Chapter 471: Nanzhou Governor
Zhu Lan gritted his teeth, he never expected that he would be bullied by a mere county magistrate when he was in such a desperate situation.
Youyou is in Nanzhou now, but I arrived a few days earlier than expected, so Youyou probably doesn't know that I've arrived yet.
Right now I'm isolated and helpless, unable to mobilize any soldiers, so the situation is really tricky.
At this time, Kang Gaoyi suddenly took two steps back, showing a meaningful smile, and said in a long tone:
"But - I can give you a chance."
He picked up the fist-sized piece of green ore from the ground, looked at it carefully and said:
“Didn’t you say that it was the rocks from the mountains that were soaked in water that caused the villagers to suffer from hallucinations?
But no one has tried it. Why should people believe you when you say this without any evidence?
How about this? You break this stone into pieces and eat it. If you really go crazy because of it, I will believe you. "
He handed the stone to Zhu Lan and looked at her leisurely, with malice flashing in his eyes.
Zhu Lan knew that Kang Gaoyi just wanted to see him make a fool of himself, so he said coldly:
“Even if I eat this stone and have hallucinations, you will say that I am acting crazy and stupid.
Kang Gaoyi, you are seeking revenge for personal gain."
"So what?" Kang Gaoyi lowered his voice, his tone full of resentment.
"If you hadn't interfered back then, how could I still be a small county magistrate after all these years?
Zhu Lan, things have changed, and now you have fallen into my hands. This is fate."
"Someone come here!" Kang Gaoyi shouted.
"Break the stone, hold her down, and make her eat it!"
"Kang Gaoyi, how dare you!" Zhu Lan was shocked and angry. His wrist had been tightly grasped by two yamen runners and he was unable to break free.
Seeing this, Lin Sanlang and A Chong hurried forward to stop them, but were blocked aside by the yamen runners.
Amidst the chaos, a high-pitched voice suddenly sounded:
"The prefect has arrived—"
The scene suddenly became quiet.
"Why is the prefect here?!" Kang Gaoyi and the county magistrate looked at each other and their faces changed.
The two suppressed their confusion and knelt down to greet him.
From the new team, a little old man wearing a red official robe, with a slightly plump figure and a friendly face walked out.
It was the prefect of Nanzhou, Xu Ying.
Prefect Xu walked up to Kang Gaoyi and the county magistrate and asked them to stand up in a friendly manner.
"Magistrate Kang, what's the reason for making such a big scene?"
"Your Excellency the Prefect." Kang Gaoyi raised his head and smiled somewhat flatteringly.
“You’ve also heard about the curse of Biquan Village. It’s very strange. Fortunately, the villagers have been worshipping the mountain god, so nothing has happened.
Now these people have entered the mountains to dig without permission from the government, and have been bewitched by evil spirits and disrespectful to the gods, so I have brought people here to dissuade them..."
Prefect Xu stroked his beard and nodded frequently as he listened.
“Since this is a local matter, I will not interfere.
But as a local official, you need to be more cautious in your actions. The people are ignorant, so you need to reason with them and not leave the impression that the government is tyrannical to the people..."
After saying that, Prefect Xu raised his eyelids and glanced at everyone present. His eyes fell on Zhu Lan, who was caught by his hands and looked a little embarrassed. He frowned and looked at Kang Gaoyi. He complained:
"She's just a girl, why is County Magistrate Kang being so rude?"
Kang Gaoyi smiled and replied:
"Your Excellency may not know that it was this woman who deceived the people and instigated the villagers of Biquan Village to blaspheme the mountain god.
I tried to persuade her to turn back, but she humiliated me with her sharp tongue.
Well, it would not be a big deal for a humble official to be criticized, but this woman insulted officials, had no regard for hierarchy, despised the court, and refused to repent.
In order to rectify the atmosphere, I have to punish her severely. "
After hearing this, Prefect Xu showed an expression of understanding, and when he looked at Zhu Lan again, there was a hint of disgust in his eyes.
"Sir Kang, as a parent official, you cannot oppress the people, but you must not lose face for the court either.
When you encounter such a stubborn person, you should educate him first. If he does not change after repeated teaching, it is understandable to use some means, but you must be careful about the method.
If female prisoners like these are beaten with a stick, they may not be able to bear the pain, which may lead to death. However, they cannot be exempted from punishment, so you have to learn to be flexible.
In my opinion, it would be enough to let her wear the cangue and parade through the streets to serve as a warning to others."
Prefect Xu kept on talking about his theories on being an official, and Kang Gaoyi seemed to have been enlightened. He kept praising Shangguan for his kindness, strength and flexibility, and said he was like the reincarnation of a wise ruler.
Zhu Lan was quite far away and did not hear the conversation between the two clearly.
Kang Gaoyi just winked at this side, and the yamen runners on both sides were about to pull her away.
Prefect Xu straightened his collar with some pride, feeling extremely good about himself.
Seeing Prefect Xu's pleased smile, Kang Gaoyi then carefully asked:
"Sir, you came here suddenly, is there something you want to talk to me about?
If you have anything to say, just send someone to tell me. Why bother coming to this poor and remote place in person..."
Prefect Xu then remembered what he was doing here, and he calmed down and asked:
“This matter is of great importance, so I came to you personally.
The demoted and exiled Chief Censor of the imperial court should have arrived in Nanzhou soon. Biquan Village is a must-pass place for him, so I came here specially to take a look.
Magistrate Kang, from now on you must send more people to keep an eye on her. As soon as Lord Zhongcheng enters Nanzhou, bring her to the government office to see me.
Remember, don't be lazy!"
Kang Gaoyi opened his mouth and was petrified on the spot. The county magistrate beside him also changed his expression completely.
Seeing that neither of them responded, Prefect Xu asked somewhat unhappily:
"Did you two not hear clearly or understand what I said?"
The two of them quickly said they understood, looked at each other, and saw the fear that something was wrong in each other's eyes.
Kang Gaoyi bravely asked:
"Sir, Zhu Lan has been demoted and is no longer the Chief Censor. He is also a criminal.
She is just a commoner now, why do you want to see her..."
Prefect Xu's eyes widened like bells and he shouted angrily:
"Are you worthy of calling Master Zhu by his name?
I have my own reasons for wanting to see her. Do I have to report this to you?
"Why don't you hurry up and make the arrangements? If you neglect Master Zhu's behavior when he arrives in Nanzhou, we will hold you accountable!"
Kang Gaoyi responded timidly, lowered his head and winked at the county magistrate frantically.
The county magistrate understood and immediately found an excuse to slip away.
He had to quickly take Zhu Lan back to the county government office and kowtow to her to forgive his mistakes. No matter what method he used, he had to make her calm down first.
Otherwise, if she told the truth to the prefect when she returned, both her and the county magistrate's careers would be over!
"That's enough." Prefect Xu glanced at everyone and said, "I will not interfere in your county's affairs."
"Resolve it as soon as possible, don't cause any trouble, and don't delay the welcome of Master Zhu."
After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave.
Kang Gaoyi breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, Ah Chong was the one with sharp ears in the crowd, and he immediately shouted:
"Your Excellency the Prefect, Your Excellency the Prefect!
The chancellor you are looking for is in our village. He is the one who was just taken away!"
Prefect Xu stopped suddenly.
Kang Gaoyi suddenly jumped up and tried to cover A Chong's mouth, but found it was too late.
The sky is falling.
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