Flip the table! The reborn villainous woman takes down her entire family and seizes her life.

Chapter 62 Fearless in the Face of Danger

The eldest princess put down her silver chopsticks.

She gestured to the lady-in-waiting beside her, "Go see what happened."

A moment later, the female official returned.

She whispered, "Your Highness, the people outside are Imperial Guards."

"They said the disaster victims from Qingzhou were uncontrolled and moving around, and the Jinwu Guard happened to be patrolling this area."

Knowing that the princess was here, they left a few people to guard the place, while the rest of their troops withdrew shortly afterward.

The eldest princess asked in confusion, "Qingzhou disaster victims? Weren't funds already allocated a few days ago? How come there are still those who are not under control?"

"They say there are nearly ten million disaster victims this time, so it's common for things to be a bit complicated to sort out in a short time," the female official explained.

The eldest princess snorted coldly, "With so many people in the Ministry of Revenue and the Court of Judicial Review, they can't even handle one thing properly."

The female official smiled apologetically, "The more people you govern, the more meticulous you must be in your work."

The eldest princess waved her hand and said, "Alright, tell the guards to be on their guard. There are many guests today, so be careful not to offend anyone."

She and the lady-in-waiting were talking quietly upstairs. The ladies and young women at the banquet didn't know what they were talking about. After a while of noise outside, it quieted down again, and many people's faces were filled with curiosity.

Qiao Lixue quietly asked Madam Qiao, "Mother?"

"Has something happened outside?"

Madam Qiao explained, "Be careful what you say. With the Princess's carriage here, no one dares to do anything."

"But I just heard someone shouting outside." Qiao Lixue turned her head behind her.

"Look, there's a group of guards gathered over there."

“Turn your head around,” Liu tugged at her.

"Whatever happens has nothing to do with us. Just be careful not to get yourself into trouble. Don't forget what your father told you before he left."

Qiao Lixue lowered her head reluctantly, pouting, "I don't want to cause trouble for Father."

Madam Qiao smiled helplessly and patted Qiao Lixue's head.

Chenxi brought over a teacup for rinsing her mouth and handed it to Jiang Zhi. "Your Highness, should I go out and take a look?"

Jiang Zhi rinsed her mouth with tea, then took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. "No need."

There are hundreds of attendants and guards from each household here, so even if something happens, it won't be a big deal.

"After you have finished your lunch, you may rest in the tents at the back," said a lady-in-waiting from the Princess's residence.

"The sun is shining brightly right now. It's not too late to go out for a spring outing when the heat has gone down a bit."

The north side of the banquet venue was lush and green, and when the sunlight shone on it, it looked as if it had been brushed with a layer of gold dust, with each family's tents located on the shore.

As Chenxi carried a pot of tea to the tent, she heard a scream.

"Help!"

Qiao Lixue stumbled and ran out of the tent next to her.

She had barely stepped out of the tent when she was grabbed by the shoulder and dragged back in.

"Ah!" Qiao Lixue screamed again from inside the tent.

"Help...cough..."

Chenxi made a quick decision and turned to find Jiang Zhi.

She had just reached the door when a gust of wind suddenly came.

She turned her head to dodge, and the pot of water in her hand fell to the ground.

A man in hemp clothing grabbed Qiao Lixue by the neck with his arm, pulled out a knife from his waist, and pointed it at Chenxi.

Qiao Lixue's face turned pale, and she was unable to speak because of the pressure.

"do not come!"

"If she dares to come any closer, I'll stab her to death!" the man said viciously.

Chenxi's hands trembled slightly.

Seeing that she refused to back down, the man shouted again, "Get out!"

The man's facial muscles twitched a few times, and he raised the knife to stab.

"Dawn, retreat."

A clear female voice came from outside the tent.

The man caught a glimpse of the light and shadow at the doorway, and a woman dressed in a light blue dress came into view.

"Get out of my way!" the man threatened, brandishing his knife.

Jiang Zhi stood three steps away from the tent. "If you hurt someone here, with so many guards around, aren't you afraid you won't be able to escape?"

The man held Qiao Lixue tightly, took a few steps back, and shouted, "I'll let her go as long as you let me go!"

Jiang Zhi glanced around the tent and saw that things were scattered all over the floor, and Madam Qiao and her maid were huddled around the foot of the bed.

"Why should I believe you?" she asked.

The man gripped Qiao Lixue's arm tightly. "Don't worry about who I am. If you want her to live, let me out."

Jiang Zhi warned in a deep voice, "She's almost out of breath, be careful."

The man glanced down and saw that Qiao Lixue was indeed on the verge of death from being strangled by him. He quickly switched hands and put the knife back against Jiang Luan's neck.

"Call out the people you can summon!"

Jiang Zhi sighed, "With me here, there's no need for anyone else."

The man narrowed his eyes, watching her warily.

Jiang Zhi raised her head and said, "I am the Princess Consort of Liang. As long as you promise not to hurt her, I can let you go."

The man sneered, "So what if you're a princess? I know the eldest princess is here. No matter how old you are, can you be older than the eldest princess?"

Jiang Zhi remained unfazed. "Since you knew the Princess was here, you still dared to barge in. Did you intend to assassinate her?"

"I didn't!" the man denied immediately.

"Then what are you doing hiding here? Assassinating royalty and stealing are two different crimes," Jiang Zhi said.

The man's eyes darted around. "I didn't steal anything. I'm a disaster victim from Qingzhou. I just stayed here all night and couldn't go out. I didn't expect the princess to be hosting a banquet here today, so I hid and just ate something."

Jiang Zhi asked, "Since you are a disaster victim, why have you been hiding here for so long?"

“Those Imperial Guards want to arrest us and make us do hard labor,” the man said.

"The Ministry of Revenue and Dali were ordered to resettle the disaster victims of Qingzhou. Why would they make you do hard labor?" Jiang Zhi said.

The man gritted his teeth and pressed the knife against Qiao Lixue's neck. "Stop talking nonsense. Have someone find me a horse. As soon as I get on the horse, I'll let her go."

“You said it’s the Princess’s territory, so I have to ask her. Are the things you just told me true?” Jiang Zhi asked.

"Every word is true!"

“Alright!” Jiang Zhi turned to Chen Xi and said, “Go and ask the Princess. She’s just a refugee. We can’t let her spoil everyone’s fun.”

Chenxi accepted the order and left.

Upon hearing her last two sentences, the man sneered, "You noble people only know how to enjoy the scenery and appreciate nature; you have no idea about the suffering of the common people."

Jiang Zhi said, "I really don't know. If you have any difficulties, you might as well tell me."

The man gave her a disdainful look. "Would you understand if I told you?"

"Even if you don't understand, it's good to listen. I heard that Qingzhou was flooded and countless people died. Did your family escape with you?"

“I have no family,” the man said.

"Then it must have been difficult for you to escape to Kyoto."

"That's true."

"Haven't you ever thought about finding a place to settle down?" Jiang Zhi asked.

The man replied coldly, "Anyway, as long as you let me go, I will naturally settle down."

Jiang Zhi looked at the hemp clothes he was wearing and asked, "Do you have money? How will you settle down if you don't?"

The man grinned. "What, you're going to give me money?"

Jiang Zhi sighed softly, "I have lived in dire straits since I was a child. I often didn't have enough to eat, and I even had to worry about my life."

"Now that I'm older and have achieved something, when I see people who are displaced, I'm reminded of my former self, so I often help them find a place to stay in private."

The man glanced at her and said, "You're a pitiful person, aren't you?"