The whole family of villains listens to my heart, the Regent Prince treats me dearly.

She pulled a small knife from her sleeve, cut open a corner of the rice bag, grabbed a handful of rice, and looked at it.

Then her eyebrows furrowed.

This is... moldy rice?!

Is Chairman Ye saving people or harming them?

Distributing porridge with moldy rice to fool the people is a recipe for disaster!

This is absolutely outrageous!

[It really is a QR code; you wouldn't know what it is until you scan it!]

Anger welled up in her clear eyes.

Zhai Rongyu checked several more bags of rice, and without exception, they were all moldy.

She took out a talisman and traveled through several granaries.

His brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Finally, a national treasure burst forth.

"Who's inside?!"

Hearing the commotion, the guards at the gate pushed open the gate and rushed into the granary!

He inspected the surroundings.

But the granary was empty.

Suddenly, a flickering light appeared somewhere in the granary. When the guards approached to take a look, the flames instantly leaped higher than a person.

He was terrified and rushed outside, shouting, "Fire!"

Unexpectedly, the same deafening shouts came from all directions.

It actually covered the entire city of Yang!

"The fire is coming!"

"The grain depot is flooded!"

In just a moment, fire broke out in all the soup kitchens in Yangcheng!

Upon receiving the urgent report, Chairman Ye rushed to the scene.

He met Prefect Jiang and Jun Ce in front of the only government-run soup kitchen that had survived the disaster.

"This humble citizen, Ye Kun, pays his respects to the Regent!"

"Get up." Jun Ce glanced at him expressionlessly and asked Prefect Jiang, "How is the fire?"

Prefect Jiang replied tearfully, "The fire wasn't big and has already been brought under control. Fortunately, no one was injured. It's just a pity about all this grain!"

"What will become of the people of Yangcheng?" He raised his hand and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

He dared not tell Jun Ce that the fire was very strange.

It burned all the grain and then extinguished itself!

No one was killed.

Could it be... divine fire descending from the heavens?

Thinking of the rice in the granary, Prefect Jiang felt a sense of unease.

Chairman Ye's eyes flashed with ruthlessness as he said, "This must have been done by someone!"

"Who on earth is so vicious as to want to take the lives of the people of Yangcheng!"

The people cried out in despair.

"Heaven is going to destroy me! Heaven is going to destroy me!"

"We beg the Regent to do our duty and capture this man!"

"Who the hell is this?! Are they trying to kill us?!"

A child cried and huddled in his mother's arms, saying, "Mother, are we going to starve to death?"

His mother hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

She didn't speak, her eyes staring blankly at the parched ground before her, as if she were in hell.

Ye Kun said to Prefect Jiang, "Sir, this matter must be thoroughly investigated."

How dare they burn down the Ye family's soup kitchen on Yangcheng territory...

If he finds this person, he will tear him to pieces!

“No need to check,” Zhai Rongyu said as she walked into the soup kitchen.

"I started this fire."

It wasn't that she was impulsive.

However, with so many soup kitchens in the Ye family, the amount of moldy rice is enormous. If it is not destroyed immediately, who knows how many lives will be lost.

She simply burned them all, leaving only one bag.

If Ye Kun's crimes cannot be proven, she has other ways to deal with him!

Ye Kun turned around and looked.

But then a stunningly beautiful young woman walked in, bathed in sunlight, carrying a bag of rice on her shoulder.

She wore a pale yellow light shirt, her skin as smooth as cream, white with a hint of pink. The sunlight shone on her, as if gilding her with a layer of gold. A cloth bag was tied around her slender waist, making her waist appear even more delicate.

A faint smile graced her pretty face, and her every step made her seem like a fairy descending to earth.

Ye Kun's gaze was fixed on her like that of a greedy wolf.

Jun Ce saw this and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

"Miss Zhai, what do you mean by this!" Magistrate Jiang's plump body trembled.

What grudge do the people of Yangcheng hold against you?

"You actually intend to kill them!"

The people instantly became restless.

"Kill her!"

"Kill her!"

"We beg the Regent to do our bidding!"

"This man's crimes deserve to be punished!"

