Lord Qiu apprehended the man and then went to the county office to search through things, trying to find evidence of the county magistrate's crimes. However, after searching for a long time, he found nothing useful.

His men arrived shortly afterward.

Lord Qiu asked, "Are those people behaving themselves?" He gave a firm order. If the constables made any noise, they could be executed on the spot!

The subordinate said, "He was very honest. The doctor took one look and then went out to brew the medicine. I was there the whole time."

Lord Qiu snorted coldly: "They're smart enough to keep an eye on them."

"Yes." The subordinate agreed quickly and then left.

Qiu's confidant said, "Sir, we didn't find anything useful." He had never seen such a clean county magistrate before. He had noticed the difference as soon as he entered the city; the roads were clean, the chimneys were filled with blue smoke, and there wasn't a single corpse on the streets.

Compared to other counties, this place was like a paradise. His confidant felt it was a pity; how many years would it take to produce such a grassroots official with a pure heart, and yet, he wasn't one of their own.

Lord Qiu said, "You'd better come up with a plan for me tonight!" He wanted to quickly convict the man and execute him immediately, so he could then directly oversee the area. All the credit would go to him, and he might even get a promotion instead of a demotion.

The trusted aide had served Lord Qiu for many years, and could tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. He said, "Then I wish you all your dreams come true!"

Lord Qiu looked somewhat relaxed.

The confidant continued, "What about these yamen runners?" Those who can follow a county magistrate who gets things done are all talented people. They can get started right away without any training, which is very rare.

Lord Qiu replied, "A new emperor brings a new court. You're an old hand at this; do I need to teach you this?"

His trusted aide dared not admit his mistake and repeatedly apologized, for he already knew what Lord Qiu meant.

As for Lord Qiu, he didn't care about these lowly henchmen; their lives or deaths made no difference to him. However, Lord Qiu also knew how serious a crime it was to harm the county magistrate, and the key to this matter was to ensure that there were no witnesses left to testify. If even a little bit was revealed and used by his political enemies, he would be the one to suffer. He wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

Lord Qiu pulled out a packet of arsenic from his pocket. This was a potent poison; if put in their food, even a packet would be enough to kill them all!

Lord Qiu handed the packet of poison to his trusted confidant.

The confidant felt a pang of guilt, but still took the poison and said, "Should we return the young master of the Xie family? I can tell he's a coward; he certainly won't ruin your plans."

The Xie family are major merchants in the county, so if they are implicated, their reaction will be much stronger than others.

Lord Qiu snorted coldly: "Merchants from a mere small county town. Do you expect me to be courteous to them at every turn? If they dare to cause trouble, I'll deal with them all!" He added angrily, "Truly, a small temple with a big tyrant."

His confidant frowned; a thousand-mile dike could be destroyed by an ant's bite. This place was well-managed, and everyone was of one mind; it wasn't as easy to recapture as other counties.

But Lord Qiu was always arrogant, and he dared not speak what was hidden in his heart.

His trusted aide withdrew to prepare the poison. But just as he stepped outside, he heard a commotion and his heart skipped a beat. For some reason, although everything had gone smoothly since arriving in the county, he had a lingering unease.

Hearing the commotion outside, he quickly summoned his men to inquire.

The noise outside grew louder and louder. Even Lord Qiu inside heard it and came out, displeased, asking, "What's all this commotion?"

After understanding the situation, the confidant said, "The officials in charge outside need to find the county magistrate."

Lord Qiu was somewhat dissatisfied and said, "Just send him away."

The confidant said, "It's not easy to deal with them. There are probably more than ten people. They insist on coming in to see us, and if we don't let them, they'll force their way in."

Lord Qiu angrily exclaimed, "I've never seen such an unruly person!" He also had a bad feeling that the other party was going to cause trouble.

Hearing the commotion outside growing louder, Magistrate Qiu went out. He saw that it was no wonder his men couldn't stop the thugs; there were more than a dozen burly men. Some were guarding the magistrate and his entourage, while others were searching for documents, leaving only four to guard the county office. Faced with so many men, they were naturally forced to retreat.

Magistrate Qiu said, "I am his superior. The county government office is not a marketplace where you can make a ruckus. Considering that this is your first offense, I will let you off this time. If you dare to make a ruckus again, you will definitely be punished." Magistrate Qiu had a great deal of official authority.

They can be very intimidating outside. But the law doesn't punish the masses, and with so many people coming, the common people aren't afraid at all.

These officials were all promoted from among the common people, and the county magistrate was their benefactor. The man in front of me looked arrogant and didn't seem like a good person.

Lord Qiu had always been successful once he revealed his identity, but this time he miscalculated. These stewards, of low birth and limited experience, didn't treat him with respect. Instead, they astutely asked, "Where is our county magistrate?"

