Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Reaching a secluded spot, Emperor Jing said, "Speak, what private matter do you wish to discuss with me alone?"

Fang Zheng Yi gaped, unsure how to begin.

Before he could speak, a figure darted from the doorway and stood before Fang Zheng Yi.

Emperor Jing and Fang Zheng Yi were both stunned.

Seeing it was a minor official from the Bureau of Investigation, Fang Zheng Yi asked, "What is it?"

The minor official hesitated, glancing at Emperor Jing.

Fang Zheng Yi said, "It's fine, there are no outsiders here. Speak freely!"

The minor official clasped his fist in salute and said, "Lord Fang, I have found the information you asked me to investigate."

"Information? Speak," Fang Zheng Yi said, utterly confused. He didn't remember asking anyone to investigate anything.

Emperor Jing watched silently as the minor official immediately said, "I checked the records, and since the establishment of our Great Jing Dynasty, a total of thirty-four death-exemption tokens have been issued, of which twenty people died due to their crimes."

"Oh... I misspoke, not twenty people, but twenty families, their entire families were killed."

Damn! Why is your mouth so fast!

The expression on Fang Zheng Yi's face gradually solidified, the color slowly draining away... His neck stiffly turned towards Emperor Jing.

A face as black as the bottom of a pot came into view....

Fang Zheng Yi guiltily turned his head, staring at the minor official with murderous intent, gritting his teeth as he said, "Understood... You may leave..."

Thirty-four people, twenty dead, and their entire families killed! That's a mortality rate of over fifty percent, it's terrifying!

This matter isn't anything yet, the most important thing is that the Emperor heard it!

No need to wait until I commit a crime in the future, I might as well commit suicide now.

"Your Majesty... Ah... Ah, your subject... was just curious... I asked someone to investigate, but there was no other intention."

Fang Zheng Yi was covered in sweat, he didn't dare make up lies now, it was impossible to continue.

"Fang Zheng Yi, your curiosity is quite strong?" Emperor Jing's face turned from black to green, his chest heaving.

Is this how the court officials view the death-exemption token now!

"What do you take the death-exemption token I bestowed upon you for! Why are you being so cautious! Are you afraid I will kill you!" Emperor Jing burst into anger.

"Your subject just wanted to understand the history of the death-exemption token...."

"Stop trying to be clever in front of me! Since I ascended the throne, I have not killed a single official with a death-exemption token. What do you take me for? Am I a murderous ruler in your eyes?!" Emperor Jing became increasingly angry.

He always calls me 'Qing' affectionately when nothing is happening, but it's just 'Fang Zheng Yi' when something is wrong.

Fang Zheng Yi twitched his lips.

Haven't killed one yet? There's one in prison right now, who's about to die!

If I don't beg for mercy, my entire family will probably die.

"Your Majesty, your subject has no other intention... It really was just curiosity." Fang Zheng Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Your subject was even planning to enshrine the token and bring honor to my ancestors."

The group of people not far away saw Emperor Jing actually arguing with him, and couldn't help but snicker.

The flatterer has failed, interesting!

Emperor Jing took several deep breaths to calm his emotions: "Return the token I bestowed upon you, I won't give it to you anymore!"

"Your subject will send it to the palace tomorrow..."

"Dare you!"

"......"

Emperor Jing heavily patted Fang Zheng Yi's shoulder, causing him pain.

He said loudly, "In what way have I wronged you, that you are so worried all day long. I have always treated people with sincerity, if you do not betray me, I will not betray you!"

Fang Zheng Yi chuckled twice: "Your subject thinks so too... But this time it really was just curiosity, your subject has always been open and honest, does Your Majesty not believe your subject?"

Emperor Jing snorted: "I believe you, I believe you very much, I will pretend this never happened. If there is anything like this again in the future, don't blame me..."

He wanted to habitually say 'merciless', but thinking about how the death-exemption token already stinks, Emperor Jing changed his tone: "Don't blame me for deducting your salary!"

Fang Zheng Yi: "......"

What is it called using a tough tone to say the softest words, this is it. Do I lack that little bit of salary?

Fang Zheng Yi breathed a sigh of relief: "Your subject is ashamed."

"What private matter do you want to talk about, hurry up and say it, I'm going to see Zhang Shi."

After such a commotion, Fang Zheng Yi simply threw caution to the wind!

