Chapter 29: The Edict's Authenticity

  Hualang said this with a hint of resentment, as if to say: You just said we were friends, but now that I suggest going to the county government office, you're making excuses and refusing to let me go. Is this what friends do?

  Hualang was emotional, Bao Zheng wasn't a fool, so he naturally heard it too. After hearing Hualang's emotions, Bao Zheng also felt that what he did wasn't very good, so he hurriedly said: "Brother Hua's words, on the first day of my appointment, I brought friends to visit, which is not good, but I have a clever plan to let you two follow me, just need to see Miss Wen's opinion."

  Hualang saw himself succeeding and hastily asked: "I don't know what clever plan Brother Bao is using?"

  Bao Zheng looked at Wen Meng and said: "Miss Wen's martial arts are unparalleled, just now she saved my life again. I want to recognize Miss Wen as my sister, do you agree?"

  Bao Zheng wanted to acknowledge Wen Meng as his younger sister, which made Wen Meng somewhat surprised. As a Jianghu person, could she recognize a county magistrate as her elder brother? Wen Meng hesitated and glanced at Hua Lang, who naturally understood the situation. He hastily spoke to Bao Zheng, "Wen Meng is fortunate to acknowledge Brother Bao as her elder, but we are ordinary civilians, won't this lead to idle gossip that we are overreaching ourselves?"

  Bao Gong heard this and said: "What nonsense is this? I asked Wen to be my sister, how can you say that's a mismatch for me?"

  Seeing Bao Zheng like this, Hua Lang hurriedly pulled Wen Meng. Wen Meng saw this and was also delighted. With an elder brother who is the county magistrate, who in Tianchang County would dare to bully her?

  "Well, in that case, little sister has already met big brother!" Wen Meng said with a bow.

  Bao Zheng was delighted and said: "Good, now follow me to the county yamen, I'm sure no one will dare say anything. Let's go!"

  After leaving the inn, they rushed to the county government office. When they arrived at the county government office, the two guards first saw Hualang and then one of them hurried in to report. Bao Zheng found this strange, how could there be a yamen coming to pass on a message before he had even identified himself?

  Before long, Zhou Ping rushed out of the county government office. He looked at Hua Lang with a cold smile: "You're quite bold, Hua Lang, daring to come to the county government office. You really are an ignorant fool."

  Hearing Zhou Ping say this, Hua Lang smiled faintly: "Lord Zhou's words are wrong, I haven't done anything illegal, why can't I come?"

  This sentence made Zhou Si Ping speechless for a moment, Hua Lang indeed did not do anything illegal, everything was because Zhou Si Ping did not trust Hua Lang and was afraid that he would reveal Zhou Ting's secret, so he resented Hua Lang.

  At this time, Zhou Siping did not notice Bao Zheng, just as he was furious, Bao Zheng suddenly said coldly: "Zhou Siping receives the edict."

  This loud shout startled Zhou Que, he glanced at Bao Zheng and felt very strange, coldly asking: "What are you doing, black-headed charcoal? What edict are you receiving?"

  Bao Zheng suddenly stretched out his hand and took out the imperial edict, saying: "Receive the imperial edict!"

  On Thursday, Ping saw the imperial edict and was suddenly shocked. He hurriedly knelt down, not even daring to lift his head to read the edict. However, despite this, he couldn't help but wonder in his heart: as a small county magistrate, how did an imperial edict come to him?

  On Thursday, Bao Zheng had already opened the imperial edict and read it out: "By the Emperor's decree, Zhou Wuping has been the magistrate of Tianchang County for three years but has no achievements to his name. Now, we specially appoint Bao Zheng as the magistrate of Tianchang County, taking over all matters in the county government. Let this be known!"

  After the imperial edict was read out, Zhou Si sat down on the ground with a thud, this is simply a bolt from the blue, how could he, as the county magistrate, suddenly say that it didn't exist? He dared not believe it.

  At this time, Zhou Ping suddenly saw Hualang. After seeing Hualang, he felt very strange. How could Hualang be with Bao Zheng, the new county magistrate? Wasn't this imperial edict fake, and was it Hualang who found someone to forge the imperial edict to overthrow himself?

  Thinking of this, Zhou Pingli suddenly had an idea and hastily got up to say to Bao Zheng: "It's actually Lord Bao, please come in quickly. Since Zhang Gonggong is again selecting beauties for the Emperor, shouldn't you, as the newly appointed Magistrate of Tianchang County, go pay your respects to him?"

  Bao Zheng saw Zhou Thursday Ping like this, and coldly smiled, saying: "It's necessary to see the previous one."

  Bao Zheng said, and was about to take Hua Lang and Wen Meng into the county yamen, when Zhou Si suddenly reminded him: "Lord Bao, these two are ordinary people, it's probably not suitable for them to enter the county yamen?"

  Bao Zheng smiled and explained, "Although they are ordinary people, Wen Meng is my sworn sister, and Hua Lang is her future husband. Let them follow me into the mansion, what's wrong with that? On the other hand, you, Zhou Si Ping, have already become an ordinary person, yet you still put on the airs of a county magistrate, advising me to see Zhang Gonggong, what do you really mean?"

  After being told by Bao Zheng, Zhou Ping was even more convinced that the imperial edict was fake. However, he didn't dare to openly verify it at this time and could only let Bao Zheng go see Zhang Gonggong first. Zhang Gonggong had followed the Emperor for many years and naturally understood the authenticity of the imperial edict.

  Thinking so, Zhou Ping hurriedly said with a sincere and fearful tone: "As for what Lord Bao said, I'm just handing over the affairs of the prefecture, I think this should also be within my duties as the former county magistrate?"

  Bao Zheng nodded slightly and followed a line of people into the mansion.

  After entering the county government office, Zhou Si Ping led Bao Zheng and others to see Zhang Gonggong. At this time, Zhang Gonggong was resting in his room due to the heat, with two maidservants fanning him and peeling grapes for him.

  On Thursday Ping knocked on the door a few times and then said very cautiously, "Lord Zhang, the imperial court has sent a new county magistrate. Does Lord Zhang want to see him?"

  Zhang Gonggong was enjoying the coolness in his house when he suddenly heard this sentence and was shocked. He quickly got up, opened the door, and after opening it, he saw Bao Zheng and others.

  At this moment, Bao Zheng hastily cupped his hands and said: "Newly appointed County Magistrate Bao Zheng pays respects to Grand Councilor Zhang."

  "Ah, it's you, Bao Gong! I was just wondering who this new county magistrate was. I knew you'd make a big name for yourself!"

  After hearing what the old man said, Zhou Ping's heart suddenly felt a chill. Now that even Zhang Gonggong says so, this imperial edict must be true.

  At that time, Zhang Gong said: "When you were in the capital, His Majesty wanted you to go to Jianchang as a county magistrate, but because your parents are old, you declined and didn't make it. Now that you have come to Tianchang County, you must do well."

  Bao Zheng also had a certain impression of Zhang Gonggong, but he didn't think that Zhang Gonggong would have such a deep impression of himself, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.