Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 278 Prince

In late spring, the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom was bustling with activity, with lanterns and decorations adorning the streets and alleys, brimming with vitality.

The willows along the street droop their tender green branches, and peach and apricot blossoms compete for beauty. A gentle breeze blows, and the petals fall like snowflakes.

Xiao Nan Yi, dressed in a simple blue robe and wearing a bamboo hat, disguised himself as an ordinary scholar and quietly left the palace with two guards in similar plain clothes.

He knew that only by seeing the lives of ordinary people firsthand could he truly understand their hardships and accumulate experience for governing the country.

The three walked along the bustling street, where the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and bargaining filled the air.

Xiao Nanyi would sometimes stop in front of the snack stalls, and sometimes linger in front of the general store, seemingly leisurely, but in reality, he was secretly observing everything around him.

Just as they turned into a small alley, a noisy argument broke out.

"How dare you steal my goods in broad daylight!" a middle-aged man's angry voice rang out.

"Hmph, just because we're the bosses in this area! If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave the goods here, or you'll regret it!" a shrill voice replied.

Xiao Nanyi frowned, signaled the guards to follow closely, and quickly walked towards the source of the sound. At the end of the alley, a group of fierce-looking burly men were surrounding a middle-aged man selling cloth. The leader was a fat man with a face full of scars, who snatched the cloth from the middle-aged man's hand and began to tear it wantonly.

"This is the goods I painstakingly saved up to buy, how could you do this!" The middle-aged man's eyes reddened as he tried to snatch the fabric back, but was violently pushed to the ground by a burly man.

"With this little bit of fabric, you dare to set up a stall here? Brothers, smash his stall!" At the fat man's command, his men got to work, throwing fabric all over the ground and smashing the bamboo frame to pieces.

Seeing this, Xiao Nanyi could no longer contain his anger. He strode forward and shouted, "Stop! Why are you bullying an unarmed civilian?"

The fat man turned his head and sized up Xiao Nanyi. Seeing that he was dressed plainly, he assumed he was a meddlesome scholar and said disdainfully, "Kid, if you know what's good for you, get lost and don't go looking for trouble!"

"In broad daylight, how can you bullies run rampant like this!" Xiao Nanyi was fearless, staring intently at the fat man.

Enraged, the fat man waved his hand and shouted, "Brothers, teach this arrogant brat a lesson!"

Two guards quickly stepped in front of Xiao Nanyi and engaged the thugs in combat. The guards were agile and, after a few rounds, had the thugs thoroughly defeated. Seeing that things were going badly, the fat man turned to run away, but was grabbed by Xiao Nanyi.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Xiao Nanyi said coldly.

At this moment, the surrounding people gathered around. Seeing that the fat man had been arrested, they all started to accuse him.

“This gang of thugs has been running rampant in this area for a long time. They often rob our goods and have injured many people.”

"Yes, we reported it to the authorities, but they didn't care at all."

As Xiao Nanyi listened to the people's cries, his anger grew even stronger. He turned to the people and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely uphold justice for you."

Afterwards, Xiao Nanyi ordered his guards to escort the fat man and the others to the nearby government office. In the main hall, the county magistrate was leisurely sipping tea. Seeing Xiao Nanyi and his group enter, he impatiently asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Xiao Nanyi cupped his hands and said, "Sir, we have caught a gang of thugs who were robbing people of their property on the street and injuring innocent people."

The magistrate glanced at the fat man and his men, yawned, and said, "Such a trivial matter, and you dare bother me? Lock them up for a few days to teach them a lesson, and that's it."

Xiao Nanyi was puzzled, feeling that the magistrate's attitude was too perfunctory. He carefully observed the magistrate's expression and noticed a slight unease when the magistrate and the fat man's eyes met. A thought struck Xiao Nanyi, and he suspected that there might be collusion between them.

"Sir, this gang of thugs has been oppressing the people for a long time and has committed numerous crimes. How can they be let off so easily?" Xiao Nanyi argued.

The magistrate was somewhat displeased: "You brat, do you want to teach me how to judge cases? If you keep making trouble, I'll lock you up too!"

Xiao Nanyi sneered, took out a jade pendant from his pocket, and slammed it on the table: "Take a look at what this is!"

Upon seeing the jade pendant, the magistrate's face turned deathly pale. It was the token of the Crown Prince of Nanzhao. He never imagined that this seemingly ordinary scholar was actually His Highness the Crown Prince. The magistrate knelt on the ground with a thud, trembling all over: "Your Majesty the Crown Prince was unaware of his personal presence! I deserve to die!"

Upon seeing this, the fat man and his men collapsed to the ground in terror, begging for mercy. Xiao Nanyi's gaze was sharp as he swept over the crowd: "As government officials, you should be upholding justice for the people, yet you have colluded with tyrants to oppress them. Your crimes are truly unforgivable!"

Xiao Nanyi immediately ordered the arrest of the county magistrate and the fat man, and a thorough investigation into their crimes. He then personally reassured the people, promising to severely punish the tyrant and restore justice to the populace.

After leaving the government office, Xiao Nanyi was deeply moved. This inspection tour outside the palace made him realize that governing a country was no easy task, and many problems still needed to be solved. Upon returning to the palace, Xiao Nanyi recounted his experience in detail to Xiao Jingchuan.

"Father, during my recent trip outside the palace, I witnessed firsthand the suffering of the people and the corruption in officialdom. I believe we must strengthen oversight of officials and severely punish those who are corrupt and oppressive to the people," Xiao Nanyi said earnestly.

