Shi Zhenxiang calmed down the princesses and had the nanny wait outside the carriage.
If they encountered danger, she would take the children and flee at any time.
Fortunately, Sheng Jinyan returned at midnight.
Seeing that she was still awake, he asked softly, "Were you scared?"
Shi Zhenxiang shook her head and handed him hot water to drink. "Your subject knew you would return safely."
Sheng Jinyan smiled. "Of course, I have great skills."
Shi Zhenxiang saw that he had no injuries, thought that he truly was fine, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She asked, "What did you find out?"
Sheng Jinyan did not hide it from her. "It's a group of mountain bandits who wanted to rob us."
However, that bandit lair was not large, and there were no masters.
He went in, took a look around, and grabbed some things without anyone noticing, which shows they were all incompetent.
Shi Zhenxiang's mouth twitched involuntarily. "You went in and took their things?"
Sheng Jinyan looked matter-of-fact. "They wanted to rob me. How could I not go in and take a look?"
"Besides, what's wrong with taking a few things? Those things aren't theirs anyway."
Shi Zhenxiang...
That's true, but isn't that not right?
Sheng Jinyan didn't think it was wrong. He tossed her a money pouch bulging full. "If you don't want it, throw it away."
Shi Zhenxiang felt the thickness of the money pouch and immediately changed her attitude.
"This money was never theirs to begin with. Whoever takes it, takes it!"
Either way, she would take it!
Sheng Jinyan laughed heartily.
Truly his woman; she had the same thought as him.
But they couldn't stay here much longer; they had to leave immediately.
So he called for the nanny to drive the carriage, and they quickly left this mountain forest.
Once they left the Capital City, they started traveling on the folk roads.
Sheng Jinyan thought that since they had to do a hundred good deeds among the folk, they should head toward towns.
The local officials in the towns hadn't seen him before and wouldn't recognize him, so he could easily perform good deeds.
Otherwise, the officials in the capital knew him. If he wanted to do good deeds, they would definitely arrange everything, making it too deliberate.
Shi Zhenxiang was curious about what good deeds he planned to do.
Sheng Jinyan thought for a moment. "There are many unjust cases among the folk. I'll start by solving cases; surely I can save many people."
Saving people is equivalent to doing good deeds.
Moreover, he didn't need to search everywhere; he just needed to go to the county office a few times to listen, and he could save many people.
Shi Zhenxiang thought it was acceptable.
"Then let's start on the first one tomorrow."
Sheng Jinyan nodded and headed to a small town in the suburbs of North City.
He found an inn near the yamen and took Shi Zhenxiang and the princesses in to have lunch.
Inns like this had the most gossip. Shi Zhenxiang generously ordered four dishes.
After all, they had just taken money from the bandits; if they didn't eat, it would be a waste.
Sheng Jinyan nodded in agreement and, for once, ordered a braised pork hock.
He loved eating meat in the wild, but when it came to spending money to buy it, he was reluctant.
But today they wanted to hear some folk unjust cases, so naturally they had to spend a little.
Ordering more dishes allowed them to eat slowly and listen slowly.
Because they were dressed simply and had many children, they looked like a family, so naturally they didn't attract others' attention.
As they were eating, they heard a few locals at the next table whispering.
"Was that case last month really decided? Did the Tofu Lady really kill Steward Wang's son?"
Bystander A: "I don't think it's possible. That Tofu Lady is so thin that a gust of wind could blow her over; how could she kill anyone?"
"That Steward Wang's son was already in poor health; maybe he just died on his own."
Bystander B: "Could be a crime of passion. After all, the Tofu Lady has been widowed for years; maybe she was already involved with the Wang son. Then he rejected her, so she might have struck out."
"Anyway, the yamen has set the charge as a crime of passion, saying execution by beheading in three days."
As they were talking, a man at a nearby table slammed the table and stood up. "Bullshit! The Tofu Lady is pure and innocent; she wouldn't take a fancy to that sickly Wang brat."
