Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

What Zhao Xiu had just drawn was a secret code that the two of them had agreed upon as a joke in their spare time, and the meaning of it was only known to the two of them.

Zhou Lizheng looked at Shen Zheng for help.

Only then did he realize that Lord Shen, who was always smiling in the past, had an indifferent expression today.

"Don't look at her. She can't take care of you today." Yu Zhengqing spoke coldly, interrupting Zhou Lizheng's words.

Zhou Lizheng didn't know why, but when he met the gaze of the prefect, his heart began to tremble.

He took two steps back unconsciously.

All the village heads were somewhat afraid of the prefect. They kept their heads down and kept silent. They were filled with confusion and uncertainty.

Before they came, they thought that the adults called them here to discuss the matter of the ancestral temple with them, but now... it seemed that everything was messed up, and they didn't even know where to put their hands and feet.

Seeing that they were all frightened and turned pale, Shen Zheng couldn't help but secretly tug at Yu Zhengqing's sleeve under the table: Don't scare my village heads.

Yu Zhengqing coughed lightly and asked, "It's getting late. Do you know why I asked Lord Shen to call you here?"

The village heads looked at each other, and saw confusion on each other's faces.

They all shook their heads and whispered, "Your Excellency, I don't know..."

"Humph." Yu Zhengqing sneered, "You dared to do it today, but now you don't dare to take responsibility?"

The village heads' minds started racing. What had they done today?

What the prefect meant was that they went to Quanyang County early in the morning, found a stone merchant, and then wanted to buy a piece of stone with good color and size from him to make a statue?

Or does it mean that they went to find a timber merchant to look for a complete piece of fragrant wood to make a shrine?

Or it might refer to...Captain Zhao Xiu.

This is the answer they are most reluctant to see and the one they are most reluctant to admit.

But now Zhao Xiu was in such a miserable state, and he happened to have seen them today, and they also... "persuaded" Zhao Xiu to help them deceive Lord Shen.

Thinking of this, Zhou Lizheng vaguely understood something in his heart. He closed his eyes and showed regret on his face.

They were the ones who harmed Zhao Xiu...

Seeing their different expressions, Yu Zhengqing started to call out their names directly: "The one standing in front, um... Zhou Lizheng, right? Tell me why I called you here?"

Shen Zheng looked at Yu Zhengqing with a strange expression.

The sudden call of names was so oppressive that it directly broke down the last psychological defense of the village heads.

That’s right, from the moment the village heads entered the study, their psychological defenses had been eroded.

Dim lights, quiet atmosphere, the "seriously injured" Zhao Xiu, the silent Shen Zheng, and the terrifying Yu Zhengqing.

Step by step, the psychological defenses of the village heads were being broken down.

At this point, the village heads no longer had the power to resist and could only be led by Yu Zhengqing.

Zhou Lizheng's mind was in a turmoil, and he could only feel a buzzing in his ears. He clenched his hands and answered randomly: "Your Excellency, because... we want to build a shrine for you."

Xiao Yuan looked at Zhou Lizheng in surprise.

And this thing?

Yu Zhengqing let out a low laugh and said, "It's hard to answer the question you asked just now. Let me ask you another question: Do you know why Zhao Xiu got beaten today?"

Zhou Lizheng felt a shudder on his back and turned to look at Zhao Xiu.

Zhao Xiu's head was still buried in the ground. This "miserable appearance" made Zhou Lizheng feel very sad. This fool... why did he keep his promise so seriously? Although he had promised them, he was going to be beaten, so he should have confessed when the time came!

He felt so uncomfortable that he lifted his robe and knelt down.

"Sir, please punish me. This was all my idea. I was the one who instigated Captain Zhao to not tell Lord Shen about the ancestral temple. Captain Zhao had no choice but to agree to my request. A man should stick to his word. Captain Zhao... just didn't want to break his oath."

Yu Zhengqing sneered again: "Zhao Xiu has already taken his share of the beatings, there's no need for you to plead for him."

As soon as he finished speaking, several village chiefs behind Zhou Lizheng lifted their robes and knelt on the ground like dumplings.

"Mr. Prefect, Mr. Shen, Zhou Lizheng was wrong. We were the ones who instigated Captain Zhao. It was not his fault alone. If you want to punish us, please punish us."

Everyone lowered their heads, waiting for Yu Zhengqing's "judgment", giving Yu Zhengqing and Shen Zheng a chance to communicate.

Shen Zheng looked at the expressions of the village heads and sighed in his heart that his move was a bit too hasty and really scared the village heads.

She could only mouth to Yu Zhengqing: "Almost done."

Yu Zhengqing nodded slightly and said to the village heads, "I will punish you, but before I punish you, I have to make it clear to you so that you don't feel alienated."

The village heads looked up at Yu Zhengqing.

Yu Zhengqing said solemnly: "Zhao Xiu is the head constable appointed by your Lord Shen. Whether in accordance with the laws of this dynasty or the moral principles of his country, he should be loyal to the county government and to Lord Shen, the county magistrate."

The village heads nodded in agreement.

He went on to say, "But today, while he was on duty, he was investigating the county's news, and you guys 'turned' him over. He was so bold and reckless that he chose to deceive Lord Shen with you, which is considered disloyalty."

The village heads had just figured out the reason, and now they felt even more upset when they heard this.

They thought things were too simple and forgot the responsibilities of their subordinates, which harmed Zhao Xiu...

Seeing the regretful look on their faces, Yu Zhengqing continued, "But in fact, if Zhao Xiu had confessed earlier today, he wouldn't have to be punished so severely. I was so ruthless because Lord Shen and I asked him many times, and he always said that he had promised others and couldn't answer, and he would rather be punished. This really made me angry, so I resorted to this desperate measure."

When Yu Zhengqing said this, Shen Zheng secretly gave him a thumbs up.

This sentence is really wonderful. It not only explains that they had to "punish" Zhao Xiu severely, but also once again shows Zhao Xiu's friendship with the village heads. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

Zhou Lizheng's eyes turned red when he heard this. Zhao Xiu is so loyal and righteous, he is a real man!

With red eyes, he said to Zhao Xiu: "Brother Zhao, it is really you who have harmed you. Even if you don't say it today, it will only take a word for the adults to know. You are so trustworthy, how can you face your brothers in the future!"

Shen Zheng: Listen, listen, they all call themselves brothers.

Zhao Xiu hid behind Xiao Yuan and smiled secretly, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

After a while, he raised his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't blame you. It's my own fault that I wasn't clear-headed. Today, I got beaten and realized that no matter what, I shouldn't lie to adults."

With these words, he excluded Yu Zhengqing and Shen Zheng again.

Yu Zhengqing nodded with satisfaction, "It's hard to be both loyal and righteous, but sometimes you have to figure out the importance of each other. In the future, you just need to understand each other and get along well."