Reborn Princess

"Miss, this is a letter sent by King Xuan."

Shen Luoning took the letter while sitting in front of the dressing table. After Zhou Jingmo was put in solitary confinement, Shen Luoning hadn't seen him for several days. Now she felt happy to receive his letter.

She looked at herself in the bronze mirror, adjusted her hairpin with her hand and then curled her lips.

"Wash my hands first," she ordered.

Si Yu came over with a basin of water, and another maid waited on the side with a cloth.

While washing her hands, she glanced at the maid's face. She was quite pretty, but unfortunately she didn't need someone like her around her.

After wiping her hands, Shen Luoning deliberately threw the cloth on the ground. The maid didn't catch it and squatted down to pick it up. Shen Luoning winked at Si Yu, who nodded and then poured a basin of hot water on the maid.

The maid was soaked all over and immediately knelt down and begged for mercy, trembling.

A few drops of water splashed onto Shen Luoning. Shen Luoning lowered her eyes and looked at the man kneeling on the ground begging for mercy from her, feeling a little angry.

"You useless thing, you can't even catch a piece of cloth, get out, and don't enter my room to serve me from now on."

The maid cried, "Yes."

Shen Luo Ning couldn't stand her pitiful look, so she kicked her and knocked her to the ground.

"Climb out," she ordered.

The maid held back her tears and crawled out step by step with her hands on the ground.

A pair of tender white hands opened the letter paper

"My love Luo Ning, I treasure you. I went to my father and begged him to make you his concubine, but he was angry and refused. He finally confined me to become a concubine. But even though you are a concubine, I still regard you as my only wife."

Looking at the contents of the letter, Shen Luoning's feeling of injustice over the past few days disappeared. She smiled faintly. No matter what, he regarded her as his wife, which was a million times better than Zhao Ruyun, the main wife who could not get Zhou Jingmo's love.

By the time Zhao Ruyun is spurned by Zhou Jingmo, it will be just a matter of time for her to become the queen.

"Just wait." Shen Luoning looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

……

In the warm room of Prince Ding'an's Mansion, Shen Lilan was using an abacus to look at the account book.

"This is the invitation to the 70th birthday of Marquis Xiangyang." Zhou Cechen handed a red invitation to Shen Lilan.

Shen Lilan looked up, holding the invitation card. "I want to go too?"

"Marquis Xiangyang has a high prestige among the aristocratic families. I will attend the banquet then. Do you want to go?" Zhou Cechen asked Shen Lilan.

Shen Lilan looked at Zhou Cechen. Although he told her seriously that he was going to let her choose, his eyes clearly said "Come with me."

"Then, I will go with the prince." Shen Lilan said.

Zhou Cechen nodded, "Okay."

After that, Zhou Cechen said, "Someone is going to be tried in the Imperial Prison today, I need to go there."

"Are they the officials who are about to be executed?" Shen Lilan asked him.

Zhou Cechen nodded. "Those people were imprisoned. They have to give something out to justify their existence."

"Your Highness, please go. I will wait for you to come back for dinner." Shen Xilan looked at Zhou Cechen.

Before leaving, Zhou Cechen kissed Shen Lilan on the forehead and then left.

After Zhou Cechen left, Shen Xilan stopped what she was doing. She looked at the door of the room and motioned Birui to close the door. Birui nodded and did as she was told.

After the door was closed, Birui came to report, "Your Majesty, I have been running around all the major medicine stores in the capital these past two days, but I am still a step too late. As Your Majesty expected, almost half of the medicine stores have sold out their Forsythia, Coptis chinensis, Nepeta tenuifolia and other medicines."

Shen Yanlan said calmly: "It's not too late, half is enough."

Birui was puzzled.

"Those merchants who bought out all the drugs in the pharmacy are simply buying them back at a high price. What if the person behind the scenes is not a trustworthy person and the price he offers is not enough?"

Bi Rui looked at Shen Li Lan and asked, "Madam, do you know who is behind this?"

Shen Xilan certainly knew how Zhou Chao, the man behind the scenes who was directing everything, acted.

Word was sent to several major drug dealers to buy the medicine at a high price. As a result, all the antidote for smallpox in the city was sold out. Those vendors rushed to sell it, but the person behind the scenes said that he could only buy half of it, otherwise he would have to buy all of it at a low price.

Naturally, the merchants were reluctant to do so as they valued profits. However, a few days later, smallpox broke out. This caught the imperial court off guard but gave the drug dealers the opportunity to seize the opportunity.

For a time, the prices of those medicines skyrocketed. There was already a traitor in the government who had caused chaos in the court, and in the end the medicine prices had not been suppressed. The soldiers on the battlefield in front were repeatedly defeated, and the people in the capital behind were complaining.

Zhou Cechen sensed something was wrong and inspected all the officials to find someone taking advantage of the situation. He also issued a decree stating that drug dealers who sold drugs at high prices would be put to death. Purchasing drugs from drug dealers at a price slightly higher than the market price appeased the people while also making it profitable for the dealers.

Now, I have to take advantage of the time difference and the drug dealers' anxiety about not being able to sell the drugs to buy back the drugs they purchased.

"Birui, these are the business names of several major drug dealers. Ask Fu Zhen to find someone to buy the drugs they have purchased. Remember, there are only two days, so be quick."

"There is still half of the medicine left in the pharmacy. Tell someone to buy all of it."

"Yes." Birui went out with the note.

When Zhou Cechen was interrogating the last official in the imperial prison, the man could not bear the torture and finally revealed the name of a pharmacy.

"Miaochunfang."

"Go check." Zhou Cechen looked at Yanci who was holding a knife beside him.

Yanci originally planned to continue to torture the man, but after hearing Zhou Cechen's words, he put down the bloody knife and said, "Yes."

……

"Renhuatang, Yihetang, Ruiheguan, Miaochunfang."

Fu Zhen read the names of several pharmacies on the note.

"These are not government-controlled pharmacies. Miaochunfang is famous on the black market for having everything, even banned drugs."

"The Queen asked Miss Azhen to send someone to investigate." Birui said while wearing a cap.

"Okay, okay, I've been bored these days since I recovered from my injury, so I'm here to work. Tell your princess to rest assured that I will guarantee to buy medicine for you." Fu Zhen fanned her nose with a round fan, looking cunning.

……

Song Yan spent five days listing all of Liu Linzhi's crimes, wrote them into a notice and ordered people to post them all over the streets.

This notice caused quite a stir in the city of Yanjing. Some people believed it and some did not. The hypocritical appearance of the honest and upright officials became the topic of conversation among the people after dinner.

True and false, false and true, no one knows whether this is a means for the government to cover up Liu Linzhi's death or to truly announce Liu Linzhi's crimes.

The direction of public opinion in Yanjing City kept changing. As a result, on the second day, a woman from Jiangnan came to the hall in white clothes and beat drums to accuse Liu Linzhi of raping women and killing them secretly. She and her dead sister were both victims.

However, Liu Linzhi was loved by the people, and he was a good official in Yanjing City, benefiting the people. Many people spontaneously defended Liu Linzhi.

The Chief Justice of the Dali Temple was also at a loss as to how to judge this unprecedented case.