After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

Some officials choose to blend in with the crowd, believing that if the water is too clear, there will be no fish, and that being roughly right is fine and there's no need to be too serious.

Some people are full of courage and cannot tolerate even a speck of dust in their eyes. They believe that the world is black and white, and that they have an obligation to be messengers of justice.

The magistrate of Chuanling County in Qianzhou was not one of them; he was probably "completely corrupt" inside and out.

Just as Li Haisheng revealed his identity as a scholar and sent the group of people with broken arms and legs to the county government office, he sensed something was wrong.

The magistrate was indeed furious when he saw the dozen or so bandits, but not at the bandits, but at Li Haisheng and the others who came to report the crime.

Li Haisheng saw in the magistrate's eyes...heartache? Heartache, perhaps! Heartache for whom?

Feeling sorry for the bandit who had severed tendons in his arms and legs? Could I be seeing things?

"How could you be so cruel! You crippled someone's hands and feet! I, the official, will judge right and wrong! How dare you resort to private torture!"

"Guards, seize these men!" Li Haisheng's eyes widened in disbelief that things had taken this turn.

How could a dignified county magistrate be so blatantly distorting the truth? He was about to speak in rebuttal, but felt it was useless; the magistrate was clearly in cahoots with the bandits.

Li Haisheng was a scholar, so the county magistrate didn't detain him, but of course, he couldn't be beaten either; he was simply kicked out of the county office.

People like Wenbin, Li Mo, and A Niu, who sold themselves into slavery, naturally wouldn't have any special privileges.

The three of them were locked up like that. Unlike Li Haisheng, they didn't think much about it and only believed that they had been too rough, which was why they were locked up.

At this moment, the three of them were only thinking about not implicating their young master. Li Haisheng found his master and junior brother, who had already taken up lodging, and told them about how the magistrate of Chuanling County had detained Wenbin and the other two.

"This magistrate is probably in cahoots with the bandits!"

Look, even Miss Jiang the Second has figured it out! Miss Jiang the Second is indeed clever!

“The magistrate of Chuanling County is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Even if he has to stay in the position for many more years, he shouldn’t have stooped so low as to do this.”

"Does Master know this person?"

"Yes, your uncle mentioned this person when he was in the Northern Territory. A few years ago, during the imperial examination, your uncle was seconded to assist in guarding the security of the capital and unintentionally saved this person."

"Does our martial uncle have connections with this kind of person? Could we then invoke our martial uncle's name and ask the magistrate of Chuanling County to release the person?"

"It's worth a try, but..."

"Oh, Master, please stop keeping me in suspense! Look how anxious my junior brother is!"

Jiang Xiaoqi was indeed anxious, after all, those locked up were his people, and who knew if they would be severely tortured once they were imprisoned.

"However, times have changed. Your uncle saved people seven or eight years ago. After so many years, I don't know if this favor will still be effective."

Moreover, according to Runzhi's description, the county magistrate seemed to have ties with the mountain bandits, which made it even more difficult to determine whether the other party would release the people.

There's also the worst-case scenario... that is, the magistrate is a fake, and the real magistrate was killed by bandits on his way to take office and his body was destroyed to cover up the crime!

The bandits stole the official appointment documents and usurped the position!

"What! No wonder! No wonder the magistrate looked at the bandit with a broken arm and leg with such heartache. I knew I wasn't wrong!"

Li Haisheng affirmed his initial judgment.

"Master, if what you say is really the worst-case scenario, what should we do?"

Jiang Xiaoqi felt that her master must have a solution, and she couldn't panic.

"What to do? Of course, kill them!"

Ouyang Zheng's gaze was resolute, and he didn't think it was a big deal at all. He didn't believe that he would have to pay with his life for killing a fake county magistrate.

However, we still need to find out the truth before that.

"Then how can we confirm whether this person is real or fake? If they are going to impersonate someone else, the real magistrate's family must have been silenced as well. Who can expose the fake magistrate?"