"Yes, where did you hide the county magistrate?"

"Where is he? Hand him over."

Seeing that they were a bunch of peasants who were pressing closer, Lord Qiu casually said some intimidating words.

But these people weren't easily intimidated; they insisted on getting their people back.

After Lord Qiu arrived here, he took control of important figures, but was then held back by a few commoners. Although he brought some men with him, they were all doing their own jobs, and the number of people around him was quite limited.

They couldn't fight against so many people. These guns were all as thick as bowls; you definitely wouldn't gain the upper hand in a fight to the death.

The people in charge started talking all at once: "Did you arrest our adults?"

"Why haven't I seen a single constable here?!"

"Yes, where did you take him?" A quick-witted person ran out and started shouting in the street, "A corrupt official has arrested our magistrate!"

When the people of the county heard this, they were outraged. They immediately rushed out of their homes to show their support.

Soon after, more and more people arrived from the county, and things got really chaotic.

No matter what Lord Qiu said, the other side suppressed it; they only had one thought: to demand the people from Lord Qiu.

A carriage passed by outside the county. If He Zifeng were there, he would definitely recognize one of the people in the carriage as Young Master Dian, who had come with the old town head when the family divided their property. The other person was dressed in a light gray robe. Although the robe looked ordinary, upon closer inspection, one could see that it was covered with faint silver threads.

The young nobleman didn't need to say a word; he exuded an unparalleled aura: "This is the small county town you mentioned."

Young Master Dian said, "Yes." He still remembered the soybean and pig's trotter that had been given to him long ago. However, this study tour had taken too long, and they had encountered a snowstorm along the way. They were traveling towards the capital when they passed through this small county town and remembered it. They wanted to visit their old friend, but to their surprise, the city gates were open.

As soon as the young nobleman entered, he sensed that this place was different from others. The city walls here were newly built and could withstand wind and snow. However, the city gates were wide open, and there wasn't a single guard around.

The young nobleman's heart tightened. Could it be that the city had fallen and everyone inside was dead?

In years of famine, trouble is more likely to occur. Many refugees who cannot survive will turn to banditry, burning, killing, and looting.

Just as they felt a pang of anxiety, they saw a number of people running from their homes in one direction.

They were all wearing the same style of cotton-padded jackets. They looked quite warm.

They quickly had their entourage stop one of them and ask what had happened.

After a while, the servant returned and said, "I heard them say that the county magistrate has been arrested by corrupt officials. They are going to rescue him!"

The young nobleman was taken aback. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such an exciting event. He said, "Let's go take a look."

Young Master Dian, who loved watching a good show, asked, "Hey, who are these officials over there?"

The young nobleman thought for a moment and said, "Qiu Shu'en." This man is said to be a close associate of the Grand Secretary. He may not be good at much else, but he has a knack for making money. He receives quite a bit of tribute every year.

The young master was from the capital, and the subordinates of those important officials thoroughly investigated him.

Young Master Dian said, "Lord Qiu has been impeached quite severely this time." He still has the audacity to come to the county and act arrogantly. Lord Qiu is quite ambitious.

When they arrived, the area around the county was already packed with people, and people were still flocking to the area.

These two young masters blended into the corner of the crowd and were completely inconspicuous.

Everyone was chanting slogans, demanding that Lord Qiu release the people.

Lord Qiu was so angry his face turned pale. He had underestimated the situation. He thought he could easily control the situation here and get the confession written within a day. Who would have thought that the people here were so united? They somehow got wind of the situation and came all demanding the release of the prisoners.

It would be one thing if Lord Qiu were under the jurisdiction of his superiors, but to be threatened by the common people is truly a great disgrace.

Now that he was in a difficult situation, he could only say, "Everyone, please be quiet. Your magistrate has committed a crime. Don't cause trouble, or you'll all be in big trouble if he gets arrested!"

Upon hearing this, the people below immediately asked, "What has our county magistrate done wrong?"

Lord Qiu said, "He embezzled money from the account. Now there's a deficit of five thousand taels." He then added, "He's simply a disgrace to the officialdom. He's exploiting the people and doesn't deserve to be an official." He knew what kind of officials the common people hated most.

To everyone's surprise, the common people were not buying it. Five thousand taels was an astronomical figure for them, and they said, "As long as he needs money, we will make it up for him."

"Yes, release them."

Then a woman pulled out a silver hairpin from her hair and threw it in. At this, the others seemed to receive a signal and started throwing necklaces, rings, copper coins, pieces of silver—all sorts of things.

The people standing at the back didn't understand what had happened, so they asked the people in front, who then explained the situation to them.

Then they heard the old woman behind them say, "That corrupt official said the county magistrate is embezzling?" She then hurriedly said to her son, "Go and get the small box from your mother's dressing case!"

