The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

Xiao Ling was secretly delighted, covering her lips as she almost burst out laughing.

Judging from Miss Shen's reaction, she must be delighted.

He was indeed clever; upon arriving at the yamen, he beat the scoundrel until he was screaming and howling, and even pulled out two of his front teeth. Now, not only was the Second Prince pleased, but Miss Shen was also laughing so heartily.

He will definitely receive the highest salary this month.

Chu Chouchi raised his foot and kicked him aside, coldly glaring at him, "Get lost! Don't get in my way!"

When Magistrate Qin Zhong heard that the Second Prince was coming, he rushed over and saw the coachman's face swollen like a pig's head.

Startled, he hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, I, Qin Zhong, pay my respects. I am sorry for not greeting you properly. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

"Get up," Chu Chouchi snorted coldly.

Qin Zhong nodded hurriedly in agreement, and only after standing up did he dare to raise his eyes to look at her. His gaze met Shen Zhizhi, who was lying on Chu Chouchi's back, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face.

Shen Zhizhi looked at Qin Zhong's eyes, which seemed to be bulging out of their sockets, and then realized that she was still on his back.

She struggled slightly and whispered, "Your Highness, that's enough. Please put me down."

Chu Chouchi nodded and, under Qin Zhong's astonished gaze, gently put the girl on his back down.

Qin Zhong wiped away a cold sweat, took two steps forward, and bowed slightly, saying, "I wonder if the Second Prince has come here with an important case for me?"

"He forcibly abducted a woman, what should be his punishment?" Chu Chouchi asked indifferently, glancing sideways at the coachman who had been kicked into a corner and was barely clinging to life.

Qin Zhong frowned, glanced at the coachman, and then thought about the woman that the Second Prince had been protecting earlier. He already had a plan in mind.

After pondering for a while, he respectfully lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, this man is incredibly audacious to disrespect Your Highness's woman. He cannot be let off easily."

Chu Chouchi smiled and asked with a gentle smile, "Then, according to Lord Qin, how should this person be punished?"

Qin Zhong's tone was indignant, filled with disgust, "Naturally, we should behead him and display his head to the public, only then can the Second Prince vent his anger!"

A smile appeared on Chu Chouchi's lips, but it was fleeting, vanishing in an instant.

He feigned composure, glanced at Shen Zhizhi beside him, and coughed lightly. "The laws of the Crown Prince do not seem to have such severe punishment for forcibly taking women. If we really order him to be beheaded and displayed to the public, wouldn't it make it seem like I, Your Highness, am abusing my power? That's not appropriate, not appropriate."

"..." Qin Zhong was stunned.

When did Your Highness become so magnanimous?

The fact that the Second Prince brought this reckless fool to the county office for interrogation today already shocked him greatly. And now he's even talking to him about the laws of the Crown Prince? Does he even care if others say he's abusing his power?

Was he still asleep? Was he hallucinating?

Qin Zhong secretly reached out and pinched his leg hard, a sharp pain shooting through him.

He was utterly astonished.

This isn't a dream! This is actually real?!

"Then, according to the laws of the Grand Prince, the person who forcibly abducted the woman should be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane..."

Before Qin Zhong could finish speaking, Chu Chouchi's lips curled into a cold smile, his entire being radiating chilling aura. Startled, Qin Zhong jolted, quickly changing the subject he was about to utter.

"Give him a thousand strokes of the cane, give him a thousand strokes of the cane."

These words made Chu Chouchi feel a little better.

But he still frowned in annoyance: "A thousand strokes of the cane seems a bit too heavy. After all, the law for the Crown Prince only stipulates one hundred strokes. Adding nine hundred strokes for no reason makes me uneasy."

Qin Zhong wanted to cry but had no tears; he really wanted to wail.

If the punishment is too lenient, the Second Prince will be angry and refuse to accept it; if the punishment is too severe, the Second Prince will talk to him about not abusing his power to bully others, leaving him feeling uneasy.

The Second Prince clearly wanted nothing more than to tear this madman to pieces, yet he insisted on putting on a gentlemanly demeanor in front of this young girl.

The Second Prince was happy, but who cared whether he lived or died?

Let's just take him down and give him a hundred lashes. Whoever wants to be the magistrate can be it; he doesn't want to do it anymore.

Seeing Qin Zhong's dilemma, Shen Zhizhi quickly stepped forward and said, "Second Prince, please don't make things difficult for the magistrate. He should be punished according to the laws of the Crown Prince. Besides, he has already suffered enough."

Chu Chouchi pondered for a moment, then turned to Xiao Ling and said, "Go, bring the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review here. Tell him that I am waiting for him at the yamen."

Xiao Ling was taken aback. Seeing the resolute expression on his prince's face, he knew that something important must be happening today, and immediately cupped his hands and said:

"Yes!"

He then hurriedly pushed open the door and went out.

Shen Zhizhi was extremely puzzled, tilting her head with a look of utter confusion.

Why does this guy suddenly want to go find Zhang Jiali? Is he going to make things difficult for Zhang Jiali after he's already made things difficult for Qin Zhong?

Shen Zhizhi was somewhat flustered and at a loss. She reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "Your Highness, I have not been harmed in any way. A few slaps will suffice."

Chu Chouchi's gaze fell on her face; her skin was as white as snow, and her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her extremely alluring.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he looked away. "If they are not punished, more and more similar incidents will occur in Nanliyue Star City, and those who forcibly abduct women will only become more rampant."

Shen Zhizhi was somewhat bewildered. She lowered her eyes and stared at Chu Chouchi with surprise in her gaze.

But her bright, beautiful eyes were clearly reflected in his deep, dark eyes.

He said softly, "Shen Zhizhi, you always want me to be the good person."

"Then this time, Your Highness will be a good person for you. As for how to do it, you'll have to watch carefully."

Shen Zhizhi's eyes trembled violently.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling perfectly into his eyes, creating fleeting glimmers. A faint smile played at the corners of his eyes, subtly captivating his heart.

────

The county government office gate was wide open, with a plaque reading "County Government Office" hanging high above the entrance.

Chu Chouchi sat high on the magistrate's desk, with Qin Zhong and Shen Zhizhi standing by his side. The yamen runners stood solemnly on both sides, holding wooden sticks.

"Lord Shaoqing has arrived."

The people, having heard that the Second Prince was going to handle the case personally, had already surrounded the government office.

As soon as Li Zhuang shouted this, the people rushed forward, nearly knocking over all the yamen runners who were trying to maintain order.

"Lord Zhang is here too! Lord Zhang is here too!"

"What kind of case is this that has attracted the Second Prince and Lord Zhang here?"

"I don't know, I've been waiting here for ages."

……

Shen Zhizhi looked up and saw Zhang Jiali approaching in the sunlight. He was elegant and dignified, standing out in the crowd. Although he did not speak, his gentleness emanated from within him.

Standing in the hall, he nodded slightly to Shen Zhizhi, and then bowed to Chu Chouchi, saying, "Second Prince."

Upon seeing the newcomer in a white robe and hearing everyone call him Lord Zhang, the coachman seemed to see a glimmer of hope. He suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Lord Zhang, I was blinded by greed and had evil intentions towards Miss Shen, and I committed the act of forcibly abducting her. It was absolutely not my intention. I am willing to accept punishment, I only beg that the Second Prince not torment me like this."