"Boss, we managed to sneak in so easily, could it be some kind of trap?"
“There’s definitely a trap. We’ve already entered the city, and we should all be in jail by now. This woman is just too proud. She got carried away after just a few compliments and actually let us in without permission.”
"We're really lucky. I heard that Princess Jinglie doesn't leave the city very often. We've really struck gold."
"Alright, enough nonsense. Let's think about what to do next. I wonder what the Suzhou prefect is up to. I secretly sent a letter as soon as I arrived, but no one has contacted us yet."