"Keep it,"
The village head sat on the edge of the ox cart, took out his pipe, packed it, and lit it with a tinderbox, taking a puff:
"The villagers have high hopes for you, and this is all out of good intentions. You should take it, girl, otherwise they won't feel at ease."
A Jiu lowered her gaze slowly. In truth, everywhere had both grateful good people and ungrateful villains. This, she understood:
"Mm."
Fiddling with the two copper coins in her hand, she fell into thought.
The ox cart was slow, just as the village head had said, and by the time they reached the city gate, the sun was already high in the sky.
The village head, looking anxious, got off the cart to bow to the guards. After announcing his identity, they were allowed to pass.
A Jiu had already put on the veil she had prepared, revealing only her large eyes.
The cart moved slowly. The village head thanked them repeatedly before getting onto the driver's seat.
Three carts headed straight for the prefectural yamen. After waiting for more than half an hour, someone came out to deliver a message.
The messenger was Yun Hao: "Lord Wang said only the village head can enter; everyone else must wait outside."
A Jiu kept her head down, afraid of attracting trouble.
Unexpectedly, Yun Hao tilted his head and looked around. The clothes looked so familiar – weren't they his sister's?
Looking down, then up, he still couldn't see her face clearly.
Yun Hao couldn't help but step forward. Under the gaze of many villagers from the dam, he stood before Meng Jiu'er.
A Jiu swallowed, thinking, "Don't recognize me, don't recognize me."
"A Jiu?"
"..." A Jiu suddenly looked up, meeting Yun Hao's eyes.
"It really is you. Come with me."
A Jiu's arm was grabbed, and she was pulled along. Once they reached a deserted alley, Yun Hao said, "I was shocked when I heard from Yun Jie last time. Why are you here again?"
"I... my household registration is now in Heba Village. It's just that it rained," A Jiu saw no one around and decided to speak the truth.
"What? You villagers are all here to beg the officials to release grain? Stop fooling around, will you?"
Yun Hao's face looked very grim.
"What's wrong? Everyone knows that King Nanming is wise and understands the people's suffering."
"You're too naive," Yun Hao didn't know where to start:
"Let me put it this way, in the past, many cities were suffering from drought, but King Nanming was stabilizing the hearts of the people. Now, all those refugees have been rounded up. Perhaps when war breaks out, all these refugees will become soldiers."
"What? Soldiers..." A Jiu didn't understand.
Clearly, along the way, she had seen the policies here. King Nanming truly loved his people like his own children.
A carriage sped past the alley entrance. Yun Hao pulled A Jiu deeper into the alley before saying,
"What you said to Lord Wang that day was right, but A Jiu, have you ever thought that King Nanming's actions might be a win-win situation? You're not stupid, you can think about it carefully."
If he hadn't heard those words in the imperial prison that day, Yun Hao wouldn't have thought so much.
"Ah!" A Jiu exclaimed, her eyes darting around. So that's how it was.
At this moment, A Jiu could only say that King Nanming was smarter than King Qi Ming, but not necessarily a good ruler.
Seeing that A Jiu was frightened, and perhaps understood:
"I've always known you were smart, and I assume you understand. So, there's no chance of winning if you come to Lord Wang to order the opening of granaries."
A Jiu lowered her head, not speaking, her heart filled with anxiety.
"Because for the past three years, it has been the King who ordered the release of water and grain. Don't say Lord Wang doesn't have the authority, even if he did, the King wouldn't allow more to be released. Now, with war and chaos, King Qi Ming has already been defeated and apprehended. If one day the enemy approaches the city, the King must first protect his military supplies and conserve his forces. A Jiu, my dear sister, you must understand this."
"I..." A Jiu's heart was in turmoil. She bit her lip tightly, "Mm, I understand."
"Yun Hao, shift change..." someone called from the other side.
"Got it!" Yun Hao casually responded and ran back to the yamen.
As expected, the village head was dismissed by Lord Wang under the pretense of a midday nap.