Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 411: It is easy to bully the common people, but hard to bully God
When everyone heard this, their brows furrowed involuntarily, their faces filled with worry.

Zhao Chuxia's face darkened, and she asked in a deep voice:

"what happened?"

Her voice was cold and carried unquestionable authority.

The guard hurriedly explained:
"Reporting to the princess, the Danyang County Magistrate Fan Jing has unexpectedly brought a group of civilians to the outside of the camp."

"They kept shouting and making trouble, saying they wanted the princess... to give them food."

When these words were spoken, all the guests were stunned at first, and then they all breathed a sigh of relief, as if they were glad that it was not something worse.

Instead, Zhao Chuxia was furious, her eyes wide open, burning with rage, and she suddenly smashed the priceless crystal cup in her hand to the ground.

The precious crystal glass shattered in an instant, making a crisp sound that was particularly harsh in the silent tent.

"It's that bastard again!"

Zhao Chuxia was so angry that her teeth were about to break, and her voice was as sharp as a blade cutting through the night sky:

"You've been causing trouble at my house for the past few months, and you still haven't gotten enough!"

"He himself doesn't have enough food in Danyang County. What does that have to do with my family? Why should my family give him food?"

"This is really too much! Do you really think that this princess dare not kill him?!"

"Come here! Bring me a bow! I'll shoot him to death with one arrow!"

All the guests had wry smiles on their faces, looking helpless.

As soon as they heard Fan Jing's name, the Changzhou officials present basically understood what was going on.

Fan Jing was a stubborn person with a stubborn temper. He always had trouble getting along with his colleagues and was disliked by his superiors.

So he was always marginalized and his official position was transferred back and forth. He had been serving as a small seventh-rank county magistrate for almost twenty years, but he was never promoted.

You should know that the most promising among his contemporaries have already become high-ranking officials of the second rank in the imperial court.

The Danyang County governed by Fan Jing was adjacent to the fiefdom of Princess Zhao Chuxia, so everyone had heard that the two sides had a conflict because of the drought.

But no one expected that after Fan Jing heard that Zhao Chuxia was going out, he actually brought people to cause trouble.

Immediately, a group of Changzhou local officials spoke:

"Since it is inconvenient for us to show up, we will not accompany the princess."

After all, Fan Jing was an official appointed by the imperial court. If the princess really wanted to kill him, it would be his own bad luck.

But these local officials cannot be present at the scene.

After all, the princess is a member of the royal family, and her father, the Prince of Pingcheng, is deeply respected by the emperor.

She killed an insignificant official, and the emperor would not make things difficult for her for such a small matter.

But the other officials did not have such a high status, and they were afraid of being criticized by the emperor.

"Princess, I'll go with you."

"I also want to see which blind person dares to offend the princess."

The waiter stood up to accompany him.

The local officials dared not show up, but the head of the investigation office had no such concerns.

Immediately, Zhao Chuxia and the people from the investigation factory left the tent.

After leaving the tent, a group of guards immediately escorted Zhao Chuxia to the outside of the tent.

Seeing this, Ji Yan, who was waiting outside, hurried over.

When everyone arrived at the outskirts of the tent, Zhao Chuxia stopped.

She had reached the end of the carpet.

As an extremely noble princess, it is absolutely impossible for her to be stained by dust.

Her jade feet can only land on precious carpets, not on the dirty mud in the wild.

Zhao Chuxia looked up.

Sure enough, at least a thousand people had gathered outside the tent.

These people included men, women, young and old. They were all dressed in rags, with tattered clothes covered with patches and stains. They were unkempt, with messy hair and faces covered in dirt, just like a group of beggars.

"That's disgusting."

Zhao Chuxia frowned and subconsciously covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

Even though they were far away, Zhao Chuxia seemed afraid of smelling the stinky odor on these people.

Fortunately, the guards of the palace were blocking this group of people at the periphery. Otherwise, if these people were allowed to get close, Zhao Chuxia would get goosebumps just thinking about it.

In front of this group of disaster victims, several yamen runners surrounded a middle-aged man in official uniform who was standing upright.

He is the magistrate of Danyang County, Fan Jing.

