On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

The reason why Lin Zhen sent Wang Chunsheng was because this guy was very smart, worked in a measured way, and would not do anything out of line.

Smart people naturally climb up quickly. He was originally Cao Xiong's bodyguard, but now he has almost become Cao Xiong's leader.

However, Cao Xiong was not angry but very happy about this.

He felt that Wang Chunsheng was trained by him.

On the dusty official road, fifty lightly armored cavalrymen split the morning mist like black lightning.

Wang Chunsheng pulled the reins, and the dark cloud stepping on the snow horse under his crotch pawed its hooves restlessly. The token of the Regent's Palace hanging next to the saddle reflected a cold light in the sunlight.

He looked back and saw Chen Lian, the director of the Censorate, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. Three censors followed closely behind him with serious expressions.

"Everyone, get ready!" Wang Chunsheng shouted in a deep voice, his voice broken by the wind. "We're only ten miles away from Bohai County. We're investigating this case under the orders of the Crown Prince. Anyone who dares to slack off will be punished by military law!"

He glanced across the ranks, noticing several young soldiers looking exhausted from the long march. He then raised his voice, "Thinking of the Crown Prince's instructions and the people who have suffered injustice, this little distance is nothing!"

Before he could finish his words, Cao Xiong from the vanguard camp galloped over, the clanging of armor plates echoing. "Chunsheng, the city gate is ahead, and the city defense soldiers are on alert!"

"Thank you, General! Let's go!" Wang Chunsheng nodded and reached out to press the sword at his waist. The cold touch made him more sober.

He remembered Lin Zhen's instructions before he left. This case not only concerned a commoner named Dapeng, but might also involve the dark side of local administration. He couldn't help but clench his fists.

In the Bohai County government office, the prefect Liu Chengye was sitting with his legs crossed and drinking tea.

The sunshine on the holiday shines through the carved window lattice and falls on his round belly. The newly delivered Jiangnan tea is placed on the rosewood tea table.

"Master, this Mingqian Longjing tea is indeed worthy of its reputation!" The housekeeper smiled flatteringly and was about to refill the water when he suddenly heard a chaotic sound of footsteps coming from the front yard.

"Sir! Sir!" A city defense soldier tumbled into the warm room, his helmet tilted to one side, his face filled with fear. "Oh no! A group of cavalrymen have arrived from the capital. They say... they say they are the Prince of the Regent's Palace and want to see you, Sir!"

The teacup in Liu Chengye's hand fell to the ground with a clang, and the tea splashed on his lake blue robe. The scalding liquid made him shudder violently.

"What? Someone from the palace?" His fat face instantly lost all color, his small eyes widened, and his fingers trembled slightly with nervousness. "Why are you so nervous? Have you confirmed their identity?"

"Confirmed!" The soldier gasped, nearly crying. "They're holding the palace's gilded tokens, and a few are wearing official uniforms, with waist badges inscribed with the words 'Imperial Censorate'!"

Liu Chengye's heart sank suddenly, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

The token from the palace represents Lin Zhen's direct order, and the Censorate is specifically responsible for investigating corruption among officials. The simultaneous arrival of these two groups of people is definitely not a good thing.

Hiss... Could it be that I was reported for secretly taking a pound of Longjing tea?

No way... We collected the tea leaves a few days ago, isn't this too fast?

He forced himself to remain calm and straightened his clothes, but even buttoned his collar in the wrong place. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Got it. Go and ask them to come to the main hall. I...I'll be right there."

After the soldiers retreated, he repeatedly adjusted his appearance in front of the bronze mirror, but he could not hide the panic in his eyes.

A moment later, Wang Chunsheng brought Cao Xiong and Chen Lian into the main hall of the county government office.

More than forty light cavalrymen had surrounded the government office. Their bright armor and gleaming swords frightened the yamen runners so much that they huddled in a corner, not daring to breathe.

Liu Chengye walked forward with a smile and was about to salute when he was coldly interrupted by Chen Lian.

"Liu Chengye." Chen Lian was a middle-aged man with a dark complexion. He spoke with a hint of sarcasm and a hawk-like gaze. "I am Chen Lian, Director of the Censorate and Supervisory Office. This is my document."

He pulled out a bright yellow document from his sleeve, unfolded it, and read in a stern voice.