"Maybe it's internal conflict among the Wang family; they killed the Wang son and then framed the Tofu Lady."
The one saying this was a relative of the Tofu Lady, who was always straightforward.
The people around knew they were relatives, so naturally they wouldn't believe him.
Instead, they said that he was making baseless accusations and should be careful not to be reported by the Wang family.
That man was furious and said that the Wang family had great power and influence and surely had killed their own son and framed someone else.
Shi Zhenxiang and Sheng Jinyan looked at each other in surprise.
Both said simultaneously, "Is there inside information?"
They immediately had the nanny note down that man's address and went to find him after finishing their meal.
When that man heard they were inquiring about the Tofu Lady, he became very wary. "Who are you? Why are you asking about my cousin?"
Shi Zhenxiang said gently and innocently, "Before, when I passed by the Tofu Lady's door, she gave me a piece of tofu and saved my life."
"Now that our family has become a bit prosperous, we wanted to repay her, but we never expected she would get into trouble."
The man did not suspect after hearing this, since the Tofu Lady was indeed a kind-hearted person.
He immediately told them the whole story.
After hearing it, Shi Zhenxiang and Sheng Jinyan simultaneously thought that the Tofu Lady was indeed wronged.
The source was at Steward Wang's house.
Sheng Jinyan decided, "Tonight I'll go to the Wang house to eavesdrop; you wait for my news at the inn."
Shi Zhenxiang nodded. "Alright, come back early."
Sheng Jinyan quickly disguised himself and went to Steward Wang's house.
Sure enough, he heard Steward Wang and his mistress discussing.
"The charge has already been set for her. The wife's family can't find evidence either. Besides, the young master was already in poor health, and the coroner can't detect anything. After the sentencing the day after tomorrow, we'll be at ease."
Sheng Jinyan clenched his fists upon hearing this.
He returned and told Shi Zhenxiang the truth.
Shi Zhenxiang's guess was pretty close. "This kind of scumbag gets rich relying on his original wife, then raises a mistress outside, and conspires to kill his original wife. The scumbag and the bitch deserve to die."
But for now, they couldn't record Steward Wang and his mistress's exact words for everyone to hear.
They could only tell the truth to Steward Wang's original wife's family.
Sheng Jinyan immediately wrote an anonymous letter and sent it overnight to Steward Wang's original wife's family.
And he woke them up.
The two elderly people were surprised and puzzled, but when they saw the letter's contents, they became furious.
Then, in the middle of the night, they went straight to Steward Wang's house.
They brought all their house servants with them and started fighting as soon as they arrived.
Ignoring Steward Wang's shouts, they beat him and his mistress half to death while they were completely naked.
In the end, his mistress couldn't take it anymore and confessed first.
The county magistrate and nearby neighbors all woke up and came to watch the excitement.
They didn't expect to hear the truth.
It turned out that Steward Wang, in order to obtain his original wife's property, not only caused the original wife's early death but also poisoned his son daily with a slow-acting poison.
Because he already had a wife and children outside—that mistress was the wife.
This matter happened to be discovered by the Tofu Lady. She kindly told that young man, but unexpectedly she was framed.
That young man, in trying to save her, couldn't catch his breath and died.
This is how she was caught at the scene.
Now that the truth was revealed, the old couple from the original wife's family wept uncontrollably.
Shi Zhenxiang and the princesses clenched their fists upon hearing this.
Several little princesses picked up stones from the ground and threw them at Steward Wang's head. "Vicious old man!"
The other three princesses also threw together.
Seeing this, the other children also joined in throwing stones.
Steward Wang and his mistress were hit badly.
In the end, the verdict was overturned. The Tofu Lady was released, and the original wife's family also gave her compensation.
Sheng Jinyan was very gratified. He picked up his notebook and silently recorded the first good deed.
Shi Zhenxiang saw his lips constantly rising and couldn't resist teasing, "Your Majesty, are you so happy after doing a good deed?"
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