My lord, spare his life!

"Excellent, excellent, excellent plan to use one tiger to devour another!"

The officials and staff of the prefecture applauded and praised the gesture.

They had no goodwill towards Zhang Yang or the other two rebel lackeys, yet they lacked the strength to eliminate all three. This strategy of using one to fight another was undoubtedly the best solution at the moment: using the two who had just arrived as a pledge of allegiance, letting Zhang Yang and the rebels fight like dogs.

They can also protect their own interests to the greatest extent possible.

But there is a problem right now—

"How do we capture these two?"

Both sides had guards, and they didn't know the guards' strength; making a rash move might alert the enemy. They exchanged glances, and the registrar tentatively suggested, "Perhaps we should ask the Chancellor?"

The official mentioned by the registrar is the Assistant Prefect of Tianyue County.

After the death of the former prefect, Tianyue Prefecture immediately submitted a memorial to the court, hoping that the royal court would appoint a new prefect to preside over the prefectural affairs. Until the new appointment was made, the prefectural magistrate would act in his place. Unfortunately, they were unlucky, as the royal court was overthrown by rebels.

The heavenly flute is empty, and the dragons above and below are leaderless.

The prefectural magistrate served as acting prefect for more than half a year.

"Didn't the Chancellor claim to be ill?"

"You've served in the prefectural government for so many years, don't you even know what 'feigning illness' means?" It was just an excuse. That prefectural magistrate wasn't an ordinary person; how could he possibly fall ill from a cold breeze? He had no other choice but to feign illness to avoid trouble.

"What this humble official means is that the Prime Minister has clearly stated to the public that he is unwell. Whether the illness is real or not, it is real. If we were to bring this matter to the Prime Minister's attention, we might offend him." Not to mention, it is a risky matter like "driving a tiger to devour a wolf."

What if the prefectural magistrate refuses to agree?

"...We need to let them know no matter what."

To save their lives and fortunes, they had no choice but to take a gamble!

The troops split into two groups. One group stayed behind to entertain and appease the two prefects appointed by the rebels, while the other group secretly visited the home of the Prefect of Tianyue under the cover of night. The two groups were positioned on the east and west sides, and the welcoming banquets were also held separately, as if they were keeping to themselves.

It's clear that neither side wants to completely break off relations.

A tacit understanding maintains a delicate balance.

"...It seems like everyone is waiting for something."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Naturally, we'll wait until their respective lords are determined."

Whoever has the greater advantage will control Tianyue County. They probably didn't expect someone to seize power so quickly, securing the support of all four counties in one fell swoop; the remaining four counties are likely already in their grasp. However, it's currently unclear which rebel faction Zhang Boyuan belongs to, and Xu Jin didn't mention this in his communications with them.

The night is still and late, the bright moon shines like water.

The registrar and his men braved the wind and snow to secretly go to the prefect's house.

dong dong dong-

A rhythmic knocking sound entered the dark room, startling the sleeping couple in bed. The prefect was the first to awaken, propping himself up on his elbows and listening intently to discern the slightest movement. His wife, who was beside him, also woke up and tried to get up, but the prefect stopped her with a gesture.

"Who's outside?"

"It's a colleague. You go to sleep first, I'll go out and take a look."

The prefectural magistrate reassured her husband not to worry, then groped in the dark to take off her clothes and put them on. Her husband insisted on getting up to light the oil lamp, gave her a few words of advice, and then lay back down. The prefectural magistrate tightened his collar with one hand and opened the door for the uninvited guests before anyone else was awakened.

Upon opening the door, the prefect saw several familiar faces.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Despite saying this, he still stepped aside to gesture for them to come inside. The group, led by the registrar, told the other party about their agreed-upon plan and kept pleading, "Lord Chancellor, you must help us! Without you, this matter will be difficult to accomplish."

The prefectural magistrate, however, did not believe these explanations.

If he were truly that important, would these cunning old foxes have conspired before seeking his advice? They're just trying to drag him down with them. The prefect lit the oil lamp in the room before sitting down, pulling out his excuse that he was still suffering from a cold.

The registrar said, "Lord Chancellor—"

The prefect waved his hand: "Your plan is fine."

The registrar said awkwardly, "The current problem is how to subdue these two groups. We've considered several methods, but none seem reliable. After much thought, we'd like to ask for your advice, Your Excellency. If Your Excellency..."

The prefectural magistrate did not agree.

In the flickering candlelight, his face even showed a hint of indifference and impatience.

The registrar and his men exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and performed a deep bow.

The prefectural magistrate quickly stepped aside, asking, "What are you doing?"

The registrar said, "Although we are afraid of death, we still have some conscience and cannot bear to see the people of the prefecture suffer from the ravages of war again. The threat posed by these three bandit groups is too great and must be nipped in the bud, otherwise—not to mention our families, even the magistrate will find it difficult to escape."

