Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 1548 - 1543: Contempt

Seated at the main position, Xiao Rongyan held in one hand a memorial from the local County Magistrate, which had not yet been sent to the Yan capital to request rewards for these clan relatives. With the other hand, he warmed himself by the fire, looking down without glancing at the royal clan members kneeling in the main hall, as the flickering firelight reflected off his silver mask.

Behind several royal clan members, the local County Magistrate and the General defending the city knelt with their heads lowered, not daring to look at the well-known ruthless and resolute Regent Prince seated in the main position.

"Where is the County Magistrate of Liyi?" Xiao Rongyan asked.

Upon hearing this, the County Magistrate of Liyi tensed up, hurriedly crawling forward on his knees: "Your humble servant is here!"

Xiao Rongyan casually tossed the memorial onto an ebony table beside him, warming his hands as his deep gaze fixed on the County Magistrate: "Liyi City was stricken by an epidemic. Were these royal clan members tirelessly diagnosing pulses and prescribing medicines for the people at the treatment center and within the city?"

Hearing Xiao Rongyan’s calm, cold voice, the County Magistrate of Liyi suddenly understood that the Regent Prince summoned these royal clan members not to reward them, but to hold them accountable and question their crimes.

"No... they weren’t..." The County Magistrate of Liyi broke out in a cold sweat, lowering his head even further. "Of course, it was the officials who diagnosed and prescribed medicines at the treatment center for the people!"

Xiao Rongyan asked again: "Then... did these royal clan members enter the treatment center with their servants to help care for the sick?"

"N-no!" The County Magistrate of Liyi’s voice grew smaller and smaller. "It... it was the defending soldiers."

"Oh? Then I am curious, what remarkable deeds have these royal clan members done for the County Magistrate to claim they contributed significantly upon seeing me, and to request merit for them in the memorial, yet ambiguously leaving out the specifics?" Xiao Rongyan picked up a tea cup.

Upon hearing this, the royal clan members kneeling at Xiao Rongyan’s feet were terrified. When the Young Emperor ascended the throne... they remembered how Xiao Rongyan dealt with the clan members. Two of them had made mistakes a few months ago and were expelled from the Yan capital by Xiao Rongyan!

Initially, they hoped to use the epidemic in the city to let the County Magistrate clear their name, so the Young Emperor would recognize their loyalty and give them a chance to return to the Yan capital. After all, if they remained far from the center of power for the rest of their lives, they would be finished.

Unexpectedly, the Regent Prince came to Anshun City.

The County Magistrate of Liyi looked at the silent and submissive clan members and slowly spoke: "The clan members... set up porridge stalls to distribute porridge to the people, preventing widespread starvation in Anshun City. Your humble servant... thought, food is the people’s primary need, and this is a great achievement."

Xiao Rongyan took a sip of tea and spoke leisurely: "It seems in Liyi City, only the clan members were generous with porridge distribution, and no one else was, which is why the County Magistrate is requesting merit only for the royal clan members? Then I must investigate thoroughly."

Upon hearing this, a royal clan member quickly kowtowed and said: "Regent Prince, we were exiled to Liyi by the Regent Prince due to our crimes. We never intended to claim merit from this matter, only to redeem ourselves a little!"

The clan members, perceptive and clear-minded, naturally knew Xiao Rongyan intended to make a fuss about this matter, so they quickly distanced themselves, fearfully kowtowing: "Indeed, Regent Prince, we never intended to claim merit. May the Regent Prince see clearly!"

"Regent Prince, this was all the County Magistrate of Liyi’s own decision, unrelated to us!"

One of the clan members looked at the County Magistrate of Liyi: "County Magistrate, we set up porridge stalls without the intent to claim merit. Why would you harm us?"

"The epidemic in Liyi City was contained, and the officials in the city are deserving of great credit. Why does the memorial lack requests for merit for the officials and instead request merit for us clan members, which is obviously inappropriate? County Magistrate... we are of the Imperial Family, setting up porridge stalls is our duty and privilege, not something to boast about, but your memorial puts us in an unjust position, making the Regent Prince think poorly of us! How will the world perceive us!"

The County Magistrate of Liyi felt utterly speechless. Initially, it was these clan members who, both openly and covertly, urged him to submit the memorial to request merit for them, and now they were shifting the blame onto him. As a lowly official, how could he contend with these clan members? He had no choice but to obediently comply!

Nevertheless... these clan members indeed never explicitly mentioned this, and even now, he had no idea how to explain.

Xiao Rongyan saw the County Magistrate of Liyi speechless, the General defending Liyi City frustrated, and understood everything. How could he not know what kind of people these royal clan members of the Yan Kingdom were?

Though these royal clan members were indeed hateful, the County Magistrate of Liyi seemed to be a man without courage. Otherwise, why couldn’t he state any valid points now? It was probably because he received hints from these royal clan members. They probably didn’t even need to threaten him, and the County Magistrate of Liyi eagerly submitted the memorial to request merit for these clan members.

"It is all my fault, your humble servant... your humble servant..."

The County Magistrate of Liyi hesitated, but before he could finish speaking, Yue Shi entered, bowed deeply, and said to Xiao Rongyan: "Your Majesty, someone has arrived from Anshun City. Outside the city, they said that Emperor of Zhou has arrived in Anshun City and requests to see the Regent Prince... wishing to request a person by the name of Zhu Chengru!"

As Yue Shi spoke, he glanced at the trembling County Magistrate of Liyi and continued: "They said this doctor in Liyi City has been sentenced to execution. If the Yan Kingdom no longer needs this talent, Zhou wishes to take him! They hope the Regent Prince will show some face to the Emperor of Zhou!"

Bai Qingyan’s arrival in Anshun City was known to Xiao Rongyan; otherwise, he would not have estimated the time to come to Liyi neighboring Anshun.

"Zhu Chengru?" Xiao Rongyan repeated the name, his gaze scanning the clan members and the County Magistrate and seeing their faces grow increasingly unsightly.

"Regent Prince, Zhu Chengru is a spy planted by Zhou in our Yan Kingdom!" One of the clan members, in a bold move, hastily accused Zhu Chengru. "The personal request by the Emperor of Zhou is solid proof! Regent Prince must not let this person off lightly. Otherwise, those wretched commoners will imitate this example, endangering our Yan Kingdom!"

Xiao Rongyan’s cold gaze turned to the clan member who referred to the commoners as wretched, causing the clan member to shiver in fear.

Yue Shi, observing his master, was deeply moved. In the past, his master was never angered by others calling the commoners wretched.

He suddenly thought of the time on Chang Street in Dadu City when the eldest daughter of the Bai family scolded the second master of the Bai family’s illegitimate son, saying... the wretched commoners he referred to were exactly the reason why their Bai family willingly risked themselves on the battlefield for generations. The commoners fed them through taxes, and the Bai family feared they could not repay the favor.

Yue Shi knew that his master, unaware, had been influenced by the eldest daughter of the Bai family, and now also placed great importance on the common people.