“Mother, that’s your dowry. You haven’t touched it all these years.” Her son disagreed.

The old woman said, "If it weren't for the county magistrate, our whole family would have starved to death. What use is money when people are dead? Go quickly."

Her son was clearly a very filial son; although he was unhappy with his mother's actions, he still went back.

Others also generously contributed, transferring their money inside. Some contributed a lot, some a little.

The young noblemen beside them were stunned. They asked, "Is the county magistrate really worth all this?" They could tell that these people were just ordinary folks dressed in coarse linen clothes.

It's hard for ordinary people to earn money; every penny is hard-earned.

The man who was pulled aside said, "Our county magistrate has reduced the cost of charcoal, prevented merchants from raising prices, and even found work for us poor people. We can get thick cotton-padded coats, and ordinary people can afford to eat tofu for two coins. We could talk about all the good things the county magistrate has done for three days and three nights."

If anyone else commits a crime, the common people will curse them. But when it comes to the county magistrate and his yamen runners, everyone gives them a thumbs up. Even the elderly people in their sixties and seventies say that they have never seen such good officials at their age.

Then a carriage came along: "Oh, it's the Xie family."

After a while, the Xie family sent their steward with five hundred taels of silver, all brand new, to donate to the county. Most of the money given by the common people was in copper coins, with one thousand copper coins equaling one tael of silver. How long would it take to save up five thousand taels?

If we're talking about wealthy people in the city, it has to be the big merchants.

Upon seeing this, the common people spontaneously began to applaud.

"The Xie family is of noble character."

"I'm not going to say anything more. I'll go to Xie's General Store to buy oil tomorrow."

"I'll go too."

Other ordinary people who wanted to withdraw money also came. There was even a rough-looking man who brought his own money box and threw it around in handfuls.

The sound of money falling in front of him was so exciting that even the young nobleman felt his blood boil.

After a while, he said, "Ya Xing has come."

"My master has instructed me to present five hundred taels of silver. We will work together with everyone to overcome this difficult time," the servant said. He then opened the money box, revealing a neat row of silver ingots.

Then came the Chamber of Commerce president. Merchants from all walks of life and people from security escort agencies came forward. Everyone else received two hundred taels, while some small shops received fifty taels.

Everyone has been waiting for the Gong family; the Gong family's business is on par with the Xie family. Now that this has caused such a stir, he must have received the news, but he hasn't come yet.

Soon, the pile of silver in front of them formed a mountain, and people from all walks of life brought silver from behind.

Everyone confronted Lord Qiu, saying they would pay the money, but the person had to be released.

Lord Qiu hadn't expected these people to be so popular, and he couldn't release them. Since they were already enemies, he might as well go all the way. He said, "Everyone should take this silver back. Do you think money can get you away with crimes against the court? If everyone did this, wouldn't money exempt you from everything?"

The common people asked, "What do you want?"

Lord Qiu declared in a grand and dignified manner, "He must bear the consequences of his crimes."

Just then, He Zifeng and Constable Lu appeared with the county magistrate. Behind them followed dozens of county constables. They saw the mountain of money piled up in front of Magistrate Qiu.

Lord Qiu saw anger in their eyes: "Why did you all come out?"

He Zifeng was always a skilled fighter. Seeing the commotion outside, he knew reinforcements had arrived, and he wasn't about to sit idly by. He immediately took advantage of the chaos to slip out, knocking down one man, while the others rushed over. The constables in the other room also ran out upon hearing the commotion. Two or three men against one, and all of Lord Qiu's men were subdued and tied up.

The magistrate said, "Thank you, fellow villagers. I have only done what a county magistrate should do. I am very touched that you came." After saying this, he bowed to all the common people present.

The other common people immediately knelt down and said, "Your Excellency."

Led by someone at the front, the others knelt down one after another, forming an overwhelming, surging line.

The county magistrate said, "I have a clear conscience. I did not embezzle a single penny, and I also informed other counties in advance about the possible snow disaster. The deficit in the county's accounts is due to the construction of the city wall, as well as the winter clothing for everyone, and the silver in each workshop. All of these are accounted for. Why did Magistrate Qiu immediately start accusing me?"

Magistrate Qiu said, "You're all talk and no action. The county's money belongs to the state. You've been giving it away without asking permission. Who gave you that right? I'm your superior. Guards, seize him! If he resists, kill him without mercy!"

"Who dares?" a noble young man in the crowd spoke up.

Everyone looked over and saw that it was a young man, whom no one present recognized.

Lord Qiu was furious. First, he was coerced by the common people, then he was challenged by his subordinates, and now even a young man dared to show him disrespect. Lord Qiu was eager to make an example of him. Seeing the young nobleman speak, he sneered, "What audacity! Go and bring this man back. I will personally execute him!"