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Chapter 122: Chapter 85: Fairy, Don’t Be Impulsive

This had indeed gone abnormally smoothly.

”Where are they?”

”They left about an hour ago. They’re probably on their way back to Huangjing County now.”

”What are their names? Are they who they say they are?”

”The man leading them was named Chen Guan, the Registration Official from Huangjing County. I’ve met him several times; his identity is definitely real. It’s my fault, all my fault. How could I not have seen this coming?”

”Hmph!”

Kan Luotang immediately mounted her horse. Before bringing her whip down, she glanced at the Li Zheng’s regretful face and quickly said, ”Don’t blame yourself. This matter isn’t your fault.”

With that, she whipped her horse into a gallop and sped toward Huangjing County.

「An hour later.」

She finally arrived at the gates of Huangjing County.

The city gate guards all recognized her and let her pass without making her dismount.

Her presence attracted many of the city’s residents. The moment they heard Fairy Luotang had arrived, they rushed to spread the word, and a crowd quickly formed behind her.

They followed her all the way to the entrance of the County Government Office.

”THUD!”

Kan Luotang leaped from her horse, grabbed the mallet, and began striking the bell. DONG! DONG! DONG!

As she struck it, she shouted, ”Governor Zheng, Kan Luotang requests an audience!”

The moment that sound was heard, an official in a Fifth-Grade Official Uniform hurried out from within the County Government Office. It was none other than the Prefect of Huangjing County, Zheng Huo.

When Zheng Huo saw it was Kan Luotang, he immediately clasped his hands in a warm greeting. ”Ah, Fairy Luotang! I wonder what brings you here so suddenly... Is there...”

”DONG! DONG! DONG!”

Kan Luotang ignored him, continuing to strike the Injustice Bell.

Zheng Huo’s expression stiffened in displeasure. He lowered his voice and said, ”Fairy Luotang, we can discuss whatever it is inside. It is not good to strike the Injustice Bell excessively.”

The ringing continued, showing no sign of stopping.

Furthermore, since people had already been gathering to catch a glimpse of Fairy Luotang, a large crowd soon filled the area before the government office. They all stared at Kan Luotang in curiosity, wondering why she was striking the Injustice Bell.

When she saw that a sufficient crowd had gathered, Kan Luotang finally asked, ”Lord Zheng, did a Registration Official by the name of Chen Guan bring the rosters back today?”

Hearing this, Zheng Huo instantly understood her purpose.

He smiled and asked, ”The rosters? Is Fairy Luotang referring to the rosters for the Emperor’s Gift Pills being distributed by the Tenth Prince? If those are the ones, then Chen Guan did indeed already hand them over to me.”

Hmm?

Kan Luotang was startled and suspicious. She hadn’t entered the Government Office and had kept striking the bell precisely to prevent Zheng Huo from placating her with empty words.

Based on her understanding of the Northern Three Prefectures, she had a strong feeling that a major problem was brewing.

But judging by Zheng Huo’s reaction...

’Could I have misjudged him?’

”However...”

Zheng Huo’s tone suddenly shifted. ”However, it was not today, but yesterday. I already forwarded the rosters to the Qingyang Prefect last night. If my information is correct, the pills should have all been distributed by this morning.”

Kan Luotang was speechless.

Her vision went dark when she heard his words.

’The rosters were only taken away today, yet you handed them over to Qingyang County yesterday?’

’And the pills were all distributed this morning? Then what in the world is in my satchel?’

She had expected there to be a problem, but she never imagined these people would be so outrageously bold!

’This is going to be a disaster!’

Kan Luotang glanced back at the confused crowd, then at Zheng Huo, whose smile never faded. She desperately wanted to yank the real rosters from her satchel, throw them in his face, and have a proper confrontation.

But right now, she was more concerned about the fate of those five thousand pills.

’It might not be too late.’

’If I don’t hurry...’

She didn’t know whose hands the five thousand pills would end up in.

But she knew one thing for certain: not a single one of the thousands of young people named on the nine rosters she possessed would receive any.

She shot Zheng Huo a furious glare and leaped onto her horse.

”Lord Zheng, I’ll return in a few days!”

”I shall await your return, Fairy!”

Zheng Huo, however, wasn’t the least bit flustered. He knew perfectly well that all the Emperor wanted was a reputation for being compassionate toward the common folk, as well as the loyalty of his officials.

Whether the pills actually ended up in the hands of those useless commoners was something the Emperor wouldn’t care much about.

Even if the Emperor were genuinely displeased, he would never blame the hardworking and highly accomplished prefects of the Northern Three Prefectures.

Otherwise, based on their private, illicit dealings alone, the prefects of the Northern Three Prefectures would have been beheaded more than a dozen times over by now.

As for offending Kan Luotang, he couldn’t care less. While Kan Tianji was highly respected, he held no real power. His reach didn’t extend this far.

He just hadn’t expected Kan Luotang to react so quickly.

He had originally planned to have all the rosters collected secretly, then substitute in the fake ones after the pills had been distributed.

That way, even if the scheme were discovered later, he could easily find some unlucky scapegoat to take all the blame.

He just never expected Kan Luotang to sniff out the scheme ahead of time.

’These officials’ kids are such a nuisance!’

”YAH!”

Kan Luotang suppressed the urge to fly into a rage, spurring her horse out of the city.

Her rational mind told her she couldn’t afford to waste any more time here.

As long as the pills hadn’t all been distributed, there was still hope of fixing things.

’If only Zhao Ci can figure out the scheme in time.’

’But he has no connections here. Is that even possible?’

’It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t been so concerned with avoiding gossip and just came with him from the start, none of this would be happening.’

’Kan Luotang, you’re so stupid!’

Her eyes grew red, but she didn’t dare let herself wallow in self-recrimination. She focused all her attention on riding, even feeding her horse a few Qi Cultivation Pills to make it go faster.

...

「Qingyang County.」

「At the crack of dawn.」

”BANG!”

”BANG!”

”BANG!”

The frantic, unrestrained knocking made Zhao Ci’s head buzz.

He rubbed his head and sat up. ”Who is it?!”

Zhang Delv’s excited voice came from outside the door. ”Your Highness, Your Highness! All the rosters from the Northern Three Prefectures have arrived! The people on them have been gathered north of the city, just as you requested. You can start distributing the pills now!”

Oh?

’Just a few days ago, when I went out with you guys, you were all so enthusiastic about demonstrating what it means to be ’busy’ at a snail’s pace.’

’And now, after such a short time, not only are the rosters compiled and delivered, but you’ve brought all the people here too?’

’Do you really think I’m some kind of naive fool?’