The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

His eyes widened, and he took several steps back, his body trembling slightly.

"Could it be... Could it be that you are the current emperor?" His voice was filled with a hint of panic. He couldn't believe that he was so presumptuous in front of the emperor. His mind was in a mess.

Xi Yu immediately shook his head.

"I am not His Majesty, but I am His Majesty's favorite assistant, the current Prime Minister."

As he spoke, he took out a token from his bosom. The token was engraved with exquisite patterns, symbolizing the prime minister's supreme power.

At this moment, the bailiffs were all stunned.

They never imagined that the person in front of them was the prime minister who had great power in the court.

Han Chong was sweating profusely, as his vague suspicions had actually come true.

At this moment, fear overwhelmed him like a tide, and he knew very well that the sins he had committed would be exposed in front of the prime minister.

As this shocking news spread, everyone woke up as if from a dream and knelt down one after another. The entire lobby of the county government was instantly shrouded in an atmosphere of tension and awe.

Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

At this time, Xi Yu looked at Han Chong coldly, his tone was cold: "Humph, you think you are worthy of asking this Prime Minister to kneel down to you? What else do you have to say now?"

Han Chong was already frightened out of his wits. He knelt and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead banging against the ground.

"My Lord Prime Minister, I am guilty of not recognizing a great man. I deserve death. I dare not ask you to kneel before me. Please spare my life!"

At this moment, Xi Yu raised his hand slightly and whispered, "Someone come."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark guard in black appeared like a ghost.

Xi Yu gave the order.

"Go and bring Ma Pingchang to this Prime Minister."

After receiving the order, the secret guard disappeared from everyone's sight in a flash, leaving only a slight sound of wind.

Soon, Ma Pingchang was brought to the lobby of the county government office by the secret guards. He was in tattered clothes, covered in dust, and looked extremely miserable.

Xi Yu looked at Ma Pingchang with a sharp gaze and said sternly, "In front of Han Chong, tell me what happened with Sun Qiushui back then?"

Ma Pingchang was trembling with fear and dared not hide anything. He confessed all the evil deeds he had done that year, admitted that he had framed Sun Qiu Shui, and also told how he bribed Han Chong in order to let him help him cover up his crimes.

After listening to this, Xi Yu turned to look at Han Chong, his eyes as cold as a knife.

"Now that things have come to this, what else do you have to say?" Han Chong's face was ashen. He knew he could no longer deny it, so he had to plead guilty.

Xi Yu acted decisively and announced on the spot the removal of Han Chong from his position as county magistrate.

Then, he looked at Yuan Ping'an and said loudly: "Yuan Ping'an, from now on, you will serve as the county magistrate here."

Yuan Ping'an was still immersed in shock at this moment. He never expected that his fate would change so drastically in an instant.

Xi Yu walked up to Yuan Ping'an, his eyes full of trust.

"I believe you can do a good job. You have justice in your heart and will work for the well-being of the people. Don't let me down."

Yuan Ping'an felt Xi Yu's trust and a surge of pride surged in his heart. He secretly vowed to be a good county magistrate.

Yuan Ping'an saluted Xi Yu solemnly with his fists clasped.

"Since the Prime Minister has placed so much trust in me, I will do my best to live up to your trust. I will make sure that the people here can live and work in peace and that justice can be restored to the county government."

The yamen runners looked at each other, then walked towards Yuan Ping'an and apologized to him with shame on their faces.

"Brother Yuan, we were wrong in the past. We were not nice to you and often bullied you. I hope you will forgive us." A yamen runner said with his head down.

The other yamen runners also nodded in agreement, their eyes full of regret.

Yuan Ping'an smiled slightly and waved his hand.

"Don't mention the past anymore. I won't hold it against you. I just hope you will follow me in the future, work hard, and think about the people wholeheartedly."

When the yamen runners heard Yuan Ping'an's words, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and their originally nervous and worried expressions also relaxed a lot.

"County Magistrate Yuan, don't worry, we will follow your lead and do our duty well."

Yuan Ping'an looked at these yamen runners and felt very relieved.

Xi Yu gave the order loudly.

