1382 Almsgiving Disturbance

"Your Highness! Please rescue my fourth sister! She got separated from us in the crowd and is currently missing. I am afraid that she will meet with danger!" Shu Quan beseeched desperately in worry.

The crown prince looked at her with creased brows. "Does Royal Brother know that you came to Xiluo Street to distribute rice?"

Shu Quan nodded repeatedly while wiping away her tears and sweat.

"Simply foolishness," Mo Lian reprimanded.

Xiluo Street was originally populated with impoverished people. Even the royal court would dispatch the military to maintain public order every time they distributed rice.

They were afraid that something unexpected would occur and turn a good deed into a bad one.

Yet these women before him dared to come to this slum to announce their existence with just seven to eight royal guards?

Did they have any brains at all?

He didn't expect this eldest sister-in-law, who was composed and magnanimous in her interactions with people, to do such a foolish thing.

Could it be that one's IQ would also decrease after being with Eldest Royal Brother for too long?

In reality, Shu Quan was also very distraught.

Previously, the eldest prince had gloated using an extravagantly colorful description of how starting a House of Treasures would earn so much money, and he even incited her to move her family's valuables into the House of Treasures.

In the end, someone had made a clean sweep on the first day of business. Not only did they lose everything they invested, they were even in huge debt!

Nowadays, the monthly stipend from the royal court simply could not pay off their expenses. After all, there were so many people in their household, with the eldest prince's innumerable side consorts and concubines. They truly had to pinch pennies now.

Food and money was also necessary to provide for the guards and maidservants. Recently, as the Eldest Prince's Estate was practically unable to make ends meet, they had to dismiss who knows how many maidservants, nannies, and guards.

Right now, she did not know how long they could last living off her dowry.

Several days ago, she did not know whose advice her husband had listened to, but he delusionally said that he wanted to come distribute rice on Xiluo Street to win popular support.

She had already analyzed the difficulty of conforming to the common aspirations of the people for her husband.

At present, the entire royal court followed His Highness the Crown Prince's lead, and the common people were also full of praise for him. Did you think that casually giving alms would immediately win favorable impressions from large numbers of people?

It was impossible, alright!

Not to mention, the entire estate did not have much stored grain left either, but the eldest prince was an obstinate one. He only asked about the results and never the process of whatever he delegated her to do.

Hence, Shu Quan could only brace herself to agree in resignation.

As a result, a disturbance occurred during the rice distribution, and even her sister was missing now. This really was an arduous but fruitless endeavor.

The most important task on her agenda right now was to find her fourth sister. Everything else could be dealt with later.

Since it was the eldest prince consort's request, Mo Lian would not turn a blind eye. He signaled with his eyes for several royal guard teams to disperse and search the nearby alleys.

Shu Quan was out of her wits as she looked at Mo Lian and muttered anxiously, "What to do, what to do."

Meanwhile, Mo Lian dismounted while holding on to Qiao Mu's hand, and he ordered for the accompanying doctors to examine the common people's injuries.

Seemingly having found their mainstay, the common people lined up orderly under the royal guard commander's lead to get examined by the doctors.

Some whose injuries were rather serious were carried to the front.

After a series of rescue procedures, an extremely young doctor from the royal physician building saluted Mo Lian. "Your Highness, the common people mostly have superficial wounds and bruises. The two most serious cases are merely bone fractures and need some extra attention."

Mo Lian nodded. At this time, the several royal guard teams that had dispersed to find Shu Hui had also hurried back.