At the same time, the prefect had just woken from his slumber.
Although he had received a message from Mingyue Tower and sent people to summon the Li family, he hadn't put his mind at ease.
He was about to be intimate with his concubine when a servant rushed in, knocking frantically on the door. "Your... Your Excellency, an urgent dispatch from Chongzhou! It's from Imperial Tutor Xu's messenger."
"Why would Imperial Tutor Xu send a letter to me?" The prefect quickly sat up in bed and told the servant to bring the letter in.
As he opened the letter with a puzzled expression and read its contents, his face changed drastically. He grabbed the person beside him, "Who exactly did the Li family send people to find in Tongmu County this time!"
The servant was bewildered and answered truthfully, "It's... a village woman from the wilderness."
"A village woman? She's the divine doctor who saved Imperial Tutor Xu's life! If she's a village woman, then what kind of dog are you!"
The prefect angrily kicked the person in front of him. "What are you standing there for? Hurry to Tongmu County and tell those fools from the Li family to get out!"
He had dealt with the Li family for over ten years and naturally knew their ways.
The letter he sent yesterday could save the woman's life, but the Li family would never obey obediently.
His original intention was to teach the woman a lesson. After all, he was an official of the imperial court and being threatened by a martial arts organization like Mingyue Tower had naturally angered him.
But now that he knew the woman was Imperial Tutor Xu's savior, even if he were given ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly.
The servant, also alarmed, quickly got up and was about to deliver the message.
"Wait!" The prefect, his hands trembling, grabbed his clothes haphazardly and put them on. "I'll go myself. Prepare a horse quickly, I'll go fetch the person myself, quickly!"
...
The county magistrate knew he couldn't stop these people and quickly sent someone to Hengde Pharmacy to report.
Therefore, when he followed the Li family to the dungeon, he happened to encounter the people from Hengde Pharmacy arriving, and Shen Wei and the four children were all there.
Ever since they learned that Li Yue Shu was in trouble, Shen Yi Min and the others had taken leave from school and accompanied Shen Wei and Mother Mo to the pharmacy every day, so they could get news of Li Yue Shu sooner.
The county magistrate hadn't expected such a grand display from them and only then did he suddenly realize that Madam Shen, a woman, had to support such a large family.
For a moment, his resolve to protect Li Yue Shu was strengthened.
With all the commotion outside, the jailer immediately ran in to inform Li Yue Shu.
Upon hearing that Shen Wei and the Li family had encountered each other, Li Yue Shu's heart leaped. "Brother Jailer, could I trouble you to open the door so I can go out and see?"
"This..." The jailer hesitated.
Even if they didn't treat Li Yue Shu as a prisoner, it couldn't be denied that her current identity was that of someone confined to the prison.
Moreover, not long ago, she had mentioned escaping from prison while chatting with her family.
Li Yue Shu understood his difficulty and said, "I'm not trying to escape. The county magistrate should be outside too. The Li family came specifically for me, and now that I go out, it will also resolve the matter."
The jailer, who already favored her, hesitated for a moment before choosing to open the cell.
When Li Yue Shu came out of the dungeon, she saw Mother Mo and the children glaring at the Li family, as if they would pounce and fight if they made any move.
The Li family members looked arrogant but were clearly angered by their attitude.
Seeing Li Yue Shu emerge, almost all eyes turned towards her.
The Li family's faces instantly darkened, and they glared at the county magistrate. "You still claim you didn't take any benefits from this woman! She's walking out of the dungeon in broad daylight. Are you trying to secretly let her go!"
The county magistrate's face became somewhat unsightly.
Even though he was just a county magistrate, he was still an official of the imperial court. These people, without any official title, were acting so arrogantly in front of him time and again. Did they really think he had no temper!
Just as the county magistrate was about to get angry, Li Yue Shu suddenly let out a cold laugh.
In the silence, her cold laugh was particularly abrupt, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Li Yue Shu raised her eyes indifferently, looking at the Li family as if they were ants. "In a mere county yamen, if I want to leave, no one can stop me."
"You think you can intimidate me by having the county magistrate abuse his power?"
These few words were filled with extreme arrogance.
Shen Wei looked at this confident and arrogant person and felt a gentle stir in his heart, not realizing that a small curve had already appeared on his lips.
No one noticed Shen Wei's unusual reaction.
The Li family hadn't expected this woman to be so audacious, and their anger, already fueled by the county magistrate's favoritism, grew even stronger.
"You're seeking death!"
Saying this, one of the men raised his hand and lunged viciously towards Li Yue Shu.
Li Yue Shu's gaze turned cold. She instinctively took half a step back, assuming a stance, ready to act.
Shen Wei's expression turned cold, and he made a gesture in the shadows.
The next moment, a figure instantly blocked Li Yue Shu's front.
"Bang!"
With a loud noise, the man's body flew out like a kite with a broken string.
Everyone was startled by the sudden turn of events, and they looked in shock at the person who had suddenly appeared.
Li Yue Shu stepped aside and saw his face clearly. It was the man who had been following her last time, whom she had caught.
Had he been following her all along?
Li Yue Shu frowned, looking at the man with vigilance and suspicion.
Xinghe could feel the gaze from the side, but he didn't dare to turn his head, standing there stiffly.
It's over, it's over, I've been recognized. I should have let Chai Yang come out earlier!
Xinghe had no time to regret. Seeing their subordinate injured, the rest of the Li family didn't care about the consequences and all rushed forward.
Li Yue Shu didn't help, even stepping aside.
She had fought with this man before and knew his strength.
If it hadn't been for her surprise attack and his underestimation, he wouldn't have been easily subdued last time.
As expected, the Li family members were all down in no time, yet they hadn't even touched the corner of Xinghe's clothes.
Li Yue Shu looked at Xinghe thoughtfully, with many questions in her heart, but now was clearly not the time to discuss them.
She kicked the man lying on the ground, her expression defiant. "Go back and tell your Master Li to wash his neck and wait, this madam will personally come to settle the score! Scram!"
Her attitude was extremely arrogant, and the county magistrate was stunned, seriously suspecting that this was not the virtuous and dignified Madam Shen he knew.
However, he wasn't foolish and naturally understood that Li Yue Shu was saying these words to draw the Li family's anger onto herself, to avoid implicating him.
For a moment, he didn't know how to express his feelings.
The Li family's expressions couldn't be described as just unsightly, but they clearly feared Xinghe. They could only swallow their anger and scramble away.
But before fleeing, the leader turned back and shouted, "You wait, this matter will not end just like this!"
Hearing this, the county magistrate's heart, which had just settled, became uneasy again.
He looked at Li Yue Shu helplessly. "Madam Shen, the prefect had already sent word for the Li family to return. They took it upon themselves to come to the dungeon. You were truly a bit impulsive just now."