“In reply to Your Highness, Chief Historian Gao visited Governor Yang today. Our people investigated carefully—it was Governor Yang who sent someone to summon Chief Historian Gao, not Chief Historian Gao taking the initiative to visit.” Jingzhe had arranged for people to secretly observe Chief Historian Gao all along, and now having received this news, immediately came to report.

Qin Yining’s elegant brows furrowed slightly as she pressed her lips and pondered: “Governor Yang has always kept his doors closed and avoided going out. He seems to be someone who doesn’t wish to deal with people, and even more so someone who doesn’t want to get entangled in the current chaotic situation in the old capital. Chief Historian Gao now clearly has provoked public anger and been dragged into trouble. For Governor Yang to summon him at this time inevitably goes against his usual way of handling affairs.”

“Your Highness speaks truly. Governor Yang has always maintained neutrality. When Your Highness arrived, he didn’t come out to welcome you with a feast, and toward Prince of Zhennan’s side, Governor Yang has never shown any inclination toward intimacy.”

Qin Yining rose and thought for a moment, then relaxed: “Now the city appears calm and peaceful on the surface, but in reality both the common people and distinguished officials are very dissatisfied with Chief Historian Gao. Since Governor Yang is someone who avoids disputes, he absolutely doesn’t want to see his subordinates causing him trouble. Calling Chief Historian Gao over was probably to instruct him on what to do next.”

“That makes sense.” Jingzhe nodded and said mockingly: “Chief Historian Gao arrested the old madam, never expecting it would bring fire upon himself. Not only did his son meet with disaster, but now he’s also provoked public anger. I wonder if he looks back now, whether he regrets having arrested the old madam.”

Qin Yining shook her head with a smile: “He was merely following orders. Moreover, whoever is behind mother’s situation must be someone hoping for discord in the south. To be more certain, this matter was eighty percent ordered by Prince of Zhennan’s faction. Chief Historian Gao thought he had chosen the right side, but inevitably misjudged the situation. To say he doesn’t regret it would be false.”

“Exactly so. If I were him, I would have some self-awareness and stop making pointless trouble. Not only bringing misfortune upon himself, but also implicating those around him and making the common people suffer.” Jingzhe’s mockery grew even more pronounced.

Though he was from the Silver Mask spy background, he couldn’t muster even half a point of liking for the Great Yan imperial family. He despised the foolish emperor and had no good impression of the weak fallen ruler.

Now that Yuchi Yan dreamed of restoring Great Yan, whether it was truly for his own imperial dreams or for the welfare of common people was already clear as day. Since Great Yan’s submission to Great Zhou, Great Zhou hadn’t treated the people of Yan lands differently, and their days had actually become somewhat more stable. Having finally achieved some stability, if he were a common person, he would certainly hope those in power would stop making pointless trouble.

After thinking, Jingzhe continued: “There’s another matter. Our people saw that the Yang residence had a special visitor in front of their gate.”

“Special?”

“Yes. Governor Yang brought his family members and personally came out to welcome them, even opening the main gate to receive the person inside.”

Qin Yining was greatly surprised.

Generally, the main gates of large households were never opened. Much less would Governor Yang bring his family members to personally open the main gate in welcome. Such grandeur—even in the Qin family, it had only happened when Yuchi Yan, still as crown prince, had visited the Qin residence and they had welcomed him this way.

“Could you see what kind of guest it was?”

“We saw. It’s said to be a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in men’s clothing. Because the distance was quite far and her voice wasn’t loud, we only roughly heard this woman call Governor Yang ‘uncle.'”

Qin Yining slowly nodded: “With New Year approaching, it’s natural for relatives to visit.”

What was strange, however, was Governor Yang’s grand attitude.

In this world, women’s status was inherently lower than men’s.

Given Governor Yang’s position, if this woman wasn’t of noble birth or special circumstances, how could he have opened the main gate wide and led his family members out in welcome? Though they claimed to be uncle and niece, Qin Yining didn’t believe it.

However, since she currently had important matters to attend to, she wasn’t particularly concerned with Governor Yang’s private affairs.