"This young girl is so beautiful, but her heart is as venomous as a snake!"

"Truly, a woman's heart is the most poisonous!"

"The people of Yangcheng are suffering!"

……

Jun Ce pulled Zhai Rongyu close, shielding her behind him. "What happened?"

Zhai Rongyu gently shook her head.

She walked forward, threw the rice bag on her shoulder onto the ground, and the rice inside spilled all over the ground.

Upon seeing this, the people swarmed forward and began to scramble for it!

Ye Kun's face darkened instantly upon seeing Na Mi.

Prefect Jiang flared his nostrils, his lips drooped, and he glanced at Jun Ce with some unease, the handkerchief in his palm gradually becoming damp.

"Everyone!" Zhai Rongyu called out.

"This bag contains moldy rice! Don't eat it by mistake and it could be fatal!"

The crisp sound spread out like a clear spring.

The crowd stopped rioting.

Looking down at the rice he had snatched, he realized it really was moldy!

"Moldy rice! It's really moldy rice!"

"Everyone, stop eating!"

"It'll kill you!"

One of the villagers angrily said, "Girl, you burned down the granary and then gave us moldy rice. What are you up to!"

"So young, yet so vicious!"

"My lord!" A commoner crawled forward and said to Jun Ce, "Not killing this woman is not enough to appease public anger!"

"Kill her! Kill her!"

Jun Ce's sharp gaze swept across the crowd, like a merciless sword slicing through the clamor.

"Silence!" he shouted.

"Anyone who causes trouble again, don't blame me for being ruthless and merciless!"

The cold voice echoed in the air, carrying an authority and power that could not be ignored.

The crowd froze instantly.

Zhai Rongyu glanced at him gratefully.

She turned around and addressed the people, her voice clear and firm, "Gentlemen, this moldy rice is not mine."

"It comes from the characters 叶, 家, 粥, 棚."

Upon hearing this, the people became agitated.

Surprise, anger, and doubt were among the mixed emotions in the crowd.

"How can this be!"

"President Ye is the kindest person. When Yangcheng suffered a severe drought, he funded the establishment of soup kitchens throughout the city to relieve the people. If it weren't for him, we would have starved to death long ago!"

"That's right! Don't make false accusations!"

"But..." a weak voice said from the crowd, "My father ate rice from the soup kitchen a few days ago and died of poisoning..."

"With the disaster raging, who knows how your father died!"

"Exactly! Don't blame Chairman Ye for something you ate that was unclean!"

"You're such a vicious girl! Not only did you burn down the granary, but you're also trying to pin the blame on Chairman Ye!"

"What's your intention!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Kun let out a sinister smile.

Some people burst into tears.

"Now that all the grain has been burned and it's not raining, I might as well just die!"

"Heaven is going to kill me!"

In an instant, cries of despair filled the land.

"Everyone! Quiet down! Please listen to me," Zhai Rongyu said.

"I can pray for rain for everyone."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent instantly.

Governor Jiang glanced at her in surprise.

Ye Kun's eyes were dark and focused as he whispered a few instructions to his servants.

The servant hurriedly left the scene.

A burst of snickers came from the crowd.

"Just you?"

"You're a young woman, how could you have such abilities?"

"You burned our grain, and now you're playing us for fools! Girl, you've really gone too far!"

"Everyone!" Ye Kun stepped forward and said to the crowd, "Please listen to me!"

"I am grateful for everyone's trust!"

"This young lady has falsely accused me. If she fails to pray for rain, could you hand her over to Mr. Ye for disposal?"

The crowd responded immediately.

"It's natural!"

"President Ye should teach her a lesson!"

"At such a young age, he doesn't know his place and is simply asking for a beating!"

Ye Kun's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he glanced at Zhai Rongyu with an air of certainty.

Jun Ce's anger was rising, and he was about to lash out when a pair of soft, boneless hands pressed him down.

Zhai Rongyu said in a low voice, "The crowd is indignant, don't get involved."

"Trust me, I will handle it myself."

Jun Ce's eyes flickered as he looked into her calm and collected gaze, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

"Yes," he said softly, "I believe you."