After discussing it for a long time, Li Wenyi and Ma Rencai finally realized that this was the only outcome they could achieve. They looked at each other and saw a trace of sadness on each other's faces.

If they intervene, there's always a solution. But if they just stand by and watch, the village will only grow stronger. Right now it's just grain, but in the future it will be government silver and weapons. And since it's so close to the capital, if they really have rebellious intentions, they still can't escape being held accountable by the emperor.

After discussing it for a long time, Li Wenyi and Ma Rencai finally realized that this was the only outcome they could achieve. They looked at each other and saw a trace of sadness on each other's faces.

If they intervene, there's always a solution. But if they just stand by and watch, the village will only grow stronger. Right now it's just grain, but in the future it will be government silver and weapons. And since it's so close to the capital, if they really have rebellious intentions, they still can't escape being held accountable by the emperor.

And now? All they can do is submit a memorial explaining the situation and send a message to the county magistrate, asking him to submit a memorial as well. But it's obvious that if it were something that could be resolved with just an official document, would it have dragged on until now?

It seems this official document, like their previous memorial, has been lost without a trace.

Ye Shuang sat obediently in the chair, neither disturbing them nor interrupting. This was just a necessary process before the dynasty completely decayed, like the labor pains before childbirth. The new dynasty was that child, and if the child was to be born healthy, the labor pains would have to be endured for a while.

However, Ma Rencai still wanted to try again. After hesitating for a moment with the already written memorial, he said, "If this memorial is submitted and still disappears without a trace, why don't we ask Miss Ye Shuang for help?"

Even Ye Shuang herself couldn't help but glance at them from the side. Good heavens, how did she get involved in such an unrelated matter?

Unexpectedly, Li Wenyi actually considered the possibility before saying, "Although Miss Ye said she would help inquire about the case, the time was too short. It's probably not her doing; it just happened to be there. Besides, Miss Ye lives alone in the county. A few days ago, a group of us men going in and out was already quite eye-catching. Visiting her again might affect her reputation."

These words were so comprehensive and appropriate that even Ye Shuang herself thought they made perfect sense.

However, Ma Ren looked puzzled and said, "Miss Ye's guard is still on duty at the yamen. Why not just have him pass on a message? There's no need to come in person. Even if it's a thank-you gift, you can just ask A Leng to deliver it."

The implication is clear: who said they were coming to our door?

Li Wenyi was in a very awkward situation. Seeing Ma Rencai's curious gaze, he couldn't explain anything and could only stammer and try to get through it.

Ye Shuang narrowed her eyes. Could it be that Li Wenyi... had fallen for her? This guess was really too shocking. The two of them had only met a few times. If it really came down to falling for each other, it was mostly because she insisted on creating an opportunity to get close to the government office through a chance encounter in the first place.

However, it's also possible that she's overthinking it. After all, Ye Shuang was using the identity of an orphan with no background, and Li Wenyi probably hadn't had much contact with girls like that before. It wouldn't hurt if he mistook temporary pity for attraction. Anyway, he wouldn't see her for a while, and after a while, he would probably forget about Ye Shuang altogether.

Li Wenyi felt fortunate that none of the people in this house knew what romantic feelings were. Ma Rencai was still single, and Shuang'er was still young, so he could still get by.

But whenever he thought of that girl, he felt a tingling sensation in his heart, as if there was a rope pulling at him. He could only desperately think that she already had guards protecting her, so how could she possibly be interested in him, a mere county magistrate from a farming family?