"No need to be so polite, sir." Shen Huaixu's face was pure and innocent. "What's your name, sir?"

"I am so frightened that I cannot forgive you for your surname, Qiu."

"Master Qiu, I, the county lady, was passing by here and was worried about my brother, so I came to visit him. After asking around, I learned that he had gone to the provincial capital. I can't stay here for long, so do you know when my brother will return?"

Brother? County Magistrate Qiu was secretly shocked. He had not expected that the rumored Lady Mingyi was so close to Jiang Xun that she kept calling him brother.

"This..." County Magistrate Qiu hesitated, "Your Highness, this place is quite far from the provincial capital, and the round trip will probably take some time. How about I send someone to deliver the letter as fast as possible..."

Chen Huaixu interrupted him, "Since my brother has official business to attend to, that's fine. It just so happens that I, the county lord, have nothing to do, so I'll stay here for a few days. May I ask, sir, is there any good place to enjoy the scenery here?"

When the county magistrate heard that the young county lord wanted to stay in his territory, he felt a little anxious, but he did not show it on his face.

He seemed to be embarrassed and said: "I'm sure you've seen it all along the way. Ji County is a small place. It suffered a disaster a few years ago and has not fully recovered until now. It's not a good place to go."

"It is just as you said, my Lord," Chen Huaixu replied proudly, "I have grown tired of seeing all the mountains and rivers along the way.

In that case, I will not bother you any further. We will stay here for three days to experience the local customs and people. If you return within three days, please send someone to the Ningyuan Inn to inform me."

After saying that, she turned and left.

The county magistrate's voice came from behind, saying, "My Lady, your words are too kind. I respectfully bid you farewell."

"Miss, that man is just a small county magistrate. Why are you so polite to him?" Xiaoman asked curiously.

She felt it was strange when she saw the two of them talking back and forth just now.

Chen Huaixu chuckled, "Ever since I came to Huai'an Prefecture, I've learned that there are so many rumors about me circulating in this vast world."

She came from Huai'an Prefecture, so the rumors about her were the most prevalent here. Sometimes you could hear a lot of them when passing through busy streets.

Xiaoman immediately became interested and said excitedly, "I didn't expect that Miss was so famous in Huai'an Prefecture. They say that you took a village to escape famine and accidentally went to the south of the Yangtze River. By chance, you saved the Marquis, who happened to be your biological father..."

When Xiaoman stopped at an inn to rest, she happened to meet a team of escorts talking about this matter. She sat near them and listened with great interest.

"Some people even said that the young lady relied on the favor of His Majesty and the Queen to give a herb as a birthday gift at the birthday banquet, saying that you are arrogant because of your favor..."

Xiaoman said angrily, "I almost had a fight with that guy. How could they know how much benefit the people would benefit if that grass was planted on a large scale? They are so ignorant! They are just looking at the world from a narrow perspective!"

She once planted a sweet potato out of curiosity and didn't take much care of it on a daily basis. When the harvest came, it produced a few fruits. They were sweet and delicious, and easy to fill you up, but a little choking.

For the lower-class people, the last point can hardly be considered a disadvantage. After all, they are already grateful for being able to have enough food to eat.

"They say I'm spoiled and arrogant, how can I not pretend? Besides," Shen Huaixu pondered, "that county magistrate seems to be eager for me to leave."

"Could it be that he's up to something?" Xiaoman immediately perked up. Finally, she had a place to use her skills, so she volunteered, "Miss, why don't you hand this matter over to me? I'll definitely find out what County Magistrate Qiu is up to behind the scenes!"

"What if I misunderstood? First, go and find out the family background of this Qiu and report it to me." Shen Huaixu said.

After all, this was the territory under the jurisdiction of her second brother. If she acted rashly and was discovered, it would probably put her second brother in a difficult position.

Xiaoman immediately responded.

Ningyuan Inn is the best inn in the small place of Jixian. Behind the inn is a small river that runs through the north and south of the county. The river water is green and clear, and willows are swaying on the bank.

Chen Huaixu took a nap after lunch, as if to make up for the sleep she missed on the road. When she woke up, her cheeks were rosy, her lips were red, and her long eyelashes were slightly drooping, looking unusually soft.

I finally struggled to get off the bed and went to the window. The sun was setting in the west, and the golden light was shining on the water, which was a beautiful sight.

She looked at the river quietly for a long time until there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Xiaoman walked in with the information he had heard.

"Miss, I have thoroughly investigated County Magistrate Qiu's family. His surname is Qiu and his given name is Qi. He is the second child in the family. When he was young, his family was poor and he was sent by his family to work as a servant in the Chu family, a wealthy family in Ji County.

Later, he was noticed by the young lady of this family, and they fell in love with each other. However, Miss Chu's father did not agree to the marriage. Qiu Qi knelt at the door of the Chu family for three days and three nights, almost dying of dehydration, before the head of the Chu family agreed to the marriage.

Even now, the Qiu family still lives in harmony, the envy of others, and has become a legend in Ji County. Qiu Qi was able to secure the position of Ji County Magistrate, which was also due to the Chu family's involvement.

"It's not easy to climb from a helper to the position of county magistrate." Shen Huaixuqi knocked on the window frame with his knuckles and said, "What is the status of the Chu family in Ji County?"

"They have been here for many years and are one of the most powerful families."

Chen Huaixu smiled, "He's a local tyrant. Having such a subordinate is enough to give Second Brother a headache."

"Miss," Xiaoman said hesitantly, "I heard something on the street and I don't know if I should tell you."

"speak."

"The current head of the Chu family is named Chu Hao. His wife gave birth to three sons and two daughters for him. Because the youngest son was born with a deficiency, the couple loved him very much. A few days ago, their youngest son fell ill and unfortunately passed away. The couple was heartbroken. Some people said that the Chu family seemed to want to arrange a ghost marriage for this youngest son..."

Xiaoman swallowed, "This situation seems to be quite common in Ji County. There are even 'ghost matchmakers' among the people who specialize in finding marriages for the dead."

Chen Huaixu was silent for a moment, then turned around to look at the scene of the setting sun shining on the water. There was no longer the beauty he had just felt, but only a bleak and eerie feeling, filled with a chilling atmosphere.

"Are they looking for the dead or the living?"