After hearing this, the magistrate collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with despair.
Summon all the men in the town to hunt down the wild beasts in the mountains?
Does that wicked woman even know how many ferocious beasts live on this mountain? If she kills them all, even if everyone in their town dies, she might not be able to wipe them all out!
What was she thinking?
That naive princess probably didn't think that she could escape blame if everyone in the town died.
Even if she were the most noble princess, she would still be held accountable for causing the deaths of thousands of people in an entire town...
"Sir, what should we do now?"
"What should I do? How should I know what to do?"
The magistrate's eyes were filled with sorrow.
Although he was somewhat timid, he was, after all, the county magistrate, the local official, and he couldn't possibly let the princess act so recklessly.
not to mention……
Even if he goes along with it, he'll be the scapegoat when his superiors blame him later!
So now he is...
"My lord? If we don't do as you say, that princess might... not let things go well."
"So what if things can't be resolved peacefully? I'm quitting."
The magistrate said irritably.
What on earth is going on here?
It's just a small town like Qingyang, how come so many big shots have come? And they're even lining up to come, it's unbelievable.
But he couldn't just wait to die.
After complaining for a long time, the county magistrate finally asked, "Should Fang Ze and the others have reached the city government by now?"
"W-what, sir? Wasn't Boss Fang Ze on his day off?"
The constable's eyes darted around.
The magistrate snorted coldly: "Alright, stop hiding it. Do you think I can't see through your tricks? Hurry up, when exactly did Fang Ze and the others leave?"
"grown ups……"
"I hope Fang Ze and the others arrive quickly, so they can save my life, understand?"
The magistrate rebuked him without a word.
What time is it? Why are you still hiding things here?
Can't you tell the situation?
"Judging by the time, it should be here by now, but I wonder if the princess will notice..."
"Of course she won't find out."
The magistrate gave a cold laugh.
Although he was just a minor official, he had served as the county magistrate of Qingyang Town for many years.
As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.
He knew everything the princess did, which naturally cleared obstacles for Fang Ze.
The princess will never find out about these things.
Even if the princess not only escapes blame but also manages to deal with Fang Ze in the future, it will have nothing to do with him, since he was kept in the dark.
It's always good to leave yourself a way out.
"Sir, could we send all that so-called evidence to the city government office? That way, the boss and the others..."
Before he could finish speaking, he nervously swallowed hard because of the magistrate's icy glare.
The magistrate squinted, stepped closer, and warned in a cold voice, "You'd better put away these foolish ideas, or you won't even know how you died!"
Leaving out blatantly carrying evidence?
Even if they manage to escape the princess's watchful eyes, and even if they succeed, the princess, no matter how unlucky she is, can deal with them with just a word.
If you want to help others, you should first consider whether you have the ability to do so.
"……yes."
"Come on, go and secretly release that little girl from Lotus Village, and then stab me in the back."
The magistrate's words were so startling that the constable almost knelt down.
He stammered, "M-Sir, how could I dare?"
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up, otherwise how are we going to report back to the princess?"
The county magistrate was also very annoyed.
He's so old, yet he still has to put on this self-inflicted injury act, it's really...
The constable was somewhat reluctant.
The magistrate thought he was just being kind, believing that his years of service as an official had earned him the genuine loyalty of his subordinates, which was why he couldn't bring himself to do it...
"My lord, isn't this too unfair? Poor Chu Yaya is already being beaten to death, and you're using her as a shield? If the princess finds out, won't she kill Chu Yaya?"
The constable rolled his eyes.
That's really dishonest of the old man.
Your Excellency: ...
"Fool! How could you be so stupid? So what if you used her as a shield? I still let her go! As long as she escapes, there's a chance of survival. Do you think the princess would let her go if she stayed here?"
The magistrate was so angry he wanted to slap the idiot to death.
It's not fair to say it was malicious exploitation, is it?
Although he used Chu Yaya, he also gave her a chance to survive. Was it just exploitation?
It's clearly a win-win situation!
"Can……"
"Fool! Whether you're an official or a person, you can't be too inflexible. Hurry up!" The magistrate barely suppressed the urge to kill him and chased the man out.
Being stabbed by someone else and stabbing yourself are two different things.
Especially since Chu Yaya is a girl.
"Here's what I'm saying: Go and relay my message to Chu Yaya. If she's willing, secretly let her go, and then let her sneak out later. Remember to stab me in the back! Don't forget!"
But here's the key.
"Know."
The constables left happily.
In fact, Chu Yaya was imprisoned in the county government office. To the princess, Chu Yaya was nothing but a clown, not worth mentioning at all, so why would she care about her?
So they were simply tied up, beaten severely, and then locked up in the county government office.
The guards were all their own people.
However, the constable still managed to sneak in when no one was looking, and then quietly told Chu Yaya what the magistrate had said...
"Okay, I agree."
Chu Yaya's eyes lit up.
I thought I was going to die, but I never expected to have such a chance.
"You need to think this through. Staying here doesn't necessarily mean you'll die. But the princess is furious right now, and you..."
"Heh. I trust myself more than I hope the enemy will be soft-hearted and show mercy," Chu Yaya sneered.
He raised his head, revealing a sharp jawline and a pair of incredibly cold eyes.
She was clearly a very thin and frail girl, but she gave off the feeling of a ferocious beast, as if she could suddenly leap up and bite your throat at any moment.
"Okay, I'll untie you. Just be careful and sneak away later."
"Is there anything to eat?"
Chu Yaya moved her ankle, and a piercing pain shot through her, but she remained unfazed.
It was as if she wasn't the one in pain.
"ah?"
The topic changed so quickly and abruptly that the constable was caught off guard.
"I'm hungry, and I'm afraid I don't have the strength to run away. Even if I want to kill someone, I need the strength."
This guy... he's kind of simple-minded.
The constable was shocked: "It's not murder! Our magistrate isn't a bad person. He may be quite wicked, but he's not a truly evil man. Don't kill him, just stab him once. That way, if he's seriously ill, he can avoid the princess's demands. Otherwise, if all the men in the county go to the mountains to kill wild animals, then..."
"I know, I was just kidding."
After saying that, Chu Yaya herself was stunned for a moment.
She... can actually be funny?
Constable: ...
"You little rascal, what time is it? You're still teasing me? I'll put some steamed buns in the magistrate's room later. You can take them after you're done..."
"good."
Chu Yaya suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and sat quietly in a dark corner.
Watching the boy come against the light, and then leave towards the light.
His figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.
Just like her.
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