Mrs. Mingyue lowered her head slightly, and a trace of guilt flashed in her eyes: "I know that this is wrong. But in my opinion, that method is more safe. I have no other way. If I go through the normal path, I am not sure if I can see you, Prime Minister, and... time is tight."
Xi Yu frowned. He really couldn't understand Mrs. Mingyue's actions, but he could also feel that there must be a hidden story behind this matter. "You would rather risk beheading to do such a thing. I guess there must be something very important. Now, you can say, don't hide anything more." Xi Yu's tone was serious and firm. His eyes were staring at Mrs. Mingyue, not allowing her to hesitate any more.
Mrs. Mingyue's tears rolled down like beads with broken threads, and her voice trembled slightly from excitement.
"Prime Minister, I really have no way out to make this decision. I acted like this for my sister's grievances. My sister suffered an unjust injustice. I wish I could cut the thief into pieces, but I don't want to use the means of the world. I hope the official will come forward to completely punish the evil man and give my sister justice."
Xi Yu frowned slightly. Although he felt that Mrs. Mingyue was a little nagging, he couldn't help interrupting her when she looked so sad, but just listened quietly.
In the cave, Mrs. Mingyue's crying echoed, as if she wanted to express all the grievances and anger in her heart.
While crying, Mrs. Mingyue told her sister what she had experienced.
Her sister was originally a kind and gentle woman, but she was framed by evil people for no reason and fell into a desperate situation.
Mrs. Mingyue ran around, but she could not seek justice for her sister. In desperation, she came up with a way to kidnap the people and lead the prime minister to come forward.
Xi Yu was silent, and the air seemed to have solidified. After a long time, he slowly spoke: "Calm down first and tell me the details of the matter. I will deal with it impartially and give your sister a fairness."
After hearing Xi Yu's words, a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart. She tried to stop her tears and began to tell her sister's grievances.
Mrs. Mingyue trembled slightly and continued to tell her sister's tragic experience.
"My sister is called Sun Qiushui. Ten years ago, she was just a little girl. At that time, she worked in a shop and wanted to earn a stable life through her own efforts. But the shopkeeper had bad intentions and often teased her sister. Naturally, her sister refused to obey, she insisted on her dignity and bottom line."
Mrs. Mingyue's eyes were filled with sadness and anger.
"Later, the shopkeeper was malicious and framed his sister. He lied that he had lost a jade pendant in the store and began to search for his body. Unexpectedly, he found the jade pendant in his sister's room. Everyone in the shop was deceived by the shopkeeper and thought that his sister was a thief. In this way, the sister was arrested and spent a long ten years injustice. She was just released this year."
Xi Yu listened quietly, and a burst of anger surged in his heart. He could imagine the suffering Sun Qiushui suffered in prison, and he was also disgusted with the shopkeeper's evil deeds.
"Do you have evidence to prove that your sister was framed?" Xi Yu asked.
Mrs. Mingyue bit her lip.
"Although I have no conclusive evidence, I believe my sister's character. She will never do anything to steal. Moreover, the shopkeeper's character is insidious and cunning, it must be that he designed to frame her sister."
Xi Yu nodded slightly.
"I will investigate this matter clearly. If your sister is really wronged, I will definitely seek justice for her."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Mrs. Mingyue's eyes, and she looked at Xi Yu with gratitude.
"Thank you, Prime Minister. If you can clear your grievances for your sister, Mingyue is willing to be a cow and a horse for the Prime Minister."
Mrs. Mingyue looked angry.
"The county magistrate was simply a confused official. He had never tried the case well. He thought he had accepted the bribe from the hateful shopkeeper. Now his sister has suffered humiliation in the village and can't raise her head at all. Although she was released, the villagers do not know the truth and often insulted her as a thief. My sister suffered such torture every day, and even felt that life was worse than death, and she wanted to find a short-term view several times."
Speaking of this, Mrs. Mingyue's eyes turned red again.
Xi Yu frowned, and a sharpness flashed in his eyes.
"If what you said is true, I will definitely deal with it. I don't need to send my men to do this. I will go there and investigate it in person."