Fan Jing had already seen Zhao Chuxia. He immediately bowed to her from a distance, his movements solemn and sincere, and said loudly:
"I beg the princess to show mercy and release the grain to save the people of Danyang County!"

"Your subordinate, kneel before the princess!"

As he spoke, Fan Jing knelt heavily on the ground with his knees, which collided with the ground with a dull sound.

Following Fan Jing's shout, the victims behind him also knelt down and shouted in unison:
"Please, my lady, release the grain!!!"

Their voices, hoarse and filled with despair, resounded through the night sky and echoed in the wilderness.

When Zhao Chuxia heard this, she was so angry that her body trembled and her blood seemed to boil.

"This bastard, is he trying to bring the people to force this princess?"

"This bunch of unruly people really don't know how to live or die. They actually followed this bastard official to cause trouble!"

Zhao Chuxia immediately stretched out her hand, and a guard handed her an exquisite hard bow.

This bow is made of precious materials, and the bow body is carved with exquisite patterns, shining coldly in the moonlight.

Seeing this, the waiter on the side said:

"Why does the princess need to do it herself?"

"I will lead my men to arrest this petty official, search his house, and punish him according to the law once we find any crime he has committed."

"This way, we can justify our actions and avoid giving people a chance to criticize us."

As the head of the secret service of the police station, Dangtou is naturally good at doing this kind of thing. There is a hint of ruthlessness and cunning in his eyes.

Zhao Chuxia shook her head, her eyes full of disdain and anger:
"If we could have caught him, my father would have killed him long ago!"

"It's not just my father. There are many people who want him dead. Even his former colleagues have wanted to kill him for a long time!"

The waiter and a group of barbarians were surprised when they heard this.

"Are there any officials in Daqian who have something to hold against them?"

The waiter asked in disbelief.

He has been handling cases in the Investigation Bureau for many years, and countless officials have fallen into his hands.

First arrest the person, then investigate, and every time we investigate, we are always right, without exception.

Why is there someone in Changzhou who cannot be found guilty?
But then the boss suddenly realized:

"No wonder Fan Jing hasn't been promoted in twenty years. So that's why..."

How can a county magistrate who has no evidence against him reassure his superiors?

Only by handing over one's own handle to the boss and letting him catch it can the boss feel at ease and make him a close member of the group circle.

Even the current emperor likes ministers who can be controlled, and hates and even fears those ministers who are extremely famous but have no desires.

"Don't worry, Princess."

"We have our own way of dealing with people like this."

The boss was full of confidence, with a sinister smile on his face.

The investigation bureau is good at fabricating charges. Even if a person has no crime, the investigation bureau can still frame him with a bunch of charges.

But Zhao Chuxia couldn't wait any longer. Her patience had been worn out.
"No need!"

"Tonight, this princess must put an end to him!"

As he spoke, Zhao Chuxia drew his bow and arrow, and with skillful and fierce movements, he aimed at Fan Jing in the distance.

Zhao Chuxia is also a warrior. Although she is only at the seventh level, it is rare for her age. Her eyes reveal a determination to never give up until she achieves her goal.

She finally asked sharply:
"Fan Jing! This princess has one last question for you: are you determined to go against my Pingcheng County Prince's Mansion?"

far away.

Fan Jing, who was kneeling on the ground, raised his head when he heard this.

His face was pale, his skin was sallow and rough, and he was extremely skinny. He looked as if he could be blown down by a gust of wind. It was obvious that he had been starving for a long time.

I only heard him cry out in a mournful voice:
"My Lady! It's not that I want to go against you."

"It's because of the severe drought. Nine out of ten houses in Danyang County are empty. It's almost become a ghost town!"

"In the entire Danyang County, only the people behind Guan Hou are left alive. In two days, we will all be dead!"

"And in Changzhou, only Heicheng County has an abundant surplus of grain."

"Please, Princess, have mercy and save these people who are starving to death!"

Fan Jing no longer had the energy to say many things. His voice was weak and filled with endless despair.

Pingcheng County, as a fiefdom of the prince, occupied the best location in Changzhou. Not only was the land in the county fertile, but it also occupied the upper reaches of the Danyang County River.

At the beginning of the drought, Pingcheng County not only refused to release water from its reservoir, but also secretly built dams within the county, blocking the river and taking all the water for itself. This deprived Danyang County downstream of river water, making the drought even worse.

