Chapter 349 Passed
In the blink of an eye, it was mid-September and the rice in the fields was almost ripe. Thanks to the good weather this year, the rice ears were fuller than in previous years.
The villagers in the surrounding area were so happy looking at the golden rice fields that they couldn't stop smiling.
On this day, the villagers of Baxia Village were busy working in the fields when they saw a group of people coming up the road from afar, led by several men in official uniforms.
The villagers quickly lowered their heads and pretended not to see anything.
But those people started shouting.
"Hey, farmers down there, come up quickly! The governor has something to ask you!"
The villagers quickly put down their farm tools, crossed the ridges, and jogged all the way to the main road.
"Your humble servants pay their respects to the Governor!" The villagers knelt on the ground.
"Everyone, get up!"
"Thank you, Governor."
After the villagers stood up, they secretly looked at the group of people and suddenly found that the county magistrate was also there.
The county magistrate was standing not far from the governor.
However, the county magistrate did not seem very happy, and his eyes were almost rolling to the sky.
The governor glanced at Zhou Huaining and said to the villagers, "What are you looking at, the county magistrate? If you didn't know better, you might think he was giving me some signals! Lower your heads!"
The villagers hurriedly looked down at their toes.
"Okay, okay, I'll just go away, okay?" Zhou Huaining spread his hands. "It's so uncomfortable to be with someone as suspicious as you!"
After saying this, he led the horse away.
The governor wanted Zhou Huaining to leave, so he immediately asked the villagers:
"This governor has a few questions for you. If you answer truthfully, you will be rewarded. However, if you lie in the slightest, you will be imprisoned. Do you understand?"
"Understood." The villagers answered in unison.
"You don't have to be nervous. I just want to ask, when those imperial guards passed by your village that day, did they say anything to you?"
The governor's question was very skillful. He did not ask directly, "Have you ever seen the imperial guards?"
Instead, he asked this very confusing question.
The governor just didn't believe that these illiterate villagers would not fall into the pit.
The villagers moved their heads but remained silent.
The governor immediately felt something was up. "Why? Why aren't you talking? Is someone forbidding you to speak? Don't worry, I'm the governor, the highest official in Ganning County. If you just tell the truth, I'll reward you with silver!"
The villagers stared at the tips of their shoes, "Governor, it's not that we don't want to say it, but we don't know how to say it."
"What do you mean?" The governor waved his hand, "Everyone, raise your heads and speak!"
The villagers looked up.
The governor took a look and saw that all the villagers had confused looks on their faces.
The governor was a little impatient. "What? Didn't you understand my question?"
"I understand."
"Then answer me truthfully. What did the Imperial Guards tell you? Did they ask you for directions?"
"Imperial Guards...Imperial Guards..." The villagers were about to cry.
"Answer the truth quickly! Are you hesitating because you want to be beaten?" the prefect next to the governor shouted.
The villagers were so frightened that they knelt on the ground. "Please forgive me, sir! We don't know how to answer. We... we don't even know what the Imperial Guards are!"
Governor: “…”
The governor took two deep breaths and said, "Then let me ask you another way. When the army passed through your village that day, did they ask you for directions?"
"Army? What army?" The villagers looked even more confused. "Governor, we have never seen an army before!"
"Yes, sir! There are guests staying at the inn in Heihe Village every day, but we've never seen the army! I guess the army doesn't like staying at inns!"
"Are you telling the truth?" The governor, unable to get the answer he wanted, threatened, "Think carefully! If I find out the truth from other villages and discover you're lying, don't blame me for throwing you in jail!"
"My Lord, I am telling the truth!"
"I've never seen an army before!"
The villagers kept crying out for justice.
The governor saw that their feelings were genuine and did not seem to be fake, so he asked, "Have you heard anyone else talk about the army?"
"No!"
“Never heard of it!”
The villagers answered one after another.
The governor's face darkened. "Go ask in the next village!"
After saying this, he led the horse away.
The villagers of Baxia Village looked at their backs and all breathed a sigh of relief.
Passed!
Next, let’s see how other villages perform!
The governor and his men had no idea that the village heads had been training the villagers these days, asking them questions in various ways and teaching them how to answer.
Otherwise, they might have fallen into the trap just now.
Zhou Huaining shouted from the front: "Governor, have you found evidence that I colluded with the people to lie? If not, I'm afraid I'll be furious!"
The governor snorted and galloped forward on his horse.
Zhou Huaining followed behind and shouted, "When this humble official gets angry, he can't control himself. I don't know what excessive things he will do next! When that happens, the Governor will have to bear with me!"
…
An hour later, the governor had finished questioning the nine villages under Heihe Village.
Everyone's answer was the same: they had never seen an army.
Now the governor had no choice but to believe it.
It seems that Zhou Huaining's investigation results were correct, the imperial guards did not come to Heihe Village.
Zhou Huaining observed the governor's expression and was secretly surprised at the unity of the villages.
He turned to the prefect and said, "Master Prefect, you have worked so hard!"
The prefect was stunned. "County Magistrate Zhou, are you mistaken? The one who is really working hard is the governor!"
Zhou Huaining said, "I'm saying that it's not easy for the prefect on a daily basis! It's really not pleasant to be suspected! I'm afraid it must be difficult for you, the prefect, to work under the governor!"
The prefect's eyes widened. "Zhou Huaining, what are you talking about?! Why are you dragging me into this for no reason?! Don't try to sow discord between the governor and me! The governor has great trust in me and has never doubted me!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, there's affection between you two."
Zhou Huaining sighed repeatedly, "Ah! So, the prefect is the governor's confidant! I really envy you guys with such a strong background. Unlike a poor, helpless wretch like me, I can be humiliated at will. I have absolutely no dignity at all!"
The muscles on the prefect's face twitched when he heard this.
No background? A helpless wretch? Humiliated? Who are you talking about?
The governor was worried that he was going crazy again, so he interrupted him.
"Huaining, I'm not doubting you! This is the Emperor's order! One hundred imperial guards disappeared without a trace. Think about it, how could the Emperor not find it strange?"
Zhou Huaining snorted, "After the Governor's investigation, will the Emperor believe it?"
The governor sighed and said, "In fact, I know that the emperor does not want this answer at all."
"Why is Heihe Village so unlucky? Just when they were enjoying good times, they were hit by a devastating disaster!"
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