On the palace walls, Lu Qing Wan finally shed her guise of amusement and asked sternly, "Who is causing trouble below?"
"Trouble?"
The old woman carrying the banner looked frail, but her voice boomed, "We are merely trying to find our children and reunite our families. How is that causing trouble? Or is it that anyone who doesn't suit your wishes, you demoness, and that foreigner Si Feng Wu, is considered a villain?"
"Presumptuous!"
Prime Minister Nan spoke at the opportune moment, "Ignorant old woman, how dare you disrespect the Prince and Princess Consort? Your children are lost, report it to the authorities. What is the reason for slandering the Prince and Princess Consort without cause?"
Si Feng Wu had not yet ascended the throne, and Lu Qing Wan did not wear her phoenix robe. Officials who understood propriety and knew when to advance or retreat felt a degree of reverence towards her. However, the ignorant commoners knew the exalted status of the Emperor and Empress. They were unaware that Lu Qing Wan, who possessed the most elite intelligence network in the world, commanded wealth rivaling a nation, and could mobilize four hundred thousand Xuan Jia troops without a military tally, was even more formidable.
At this moment, Nan Xiang stepping forward was not only protecting the future imperial couple's dignity but also informing those outside the palace. Lu Qing Wan was someone even he had to treat with utmost respect, and thus others should not be rude to her.
Lu Qing Wan understood Nan Xiang's good intentions and wisely chose to remain silent, cooperating with Nan Xiang to establish her authority in this critical situation.
However, upon hearing Nan Xiang's words, the old woman became exceedingly agitated. "Report to the authorities? Which authorities? The very people who trafficked my son to Da Qin to be the lowest-ranking laborers are your esteemed Princess Consort and her husband, Si Feng Wu. Who dares to touch them?"
The Prime Minister Nan was angered by the public accusation of the future imperial couple without evidence. He was about to reprimand the old woman when Lu Qing Wan raised her hand to stop him, and then spoke herself to confront the old woman.
"You claim the Prince and I trafficked your son to Da Qin for labor, and that no one in court dares to handle your accusation. I, however, would like to ask, old madam, did you report your son's disappearance to the authorities? If so, to which office and which official did you report? List them one by one, and I shall confront you directly."
The palace walls were imposing, and Lu Qing Wan's voice, amplified by her deep internal energy, carried to every ear within and without the palace gates. She spoke calmly and with unwavering confidence.
The old woman did not dare to flinch. "Of course, I reported to the authorities! It was at the Jing Zhao Prefecture. The guards at the entrance didn't even give us a chance to speak before they drove us away with their batons! Other families who went to file complaints were treated the same as me, never even seeing the Prefect of Jing Zhao before being beaten out of the yamen. What, does the Princess Consort intend to say that I, an old woman, have falsely accused you?"
"That's right! We were beaten out by the yamen runners when we went to the Jing Zhao Prefecture to complain!"
"I went to the Ning Zhou Prefecture yamen to complain, but it was also not accepted..."
A group of people chimed in, seeming determined to solidify the accusation that Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu, in league with the imperial court, were trafficking people and that the authorities were colluding with them.
At that moment, Lin Tian Mu, disregarding how these people had arrived, joined in the clamor. "I knew my father was just inviting a few close friends for tea, how could he have offended the Princess Consort? It turns out it was to please the Emperor of Da Qin, to find free laborers! Princess Consort, this deal is not worth it. My father and his friends are old. Please release them, and let me go to Da Qin. I am young, and I can do more work. The Emperor of Da Qin will surely be pleased."
His jests provoked the other commoners to join the shouting. "Release our relatives! Give us back our children!"
The two groups mingled, making it impossible to distinguish who Lin Tian Mu had brought and who had joined later. However, both factions seemed convinced that their relatives had been trafficked by Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu. As the clamor grew, the more impulsive commoners were on the verge of breaching the palace walls.
A middle-aged man next to Lin Tian Mu shouted amidst the chaos, "These officials treat our relatives like livestock to be traded and don't realize their mistakes at all! Don't let them off! Charge into the imperial palace, capture that demoness, and rescue our relatives!"
Amidst these inflammatory words, some individuals who had already infiltrated the crowd drew their sabers and long swords, charging towards the palace gate. Simultaneously, numerous yellowish oil-paper packets were hurled towards the palace gate amidst rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables.
Lu Qing Wan glanced back towards the direction of the city entrance. Flags bearing the totems of the Wu clan were slowly approaching. Lin Tian Mu and the men around him revealed triumphant smiles.
However, the oil-paper packets were thrown as if into the sea, with no visible reaction. A sense of unease washed over them. Before they could investigate further, the person whose wrist Lu Qing Wan had shot with an arrow earlier was hoisted onto the palace wall, slowly rising like a human flag.
The imperial guards, following Lu Qing Wan's orders, stripped off the man's outer garments, revealing the oil-paper packets tied around his waist and back. As the man was lifted higher, Lu Qing Wan shouted, "All of you, shut up!"
Her powerful voice, laced with internal energy, commanded absolute silence. Everyone froze. Lu Qing Wan pointed at the man and said, "Does anyone recognize this person? Step forward."
The crowd did not understand her intention and no one dared to respond or step forward. Lu Qing Wan remained unhurried and calmly said, "You claim that I and the Prince trafficked your families. Whoever recognizes this person and steps forward, I will immediately tell them where their families are. Even if their families are not harmed but have merely come to join the excitement, they will receive one hundred taels of gold. I only need the testimonies of ten people. If you want money and your loved ones, weigh your options carefully."
Under a great reward, there will surely be brave souls. Whether for the lives of their loved ones or for the hundred taels of gold, someone eventually stepped forward.
"I know him! His name is Liu Ji, from Xiao Nan Village!"
"That's right, it's Liu Ji from Xiao Nan Village, though everyone calls him Big Head Liu!"
From among tens of thousands of people, finding ten who recognized the burly man was simple. Soon, ten people were gathered.
The imperial guards announced from below, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, among these ten people, three are inquiring about their relatives, and the others are demanding one hundred taels of gold. The relatives of three of them, two men and one woman, are Wang Jin Bao from Xiao Nan Village..."
Following Lu Qing Wan's instructions, the imperial guards publicly disclosed the information of the victims. Everyone stared at Lu Qing Wan, curious to see if she would indeed hand over the people.
Lu Qing Wan turned to Li Qing, who quickly flipped through his documents and then announced with full voice, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, Wang Jin Bao and Chen Da Zhuang have both been rescued and are in the Jin Wu Guard camp. The woman, Chang Si Niang, was sold into a brothel. Unwilling to endure shame, she swallowed gold and committed suicide. Our men have found her remains and brought back her ashes after cremation."