Xiao Jingchuan nodded in agreement: "Yi'er, I am very pleased that you have such an understanding. You will be in charge of this matter. You must investigate it thoroughly and give the people an explanation."

After receiving the order, Xiao Nanyi immediately launched an investigation.

Thanks to his efforts, the case of collusion between the local bully and officials was brought to light, and those involved received their due punishment.

When the people of Nanzhao learned of this, they clapped and cheered, and their praise for Xiao Nanyi spread throughout the streets and alleys.

Justice prevails: eradicate evil and safeguard peace.

Since Xiao Nanyi brought the bully and the magistrate back to the palace, a thorough investigation has been launched within the Nanzhao Kingdom's royal palace. Xiao Nanyi knew that this case was far from simple; the bully's ability to run rampant in the capital's streets must be backed by a much larger force. After obtaining authorization from Xiao Jingchuan, Xiao Nanyi quickly assembled a highly capable investigation team and devoted himself wholeheartedly to solving the case.

After days of investigation, the team finally uncovered a crucial clue. It turned out that behind this gang of thugs was Zheng Chongwu, a high-ranking marquis of the Nanzhao Kingdom. Relying on his ancestors' merits and his connections in the court, Zheng Chongwu had amassed a vast fortune through illicit means and extortion in the capital. His actions in directing the thugs to rob the people were partly for financial gain, and partly to test the court's attitude towards the unrest among the populace.

Upon learning this news, Xiao Nanyi felt both angry and heavy-hearted. He understood that Zheng Chongwu had deep roots in the court, and it would not be easy to bring him down. However, in order to give the people justice and to maintain the long-term stability of the Nanzhao Kingdom, he resolved to face the challenge head-on.

With evidence in hand, Xiao Nanyi returned to the Imperial Study and reported the investigation results to Xiao Jingchuan. Upon hearing the report, Xiao Jingchuan was furious: "Zheng Chongwu, as an official of the court, has committed such a heinous crime. His crime is unforgivable! Yi'er, go ahead and do it. Make sure he is brought to justice."

With Xiao Jingchuan's support, Xiao Nanyi immediately took action. First, he dispatched men to closely monitor Zheng Chongwu's every move, preventing him from resorting to desperate measures such as destroying evidence or fleeing. At the same time, Xiao Nanyi began traveling throughout the court, seeking the support of other ministers. He informed the ministers of Zheng Chongwu's crimes one by one, hoping they would stand up and jointly condemn Zheng Chongwu.

However, Zheng Chongwu had many cronies in the court, who, in order to protect their own interests, all tried to exonerate him. For a time, the court was embroiled in endless debate, the atmosphere tense like the calm before a storm.

“Your Highness, Marquis Zheng has rendered outstanding military service to the Nanzhao Kingdom. He cannot be convicted based on mere one-sided accounts,” an old minister stepped forward and said.

Xiao Nanyi sneered and produced the evidence in his hand: "My lords, this is irrefutable evidence from our investigation. Zheng Chongwu instigated thugs to oppress the people, embezzled and accepted bribes; his crimes are numerous. If we tolerate and condone such a person, how can we explain ourselves to the people of the world?"

Under Xiao Nanyi's reasoned argument, some previously hesitant ministers sided with him. Ultimately, with the support of the majority of ministers, Xiao Jingchuan ordered Zheng Chongwu's arrest.

Upon learning the news, Zheng Chongwu attempted a desperate resistance. He summoned his household servants, preparing to fight against the imperial court. However, Xiao Nanyi had anticipated this move and had arranged for a large force to surround Zheng's residence. Under immense military pressure, Zheng Chongwu's servants surrendered one after another, and Zheng Chongwu himself was captured alive.

After interrogation, Zheng Chongwu confessed to his crimes. Upon learning of the interrogation results, Xiao Jingchuan immediately ordered the execution of Zheng Chongwu, the county magistrate, and the gang of thugs as a warning to others.

On the day of the execution, the execution ground in the capital was packed with people. Hearing that the tyrants and corrupt officials who had oppressed them for years were about to be executed, the people flocked to watch, their faces beaming with excitement and joy. Young Prince Nan Yi, dressed in his crown prince robes, sat upright on the execution platform, his gaze fixed firmly on the execution ground.

"Bring in the criminals Zheng Chongwu, the county magistrate, and others!" With this order, Zheng Chongwu and the others were led to the execution ground. They were all dejected, pale-faced, and had long lost their former arrogance.

"Zheng Chongwu, do you know your crime?" Xiao Nanyi asked loudly.

Zheng Chongwu raised his head, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes, but in the end he lowered his head: "This guilty subject knows his crime."

"According to the laws of the Nanzhao Kingdom, Zheng Chongwu, the county magistrate, and others have committed numerous evils and oppressed the people. They are sentenced to immediate execution!" Xiao Nanyi announced.

With the executioner's order, the executioner's blade fell swiftly, and the heads of Zheng Chongwu and others fell to the ground. The people cheered and rejoiced, praising Xiao Nanyi for ridding them of a great scourge.

"Your Highness is wise!" "Thank you, Your Highness, for upholding justice for us!" The cheers of the people rose and fell, echoing across the execution ground.

Looking at the cheering crowd, Xiao Nanyi was filled with emotion.

He knew that this successful eradication of the local tyrants was just the beginning.

In the days to come, he will face even more challenges and shoulder even greater responsibilities.

But as long as he could see the people living in peace and prosperity, and the Nanzhao Kingdom flourishing, he was willing to make every effort.

After returning to the palace, Xiao Nan Yi continued to devote himself to governance.