Logically, today's visit was merely a simple inquiry at Linglong Manor, requiring no intervention from Magistrate Shuqiu. Yet, strangely enough, he did come.

Inside the hall, Uncle Fu served tea, and Shu Feng chuckled, "I heard that you, Master Shu, have come from the capital. I don't have any good tea to offer you, so please forgive me, Master Shu."

"It's alright, I'm not a difficult person to please." Shu Qiu picked up his teacup and took a sip. He sighed, "Everyone says that Linglong Manor is hard to enter, but now I can sit here and drink tea. This is something I can be proud of."

"You jest, sir."

Shu Qiu laughed, and Mu Feng laughed too, but one of them was dashing and the other was gentle. What they had in common was that their smiles didn't reach their eyes.

But suddenly, the smile in Mu Feng's eyes changed, his gaze trembled slightly, as if he were waiting for some rare treasure to appear.

Shu Qiu followed his gaze to the door. A moment later, light footsteps sounded, and a little girl in red, with delicate features, ran in. She seemed to have been running all the way, panting heavily as she entered the hall. Without even taking a break, she ran over and grabbed the white-robed man's hand, asking, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Unlike her anxiety, Mu Feng took out a white handkerchief he always carried with him and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead, asking with amusement, "Why were you running so fast?"

"I'm worried about you!" These four words came out before she could even react, perfectly revealing her anxiety.

Mu Feng asked again, "Why are you worried about me?"

"I heard that officials from the government are coming to interrogate you! You're not in good health, what if you can't withstand the torture?" As she said this, she tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes filled with him, completely oblivious to everyone else.

Shu Qiu coughed awkwardly, "Young lady, I don't know if our yamen used to use torture to extract confessions, but since I took office, I have never allowed torture to extract confessions."

"You?" Feng Guang looked over. "Who are you?"

Although he is not bad-looking, this man is too delicate and has the appearance of a pretty boy.

"You don't recognize me?"

Is it strange that I don't know you?

Shu Qiu felt a lump in his throat. He was such a dashing and charming young man, captivating countless young girls. In Tong County, from eighty years old to three years old, every woman knew him.

Seeing that the girl's words seemed genuine and that she was beautiful, Shu Qiu generously forgave her. He stood up, a smile spreading across his face, and said, "My name is Shu Qiu, and I am currently the magistrate of Tong County."

"The magistrate of Tong County?" Feng Guang exclaimed quickly, "Impossible!"

Why is it impossible?

Since the magistrate of Tong County is the father of the female protagonist Chen Hongdou, he should also be surnamed Chen, not someone named Shuqiu, and such a young man at that!

Shu Qiu assumed the young girl was just being stubborn and refusing to acknowledge his identity. He flicked his hand, opened his fan, and said with a dashing air, "I was born into a scholarly family. I learned the Thousand Character Classic at the age of three, recited the Book of Poetry at six, and wrote an essay at seven that was praised by His Majesty. At sixteen, I took the imperial examination and passed. At eighteen, I became the top scholar. After the old magistrate of Tong County resigned, His Majesty dispatched me to Tong County to serve as the magistrate..."

"In other words..." Mu Feng said indifferently, "Unlike the previous top scholars, Lord Shu did not stay in the court to take up a post, but came to Tong County to serve as a county magistrate."

Isn't this a disguised form of demotion?