Chapter 320 Destruction
The first performance went very smoothly. When the crowd dispersed, the petition of the people had more than 30,000 signatures.
Next, Qianhuan led people to the second performance venue. By the end of the second performance, more than 60,000 people had signed.
In just one morning, the story of County Lady Jingrou leading people to perform for free and mobilizing the people to sign a petition for General Qian spread throughout the capital.
When the first performance ended, Chu Yichen heard what Qianhuan had done today, so he quickly closed the business and asked the chefs in the kitchen to only cook for Qianhuan, the performing actors, musicians, and soldiers.
As soon as the second performance ended, Chu Yichen had already brought people to push carts to deliver dozens of meals to the performance venue.
Qianhuan was extremely grateful, "Brother Lin'an, thank you for coming to bring us food."
Chu Yichen said respectfully, "Qianhua, you don't have to be so polite. What you did is beyond the reach of even a man like me. I can't help you much, so I can only ask the kitchen staff to make you something delicious. Are you going to continue your performance this afternoon?"
"Well, there are still two performances in the afternoon. We are still short of about 40,000 people on the petition of the people. We should be able to complete the task after the performances in the afternoon."
"Okay, after the performance tonight, you can bring your people to Zuixianju for dinner. I have closed the restaurant today and will only cook for you."
Qianhuan did not refuse and nodded happily, "Okay."
Meanwhile, in the prison, the Qian family members didn't know that Qianhuan was trying her best to rescue them. Everyone thought that this time, the Qian family was doomed.
The Qian family father and son and the Qian family women were imprisoned in two adjacent cells. In order to force the Qian family father and son to confess their guilt, the people from the Ministry of Justice beat General Qian and Qian Bolin until they were covered in blood.
General Qian was thinking about the execution he would be doing tomorrow. He looked through the bars at Madam Qian in the cell on the other side and said ashamedly, "Mom, I'm sorry. It's my son who has prevented you from enjoying your old age."
Madam Qian shook her head and sighed, "You don't have to feel guilty. You have done very well over the years. It is God who is unfair and wants to destroy our Qian family."
Then General Qian Da looked at his wife and said, "Xue Rou, I'm sorry. I know you've been through a lot these years. I failed to protect you, and now you have to die with me."
Madam Qian's name was Han Xueruo. She had a calm look in her eyes and did not seem afraid of being beheaded.
She replied, "Master, you don't have to feel guilty. Since I married into the Qian family, I have been mentally prepared to live and die with them. I have lived in the Buddhist temple for many years and have long since become indifferent to life and death. My death is not a pity."
"It's just..." Madam Qian said with red eyes and regretful sobs, "It's just that my only regret is that I couldn't find our lost daughter before I died. I have been a vegetarian and chanting Buddha for so many years, hoping that one day, the heavens would have mercy on us and let us find our daughter and reunite our family. Unfortunately, it doesn't go as we wish."
Madam Qian comforted her, "Xue Rou, now it seems that it is a good thing that the child was not found. If she had been found, she would have been beheaded like us. If she had not been found, maybe she could still live well in this world."
Qian Bolin also comforted her, "Mom, grandma is right. Maybe my sister is alive somewhere in the world. You don't have to regret not finding her."
Han Xueruo was startled for a moment, then she felt relieved. "Your grandmother is right. It's actually a good thing for her that we didn't find her. As long as she can live well in a corner of this world, I will be satisfied."
Aunt Tong has been clamoring to see the Fourth Prince's wife ever since she was thrown into prison. Now that she sees that everyone is only concerned about Madam Qian, she has a resentful expression on her face.
At this moment, the jailer came over and asked, "Who is Aunt Tong?"
Aunt Tong was overjoyed. She answered excitedly, "It's me, it's me, brother jailer, I am Aunt Tong."
Aunt Tong quickly got up. She thought that her daughter must have sent someone to pick her up.
As expected, the jailer opened the cage and said, "The Fourth Prince's wife has sent someone to pick you up. Please come with us."
Aunt Tong thought to herself that her own daughter was still reliable. Humph, since Mr. Qian loved his wife so much, let them go to the underworld and be a pair of star-crossed mandarin ducks. She would go out and enjoy wealth and glory with her daughter.
Before leaving, Aunt Tong said to the people in the prison with a proud face, "Master, Madam, Old Madam, I'm sorry, I can't die with you. Who let me give birth to a good daughter? I will leave first."
After saying this, she dusted herself off and followed the jailer out.
The prince has been keeping an eye on Qianhuan's movements. Although Qianhuan doesn't allow her to participate in the people's petition, he is still worried.
He asked Chi Ying to mobilize the most secretive assassins from Prince An's Mansion. Those assassins stayed in the dark to guard the stage for Qian Huan and prevent anyone from sabotaging it.
When Deputy General Zhang heard what Princess Jingrou had done, he also sent out a group of Qianjia soldiers with high martial arts skills to secretly guard around the stage.
So, when the Fourth Prince learned that Qianhuan was trying to collect petitions from the people, he sent out the death squads in his mansion to destroy the remaining two stages.
However, because of the guards sent by the Crown Prince and Vice General Zhang, the Fourth Prince's men could not get close to the stage at all.
The remaining two scenes were also performed smoothly. Qianhuan finally collected more than 100,000 signatures and fingerprints on the document, and the big stone in her heart finally fell to the ground.
In the evening, Chu Yichen asked the chefs of Zuixianju to prepare a sumptuous banquet for everyone. After work, Qianhuan took everyone to eat.
The fifty soldiers were very happy to know that their general was saved, and they had never eaten such delicious food in the barracks on a normal day.
Everyone said to Qianhuan, "County Lady Jingrou, if there is another performance like this next time, remember to ask us to help perform."
Qianhuan said, "I hope that from now on, there will never be another performance like this again."
The soldiers felt a little embarrassed when they heard this. Yes, they hoped that no one would be wronged again, and no one would need them to perform to collect tens of thousands of petitions.
At night, the cold wind and rain escorted Qianhuan back to Jingyuan.
Qianhuan saw the prince who had been waiting in her boudoir and looked surprised, "Zi Yu, why are you here?"
"Someone went to your performance location today to sabotage it. Fortunately, my people and the people sent by Vice General Zhang intercepted the group of people. Otherwise, the two performances in the afternoon would not have been able to go on at all."
Qianhua was frightened at this moment. "It was too dangerous. If they succeeded in sabotaging it, then we would definitely not be able to obtain the petition of the people. These people must be the ones who framed General Qian. Have you found out who did it?"
"Not yet, but don't worry, my people are investigating. I came here to tell you in advance that you must protect the petition of the people. I will send a group of death squads to guard Jingyuan at night. I'm afraid that entering the palace tomorrow will not be smooth, so you must be mentally prepared."
"Well, I understand. Don't worry, I will definitely protect the People's Petition."