Afterwards, the severe drought was followed by a severe famine.

At first, Danyang County could still buy grain shipped from other places, but Pingcheng County later bought out all the grain at a high price and then sold it to other places at an even higher price.

This made the already impoverished Danyang County unable to afford such a high price, and countless people starved to death in a short period of time.

By now, Danyang County has reached the point of being destroyed.

This forced Fan Jing, the magistrate of Danyang County, to seek help from Prince Pingcheng. Even after being beaten out many times, he was still unwilling to give up.

Tonight, when he learned that the princess was out, he led the remaining people in the county to ask for food.

He has to come.

Otherwise, in a day or two, everyone present would probably starve to death!

"My Lady, I know that you and the Prince have always deeply hated me."

"If you, my lady, wish to kill me, please shoot me with one arrow! I have no complaints!"

"I just ask that after you shoot me dead, Princess, please release food to save the people of Danyang County!"

Having said that, Fan Jing stood up and strode forward.

As he walked, he spread his hands, obviously ready to sacrifice himself, and his eyes revealed a determination to face death.

When Zhao Chuxia heard this, she became so angry that her face turned pale and the muscles on her face twitched slightly.

She said sternly:

"Fan Jing! As the magistrate of Danyang County, if you want food, go find it somewhere else. Why are you forcing my family to do this?"

"What does my family's food have to do with you? What does it have to do with you, the unruly people of Danyang County?"

"You are so noble, so great! You want to speak up for the people, right?"

"If you don't get out of here, I'll shoot all of you to death!"

Having said that, Zhao Chuxia gave an order to the guards:
"All guards, listen up!"

"When I give the order, all the arrows will be fired at once, leaving no one alive!"

After hearing the order, the guards immediately gathered in large numbers and formed a formation.

Each of them held a bow and arrow, with the bowstring fully drawn. The sharp arrows flashed coldly in the moonlight, aiming at Fan Jing and the group of people behind him.

Obviously, this time it was no joke, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

When the people saw this scene, they couldn't help but panic. Their faces were full of fear and despair. Some began to cry, and some collapsed to the ground.

When Fan Jing saw that Zhao Chuxia had decided to kill him, he couldn't help but feel sad and angry, with anger and despair intertwined in his heart.

He knew that if they couldn't get any food tonight, few of the people present would survive until tomorrow night.

Danyang County is about to be completely destroyed!

This made Fan Jing very sad, and at this moment he could no longer care about anything else.

He couldn't help but pointed at Zhao Chuxia and hissed:

"What a princess! What a Zhao Chuxia!"

"If you hadn't cut off the water supply to Danyang County and deliberately raised the price of grain, how could we have ended up in this predicament?"

"Look at the tents around you, look at the carpet under your feet, look at the grandeur of your trip!"

"These are all supported by the people. I only need to spend a tiny amount to save the people behind me."

"Since I, Fan Jing, can't get any food today, I don't plan to go back alive."

"If you want to kill me, go ahead. I just want to give you a piece of advice: your salary and benefits are the blood and sweat of the people. It's easy to abuse the people, but it's hard to cheat God!!!"

As he spoke, Fan Jing straightened his body and continued to move forward. His steps were firm and heavy, as if every step was on the edge of life and death.

At this critical moment.

The people looked at the sharp arrows flashing with cold light, ready to be fired, and then looked at Fan Jing who stepped forward. Their eyes instantly turned red, and tears burst out, sliding down their weather-beaten and wrinkled cheeks.

An old man with gray hair said in a trembling voice, crying:

"My lord, you have done your best."

His body was shivering in the cold wind, and his tattered clothes could not withstand the bone-chilling cold, but he still stood firmly in place.

A mournful cry erupted from the crowd:

"We are willing to follow you to death!!!"

The voices gathered together like a surging torrent, full of helplessness and determination.

As soon as he finished speaking, the people supported each other and slowly followed Fan Jing step by step.

The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on them, stretching their shadows out, yet making them appear so small and helpless.

Some of these people were skinny and bony, tortured by hunger beyond recognition; some were pale and thin, with despair and emptiness in their eyes.

