The prefect dismounted his horse and ignored the county magistrate who was approaching him, his gaze fixed directly on Li Yue Shu.
"You must be Madam Shen? Forgive my rudeness!" the prefect fawned, "I was previously deceived by someone and may have offended you. I beg for your understanding, Madam Shen."
His attitude stunned everyone. The county magistrate thought he was dreaming and took a long time to react.
Li Yue Shu frowned, not responding, curious about what this man was up to.
Facing her cold demeanor, the prefect showed no anger.
She was the savior of Grand Tutor Xu. It was normal for her to be arrogant.
He raised his hand, and the guards behind him threw over the bound men.
The prefect, with a fawning smile, said, "Madam Shen, I just learned that these unseeing dogs disturbed you. Tell me how you wish to deal with them, and I will ensure it is done."
Li Yue Shu raised an eyebrow and looked down at the men, tied up and thrown on the ground, trying to shrink their presence. A slight smile played on her lips.
"These men brought orders bearing the prefect's official seal. In the laws of Chen Nan Kingdom, how should collusion between officials and merchants, and the abuse of power be handled?"
Though unsure of the specifics, judging by the prefect's attitude, she figured she could act like a fox borrowing the tiger's might.
The prefect's expression changed slightly, but as Li Yue Shu had predicted, he dared not get angry.
Suppressing his anger, the prefect put on a sorrowful face. "This is my negligence. I had no idea someone in my office colluded with outsiders to use my official seal."
"These men almost caused me to make a grave mistake. They should be flogged and thrown into the dungeons for a good lesson."
With a few words, he absolved himself, and the punishment was merely a flogging. His act was so convincing that an ordinary person would have been completely fooled.
However, Li Yue Shu had no intention of pursuing the matter further.
As the saying goes, the common folk cannot fight the officials. Tong Mu County was under the prefect's jurisdiction, and she had to live here. There was no need to make things too difficult.
Li Yue Shu's smile was calm, and she didn't indicate whether she believed his story. "Since Prefect-Lord has spoken, let it be as you say. This humble woman trusts that you will handle this justly."
"Naturally," the prefect nodded repeatedly, very pleased with the sensible young woman. "This matter will be handled by the county magistrate. Fifty strokes for each of them… not one stroke less, or I will hold you accountable!"
The county magistrate, who had initially thought the prefect was there to cause trouble for Madam Shen, was completely shocked by the abrupt turn of events. He belatedly acknowledged the order.
The prefect then looked at Li Yue Shu again. "Does Madam Shen find my judgment satisfactory?"
Li Yue Shu's smile remained unchanged from beginning to end, as if she were merely an outsider. "Prefect-Lord is indeed a wise and upright official."
Her tone was calm, making it impossible to discern any sincerity in her words.
"Not at all, not at all," the prefect did not mind. "Madam Shen, at such a young age, possesses such high medical skills and has become the savior of Grand Tutor Xu. Your future is undoubtedly limitless. I will have to rely on Madam Shen to speak well of me."
Li Yue Shu's eyes flickered.
Grand Tutor Xu?
Could it be Elder Xu?
She had never expected that the old man she casually saved was such a prominent figure as a Grand Tutor, a future imperial tutor!
In the original book, the male protagonist, the Crown Prince, respected this Grand Tutor even more than his own father.
Li Yue Shu suppressed her shock but was met with another doubt.
If the prefect had come personally because of Elder Xu, why had he gone to such lengths to send a letter to the Li family?
Li Yue Shu harbored doubts but showed none on her face.
Seeing her composed and unfazed demeanor throughout, the prefect became increasingly convinced that she was no ordinary village woman.
With this thought, he even invited Li Yue Shu to witness the punishment. In front of her, he had the Li family members flogged without any mercy.
After the punishment was carried out, he smiled and personally escorted Li Yue Shu and her companions to the carriage.
As for Xing He, she didn't know when she had slipped away, as if she had never appeared.
Li Yue Shu's curiosity about his identity grew, but no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't make any sense of it.
Li Yue Shu had to temporarily set aside her thoughts and focus on the prefect's contradictory actions today.
According to the prefect, he had personally rushed to the county office because he received a message from Elder Xu. Then why had he written a letter asking the Li family to return earlier?
Furthermore, even if she had saved Elder Xu's life, there was no reason for a Grand Tutor like him to rush along the official road to save a mere village woman like herself.
Li Yue Shu pondered with a frown. Her companions, thinking she was upset, dared not disturb her.
Shen Zhi Yu, nestled in Li Yue Shu's arms, clung tightly to her clothes.
Although Li Yue Shu had said she wouldn't abandon him, the little boy was clearly frightened and refused to let go.
Children were sensitive. He seemed to sense something and suddenly reached out his hand.
Li Yue Shu, lost in thought, felt a soft touch on her brow.
She saw Shen Zhi Yu reaching out his two small hands and gently smoothing her furrowed brow.
"Mother, don't frown. A Yu will protect Mother."
His soft, innocent voice, coupled with his serious little face, melted Li Yue Shu's heart, dispelling all her worries.
She couldn't help but kiss Shen Zhi Yu's forehead. "Then A Yu must grow up quickly. Mother will rely on A Yu in the future."
Shen Zhi Yu blinked, then raised his hand to touch his forehead where he had been kissed. His little face beamed like a blooming flower. "A Yu will definitely grow up quickly!"
Inside the carriage, Shen Wei, Shen Yi Min, and the twins watched their interaction, a flicker of something unusual in their eyes.
At this moment, the four sons (and daughter) shared the same thought: Shen Zhi Yu looked rather unsightly today.
...
The carriage soon arrived at the village.
Liu Laohan and his wife, their neighbors, heard the commotion and rushed out, just in time to see Li Yue Shu alighting from the carriage with Shen Zhi Yu.
The couple hurried over.
"Yue Shu, how are you? Are you injured?"
"Yue Shu, did you suffer in the dungeon?"
Looking at their concerned and anxious eyes, Li Yue Shu felt a warmth in her heart.
She shook her head gently. "I'm fine. The matter has been resolved. It was all a misunderstanding."
Unfortunately, Shen Can's deed of sale had not been retrieved. This was a hidden danger, and she had to think of a way.
Li Yue Shu naturally didn't say the last sentence, as it would only cause everyone worry.
"It's cold outside. Let's talk inside!" Mother Mo said, interrupting Liu Laohan and his wife, who were about to ask more questions.
"Yes, yes, let's go inside. We'll talk when we get inside." Aunt Liu finally realized and pulled them towards the house.
Li Yue Shu chuckled and followed them in.
Just then, she noticed a few villagers watching from a distance.
As she looked over, they immediately shifted their gaze, appearing flustered and nervous, as if fearing something.