The cruel little princess

"An Er! Ask Brother Xu to come and take their pulse! Come with me into the mountains to find some medicinal herbs!" Shen Youyou said anxiously.

"Dear uncles and aunts, I'm sorry, but we are missing an important medicinal ingredient today. I'm going into the mountains to try my luck and see if I can find it! Doctor Xu will take your pulses next!" Shen Youyou hurriedly made an excuse.

"Princess, you just need to be busy. Don't worry about us old bones!" Aunt Wang said understandingly.

"That's right! We think everything is fine, so we don't need to take your pulse! It's a waste of your time!" Aunt Li also urged, "You go ahead and do your thing. We'll chat for a while and then we'll go our separate ways!"

After Shen Youyou said something to them, she walked out directly with An Er.

"Princess?" An Er saw that her face was not right and quickly spoke to comfort her: "Princess, were you frightened by Xiao Huzi's behavior just now? He is fine now! Don't worry, Princess!"

Shen Youyou tried to calm herself down. Maybe she was just thinking too much! She gently closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

When she opened her eyes again, all the panic was gone.

"An Er, there must be a special code between you and the prince to communicate, right?! You should immediately arrange for other people to contact the prince and remind him to be extra careful. At the same time, strengthen the surveillance of County Magistrate Liu! You must be careful of County Magistrate Liu!" Shen Youyou said in a stern tone.

"Yes! Princess!" An Er realized the seriousness of the matter, otherwise the princess would not be so panicked.

"Go quickly and come back soon! Call those three brothers over in a while, and the five of us will secretly go to Tongniu Mountain to check out the situation!" Shen Youyou ordered.

An Er quickly repeated the princess's instructions to the prince in code and wrote them down in the letter. It was kept so flawless that no one could tell a thing!

Then An Er gathered three brothers and rushed to Tongniu Mountain with the princess.

By the time they arrived at Tongniu Mountain, it was already approaching dusk. The afterglow shone across the mountain, making the entire mountain appear somewhat golden. Shen Youyou looked at the scene before her, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

She noticed a large number of honeysuckle trees, a plant that typically thrives in specific environments. Looking more closely at the exposed rocks, Shen Youyou suddenly understood. These rocks were a golden yellow, unlike ordinary rock. A thought struck her: Could it be...?

"This is a gold mine!" Shen Youyou exclaimed in a low voice. She finally understood everything. This seemingly ordinary mountain actually hid such a huge wealth. And all the things that had happened before also became clear at this moment.

It turns out this is exactly what County Magistrate Liu is after! He somehow or other learned of the existence of this gold mine! And to keep it a secret and possess this gold mine, he's willing to sacrifice anything!

First, they dug rivers, causing floods that killed a large number of innocent people. Then they created a plague in an attempt to keep everyone on the land.

Shen Youyou gasped, her heart filled with shock and anger. For a mountain of gold, someone could do such a cruel thing, treating human life like grass. Such a person is simply not worthy of being a human being!

At this moment, she finally understood Magistrate Liu's plot. He not only wanted to seize the gold mine, but also wanted to eliminate anyone who might reveal the secret. And she and the others were precisely the threat he saw.

After the plague, the entire Tongniu County will cease to exist! All the villagers will disappear in this plague! At that time, no one will know the secret of the Tongniu County gold mine!

As this place becomes a flood-prone reservoir, no more villages will be built here. County Magistrate Liu can keep this secret forever!

Shen Youyou clenched her fists tightly, her eyes gleaming with determination. She was determined to expose Magistrate Liu's crimes and bring him the punishment he deserved. At the same time, she also wanted to protect the gold mine and prevent it from falling into the hands of the wicked.

I just don’t know what the attitude of Zheng County Magistrate of Tongan County is towards this matter?

Was he completely clueless or was he in cahoots with him?! The more Shen Youyou thought about it, the more frightened she became! If it was really the two county magistrates working together...