Their clothes were tattered, with patches of various sizes on them, and they fluttered in the wind.

As a senior official, they have seen and remembered everything Fan Jing has done for them over the years.

On weekdays, Fan Jing went deep into the people and cared about their sufferings. If a family had no food to eat, he would send them food; if a family suffered from natural disasters or man-made disasters, he would rush to help them.

When the drought first started, he ran around looking for water sources and organized the people to dig wells to fight the drought; when food was scarce, he tried his best to buy food from other places and sell it to the people at a fair price.

Now that they have reached a desperate situation, they will never abandon Fan Jing to die alone.

Even the bailiffs and constables stood in front of Fan Jing without hesitation.

They were dressed in tattered black clothes and had long swords on their waists. Although they were thin, they stood straight at this moment, like a row of solid city walls.

Their faces were full of determination, and their eyes revealed their loyalty and admiration for Fan Jing.

On weekdays, they followed Fan Jing, performed official duties, and maintained public order. They knew Fan Jing's character and his sincere heart towards the people.

When Fan Jing saw this scene, the dam in his heart collapsed and he finally broke down and burst into tears.

His crying was heart-wrenching, as if he wanted to vent all the pain, helplessness and despair he had experienced in the past few days.

"I, Fan Jing, am incompetent and ashamed of my parents!"

He howled to the sky, his voice echoing in the night sky, filled with self-blame and regret:
"If there is an afterlife, I will gladly serve you all like a slave!"

Upon hearing this, all the people began to cry bitterly.

Their cries mixed together, desolate and like a sorrowful elegy, echoing across the wilderness.

This cry seems to be a desperate cry against this world, a struggle against the unfairness of fate, and an interweaving of the desire for life and the fear of death.

In this empty wilderness, the crying sound lingered for a long time, moving people deeply and making the already darkest dawn seem even darker and more biting.

Even the palace guards couldn't help but be moved after hearing this. A trace of pity welled up in their hearts, and a hint of hesitation appeared in their eyes.

They subconsciously looked at Zhao Chuxia, wondering whether their master would continue to give orders.

Seeing this, the boss shook his head slightly:
"This Fan Jing is really an idiot!"

He claims to be noble and arrogant, but in the end he doesn't even have a single helper.

If he could get along well with his superiors and colleagues, even if his reputation was tarnished, he would have accumulated a fortune and would have been transferred out of a poor county like Danyang County long ago. How could he have encountered such a thing?

Only a guy like this who doesn't fit in with the group would not have an official to speak up for him when his death was imminent.

People like this really live a miserable life.

Beside the boss, Zhao Chuxia was so angry that she was fuming. Her chest was heaving violently like an angry lioness.

She said coldly:

"Why...why do they force me like this? My family's food is accumulated through our own ability, why should we give it to these untouchables who have nothing to do with my family?"

"Why doesn't Fan Jing go find someone else, but instead keeps targeting my house?"

"Do you really think my family is easy to bully? I've never been bullied like this in my life!"

"You bunch of bastards, do you really think this princess doesn't dare to kill anyone? Do you really think this princess is as timid as a mouse and will be scared by you?"

"I have the blood of my ancestors flowing through my veins. I have inherited their bravery! I will not be intimidated by anyone!"

Having said that, Zhao Chuxia loudly ordered:

"All guards, listen up!"

"Shoot the arrow!!!"

After saying that, Zhao Chuxia took the lead in shooting an arrow. The arrow carried her anger and determination, pointing directly at Fan Jing's heart. She wanted to kill this bastard with her own hands!
When the guards heard this, they could only sigh inwardly and then shoot the arrows in their hands.

Hundreds of arrows gathered in the air and formed a rain of arrows, covering Fan Jing and a group of disaster victims, like a shadow of death.

At this moment, everyone was ready to die, and the breath of death filled the entire wilderness.

Watching the rain of arrows shooting out, Zhao Chuxia finally felt relieved.

She was a princess, so killing a small official and a group of unruly people was no big deal at all.

Even if my father's political enemies in the court wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to make trouble, such a small problem would hardly cause effective harm.

After this group of lowly people and that corrupt official died, she could finally have some peace and quiet.

suddenly!

"call--!!!"

A gust of wind blew out of nowhere!
(End of this chapter)