"Your Majesty has decreed: Bohai Governor Liu Chengye, while in office, embezzled taxes and accepted bribes, causing public outrage. He is to be immediately suspended and investigated! Arrest him!"

"What!! Sir! Misunderstanding! What a huge misunderstanding!" Liu Chengye's face turned pale, and his fat body retreated repeatedly, hitting the screen behind him with a clanging sound.

"Sir! I have been in office for three years, working diligently and conscientiously. Have I ever embezzled a penny? My lords, please be discerning." As he shouted, he secretly observed Wang Chunsheng's expression, hoping to find a glimmer of hope.

Chen Lian sneered and waved his hand, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, we'll know after a beating. Tie him up first!"

Two soldiers from the Huben Camp immediately stepped forward and wrapped the thick hemp rope around Liu Chengye several times, making him grimace and his fat cheeks twisted in pain.

"Sir! Doctors cannot be punished!" Liu Chengye struggled, his official hat falling to the ground, revealing his bald head. "Even if you want to investigate, you should let me explain! You can't torture me to extract a confession! This is against the law of the court!"

His voice became louder and louder, with a crying tone, and his fat belly heaved violently due to the exertion.

Wang Chunsheng frowned as he watched the farce in front of him.

His primary mission on this trip was to investigate Dapeng's unjust case, but in order to avoid collusion among local officials, he came to test the waters. However, he did not expect that this old fat man was so principled.

"What are you arguing about? If you didn't commit corruption, why did the Penglai County Magistrate dare to blatantly fabricate a false case? Let me ask you, isn't Penglai your jurisdiction?"

He stared into Liu Chengye's eyes, trying to find clues from his reaction.

"Penglai?" Liu Chengye was stunned when he heard this. His fat face was full of confusion, and his small eyes were filled with puzzlement. "Are you talking about Penglai County? That's Xia Zhu's territory! What has that bitch done? How come I'm implicated too?"

There was a hint of complaint and grievance in his tone, and he was obviously quite dissatisfied with the actions of the Penglai County Magistrate.

Wang Chunsheng had an idea and signaled the soldiers to stop.

He observed Liu Chengye's expression. The momentary surprise did not seem fake. The confusion and anger in his eyes seemed particularly real.

"What did you say? The magistrate of Penglai County is a woman?" He keenly grasped the key information, with a hint of surprise in his tone.

"That's right!" Liu Chengye said hurriedly when he saw the rope loosen a little, leaning forward as if he had found someone to confide in. "This is His Majesty's secret decree, saying that a female official system will be piloted in Penglai. A woman named Xia Zhu was sent to be the county magistrate. But ever since she arrived, there have been constant disturbances. Last time, she even seized the salt merchant's fleet, accusing them of smuggling... My lord, this has nothing to do with me! I've tried to persuade her many times, but she won't listen! She's personally appointed by His Majesty, how dare I say anything!"

He spoke very quickly, eager to distance himself from the matter, and his fat fingers kept gesturing.

Wang Chunsheng signaled the soldiers to untie the rope. Liu Chengye rubbed his red wrists and sat down in shock. His hand holding the teacup was still shaking slightly.

Chen Lian snorted in dissatisfaction, obviously having some objections to Wang Chunsheng's approach. He looked at Liu Chengye coldly, his eyes full of suspicion.

"Tell me." Wang Chunsheng stared into Liu Chengye's eyes with a serious tone.

"What is the origin of this Xia Zhu? What has he done since taking office?" He leaned forward, placed his hands on his knees, and listened attentively, afraid of missing any details.

Liu Chengye took a sip of the hot tea his attendant offered him, gathered himself, and began to speak incessantly, "Your Excellency, speaking of this Xia Zhu, her background is quite remarkable. I hear she's a distant relative of a certain concubine in the late emperor's palace. While studying, she disguised herself as a man and passed the imperial examination. The late emperor appreciated her talent, but later abandoned the plan when he discovered she was a woman. His Majesty made an exception and promoted her a few days ago. But she's a woman after all, with a delicate mind and a ruthless hand. After taking office, she conducted household registration checks and land surveys, effectively cutting off the financial resources of many local gentry."

He observed Wang Chunsheng's reaction as he spoke. Seeing that Wang Chunsheng was listening attentively, he continued, "She also likes to go on incognito visits, often wandering the streets with a few yamen runners, causing panic among the gentry. You know, if the gentry don't live well, the people won't live well either."

