Chapter 167: Crying Out for Justice

Lieutenant General Li was consumed by thoughts, but managed to force a smile. "The Governor has come a long way, what are you all still standing there for? Why don't you invite him to rest at the inn? Standing in the wind is inappropriate!"

These words were spoken to the yamen runners of Qingshi Town. The deputy general and the soldiers belonged to the garrison and had no right to interfere in these civil matters. Since the county magistrate was not there, the yamen runners should be in charge.

"Hello, Governor. There's an inn in the city. I'll arrange it for you right away. I wonder if you prefer a busy area or a quiet one..."

The yamen runner felt so aggrieved. He worked overtime all night last night, and today he was dragged out as a scapegoat. Is there any justice in this world?

The governor looked unmoved. He had traveled day and night to come here not to stay overnight, so he naturally would not be led around by the nose by Lieutenant General Li's casual words.

When the yamen runners saw that they had little influence, they simply decided not to go and try their luck. For example, the yamen runners in the strong squad were recruited as strong men to help, and they did not have much sense of belonging to the yamen.

It is their duty to stay away, and some smart ones know that it is a favor to go to Zhang's house to inform Zhang Daming, the county magistrate.

"What crime did this man commit? Is there solid evidence and is it recorded? Exposure to the sun is a form of torture. The emperor of our time is benevolent. How could such a wicked person deserve such punishment?"

The governor walked forward calmly and took a close look at Wen Chengyun's condition. Although he looked a little disheveled, he was generally unharmed.

If someone of high status were to encounter an accident on his territory, he would be ashamed to face the emperor and feel guilty for the years of cultivation he had received from the imperial court...

Faced with the governor's continuous questioning, Lieutenant General Li was speechless. This matter was originally a temporary measure to seize the loophole, and he did not expect that the governor would become an obstacle.

"What? Is this a lynching? When did Qingshi Town become the territory of a mere deputy general like you? Or was it Liao Yu, General Liao's intention?"

When the governor saw that Lieutenant General Li was speechless, he already had about 70% of the guesses in his mind. He was full of confidence. In addition, he was a civil servant, and his witty remarks made him seem overwhelming in his momentum.

Lieutenant General Li was furious. He had always looked down on these sour-smelling civil servants, especially the imperial lackeys like the provincial governors and censors. Relying on a broken brush and a quick tongue, they spent their days submitting petitions criticizing this and that. Yet, their salaries were higher than those of the soldiers fighting on the front lines!

Zhang Daming had already received the report from the yamen runner and rushed over from Zhang Mansion. Due to the urgency of the situation, he came in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to change his clothes and hurried out in casual clothes.

The atmosphere was tense upon his arrival, so he quickly came out with a smile to smooth things over: "Sir Governor, I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person. Your presence in my small town of Qingshi is truly an honor..."

As the saying goes, one should not hit a smiling person. This set of words is full of flattery and most officials will fall for it. However, to be able to sit on the position of governor, one must be extraordinary.

"I don't deserve it. Lord Zhang is such a powerful official, but now it's already so late and you're not working at the government office, but instead you're lazing around at home. The imperial court's monthly salary isn't meant to support idlers!"

The governor snorted coldly, looked Zhang Daming up and down with calm eyes, and spoke with sarcasm and reproach.

Zhang Daming already had a little sweat on his forehead because he rushed here in a hurry. Now the sweat turned into cold sweat. It turned out that he was a governor, and his mouth was very ruthless!

"Your Excellency, the Governor, have taught me that I have caught a cold these past few days, and the yamen has entrusted you with the care. It was only upon hearing that you, the Governor, were visiting that I hurried to greet you. I hope you will forgive me for any inadequate hospitality..."

Zhang Daming's mind worked quickly. Since there was a flaw in his clothes, he might as well admit it. By the way, he could also put all the blame for the recent events on his master's head, killing two birds with one stone.

"Let's skip the official rhetoric. I just want to ask one thing: what's this torture by exposure to the sun? From afar, I've heard there was a major case going on in Qingshi Town. Has it been solved yet?"

The governor turned his head slightly, and in a few words brought the disrupted topic back to the main business. Now that Prince Qingping was still tied to the wooden stake, he wanted to see how these people would argue!

As soon as the governor appeared, Cheng Weiyao had already brought her stall to the vegetable market. She couldn't sleep well at night, so she got up early to set up her stall.

With her family in trouble, she couldn't expect her career to hit a bottleneck again. She didn't expect this big drama to happen. She instinctively thought that the appearance of this governor was her savior.

Although she wasn't very familiar with ancient official positions, she knew that the Inspectorate and the Imperial Censor were roughly equivalent, just one for the local government and one for the central government. And since ancient times, most of the people who died for their remonstrations were Imperial Censors. This group was bold and loyal, and must have been royalists!

"This is still under investigation. Although I am recuperating at home, this matter is of great importance. The government has already opened a special case file..."

Zhang Daming pursed his lips and tried to find a suitable excuse to cover up his inaction. Fortunately, the government office did file a case when the incident happened, and the files were handled by the legal advisor, so if the governor really wanted to send someone to do something, it would still be credible.

How could Cheng Weiyao allow Zhang Daming to make such quibbles? She immediately ignored the stall, rushed forward and knelt at the feet of the governor, and began to appeal with tears in her eyes.

"Sir Governor, I want to protest my injustice! My husband is truly innocent. The government arrested him without a public trial. As the saying goes, if you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext. I tried to seek help from Sir Zhang to redress my husband's innocence, but Sir Zhang stayed indoors and turned a deaf ear to me! I was at my wit's end, so I came to you..."

Seeing a young and beautiful woman crying in front of him, even a tough man would soften his heart, let alone a governor with a straight body?

A trace of pity flashed in his eyes, and he hurriedly helped the person up with both hands. Judging from the meaning of these words, this is the Princess of Qingping! How could a mere provincial governor make the princess kneel down?

"Madam, please stand up. Since I have come here for inspection, I will definitely not sit idly by. If your husband is truly innocent, I will definitely clear your name!"

Lieutenant General Li and Zhang Daming both frowned. Cheng Weiyao's cry of injustice made it a foregone conclusion that the verdict would be overturned.

"Your Excellency the Governor is right. My illness has almost fully recovered. I will definitely cooperate with you and serve the people..."

Zhang Daming's eyes struggled repeatedly, and after a few jumps in his mind, he finally chose the governor's side. Mainly because the emperor's men were already right in front of him, he had to be cautious...