The mistress just wanted to be bad, but she took off after being replaced

This shout was like a hammer that broke the ice, instantly breaking the silence at the scene and attracting a large number of people watching around to nod in agreement.

In their eyes, no matter who sits in the official position, the most important thing is whether this official can truly listen to the people's sufferings and sincerely help them solve their problems.

Various legends about Madam Pei began to spread among the crowd. Although she was a woman, she possessed the mysterious power to predict the future.

These discussions grew more and more intense like a bonfire. The scholars who were originally dissatisfied and full of complaints were now infected by this fiery public opinion. They quietly put away the sarcasm on their lips, and their eyes showed a bit more admiration and expectation.

The night deepens and the sky is dotted with stars.

Prime Minister Pei ended a busy day and stepped into the gate of his mansion.

He usually has a serious face, but at this moment his face is filled with uncontrollable joy.

That smile almost made people forget that he was once a formidable court official.

Zhang was a little surprised when she saw this: "Master, why are you so happy today? I thought you would be furious because you failed the imperial examination."

Prime Minister Pei smiled heartily and replied, "Weier has won the favor of His Majesty and has soared to the sky. Isn't this a major event worth celebrating?"

"Yeah, that's true." Zhang responded softly, but a hint of imperceptible worry still flashed across her brows.

She knew very well that her husband had high hopes for his eldest son. Now that the second son had made such a big splash, it was inevitable that the eldest son's situation would become even more embarrassing.

She glanced at her husband, only to see that he seemed to have seen through her thoughts. He snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "As for that rebellious son... I had expected that he would fail this time. According to my estimation, he should have failed the exam."

Although he was the chief examiner for selecting talents for the imperial court, Prime Minister Pei always adhered to fairness. In order to ensure the fairness of the examination, he had never been exposed to any test questions in advance.

It was not until the crucial imperial examination was over that he was able to extricate himself from the complicated affairs and learned a piece of news that surprised him.

His Majesty the Deputy Examiner actually changed some of the test questions at the last minute.

And this sudden change actually has a subtle connection with Sheng Junwei.

Zhang sat aside, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, obviously confused by this sudden turn of events: "How could such a big thing as changing the test questions involve our Wei'er?"

Prime Minister Pei looked at the falling autumn leaves outside the window and sighed: "Do you still remember the time when Duke Dingguo went to Sanma Village to rescue the abducted women and children?"

Zhang nodded slightly. She naturally remembered that the incident had shocked the court and the public for a time, and Duke Dingguo was therefore praised as a chivalrous and courageous hero.

"Everyone knows that Duke Dingguo bravely saved people from disaster, but few people know that Sanma Village and several surrounding villages are actually a well-organized human trafficking base hidden in a paradise." Prime Minister Pei said in a low voice.

These villages are remote and extremely poor, and no decent women from the surrounding areas are willing to marry into them.

Although there are occasional intermarriages between women in the village, the number of women is extremely rare due to the deep-rooted concept of favoring boys over girls.

Faced with the issue of continuing the family bloodline, some brothers have no choice but to choose to marry one wife together. However, those men who do not want to share a wife but cannot find suitable partners locally turn their attention to the outside world and buy wives from other places through illegal means.

This is a cruel fact. After decades of dark times, thousands of women and children were abducted here!

Among them, there are not only daughters of ordinary farmers, but also daughters of wealthy businessmen and officials.

Zhang was shocked when she heard this. Her eyes were filled with astonishment and sorrow. "How could this happen? Did the local government know nothing about this? Didn't anyone go to look for the families who lost their children?"

Prime Minister Pei shook his head helplessly, his eyes revealing deep compassion: "It's not that no one noticed, but the conspiracy behind it is far deeper than we imagined. Ordinary people may be powerless to fight against this evil force, but some powerful families, relying on their own strong power, can always find clues. However, whenever the clues are traced to Sanma Village and its surroundings, it is like hitting an invisible wall, and all investigations will be in vain in an instant."

"Human trafficking there has formed a complete and closed industrial chain. No matter who is traced here from other places, whether they are civilians or government officials, they will be jointly covered up and obstructed by local forces."

Prime Minister Pei's words were like a sharp blade in the cold wind, cutting through the calm surface.

In addition, Sanma Village and its neighboring villages are hidden among the mountains, like a natural barrier. Without the guidance of local people, outsiders would find it difficult to find their exact location even if they spend their entire lives.

Prime Minister Pei sighed again: "If Duke Dingguo had not personally led his army into the tiger's den with the force of thunder, those suffering women would probably never be freed and could only struggle in the dark life."

The word "rescue" seems to be so light and weightless when it is spoken lightly by ordinary people. However, only those who have witnessed the sufferings of the world can truly understand the thrill and helplessness behind these two words.

At this moment, Zhang finally understood why Sheng Junwei did not speak directly when talking about the whereabouts of Old Madam Jin, but instead cleverly used Han Yue'er's topic to guide everyone's attention to Sanma Village, a seemingly insignificant place.

Prime Minister Pei nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with approval and love: "Wei'er is a kind-hearted girl with extraordinary wisdom. It is a blessing for our Pei family to have her."

Today's Great Sheng Empire has long since washed away the prejudice and resistance against women's involvement in politics a hundred years ago, presenting a new atmosphere of inclusiveness.

With her extraordinary wisdom and sincere desire to serve the people, she won the unanimous recognition of Duke Dingguo and Marquis Anping.

Therefore, Prime Minister Pei and the other two came together to make a suggestion and solemnly recommended Wei'er to His Majesty.

Your Majesty took this very seriously when he heard it.

Therefore, a decisive decision was made to temporarily adjust the theme of the imperial examination from the original "People and Food" to the more realistic and warning "People and Officials", aiming to make scholars all over the world think deeply about the true nature of the relationship between officials and the people.

On the eve of this series of events, Prime Minister Pei had a conversation with his talented son Pei Yu in his study.

Prime Minister Pei looked far-sighted: "In short, Wei'er is the star of blessing bestowed by God on our Xiangfu. I have a strong premonition that it is because of her existence that our Xiangfu will continue its glory for a hundred years, and the Du family will also proudly step into the ranks of the noble century-old families."

At the same time, Sheng Junwei, who was completely unaware of all this, was alone in her boudoir, concentrating on examining the heavy official seal in her hand.

The intricate patterns and majestic words engraved on the official seal reflected on her beautiful face, causing her originally pretty face to frown.