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

Chapter 1132 The Newly Appointed Prefect of Fuzhou

Wu Shun was very impatient. He took the confession book, glanced at it, and signed his name.

After the matter was settled, Xu Yunyan immediately handed the summons to Constable Sun and whispered, "Lord Shen's men have already gone ahead. Take this document and bring Huai Gongwang back to the prefectural government office immediately. Also, keep a close eye on the birds in the prefectural school, the government office, and the Huai family mansion. Don't lose a single one."

Constable Sun's palms were burning hot as he wiped the sweat from his trousers, then he raised his head and accepted the order: "Your subordinate obeys!"

Damn it, I've been a constable for over ten years, and this is the first time I've ever arrested a fifth-rank official!

He has to do this job perfectly today!

Constable Sun carefully put away the summons document, then, after pointing out the people with a proud and imposing air, led his team out of the government office.

The people were even more excited.

They've heard plenty of stories about officials embezzling and accepting bribes, but this is the first time they've ever seen an official on trial!

As expected, following Lord Shen will broaden your horizons!

Just as they were getting excited, they heard footsteps coming from outside the courtyard.

The common people all turned to look, and were taken aback: "What are the guards doing here? Were they summoned by Lord Shen?"

Despite their doubts, they still made way for the soldiers.

But in the next instant, they noticed something amiss: "Why is there a red-robed official here? And it's not Huai Gongwang..."

"Who is that esteemed person? Has anyone seen him before?"

"I don't think I've seen him before... Is he an official from our Liuyang Prefecture?"

"Lord Shen—!" As the people were discussing, the man strode to the front of the hall, bowed to Shen Zheng, and said, "This humble official, Jiang Zhiming, greets Lord Shen!"

"Jiang Zhiming?" The people were even more confused: "Who is Jiang Zhiming? I've never heard of him..."

“Jiang…” someone scratched his head, then exclaimed, “Isn’t the newly appointed prefect of Fuzhou Prefecture next door surnamed Jiang? Could it be him!”

Prefect of Fuzhou?

Everyone was stunned and even more puzzled.

Why is the prefect of Fuzhou coming to their Liuyang Prefecture?

Even Shen Zheng, who was in the hall, was stunned for a moment: "Lord Jiang?"

Listening to the people's discussion, Shen Zheng suddenly realized.

So this is what Jiang Zhiming meant when he said "We meet again anywhere in life" before he left Beijing.

She was in Liuyang Prefecture, while he went to Fuzhou to serve as the prefect. In a way, they were "neighbors," so it could indeed be called "fate."

“Jiang Zhiming?” Yu Zhengqing glanced at Jiang Zhiming, then looked at Shen Zheng and asked, “The former prefect of Xingning?”

“Exactly.” Shen Zheng felt that the situation was a bit strange.

Although she and Jiang Zhiming were old acquaintances, what was going on when the highest-ranking official from the neighboring prefecture arrived during the trial?

After bowing, Jiang Zhiming withdrew outside the hall and said to Shen Zheng, "Hearing that Lord Shen has returned to his residence, I came to pay my respects, but I did not expect..."

Looking at the people kneeling in the hall, he said awkwardly, "I didn't mean to disturb Lord Shen's trial. Lord Shen, I'm just observing from the outside; please pretend I'm not here..."

Earlier, when he was almost at Liuyang Prefecture, he heard that something had happened at the Liuyang Prefecture government office yesterday.

However, adhering to the principle that "I can skip a meal, but I cannot see Lord Shen," he still brought his men to the government office.

He had originally planned to bring some men to support Lord Shen and ensure that Lord Shen could handle the case without worry, but it seems that... Lord Shen doesn't need his help.

Embarrassed, Jiang Zhiming took two steps back, and the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat strange for a moment.

But in fact, Jiang Zhiming's appearance was exactly what Shen Zheng wanted.

She pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "I'll rest for a while."

After saying that, she got up and went to the back of the hall with Yu Zhengqing and Xu Yunyan.

After getting away from the crowd, Shen Zheng said directly, "I suggest... we find evidence of Huai Gongwang's bribery in the next two days, and then interrogate him in a couple of days."

“I agree. We don’t have enough evidence right now, so we must not rush things, lest he turn around and accuse us.” Yu Zhengqing glanced at the screen in the middle and continued, “Detain him for two days, isolate him from the outside world, and temper his character.”

Shen Zheng nodded: "Before Constable Sun went to arrest him, I sent Su Yan and others to keep watch. It's impossible for Huai Gongwang to remain completely inactive after learning that he will be arrested. We can wait for news from Su Yan before deciding on our next move."

Shen Zheng and Yu Zhengqing reached a consensus and looked at Xu Yunyan together.

Xu Yunyan pondered for a moment, then added, "Then those parrots... also need to be collected, in case someone destroys the evidence."

“Then it’s decided.” Shen Zheng said seriously, “Although we only have Wu Shun’s testimony right now, we can’t let this cancerous tumor like Huai Gongwang stay for long. We need to be on our toes in the next few days.”

Yu Zhengqing nodded, his eyes sharp and resolute.

He had planned to hand over Huai Gongwang to Shen Zheng after the handover, but unexpectedly, the other party couldn't sit still and made a move against them.

If that's the case, he must watch Huai Gongwang fall from power with his own eyes before he can be free from any worries.

"And the shops that I mentioned to you a few days ago, those connected to the prefectural academy administration, were also investigated this time," Yu Zhengqing said solemnly.

Thinking about the challenges to come, Shen Zheng felt inexplicably excited.

The three discussed for a while and determined their course of action. Just then, the people outside the hall suddenly became restless.

"Officer Sun is back! And Huai Gongwang is here too!"

"That's Huai Gongwang! He's so old, yet he still looks like a pretty boy, ugh! A corrupt official!"

"Lord Shen, Huai Gongwang has arrived! Come out and interrogate him!"

Shen Zheng and the other two walked out from behind the hall. Huai Gongwang was already standing in the hall. He did not look at Shen Zheng or Yu Zhengqing, but looked down at Wu Shun.

Wu Shun was still afraid of Huai Gongwang, but he hated him even more.

Thinking of Huai Gongwang's ruthlessness, Wu Shun forced a smile and raised his head, suppressing his trembling. "The Governor has arrived."

Huai Gongwang returned his smile, but his eyes seemed to be filled with venom.

After a moment, Huai Gongwang looked away and asked Shen Zheng, "This humble official, Huai Gongwang, greets Lord Shen. May I ask why Lord Shen has summoned me here?"

Shen Zheng did not speak, but instead sized him up for a moment.

His clothes were neat, his face was fair and beardless, and even his sideburns were clean-shaven, showing that he paid great attention to his appearance.

“Huai Gongwang.” After a long pause, Shen Zheng looked at his knees and said, “You have been rude.”

Huai Gongwang's expression froze, and his hands suddenly clenched tightly in his sleeves.

This feeling of being trampled underfoot filled him with rage, but he was powerless to resist.

"It was my rudeness..." He lifted his robe and knelt down, bowing his head and saying, "I hope Lord Shen will forgive me."

Shen Zheng couldn't see his expression, but she could sense his anger. The angrier he was, the calmer Shen Zheng became.

"Huai Gongwang, Wu Shun has accused you of accepting bribes and instigating the murder of a high-ranking official. Given the seriousness of the case, I have decided that the court will convene at Chenshi (7-9 AM) three days from now to retry this case. Court adjourned."

"Snapped--"

The gavel struck, and Huai Gongwang was stunned, as were the people.