The village chief's mouth hung open, staring at the person seated before him. He was a prince! The prince was him!
How could he believe that a hunter could be a prince? And that he had shared a meal with the prince, even received gifts from the prince!
Thinking about all the things he had done previously, his head felt enormous. He truly didn't know what to do!
In the courtroom, Fan Zehao had everyone untied and arranged for them to stay temporarily, promising to deal with matters the next day.
His primary focus now was interrogating the magistrate before him.
After the villagers were settled, they were murmuring softly amongst themselves when Zhao Jiaqi appeared.
At that, everyone knelt and paid their respects.
Zhao Jiaqi walked over, helped up the village chief and his wife, and smiled at everyone, "Everyone, please rise!"
"Uncle and Auntie, please continue to see me as Madam Fan!"
The village chief's face tightened, and he shook his head awkwardly, "If I didn't know before, then so be it. But it's different now. How can I be so casual anymore!"
Who in the inner city didn't know about the prince's doting affection for his wife? There wasn't a single concubine in the entire prince's manor.
Liu Qinshi also dared not speak casually, standing below with perfect decorum, her head bowed, not daring to utter a word.
She saw that the villagers were the same. They clearly wanted to speak with her, but their status prevented them.
Seeing this, she waved her hand at everyone, "You all go down and rest. I'll have a chat with the village chief!"
Upon seeing this, everyone immediately rushed out the door. In a short while, no one was left.
At this moment, Zhao Jiaqi pulled Liu Qinshi onto a chair and smiled at her, "Now that it's just the three of us in the room, be more relaxed. Otherwise, I'll feel uncomfortable too!"
Liu Qinshi looked around the room. There were only the three of them. Even the guard who had been standing behind Zhao Jiaqi was gone. She let out a heavy sigh.
Taking her hand, she began to pour out her heart, "You little wife, your lips are truly sealed. Fine if you don't tell others about your identity, but why didn't you tell me? You don't know how worried I was all the way here, thinking you two might be arrested!"
"This whole affair has made me worry for nothing!"
Zhao Jiaqi couldn't help but nod. This was the Liu Qinshi she knew, her words like firecrackers, crackling non-stop.
"Alright Auntie, if I had told you, would you still be this close to me?"
Liu Qinshi thought for a moment and shook her head, "How dare I!"
Let alone eating food she made, even drinking water she boiled would have made her tremble with apprehension. How could she dare to speak to her like this.
"That's why!" Zhao Jiaqi laughed, "My husband and I came out just to experience life and to observe the issues with local officials!"
"Seeing that our village was truly in such dire straits, we thought of ways to make you prosperous. Now, Auntie, do you understand why I was so eager for you to build workshops and start work!"
At this, Liu Qinshi finally understood her intentions and couldn't help but shed tears of joy, gripping her hand tightly.
"After you secretly left, your uncle and I... but now that we know you're alright, and a princess, our hearts can finally rest easy!"
They had thought their lives would be very difficult, especially after leaving them six hundred taels of silver when they departed. Who knew the truth was this...
The blame lay with their poor judgment, for not recognizing their true identities.
Zhao Jiaqi knew that the couple genuinely cared for them. She held her rough hand back and said, "Uncle, Auntie, I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point. Just remember what I say!"
The village chief and Liu Qinshi immediately perked up their ears, listening very intently to her next words.
"The workshops are built. The cloth dolls are already attracting attention locally, and even He Xinzhou is looking for them. Therefore, this is a future trend and the starting point for Nanlan Village to prosper. Seize this opportunity to get rich. I believe Nanlan Village will be thriving in the future!"
The village chief listened earnestly and nodded heavily at Zhao Jiaqi, "Don't worry. We will do our utmost to manage the workshop you left behind!"
"This workshop is not mine, it is yours, it belongs to the village. Once I've cleared up these preceding matters, I don't think anyone will trouble you anymore!"
"As long as your craftsmanship is fine, your prices are fair, you don't bully others, and you don't cut corners, everything will develop for the better. Therefore, Uncle, you must pay more attention!"
The village chief repeatedly nodded, "Yes, yes, yes. Princess, you are right. Once things are settled here, I will go back and properly reorganize and warn the villagers not to get too big for their britches, to be humble!"
Zhao Jiaqi chuckled, "It doesn't need to be so serious. Just do your own work well!"
After discussing the workshop matters, the three of them chatted for a while longer. Liu Qinshi then brought up Granny Li.
"Where is Granny Li now? We old sisters miss her greatly since she left!"
"My master has gone to the prince's manor. If she can't stay there, I will arrange for her to return to the village. In any case, I, as her disciple, will take care of her future."
The words "to care for her in her old age" were not spoken, but the village chief and Liu Qinshi understood.
The village chief sighed, "A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. Granny Li is very fortunate!"
Zhao Jiaqi did not respond to this. Whether she was fortunate or not, she couldn't say, but for now, she was well-fed and clothed.
After their conversation, under the reluctant farewells of the village chief and Liu Qinshi, Zhao Jiaqi left.
It was already the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month, and the New Year was fast approaching. Her husband had not finished his work yet, so he would have to interrogate them overnight.
Since the magistrate was left to her husband, she certainly wouldn't let the steward of the Chu mansion in Hexinzhou go.
In a damp and dark dungeon, torches flickered on the walls. She didn't know what wind had brought her into a dungeon for the second time in half a year!
She looked at the steward locked in the dungeon, trembling and cowering in a corner. Upon seeing her, he crawled towards her like a cockroach, tears streaming down his face, looking pitiful.
"Princess, Princess, spare me! I am blind and did not recognize the Princess!"
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the man inside through the iron bars and turned her face away. Honestly, she had seen too many such despicable people!
She gestured to Xiao Ce beside her, "Bring the person out!"
Xiao Ce was smart. Hearing the Princess say "bring out," he certainly wouldn't let the prisoner walk out comfortably!
Sitting on a chair, Zhao Jiaqi looked down and questioned the steward kneeling on the ground, "What is your name!"
"Replying to the Princess, my lowly name is Chu Wencai!"
His answer was relatively honest, which gave Zhao Jiaqi confidence for the subsequent questioning.
"Since you are the steward of the Chu mansion, I believe you know it very well. From now on, tell me everything you know!"
The steward hesitated for a moment, and then Xiao Ce kicked his backside flat, shouting at him sternly, "The Princess is questioning you! If you don't confess truthfully, do you want to be beaten!"