Chang'an drove the carriage without stopping, and because they had traveled the same route before, the return journey took almost an hour less than the journey there.
When they arrived at Donghai Town, Magistrate Yang had just finished handling a theft case and was leaving court.
"This humble official greets the County Princess!" Magistrate Yang bowed to Gu Lili as soon as he saw her.
Today, Gu Lili was dressed in men's clothing, and it took Magistrate Yang several glances before he recognized her.
Gu Lili waved her hand, indicating that there was no need for formalities.
Magistrate Yang glanced at the sun outside and felt a surge of curiosity, wondering what business Gu Lili had with the county office at this hour.
Could it be that there's something wrong with the mud crabs in the rice paddies?
Seeing Gu Lili's serious expression, Magistrate Yang's heart skipped a beat.
If something goes wrong with the blue crabs, then it would be a really bad situation.
"Your Highness, has something happened in the rice paddies?" Magistrate Yang asked anxiously.
Otherwise, Gu Lili wouldn't have come to town at this hour.
"Magistrate Yang, please dismiss all the constables. I have important matters to discuss with you," Gu Lili said, glancing at the constables before her.
Magistrate Yang was increasingly confused. If the problem was only with the rice paddies, there would be no need to send his yamen runners down.
Could something even bigger have happened than the incident in the rice paddies?
Although Magistrate Yang was full of questions, he still waved his hand, signaling the yamen runners to leave.
After the yamen runners left, Magistrate Yang looked at Gu Lili with a worried expression.
Magistrate Yang knew that Gu Lili wouldn't be taking this so seriously if there was nothing wrong.
"Second Uncle, Chang'an, bring the person up here!"
Seeing Magistrate Yang's tense expression, Gu Lili quickly signaled Chang'an and Li Ershu to bring the person up.
"What did these two do wrong?" Magistrate Yang asked, completely bewildered.
Seeing the two men being brought up, Magistrate Yang finally felt relieved.
As long as the problem doesn't lie with the rice paddies, everything else is negotiable.
However, what Gu Lili said next made Magistrate Yang's expression change drastically, and even a surge of anger burned in his chest.
Gu Lili told Magistrate Yang in detail how she had captured the two people.
Magistrate Yang listened, his teeth clenched in hatred.
Zhen Dejian and Wu Qishi knew they were in deep trouble, so they hadn't said a word since Gu Lili and the others captured them.
That damned Fusang Kingdom actually used such a disgusting method to deal with our Nanyue Kingdom.
"However, how did the county princess understand their language?" Magistrate Yang asked curiously.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Lili directly used Gu Shan as a shield.
Gu Shan was stationed at the border back then, with people coming and going, so it's quite normal that he could learn the language of Japan.
Magistrate Yang nodded, indicating that he understood.
However, Li Ershu was filled with suspicion. As far as he knew, Gu Shan probably hadn't returned for five or six years.
And it had only been ten or twenty days since they returned.
In just a few days, could Gu Lili really have learned the Japanese language so fluently?
Just those few words Gu Lili said had already stunned Li Ershu.
Moreover, even if I had truly learned it, I wouldn't have had the chance to share it with anyone for so many years.
It's time to forget it.
However, in Li Ershu's mind, Gu Lili was naturally clever and quick-witted, so it was normal for her to remember.
And so, Li Ershu convinced himself in his heart.
“Your Highness, this matter is of great importance. I’m afraid we should send both of them to the capital for His Majesty to decide,” Magistrate Yang said, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.
If it involves rape, murder, or looting, Magistrate Yang can make a decision immediately.
These two are spies who are scourges upon the very foundation of the nation, and who knows just how many spies have infiltrated the Southern Yue Kingdom.
There are officials in the capital who specialize in learning other languages, so it would be good to have them conduct the interrogations.
Although the two were unwilling to speak at the moment, the Dali Temple in the capital was a place where one could not leave without suffering a great deal of hardship.
Officials in the capital naturally had plenty of ways to get the two men to talk.
The two men felt a wave of dizziness as they listened to the magistrate repeatedly addressing them as "County Master."
They thought no one would understand their language, which is why they chatted so freely.
This is really bad. Not only was it overheard, but the person who overheard it was actually the county lord of the Southern Yue Kingdom.
The light in his eyes dimmed further.
Gu Lili nodded and smiled, "That's exactly what I was thinking, which is why I brought the person from Tianning Town and entrusted him to you to escort to the capital!"
When Gu Lili spoke with Magistrate Yang earlier, she did not tell him where the two men had been captured.
"Oh? What is the county princess going to Tianning Town for? Is she going to open a branch of Baiweixuan there?" Magistrate Yang asked curiously.
Baiweixuan is very popular in Donghai Town these days; you almost always have to book a table in advance, otherwise you won't be able to get a table.
It's normal to open a branch in Tianning Town.
Gu Lili shook her head and said, "The three of us were planning to go to Jiangdu, but we happened to run into these two by the roadside and turned back."
Tianning Town is about 60 li away from here, and going back and forth is really troublesome.
Magistrate Yang was deeply moved by what Gu Lili said, realizing that she wanted to give him a chance to make a contribution.
Otherwise, Gu Lili could simply take this person to Tianning Town, saving herself the trouble of having to turn back.
"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness!" Magistrate Yang said gratefully, bowing with his hands clasped in thanks.
Li, the clerk standing to the side, was also deeply moved, remembering that he had once said some unpleasant things to Magistrate Yang.
At this moment, Master Li had only one thought in his mind: Do good deeds and don't worry about the future.
If Magistrate Yang were to send these two men to the capital, he would likely be promoted several ranks.
Magistrate Yang naturally understood this principle, so he was very grateful to Gu Lili.
“This matter is of great importance. I will set off for Jiangbei Prefecture today to discuss this with Prefect Zheng and together we will escort these two men to the capital!” Magistrate Yang said.
This matter certainly cannot be handled outside of one's purview.
Gu Lili quickly stopped Magistrate Yang, "Magistrate Yang, you mustn't!"
Magistrate Yang looked on in bewilderment. What was wrong with that?
Gu Lili explained, "We must not alert them to this matter. You must escort them to the capital discreetly, since we don't know how many spies have come from Fusang."
If we inform Prefect Zheng, and the news accidentally leaks out, that would be disastrous.
Another point is that Gu Lili doesn't know any Prefect Zheng, so naturally she doesn't want Magistrate Yang to give half the credit to Prefect Zheng.
Although Magistrate Yang felt it was inappropriate, he also felt there was some truth to it. In urgent situations, one must act expediently, and there was no other way.
"Then shall the county princess accompany me on a trip to the capital?" Magistrate Yang asked.
This is a great achievement. If Gu Lili goes with her, it's not impossible for her to be granted the title of county princess.
Gu Lili listened and simply shook her head with a faint smile.
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