Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 138 The Child Without a Tongue
Just as she firmly believed that Jiu Que's words and actions could influence His Majesty.

Having traveled the world for so many years, she had met countless officials, but only Jiu Que was a good official who truly cared for the people. Orphaned in her childhood, she was taken in and raised by her master. Although she never lacked food or drink, she had also endured a period of hardship and witnessed countless human sufferings. If someone could be like Jiu Que, readily helping those in need, then there would be far less suffering in the world.

Therefore, she was willing to follow Jiu Que and help her with her tasks.

Cui Zhufeng's lightness skill was truly exceptional; he only needed to take two breaths to slip into a small earthen mound next to the saltworks. Below the mound lay the renowned Yancheng Saltworks.

The terrain of Yancheng is somewhat peculiar. A long river runs through the entire landscape, and despite the vastness of the water, there are countless salt wells and a large salt lake. Indeed, even before Jiuque was in sight, a strange, salty smell could be detected.

The smell was rather pungent, but Jiu Que, upon smelling it, excitedly peeked out. This was indeed a rich salt mine. However, from this distance, Jiu Que could only see densely packed people walking around inside. Moreover, he could see a bonfire burning in the distance, with earthenware jars larger than bathtubs placed on top of the fire, something bubbling and cooking inside.

"What are they doing? Are they boiling salt?"

Isn't this method too wasteful of manpower and resources, and also very difficult? Although they were far away, Jiu Que could still see that the workers were very thin, with their bones even protruding, which looked quite frightening.

The miners they had seen in the mines before were already in pretty bad shape, but the employees here seemed to be in even worse condition.

Cui Zhufeng's eyesight was far superior to Jiu Que's, so she could clearly see the cracked hands and feet of these workers, caused by prolonged contact with brine, and the rough skin left behind after repeated peeling. With so many cracks, their hands must have been excruciatingly painful to touch the brine, yet these salt workers seemed to have long been accustomed to it, numb to it, simply working tirelessly under the supervision of the surrounding overseers. They didn't even look like human beings anymore, but rather like donkeys being constantly whipped forward.

Although Qianzhou and Yancheng are not under the jurisdiction of the same government, the lives of the people in their respective areas are remarkably similar. The people of Yancheng certainly don't live in the same constant fear as those in Qianzhou; at first glance, they seem to be doing quite well. However, many Yancheng residents can't even afford salt. Are they truly living well? Or are the ugly truths hidden beneath the surface of prosperity?

As the oldest and most experienced member of the five-person team, Cui Zhufeng remained noncommittal. There's a saying among the common people: all crows are black. It seems that no matter where you are, there are corrupt officials and bureaucrats who don't care about the common people.

Alas, in this world, to have even one Jiuque is already a blessing from Heaven.

"Senior Cui, can we get any closer? I can't see clearly."

"It's possible, but... a mouse is coming."

"Rat? What rat?"

Before Jiu Que could finish wondering, Cui Zhufeng had already flashed back to life, carrying a dirty figure in his hand. The figure was still struggling, trying to inflict new wounds on Cui Zhufeng with its sharp teeth.

But strangely, no matter how much the person struggled, he didn't make a sound. It was unclear whether he was afraid of something or simply couldn't speak.

However, her little resistance was like a kitten scratching an itch to Cui Zhufeng, posing no threat whatsoever. She was just a little annoyed. The child's constant struggles had kicked up dust that had gotten all over Jiu Que; the once clean Jiu Que was now covered in a layer of grime. She hadn't taken good care of Jiu Que…

However, after a brief moment of annoyance, Cui Zhufeng quickly cheered up. The child in his arms had a faint salty smell, and judging from the direction he had run from, it was hard to say whether he had escaped from the salt fields. Jiu Que was just about to inquire about the situation at the salt fields, and this child had delivered himself right to his doorstep. How wonderful.

"This child looks like he escaped from the salt fields."

Really? Jiu Que looked at the child closely with some excitement, and then noticed that the child was tanned dark all over and was only wearing a piece of linen. Yes, just a piece of linen, the kind that wasn't even sewn up, with only two strips tied around the chest and waist, leaving the arms and legs completely exposed.

Although it's springtime now, the weather is still a bit chilly. Isn't this child cold wearing such tattered clothes?
Yes, Jiu Que also noticed that the dark-skinned person was not very old, appearing to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. However, due to their rather thin build, their actual age might be even younger.

Seeing that the other party was not struggling at this moment, Jiu Que asked in a very low voice.

"Hello, I'd like to ask, did you escape from that salt field over there? Hmm, I heard that Yancheng only recruits young and strong laborers between twenty and thirty years old for salt work. You don't look even twenty, so how did you end up there? Was someone forcing you? You can tell me, I'm here to investigate this matter..."

"Pooh!"

Before Jiu Que could finish speaking, she was met with a sneer. If Cui Zhufeng hadn't reacted quickly, he would have spat in her face.

That wasn't all. The child waved his arms and legs, trying to rush up and scratch Jiu Que, but Cui Zhu Feng flicked him down with a single finger. Even so, the child struggled to open his mouth, trying to say something, but only broken sounds came out.

Jiu Que, who was initially puzzled, suddenly saw his empty mouth, and her pupils contracted sharply, she could hardly believe it.

Such a neat wound...

The child's tongue looks like it's been cut off.

A chilling aura shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and Jiuque felt an immense impact in an instant.

Humans can be cruel creatures sometimes, because they can inflict such cruel punishments on their own kind. This child was only a teenager, and Jiu Que suddenly couldn't fathom what he had committed that deserved to die, to have brought such a calamity upon himself.

Cui Zhufeng also realized something was wrong. She turned his head, pried open his mouth to take a look, and her expression wasn't good either. However, being experienced, she had already discerned the key point from the neat, old wound.

"It is said that some powerful masters would cut out the tongues of their disobedient and talkative slaves. However, the Great Jing Dynasty has been established for thirteen years, and there are no slaves in the country. If such private punishment is inflicted on one's own servants, the master will also be punished."

Therefore, this salt city indeed has a major problem. This law is written in the Great Jing Law, which every scholar is required to know, yet the salt fields under the jurisdiction of the Prince of Binyang are actually engaging in this practice of paying lip service while secretly disobeying it, which is simply outrageous!
(End of this chapter)