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

When it comes to "people with a caring heart", Ji Benchang directly mentioned Gadbo.

"At the court this morning, Gadbert received a severe scolding from His Majesty."

He recalled, "Gadeber submitted a memorial stating that rumors of strange frogs were spreading among the people. To appease the people, the Huihe Dam project should be suspended and reopened after verification. In my opinion, he wants to delay and drag you back to Tongan County."

Anyone with a discerning eye could see what Gadber was thinking.

Shen Zheng was not surprised at all and asked what the emperor said.

"Your Majesty scolded him for meddling in other people's affairs and asked him if he knew what frogs and rice seedlings looked like," Ji Benchang gloated. "He then brought up the common people, saying that he couldn't bear to hear them wailing on his way to court, so he wanted to pray for their peace of mind."

"What did His Majesty say?"

"Your Majesty asked him to go down to the fields and help catch frogs, and the people felt at ease."

Shen Zheng laughed. Ji Benchang continued, "Your Majesty also said that most rumors in the market are spread by those who disturb the people's hearts. If they are verified, they will be dealt with. It sounds like he is pointing at Gadbo. I don't know if he ordered the rumor to be spread."

Shen Zheng lowered her eyes and smiled, but did not respond. Instead, she said, "Master Ji, this strange frog must be dealt with, and its origin must be investigated. Doctor Li told me last night that this frog does not seem to be a native species of the Great Zhou. It may have been deliberately brought into the Great Zhou by someone with ulterior motives. If this strange frog is only found in the suburbs of Beijing, then the target is probably... Ruiguxuan."

Li Shiyuan is really a good shield.

He will have to block it again when he goes to the Ministry of Justice later.

Almost instantly, Ji Benchang was furious.

He slammed the wooden table loudly. "High-yield rice benefits the country and the people. If you harm Ruiguxuan, you harm the entire Great Zhou. You can't figure it out..."

As he spoke, he fell silent.

At first, he thought that the strange frog must have been brought in by the people of Da Zhou.

But if you think about it carefully, how evil does one have to be to harm their own crops?

Even if it's Gadbert, he shouldn't be this bad, right?

In addition to Ruiguxuan, Liuyang Prefecture also planted a lot of high-yield rice this year. Attacking Ruiguxuan would not lead to the extinction of the high-yield rice.

It seems that the other party's move does not seem like they are trying to destroy the high-yield rice fields and disturb the people's livelihood in Da Zhou, but more like... deliberately disgusting Da Zhou.

"Using a feather to tickle the soles of your feet." Ji Benchang thought of an apt description and frowned, wondering: "Who could it be...?"

Shen Zheng couldn't say for sure, so she could only advise, "Publish the notice first and see if the people find anything."

If we talk about the greatest power, it has to be the people.

"Okay, okay..." Ji Benchang picked up the notice she had revised and went out to ask someone to redraft it.

Halfway through his walk, he stopped again and turned back: "By the way, Xiao Shen, why are you here today...? I was so busy with the notice just now that I didn't ask you."

Shen Zheng sat upright, "I have something I would like to ask for your help. Don't worry, you go ahead and do your work. I will wait for you."

Upon hearing this, Ji Benchang quickened his pace and walked out of the study in two or three steps.

Half a quarter of an hour later, he came back carrying a fat teapot.

"If they hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you brought a gift. Here's some refreshing tea. Would you like some?"

The summer-cooling tea is not bitter or spicy, but slightly sweet, and it is refreshing after one sip.

While drinking tea, Shen Zheng explained the purpose of her visit.

"Qiu Yingmu..." Ji Benchang lowered his head and thought for a while, "This case happened more than ten years ago. Don't worry, Xiao Shen. I'll think about it carefully."

Shen Zheng suggested, "He committed suicide in prison."

"I remember now!" Speaking of "suicide," Ji Benchang's mind was flooded with memories like a spring, "There was such a person back then, and they were greedy for tax silver."

His eyes tilted upwards as he spoke slowly, "They concealed information, forged registers, and over-collected and under-counted. At the time, Yueqing County actually had tens of thousands of residents, but 20% were missing from the registers. These 20% of people had no official registration, yet they continued to pay taxes. Among the people, they were called the living dead."

Shen Zheng's pupils shrank slightly, "Such a ridiculous thing..."

"Such an absurd thing was concealed for several years." Ji Benchang said, "Those forged registers were all created by Qiu Yingmu. Forging registers is no simple task. I think this man has some real skills, but they're just misplaced. His daughter feels sorry for him, but she knows that if it weren't for the emperor's amnesty, even she would have been forced to travel thousands of miles. How could she have survived to the capital?"

Shen Zheng remained silent, and Ji Benchang became more and more angry as he spoke.

"She still wants justice. What about those people who have been treated like the living dead for years? They've suffered terribly, so why doesn't she ask for justice on behalf of her father?"

Listening to Ji Benchang's indignant words, Shen Zheng seemed to suddenly understand why Qiu Lianqiu adopted Awu and others.

She knew the truth but could not accept it and could only atone for her sins in her own way.

"Forget it..." Ji Benchang sighed, "That little girl is actually grateful and repays her gratitude. It's better to let Qiu Yingmu's daughter face reality. Come on, I'll accompany you to the Ministry of Justice, just to take a breath."

The Ministry of Justice is located on the right side of the Ministry of Works. It takes about a quarter of an hour to walk from the Ministry of Revenue.

Shen Zheng regretted it halfway through the walk. It was really hot today.

By the time she arrived at the ceremonial gate of the Ministry of Justice, the hair on her forehead was already wet with sweat.

Compared with the relaxed atmosphere of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice was extremely solemn. Even the screen wall opposite the ceremonial gate was covered with a picture of Xiezhi - Xiezhi was a legendary auspicious beast that could distinguish right from wrong and punish those who were unjust, symbolizing the fairness of the Ministry of Justice in adjudicating cases.

The guard had spotted them early on, and when he saw them stop at the door, he stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Master Ji and Master Shen."

Ji Benchang said "hmm" and asked, "Is your Lord Luo in the yamen?"

"Your Excellency is here." The guard stepped aside to lead the way. "Please follow me, my Excellencies. I will send someone to pass the message."

The Ministry of Justice was in charge of all criminal penalties in the country, and the officials and clerks there were all very serious. They looked straight ahead when they walked, with their backs as straight as a ruler. But when they saw Shen Zheng and the others, they would still stop and greet them.

They walked and looked all the way to the main hall, where they sat down. The servant served them tea, and within a moment, a man walked in.

Shen Zheng stood up and saluted: "This subordinate greets Lord Luo."

Luo Bizhi, the Minister of Justice, has a face like bronze and eyes like cold stars.

Long before, Shen Zheng had heard Yu Shizhang mention him - this man was taciturn, extremely strict with his subordinates, and would not tolerate any sloppiness in the files. He often said, "A word written by his pen could mean a matter of life and death."

Yu Shizhang also said that this person believed in "the law is unforgiving, and the guilty do not spare the noble," which is what the common people said: "The emperor is guilty of the same crime as the common people." Because he came from a humble family, it would have been difficult for him to gain a foothold in the court without carving out a path for himself.

Shen Zheng had also met him at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet and in the Golden Palace, but had never spoken to him.

Today she followed Ji Benchang to the Ministry of Justice, and it was the first time she had a verbal interaction with Luo Bizhi.