Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

Wei Wujiu's expression suddenly darkened, and he glanced around.

Then, he asked in a deep voice, "Is this part of Luzhou territory?"

Among the kneeling crowd, some people were quite bold; after a short pause, they responded, "Yes, yes."

That's right.

Wei Wujiu took a deep breath and looked at Lin Wantang, saying, "Corruption in Luzhou is Li Huaimin's doing."

This made everything clear. Although Li Huaimin was severely punished for his corruption and is currently awaiting execution in the capital prison, he had been in office for several years, levying exorbitant taxes and plundering the people's wealth. His actions were so heinous that they were appalling. And Li Huaimin's master behind the scenes was Shen Huai'an!

After Lin Wantang remembered these things, she was shocked and indignant, but Wei Wujiu did not ask her to do anything to these people. He did not force the old man and others to get up, but squatted down and chatted with the old man in a calm and peaceful manner.

Ask about the crop harvest, any inconveniences in farming, what the family usually eats for three meals a day, and how much silver they can earn in a year.

As they talked, they gradually opened up, which made the old man and the others lower their guard. They assumed that Wei Wujiu and Lin Wantang were just important people passing by, not government officials, so they slowly told the truth.

Upon hearing this, Lin Wantang's face turned deathly pale with shock. She angrily clenched her fingers, which were now ice-cold and devoid of any warmth.

Wei Wujiu remained calm and showed no sign of distress. Before leaving, he distributed the ten taels of silver in his purse to the old man and the others. He then led Lin Wantang along the street for a walk, but they couldn't find any restaurants or taverns, so the two returned to the inn.

"Three meals a day is a pipe dream and a luxury. Being able to eat one meal a day is like celebrating the New Year. People here eat only once every two days, and some are even worse off, barely managing to eat once every three days..."

As soon as Lin Wantang entered the room, he couldn't help but feel indignant. "Meat is a pipe dream. The government has clearly prohibited the private slaughter of livestock. How could these villagers bear to slaughter a large animal they have raised with great difficulty, and keep it for plowing and farming? As for chickens, ducks, pigs, and rabbits, they are even more reluctant to do so."

They barely managed to have a proper feast during the holidays, but were explicitly forbidden by the government.

"Furthermore, these taxes are too heavy! I remember that Emperor Jing reduced taxes long ago during his reign, and Shen Hu didn't explicitly increase them after ascending the throne. How come these officials only know how to line their own pockets!"

Compared to Lin Wantang's anger, Wei Wujiu was even more furious, but he still stepped forward, grasped her shoulders, and helped her sit on a round stool. "How come you're even angrier than me? Alright, it's not worth getting sick from getting angry."

"What do you mean it's not worth it? You see, what kind of lives are those people living! No wonder you don't see a single woman or child on the streets. They're poorly clothed, lacking food and clothing at home. The whole family can only scrape together one set of clothes that barely covers their bodies. What kind of life is this...?"

Lin Wantang had been pampered in the Grand Tutor's mansion since childhood. Although she hadn't developed the habit of eating meat porridge, she often heard Lin Rucong talk about the lives of ordinary people in the previous dynasty. They were happy, healthy, well-fed, and warmly clothed. It was a prosperous and glorious era. She couldn't imagine that all of that was fake.

"Food is the most important thing for the people." Wei Wujiu sighed, his deep eyes filled with worry and sadness. "Let's not talk about the past, but in the future... this war cannot continue."

Repeated upheavals and wars will only bring harm and no benefit to the people.

"Things will get better." Wei Wujiu didn't say much, just patted Lin Wantang's hand, comforting her while also reminding himself, "The war with the Western Liao must be resolved as quickly as possible. In the capital, Shen Huai'an is already a trapped beast. In less than two months, the palace will run out of water and food and will be difficult to sustain. If we don't get reinforcements, let's see what else he can do!"

The tide had turned, and Lin Wantang knew that if he wanted the people to live in peace and prosperity, to have enough to eat and warm clothes, he could no longer rely on Shen Huai'an. Only if Wei Wujiu resolved the current situation as soon as possible, could he establish peace, safeguard the foundation, and save the people after taking the throne.

"Your Highness, please ascend the throne soon. I want to see... that the people can live in peace and happiness, have enough to eat and drink, have surplus grain in their homes, not need to eat meat at every meal, and at least be able to eat meat at the end of the year. They can be happy and carefree, not troubled by making a living, and live a prosperous and bustling life in the streets."

Wei Wujiu listened to what she said, imagining what she wished for, and nodded slightly after a long while. He didn't utter any wild words, but only solemnly said, "I will try my best."

After a day of rest, they quickly resumed their journey the next day, increasing their speed.

After another seven days of travel, they finally came to see a desolate Gobi Desert with rolling mountains in the distance. This was Wuyakou, the western border region.

The wind and sand were blowing everywhere, the cold wind was howling, and the air was filled with flying sand and stones, which was dazzling and choking.

The village where the Miao tribes gathered can be reached after passing through Wuyakou and traveling another four hundred miles into Lianqingshan. Lin Wantang was eager to find the Twin Dream-Awakening Fennel and also to learn the true solution to the Mirage Heart Sand from the local elders. She wanted to go there as soon as possible, but listening to the conversation between Wei Wujiu and Li Jinzhi, her heart sank.

The Northern Army arrived in force ten days ago to reinforce the Western battlefield, but the battle was unfavorable and they suffered repeated setbacks. The Third Prince Shen Huaicheng personally led the expedition. After winning the first battle, he was repeatedly hampered by Xie Zhi, which led to the collapse and chaos of the subsequent battle. The Western Liao also took advantage of this opportunity to sow discord. Shen Huai'an wanted to kill Xie Zhi in public, causing a great disturbance. He fell into a trap and was attacked by the enemy.

Upon receiving the news, Wei Wujiu was so enraged that the poison attacked his heart. Lin Wantang managed to suppress it with silver needles, and with the help of herbal medicine, she comforted him and helped him stabilize his condition. However, she knew that this was not a long-term solution.

"Your Highness, you may leave."

After much deliberation, Lin Wantang reluctantly made a concession: "You should take Lord Li and the generals to the battle camp first. You can leave the two of you with me to infiltrate the Miao villages. Once I find the antidote, I will reunite with Your Highness."

Wei Wujiu fell silent upon hearing this.

He couldn't rest easy letting Lin Wantang go to the Miao village alone, but the war in Xiliao was swift and fierce, and Shen Huaicheng was brave but reckless, and extremely easy to be schemed against and used. This war was related to the safety and honor of Dayue for many years to come, and he couldn't stay out of it...

How could Lin Wantang not understand his heart?

She smiled and sat down beside him. "I'm not saying this out of anger. It's too conspicuous for so many of us to infiltrate the village together. It will make things difficult. Why don't we split into two groups? Your Highness can go to the battle camp to coordinate and assist the Third Prince in quelling the war as soon as possible, conquering Western Liao, and achieving a great victory. That's the most important thing."

"We can't really let Lord Xie Zhi's wishes come true, and have the Great Yue Dynasty bow down to the Western Liao, ceding territory and paying reparations to sue for peace, can we? Wouldn't that be going against the natural order? We absolutely cannot let such a thing happen."