Early in the morning, the sky was already bright. There weren't many pedestrians on the bumpy and uneven streets of Cang Zhou.
Cang Zhou wasn't a large state to begin with and didn't have a large population. In the past two years, because of the increasing bandits and wars, the entire city was half empty.
Some people had died, some had fled to other places. The people that remained in Cang Zhou were either unable to leave their homeland or had no relatives to go to. Rather than saying they were living in Cang Zhou, it was more like they were fighting against the heavens.
At a vegetable stall on the side of the street, a woman stopped in her tracks. Carrying a basket, she picked through the vegetables and asked, "How much are you selling these radishes?"
The stall owner sat on the stone steps and raised his head. "Two copper coins per catty."
"Two copper coins?" The woman in coarse clothing frowned and said, "It was one copper coin yesterday!"
The stall owner glanced at her and lightly said, "Yesterday, the officials only charged five copper coins for blocking the road. Today, they're charging ten copper coins!"
The price of one catty of radishes had doubled. What should have been a month's expenditure would now be used up in half a month. The woman angrily picked up her basket and said, "I'll look at other vendors!"
She walked one round on the street and when she returned, her expression had completely collapsed.
"This isn't drinking blood and eating meat. They're smashing their bones and swallowing them. These days are almost unbearable!"
"Who said it wasn't …" The vegetable vendor finally sighed and said, "When Cangzhou was occupied by those rebels, the people were the ones who suffered. Now that Cangzhou has been taken back by the government, the people are still the ones who suffer. When will these bitter days come to an end?"
The woman thought about it and said, "That might not be bad. Two years ago, when Princess Duan Rong was in Cang Zhou, everything was quite good. Sigh, what a pity …"
The stall owner seemed to have thought of something and suddenly said, "I heard two days ago that Her Highness is going to fight back …"
The woman put down her basket and said mysteriously, "I also heard that Princess Duan Rong has been fated to be an emperor since she was young. Just like the princess of the neighboring Jing Kingdom, she will become an empress in the future …"
The two of them talked mysteriously for a while. The stall owner waved his hand and said, "Sister-in-law, I see that you and I get along quite well. This is all fate. How about this, I'll sell this dish to you at the same price as yesterday …"
"That's good …" The woman smiled and said: "Today, I have to pick a little more!"
She picked a whole basket of vegetables and handed it to the stall owner, saying, "Weigh it."
After the stall owner weighed it, he said, "That's a total of 22 copper coins. I'll round it up and give you 20 copper coins."
The woman took out her pouch, counted the copper coins, and handed them over to him, saying, "You count them."
The stall owner smiled, kicked the money into his pocket, and said, "You don't have to count. Are you going to lie to me, sister-in-law …"
"Alright then, I'll go back first!" The woman waved her hand at him. When the stall owner saw her disappear, he immediately put the money back into his pocket and counted again. It did not matter even if he paid two copper coins less, because the price of the vegetables was originally twenty copper coins. He added a small change and wiped off another small change …
After counting it twice and looking at the 18 copper coins in his hand, the stall owner fell into deep thought.
He sighed. The moral degeneration of the world was getting worse day by day, and people's hearts were no longer what they used to be. The simple and honest customs of Cangzhou had been ruined by these people …
At this moment, a man who was walking while tightening his belt walked over and asked, "Old Wang, did anyone come to buy vegetables just now?"
The young stall owner kicked the money into his pocket, stood up, and waved his hand. He said, "No, but a sister-in-law came. She took a long time to pick vegetables, but she thought it was too expensive and didn't buy anymore …"
"Sigh, I don't want to raise the price either, but if I don't, I'll have to hand all the money for these vegetables to the government. Say, why can't they learn from the past Princess Duan Rong …" The man sighed, looked at him, and said gratefully, "I ate something bad yesterday, thank you for helping me look after my stall …"
"You're welcome …" The young man stood up, waved his hand, and said, "It's nothing …"
After the young man left, the man counted with his fingers and murmured, "Today is a good day …"
He cleaned up the vegetable stall early, returned home, and told his wife and children to look after the house well. He walked out of the house, walked around a few streets, and when he arrived in front of the door of a deep residence, he lightly knocked on the door three times, and said in a low voice, "Jing Ke assassinates the King of Qin."
The door opened, and he walked in, closing it on the way. In the spacious courtyard in front, there were already dozens of people gathered together.
Another hour passed, and from time to time, people would come in from outside. At some point, someone counted the number of people. Everyone stood in an orderly manner in the courtyard, and a young man walked out from inside.
Everyone bowed and said, "Greetings, Envoy Xu!"
"No need to be so polite." The young man waved his hand, and said, "I won't say much nonsense. The guards outside the city are obstructing us. Tonight, our mission is to attack the provincial governor's manor. Our people are already prepared inside the provincial governor's manor. You must remember, we are different from those rebels. After attacking the provincial governor's manor, you are not allowed to rob or kill. If there is a violation, you will be punished according to the sect rules!"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
…
In the provincial governor's manor, for some reason, the Cangzhou Provincial Governor kept feeling uneasy tonight.
The sky had already darkened. He walked out of the hall and into the courtyard, pacing back and forth anxiously.
A figure walked into the courtyard from outside and walked to his side, asking with concern, "Daren, what's wrong?"
The Cangzhou Provincial Governor looked at the advisor beside him and asked, "Is there still no news of Princess Duanrong?"
These days, he had not paid attention to the rumors regarding Princess Duanrong in Cangzhou City. However, the rumors had spread like wildfire, and the entire city was in an uproar. He finally started to feel uneasy.
When the advisor heard this, he smiled and said, "Daren is worrying too much. These things are just the product of those ignorant people's groundless accusations and extreme exaggerations. Could it be that Daren also thinks that Princess Duanrong can become the Emperor?"
When the Cangzhou Provincial Governor heard this, he felt slightly more at ease. He thought and then said, "There are no waves without wind. The groundless accusations also have their roots. We cannot let down our guard. Have the city guards strengthen the defenses these days …"
The advisor nodded and said, "Yes, I'll go make the arrangements now."
"Also, send people to put up Princess Duanrong's portrait. Put up more outside the provincial city as well. Anyone who discovers any clues will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!"
"Understood!"
The Cangzhou Provincial Governor waved his hand and said, "Alright, go make the arrangements."
Seeing the advisor leave, he stroked his beard. He did not want to stay in a place like Cangzhou for another moment. If he could capture Princess Duanrong, what awaited him would be a bright future …
The advisor walked out of the courtyard and brought two bailiffs to the gates of the provincial governor's manor. He said to the people guarding the gates, "The provincial governor has orders to step up the patrols these few days. There are not enough people in the city defense. You guys should go as well. Leave this place to the two of them."
The people did not suspect anything. After respectfully replying, they immediately left.
At the same time, the Cangzhou Provincial Governor returned to the hall. When he saw the sudden appearance of a few people, his footsteps paused.
A young lady at the very front looked at him and asked, "You were looking for me?"
After being startled for a moment, the Cangzhou Provincial Governor's expression changed drastically. He immediately turned and left the hall.
At this moment, the provincial governor's manor was already in chaos. Outside the city, flames soared into the sky, and there were faint sounds like thunder …
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