Under the long-lasting low pressure in the lobby of the county government office, the atmosphere was so depressing that it made people breathless.
The people around held their breath and watched the development of the situation quietly. No one dared to make a sound, as if even the air had frozen.
Su Huaiyue stood behind Wei Che, her hands tightly grasping the corners of her clothes. Her knuckles turned white from the force, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her eyes revealed obvious tension and anxiety.
And Wei Che, while concentrating on observing the situation in the lobby, seemed to finally notice Su Huaiyue's strange mood.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes gently falling on Su Huaiyue. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a soothing smile. He said softly, "Don't worry. If we don't treat this seriously, this case will be difficult to solve. The princess did this to find out the truth as soon as possible and give everyone justice."
His voice was low and gentle, like a spring breeze, gently brushing across Su Huaiyue's heart.
Su Huaiyue raised her head slightly and met Wei Che's gaze. Seeing the concern and comfort in his eyes, a warm feeling surged in her heart.
She nodded slightly, her tense body relaxed a little, and her tension eased a little.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and adapt herself to this oppressive situation.
Soon, a burst of hurried footsteps came from a distance.
Everyone turned their heads to look and saw the coroner rushing over. His forehead was covered with sweat, and beads of sweat as big as beans slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground.
His clothes were soaked with sweat and stuck tightly to his body, making him look disheveled.
He jogged all the way and almost tripped over the threshold. He finally managed to steady himself and stood in the lobby.
The princess stared at the coroner with a hawk-like gaze, and said in a dignified voice, "Tell the truth. Did you take anything from the deceased?"
Her tone was unquestionable, and every word she said was like a heavy hammer, striking everyone's heart.
When the coroner heard the princess's words, his body trembled slightly and he subconsciously looked at the county magistrate.
There was a hint of hesitation and fear in his eyes, as if he was seeking instructions from the county magistrate.
When the county magistrate saw the look in the coroner's eyes, he was horrified. He quickly warned the coroner with his eyes, narrowing his eyes slightly, his eyes full of threats, as if to say, "If you dare to tell anyone, you will have no good life."
The princess keenly caught this subtle movement, and the anger in her heart suddenly ignited.
She slammed the table hard, and a loud "bang" echoed in the hall, making everyone's ears buzz.
She shouted, "The royal family is here, and you still dare to disobey? Do you know what it means to deceive the royal family?"
Her voice was filled with anger and authority, and the entire hall echoed with her voice.
The coroner was so frightened that his whole body trembled, his legs went weak, and he almost fell to his knees.
He knew that he could no longer hide it, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.
He took a deep breath, no longer daring to conceal anything, and blurted out, "Zhang Yi owed the deceased ten thousand taels! I found the IOU on the deceased, and the county magistrate saw it and told me not to tell anyone."
As he spoke, his voice trembled and was filled with fear and regret.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present gasped.
The people began to whisper and talk among themselves.
"There's something fishy going on!"
"This county magistrate is going too far!"
Various sounds came one after another.
When the county magistrate heard what the coroner said, his face instantly turned pale as paper.
His legs went limp and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes empty, as if he had lost his soul.
But soon, as if grasping at a last straw, he suddenly struggled to his feet, pointed his trembling finger at the coroner, and shouted, "You... you unruly person, how dare you speak nonsense! You are slandering me! I have never seen any IOU, and I didn't ask you to hide it. You must have been bribed to deliberately frame me!"
He yelled at the top of his lungs, the muscles on his face twisted with anger and fear, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes seemed to be bulging out.
The people around were shocked by his sudden action. For a moment, the discussions stopped abruptly and they all looked at the county magistrate in confusion.
Seeing this, the princess' eyes flashed with disgust, and she snorted coldly, "You still dare to quibble at this moment!"
She turned around and glanced around, then shouted, "Come here, go to the county magistrate's house and search it carefully. If you find the IOU, you will be rewarded with ten taels of gold! Anyone who dares to cover it up or conceal it will be punished just like the county magistrate!"
The princess's voice was firm and majestic, echoing throughout the county government hall.
Upon hearing this, the yamen runners immediately took orders and left.
Soon, the entire county government office was shrouded in a tense atmosphere, and everyone was waiting for the results of the search.
The people were both excited and nervous. Everyone wanted to know what unknown secrets were hidden behind this.
After a long time, a bailiff came running in breathlessly, holding a yellowed piece of paper high in his hand, and shouted excitedly: "Your Highness, we found it!"
Everyone's eyes turned to the piece of paper. Upon seeing this, the county magistrate collapsed to the ground again and became completely motionless.
At this moment, the people around were in an uproar, and there was a lot of discussion. Everyone was shocked by the plot reversal and was curious about the truth behind the case.
The princess took the IOU presented by the yamen runner, looked at it carefully, and her face became even gloomier.
She slammed the IOU on the table, glaring at the collapsed magistrate with a fiery gaze. She shouted angrily, "Zhao Dechang, the Magistrate of Youzhou, the evidence is irrefutable. What else do you have to say? As an official appointed by the imperial court, you have no intention of speaking up for the people. Instead, you have committed the crime of deceiving your superiors and subordinates, shielding your relatives, and disregarding human life. Your crimes are truly heinous!"
Zhao Dechang collapsed on the ground, his eyes vacant. He had completely lost his previous arrogance and kept muttering, "I'm guilty, I'm guilty..."
The princess snorted coldly and continued, "Come here, escort Zhao Dechang and bring him back to the capital with the people involved in this case to await the emperor's decision!"
After saying that, several yamen runners stepped forward and firmly controlled Zhao Dechang, Zhang Yi and others.
Just as everyone was about to escort the prisoner away, Wei Che stepped forward, bowed, and said to the princess, "Your Highness, the position of Youzhou County Magistrate is now vacant, and the people cannot remain without a leader for a single day. I have heard that Jing Zhiwan's father, Jing Wenxuan, is an upright and honest official, and he enjoys considerable prestige in the local area. He will surely be able to temporarily take over the position of County Magistrate during this period and stabilize the situation in Youzhou."
The princess nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "Master Wei's words make sense. In that case, I will order Jing Wenxuan to temporarily take over the position of Youzhou County Magistrate. Send someone to invite him here immediately to hand over the affairs of the county government."
Soon, Jing Wenxuan was invited to the county government office.
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