On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2079 Execute on the spot!

As soon as the people on the shore heard the yamen runners on the boat shout "The beasts in the water eat people," those who were initially close paused, and then some quietly shrank back.

Whispers from the crowd suddenly surfaced like bubbles on a tide: "Man-eating? That's no mythical beast..."

"Yes, what kind of logic is there in mythical beasts eating people?"

Just then, Bee Whistle, who was mixed in with the crowd, stepped forward and deliberately raised his voice so that everyone around could hear him: "Your Excellency! Tell me, are we offering sacrifices to the gods or feeding a monster by bringing in such a man-eating monster?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Beibei, standing next to him, looked up and tugged at the sleeve of an old man beside her, chiming in, "That's right! Why do we have to perform the ritual twice a month? What's the use of this monster? Can it really guarantee us good weather and abundant harvests? But our lives are getting worse and worse!"

These two sentences were like pouring water into boiling oil, instantly bringing to the surface the doubts that had been weighing on the people's minds.

Someone nodded in agreement: "Twice a month, with cattle, sheep and grain, it would be fine if it were really useful, but after all this time, has anyone felt that it has been of any use?"

Others looked at the boats moored on the river, their eyes filled with suspicion: "Did the government already know this was a monster? Were they deliberately keeping it from us?"

All eyes of the crowd turned to Prefect Ding, their expressions filled with doubt and dissatisfaction, causing sweat to break out on his forehead.

He quietly took half a step back, leaned close to Liu Jiulang's ear, and whispered, "What should we do? The people are starting to get suspicious. If this continues, things might get out of control."

Liu Jiulang's gaze was cold: "You are the governor of a prefecture, surely you can handle these unruly people? Make them leave. Anyone who doesn't leave and dares to cause trouble again, kill them!"

Prefect Ding frowned, his tone hesitant: "But the law doesn't punish the masses! With so many people, if a fight really breaks out, what will happen if word gets out..."

"Spread the word?" Liu Jiulang interrupted him directly, a fierce glint in his eyes beneath the mask. "You pity them, but you should pity yourself first!"

If the matter of the 'mythical beast' is exposed and the higher-ups find out, neither of us will survive!

Governor Ding's lips moved, but he didn't say anything more.

He remained silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade belt at his waist, his mind racing: Liu Jiulang was telling the truth. If this matter were exposed, he would not only lose his official position, but he might even lose his life.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and shouted to the constables and yamen runners behind him, "Listen up! Tell the people to go home immediately. No one is allowed to come out without the government's order! Anyone who dares to disobey will be arrested on the spot and thrown into jail!"

These words immediately caused an uproar on the shore.

Bee Whistle shouted from the crowd, "Your Excellency! Why are we being let go? What exactly is this monster? You must explain it clearly today! Otherwise, we won't leave!"

"That's right! Why are you arresting us? We just want to know the truth!" another old man shouted. "Are you treating us like fools? Using a monster to impersonate a mythical beast!"

The crowd grew increasingly agitated, with some even surging forward, wanting to get closer to the ship to see what was going on.

Just then, a clear female voice came from the ship, drowning out all the noise: "Prefect Ding! Are you still going to be the Liu family's dog, doing these heinous things for them?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yan Ruyu standing at the bow of the boat, exuding an aura of dignified authority.

Her sharp eyes were fixed on Prefect Ding as she continued, "You are a prefect appointed by the imperial court, and you are paid by the emperor. You should be upholding the people's interests, but instead, in order to curry favor with the Liu family, you have fed people to monsters, deceived the people, and squandered their hard-earned money! You have disgraced your ancestors and the imperial court!"

Governor Ding blushed instantly at her words, his face turning red from the base of his neck all the way to his ears.

He was both angry and anxious, and pointed at Yan Ruyu, shouting, "You...you're talking nonsense! Guards, seize him and execute him on the spot!"

"Execute him on the spot?" A cold male voice suddenly rang out. Huo Changhe looked at Governor Ding with a deep gaze. "Governor Ding, I'm just telling the truth, and you want to kill me to silence me? What a show of power!"

Governor Ding looked at Huo Changhe, then at the increasingly agitated crowd below, and knew in his heart that today's events could not be resolved peacefully.

He decided to go all out, took a step back, and shouted sternly at the constables and yamen runners, "What are you all standing there for? Anyone who dares to disobey orders will suffer the same fate as them! Go! Arrest all these troublemakers!"

The constables and yamen runners were still hesitating, but when they heard Prefect Ding's fierce words, they exchanged glances, drew their knives, and rushed towards Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe.

Liu Jiulang stood aside, watching the chaotic scene, his eyes growing even colder.

He raised his hand and waved to Zhou Lie behind him: "Send people to help, don't let them get away!"

Those men in black were clearly Liu Jiulang's subordinates. They moved much faster than the constables. As soon as they heard the order, they pounced on Huo Changhe like wolves.

The people on the riverbank panicked when they saw the government officials draw their swords.

Some screamed and backed away, some tried to squeeze out and escape, and some were pushed to the ground. Cries, curses, and footsteps mingled together with the shouts of the yamen runners and the clash of swords. The entire riverbank was in chaos, like a pot of boiling porridge.

Governor Ding stood at the back, looking at the chaos before him, feeling both panicked and confused.

He watched as his men rushed onto the boat, but they had no advantage whatsoever. Although Huo Changhe's side had fewer men, each of them was exceptionally skilled, and they quickly took down two constables.

People kept falling into the water, the splashing sounds echoing everywhere.

Liu Jiulang walked up to him, his tone icy: "What are you all standing there for? Send the sailors to take the divine beast away, or we're all doomed!"

Governor Ding's eyes widened slightly: "That...that's something that eats people, who would dare go there?"

"A generous reward will surely bring forth brave men!"

Now that things had come to this, Governor Ding was in a state of utter confusion and had no idea what to do.

Now we can only listen to Liu Jiulang.

He gritted his teeth, turned around and ordered, "Notify all those who can swim: whoever can untie the divine beast's chains and take it away will be rewarded with... one thousand taels of silver!"

When everyone heard that they were going to get some kind of mythical beast, no one dared to go, but when they heard that it was worth a thousand taels of silver, their eyes lit up.

Just as they were hesitating about whether to jump into the water, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves and the sound of orderly footsteps.

Everyone turned around, and the chaotic crowd temporarily stopped, splitting into two groups.

Someone with sharp eyes spotted the leader at a glance and shouted, "It's Envoy Su!"

In the blink of an eye, Su Zhenhai spurred his horse and arrived.