My lord, spare his life!

"Every medicine has some degree of toxicity. The antidote pill that the Prefect took is indeed a rare and excellent medicine, but it must be used in accordance with the symptoms."

The doctor was brought over to administer the antidote to Zhang Yang. Upon learning that Zhang Yang had taken the antidote pill, he boldly asked for one for examination. After examining him repeatedly, his thin face was filled with conflict, hesitation, and embarrassment.

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Yang tried hard to make himself like the slime.

The physician, Slime, replied, "Your Majesty is having bad luck."

The antidote was a valuable ingredient; even a seasoned physician would be eager to try it, and might even shamelessly ask Zhang Yang for some of the powder, or better yet, the prescription. However, she also knew that such prescriptions were closely guarded secrets, rarely shared.

The former is more likely.

She might be able to deduce the prescription by analyzing the medicinal powder.

Zhang Yang pointed to himself.

"Am I just unlucky?"

The Doctor Slime nodded its head in a very bouncy way.

If it were just a single poison, such as the poison added to the mushroom soup, the [Superior Antidote] would be overkill. However, this poison, when combined with the exotic sandalwood incense burned in the private school, creates a new poison, while the [Superior Antidote] itself contains many highly toxic ingredients. The combination of the two actually intensifies the toxicity.

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Yang was speechless.

Is this reasonable?

This is completely unreasonable!

However, trusting her children, she accepted the explanation. The doctor, Slime, hopped off to brew the medicine, and soon returned with a bowl of bubbling, multicolored black liquid, saying it could detoxify her.

Seeing Zhang Yang's hesitation, the doctor tried his best to persuade him patiently.

Based on her medical experience, people poisoned by similar toxins would experience visual disturbances, and no one would know what the lord was seeing. To her relief, the lord lowered his guard and reached out to take the bowl.

Uh, I didn't receive it.

Seeing that she was extending her hand in the wrong direction, the doctor boldly suggested breastfeeding.

Yuan Xie said, "Let Xie handle these trivial matters."

The doctor looked at Yuan Xie with gratitude.

Zhang Yang: "..."

She couldn't tell the difference between the two slimes, but when her lips touched something cool, she recognized it as a spoon and opened her mouth. Spoon after spoon, she finally couldn't take it anymore: "Just put the bowl in my hand, I'll gulp it down."

Drinking this bitter, sour, spicy, fishy, ​​and strangely sweet medicine is bad enough, but to drink it spoonful by spoonful is torture!

Zhang Yang closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and finished the task!

Perhaps because the mixed toxins targeted her nerves, Zhang Yang felt drowsy and extremely dizzy after taking the medicine. She quickly explained what was going on and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up again, she felt a lingering nausea in her chest and throat.

It was already dark outside the window.

I don't know if I slept for a few hours or a day or two.

His vision returned to normal; there was no more creaking furniture or flying figures. Zhang Yang relaxed his muscles and pushed open the bedroom door, where he saw two guards standing outside, their faces and bodies normal as well.

It is neither a slime nor a goblin.

Zhang Yang's gaze fell on the tops of their heads.

Both of them wore the emerald green title of "Prefectural Guardsman".

Zhang Yang blinked and let out a long sigh of relief.

Great, things are finally back to normal.

She checked her physical condition again and found that she was completely healthy with no debuffs and her health bar was full, which made her feel very reassured.

The guard bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

Zhang Yang: "How long has it been since that incident?"

The two guards were carefully selected, the most clever of them all. Even though Zhang Yang spoke incoherently, the two could quickly understand: "Reporting to the Prefect, a day and a night have passed."

Zhang Yang: "...Did I sleep for that long?"

No wonder, she felt sluggish all over.

She then asked where Fan Youdu, Guan Yuanxie, and the others were.

The guards were prepared for this and said, "Chief Secretary Fan specifically instructed that if the Prefect wakes up, we should go directly to the main hall to find him."

Because of Zhang Dami's violent sabotage, many parts of the temporary county government building collapsed, and the offices had to be moved elsewhere. The intact buildings continued to be used, including the main hall. When Zhang Yang arrived, there were a surprisingly large number of people in the main hall.

A group of assistant officials and several familiar subordinates were present, as was Xu Jin.

The NPCs inside the house have red and green clearly distinguished above their heads.

The crowd, whose expressions had been grave and whose atmosphere tense, were overjoyed to see Zhang Yang emerge safely and immediately inquired about her well-being. Zhang Yang replied, "I'm fine, just a little stiff from lying down for so long."

The red-named NPC kneeling below looked astonished.

Each one of them was incredulous.

Someone exclaimed, "How are you still alive?"

Zhang Yang glanced at the names above the red-named individuals, gaining some understanding of their identities. She walked straight to the head of the table and sat down, saying expressionlessly, "I haven't even sent you to your deaths yet, so of course you're still alive."

Seeing that Zhang Yang was safe and sound, Fan You breathed a sigh of relief.

