After traveling through time, I became a princess in ancient times

The entrance to Lin'an County's government office was crowded with people, and the county magistrate was sitting in the court with a serious face, trying a case.

Xia Yurou squeezed into the crowd and stood on the front steps. Xiaoxue of course followed closely behind her.

In front of the hall stood a rich young man with an arrogant look on his face, and beside him knelt a ragged man who begged desperately: "Sir, I am innocent! He robbed me of the money I earned from selling oil. Please help me."

Lu Wenhan looked at the two people in the hall and asked in a deep voice: "Oil seller, you keep saying that Master Lin robbed your money, do you have any evidence?"

The oil seller raised his head, and with trembling hands he took out a tattered purse from his arms, and a few copper coins scattered on the ground.

He hurriedly picked up the coin and said in a tearful voice: "Sir, this purse is for me to store money. He stole all my savings."

Lin Yize smiled contemptuously, pointed at the oil seller and started to scold him: "You are just a lowly person selling oil. How could I take your money, given my status? It's obviously you who got greedy for money and turned the tables to frame me."

The master in the hall whispered in Lu Wenhan's ear: "Sir, this is Mr. Lin's son. Mr. Lin gives you a lot of money every year to honor you."

Hearing this, his face changed and he shouted at the oil seller, "How dare you, a rude and unruly man, falsely accuse Master Lin. Come, give him fifty lashes."

As soon as he finished speaking, two yamen runners stepped forward, pinned the oil seller to the ground, and raised the wooden planks in their hands to bring down on him.

Seeing this, Xia Yurou's anger was like ignited dynamite, and she immediately shouted: "Wait!"

This sound exploded in the courtroom like thunder. Lu Wenhan's eyes widened with anger and he asked sternly, "Who is making a noise here?"

Xia Yurou walked to the court with light steps and said coldly: "Master Magistrate, is this how you plead for the people? You dare to make a rash decision without even finding out the facts. You might as well take off this official uniform and go to the countryside to farm."

Lu Wenhan was so angry at Xia Yurou's words that his face turned red. He slammed the gavel and shouted angrily, "Come here, take this arrogant woman down for me."

The yamen runners raised their sticks and looked hostile. Xiaoxue quickly took out a glittering golden badge from her waist and shouted, "Princess Chen is here, who dares to be rude?"

The word "Chen" was clearly visible on the waist badge, which scared Lu Wenhan so much that he stood up from his chair. His legs went weak and he would have fallen if his master hadn't supported him.

He walked down the hall quickly, bowed to Xia Yurou, and said in a trembling voice: "I am blind and didn't know Princess Chen was here. Please forgive me."

"Sir, I hope you can handle the case impartially, don't let the real criminal go unpunished, and don't let innocent people suffer unjustly."

Lu Wenhan nodded repeatedly, and the sweat on his forehead slid down like fine beads: "The princess is right. I will handle it impartially and will never let the princess down."

The atmosphere in the classroom became tense due to Xia Yurou's intervention. Lin Yize, who had been arrogant, now restrained his arrogance. He glanced at Xia Yurou from time to time, with fear on his face.

Lu Wenhan staggered back to the hall. How could he, a small county official, dare to touch the majesty of the royal family, especially when the other party was the most favored princess of King Chen?

Xia Yurou paced in the hall, her eyes wandering between Lin Yize and the oil seller. Suddenly, she turned to a yamen runner and said, "Go and get a basin of clean water."

Soon, the bailiff brought a basin of clean water and placed it in front of the hall.

She looked at Lin Yize with cold eyes: "Since you say you are innocent, please stretch out your hand."

Lin Yize didn't dare to disobey the princess' request. Now even the county magistrate couldn't help him, so he could only do as he was told.

Xia Yurou took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve, dipped it into the water, and carefully wiped Lin Yize's palms.

Then she put the handkerchief into clean water, and a faint oil spot floated on the water surface. This scene caused a small commotion in the court.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the basin of water, as if that tiny drop of oil contained a huge secret.

"Look, the oil on the water is enough to prove that he robbed the oil seller. Because the oil seller has been in contact with oil for a long time, all his items are stained with oil. Because he has touched those coins, his hands and cuffs are naturally stained with oil."

Lu Wenhan's face darkened, and he slammed the gavel heavily, making a loud "pa" sound, and said sternly: "How dare you, Lin Yize, deceive me in court. Come, give this troublemaker twenty heavy strokes of the board."

Two yamen runners immediately stepped forward and pressed Lin Yize to the ground. They raised the wooden board in their hands high, and then dropped it heavily on Lin Yize's buttocks, making him scream in pain.

Seeing that the case had been solved, Xia Yurou took advantage of the crowd and took off the necklace from her neck, and asked softly: "Has anyone seen anyone take this item?"

Everyone shook their heads, indicating that they had never seen it.

However, Lin Yize, who was still accepting the punishment, raised his hands tremblingly, his face pale as he said: "Little... I have seen you."

Upon hearing this, Xia Yurou immediately asked the yamen runner to stop what he was doing, squatted down and asked, "Who?"

Lin Yize touched his torn buttocks, sweat dripping down his forehead, and said with trembling lips: "It was Xiao Xiangyu from Beiling County. I met him once when we were drinking."

Xia Yurou frowned and looked very ugly.

How could it involve the people of Beiling County? That was the county that she and the prince had tried so hard to save!

"Whose son is Xiao Xiangyu?"

Lin Yize shook his head and said in a trembling voice: "I have had a few drinks with him in Hua Man Lou. I only know that he is from Beiling County. As for other things, I know nothing."

Xia Yurou suddenly turned her head to look at Lu Wenhan who was sitting high up in the hall and asked, "Sir, do you know this person?"

When Xia Yurou asked about Xiao Xiangyu, Lu Wenhan's face flashed with an imperceptible strangeness, and his tone was a little deliberate: "Princess, I don't know this Xiao Xiangyu."

She was startled and began to doubt Lu Wenhan's words. The two counties were not too far apart. How could the magistrate not know anyone from Beiling County?

Just then, a familiar figure mingled in the crowd. It was Nightingale, with his head covered low with a hat.

Xia Yurou knew that Nightingale's appearance here was no accident, so she hurried through the crowd and chased after him.

Xiaoxue hurriedly followed, but could not see the princess.

At this time, Nightingale was standing at a street corner. Seeing Xia Yurou chasing after her, she said in a low voice: "Don't go to Hua Manlou."

After saying this, the nightingale disappeared into the shadows, leaving a faint fragrance in the air.

Xiaoxue caught up with Xia Yurou breathlessly and asked anxiously, "Miss, why are you running so fast all of a sudden?"

Xia Yurou turned and looked at Xiaoxue with a serious expression on her face: "Xiaoxue, let's go to Huamanlou."

She knew that Nightingale's warning was not groundless, but the doubts in her heart drove her to go to Hua Man Lou. Perhaps Xiao Xiangyu was there...