“Parade Ma Pingchang and Han Chong through the streets to let the world know the injustice Sun Qiushui suffered.”

After receiving the order, the soldiers quickly escorted the two men onto the street.

Ma Pingchang hung his head, his eyes were empty, his face was as gray as death, and he did not show any intention of resisting.

Han Chong also lowered his head, his body trembling slightly, his face full of regret.

Wherever the parade passed, people gathered around.

Everyone pointed and talked in low voices.

When the team arrived at Sun Qiu Shui's village, the villagers had already gathered at the entrance of the village.

At first, everyone just watched silently with confusion in their eyes.

As Xi Yu recounted the two men's crimes, the villagers' expressions gradually changed from confusion to shock.

An old man suddenly realized and shouted: "So that's how it is, we wrongly blamed Qiu Shui!"

The man next to him echoed with a look of annoyance.

"These two guys are so mean. Poor Qiu Shui."

More and more villagers began to whisper to each other, their eyes filled with anger towards Ma Pingchang and Han Chong and guilt towards Sun Qiu Shui. They all understood that Sun Qiu Shui was wronged.

As soon as Madam Mingyue entered the house, she saw her sister Sun Qiushui and Qi Maosheng together. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Sun Qiushui was smiling and looked peaceful.

Madam Mingyue stepped forward quickly and asked, "Sister, why are you with him?"

Sun Qiushui held her hand and said softly, "Sister, I don't want to care about the past anymore. Qi Maosheng has sincerely repented and is willing to reconcile with me, and I have chosen to forgive him. People can't always live in hatred."

Qi Maosheng nodded slightly, his eyes full of guilt and tenderness.

After hearing what her sister said, Madam Mingyue still had some doubts, but seeing her sister's happy look, she didn't know what to say.

Madam Mingyue took Sun Qiushui's hand and said, "Sister, this is great news! Ma Pingchang and Han Chong are being paraded through the streets. The Prime Minister must have solved the problem. Let's go to the village entrance and take a look."

Sun Qiu Shui was stunned at first, then his eyes were filled with excitement.

"Really? That's great!" Her body trembled slightly and tears flashed in her eyes. It seemed that all the injustices she had suffered in those days could be washed away at this moment.

Qi Maosheng smiled and nodded.

"Let's go together."

After saying that, the three of them hurried towards the village entrance. Sun Qiu Shui's pace became faster and faster. She was looking forward to seeing the moment when justice was served.

When we arrived at the entrance of the village, it was already crowded with people.

Sun Qiu Shui and the other two struggled to squeeze to the front, only to see Ma Pingchang and Han Chong tied up, looking miserable amid the crowd's spitting.

Anger burned in Sun Qiu Shui's eyes, which was hatred towards the two of them, and at the same time, she was uncontrollably excited.

Her lips trembled slightly.

"You have today too!"

Madam Mingyue also looked pleased.

"It's true that evil will be punished, sister. Your grievances can finally be cleared up completely."

Qi Maosheng clenched his fists.

"This kind of villain who frames others deserves such punishment."

The surrounding villagers were also talking about it.

An old man said: "Thanks to the Prime Minister for his keen observation, otherwise Qiushui would have suffered so much."

Another young man echoed, "That's right, these two bad guys made us all misunderstand Qiu Shui."

As Sun Qiu Shui listened to these words, tears welled up in her eyes and her heart was filled with emotion.

More and more villagers gathered in front of Sun Qiu Shui, their eyes full of guilt.

An old lady held Sun Qiu Shui's hand, tears streaming down her face.

"Child, we are wrong. We have wronged you all these years and always treated you as a bad person. You have been wronged." Another man blamed himself, "We were so stupid to treat you coldly. This injustice would be hard on anyone. Child, can you forgive us?"

Sun Qiu Shui felt mixed emotions as he listened to these heartfelt apologies. The pain he had endured during those days of being misunderstood came flooding back like a tide.

Her lips trembled and she wanted to say something, but she just choked up. Tears burst out again, sliding down her cheeks and wetting her clothes.

She nodded slightly and said in a tearful voice: "I don't blame anyone..."