"Should we send my uncle south? Even if it's the fastest, it would take at least half a month. Besides, border troops can't leave their posts without a reason!" Li Haisheng immediately rejected his idea as soon as he finished speaking.

Last time, Marshal Mu tacitly approved of the "absconding" and even covered it up. What will he say this time? That he did it to save his disciple's three attendants?

"Secretly monitor the magistrate's actions, especially who he associates with."

If he really was a bandit in disguise, then he would definitely have some connection with other bandits.

If we just follow the clues, we can find the evidence!

Moreover, not only were Wenbin and his men left at the county government office, but so were the dozen or so bandits.

We can glean some insight by seeing if any doctors are summoned to the county government office!

Ouyang Zheng nodded, agreeing with Jiang Xiaoqi's idea, but he had already decided to personally investigate the situation at the county government office that night...

That night, after everyone had rested, Ouyang Zheng left the inn. He had only crossed one street when he sensed something was wrong.

It landed gently on a rooftop and waited a few moments.

"Still not coming out?"

A dark figure emerged from the shadows and approached hesitantly.

"Master, what a coincidence! You're having trouble sleeping too?"

Jiang Xiaoqi pretended to yawn, looked at the starry sky, and then looked at her toes.

"Alright, stop fooling around. If you're going to follow along, be careful and don't be reckless!"

"As ordered!"

Ouyang Zheng lightly touched the ground with his feet, and in a few leaps he was dozens of meters away, with Jiang Xiaoqi, dressed in black, following closely behind.

In less than fifteen minutes, they arrived at the county government office of Chuanling County. The walls of the county government office were not high, and the two easily crossed them. They found the magistrate's residence without much effort.

Ouyang Zheng raised his hand, and Jiang Xiaoqi immediately gave up on going up to the roof to remove the tiles. The candles were still burning, and going up to remove the tiles at this time would easily expose them.

Of course, you can't be too close to the window, otherwise your shadow will be reflected and the people inside will notice.

After waiting quietly for half an hour, the candles finally went out. We could go in and check once everyone was sound asleep. As for why we didn't use any sleeping pills?

We really didn't prepare this, and at this point, the sleeping potion was just medicine; it needed to be put in food or water, and it hadn't evolved into the sleeping smoke version.

"Xiao Qi, go to the magistrate's study and see if there are any recent handwritten letters."

Jiang Xiaoqi nodded and slipped into the study opposite the dormitory like a ghost, while Ouyang Zheng went into the county magistrate's dormitory by himself.

The night was as dark as ink, with stars but no moon.

The master and apprentice made a discreet overnight visit to the county government office, and not only did no one at the county government office notice, but the rest of the people at the inn also failed to notice.

“Master, I’ve looked into the study in the county government office. There’s not a single recent handwritten letter, not even a single ink stick. There are two brushes, though, but they’re brand new. The brush rest, paperweight, and inkstone are all covered in dust.”

It seems they're too lazy to even put on a show; all the writing and drawing work that requires is done by the secretary?

He was, after all, a fellow Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Although he was not as good as a Jinshi, he should not be so lazy in his studies. So there is only one possibility: this person is an imposter!

It's not that they're too lazy to write, it's that they don't know how! They're very likely an illiterate idiot!

"Yes, I saw that person. The age matches, but your uncle didn't mention his specific appearance."

However, based on your findings, this magistrate of Chuanling County is indeed quite strange, though he didn't summon a doctor to the county office today.

"How does Master know he didn't call a doctor?"

“When you went to the study, I took a look in the kitchen. There was no trace or smell of medicine being brewed. If a doctor had been called, it would have been impossible for him not to prescribe a medicine.”

"Well, let's see if they'll call a doctor tomorrow. There aren't many clinics in Chuanling County, so we can each take charge of one."

"Well, then we'll have to trouble your mother and your sister." There are exactly five pharmacies in Chuanling County, and with the two women, they just barely have enough staff.

"Why do you say that, Master? It is my Jiang family who are imprisoned. I am the one who needs your help, Master and Senior Brother!"