Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

"Will it work?" Cao Hongxing asked, a mixture of doubt and anticipation in his voice.

Meng Changqing dared not make any guarantees. What if there wasn't a spy among that group of people? "I don't know either."

“Let’s give it a try,” Cao Hongxing said. “We’ve already come this far anyway.”

Meng Changqing felt the same way, thinking it was worth a shot.

However, Meng Changqing still had one question: "Lord Cao, is the investigation of spies limited to your Weishan County?"

"What else can I do? I know what you mean. You just think that any spy with a sound mind would have fled Weishan County long ago. But my identity is what it is, and the only place I can investigate is Weishan County. I can't be like you, constantly running to other people's territory, can I?"

Meng Changqing pretended not to hear the last sentence and said, "So, this matter should rightfully be handled by Prefect Zheng, why did you bypass him?"

"You seem to have a pretty comprehensive understanding of the situation." Cao Hongxing realized what was going on, his expression changing as he asked, "Does your county government still have people selling quack remedies here? Hey, you're not here to bail someone out, are you? Have I imprisoned your people?"

Meng Changqing said, "We don't even have enough manpower in our county. There's no one to make plasters, so who would sell them?"

"There is no best option, otherwise I'll take the risk whether I let go or not."

"Lord Cao." Meng Changqing leaned slightly closer, his sense of smell temporarily shutting off in the face of her eager curiosity. "Let's get back to the main topic. What exactly happened with Prefect Zheng?"

"How could he possibly get into trouble?" Cao Hongxing's tone was tinged with resentment, but this resentment didn't last long. Looking at Meng Changqing, he suddenly smiled. "Actually, if you think about it carefully, Lord Meng, we're the same kind of people. We're both dispensable."

"What do you mean by that?" Meng Changqing asked sincerely, as he hadn't understood what had just been said.

"His Majesty values ​​talent, how could he bear to let Prefect Zheng get involved in such a case that is destined to end badly?" Cao Hongxing said, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. Some things, though unspoken, were already quite clear. The Emperor wanted to protect Zheng Jie, yet he had Cao Hongxing handle such a troublesome matter.

In the end, the best outcome for such a matter is that the emperor will not pursue the matter further.

Therefore, Cao Hongxing said that he and Meng Changqing were the same kind of people, people that the emperor was willing to give up, people that he would not regret leaving in Liangzhou.

“Prefect Zheng is, after all, a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations and a close advisor to the emperor. I suppose the emperor has other plans for Prefect Zheng.” Meng Changqing said this, but in his heart, he resented the emperor just like Cao Hongxing.

They're all from Liangzhou, so why does the emperor remember Zheng Jie but not Meng Changqing? She's been in Liangzhou for almost five years, and the emperor and the crown prince haven't made a single move. Whether it's the previous war or any other developments, they really don't care at all.

Have they already forgotten about Meng Changqing?
Are we really going to let her serve as the county magistrate of Beishan County for the full ten years?
"But we can't let spies run rampant just to protect Prefect Zheng." Meng Changqing's resentment still managed to slip out when she wasn't looking.

Cao Hongxing smiled when he heard this. "Everyone knows that the person has probably already disappeared. Even if we catch him, we won't be able to get anything out of him. Even if he confesses that Yan State was behind it, what can Liang State do to Yan State?"
Even if there are still people above the spies, after this incident, those people will find it difficult to exert any influence.

Important things should be left to important people. I, an unimportant person, should handle all the unimportant and thankless tasks.

“Lord Cao, don’t be so pessimistic. What if you really do catch them?” Meng Changqing said. “I still hope you can solve the case of the artillery battalion being bombed as soon as possible.”

"I won't keep you any longer." Meng Changqing stood up and joked, "I'm not one of those people who only take and never give, am I?"

Cao Hongxing waved his hand, "Hurry up and leave." (End of Chapter)