The common people immediately burst into cheers.

This was the first time these poor common folk had defeated noble officials!

They were of humble status, always trampled into the mud by people like Chief Historian Gao. Previously they hadn’t even dared lift their heads to speak in front of Chief Historian Gao, wishing they could shrink themselves into a small ball to avoid trouble.

However, today their thousand-person anger had made someone as tyrannical as Chief Historian Gao retreat, even forcing His Lordship the Governor to speak up and order the release. It turned out that these people, like specks of dust, could find dignity in this man-eating world and achieve their desired goals if they just united together.

The common people cheered and rejoiced, as if the other party agreeing to hand over Qian Gui had already achieved an important milestone.

Seeing this group so jubilant, Chief Historian Gao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The family members and servants in the Gao residence, hearing the angry cursing outside rise and fall, finally turn into cheers, also secretly breathed sighs of relief.

If this mob had broken into the Gao residence, these people probably wouldn’t have survived!

Just as everyone was cheering, someone in the crowd suddenly said: “Wait, Chief Historian Gao, we want you to release all the kindhearted people! Didn’t you arrest Benefactor Lu? Didn’t you also arrest a lady who did good deeds, just because the silver she offered you wasn’t enough?”

Chief Historian Gao had been smiling smugly, but hearing this, his smile immediately froze.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t think of this point, but he had been too overconfident and blinded.

He had never paid attention to this “lady who did good deeds” mentioned by everyone. Even when Governor Yang summoned and lectured him, Chief Historian Gao hadn’t taken it seriously, at least not having particularly clear awareness of his own actions.

But now, looking at the scene gathered in front of his residence that had nearly frightened his soul away, he suddenly realized that perhaps today’s riot wasn’t simply because he had arrested Qian Gui to avenge his son.

That lady might be the real culprit behind all these events!

Chief Historian Gao’s face turned pitch black as he realized he was embroiled in tremendous trouble. Perhaps even if he released that lady, if someone wanted to avenge her, he wouldn’t have any good outcomes either.

Fine beads of sweat began seeping from Chief Historian Gao’s forehead. He didn’t know what that lady’s true identity was! He even somewhat couldn’t figure out whether the one who instructed him to do this was Prince of Zhennan himself.

Because in his lifetime, he had already done countless such things—casually arresting someone and locking them up to sell favors. This time, receiving substantial payment and requests, he also wanted to build closer relationships. Such a win-win situation naturally made Chief Historian Gao agree without hesitation.

Now hearing more and more people stop cheering and again pressure him to release that lady who did good deeds and some Benefactor Lu, Chief Historian Gao was truly awakened.

“I didn’t arrest any Benefactor Lu!” Chief Historian Gao’s face reddened as he raised his voice: “That Benefactor Lu won’t come out—isn’t it because he’s been frightened by you group of paupers eating him out of house and home! He’s not related to any of you, nor is he obligated to do such things. You eating once or twice is fine, but how can you become addicted? Just because someone kindly distributed porridge once and saved your lives once, must they support you for the rest of your lives? When Qian Gui was caught, why didn’t we see you so angrily coming to rescue him?”

The more Chief Historian Gao cursed, the more indignant he became. In his eyes, these people were all crude and useless waste, who could become addicted to eating relief aid—fellows who didn’t want to work as long as someone gave them food.

Those refugees standing closer, who could clearly hear Chief Historian Gao’s words and were hit by the truth of their situation, all felt somewhat unable to save face.

Because they had indeed become dependent on the benefactors who did good deeds. Moreover, when Benefactor Qian was arrested right in front of them initially, for self-preservation and to continue having food, they hadn’t stood up for Benefactor Qian, but chose to stay and eat the porridge distributed by Benefactor Lu.

Now they angrily came to settle accounts with Chief Historian Gao because someone said Benefactor Lu had also been arrested.

If someone else came to distribute porridge at this time?

Many refugees would probably choose to continue eating porridge rather than boldly gathering in front of Chief Historian Gao’s house, forcing him to release people.

Quite a few refugees shamefully lowered their heads. Chief Historian Gao’s words were right—they were indeed selfish to the extreme. The two benefactors used real gold and silver from their own pockets to feed them, but what about them? They hadn’t given the two benefactors equivalent returns at all.

Listening to Chief Historian Gao’s words from behind the crowd, Qin Yining couldn’t help but again admire Chief Historian Gao’s silver-tongued ability. It seemed he could become a regional chief historian indeed because he had some skills.

Qin Yining looked toward Jingzhe. Jingzhe immediately understood and looked toward another spot in the crowd.

At this moment someone shouted loudly: “Stop your sophistry! We refugees have no food, but have we seen you officials care at all? Do we hope to have no food ourselves, hope to be homeless ourselves? We’re all honest farmers, none of us freeloaders! But due to natural disasters and human calamities, we happened to lose our homes and the land we depended on for survival!

“We naturally must repay the kindness of Benefactor Lu and Benefactor Qian, but whether we repay kindness or not, what does it have to do with whether Chief Historian Gao arrests people or not? Even if we did wrong, even if we ate and drank for free from Benefactor Qian and Benefactor Lu without immediately being able to repay them, does that mean your random arrests don’t exist, surnamed Gao!

“Stop splashing dirty water on us here! You’re black-hearted—if we’re despicable, you’re even more despicable than us poor people!”

