After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 143 Someone is causing trouble

The crowd was in high spirits: "Good! Good! Good!"

"The elderly, women, children, and disabled who cannot do heavy work don't need to worry. We have established a life factory to help everyone get through this difficult time. There are many factory jobs inside, and as long as you work hard, everyone can have food to eat."

Just then, a dissenting voice emerged: "Why should we do the work? I just want to eat. Others are just setting up sheds and distributing porridge, why should we do the work? This is fake charity!"

A subtle unease arose among the crowd, and many voices of doubt gradually emerged.

Xia Li glared at them coldly: "Just because this is my meat porridge, I can do whatever I want with it and give it to whomever I want!"

"Don't listen to her, everyone. There are fewer of them. Let's just go and rob them!" After saying that, the man led the way and rushed out.

Xia Li was about to take action to suppress it, but someone beat her to it!

Zhao Jihua's figure rushed out like a blur, and the man collapsed to the ground in pain.

She stomped on the man's stomach, and he screamed in pain.

Zhao Jihua coldly swept his gaze over the crowd and said in a deep voice, "We are doing this for everyone's survival and to help you. We hope you will cooperate. Otherwise, you will never be hired! Anyone who causes trouble will have their identity tokens stripped and be expelled from Lingnan City."

She didn't say what happened next, but without their identity tags, they would be captured and enslaved, and anyone could kill them.

Therefore, after this round of coercion and enticement, the masses cooperated exceptionally well.

When Xia Li was registering people, she realized they weren't enough people. She looked at the crowd and asked, "Does anyone know how to write?"

A thin young man stepped out from the crowd. "I'm just a commoner who went to school for a few years and knows a few words."

Xia Li looked at him: "What's your name?"

"Lin Yu, a commoner."

Xia Li stepped aside: "Okay, you can register here."

"This person is probably acting under orders. Take him away for questioning."

Zhao Jihua quietly instructed his subordinates to remove the troublemakers before speaking loudly to the crowd.

"Of course, you need to be well-fed to have the energy to work. We have prepared enough food. Now, everyone line up to get meat porridge. After you finish eating, go to the factory to register your information, get seeds and tools to do farm work, or do other work. Come back at 5 pm to report on your work progress, and we will arrange accommodation and meals according to your work progress."

The crowd lined up spontaneously as Xia Li distributed porridge to the disaster victims, while Zhao Jihua explained the process in detail.

……

Before long, everyone went up the mountain.

Staring at the huge crowd, Zhao Jihua said guiltily, "Li'er, I'm sorry to have troubled you this time."

"No, I build life factories, they work, and I pay them. It's perfectly normal."

"That's true, but you're giving so much, how can they possibly repay you in return?"

"Sister, don't forget, I have scientific and technological talents! They are all specially trained by me for this land, and I also carefully selected the land and seeds. I have arrangements for the crops that come out later. After I develop this place into a complete industrial chain, I will select suitable people to process the important products separately after the New Year. At that time, my costs will be reduced a lot, and I will have more money to give you, sister."

"By the way, sister, I'll build bridges, roads, and clinics in your name to give you a good reputation for doing good deeds." Xia Li gave her a bright smile.

Zhao Jihua also held her younger sister's hand tightly: "Good Li'er, it's so kind of you to think so much about your older sister."

Xia Li squeezed her hand back: "Sister, I should be thanking you. Besides, once my sister rises to a high position, she can open doors for me, and my business will be able to do even better."

Zhao Jihua lowered her head: "But, but don't you think I'm being too ambitious?"

Xia Li held her hand tightly, giving her strength: "I never thought that being ambitious was a bad word. We should stand at our own height and see the scenery we should see."

"Mmm!" Zhao Jihua nodded emphatically.

……

On the other hand, the Ninth Prince successfully found the crucial evidence.

The subordinates excitedly presented the evidence to the Ninth Prince: "Master, this is irrefutable, and it all points to the Third Prince."

The crowd could not contain their excitement. Their master had just made a move to restrain the strongest prince, the Third Prince. It was just too cool!

Cheers echoed throughout the secret chamber.

However, the Ninth Prince was not blinded by this joy. He frowned deeply, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Everything went too smoothly, as if it had been deliberately arranged by someone.

But now the die was cast, and he knew the matter was of utmost importance and could not be delayed in the slightest. So he made a decisive decision and quickly consulted with Xia Li and Zhao Jihua.

Zhao Jihua asked, "What does the Ninth Prince intend to do?"

The Ninth Prince said, "Delay will only lead to complications. I have decided to lead everyone back with the evidence in a hurry, in order to expose the Third Prince's various misdeeds in the court."

“No,” she interrupted. “The Third Prince has deep roots, and the Emperor can’t touch the Empress’s family. Even if this matter comes to light, the Empress has ways to cover it up. Even if he’s imprisoned, she can get him out and make a comeback. On the contrary, it will put you in jail.”

"Then, in your opinion, what should I do?"

"We can't report it, but we have no choice but to."

"???"

"Our actions here have certainly attracted the attention of the Empress's faction, so it's impossible for us to report nothing, but we can't report everything either. Not only will the Empress not let us off the hook, but the Emperor will also suspect that you have designs on the throne. When we return to the capital, we should only report that we've discovered something amiss, letting the Emperor investigate the truth secretly. Later, when you visit the Empress, it will also be a show of weakness to her faction. Then, hand the evidence over to the Third Prince, expressing your willingness to join him and begging for his life. In this way, even if they don't give you an important position, they won't be able to harm you. We'll use this 'openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass' strategy."

After Zhao Jihua finished speaking, Xia Li couldn't help but clap her hands: "Sister Zhao, you're so meticulous! I never thought of that much!"

The Ninth Prince's eyes also shone brightly, and he couldn't help but praise, "Miss Zhao is truly a female Zhuge Liang!"

"However, they probably won't let us go right now."

"You two go back immediately in disguise," Xia Li decided decisively. "I'll stay here and create a false impression to buy you time!"

"Ok!"

……

That evening, a simple horse-drawn carriage departed from the prefectural capital, slowly driving out of the city gates under the cover of darkness, heading towards the capital.

The people on the bus thought they hadn't attracted anyone's attention, but little did they know that a group of people had been quietly following behind them!

It wasn't until the carriage reached the edge of the forest that the group of people in black descended from the sky and surrounded it.

"Whoa—" The two guards driving the horse quickly pulled on the reins upon seeing this.

There were only twenty guards around, and they were clearly no match for the enemy.

After a fierce battle, the man in black lifted the curtain of the carriage.

It's completely empty inside!

"Damn it! We've fallen for their trap." The leader realized what was happening and immediately turned his horse around. "Quick, after them!"

At that moment, Zhao Jihua and the Ninth Prince were galloping wildly in another direction, their whips practically worn out from whipping them.

"stop!"