"She recently handled a rape case, have you heard about it?" Wang Chunsheng went straight to the point, his eyes as sharp as a knife, as if to pierce Liu Chengye's heart.

"Rape case?" Liu Chengye scratched his head, his face full of confusion. "I haven't heard of this. Cases in Penglai County have always been handled by Xia Zhu herself, and she never reports to the county. But she has always been strict in judging cases. Last month, she beat a scholar who molested a woman with forty strokes of the cane and put him in shackles for three months." He tried hard to recall, but it seemed that he really knew nothing about the rape case.

Wang Chunsheng pondered for a moment.

Liu Chengye's reaction showed that he was indeed unaware, and Xia Zhu's existence was obviously a key factor.

A female county magistrate, who was appointed by His Majesty through secret decree, framed a wrongful case in Penglai County. Is there any other hidden story behind this?

He tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, lost in thought.

"Liu Taishou," Wang Chunsheng said, his tone softening. "According to the Crown Prince, you need not panic for now. As the Taishou of Bohai, you failed to supervise the county magistrates under your jurisdiction, and you are indeed responsible for negligence, but you are not the main culprit. Now, you need to truthfully inform me of Xia Zhu's detailed resume, his actions since taking office, and the customs and practices of Penglai County. I will keep you safe."

He hopes to find more clues from Liu Chengye's story.

Seeing Wang Chunsheng's attitude change, Liu Chengye nodded quickly, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw: "Yes, yes, yes! I will tell you everything I know. This Xia Zhu... Well, how can I put it, she is a capable person, but she is too serious and does not know how to adapt. For example, last time when repairing the river, she forced 30% of the money out of the gentry, causing those people to come to the county to complain every day..." He recounted Xia Zhu's deeds in detail, including how she rectified the administration and how she competed with the local gentry.

As he was speaking, Cao Xiong hurried in and whispered a few words into Wang Chunsheng's ear.

Wang Chunsheng's face changed slightly, and he said to Liu Chengye, "You go down and rest first. You are not allowed to leave the government office without permission. Master Chen," he turned to Chen Lian. "Please take your men to seal up the county government accounts first. I'll go take care of some urgent matters." His tone was hurried, and it was obvious that he had heard important news.

Walking out of the main hall, Wang Chunsheng said to Cao Xiong, "Tell me, what's going on?"

He glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Chunsheng," Cao Xiong lowered his voice and looked serious, "We found several civilians detained in the side courtyard of the county government office. One of them claimed to be from Penglai County and said that County Magistrate Xia had arrested his son on the charge of...rape." He moved closer to Wang Chunsheng and his voice became softer.

Wang Chunsheng's pupils shrank: "Is his name Dapeng?"

He already had a premonition in his heart, and there was a hint of urgency in his tone.

"Exactly!" Cao Xiong nodded. "The old man burst into tears, saying his son was wrongly accused and that Magistrate Xia had accepted bribes from Butcher Liu to convict him. He also said Butcher Liu was a bully in the county and had close ties to Magistrate Xia."

Wang Chunsheng turned abruptly and looked towards Penglai, his eyes sharp as a knife. "There's something wrong indeed! General, take ten men to keep an eye on the governor and the accounts. Keep a close watch, and don't let anyone in or out. Tell Chief Envoy Chen that I'm going to verify the case, and have him seal the accounts according to procedure."

He made decisions quickly and spoke decisively.

"Chunsheng, isn't this too risky?" Cao Xiong was a little worried. "Since Xia Zhu dared to frame someone, she must have already made preparations. If you go alone, what if..."

"No venture, no gain." Wang Chunsheng jumped onto his horse with a decisive and decisive move. "Tell my brothers to follow me to Penglai! I want to see just how courageous this female county magistrate is and what secrets she holds."

He drew his sword, pointed the tip of the sword towards Penglai, his eyes determined.

The sound of horse hooves rang out again, and Wang Chunsheng led twenty light cavalrymen out of the county government office and galloped towards Penglai County.

Behind him, the atmosphere in the Bohai County government office was solemn and murderous. Chen Lian was directing the imperial censors to seal up the warehouse, while Liu Chengye was hiding in the warm room, looking at the sky outside the window, rubbing his hands constantly, feeling anxious and uneasy, not knowing what fate would be waiting for him.