"What were you discussing just now? Why are you all so serious?"

Yuan Xie complained: "The traitors just confessed that the poison they gave to the lord was not an ordinary poison. The symptoms were similar to those of a fungal poison, but it could actually dissolve the lord's mind and consciousness. They also said that the lord was physically fine but could not wake up and had already become an unconscious puppet."

Zhang Yang looked bewildered: "Huh?"

What kind of poison could turn someone into a vegetable?

Zhang Yang checked her condition repeatedly, and her health bar was healthy. She said, "Then they probably bought counterfeit medicine, or the medicine they bought has expired and become ineffective."

Everyone visibly breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "The Lord is blessed with great fortune; naturally, these petty people cannot harm him."

Whether it was counterfeit medicine or ineffective, they ultimately failed.

Zhang Yang pulled out some fragrant pan-fried buns from her game inventory and started munching on them, oblivious to everyone around her. She hadn't eaten during her unconscious period, and her stamina had dropped considerably. She wanted to take advantage of the free time to eat a few more bites to replenish her energy. Zhang Yang didn't want to faint after taking just a few steps.

Fan You asked for instructions on how to deal with these traitors.

Zhang Yang ate a fried bun in two bites.

"The mastermind is in trouble!"

Her calm tone and indifferent expression made it seem as if she were deciding not the life or death of a few families and hundreds of people, but the fate of a group of ants. This answer turned the faces of the prisoners ashen, some turning deathly pale, as they looked up at her in disbelief.

"Their family fortune?"

Zhang Yang casually replied, "Confiscate it!"

No, how can that be called confiscation?

That was clearly a reward for her completing an important plot mission.

"What about their relatives?"

Zhang Yang didn't even lift his eyelids.

Those who receive his favors are equally guilty.

Those who do not join in the corruption will have their punishment reduced by one degree.

"Those who have been humiliated by him may also report him for a reduced sentence."

Upon hearing this, those with red names not only saw their names glow even redder, but also roared with fury, "Zhang the thief, how dare you!"

Zhang Yang: "Isn't this a question for you?"

She felt quite innocent, as she had never intentionally slaughtered any NPCs from beginning to end. She even treated the Tianyue NPCs like her own children, going out of her way to feed and clothe them. But there were always people who disapproved of her actions and insisted on walking into her trap...

Is there something seriously wrong with these NPCs?

Zhang Yang couldn't understand their thought process.

However, there was one thing she understood.

Game designers sometimes create conflicts out of thin air, and these NPCs are just there to fill quests; don't worry about them. She yawned, rested her chin on her hand on the armrest, her eyelids drooping, and looked so listless that it was infuriating.

"Zhang thief, you've gone this far in bullying me!"

"Zhang, you thief, you will surely die a horrible death!"

"Zhang the thief..."

They simply couldn't understand how such a shameless person could exist in the world. It was clearly Zhang who had provoked and threatened them, openly intending to harm them, even to plunder their property. How could she portray them as the ones who had attacked first?

Yuan Xie said sternly, "Are they all dead? Are we just going to let him curse us like that?"

clap clap-

Guan Zong slapped each of them once with his palm, which was as big as a palm leaf fan.

He didn't hold back at all, and the blow knocked out the person's front teeth.

Zhang Yang was startled awake. Looking at the red-named characters whose health bars had dropped significantly and their swollen cheeks and mouths, she could barely speak. She scolded Guan Zong, "Don't you understand that killing is not torturing?"

Guan Zong was not angry at all; instead, he grinned.

"I understand, I understand."

The red-named NPCs, whose heads were still ringing from the beating, shuddered at the thought—what did she mean by "killing without torturing"? Wasn't this a blatant instruction to her lackeys: either don't attack, or if you do, just take their lives? Cruel! Utterly cruel!

Clearly, Guan Zong understood it this way as well.

Zhang Yang had no interest in following the plot and didn't want to listen to long, tedious dialogue. Du Guan, sensing her mood, considerately gave the guards a look, instructing them to drag the men back to the dungeon. With the Prefect awake, a post-battle report was naturally required.

The content mainly consisted of the number of wounded, the number of dead, the damaged buildings, and the broken weapons and armor. They summarized the successes, reflected on the failures, and discussed how to provide compensation. Previously, it had been a small-scale skirmish by Zhang Yang and his group; this was a proper team battle, so some rules had to be carefully considered.

Next time, we can follow this precedent.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be very few casualties.

Zhang Yang said, "Of course we should treat them well. Those with children will have their children's education free, their regular taxes waived, and they can receive basic living assistance every month. Their partners can receive a 50% reduction in regular taxes before remarrying. If the elderly parents have other children, the county government will provide half of the living assistance equivalent to that of their children every month. If they have no other children, they will receive full assistance and can also move into the county government's nursing home."

She said those words without thinking.

After he finished speaking, he received no response from others for a long time.

She asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Are you worried about not having enough money?"