In the afternoon, Shopkeeper Zhong, Zhao Yinuo, and Lu Dehan all returned.

“Your Highness, shall we begin our operation tomorrow?”

“Let’s start tomorrow.” Qin Yining said with some guilt: “Tomorrow is New Year’s, doing this is somewhat cruel. However, the plan is most likely to succeed during New Year’s.”

Shopkeeper Zhong said dismissively: “Your Highness is too kindhearted. That you could help everyone get through this harsh winter is already the utmost benevolence and righteousness. You don’t owe them anything, nor do you have the obligation to support them, and you won’t harm their lives. Going hungry for one day won’t kill anyone. Once we rescue the old madam and you continue distributing porridge, how could your kindness toward them not offset one day of hunger?”

“Though you speak truly, I still feel somewhat guilty. After all, though I helped them sincerely, I also used their anger.”

Shopkeeper Zhong smiled and shook his head. Qin Yining was still young after all, her heart too soft.

With the plan decided, everyone went down to make preparations.

The next day, when the people went to the square to receive porridge, they saw no steaming large pots under the porridge shed, nor could they smell the rich aroma of rice.

“It was fine yesterday, and Benefactor Lu even brought the shopkeeper to distribute porridge. How come they’re not here today?”

“Could it be that Benefactor Lu went home for New Year today?”

“Impossible, Benefactor Lu wouldn’t abandon us. He even said yesterday that porridge distribution would continue as usual today!”

“Could it be that Chief Historian Gao arrested him? Chief Historian Gao specifically arrests kindhearted people who do good deeds!”

…

No one knew who said this, but soon the news that Chief Historian Gao had also arrested Benefactor Lu, who had given the people hope for survival again, spread from person to person. By the end, the rumor had become accepted as fact.

“Chief Historian Gao goes too far! Earlier there was an old madam who wanted to do good deeds, but just because the silver she offered him wasn’t enough, she was thrown in prison. Later he arrested Benefactor Qian right in front of us, and now he’s arrested Benefactor Lu too. This is deliberately trying to kill us!”

“Damn that Chief Historian Gao! He himself eats and drinks well, raises a son who chases chickens and dogs around without caring, yet specifically bullies us poor people! He won’t even let us drink a bowl of thin porridge—this is forcing us to bash our heads to death at his door!”

“Die nothing! If I’m going to die, I’ll beat that bastard to death first!”

Several refugees could no longer endure it and cursed loudly. The crowd’s angry emotions were stirred up another level by those crude words.

They had long been holding back anger in their hearts. Watching Benefactor Qian get beaten and arrested, they had acted like cowardly turtles for the sake of full bellies and their own lives, already feeling quite guilty inside. Now hearing that Benefactor Lu had also been arrested, where could they find another kindhearted person to give them free food and drink?

“Since Chief Historian Gao won’t give us a way to live, we’d rather drag him down with us!”

“Brothers, let’s raid his house and rescue all the benefactors who do good deeds!”

“Right, make Chief Historian Gao release all the benefactors!”

If they rescued the benefactors, they would have food to eat and hope to live!

With their strength in numbers, they weren’t afraid Chief Historian Gao wouldn’t comply!

The refugees, suffering from hunger and cold, roared angrily and surged shoulder to shoulder toward the Gao family’s direction.

Because the porridge distribution had lasted a long time, refugees from around the old capital who had heard this news had all come over. So now the refugee force was no longer the initial hundred-odd people, but close to a thousand.

Moreover, except for families that truly had no able-bodied men, leaving only old, weak, women and children, those queuing for porridge in the bitter cold wearing thin clothing were mostly the men of their families.

Even though hunger had shriveled their bellies and consumed their flesh, making them thin as reed sticks, that dignity and anger belonging to men had finally exploded after being suppressed in every way.

Therefore, when this force of nearly a thousand refugees, most of them men, surged to the Gao residence gate, it immediately frightened the gatekeeper into barring the door.

“Terrible, terrible! Master, there are so many refugees outside!” The gatekeeper tumbled and crawled, fleeing in panic as he ran inside to report.