newbobooks Chapter 319 Why Cover Up?
Chapter 319 Why Cover Up?
that night.
Because of a steamed bun.
The refugees rushed forward to grab the loot, pushing and shoving each other, knocking many people down.
There were too many people, including the elderly, women, and children.
Many people died.
Jiang Miaomiao returned home still somewhat shaken.
I'd only ever seen stampede incidents on the news before, but I never imagined I'd experience it firsthand.
They almost became one of them.
Scared to death!
It's best to avoid crowded places in the future; you might accidentally lose your life in the crowd.
Jiang Miaomiao went back to the room and started searching everywhere.
"Xi'er, where are my gold and silver jewelry and my secret stash of money? Can you help me find them?"
Xi'er remembers where the girl hid the money: under the bed, in the vase...
As soon as Xiuxiu entered the house, she saw a messy room that had been ransacked. If it weren't for the little guy sticking his butt out and rummaging through boxes, she would have been completely stunned.
She thought a petty thief had broken in.
"What are you looking for those things for?" Xiuxiu asked curiously, peeking over.
“Auntie, those women and children are so pitiful. They have no clothes to wear and nothing to eat. The old ones are so old, and the young ones are not even as old as me. I want to use that money to buy them coats, food, and shelter from the wind and rain,” Jiang Miaomiao said earnestly.
When you encounter this situation...
Those inside can't get out, and those outside can't get in to rescue them.
They would either be trampled to death, or if they were lucky, they could only escape danger after the crowd dispersed.
The most tragic cases are those involving the elderly, the weak, women, and children.
Such an incident, occurring in the imperial city and involving displaced people, could easily provoke public outrage if the court handles it improperly.
People in ancient times were very superstitious.
Rebellion, natural disasters, man-made calamities...
Connecting these events together easily leads one to wonder if the emperor did something that would incur divine and popular wrath.
Is it fate? Otherwise, how could a biological son rebel against his own father?
If the rebels were to use this as an excuse again, it would inevitably lead to another bloody conflict.
The consequences could be disastrous.
Therefore, how the imperial court expresses its stance at this time is very important.
Mu Qianxue immediately thought of this problem, so she immediately notified the government to evacuate the crowd and handed the matter over to Prince Jing for handling.
Prince Jing was a prince, representing the royal family and even the emperor's attitude.
He is the most suitable person to step in.
It is a challenge, but also a good opportunity to win the hearts of the people.
Officials arrived in time to evacuate the crowd and settle the refugees who had escaped the disaster.
Many bodies were cleared out, their household registrations were checked as quickly as possible, and they were buried. The families were then offered condolences.
Prince Jing also arrived at the scene immediately.
He arrived with most of the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to treat the wounded and comfort the people.
Since deciding to become the Princess Consort of Jing, Mu Qianxue has resolved to face everything together with her fiancé.
She sent the children to Lu Garden and then left with the guards.
Upon hearing her daughter's words, Lu Qingyao immediately thought that if the princess and prince handled the matter personally, it would surely appease the people.
They immediately sent someone to inform Princess Yuqing.
Because of Miao Miao, two unrelated women instantly found themselves on the same side.
"Sister, will this matter lead to Jiang Zijin? Will it implicate the entire Jiang family?"
Lu Qingyao frowned in thought.
She's been thinking about this issue lately too.
Jiang Yunze is a bad person in every way, but he has one good point: he values his career extremely.
His rise from a poor scholar to his current position is by no means solely due to luck.
He was shrewd and calculating, eager to curry favor with the powerful and influential, yet cautious and meticulous, always thinking three steps ahead before acting. He witnessed the sordid aspects of officialdom, yet managed to escape unscathed.
He always gave others the impression that he remained untainted by the mud, a virtuous and upright gentleman.
When the Lu family suffered misfortune, he gained a good reputation.
Even though the Qi family fell this time, he still managed to escape unscathed and even gained a good reputation.
Lu Qingyao didn't know what to feel.
When Xiuxiu saw Lu Qingyao frowning and remaining silent, she knew the answer.