When Mrs. Mingyue heard this, she immediately knelt down with gratitude in her eyes.
"Thank you for your great kindness and virtue, the bright moon will never be forgotten."
Her forehead hit the ground heavily, and she was full of respect and hope for Xi Yu.
She knew very well that as long as the prime minister came into action, her sister's grievances would be cleared, and the family would have hope of reviving their hearts.
Xi Yu hurried forward and helped Mrs. Mingyue up.
"Are you up, as the prime minister, I should preside over justice for the people, and you do not need to give this great gift."
Mrs. Mingyue stood up and still couldn't stop sobbing. She knew that her sister's fate might be about to turn around.
Xi Yu looked at Mrs. Mingyue with a firm look and asked, "Where is that place?"
Mrs. Mingyue hurriedly replied: "The distance is very far, in a place called Qingfeng County."
Xi Yu thought for a while and said, "Since that's the case, then I'll set out tomorrow. Can I go home now?"
Mrs. Mingyue showed apologies and bowed slightly and said, "I offended you so much before, so now the Prime Minister can naturally go back home."
Xi Yu nodded and continued, "I'll come here again tomorrow, and then we'll set off together."
Mrs. Mingyue quickly agreed: "Okay, Prime Minister, Mingyue is waiting here."
Xi Yu turned around and walked out of the cave, and turned over to the horse.
The sound of horse hooves rang in the quiet night, and he ran towards the Prime Minister's Mansion with thoughts about tomorrow's itinerary.
Mrs. Mingyue looked at Xi Yu's back as she was leaving, and her heart was filled with emotions.
She felt a glimmer of hope for her upcoming avenge for her sister, and also felt guilty for her previous reckless behavior.
She secretly swore that she would help the prime minister find out the truth and give her sister a clear innocence.
After returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion, Xi Yu walked straight to the study. He found the location of Qingfeng County on the map and began to plan his itinerary and investigation direction tomorrow.
He knew very well that this trip might not be easy, but for justice and for the sake of the people's grievances, he refused to heed.
At this time, Mrs. Mingyue was also packing her luggage in the cave to prepare for tomorrow's long journey.
Xi Yu saw Gan Mei's slender figure standing at the door of his room from afar.
Under the night, her figure seemed a little thin.
Xi Yu knew in his heart that Gan Mei must be worried about her own safety and was waiting here.
When Gan Mei saw Xi Yu, her eyes flashed with surprise and she hurriedly met her.
"You're back, I've been worried. What's going on? Are you doing?" Her voice was anxious and concerned, staring at Xi Yu without blinking, carefully looking at him if he was injured.
Xi Yu smiled and held Gan Mei's hand, comforted him, "I'm fine, don't worry."
As he said that, he told Gan Mei all the things that happened in the cave, including the reason why Mrs. Mingyue kidnapped the people and the injustice of her sister.
Gan Mei listened very seriously, sometimes frowned, sometimes showing an indignant look.
After Xi Yu finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh: "This Mrs. Mingyue is really a strange woman. She took risks for her sister's injustice. Although she was reckless, this family affection was really touching."
Gan Mei nodded slightly, with a hint of admiration in her eyes: "She was also forced to do so. I hope we can help her sister clear her grievances."
Xi Yu held Gan Mei's shoulder and looked at her gentle face.
"Don't worry, I have promised to go to Qingfeng County with Mrs. Mingyue tomorrow to investigate the matter, and I will definitely give her sister justice."
Gan Mei leaned into Xi Yu's arms and whispered: "I believe in you, but you must be careful when you go here."
Xi Yu nodded and Gan Mei went back to the room.
Xi Yu sat at the desk, spread out the letter paper, picked up his pen and started writing.
The letter was written to Hesheli, the king of the Kingdom of Silence. In the letter, Xi Yu wrote: "Dear King, I have found the princess. However, the princess is not willing to leave at all. The Khanate does not lack rations for one person, so I am willing to leave the princess. I hope that His Majesty the King will not find the princess anymore."
Xi Yu knew very well that some words need not be said very straightforwardly. As the king of a country, Hesheli would definitely understand the meaning of it.