"The world's affairs are in turmoil, beyond human control; all schemes and plans will ultimately amount to nothing..." The prefect understood this, which is why he conceived the idea of ​​giving up and lying low, only wanting to take care of his family and live peacefully for as long as possible. "When heaven and earth collapse, when war smoke obscures the sun, even kings and generals become skeletons exposed in the wilderness..."

The registrar retorted angrily, "Does the Chancellor not know that human will can overcome nature?"

This prefectural magistrate was younger than most of the people in the prefectural government. None of them said anything, but the prefectural magistrate was the first to express his feelings.

If everyone did that, they might as well wash their necks clean, and when the rebels came, they would put their necks under the rebels' knives, and when the bandits came, they would put their necks under the bandits' knives... Why bother struggling to live?

The prefect did not answer, but only sneered.

The registrar and the others looked a little embarrassed upon seeing this.

In retrospect, for the past six months or so, the Prefectural Assistant has been diligently acting as the Prefectural Governor. While not outstanding, he has at least stabilized the situation. However, the Prefectural Assistant is, after all, a Prefectural Assistant, not the Prefectural Governor, and is also subject to the Three Mutual Relationships Law, as he is not a local resident.

Not being a local means you don't have much of a foothold in the area.

With the death of his largest ally, the prefect, the prefectural magistrate had lost his political allies. As soon as the chaos of the seasons began, the prefectural magistrate immediately hosted a banquet and sent invitations to all the families, hoping they would consider the bigger picture and generously contribute. Since many of the officials in the prefectural government came from wealthy local families, the prefectural magistrate thought the matter would not be difficult to handle. Even if he could not raise enough money and grain, he could still solve the immediate crisis.

The results of it?

Xu Jin felt so frustrated back then, and the Prefectural Magistrate feels just as frustrated now.

The negotiations had finally made progress, but the clerks from various families betrayed the prefect. They had to see each other every day while on duty, and they all pretended to be nonchalant. The prefect became more and more angry.

Now I understand why the former prefect died with worries.

Even the prefectural magistrate was so angry he almost died.

The prefect glanced at the group of people who had come to visit late at night, and seeing no one who might betray him, he felt a slight sense of relief. The silence was broken by a noise outside—a man wearing a winter coat. The prefect hadn't expected her husband to still be awake.

What are you doing here?

The husband said, "I feel a little flustered."

Prefectural Magistrate: "We are discussing official business."

The registrar hurriedly asked, "Master, how have you been lately?"

The Prefectural Magistrate immediately glared at the old man, but the Registrar ignored him. The Prefectural Magistrate's husband ran a private school in the area, providing early childhood education. In order to cultivate a good relationship with the Prefectural Magistrate, the Registrar also arranged for his grandchildren to attend the private school instead of the clan school.

"Everything is fine."

The registrar said, "My grandson misses his teacher very much. He was still talking about him yesterday. I wonder when he will reopen the private school?"

The prefectural magistrate tapped his fingers on the table, forcing the registrar to look over.

Does the old man think she doesn't exist?

The registrar chuckled again, his eyes fixed on the man, hoping he would intercede on their behalf. They were all colleagues who had worked together for years; it wasn't worth letting such a small conflict escalate to this point. They had already distanced themselves from those petty people. The Prefect couldn't afford to abandon his colleagues because of a few villains. The Prefect saw through this perfectly and smiled wryly again.

"Don't drag unrelated people into this."

The husband sighed, "How can I be considered an unrelated person? You're talking about official business, but we're not on duty here, nor are we in the government office, and you're discussing matters concerning the weather and people's livelihoods... If this natural disaster doesn't end soon, when will the sound of students reading aloud be heard again in the private school?"

Jun Cheng: "..."

After a while, she gave in and said, "Let's go back to sleep."

The registrar and the others all kept their heads down and didn't look at the couple.

The fact that the Chancellor is afraid of outsiders is not a recent development.

After the man left, the prefectural magistrate said, "What's the point of saying that!"

The registrar hurriedly replied with a smile, "Your Excellency is truly righteous!"

Jun Cheng: "..."

Don't think she was unaware of the trouble she'd caused last time; this old man had been stirring things up behind the scenes. But since it wasn't a direct confrontation, and the registrar's clan had contributed a considerable amount of grain, the prefect couldn't openly retaliate. He could only suppress his anger and avert his gaze.

The group agreed on a time to take action.

The next day, the prefect recovered from his illness.

Even though she was mentally prepared, seeing the two prefects both holding their appointment certificates still made her lips twitch involuntarily. These two knew of each other's presence; weren't they embarrassed? What embarrassed her even more was that the two sent people to ask for the prefect's seal one after the other.

Jun Cheng: "..."

Just cut it in half and send it over.

The prefectural magistrate cursed the registrar and his men inwardly, and tried to find an excuse to send them away. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, one of them actually took the initiative to visit him.

"Does Your Excellency know Xie Ruxin?"

The prefectural magistrate was taken aback and carefully examined the man's appearance.

Those who can become officials are all good-looking, and this young man is quite handsome, but she couldn't find a trace of familiarity on his face, so he shouldn't be an old friend or a relative of an old friend.