After briefly tidying himself up, he respectfully said to Emperor Jing: "Your Majesty once promised your subject something. Your subject and Princess Consort are deeply in love, please grant us marriage."

Emperor Jing's eyes widened, full of disbelief.

"How do you manage to be so thick-skinned? I just finished speaking, how can you have the nerve to say such things?"

"Your subject is not one to hide things, Your Majesty is enlightened, so your subject naturally says what he has to say."

Emperor Jing was silent, and sighed softly, "You really are persistent."

"Then does Your Majesty agree or not?" Fang Zheng Yi asked slightly nervously.

"What do you say?" Emperor Jing asked in return.

What do I say? The Emperor's will is unpredictable, if I could guess accurately, would I be eagerly asking? Always dangling me like this!

Fang Zheng Yi gritted his teeth and said: "How old is your subject already, still single! Your subject is twenty-six in real age, twenty-seven in nominal age, almost twenty-eight, and practically twenty-nine."

"Your subject feels that he is getting old, can't sleep soundly at night, and is dizzy when working! Having lived to this point, your subject is not afraid to make a fool of himself in front of Your Majesty!"

"Since Your Majesty promised, you cannot go back on your word!"

You didn't count to sixty years old, you shameless thing!

You want to marry a wife, so I have to marry off my daughter?

Emperor Jing tremblingly pointed at him, his face flushed red: "I'm not your father, why are you talking so much nonsense!"

Fang Zheng Yi lowered his head and said nothing.

The two were silent, the atmosphere unusually awkward.

After a long time, Emperor Jing sighed: "This is the third time, you are so sincere, I could have agreed to you, but...."

"But what?" Fang Zheng Yi quickly asked.

"But, today I am very angry, I need to consider it further, and see how you perform in the future." After saying that, Emperor Jing turned and left.

The courtiers who came to escort the Emperor followed, many of them looking at Fang Zheng Yi with strange eyes.

They saw Fang Zheng Yi standing there with a frown.

This father-in-law is really hard to deal with, I have no experience from my previous life... Are they all so hard to deal with?

He already agreed, but he's still being coy...

But at least I confirmed that there's a chance! It's just about performing well, in my previous life I didn't learn anything else, but I knew how to perform in front of the leaders!

I'll find an opportunity to arrange something for him!

As the crowd dispersed, Li Yuan Zhao mysteriously approached and asked: "Old Fang, what happened just now? I saw that you seemed to be scolded by Father Emperor."

"His Majesty said that I didn't teach you well, that you are always playing around outside and not studying," Fang Zheng Yi said, in a bad mood, making up a sentence.

"Why is he criticizing me again! I'm going to reason with him!" Li Yuan Zhao didn't think when he heard this, and hurriedly followed.

After Li Yuan Zhao left, Zhao Lie strode over and asked: "Master, what are the arrangements for later?"

"Later? You guys train peacefully first. These chiliarchs are not very obedient. I will break you up and assign you to various chiliarch units to help me closely monitor them. Report any unruly behavior in a timely manner."

"I'll take you to meet the people in the Embroidered Uniform Guard first..."

......

As the sun set, Fang Zheng Yi dragged his tired body back home.

He had been busy all day today, and had worried a lot. Those chiliarchs had a lot of ruffian habits, and they were fine in front of him.

If they returned to their respective chiliarch units, who knows what they would do.

The East Depot's reputation is already very bad. It is common for them to extort money from merchants and shops. The Embroidered Uniform Guard under his rule must never go down this old path!

He still needs to train them slowly later.

Just as he was lying on a deck chair in the courtyard to rest, Xiao Tao greeted him: "Young Master, you're finally back. Something strange happened at home today."

"Many people came to give you gifts, including people from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and other places I don't understand... The gift list is here."

As she spoke, Xiao Tao took out a gift list. Fang Zheng Yi glanced at it and saw more than a dozen familiar names recorded on it.

They were all people he saw often in the palace.

Xiao Tao continued to ask: "Young Master, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Should we return them?"

Fang Zheng Yi looked at the gift list and smiled: "Return them? No! They are showing their goodwill to me, Young Master. Accept all the gifts and store them separately. Remember to keep good statistics of the gift list, maybe one day they will turn into performance!"

It seems that saving Zhang Shi's family has already begun to have an effect....