On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2087 Besieging the Mansion and Causing Trouble

Yan Ruyu sat at the table drinking tea, and Huo Changhe pushed a plate of snacks in front of her.

"Things are finally almost over."

Yan Ruyu raised her eyes, her gaze clear and bright: "The sky over Rongzhou will soon clear up."

No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps sounded in the courtyard. Su Zhenhai lifted the curtain and entered, his face showing some urgency. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, last night Ding Hengshou tried to escape through the back wall of the governor's mansion, but he was discovered by the guards and blocked back."

Huo Changhe picked up the teacup, twirled it on the lid with his fingertips, and didn't speak immediately.

Su Zhenhai took half a step forward and raised his voice: "Your Highness, Ding Hengshou has been colluding with the Liu family for many years. Every single one of his crimes is punishable by death. Such a person is not fit to remain in Rongzhou as an official!"

He tried to escape last night, clearly he has something to hide and should have been escorted to the capital for trial long ago. I am willing to personally lead the men and escort him to the capital.”

Huo Changhe put down his teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips, and waved his hand: "Envoy Su, there's no need to rush."

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice, his tone becoming heavy, "Ding Hengshou deserves to die, but it's not time yet."

Su Zhenhai frowned, his eyes full of confusion—Ding Hengshou was the prefect of Rongzhou, holding a lot of power, and keeping him around always felt like keeping a hidden danger.

Since the prince said it was "not the right time," he dared not ask any further questions. He could only suppress his doubts, bow, and reply, "Yes, Your Highness."

“You don’t need to worry about anything else,” Huo Changhe said, softening his tone. “Just send people to guard the governor’s mansion tightly and prevent him from escaping again. That will be a great achievement.”

Su Zhenhai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly: "This subordinate understands, I will arrange for people to strengthen the guard immediately."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Yan Ruyu sneered: "Ding Hengshou still wants to run away? That's wishful thinking."

Huo Changhe picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze darkened, revealing a hint of coldness: "Sending him to the capital for trial is too lenient on him."

"Only the land of Rongzhou knows best how many years Ding Hengshou served as the prefect of Rongzhou, how many people he harmed, and how much blood he stained his hands. He committed numerous evils and deserved to die in Rongzhou to give those he harmed an explanation."

Yan Ruyu nodded, her fingertips pinching the handle of the teacup, and then she remembered something: "Speaking of the Liu family, besides the matter of military rations, I have another question."

She looked up at Huo Changhe: "The Liu family has occupied so much land in Rongzhou, but most of it is barren, growing only weeds and not crops. This is very strange, there must be a reason for it."

Huo Changhe raised an eyebrow.

“Even if the Liu family isn’t short of money, who would complain about having too much money?” Yan Ruyu asked, her tone puzzled. “Now that they’ve seized those lands, even if they don’t plant crops, they could plant some medicinal herbs or fruit trees. Why would they just let them lie fallow? That doesn’t make sense.”

Huo Changhe paused, looking thoughtfully at the table: "You're right, it's indeed unusual. Have someone investigate again, to see the location of those lands and their original uses."

As the two were talking, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard again. This time, Su Zhenhai ran even faster, and his breath was a little unsteady when he lifted the curtain: "Your Highness, something bad has happened. There are people from the Liu family causing trouble outside the gate. More than a dozen old men have come and are blocking the gate and refusing to leave."

Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe exchanged a glance, neither of them showing much surprise.

Huo Changhe put down his teacup and stood up: "Let's go take a look."

Upon reaching the entrance, one sees a dozen or so elderly men with gray hair standing at the bottom of the steps. The one in the lead is an old man with a cane, his face deeply wrinkled, but his mouth is pursed in a haughty manner.

Su Zhenhai recognized him as Liu Guozhong, an elder of the Liu family. In his early years, Liu Guozhong had some influence in the Liu family, but he gradually retreated to the background due to his old age. He didn't expect him to personally bring people here today.

When Liu Guozhong saw Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu come out, he didn't bow. Instead, he took a step forward, slammed his cane on the ground, and said in a sharp, shrill voice, "Su Zhenhai! How dare you! You actually led people to ransack the Liu family's house. Do you know who the Liu family is?"

Su Zhenhai stood beside Huo Changhe and said coldly, "I'm not interested in what the Liu family's identity is, but the people of Rongzhou know what the Liu family has done, and you know it even better."

"I don't know!" Liu Guozhong retorted, spitting almost as he spoke. "Our Liu family has rendered great service! When the late emperor was in trouble, it was our Liu family's ancestors who risked their lives to save him, and the late emperor personally bestowed upon them a pardon!"

"You, Su Zhenhai, are merely a lowly city guard, yet you dare to defy the Liu family and confiscate their property! This is tantamount to going against the imperial court, a grave crime! Can you bear the consequences?"

Several old men nearby chimed in, shouting all at once, "That's right! Magistrate Su, you'd better withdraw your men and return what you've confiscated, or we'll go to the capital to file a complaint with the emperor!"

"Our Liu family has always been loyal to the imperial court, so why are you treating us like this?"

Su Zhenhai was so angry that his face turned pale. Just as he was about to retort, a figure in blue ran out of the mansion. The figure's voice was crisp and clear, as if it carried a certain energy: "You don't know? Then you've truly lived seventy-six years in vain!"

Yan Ruyu turned around and saw Su Shengsheng dressed in a light blue outfit, her hair tied with a light blue ribbon, which made her face look even whiter and her eyes even brighter. She looked like a bamboo shoot that had just sprouted and was facing the wind and rain, both beautiful and spirited.

Su Shengsheng ran to Su Zhenhai's side, looked up at Liu Guozhong, and said with disdain in his eyes: "Your grandson bullies men and women in Rongzhou, do you think you don't know?"

How many girls in this city have been harassed and cornered by him? Go ask around on the street, and you'll find one who doesn't know.

If a father fails to raise his child properly, he is at fault, but you, as the grandfather, are even more to blame!

Not just your grandson, but all of you in the Liu family are corrupt from top to bottom; not a single one of you is good!

Liu Guozhong was stunned by the scolding, then trembled with anger, raised his cane and pointed it at Su Shengsheng: "You...you little brat, how dare you talk to me like that!"

"What do you mean, 'you'?" Su Shengsheng took half a step forward, her voice even louder. "You keep talking about merits and the imperial court. When did your Liu family become a representative of the imperial court? I don't know that."

To oppose your Liu family is to disrespect the imperial court. Do you have the audacity to do that?

How can you say such things? I think it's you who disrespect the imperial court!

"These people are all so old, yet they have no respect for their elders; they're shameless!"

She paused, took a breath, and continued, "Your ancestors saved the late emperor. That was his bravery and fearlessness, it was his achievement. What does it have to do with you descendants?"

He's dead, and you've gotten all the benefits. You've taken them, and you're even publicizing it everywhere, as if you're afraid no one will know!

But don't forget, when he entered the palace as a eunuch, did anyone from your Liu family lend a hand?

If there were any other way, what grown man would willingly become a eunuch? Would you? Would you?