The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 103 Lawsuits Never End
"As far as I know, the bride was sold by her stepmother. Mr. Dong is notorious for his lechery, so I'm afraid this marriage was not the bride's own wish."

Chi Yu seemed not to hear him and ordered, "Go!"

Yu Tingwan spoke calmly and steadily, but her voice was firm.

"In the twenty-fourth year of the Great Jin Dynasty, mountain bandits in Yuzhou were rampant. Taking advantage of the rugged mountain roads and treacherous terrain, they disregarded the court's intention to provoke them and kidnapped innocent women, humiliating and killing them. The court's troops sent to suppress the bandits suffered repeated defeats and heavy casualties."

"It was General Wei, returning in triumph, who led his army straight to Yuzhou, defeated the mountain bandits, and rescued dozens of wounded girls, children, and a pile of corpses."

“The laws are strict. There are records of bandit suppression during the Great Jin Dynasty and the previous dynasty. Anyone involved with the female relatives and bloodline of mountain bandits is guilty of a capital crime and will be hanged.”

"But the general investigated the past of these girls and confirmed that they were all from respectable families and had been abducted. The general could not bear it and begged the Emperor to spare their lives."

"General Wei knows that this world is harsh on women; losing one's chastity is a sin, even for the victim."

“He once said that the crime should not extend to women and children! It’s one thing for the children to be related to the bandits, but those girls are so innocent.”

"The general has passed away, and the talent of the army has been lost, but military orders are as firm as mountains."

Chi Yu was somewhat dazed.

Indeed, the general was a man of unyielding integrity, yet he could not bear to see human suffering.

He never kills innocent people indiscriminately.

However, if the other party's identity is suspicious, Wei Zhao will strike without hesitation, never allowing any potential danger to remain.

Thinking of the general, Chi Yu felt a pang of heartache.

I don't know... I don't know...

Chi Yu, breathing heavily, mounted his horse.

"If what you say is true, she will be alright."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

It was dark.

Before the news of the imperial court's crackdown on corrupt officials had fully spread beyond Ze County, a long queue had already formed outside the post station.

The officials from the various courts who came to the capital, abandoning their usual airs of nobility, unusually became down-to-earth and did the work of registering people.

An elderly man stepped forward, his steps faltering.

"My lord, I am a vegetable farmer, traveling between Ze County and several surrounding towns. I have come today to inquire about the cost of obtaining a travel permit from other government offices."

This……

It was indeed a challenge for these important people.

They don't usually manage such trivial matters when they're in the capital.

Ying Yin bowed his head and instructed his trusted confidant: "Go, bring over a county magistrate who is at least somewhat honest for questioning."

So, Yang Weiwen, who had been temporarily detained together, was brought over.

Yang Weiwen was completely bewildered.

He was also in a sorry state.

However, he was well aware of these things.

He respectfully bowed to Ying Yin and said, "The court is considerate and reduced the price to three coins two years ago."

The old man from before became excited immediately.

He suddenly knelt down on the ground.

"But it costs us six coins to get to Ze County!"

Ying Yin suddenly looked up.

As a prince, he had always lived a life of luxury and never had to worry about money, but he also knew that the common people did not have an easy life.

In recent years, the taxes collected by the imperial court have been reduced again and again. Could it be that in remote areas, the taxes have increased instead of decreased, only to end up in the pockets of officials?

The difference between six coins and three coins is a full 100%!

Yang Weiwen was stunned.

He was distraught and incredulous.

Xiao Huaiyan had somehow appeared behind him.

"Hey, how much are you charging for the area under your jurisdiction?"

Yang Weiwen quickly replied honestly, "Three coins."

Xiao Huaiyan: ...

It did save your life.

"Didn't you notice? Every time we took that money to Prefect Zhu to check the accounts, he would get a bad look on his face if he didn't receive any bribes?"

Yang Weiwen shook his head: "No."

“Even the prefect praises me.”

Xiao Huaiyan was puzzled.

"What did he praise you for?" "He praised me for being really good at handling things."

Yang Weiwen: "Prefect Zhu also cares about me a lot."

"He would ask me if I was short of money, because I looked very poor."

Xiao Huaiyan: ...

He's hinting at something to you.

Stupid thing.

The wind was fierce and howling, like the crying of a baby.

The old man was filled with righteous indignation.

"The travel permit can only be used once; it has to be renewed for both the return trip and the return trip. Every day, I have to carry vegetables to the county to sell, and the round trip costs twelve coins!"

"The whole family tightens their belts and works from dawn till dusk farming, all for the sake of selling!"

The more the man spoke, the more heartbroken he became, his voice trembling with tears.

Even the Vice Minister of Justice dared not look at the Fifth Prince's unpleasant expression.

"Old man, please get up. I have taken note of everything. If the situation is true..."

He was interrupted by Ying Yin.

"Leave your address, and if it's true, all the extra money you paid will be refunded one by one."

Since we're going to do it, we should be confident that we can do it well and win the hearts of the people.

The old man did not get up.

"I'm not here for money, I just want justice."

"The person who used to come to the county to sell vegetables was the grandson of a commoner."

He was getting on in years and had difficulty walking.

Just as Yu Tingwan and Huiniang rushed over, they heard someone break down in tears ahead.

"My grandson complained about the high prices yesterday, and the town's constables beat him so badly that he was ripped open and broke his leg! He's still lying in the clinic right now."

"Our family has finally saved up some money over the years, and I was hoping he could get married and settle down soon. Now look what's happened! All the money has gone to medical treatment, and it's still not enough!"

What could an old man like him possibly do?

They only have one grandson; they'll sell everything they own to pay for his treatment.

“But after a hard day’s work, I only earn twenty coins from selling vegetables. I haven’t even saved enough for medicine in a day, yet I have to pay more than half of it to the yamen.”

The Vice Minister of Justice asked, "Who else is in your household?"

"Just me and my grandson."

“His father was drafted into the army right after he was born, and he died a year later.”

"Mother of my child..."

The old man sighed: "Unable to bear the blow, he drowned himself in the lake."

The people in line were all numb.

They were already used to this kind of thing.

The officials who went to the capital looked at each other in bewilderment and sighed deeply.

But what awaits them is yet to come.

There are just too many cases, one after another.

There was a thick stack of papers; how could I possibly remember them all?

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that... the news spread far and wide, and the number of people coming to the post station only increased.

The person behind the old man stepped forward.

"My lord, I want to file a complaint against the western mines. They are mining without the permission of the imperial court, and people are dying every year!"

There is no compensation.

"The person in charge of the mine had a close relationship with the magistrate of Ze County."

“My husband and son are both gone. My daughter-in-law went to the yamen (government office) to cause trouble, offended the county magistrate, and was imprisoned. She hasn’t been released yet.”

Ying Yin stood to the side, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

There was also a woman with a sorrowful face who nervously clutched her clothes. She took a deep breath: "Since the twelfth year of the Great Jin Dynasty, there has been a drought year after year. Every household is starving and people are dying."

Walking on the street, the stench was unbearable, and corpses lay scattered everywhere.

She choked back tears: "In the thirteenth year of the Great Jin Dynasty, my grandparents passed away. In the fourteenth year of the Great Jin Dynasty, my mother died. In order not to let my younger brother go hungry, my father cooked and ate my mother while I was digging a pit to bury her."

"I'm not afraid of offending important people today. I just want to ask: why has the imperial disaster relief fund been delayed?"

(End of this chapter)