He then gestured to his neck and whispered, "Sister, how about I secretly take care of that mother and daughter? Their continued presence in the Jiang family is a ticking time bomb; they'll drag others down with them sooner or later."
Although my sister has left the Jiang family, she still has Brother Feng and other members of the Jiang family.
They had considered severing ties with their relatives.
But that's just self-deception. The government doesn't care about such things; otherwise, those rebellious officials would have removed themselves from the family genealogy first.
Half loyal to the emperor, half rebelling against him—whether they win or lose, their family remains standing.
That day was bound to be chaotic.
Lu Qingyao naturally knew that keeping the mother and daughter alive was a potential problem, but it wasn't her place to take action.
"Xiuxiu, don't worry about this. Jiang Yunze has to bear the consequences of his actions. I have more important things for you to do."
"Sister, please tell me."
"Go to the cloth shop and deliver the batch of padded jackets and quilts that are being made to the refugees."
"But that's an order from the Princess's residence. If we give it out without permission, won't we offend Princess Yuqing?" Xiuxiu knew her sister was kind-hearted, but there was no need to offend that person. They could think of another way.
"It's alright. If there's no time, just send it over in Princess Yuqing's name." At this time, not only food but also warm clothing are needed, and she happens to have both, so how could she stand idly by?
It snowed for two days in a row.
The atmosphere at the Jiang residence has been somewhat somber these past two days.
Jiang Yunze came out of the study and went directly to Aunt Tao's courtyard.
Although he's starting to get a little annoyed with Peach Girl.
He sensed that Tao Mei had changed. Although she was still gentle and obedient to him, the passion in her eyes had faded.
Now, all she thinks about is Xiao Shu.
When he came, there was no more warm greetings, but more complaints, and she was becoming more and more like Qi Caiwei.
Gradually, he no longer wanted to come to Tao Tao Courtyard, but he still missed Xiao Shu.
His youngest daughter, whom he loved most.
He personally raised her from infancy, taking care of her every need and investing time and effort; his affection for her was different from that for other children.
He needs to see his child almost every day to feel at ease.
When little Zishu saw her father, her eyes sparkled. She smiled and helped herself to her feet, calling out in her childish voice, "Daddy...Daddy...hug me..."
The baby's speech was not very clear.
She now cries and throws a tantrum if she doesn't see her father before going to bed.
During the days Jiang Yunze was detained, she called out for her father every day, which caused Tao Tao to lose a lot of weight.
Tao Tao had already made up her mind: if Jiang Yunze didn't come back, she would take the child back to Taoxi Village.
She'd had enough of living in fear.
In the village, no matter how difficult things get, as long as you take care of your own small plot of land, you can still survive.
In the capital, though you are pampered with fine clothes and delicacies, you can easily lose your life if you are not careful, as someone else's mistake can implicate you.
One must be cautious in everything, lest one make even the slightest mistake.
Even now that she has given up all hope and is no longer afraid of Madam Qi and Old Madam Jiang.
Still unwilling to go out.
Seeing the father and daughter having fun, Tao Tao was about to say something when she heard Butler Wang come to report.
"Master, something has happened at our soup kitchen. Many refugees have died or been injured. The authorities are investigating the cause, and they may find our household in the process."
Jiang Yunze's heart skipped a beat. "How could something like distributing porridge cause an accident?"
"It was the Third Sister. She personally went to the soup kitchen to distribute soup and threw steamed buns to the refugees, which caused them to scramble for the food... resulting in many deaths and injuries."
Jiang Yunze gritted his back teeth.
Jin'er is such a well-behaved child, why would she go to the porridge stall? It must have been either Qi Caiwei's idea or the servants' instigation.
Although I was furious, my first instinct was to ignore it.
He ordered Steward Wang, "Confine the Third Miss and Aunt Qi to the ancestral hall and make them kneel there. They are not allowed to come out without my order."
Tao Tao was displeased upon hearing this and questioned, "Brother Yunze, so many people have died, why are you still protecting this mother and daughter? Do you want them to harm the whole family before you're willing to hand them over?"
……