Ji Wanyu listened in stunned silence, unable to fathom that someone would dare commit such heinous acts at the local level, driving the common folk to such desperation.
She asked the elder, "Why haven't you appealed to the Imperial Court?"
The elder lamented, "Miss, the common people can't fight against officials. We're just ordinary folks; how could we ever stand up to a prince? At first, some people did turn to the Official Residence for help, but they were directly accused of framing officials and thrown into jail, where they were beaten to death. Since ancient times, officials have always protected each other, so who will speak up for us common people?"
"Outrageous!"
Ji Wanyu slammed her hand down on the table, tipping over a cup and causing everyone to sit back, narrowly avoiding getting splashed.
The little girl, frightened, darted into the elder's embrace, thinking Ji Wanyu was angry with them.