After writing the letter, Xi Yu put down his pen and gently blew the ink on the paper.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and thought about tomorrow's arrangements. In addition to sending people to deliver the letter, Xi Yu also planned to ask the soldiers to get the portrait of Princess Anxi.
He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble because of the princess' affairs. Since the princess has decided to stay, it should be put to calm down as soon as possible.
Xi Yu stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the quiet night outside the window.
The next day, the portraits of Princess Anxi posted hanging in various parts of the city were exposed one by one.
When the people saw this scene, they all understood in their hearts that the princess had been found.
At this time, Xi Yu was handling affairs in the Prime Minister's Mansion when he suddenly received a letter from the border crossing.
He opened it and found that it was written by Liu Bei.
In the letter, Liu Bei spoke sincerely, hoping to find an job for Guan Yu, claiming that Guan Yu has now reformed.
Xi Yu pondered slightly, then picked up his pen and wrote a letter to the county where Liu Bei was located.
In the letter, he instructed local officials to look at the arrangements and give appropriate errands based on Guan Yu's talent and performance.
Xi Yu knew very well that talent was rare, and it would be a good thing if Guan Yu could really reform himself and serve the country.
After dealing with this matter, Xi Yu began to prepare for going to Qingfeng County again.
In the cave where Mrs. Mingyue is located, several subordinates surrounded Mrs. Mingyue with worried expressions.
One of the subordinates couldn't help but say, "Madam, I really shouldn't have let Ji Yu go last night. Now the people are gone, and we don't have any hostages in our hands. If Ji Yu doesn't agree to our request, what should we do?"
The other subordinates also nodded, their eyes full of anxiety.
Mrs. Mingyue looked calm, she waved her hand gently and said, "I believe in my judgment. The Prime Minister should not be the kind of person who is untrustworthy. From his eyes and words and deeds, I can feel his integrity. Since he agreed, he will definitely come."
A subordinate was still a little unwilling to accept it: "Madam, people's hearts are separated from their stomachs. What if he just pretends to agree to it to escape? We took such a big risk. If we fail in the end, our sister's grievances will never be revealed."
Mrs. Mingyue frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes.
"When I talked to the Prime Minister, I could see that he really wanted to uphold justice for the people. Moreover, as Prime Minister, if he didn't even have this little credit, how could he convince the public? What we have to do now is to wait patiently."
Seeing that Mrs. Mingyue was so persistent, it was hard for my subordinates to say anything else, but the worries in their hearts had not completely dissipated.
They were preparing silently in the cave, hoping that Xi Yu would arrive on time, and at the same time they were praying silently in their hearts, hoping that this action could successfully resolve the injustice of his sister.
Outside the cave, the sun shines on the entrance of the cave, and the breeze blows by, but it cannot blow away the solemn atmosphere in the cave.
Mrs. Mingyue stood quietly at the entrance of the cave.
Just as everyone was talking and worried, the sound of horse hooves came from far and near.
Everyone looked at him and saw Xi Yu appearing in their sight with a heroic appearance on his horse.
A happy smile suddenly appeared on Mrs. Mingyue's originally tight face, and tears of excitement flashed in her eyes.
Xi Yu turned over and dismounted, walked to Mrs. Mingyue, and said, "You can go."
Mrs. Mingyue looked at Xi Yu, her lips trembled slightly, and suddenly, tears burst out from her eyes.
She choked and said, "I was just trying it out, but I really didn't expect that Prime Minister, you are really willing to help me."
Xi Yu smiled gently and comforted softly: "Don't cry. As the prime minister, helping the people is my duty. When we really help your sister clear the grievances, it's not too late for you to thank me again."
Mrs. Mingyue wiped her tears and nodded vigorously.
"The prime minister's righteousness is unforgettable. Without further ado, let's set off now."
After saying that, she asked her subordinates to prepare their luggage and embarked on the way to Qingfeng County with Xi Yu.
Along the way, Mrs. Mingyue was full of gratitude for Xi Yu and full of hope for the upcoming journey of seeking justice.