Xu Jin took a long time to come to his senses. He swallowed a few times and stammered, "The Prefect's... the Prefect's actions are certainly very kind, but... but this is a bit too... too..."

"Too stingy?"

Zhang Yang felt that it was indeed a bit stingy.

"Indeed, how can the death benefits be so small?"

"However, I also have my own considerations."

Based on her observations of her interactions with Tianyue's children over this period, giving them too much money at once would be counterproductive. It would be better to transform that money into other resources that cannot be easily taken away, allowing the beneficiaries to benefit precisely.

However, this is just her own idea and may not be suitable for the NPCs. The real solution still needs to be discussed with the native NPCs.

Xu Jin: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Fan You and Yuan Xie's gazes towards Zhang Yang subtly shifted. The latter naturally showed increasing admiration, respect, and joy, while the former harbored a barely perceptible suspicion. He didn't doubt the authenticity of Zhang Yang's identity; after all, her pseudo-persona was too difficult to fake.

He doubted Zhang Yang's intelligence.

seem--

Have you gained a lot of enlightenment?

"That's too kind. If the soldiers knew the Lord's heart, they would surely be loyal to the utmost and give their lives to repay the Lord's kindness!" If the soldiers knew that serving Zhang Yang would solve their problems of supporting their parents and raising their children, it's not hard to imagine how many soldiers would consider dying in battle an honor. Of course, the premise is that the Lord can truly turn his promise into reality.

"I sigh deeply and wipe away my tears, lamenting the many hardships of the people's lives."

The NPCs were unaware that they could respawn before encountering a scripted death; in their minds, they only had one life. Unique things are always precious, yet they were willing to sacrifice such a precious life for some taken-for-granted treatment—

This sentiment inexplicably resurfaced in Zhang Yang's mind.

People's lives are filled with hardship.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the game designers being inhumane.

They don't even treat NPCs like human beings!

Dealing with the masterminds behind this mutiny wasn't difficult, but dealing with the elite soldiers who followed them was a different story. First, these were all respectable young men from Tianyue territory; if recruited during wartime, they would be the best recruits, and their discipline was excellent. Second, they were all young and strong, which was exactly what Tianyue needed. The refugees who came to join them weren't bad, but their quality varied greatly, and it would take a long time for them to truly identify with Tianyue and become one of their own.

It would be a pity to kill them all.

But staying would also pose a hidden danger.

These respectable young men, having received preferential treatment from various families and upholding the belief that a scholar would die for one who understands him, were a potential threat to Zhang Yang. Who knows if any of them harbored resentment, harboring thoughts of revenge for a past grudge?

"If their children go astray, would parents be willing to turn against them for the greater good?"

"Most people just can't bear to do it."

"Yes, that's why I can't bear it. I have to give the children a chance to reform." Zhang Yang only wanted to kill the mastermind to get the mission reward and didn't plan to massacre the NPCs. "Let them go to labor camps, reform themselves, and then let them go home to reunite with their families."

Fan You disagreed with such a mild approach, but since his lord was acting strangely today, he agreed for the time being, making only minor changes to the details.

Zhang Yang then assigned Puyang Kui a task: to promote the impoverished members of the same surname who were at odds with the main branch of the family. This was meant to send a message to the outside world—she was not going to exterminate them all, or else they might anger her.

Once the project is completed, there will naturally be a process of recognizing and rewarding those who have made contributions.

Zhang Yang is a generous boss.

The project bonuses are absolutely generous!

certainly--

Those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded, and those who commit wrongdoings will be punished.

"Guards, drag Zhang Dami up here!"

Zhang Yang was also concerned about the chickens and ducks with gray names all over the place. These were all mature chickens and ducks capable of breeding, but because Zhang Dami was too careless, they fell into the enemy's trap and died in droves!

Outside, Zhang Dami's pig-like screams could be heard.

The tiger was dragged in by the guards, one leg at a time.

Zhang Yang twisted Zhang Dami's ear and threatened coldly, "If there's a next time, I'll strip you naked and use that skin to cover the whole house!"

Zhang Dami yielded and signed a contract selling herself into servitude.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Uncle Yan?"

"The lord has fallen seriously ill, and it seems he has attained enlightenment."

Zhang Yang asked in confusion, "Enlightenment?"

She took a moment to glance at her panel data.

Name: Zhang Yang, courtesy name Boyuan

Age: Unknown (disguised)

[Power]: Tianyue County

[Stars]: None available

[Talent]: Extravagant spending

Loyalty: -3 (Upgradeable)

Morality: 23 (Upgradeable)

[Strategy]: 33 (Upgradeable)

[Ambition]: 100 (Max)

[Title]: A Wise Ruler Once in a Millennium

[Current Status]: A minor prefect of Tianyue County

??(?_?)

How long does it usually take to recover from influenza A? It's been several days already, and I have a runny nose, a swollen and sore throat, and lower back pain...