But when his eyes accidentally swept over the jade pendant held high, his face turned pale in an instant, like an eggplant hit by frost, without any blood.

His eyes were wide open, as if their eyeballs were about to pop out of their sockets, and his mouth opened unconsciously, revealing an expression of utmost fear.

At this moment, he was terrified, his mind swirling with thoughts: Why is the princess here? When did she come? I was completely unaware! If I had known the princess was here, I would never have dared to be so presumptuous.

What should he do? Would the princess notice what he had done? Countless horrible thoughts flashed through his mind, making him panic.

He didn't have time to think about it. His legs went weak and he hurried down from the main seat with a "thump" and knelt heavily on the ground.

His movements were so frantic that his knees made a dull thud when they landed on the ground. It must have been painful, but he couldn't care less at the moment.

He lowered his head, his forehead pressed against the ground, not daring to breathe, and said tremblingly, "I didn't know that Your Highness the Princess was coming. I'm sorry for not welcoming you. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!"

His voice trembled with endless fear and awe.

The people around were dumbfounded when they saw the county magistrate's actions. Only then did they realize that the noble woman in front of them was actually a princess, and they all knelt down to pay their respects.

The princess looked dignified, her eyes sweeping across the room like a torch. She said in a steady and powerful voice, "Everyone, please stand up."

Her words seemed to carry an invisible power. At her signal, everyone slowly stood up, but they were still cautious and did not dare to make too much noise.

The princess turned her head slightly, her eyes falling on the county magistrate again, and then she demanded again, "Now, call the coroner out to speak immediately!"

Her tone was unquestionable, revealing the supreme authority of the royal family.

The county magistrate stood aside, feeling extremely flustered, as if he had a rabbit in his heart.

He knew very well that the coroner was the key witness in the whole incident and knew everything about the note.

Once the coroner tells the truth, all his careful planning will come to nothing. Not only will he lose his official position, he may also face imprisonment and even his life will be in danger.

Thinking of this, his back was already soaked with sweat and his heart was in his throat.

But he still feigned composure, trying to conceal his inner fear. He forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, I'm truly sorry. The coroner was away from the yamen today due to some matters. Moreover, everyone who was at the scene can attest that there was no IOU at all! This woman is clearly talking nonsense in an attempt to confuse the public."

As he spoke, he secretly observed the princess's expression and silently prayed in his heart that the princess would believe him.

When the princess heard this, she sneered, and her laughter was full of disdain for the county magistrate's lies.

Her eyes instantly turned as cold as ice, as if they could freeze anyone. She stared straight at the county magistrate and said, "Hmph, even if the coroner is terminally ill and lying in bed, he must be brought here for me! If you fail to bring him here, it would be considered disobedience to the royal family and he must be executed!"

The princess' voice was not loud, but every word was clearly heard by everyone present, carrying a chilling deterrent force.

She raised her chin slightly, and her gorgeous clothes swayed gently with her movements, showing her royal majesty.

When everyone heard this, they turned pale with fright.

Disobeying the royal family is a serious crime, and no one dares to joke with his own life.

They didn't care about the county magistrate's expression or orders at all. They all responded "yes, yes" hurriedly, then turned around and went to ask for the coroner.

Some yamen runners jogged all the way, their shoes making a "clacking" sound on the ground; some even panicked and almost bumped into the people next to them.

They just wanted to bring the coroner over as soon as possible to avoid getting into trouble.

The county magistrate stood there, his face turning pale and blue, and his legs began to tremble slightly uncontrollably. He knew that his farce was probably coming to an end, and what was waiting for him would be an unknown fate.

Su Huaiyue stood quietly behind Wei Che. At this moment, her eyes were fixed on the majestic princess in front of her. Her heart felt like it was hit by a huge rock and was filled with shock.

The scene before her was completely different from the princess she had seen in Meiyan Pavilion.

When I was in the Meiyan Pavilion, the sunlight shone into the house through the carved window lattices, making it warm and cozy.

The princess sat in front of the dressing table, and Su Huaiyue applied scar-removing cream on her. The two of them had a pleasant conversation.

The princess's eyes curved when she smiled, and she was very unassuming. From time to time, she would curiously fiddle with the novel cosmetic items in the beauty pavilion. She looked like a friendly girl next door, playful and cute, making people want to get close to her.

When Su Huaiyue chatted with her, she didn't feel that she had any special identity at all. She just felt that she was a simple and interesting friend.

But now, in the lobby of the county government office, once the princess's identity was revealed, it seemed as if her entire body was coated with a layer of majestic light.

She stood there, her aura so strong that people dared not look directly at her.

The tone of her voice, the intimidation in her eyes, and her control over everyone made Su Huaiyue realize her extremely noble royal status.

Her decisiveness in giving orders and her majesty when facing the county magistrate were completely different from her previous image in Meiyan Pavilion.

Su Huaiyue couldn't help but imagine in her heart, if one day Wei Che became an emperor and was as majestic as the princess now, how would she deal with it?

A picture emerged in her mind: in a magnificent palace, Wei Che was wearing a dragon robe, standing high above, with a stern look in his eyes, and everyone around him was bowing to him.

Standing aside, facing Wei Che like this, I suddenly felt extremely unfamiliar.

In modern society, everyone is equal, and she is accustomed to free and equal communication.

But in this ancient feudal society with strict hierarchy, she felt unprecedented pressure facing the majesty of imperial power.

As a modern person who traveled through time, she was really not used to the scene where the royal family oppressed the common people.

Seeing the princess using her status to suppress everyone, although she did it to find out the truth and uphold justice, she still felt a little resistant.

She couldn't help but think that in modern society, everyone is equal before the law and people can express their opinions freely.

But here, a word from the royal family can determine the fate of many people. This huge difference made her nervous.

Her hands unconsciously clutched the corners of her clothes, her palms were slightly sweaty, and her heartbeat began to speed up.

She secretly glanced at Wei Che beside her, trying to find some comfort from him, but Wei Che was concentrating on the situation in front of him with a serious face, which made her even more flustered. She didn't know how to go on in the future in this complicated ancient world.