The dust raised by the horse's hooves spread on the road, and the team was moving in the sun. Everyone looked expectant and solemn for this itinerary.
Depending on the itinerary, it will take about three days for them to arrive in Qingfeng County.
At the beginning, Mrs. Mingyue's subordinates had prejudices about Xi Yu because of previous events.
In their opinion, as the Prime Minister, Xi Yu might just be acting and would not sincerely avenge a civilian woman. Moreover, the people in the Prime Minister's Mansion had siege a hostile atmosphere between them and Xi Yu.
However, during the three days of travel, the situation quietly changed.
Xi Yu has no pretentiousness as a prime minister. When he encounters rivers blocking the road, he will take the lead in dismounting and work with the soldiers to find a suitable crossing point.
Whenever he went to a resting place, he always cared about the situation of the horses and the crowd.
While resting on the way, he will also share some interesting stories from the past with everyone, showing extraordinary wisdom and affinity.
Once, a subordinate accidentally sprained his foot. Xi Yu personally checked his injuries and took out the medicine he carried with him.
These actions were seen by their subordinates, and gradually, their views on Xi Yu began to change.
They found that the Prime Minister was a person who truly thought about the people, kind-hearted and outstanding ability. His previous prejudices disappeared without realizing them, and he became deeply aware of Xi Yu.
Mrs. Mingyue felt very relieved when she saw the change in her subordinates' attitude.
That night, after a long journey, they finally arrived at Qingfeng County.
At this time, the night had completely enveloped the small town, with sparse lights and quietness.
Mrs. Mingyue tied the horse's reins and said to Xi Yu: "Prime Minister, it's getting late, so we might as well go to my sister's place tomorrow." Xi Yu nodded and agreed.
Then, Mrs. Mingyue turned her head to look at her subordinates and said softly: "You have worked hard these days, so let's go and go home to rest. You don't have to come to my house tomorrow."
The subordinates responded in unison: "Yes, madam."
After saying that, they each rode their horses away.
Xi Yu and Mrs. Mingyue found an inn to stay in.
In the inn, Mrs. Mingyue briefly introduced to Xi Yu about the situation in Qingfeng County and her sister's current living conditions.
Xi Yu listened carefully and had some preliminary plans for tomorrow's investigation.
The next morning, the mist was everywhere, and the whole world seemed to be covered with a layer of gauze.
Mrs. Mingyue and Xi Yu set out early and headed towards the village that cared about Mrs. Mingyue's hope and pain.
The two of them rode slowly, and the sound of horse hooves seemed particularly clear in the quiet morning mist.
About an hour later, the outline of a village gradually appeared in the fog.
Mrs. Mingyue tied the reins and turned to Xi Yu and said, "Prime Minister, this is my hometown."
In her eyes, she had both attachment to her hometown and complex emotions about what she was about to face.
Xi Yu looked at the village. It looked peaceful and peaceful, but the fog seemed to be shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.
Houses in the village are arranged in a scattered manner, and occasionally you can see smoke rising from the chimneys.
"Let's go." Xi Yu said. He could feel the fluctuations in Mrs. Mingyue's emotions and knew that she must be in a mixed sense of emotion in her heart at this moment.
Mrs. Mingyue nodded, gently clamped her horse's belly, and continued to move forward. As they went deeper, they could hear the sound of chickens crowing and dogs barking, and the villagers also began a day of work.
Some villagers saw Mrs. Mingyue’s eyes with a look of surprise and complexity, but no one came forward to say hello, but just looked at it from a distance.
Mrs. Mingyue's expression became more and more serious. She knew that the attitudes of the people in this village towards her and her sister were changed by that unjust case. Today, perhaps the beginning of all this change.
Soon, they walked along the winding path and soon arrived at a farmer's home.
This is Sun Qiushui's residence.
The farmhouse stands quietly by a field, surrounded by lush trees, like a paradise that is independent.
The thatch on the roof sways gently in the breeze, as if telling the story of time.
Mrs. Mingyue's parents have long passed away. In this world, only Sun Qiushui lives here alone.
Chapter completed!