It could be said that this was the result of the officials underestimating Lin Yuxin, and Lin Yuxin knew this very well.

That’s why she took advantage of it to make them bleed a little.

The officials exchanged glances before reluctantly pulling out their silver banknotes from their pockets.

One after another, they counted, and surprisingly, they managed to gather exactly one thousand taels.

Lin Yuxin’s eyes lit up at the sight.

She knew these officials had money—turns out, she was right!

She was going to make a fortune! Hahaha!

Ignoring the dark expressions on their faces, Lin Yuxin swiftly grabbed the banknotes from their hands. She counted them carefully—exactly one thousand taels.

She shook the notes slightly before handing them over to the impatient official in front of her. Smiling, she said:

“Officer, thank you for waiting. Please take this. Now, can we go in?”

The official took the banknotes and counted them.

Not a tael more, not a tael less—exactly one thousand.

Pleased, he no longer minded the wait and waved them through. Looking at Lin Yuxin meaningfully, he said:

“Go on in! But with so many of you, things might not be so easy inside!”

“Thank you, officer. We won’t stay long—just a couple of days.”

Lin Yuxin lowered her gaze, concealing the cold glint in her eyes, and softly explained to the officer.

[Enjoy yourselves while you can. Whatever you’ve taken, you’ll be coughing it all up soon enough.]

“Alright, alright, just go in already!”

With the silver in hand, the official impatiently waved them through.

Lin Yuxin whispered something to Zhao Yi, who nodded in response and turned to relay the message to the others in the group.

Before long, the lightly armed soldiers discreetly put away their weapons.

Lin Yuxin then returned to her carriage, and the group moved toward the city gates.

Since they had paid the fee, the guards at the gate barely checked them.

Lin Yuxin and her people entered the city without further obstacles.

As they passed the city gate, they could still hear the desperate pleas of the refugees.

[Wait a little longer. I will make sure you’re properly settled.]

Suppressing the emotions stirring in her heart, Lin Yuxin closed her eyes and ignored them.

Xiao Hao, holding Lin Yuxin’s hand, pursed his lips and remained silent.

“Your Highness, where should we go next?”

Once inside the city, Zhao Yi approached and asked.

The fact that Lin Yuxin had ordered them to put away their weapons and enter the city lightly armed meant she had a plan.

“Head straight to the government office!”

Lin Yuxin responded without hesitation.

With so many people entering the city, the governor would soon learn of their presence.

Rather than waiting for him to act first, it was better to strike directly and catch him off guard—leaving him nowhere to hide.

“Yes!”

As they made their way toward the government office, Lin Yuxin lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

The streets were sparsely populated, yet a few people were still walking around, their conversations drifting through the air.

“Husband, we only have a little bit of food left at home. If we can’t buy more, we’ll have nothing to eat!”

A woman carrying a basket spoke anxiously to the man walking ahead of her, her face filled with worry.

“I know, but the grain shops are charging one tael of silver per pound of rice. How can we afford that?”

The man, drenched in sweat, responded helplessly.

Their family was already struggling to get by—who could afford grain at that price?

“What are we going to do? Even water is expensive now! They’re trying to kill us!”

The woman couldn’t hold back anymore and started crying.

“Enough. We’ll just have to eat less each day. As long as we can survive another day, that’s what matters. With corrupt officials in charge, I fear Jibei City won’t last much longer.”

The man sighed, his face filled with despair.

“Waaah! Mother, I’m hungry! I’m so hungry!”

A little girl, about three years old, was being led by her mother, wandering aimlessly through the streets.

Unable to endure the hunger any longer, she tugged at her mother’s sleeve and burst into tears.

“Yaya, don’t cry. Just hold on a little longer, okay? Be good.”

The woman’s lips trembled as she squatted down to comfort her daughter, her eyes red with sorrow.

She had no choice.

Ever since they ran out of food at home, her husband abandoned them, calling them a burden.

He said he couldn’t even feed himself, let alone two “useless” women. He took whatever silver was left and left them behind.

With no food and no support, the mother and daughter had already been starving for three days.

If things continued like this, they would surely die. Today, they came out just hoping to find something—anything—to eat.

Lin Yuxin watched as the little girl wiped her nose, stopped crying, and continued following her mother.

Her hands clenched into fists.

Just then, she felt a small tug on her hand. Looking down, she saw Xiao Hao, his face full of hesitation. She loosened her grip and gently stroked his face.

“Xiao Hao, if you have something to say, just say it.”

“Big sister, I have food with me. Can I give it to that little girl?”

Xiao Hao held onto a piece of pastry and asked.

Lin Yuxin looked at the pastry he had been holding onto throughout the journey. She shook her head and said softly:

“Xiao Hao, do you know how many people in the north don’t have food to eat? What you saw today is just the tip of the iceberg. If you give the pastry to that girl, what about her mother? What about the other refugees?”

“A small piece of pastry won’t fill their stomachs, nor will it solve the real problem. They will still go hungry afterward. We need to address the root cause.”

Xiao Hao lowered his head, silent for a long time before finally saying:

“I understand, big sister.”

“Good boy. I’m really happy you think this way—it shows that you are a kind-hearted person.”

Lin Yuxin ruffled his hair, pleased.

However, this time, Xiao Hao couldn’t smile.

The images of starving refugees and desperate families fleeing disaster were now etched into his young heart.

Before long, they arrived at the government office, only to find its doors tightly shut.

Lin Yuxin stepped down from the carriage, looked at the closed doors, and sneered.

“Seal this place off! Not even a fly is allowed to escape!”

She ordered coldly.

“Yes!”

Zhao Yi acknowledged and led his men to block the gates.

“Zhao Er, knock on the door!”

Zhao Er stepped forward and knocked heavily on the door. He knocked for a long time before someone finally responded.

“Who’s there? How dare you make a scene at the government office! Do you have a death wish?”

A yamen officer cracked open the door and shouted impatiently.

Zhao Er didn’t waste words—he kicked the door wide open.

“Ahhh!”

The officer was sent flying by the force of the kick, crashing heavily onto the ground with a painful wail.

“How dare you! The Princess of Pingning has arrived! Not only did you fail to greet her at the city gates, but you even shut the doors in her face. Are you planning a rebellion?”

Zhao Er’s voice boomed throughout the compound, carrying an imposing force.

Inside, Governor Zhong Zu’an, who was indulging in pleasure with two women, was startled.

His face turned pale—Princess? What princess?

“Someone! What’s going on outside? Who’s this princess? Why wasn’t I informed?”

A panicked servant rushed in.

“Master, this is bad! A large group of people claiming to be with Princess Pingning have stormed in!”

“Princess? Could it be an imperial inspector? Damn it! Quick! Hide everything in the back courtyard—NOW!”

Zhong Zu’an yelled in terror.

“Yes!”

The servant hurried away to carry out his orders.