Magistrate Liu, who was following behind, jogged after him and scolded Xie Dafu upon seeing him.

"You audacious scoundrel! You dare to kneel and pay your respects to the Governor!"

He scolded her while smiling apologetically at Han Zhongyu.

"Sir, these villagers from the mountains are not polite. Please forgive them!"

Han Zhongyu remained silent. Xie Dafu, as the clan head, inevitably had to go to the county government to handle household registration and land deeds. Although he didn't know Han Zhongyu, he had met the county magistrate a few times. Seeing the magistrate smiling obsequiously at Han Zhongyu, he immediately trembled with fear, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed deeply.

"This humble subject greets Your Excellency the Governor!"

Xie Dafu knelt down, and the other villagers followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing, chanting incoherently.

"This humble subject kowtows to Your Excellency the Governor to pay your respects."

Grandma Xiao, Xie Yushu, and Xiao Yan were also intimidated by Han Zhongyu's imposing manner. They no longer cared about pretending to be noble old ladies and knelt down on the ground, trembling, not daring to raise their heads!

It's no wonder they were afraid. Han Zhongyu had been arresting corrupt officials since he became an official. When he was serious, his face was very cold. Moreover, he had grown up among princes and nobles since childhood and had always been around the emperor since entering the court, which had cultivated his noble air.

Seeing this group of people surrounding Xie Yushu, all with unfriendly expressions, she immediately put on her imposing manner. Ordinary people really couldn't withstand this aura!

Fortunately, although Han Zhongyu held great official power, he had no intention of making things difficult for ordinary people. Seeing a group of people kneeling before him, he spoke in a clear and firm voice.

"Get up, all of you!"

Everyone jumped up again.

Xie Yushu was puzzled

"What brings you here, Lord Han?"

When facing Xie Yushu, Han Zhongyu immediately felt as if he were bathed in a spring breeze, and said with a smile...

"The civil engineering structural drawings you gave me in the autumn, after I promoted them and presented the results to His Majesty, were greatly pleased and specially rewarded you. I have come here today specifically to deliver this imperial decree!"

The Emperor's reward? Xie Yushu hadn't expected such a perk, and gave Han Zhongyu a thumbs-up before whispering...

"Lord Han is truly a gentleman!"

Then, joyfully, he knelt down and loudly proclaimed...

"This humble subject, Xie Yushu, greets Your Majesty!"

That's how it's portrayed on TV: seeing an imperial edict is like seeing the emperor himself. Who cares if it's true or not? A golden thigh has come along, so grab it first!

Xie Baotian and the others were stunned by the explosion. Fortunately, Xie Tianqi and Xie Tianming knew the rules. One pulled his father and told them to kneel down and listen to the decree together. The other ran into the house and pulled out Lu Shi, Lü Shi, Wang Shi, and the two little children to kneel down together.

As soon as the imperial edict was issued, everyone except Han Zhongyu knelt down in unison.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Han Zhongyu didn't linger and spoke loudly.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

I have heard

The Xie family has a daughter named Xie Yushu, who is knowledgeable, kind-hearted, and righteous. She donated civil engineering blueprints to the country, saving people in the northern region from snow disasters, which benefited the country and its people.

With such a virtuous and righteous person, I am greatly pleased. I hereby bestow upon Xie Yushu the title of Fourth-Rank Township Lady, the honorary title of Jingde, and grant her a salary. I also award her three hundred taels of silver, thirty bolts of silk and satin, and ten sets of headdress and jewelry.

"By imperial decree"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great favor!"

Xie Yushu accepted the imperial edict while expressing her gratitude.

"Alright, get up, everyone!"

After hearing Han Zhongyu's words, everyone stood up and stood obediently.

Magistrate Liu, a middle-aged man in his fifties, wore a smile throughout, clearly a seasoned official. After Han Zhongyu finished reading the decree, he looked at Xie Yushu with a proud expression.

"Your humble servant Liu Hong greets Lady Jingde!"

I never imagined that the extraordinary woman under my jurisdiction would be a young lady of sixteen! Xie Family Village is truly a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery! If I had such a remarkable daughter, I would be laughing in my sleep!

I deeply admire the contributions that Lady Jingde has made to our Great Qi. Her actions have also set an example for the women of our county. As the local official in charge, I naturally have to give her my full support!

Therefore, on behalf of the county, I hereby award fifty mu of fertile land as a commendation, and also to encourage other women to learn from Lady Jingde!

After Magistrate Liu finished speaking, he waved his hand, and someone immediately brought a land deed to Xie Yushu. Xie Yushu was clearly prepared, and she readily accepted the land deed and thanked Magistrate Liu.

Seeing Xie Yushu's gentle expression, Magistrate Liu must have been satisfied. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and stole a glance at Han Zhongyu.

Han Zhongyu naturally noticed it and said with a smile

"You're so thoughtful!"

"Of course, of course!"

Magistrate Liu breathed a sigh of relief. He was joking. Even the Emperor had praised her. Would he be crazy not to praise her as well? Besides, anyone with eyes could see that Lord Han, who held the power of his promotion, was also taking care of Xie Yushu in every way. If he didn't take this opportunity to express his support, when would he?

If Han Zhongyu knew, he would definitely tell him that he was overthinking it. Although he admired Xie Yushu, officials' performance evaluations were based entirely on their political achievements, and he would never use Xie Yushu for personal gain!

It can be said that apart from Han Zhongyu himself and Magistrate Liu, who knew the news a day or two in advance, everyone else is still in a daze!

What's going on? Xie Yushu is an abandoned woman, someone everyone should hate, so how come the Emperor is praising her?

However, due to Han Zhongyu's overwhelming aura, they only dared to lower their heads and secretly glance at the people around them, or pinch themselves to see if they were dreaming!

But looking at the two rows of guards with swords on the side, and the ceremonial guard, I've never seen such a scene in my life. How could I possibly have such a dream!

Just then, Han Zhongyu seemed to realize it for the first time and asked casually.

"I saw everyone gathered here from afar. What happened?"

Xie Yushu glanced at it and said indifferently

"It's nothing serious. It's just that the Xie family patriarch gathered a few people to drive us out of Xie Family Village. My father and a few brothers are trying to reason with them!"

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