Although Sun Qiu Shui's voice was very soft, the surrounding villagers could hear it clearly.

There was both emotion and guilt in everyone's eyes.

Madam Mingyue was standing by, tears in her eyes. She said to the villagers, "Don't trust those bad guys anymore. My sister has suffered too much."

The villagers nodded one after another, saying that they would definitely distinguish right from wrong in the future.

Qi Maosheng looked at Sun Qiu Shui, held her in his arms with heartache, and comforted her softly.

Sun Qiu Shui leaned in his arms, her emotions gradually calming down. She knew that this nightmare was finally coming to an end, and the days to come would be full of hope.

At this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Huh? Why isn't the Prime Minister here?"

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples and everyone began to talk.

An enthusiastic villager walked up to the soldiers in charge of the parade and asked with a puzzled look on his face: "My lords, where is the prime minister?"

The soldiers looked at each other, shook their heads and said, "We don't know."

Just as everyone was puzzled, suddenly a loud and powerful voice came from the back of the crowd: "I'm here."

When everyone heard the voice and looked, they saw Xi Yu walking towards them with steady steps. His eyes swept over everyone with a reassuring power. When the villagers saw him, they immediately quieted down.

Due to excessive emotion, Sun Qiushui knelt down directly in front of Xi Yu with a plop, tears of gratitude flashing in her eyes: "Prime Minister, if it weren't for you, I would have to bear this injustice for the rest of my life. You are my great benefactor!"

Qi Maosheng, who was standing aside, had a malicious light flashing in his eyes the moment he saw Xi Yu.

The light seemed to swallow Xi Yu, but he soon realized that something was wrong, and the light dimmed again. He tried to make his expression look normal.

Xi Yu hurriedly stepped forward to help Sun Qiushui up, and said gently: "Miss Qiushui, please get up quickly, this is what I should do. You are an innocent person, how can I let you suffer this injustice."

His voice was steady and powerful, making everyone around him feel the power of justice.

The parade is still going on and the surroundings are still noisy.

Sun Qiushui wiped her tears and said to Madam Mingyue, "Sister, I'm a little tired. Let's go back."

Madam Mingyue quickly supported her and nodded, "Okay, sister, let's go home."

On the way back, Sun Qiu Shui couldn't stop crying, and the scenes of being misunderstood and wronged in the past kept emerging in her mind.

The suffering she had endured in the past few years was like a heavy mountain that almost crushed her.

When they were almost home, Sun Qiushui sobbed and said to Madam Mingyue, "Sister, hurry up and prepare some wine and some good dishes. The Prime Minister has been very kind, and we must entertain him well."

Madam Mingyue quickly agreed.

"Sister, don't worry, I'll arrange it right away."

Xi Yu said: "Miss Qiu Shui, there is really no need to be so polite. This is my duty."

Madam Mingyue, however, looked determined.

"Master Prime Minister, you must accept our thanks. If it weren't for you, I don't know how much suffering my sister would have to endure. This meal is our token of our gratitude."

Back home, everyone sat down.

Xi Yu looked at Qi Maosheng, a hint of inquiry flashed in his eyes, and turned to Sun Qiushui and asked, "Who is this?"

Sun Qiu Shui smiled slightly, but there was a hint of complexity in her eyes.

"Prime Minister, he is Qi Maosheng. He used to like me, but after I got into trouble, he became hostile to me because of those unfounded charges and left me. But now he knows the truth and has come back hoping to reconcile with me."

Qi Maosheng hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully to Xi Yu.

"My Lord Prime Minister, I was really confused at that time. Qiu Shui is a good woman, but I almost missed her because of those treacherous people's frame-up. Now I have regretted it."

Xi Yu nodded slightly, his expression serious.

"It is a great virtue to know one's mistakes and correct them. Although there are regrets about the past, as long as we cherish the present and make amends, it will be a good thing."

Soon, Madam Mingyue prepared the meal.

A sumptuous banquet was placed on the table, with a wide variety of delicious dishes, and the aroma of wine filled the room.

At this time, unexpectedly, many villagers also came.

