The Bell that Protects Flowers on the Road of Love 31

As Xu Ancheng laid out the evidence piece by piece, Zhou Cheng's face grew paler and paler.

"I was just following orders..."

Xu Ancheng frowned: "Who gave the order?"

"I...don't know."

"You really don't know?"

Zhou Cheng felt a sudden panic when he saw Xu Ancheng's serious face.

He knew, of course, how serious a crime it was to lose government silver, but since someone had ordered him to do it, what could a lowly clerk like him do?

He gritted his teeth but still didn't say the person's name.

"I always meet someone at the teahouse in the west of the city, but he never says his name." Zhou Cheng's voice trailed off.

Qin Qiwu frowned: "You just do whatever he tells you to do? How do you know what he's saying is true?"

Zhou Cheng remained silent for a long while.

"Every time I finish my work, someone will revise the county government's money and grain register the next day."

Xu Ancheng's expression grew increasingly grave; no wonder they had previously discovered something amiss with the official silver withdrawal records.

Zhou Cheng's palms were already sweating profusely, and he stammered, "Do you gentlemen have any further questions?"

Qin Qiwu looked at the nervous Zhou Cheng and smiled gently at him: "Don't worry about Zhou Cheng, you'll come with us later."

They still have many questions to ask.

Xu Ancheng used the pretext of investigating a case to take Zhou Cheng out of the county government office. The people at the door didn't know whether they should stop him or not, and they looked at each other with hesitation on their faces.

Zhou Cheng lowered his head, his legs trembling. Could he really survive...?

This is inside the county government office.

"Zhou Cheng confessed?" the county magistrate, sitting in a high position, asked lazily.

The kneeling clerk whispered, "Sir, Zhou Cheng..."

The county magistrate sneered, "I knew he wouldn't amount to anything. Does he think he can live just by confessing?"

The clerk paused for a moment, then cautiously began, "Sir, he didn't..."

The county magistrate narrowed his eyes: "A good-for-nothing. I knew he couldn't keep a secret."

The junior official looked at the county magistrate, hesitant to speak, and said, "Sir, this matter still needs to be addressed..."

The county magistrate looked weary: "Get rid of him as soon as possible, he's a nuisance."

The clerk's lips twitched. Was Zhou Cheng really destined to die?

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He tentatively began, "Sir, Zhou Cheng had no choice... uh, he didn't reveal any information that could be harmful to you."

So, does Zhou Cheng still need to die?

The county magistrate closed his eyes and did not speak again.

The clerk paused for a moment, then bowed to the county magistrate: "Sir, I will take care of it immediately."

This week, Cheng should just die.

The streets were bustling with activity, and as soon as you entered the alley, the aroma of food from the stalls wafted right into your nostrils.

Qin Qiwu watched Zhou Cheng's retreating figure. Now that there were witnesses and physical evidence, although Zhou Cheng still hadn't spoken, he couldn't possibly remain silent once he reached the prefect.

She concealed the emotions in her eyes and smiled at Zhou Cheng: "Zhou Cheng, is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Zhou Cheng's face was extremely pale. He forced a smile and shook his head.

He now understood that the county magistrate was ruthless, and these people were not necessarily good people either.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the person in front of him who was making sugar paintings.

"Why is it copper coin sugar painting again?" Ji Chaoxi stood in front of the sugar painting stall in disbelief.

She was almost sick of eating these coin-shaped sugar paintings, even though all sugar paintings, regardless of their shape, tasted the same.

Fu Xianyan stood seriously to the side; he wanted the rabbit.

The stall owner watched them turn around with a smile, each customer's groan bringing him joy.

"Draw whatever you want to see. If you can't see it, you'll say I tampered with it."

Ji Chaoxi refused to take the copper coin candy painting, and in the end, the few copper coin candy paintings were taken away by the children next to her with a laugh.

"Fu Xianyan, I want a horse." Ji Chaoxi stared at the sugar painting.

Fu Xianyan refused: "No, I want the rabbit."

In order to achieve her goal, Ji Chaoxi began to belittle rabbits: "Rabbits are no good at all, horses are so much better, they run incredibly fast!"

Fu Xianyan earnestly defended his rabbit: "A rabbit kicks people hard, it kicks anything."

Ji Chaoxi: ?

She thought Fu Xianyan liked rabbits because they were cute, but it turns out it's because they hurt when they kick people? She really couldn't understand Fu Xianyan.

The next second, Fu Xianyan turned to the rabbit.

The stall owner looked at Fu Xianyan in surprise. What was going on? Hadn't he tampered with the goods? Had he forgotten to do so today?

The stall owner sighed and began to draw a rabbit, which was much more troublesome than drawing candy coin paintings.

Just as Fu Xianyan was about to take his rabbit sugar painting, a hand snatched it away.

Fu Xianyan's lips twitched, then he continued turning around. A large crowd had gathered around him, but no one was buying anything; they were just staring.

After turning twice, I finally turned to the horse.

"Miss Ji, is this alright?"

"That's enough!" Ji Chaoxi returned the rabbit sugar painting to Fu Xianyan and stared at the stall owner painting her horse.

The stall owner sighed, "I'm so tired today."

While looking at the stall owner's paintings, Fu Xianyan munched on his own sugar painting and said, "Miss Ji, your horse doesn't seem as spirited as my rabbit."

Ji Chaoxi ignored him, and Fu Xianyan moved closer to her, laughing, "Miss Ji's horse is too thin. Don't let it fall over after a few steps."

Ji Chaoxi didn't say anything, but her face was clearly turning red. The person next to her was crunching on a sugar painting.

"Miss Ji..."

"hiss--"

Fu Xianyan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his foot, which made his face change color and he almost dropped what he was holding.

He remained silent.

The stall owner felt a surge of satisfaction upon witnessing this scene.

Yes, that's it, kick it a few more times!

With one kick, Ji Chaoxi finally felt relieved, and Fu Xianyan started talking more and more.

Seeing this, Zhou Cheng hesitated. Should he follow these two people?

Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng gave him the feeling of a smiling tiger...

He's seen far too many people like this in officialdom.

Just as he was about to approach Ji Chaoxi, the man next to her suddenly glanced at him indifferently, his eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.

Zhou Cheng stopped in his tracks, not daring to go any further.

Seeing how accurately Fu Xianyan turned the ball, the others stepped forward one after another.

"Young master, could you please forward this to me?"

"Could you spin a rabbit for me too, young master..."

The stall owner was so anxious his face turned red: "No, no, I can only turn it myself."

Judging by this man's accuracy, is his hand even usable? He might just die of exhaustion at this sugar painting table today.

Qin Qiwu looked around at the surrounding environment.

Although Zhou Cheng is now with them, they still need to find a way to force the county magistrate to come out.

Her gaze fell on a few beggars not far away.

Qin Qiwu pondered for a moment, then whispered something in Ji Chaoxi's ear. Ji Chaoxi nodded as if she understood.

She ran deep into the alley, stood in the middle with her hands on her hips, and shouted in a booming voice, "A few people, come on!"

"Here it comes!"

Several beggars quickly gathered around; what serious thing had happened?

Ji Chaoxi took out a few loose silver coins and placed them in the beggar's bowl, her face serious: "Is there anyone else?"

The beggar holding the loose silver coins quickly stepped forward: "Sir, are there any other brothers? Should we call them over?"

Ji Chaoxi nodded seriously.