Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1140 A Clear Mirror Hanging High

"Who said Lao Quan bribed someone? Is it possible... that someone else bribed Huai Gongwang through him? Think about it, those birds in Huai Gongwang's household must have a legitimate origin, right? That's where Lao Quan comes in handy!"

"Hiss—that makes sense! But who told you all this?"

"My guess."

"whispering sound--"

"But I think I'm right, you just wait and see."

Lao Quan's wife, Ma Huaihua, peered through the door and heard every word of the discussion outside.

With each word spoken by the people outside, her heart tightened. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and rushed into the main room, smashing another vase.

This is also the last vase in the main room.

Porcelain shards shattered and scattered on the ground. Lao Quan, his expression numb, called out to Ma Huaihua in a hoarse voice, "Stop smashing them, there aren't any left."

"Do you know what people outside are saying!" Ma Huaihua stepped over the broken porcelain shards and stood in front of Lao Shen, pointing outside the door, her voice hoarse: "They all guessed it! They all guessed that Huai Gongwang took bribes through you! Even the neighbors can guess it, do you think Lord Shen is stupid! It won't be long before the government officials come to arrest you!"

"Really?" Lao Quan raised his head, his expression blank. "But Young Master Huai told me not to panic, and to say and do nothing."

"Snapped--"

Five red marks gradually appeared on the side of his face. His head was knocked to the side, and his expression remained blank.

Ma Huaihua looked utterly devastated: "What is Huai Zhizhen anyway! Even his father isn't a match for Lord Shen, so what can he possibly amount to?"

As she spoke, she bent down and picked up a shard of porcelain from the ground, saying to Lao Quan, "I'll ask you one last time, are you going to the government office to turn yourself in?"

The porcelain shards drew closer and closer to Lao Quan's neck, and her voice trembled more and more: "If you still refuse to turn yourself in, I will slash your neck, watch you bleed to death, and then I will go down and join you."

A sharp pain shot through his neck, and Lao Quan instinctively leaned back to avoid it, a hint of disbelief appearing in his dazed eyes: "Huaihua, you want to kill me?"

"I don't want to!" Ma Huaihua still gripped the porcelain shard tightly, but her arm began to tremble. "I don't want you to die, and I don't want to die either... But Quan-ge, things have come to this point. Even if I'm illiterate, I know our family is in deep trouble and can't escape it... Since we can't escape it, can't we just confess?"

A sob escaped her throat, and her shoulders began to heave violently.

Tears blurred her vision as she strained to open her eyes wide, surveying this home that shouldn't have been hers.

“Brother Quan, although you were just a broker before and didn’t earn much money, we lived a peaceful life.” She choked back tears as she squatted down, the shards of porcelain falling to the ground. “Back then, every bite of food we ate, every bowl in the house, was earned with our own hands… But since you went with Huai Gongwang, life at home has improved, but I’ve started having nightmares night after night… Brother Quan, let’s return these things that never belonged to us…”

As Lao Quan looked at the four shattered pieces of porcelain on the ground, his thoughts gradually drifted back to three years ago.

Being a broker is not easy, especially being a broker for flowers and birds.

Those who can afford to play with flowers and birds are not ordinary people; they are either government officials or wealthy merchants, so they are difficult to please.

But it was precisely these difficult men who honed his skills.

It was precisely that skill that pulled, dragged, and pushed him to where he is today.

He enjoyed such good days for almost three years.

But just as his wife said, he felt uneasy and couldn't find a reason to be at peace with himself.

Every night when all was quiet, he was always afraid that the government officials would knock on his door.

Now... that day has truly come. If you ask him if he feels relieved, perhaps he does, but his strongest emotion is fear.

Will he die?

Will Huaihua and her daughter be implicated by him?

"Tuk-tuk-tuk-"

There was a knock on the gate.

The couple both turned their heads stiffly at the same time.

“Huaihua…” Lao Quan was afraid that Ma Huaihua would go to open the door, so he reached out his trembling hand to pull her.

Ma Huaihua glanced at him silently, then propped herself up on her knees.

"Crack—crack—" The porcelain shards shattered at Ma Huaihua's feet.

The main room was in a mess, and Lao Quan's heart was in a mess as well.

He watched Shen Zheng approach, and watched as blood began to drip from the hand that Ma Huaihua had held the porcelain shard.

He said to Shen Zheng, "Lord Shen, I want to turn myself in."

......

Two days later, early in the morning.

All the people knew that something big was happening in Liuyang Prefecture today, so before dawn, the gate of the prefectural government office was already crowded with people.

Even more extreme, some had already set up gambling tables on the spot: "Come on! Everyone, come and guess! Guess whether Lord Shen can acquit Huai Gongwang today! The minimum bet is one copper coin, and the maximum is ten copper coins! If you think Lord Shen can convict Huai Gongwang, bet on this side; if you think Lord Shen can't, bet on this side!"

Many heads crowded around, asking, "How much did both sides lose?"

The dealer grinned and raised his hand, pointing in mid-air.

My hand was grabbed.

Officer Sun grinned and said, "We gambled money together for a game, so the winnings are confiscated. Here you go."

The foreman watched helplessly as his coins were taken away, crying out, "Sir! Sir! We weren't gambling, we were just having fun! Besides, everyone was betting on Lord Shen, cheering him on! Please, have mercy, don't..."

"I thank you on behalf of the officials." Constable Sun squeezed through the crowd and stood on the steps, saying, "Listen up, everyone! No betting, no noise, and most importantly, don't block the gate of the government office. At least leave a path open, understand? The prefect of Fuzhou next door will be here to observe the proceedings later. If anyone disgraces Liuyang, I'll make them pay!"

"The prefect of Fuzhou hasn't left yet?" The people found it strange and whispered among themselves, "It's been several days... Could it be that he's here to see Liuyang Prefecture make a fool of itself?"

"No way! Don't you know Lord Jiang? He was the first person to be vaccinated with smallpox!"

"Oh——"

"..."

Before we knew it, it was almost Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

After the court session, Shen Zheng and Xu Yunyan were doing their final preparations.

Xu Yunyan said, "Your Honor, all the witnesses and evidence are complete. We may proceed with the proceedings."

Shen Zheng took a quick breath, lowered her head to adjust the jade belt at her waist, and said with her head held high, "Let's go."

As Huai Zhizhen said, today will be the first fire she ignites after taking office.

The gates of the government office opened from the inside, and the people poured in like a tide, while the yamen runners struck their fire sticks.

Shen Zheng stood in front of the desk, the four large characters "明镜高悬" (meaning "a clear mirror hangs high") on the plaque behind her shining brightly in the morning light, making her eyebrows and eyes appear even more stern.

Xu Yunyan and Yu Zhengqing stood on either side of her behind her. On both sides of the hall, Constable Sun and his constables stood with their hands on their swords, making the atmosphere in the hall even more solemn.

The people instinctively held their breath.