She took a deep breath, warning herself not to act rashly. Currently, she had no definitive proof that Magistrate Liu was responsible, and any rash action would only alert the enemy. So, she decided to remain patient for the time being, observing covertly for clues. At the same time, she also instructed An Er and the others to remain silent on the matter, so as not to alert the other party. Shen Youyou believed that with patience, she would eventually find evidence to identify the true culprit.

An Er stared with wide eyes, a look of astonishment at what was unfolding before him. He had originally believed that the plague had been caused by the low terrain of Tongniu County, leading to flooding. But now it seemed as if this were a conspiratorial conspiracy. He clenched his fists in anger, his heart filled with a sense of justice and mission. He was determined to expose the truth and ensure justice for the innocent victims.

An Er angrily punched the nearby tree trunk, snapping it instantly. He angrily cursed, "When I was investigating in Wutong County, I thought Magistrate Liu was a good official! Bah! He's a complete bastard who only knows a person's face and not his heart! I'm so blind! I couldn't see through this bastard's true face!"

An Er was so furious that he spat on the ground and cursed bitterly. He felt that he had been deceived and was very disappointed with the result.

Shen Youyou: ...I have to say it, An Er, you are really a talent. When you get angry, you even scold yourself...

"Princess, now that we know it was Magistrate Liu who did it, what should we do next?" A cold light flashed in An Er's eyes. He stretched out his hand and made a gesture of wiping his neck, and said in a deep voice: "How about we just catch him and chop him off?" Then, he shook his head, as if he felt that this was too easy for the other party. "No, wouldn't it be too easy for him to chop him off? How about publicly executing him by slow slicing?..." An Er secretly thought about the next 108 ways that Magistrate Liu would die in his heart, and the more he thought about it, the more exciting it seemed.

However, Shen Youyou remained calm and composed, refusing to let her anger cloud her mind. "Don't act rashly. These are just our speculations. We have no concrete evidence to prove he did it, and we don't know if he has any backers..." Her voice was deep and firm, revealing an undeniable authority.

Shen Youyou frowned and continued her analysis, "A small county magistrate, no matter how bold he was, couldn't possibly be so daring as to murder over ten thousand civilians, right?!" Her small hand tapped gently on the tree trunk beside her, as if she were pondering something. With each tap of her finger, her thoughts became clearer and clearer.

"I think he must have accomplices. He couldn't possibly own such a massive gold mine. Even if the two county magistrates were involved, they wouldn't have the guts to kill the entire population of Tongniu County. There must be someone more powerful hiding behind this..." Shen Youyou analyzed slowly. Her gaze sharpened as she realized this matter was far more complicated than it appeared.

"So, we need more evidence and clues to solve this mystery. We can't alert the enemy." She took a deep breath and spoke firmly. "An Er, tell the prince to investigate County Magistrate Liu's recent whereabouts and contacts to see if there are any useful clues. Also, have the prince send someone to closely monitor his every move and not miss any clues."

"Yes, sir!" An Er obeyed. He knew the importance of this mission and dared not slack off. "Speaking of which, the prince should have received the letter. I wonder if he's successfully mobilized his troops. How about we meet up with the prince first and then discuss the long-term plan?" An Er asked quietly.

"It's impossible to reunite. The situation is only temporarily under control now, and the plague has not been completely eradicated. If the prince brings people in, it will only make the situation worse." Shen Youyou shook her head firmly. She understood that Chu Huaijin must not be allowed to take risks at this time.

"And now the people of Tongniu County are in good condition. The emperor's guards are surrounding us like an iron barrel. After surviving a great disaster, they are all unprecedentedly united! We are safe here except for the plague."

Shen Youyou's gaze was resolute, her tone steady. She knew full well that the situation at hand couldn't afford to let up even a little. "The most important thing right now is whether the troops the prince has dispatched are trustworthy. We must first quietly replace County Magistrate Liu's men!" Her eyes revealed a hint of worry and vigilance.