The county magistrate has been on edge for the past two weeks, waiting for news in the county government office every day, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
As time went by, there was still no sign of the woman, and the county magistrate gradually became aware of the situation.
On this day, he was sitting in the study of the county government office, holding an official document in his hand. Although he was still handling official business on the surface, the corners of his mouth unconsciously rose, and his eyes revealed a hint of relief.
He thought to himself that this time the matter had finally been resolved. As long as the woman didn't show up, the case would gradually fade away and his official position would be saved.
Thinking of this, his tense shoulders relaxed and he began to hum a little tune.
But at this moment, "Dong-Dong-Dong", a burst of rapid drum beating and complaints of injustice suddenly came from outside the county government office.
The sound was particularly harsh in the quiet county government office, breaking the relaxed atmosphere that the county magistrate had worked so hard to achieve.
The county magistrate's face turned pale in an instant, and the document in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang".
His eyes widened, as if he had heard some terrible news, and he was completely stunned.
After a moment, he finally reacted and hurriedly straightened his official uniform. As he did so, he kept muttering, "What's going on? Who's beating the drum at this time?"
After tidying up his official uniform, he hurried to the lobby with a group of yamen runners.
Along the way, his heart beat faster and faster, and an ominous premonition came over him.
When he finally stood in the lobby and saw clearly the person beating the drum to appeal for justice, his legs went weak and he almost fainted.
His eyes were wide open, his mouth was open in surprise, and his face was full of horror and disbelief.
Because the person who came was none other than the woman whose portrait was posted and who was being hunted throughout the city!
She just stood in the middle of the lobby, her eyes determined and without any fear.
The county magistrate's mind was in a state of confusion. He had originally thought that the situation was as stable as a rock.
His mind completely collapsed at this moment. He never expected that this key figure would come to him on his own initiative. This sudden change made him at a loss. Cold sweat kept coming out from his forehead and sliding down his cheeks.
The county magistrate was shocked, as if struck by thunder, and his whole body froze in an instant.
His eyes were as big as copper bells, staring at the woman standing in the hall, his eyes full of fear and panic.
He knew very well that if the woman said anything unfavorable to him, all his careful plans would be ruined. Not only would he lose his official position, but he might also fall into endless trouble.
He was so anxious that he didn't have time to think about it. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Quick! Tie this woman up! Don't let her say anything!"
He shouted and waved his arms, as if this could dispel the impending crisis.
When the yamen runners heard the order, they immediately rushed forward like a group of wolves pouncing on their prey.
They grabbed the woman's arms roughly, and a look of pain appeared on her face, but she still straightened her back without any fear.
The county magistrate was still worried and shouted anxiously, "Shut her mouth! Don't let her make a sound!"
So, a yamen runner picked up a piece of rag from the side and stuffed it into the woman's mouth without saying a word.
The woman struggled a few times but was unable to break free from the yamen runners' restraints.
Seeing the woman being controlled, the county magistrate finally breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were still alert and he did not dare to slack off in the slightest.
At this time, many people were attracted by the commotion here and came over in groups of three or two.
Soon, the entrance to the county government office was packed with people.
Just as the bailiffs were about to take the woman to jail, she remained calm, with a look of firmness and determination in her eyes.
She twisted her body hard, and her slender body burst out with incredible strength. She broke free from the control of the two men and used all her strength to take out a contract from her arms.
Her face flushed red, and she didn't know how she managed to spit out the cloth from her mouth. She started shouting, "Sir, wait a minute!"
"The signature on this is Zhang Yi. I used to be a prostitute at Liuyun Pavilion, and it was Zhang Yi who redeemed me. He saved my life, and I've always wanted to repay him. Later, he found me and asked me to find a way to steal the IOU from the neighbor's house, saying that this would be my way of repaying him for saving my life!"
As she spoke, she tried to shake the bond in her hand, trying to attract everyone's attention.
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like dropping a bombshell on the calm lake, immediately causing exclamations from everyone present.
The originally quiet lobby suddenly exploded with people whispering and talking.
Because this was completely different from what the county magistrate had said before. The county magistrate had always claimed that the woman had brutally killed the neighbor's family, but he never mentioned that there were such complicated reasons behind it.
In order to avoid exposing the IOU for 10,000 taels of silver, the county magistrate never made it public.
Now that the woman said this, everyone began to doubt the county magistrate's previous judgment.
In the crowd, an old man in coarse linen clothes frowned and shouted, "What IOU? This is not right! What the county magistrate said before is completely different from what this woman said. There must be something wrong here!"
A young man nearby also echoed, "Yes, maybe the county magistrate is favoring his nephew Zhang Yi! How could it be such a coincidence?"
Others murmured quietly, "Is there some hidden secret behind this? Could it be that the county magistrate accepted benefits from Zhang Yi?"
Various doubts came one after another, surging like a tide.
The county magistrate stood in the hall, his face turning red and white like a palette.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, slid down his cheeks and dripped onto his official uniform.
His hands were clenched tightly together, the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, his lips trembled slightly, he wanted to defend himself but didn't know where to start.
His eyes darted around in panic, not daring to meet everyone's gaze.
He knew that the situation he had managed to stabilize with great difficulty was now in a greater crisis, and he didn't know how to deal with this sudden change. He could only secretly complain in his heart and pray to God to give him another chance to turn things around.
At the same time, a warm and quiet atmosphere permeated the Beauty Pavilion.
Soft light shines through the carved window lattices, like strands of golden threads, gently sprinkling on the shelves where various cosmetic items are placed. Those exquisite rouge, gouache, and eyebrow pencils are shrouded in light and shadow, with a faint halo, as if they were given lively life.
The princess has been here for two consecutive months. Today, Su Huaiyue, as usual, applied the scar-removing cream carefully and patiently for her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