How do you know about Senior Xie?

Xie Shu was a bit older than the Prefectural Magistrate.

It's been many years since we last met.

"She was the chief strategist for the Duke of Qin, and we were colleagues."

The prefect knew immediately that the other party was trying to get closer to Xie Shu, but he never expected that Xie Shu would actually follow a traitor.

"How have you been lately, Senior Xie?"

"The strategist has been so worried about the war situation lately that he has lost his appetite."

The prefectural magistrate thought to himself: "Working with a man like Qin Huang, Xie Shu is lucky to even have an appetite; she can barely eat."

At the same time, I couldn't help but sigh.

Why did Xie Shu have to help Qin Huang? It was a waste of talent. After all, the other party had come under the guise of an old friend, and the prefectural magistrate also showed appropriate friendliness, asking the other party for advice on matters concerning the prefecture.

After a long while, the two sides became quite friendly.

Three days passed in this way.

The prefectural magistrate would occasionally reveal the current predicament of Tianyue County to the two of them.

Although she approved of the registrar's plan to use one enemy to devour another, Zhang Yang wasn't around, so she couldn't judge his true character. On the other hand, the two people nearby could observe him secretly. If they showed any pity for the people of Tianyue, she could modify the plan slightly—just Xie Shu alone was worth the risk.

only--

disappointing.

The two listened without offering any opinion, uttering many beautiful words of pity, but when it came to actually doing something, they both chose to ignore it. When the prefect subtly suggested writing a letter to Xie Shu to ask if his lord, Qin Huang, could borrow some grain, he evaded the question.

The prefectural magistrate sneered inwardly.

Good, good, good, this is a master that only takes in and doesn't give out!

Their already negative impression of Qin Huang worsened.

Prefectural Magistrate: "I just hope Xu Jiusi wasn't lying—"

I took a deep breath and made up my mind completely.

The registrar and his entourage made a wise move by seeking help from the prefectural magistrate, as she was indeed the most suitable person to intervene in a prefecture lacking military strength. The prefectural magistrate was a being possessed by a celestial being descended to wrath, a being with twofold madness.

Unlike other celestial afflictions, the burden of the "Foolish Ghost" is much smaller on the prefect, and it can even have a positive effect.

A mad ghost is someone who is so obsessed with something that they forget about life and death.

A moderate degree of obsession is not a big deal, but excessive obsession can lead to dementia and lethargy. The stronger the obsession in one's mind, the more severe the impact.

Throughout history, conspiracies and schemes have always been inseparable from banquets and meetings.

The prefectural magistrate had gained the trust of the two men over the past few days, and had hosted many banquets for them during that time. Naturally, this banquet did not arouse any suspicion.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, people gathered for a lively gathering.

After everyone had enjoyed themselves to the fullest, it was late at night. Everyone was slightly tipsy. The man Qin Huang had sent had just gotten up, his steps unsteady, while the other man was slightly better off. The prefect also feigned drunkenness, slurring his words as he ordered the two men to be taken back to their lodgings.

After the person had left, she wiped her face, her expression instantly returning to clarity. The registrar and the others exchanged knowing glances with her.

After everyone left, only leftover food remained in the hall.

The prefectural magistrate picked up the wine he had not yet finished drinking.

He took a sip and hummed a festive folk tune from his hometown.

May you all have sweet dreams.

To be able to become engrossed in something you love, isn't that a wonderful dream?

In the dead of night, deafening snores echoed from both sides of the prefectural government building, rising and falling intermittently, occasionally punctuated by chuckles. The registrar and others cautiously led their men over and bound them all tightly: "Lord Chancellor, how long do you expect these people to wake up?"

"It depends on how strong their willpower is."

Those with strong willpower are less likely to be seduced and become addicted.

Those with weak willpower wish they could just die in their dreams.

"It's a pity we couldn't break their arms and legs, otherwise..."

The prefect glanced at the ruthless and vicious old clerk, "Don't delay, let's get going."

"Will they be able to break free when they wake up?"

The Prefect said, "It's alright, I added an extra medicine."

The dosage is sufficient to ensure they cannot use their magic for several days.

The registrar still felt uneasy after hearing this.

He huddled together with the others, whispering amongst themselves. Then, the prefect saw his colleagues pry open the mouths of those who had pledged their allegiance with one hand, while pouring medicinal powder into their mouths with the other.

"Stop feeding him. Every medicine has its side effects. What if he dies?" The prefectural magistrate couldn't bear to watch any longer and quietly stopped his colleagues from their reckless behavior. Before setting off, the prefectural magistrate specifically instructed, "Try to spare Qin Huang's life."

Why?

"He will massacre the city."

That was a ruthless man who even slaughtered his own hometown.

"Okay, I've got it."

The group sneaked out of the city under cover of night and headed straight for Zhang Yang.

??|??w?`)

I washed the cherries so many times, but I still got diarrhea after eating them, yet I still want to eat them...