Holding their own carefully prepared dishes in their hands, with warm smiles on their faces, they spontaneously joined the thank-you banquet, wanting to express their gratitude to the prime minister together.

For a moment, the house was filled with laughter and excitement.

People came and went, constantly toasting and serving food to Xi Yu, praising his wisdom and fairness. The whole scene was filled with warmth and joy, as if the previous haze had never existed.

Xi Yu looked at the lively scene, his heart filled with relief, and he enjoyed this happy moment with the villagers.

As they were eating, a lively atmosphere filled the room. After a while, Qi Maosheng said he wanted to go to the toilet, so he stood up and left.

As soon as he turned around, his eyes instantly became sinister, and a vicious light flashed in his eyes again, as if his gaze was poisoned.

In a corner where no one was paying attention, he secretly clenched his fists, veins popping out on the back of his hands, and thought to himself: "I can't let this Xi Yu go, I must find a chance to kill him!"

His face was full of ferocious expressions, and he had completely lost the respect he had shown at the table.

At this moment, the evil thoughts in his heart were growing like weeds. He completely ignored the favor Xi Yu had done for Sun Qiu Shui and was only thinking about how to implement his vicious plan.

During the banquet, everyone was extremely happy because of this happy event of clearing one's name, and Xi Yu also drank a lot of wine under everyone's enthusiastic urging.

After three rounds of drinking, Qi Maosheng said to Sun Qiushui with a big smile on his face: "Qiushui, the Prime Minister is so happy today and has drunk so much wine, why don't we let the Prime Minister stay here overnight."

Sun Qiu Shui nodded in agreement.

"You are right. The Prime Minister has done me a favor, so I should treat him well."

At night, Sun Qiu Shui carefully cleaned up a south room and prepared for Xi Yu to stay overnight.

At this time, Qi Maosheng rolled his eyes and said to Sun Qiushui: "Qiushui, your house is limited after all. Can I sleep in the same room with the Prime Minister? This will make it easier to take care of the Prime Minister."

Xi Yu was already half drunk and half awake at this time. Hearing Qi Maosheng's words, he waved his hand generously: "Absolutely, hahahaha."

But he did not notice the strange light that flashed in Qi Maosheng's eyes.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Xi Yu and Qi Maosheng entered the south room together.

Xi Yu was drunk and soon fell into a deep sleep on the couch, breathing evenly.

Qi Maosheng, however, had no desire to sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes flickering in the darkness, with vicious thoughts surging in his eyes.

He quietly got up, fumbled around in the house, found a thick rope, and a sinister smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He tiptoed towards Xi Yu, ready to take action while he was sleeping.

Suddenly, there was a slight sound outside the house, like the sound of wind blowing through branches, but in this tense atmosphere, Qi Maosheng was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat, and his hands stopped moving.

He pricked up his ears and listened for a while, and after making sure that there was nothing else unusual, he prepared to continue his evil act.

Qi Maosheng's eyes were red and ferocious. He slowly stretched out his hands, thinking about strangling Xi Yu to death.

When his hand just touched Xi Yu's neck, suddenly, a black shadow flashed like a ghost.

Before Qi Maosheng could react, he suffered a heavy blow on the back. He fell forward and almost fell on Xi Yu.

Qi Maosheng was surprised. He endured the severe pain and turned his head, only to see a strange man in black clothes and with a stern face standing behind him.

His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and he asked in a trembling voice: "How...how did you get in?"

The secret guard didn't say anything, but just looked at him coldly, his eyes full of warning and intimidation, as if he was looking at a clown who overestimated his own abilities.

At this moment, Xi Yu was awakened by the noise. His eyes instantly became clear and he looked around vigilantly.

The secret guard took a step forward, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "Prime Minister, this person wants to do something bad to you."

Qi Maosheng was a little at a loss, and his mind was still constantly wondering how this secret guard appeared without anyone noticing.

Xi Yu stared at Qi Maosheng coldly, with frost in his eyes.

"Qi Maosheng, what's wrong with you? What's your intention in harming me?"

Qi Maosheng opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but he didn't know where to start, so he just stood there blankly. (End of this chapter)