Dress up as a sickly person to capture the villain princess!

"Miss, if you are going to go down, please wear more clothes."

Chunni was a little nervous. She looked at the high platform where three executioners stood, all of them strong men.

He was bare-chested in the cold wind, with a red silk ribbon tied on his head, and his rough hands gripped the handle of the sword, without moving.

"Well, put it on."

After hearing the young lady's instructions, Chunni immediately put on the cloak in her hand. She tied it up carefully, not daring to make any mistakes.

Fortunately, the young lady was wearing a close-fitting soft armor given by His Majesty, so ordinary hidden weapons would not easily hurt her.

"I'll go meet them."

Xia Zhiyuan knew what was going on. A circle of shadow guards wearing black armor had already been standing next to the ring. They formed a circle with knives in hand and did not allow anyone to get close.

The masked shadow guards had fierce looks in their eyes, which had a very intimidating effect. As a result, although the streets on both sides of the vegetable market were crowded, no one dared to run into the edge of the knife.

"I didn't kill anyone! I didn't kill anyone...ah!"

A disheveled man in prison uniform was pushed out. His hands and body were tied like a dumpling, but he kept howling without stopping for a moment.

There were two particularly obvious tear marks on his dirty cheeks. He kept crying and refused to go on stage.

What kind of bullshit is it that a man has gold under his knees? In the face of life and death, he kneels more skillfully than anyone else, wishing he could lick someone else's boots and beg for mercy.

"Shut up. Whether you killed someone or not is a matter that will be decided by the imperial officials!"

The detectives, with stern faces, dragged the burly man to the ring. Looking at the shining swords, the man felt dizzy and dark.

The soles of my feet were as soft as mud and I couldn't even stand up.

"Everyone, keep quiet! The imperial officials are here! Who dares to make a noise?"

The shadow guards in black armor led the way. There was a clang sound, and in an instant, the noisy street became quiet.

He drew out his ink-black long knife, looking so majestic that the timid fishermen all squatted down with their heads in their hands, not daring to watch any further.

He was afraid that the sharp blade would appear on his neck in the next second and take off his head.

"My fellow citizens, I believe you have all been looking forward to this day for a long time, right?"

Xia Zhiyuan spoke slowly and walked out from behind the shadow guards. The shadow guards who were originally aggressive now bowed to Xia Zhiyuan one after another.

The people who were watching the excitement were confused for a moment and didn't quite understand what was going on and how a weak woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Sir, time is running out, so let's start early."

When the county magistrate saw Xia Zhiyuan getting off the carriage, he immediately came forward to try to please him. His move almost made the onlookers start to speculate.

Could it be that this weak woman is the imperial official who has been making headlines recently?

Their suspicions were not groundless. If he was not an official appointed by the imperial court, why would the snobbish county magistrate go to such great lengths to please this frail woman?

"No hurry, I have a few words to say to the people of Xizhou City, so that I can feel at ease."

Xia Zhiyuan walked to the front of the ring. The cold wind blew her cloak and her hair was ruffled, but Xia Zhiyuan was not afraid at all. Even Chunni's attempt to hold an umbrella for her was stopped.

"Before I came here, His Majesty told me that Xizhou City is not as poor as the Central Plains imagined."

Although at this moment, Xia Zhiyuan felt like a charlatan who spoke in official language and made empty promises, there was nothing he could do. People's hearts needed encouragement, so a speech was necessary.

Xia Zhiyuan did not polish what he was about to say. This was the so-called return to basics. No matter how beautifully he spoke or how elaborately he used words, the people might not be able to understand him.

The only thing she had to do was to make the people of Xizhou City believe in what she said and approve of what she did, so that the reform could be implemented.

If we only reach an agreement with the top government officials, then even if the reform plan is successfully implemented, it will not be smoothly integrated into the people.

On the contrary, it will backfire and bring about numerous obstacles.

"I have been here for some time, and only now do I believe that what Your Majesty said is indeed true and not a lie to me."

"Xizhou City is built along the coast. We can build salt fields, open trade ports, and trade with nearby foreign countries."

"Given time, it will surely become famous and everyone will be rich."

Some people were moved to tears after hearing what Xia Zhiyuan said, especially the vendors doing small business along the street. They could read and write, do some math, and knew the prices of daily necessities in the market.

Of course, salt is the most expensive of these.

However, in Xizhou City, the price of salt is not the most expensive, but the price of oil is ridiculously high.

If they can break the blockade and start trade, the prices in Xizhou City will probably become much more normal, and they can also sell the dried sea fish that have been piling up for a long time, and maybe even make a profit by transporting them to the Central Plains.

Some people are excited, and naturally some people are disappointed.

Anyone can say such empty words, right? When the county magistrate first took office, he was ambitious and did a few good things, but he became corrupt in just a few years.

The twists and turns in government are as deep as the seabed and moat. Reform cannot be achieved just by saying so. Nothing is so simple in this world.

What's more, the woman standing in front of them was so frail that if the sea breeze was stronger, it would blow her to the ground.

"Every old master who has taken office says so. Why should we believe you?"

Shouts broke out from the crowd. The man took advantage of hiding deep in the crowd to express his resentment and dissatisfaction. His questioning naturally resonated with the people of Xizhou City, and they echoed him one after another, as if they wanted to get an explanation today.

"Yes! Why should we trust you!"

"Why!"

The embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in the ant nest.

Xia Zhiyuan understood this simple truth. She looked at the noisy crowd quietly, and saw a crow-like figure riding a horse towards her in the distance.

The sound of horse hooves ticking was incessant.

Di Ping straightened his body and reined in his horse. The brown horse raised its hooves, which frightened the group of ordinary people so much that a path was cleared on the crowded avenue.

"Greetings to Master Zhiyuan!"

She dismounted, but unexpectedly she would meet Xia Zhiyuan on the way back to the county government office, and behind Di Ping was Zhao Yihan.

Zhao Yihan blinked and looked at Xia Zhiyuan standing in front of him with some disbelief. The two had not seen each other for a long time, probably half a year.

"I've met the princess."

According to etiquette, Xia Zhiyuan should bow to Zhao Yihan, so when she was about to bow, Zhao Yihan seemed to be in a hurry to distance himself from her and waved his hand to refuse.

She said, "You don't have to be like this... Why are you being so polite to me?"