To be honest, the magistrate of Nanxian County was filled with regret at this time. What did he regret? Naturally, he regretted his lazy and negligent governance.

They especially regretted not making the reception counter for the people in front of them look more presentable.

This became a point of contention for Zhu Yunwen to cause trouble for them.

Only then did he understand why Zhu Yunwen had been so slow to make them kneel down.

Compared to their current awkward posture of leaning against the counter, this was a severe punishment for them. Although the punishment might not be that serious, it was still quite embarrassing.

And it really showed; Zhu Yunwen's dissatisfaction with them left the head of that household feeling utterly helpless and on the verge of tears.

Then, somewhat fearfully, he spoke:

"Your Highness, this is all our fault, and we will definitely correct it in the future."

Upon hearing what the homeowner said, Zhu Yunwen shook his head and said:

"There's no need for that. Do you even have that chance anymore?"

The homeowner was suddenly filled with dread. He no longer had such an opportunity. Did Zhu Yunwen really want him to lose his current job?

Perhaps it's much more than that, and Zhu Yunwen then looked at the magistrate of Nan County and said:

"Your abilities are not very good. You've handled a small matter well in other places, but you just can't do it well in your Nanxian County. Your work level is a mess, and your professional skills are appalling."

"To hold a position but neglect one's duties, to fail to alleviate the people's suffering, to fail to share the burdens of the court, and to procrastinate endlessly—do you know what the consequences of this will be?"

The magistrate nervously began to speak:

"Your Highness, I am a guilty subject. I know I was wrong. Please give me a chance. I will definitely learn from my mistakes and work harder."

"From now on, I will ensure that our Nanxian County government surpasses all other counties in every aspect, and is infinitely better than them. I am certain I can do it."

Zhu Yunwen shook his head slightly and said:

"Some things cannot be undone, some things cannot be turned over just by giving them a chance, and some mistakes can only be made once."

I believe that if given a chance, you might change your ways, perhaps restore the Nanxian government to normal operation, and might even do a better job than some officials in other counties.”

The magistrate nodded repeatedly and said:

"That's for sure, that's for sure, so please, Your Highness, give me this opportunity..."

Zhu Yunwen spoke calmly:

"But if you are given a chance, officials in other places will think that it doesn't matter if you make some mistakes, since they will be given a chance anyway."

Therefore, this loophole cannot be closed. As I said, if you are given a chance, you may work harder than before.

However, if you are severely punished, it will serve as a warning to other officials, and they will work even harder, including the new magistrate who will replace you.

So why should I give you another chance? Dealing with you seriously would obviously be more effective, and it would be the punishment you deserve.

Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, the county magistrate was speechless.

Look at what they've done, what kind of level is that? This has escalated the matter to a point where it's no longer something Zhu Yunwen can simply choose to ignore or not pursue.

Rather, he had to investigate, not to punish the county magistrate, but also to make an example of him.

The magistrate was left with no reason to refute the argument, and could only hang his head in despair.

Zhu Yunwen didn't bother with further words. He slowly stood up, flicked his sleeves, walked out of the house, and then said:

"Your crimes, though not punishable by death, cannot be lightly forgiven. Guards, take you to the dungeon and then hand you over to the court for punishment."

The officials and clerks in the county government were all extremely nervous at this moment. They rushed forward and arrested the county magistrate and the treasury manager.

At this moment, the county magistrate, registrar, and clerk, who had received the news, all arrived, and they were all so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

It's not just the county magistrate and the head of the household administration who don't do any real work in these government offices; almost all of them share the same mentality, just going through the motions and becoming mere figureheads among the many government offices.

Therefore, these people are also guilty and cannot escape responsibility. After Zhu Yunwen arrived, he spoke calmly:

“You should write down your own crimes and submit them to the higher authorities to await their punishment.”

The officials in charge of those government offices all knelt on the ground, heads hanging low, not daring to breathe.

Zhu Yunwen, after a moment of silence, said:

"In addition, the matter of free grain seeds must be settled in the next two days, otherwise there is no need to write a petition to the authorities to report one's crimes, one can just atone for one's crimes with death in the yamen."

After saying this, Zhu Yunwen turned and left with a flick of his sleeve. Some things don't need to be said too much. These people have been officials for a long time and should naturally understand what will happen if they offend Zhu Yunwen or cross his bottom line.

Zhao Qingzhu stuck out her tongue and glanced at the officials. She felt no sympathy for them at all, and thought that these guys had only themselves to blame.

In the current social situation, the imperial court has a very complete management system for both local people and local officials. However, these people still want to hold their positions but not do their jobs. They still want to slack off as before and not do anything for the people.

This was clearly something Zhu Yunwen could not tolerate, so they had only themselves to blame for the consequences.

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