“Right! Well said!”

“Brother speaks correctly—Chief Historian Gao is a scoundrel!”

The crowd boiled again. No one wanted to admit they were scum, especially when everyone felt very wronged. They were displaced—wasn’t it because those officials governed poorly and harmed them?

At this time, for an official to instead blame them was simply absurd!

Chief Historian Gao frowned, this time even more certain that the current situation must have someone behind it. What was hateful was how he hadn’t seen through it earlier—even Governor Yang’s scolding hadn’t made him see through it!

Just as he was conflicted and angry, sudden exclamations came from behind the crowd.

Everyone turned to look and saw the group of refugees who had previously charged to the yamen entrance parting to both sides. Two constables were flanking a tall, sturdy man in tattered clothes covered in blood, one on each side.

This man’s hair was disheveled, his body covered with whip marks everywhere. He hung his head low, unconsciously letting the two men flank him as they moved forward, his feet dragging on the ground, leaving winding trails of blood.

Refugees standing far away couldn’t see clearly what was happening. But those standing closer could recognize that this battered person was precisely Benefactor Qian, who had fed and clothed them.

A perfectly fine man who just days ago had been vigorous and lively, coming early every morning to personally help cook porridge and serve food, even helping carry grain, was now tortured to this state.

Those refugees standing nearby had already burst into wailing cries. Some emotionally agitated people rushed forward to viciously pull at the flanking constables, screaming and cursing: “Why did you beat him! Why treat Benefactor Qian this way!”

“You dog officials! Instead of catching bad people and bandits, you torture Benefactor Qian—may you all die horrible deaths!”

The two constables had originally just followed orders, steeling themselves to bring out Benefactor Qian. Now being surrounded and attacked by groups of common people, they were already impatient, all busy waving their arms like shooing flies.

With great difficulty bringing the person before Chief Historian Gao, with the surrounding common people already in an uproar, they didn’t care and just threw Qian Gui onto the ground.

Earlier in the prison, this person had been full of energy demanding wine and meat, even greeting all eighteen generations of female ancestors of a black-hearted human trafficker who had caused dozens of children to die miserably, and had even knocked out the person’s front teeth.

Who knew that once out of prison and leaving the yamen courtyard, this person suddenly became like a dog-tail grass losing moisture, immediately wilting.

Now he was pretending to be a dead fish, lying on the ground refusing to move.

Chief Historian Gao felt sorry for his son and didn’t want to immediately kill this fellow who had injured his son, so he kept him in the cell for slow torture. Whipping, needle punishment, tiger bench—all kinds of torture devices had to be tried, and finally the same treatment would be applied to disable his lower body, breaking the bones in his legs inch by inch, letting him rot in the cell without dying.

Chief Historian Gao felt that a quick death would be showing mercy to Qian Gui.

But before he could implement his torture methods, the common people started rioting!

Yesterday after whipping this person dozens of times, he had stiffened his neck like a tough guy, but now in front of these common people he was lying on the ground playing dead. How could Chief Historian Gao not be angry?

“Get up, stop pretending!” Chief Historian Gao used his toe to poke at the person lying motionless on the ground.

But in the common people’s eyes, Chief Historian Gao was publicly humiliating and torturing the person!

“The person is already like this, yet you still won’t let him go! How can you have such a cruel heart!”

“Where’s Benefactor Lu? Why won’t you release him!”

…

Everyone’s roars had already climbed to the extreme. Each person’s anger could only be vented through shouting, everyone shouting until their throats were hoarse, almost unable to make sounds.

In the quiet winter, in the area where the yamen and wealthy households gathered, even one person’s shout would disturb the neighbors’ tranquility, let alone over a thousand people roaring simultaneously?

Chief Historian Gao’s eardrums ached from the shock. If initially this group gathering in front of the Gao house had already made him terrified, now everyone’s vigorous anger directed at him was like a mountain collapse and tsunami impact, making him so frightened he completely didn’t know what to do!

“I didn’t arrest anyone surnamed Lu! I don’t know where he is! And this person, he’s pretending—he’s not in mortal danger!”

“Bullshit! If nothing’s wrong, why is Benefactor Qian collapsed and unable to get up!”

“Do you have any humanity left!”

“Release them! Release them!”

“If he won’t release them, we’ll rescue them ourselves! Benefactor Qian is in this state—Benefactor Lu and that lady who did good deeds before probably don’t have good outcomes either!”

“Let’s rescue them—we’re not cowards who eat for free!”

The common people roared, like surging torrential floods, frantically rushing toward the yamen.

In the crowding tide of people, even Qin Yining and her group, who had been staying in the corner, were squeezed like small boats tossing in wind and waves.

The people beside Qin Yining tried hard to protect her safety, but were all squeezed until they could barely stand.

Qin Yining struggled to steady herself and said in a low voice: “The time is ripe.” She turned and whispered to Jingzhe and Liao Zhibing: “It’s up to you now.”

“Yes, Your Highness can rest assured—we’ll certainly take advantage of the chaos to rescue the old alliance leader!”

Jingzhe and Liao Zhibing both infiltrated the crowd, leading a group of people with the human tide rushing straight toward the direction they had scouted and planned beforehand.

However, just then, the ground suddenly began to vibrate, and the sound of orderly horse hooves gradually approached.