In the back hall of the Penglai County Government Office, a pile of files was placed on the carved pear wood desk. Xia Zhu was writing notes with a pen, and the ink spread out fine lines on the rice paper.

She was wearing a crimson official robe, and her black hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate brow bones.

Although she is nearly forty years old, there is not a single wrinkle around her eyes, her nose is high, her lips are light in color, and her slim-fitting official uniform makes her look even more graceful.

It’s just that those eyes were too sharp, and when they scanned the files, they always carried an unquestionable majesty.

"Sir, Li Fugui, the salt merchant outside the city, wants to see you." The voice of the yamen runner came from outside the door, with a bit of caution.

Without even looking up, Xia Zhu circled the words "tax evasion" with his pen. "Tell him to wait in the main hall."

Her voice was cold and clear, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue. Since arriving in Penglai, such visits had never ceased, with wealthy merchants and gentry sending gifts in various ways, trying to gain access.

A moment later, a fat middle-aged man walked in rubbing his hands. It was the salt merchant Li Fugui.

The servant behind him was holding a gold-painted lacquer box, from which a faint glint of jewels could be seen.

"Master Xia," Li Fugui bowed and nodded, a flattering smile plastered all over his face, "I heard that you have been very busy recently, so I specially found some rare things to relieve your fatigue."

Xia Zhu finally put down her pen and looked up at Li Fugui.

Her gaze was like a cold pond, which made Li Fugui feel uneasy and his smile froze on his face.

"Boss Li," Xia Zhu said slowly, tapping the table with her fingertips. "This county has repeatedly warned you that as long as you conduct business honestly and don't evade taxes, the door to Penglai County will always be open to you."

Li Fugui waved his hands quickly: "Yes, yes, the master is right! I just want to express my feelings. This little thing is not a sign of respect..."

"Take it." Xia Zhu interrupted him, her tone calm but full of unquestionable power. "This county never accepts gifts. If you do this again, don't blame me for handling you according to the law. In addition, the accounts of your salt works tax evasion last month have been handed over to the county government. You will take care of yourself."

Li Fugui's face turned pale instantly, and the hand holding the lacquer box trembled slightly. The flattering smile on his face completely disappeared, leaving only panic.

"Sir, this...I'm afraid there is some misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding?" Xia Zhu raised an eyebrow and pulled out a piece of paper from under the file. "This is the import and export record of your salt field, as well as the tax register sent from the county government. Would you like me to read it to you?"

Li Fugui was so frightened that he quickly took a half step back, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. "No... no need, sir, I know I was wrong! I'm leaving right now, right now!"

He turned around in a hurry and crawled out of the back hall, as if there was a flood or a beast behind him.

Xia Zhu looked at his disheveled figure, sighed softly, and picked up her pen again. The sunlight from outside shone through the window lattice onto her, but it couldn't dispel the trace of sadness between her brows.

She rubbed her brows and was about to continue reviewing the files when a yamen runner rushed in with a panicked look on his face: "Sir! This is bad!"

Xia Zhu frowned: "Why are you panicking? How disgraceful!"

The bailiff panted heavily and bowed, saying, "Sir, a group of people have arrived from outside the city. The leader claims to be the head of the Censorate and the commander of the Tiger Guard Battalion. They say...they say they are here to investigate a case under the orders of the Crown Prince!"

"The Censorate? The Tiger Guards?" Xia Zhu paused, her brush in her hand abruptly stopping. The ink dripped onto the rice paper, creating a dark dot. She looked up at the yamen runner, her gaze instantly sharpening, a subtle ripple flickering through her slightly narrowed eyes.

"Could you please tell me your name, leader?"

"Your Excellency," the yamen runner quickly replied, "This is the Chief Envoy Chen Lian, and the Commander of the Tiger Guard Battalion, Cao Xiong!"

"Cao Xiong..." Xia Zhu repeated the name in a low voice, tapping the table lightly with his fingertips, and fell into a brief contemplation.

She was not familiar with Cao Xiong, but the fact that he brought people from the Censorate with him this time was no small matter.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the waves in her heart, and returned to her usual calm tone: "I understand."

She stood up, straightened her official robe, and combed her hair in front of the bronze mirror. The woman in the mirror had a firm look in her eyes, without any sign of panic.

"Go, open the middle door, and I will personally greet you all."