Just as they were speaking, a team of people dressed as bailiffs came from afar, carrying shovels and other tools, heading straight to the center of the street. When they arrived at the site where the drum tower in Nankai County collapsed, they began to dig.
"Whatās going on with these people? Why arenāt they clearing other places?"
San also found it odd but didnāt give it much thought.
At this moment, he kept in mind the princeās words to take Miss Li to the prefecture.
"Letās go. These people are likely ordered from above to clean up, yet theyāre dragging their feet."
Li Luru thought that they couldnāt intervene in this matter, so she nodded and rode off.
"Oh, look, what is this?"
"My heavens, what have you dug up? Why is it dressed in a dragon robe?"
"Oh, there are words on it."
"... What words?"
"An... something..." one person said, "I canāt read. Can someone take a look?"
Women tend to pay special attention to the men they fancy, noticing their every move. So now, as she heard the word āAn,ā she immediately thought of Prince An Ye Haoxuan. She turned her head and saw someone holding a bright yellow cloth doll.
Her intuition told her this was not a good thing.
"Xiaobai, go!"
Xiaobai, being very perceptive, dashed into the crowd almost at the first call from Li Luru.
Soon, the bright yellow object was lifted higher and farther by Xiaobai.
San and the others naturally heard the conversation among these people, exchanged glances, and drew their swords.
"Remember to leave one alive," Li Luru hurriedly shouted.
Soon, a dozen bailiffs were felled, with one left remaining.
"What are you doing? Who are you?" The remaining bailiff was terrified.
"Dislocate his jaw, donāt let him make a sound."
San didnāt think much at that moment and carried out the orders.
Li Luru glanced around, and there were still some civilians. Seeing her look over, they all looked back in fear.
"What to do?" one of the guards said, "How about killing them?"
"These people probably heard what just happened, kill them."
Upon hearing this, San prepared to raise his hand, but Li Luru said, "Wait, civilians canāt be killed. This clearly looks like someone is setting us up. Killing the bailiffs can still be explained as having caught them burying something, but killing civilians would seem like a cover-up."
San pondered and nodded, but then said, "Since someone arranged this, even if thereās nothing there, they would probably still pin it on the prince."
Li Luru bowed her head in thought for a while, then her eyes suddenly brightened, "I have an idea. San, take this person with me, you two go report the case to the county, saying you encountered a robbery here."
San appreciated her decisiveness when she had Xiaobai snatch the item, and hearing her affirming words now, he nodded to the two guards.
They split into two groups; San and Li Luru left the town while Xiaobai reappeared, delivering the snatched item back to her.
When she saw the words on it, she gasped, it was indeed bad news, as it read, "His Highness Prince An, Supreme Ruler!"
"Can you contact your people?" Li Luru hurriedly said, "Get two identical cloth dolls, write āNational Peace and Prosperity!ā on one, and āLong Live Great Zhou!ā on the other, with the emperorās reign number behind the āLong Live Great Zhou!ā"
"Once these are ready, place one at a corner of the collapsed drum tower, then send a message to the Prefect of Yunāan Prefecture, saying that Nankai County hasnāt cleared yet. When the people from Nankai County office come, let Xiaobai return the snatched doll."
Only, it certainly wouldnāt be the original when returned.
(PS: If you find many typos or awkward sentences in a Chapter, remember to refresh after ten minutes, as the author is making corrections~~~)