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“Sir.”

At this moment, a short and nimble young man stepped forward with a fist salute.

“Our county yamen has just reopened, and due to the legacy of the previous magistrates, the common people might fear the yamen, having cases but daring not to enter.”

This man was Li Ming, the newly appointed constable of the yamen.

Upon taking office, Lu Xuan promoted Lu Ping to the chief registrar and chose Li Ming from the remaining yamen runners for his clean background and quick wit. After all, with Lu Ping’s slow speech, any urgent report could be fatally delayed.

Li Ming was efficient in speech and action, making him a suitable mouthpiece for Lu Ping.

“What is your suggestion on handling this matter?” Lu Xuan inquired.

“Answering the lord,” Li Ming pondered briefly, “There are definitely not a few in the city with cases to report, but they are unfamiliar with the yamen and fear to enter. When disputes arise, the parties often argue, even escalating to insults and fights, attracting many onlookers. My suggestion is to plant people among the onlookers who, at the height of the argument, will incite them to bring their case to the yamen for your judgment. It is well known that our lord possesses discerning eyes that see through all deceit. Anyone hesitant to come forth surely has a guilty conscience.”

“Select some people for this task,” Lu Xuan instructed, disregarding the flattery and nodding in agreement.

“As you command, sir,” Li Ming bowed with a fist.

“Lu Ping, come here,” Lu Xuan called.

“Sir?” Lu Ping approached, leaning in.

Lu Xuan whispered a few instructions in his ear.

“Do you understand what to do?”

“Sir, will… Will it work?” Lu Ping seemed a bit startled.

“Just go and do it,” Lu Xuan pointed behind him, “and draw the necessary funds from the treasury.”

“There’s… not much money needed, no need to… report it,” Lu Ping shook his head vigorously.

He was grateful enough for being promoted to chief registrar by Lu Xuan; how could he ask for money from the magistrate? Moreover, the task assigned by

Lu Xuan was minor, hardly worth the hassle of official reimbursement.

Lu Xuan was minor, hardly worth the hassle of official reimbursement.

Lu Xuan was somewhat reassured. Though he had no manpower or arms, the finances were well in hand. Thanks to the extortions of his predecessors, not only his own purse was fattened, but the yamen’s treasury was also quite substantial.

Following Lu Xuan’s order, Lu Ping departed to execute the plan.

That afternoon, a piece of news spread quickly among the local children.

A boy named Gou Dan had mistakenly wandered into the county yamen and met the Magistrate, who was working at the time. Far from punishing him, the Magistrate had given him several candies.

Naturally, the children were skeptical of this news. When asked where the candies were, Gou Dan said he had eaten them all. This response drew mockery from the other children. Annoyed, Gou Dan walked into the yamen in front of them and came out with three candies. Before their eyes, he proudly unwrapped and ate all three candies, making the other children envious.

Following this precedent, a second brave soul also stepped forward and received three candies. He told the other children that the Magistrate was very kind and smiled a lot. As long as one politely greeted the Magistrate, he would magically produce candies to reward them.

By evening, the children couldn’t resist boasting about their afternoon adventure to their parents. Although initially panicked upon hearing about their uninvited visit to the yamen, the parents relaxed upon learning that the

Magistrate had given their children candies. However, they were also puzzled. Why would a high-ranking official treat their ordinary children with such kindness?

The news spread quickly. Soon, all the nearby children and parents knew about it. From their children’s descriptions, the new Magistrate seemed to be a good man.

Consequently, locals began to appear outside the yamen, peering in curiously. Passersby, too, would glance into the open gates of the yamen. But still, they hesitated to enter.

Three days later.

Lu Xuan sat on the high seat, sipping tea.

“Report—”

An excited yamen runner burst in: “Sir, there’s a grievance outside!”

“Oh? Why didn’t they beat the drum?” asked Lu Xuan.

“It seems the petitioner is too frightened, but although they didn’t beat the drum, they did write a complaint,” the runner replied. He and another were on duty guarding the yamen gate and had encountered someone wanting to lodge a complaint.

The runner presented a folded complaint. Lu Ping hurriedly took it and handed it to Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan unfolded it and glanced over it, nodding slightly: “Go outside and beat the drum, as loudly as you can. Attract as many people as possible. I’m going to hold court and hear this case.”

“Yes, sir!” the runner responded.

“Li Ming, ” Lu Xuan called again.

“Present!” Li Ming stepped forward.

“Select a few men and bring Wang Pan, the son of the Wang family head from the south of the city. Tell him someone has accused him and he needs to come to the yamen to face the charges,” Lu Xuan instructed.

“Yes, sir!” Li Ming quickly selected some men and left the yamen.

Cheng Lingzhu, curious about the case, was handed the complaint by Lu Xuan. It detailed a child abduction case.

A wealthy man from the west of the city, Han Xian, originally from Qinghe County, had fled to Qingxian City due to the Black Lotus Sect’s rebellion. He had a six-month-old son, chubby and adorable. Last month, during the Lantern Festival, just as Han Xian was settling in Qingxian City, he took his family to see the lanterns but lost his son.

Distraught, Han Xian posted notices and offered rewards, but to no avail. Two days ago, while out on an errand, he saw someone playing with a child who was, unmistakably, his son that he had lost the previous month.

Han Xian immediately confronted the man, but the latter claimed that Han Xian was mistaken and that he was holding his master’s grandson.

This servant came from the Wang family in the south of the city, another prominent household. Wang Pan, the son of the Wang family head, claimed that the child was born to him and a concubine. He explained that the child was frail and had not been taken outside until that day, when the servant was allowed to take him out for some air.

The question of the child’s parentage led to a dispute between the two parties. In a fit of anger, Han Xian brought a complaint against Wang Pan to the yamen.

After an hour.

Li Ming returned to the yamen. “Reporting to the lord, Han Xian and Wang Pan have both been brought in.”

Lu Xuan nodded: “Bring them in.”

Two yamen runners stepped forward and called out at the entrance: “Summon

Han Xian and Wang Pan to court!”

As the drumbeats of “authority” and “martial prowess” sounded, two figures entered the hall.

Han Xian, in his thirties, was lean and slightly dark-skinned. Upon seeing Lu Xuan, he immediately knelt down and pleaded, “Please, your honor, grant justice to this commoner!”

“Insolence!” Li Ming glared at him, banging his staff to assert authority. “Did the lord allow you to speak?”

“This, this…” Han Xian hurriedly kowtowed, begging for mercy, “I am ignorant of the court procedures. Please forgive me, your honor.”

Li Ming approached Lu Xuan and bowed: “Sir, this man is concerned about his

case and unaware of the court order. It’s his first offense; please be lenient.”

Lu Xuan’s face softened slightly with amusement, thinking to himself that Li

Ming was quite clever. He nodded, “Granted.”

“Your honor’s merciful heart is admirable!” Li Ming saluted with a fist.

Wang Pan, standing next to Han Xian, showed a hint of disdain but was startled by a loud slap from the judge’s bench. “Why do you not kneel upon seeing the magistrate?”

“Ah?” Wang Pan was momentarily stunned. Having been out of touch with the yamen’s proceedings for years, he was unfamiliar with the protocol.

After a moment, Wang Pan spoke up confidently, “Your honor, my father is a core member of the Qingxian Society…”

Before he could finish, the gavel struck the bench sharply. Immediately, several yamen runners stepped forward, pressing their staffs on his shoulders.

Facing the intimidating yamen runners, Wang Pan’s heart trembled, and he slowly knelt down..