"Hey, hey, hey, why are you running? You haven’t taken the Silver yet; how are you going to buy the gifts?" The Shopkeeper was amused and frustrated, seeing the Waiter’s haste.

"Oh! Right, right."

Upon the Shopkeeper’s shout, the Waiter hurried back, nervously rubbing his hands, and asked, "Shopkeeper, where... where do I get the Silver?"

The Shopkeeper glared at him and said unsympathetically, "Go to the counter and get five hundred taels of silver first. If it’s not enough, take more. Don’t skimp on the gifts; they must be the best. If this task is screwed up, don’t come to the inn for work anymore."

The Waiter quickly said, "Shopkeeper, rest assured, I’ll handle this matter beautifully."

The Shopkeeper’s eyes widened, and he said, "Stop dawdling and get going."

The Waiter shivered all over, quickly agreed, and dashed off in a flash.

He needed to quickly buy gifts and send them to the fourth prince’s mansion to seek forgiveness from Young Master Zhao. Only if Young Master Zhao forgives him can he obtain the Shopkeeper’s forgiveness, thus preserving his job. Then, his father would have money to buy medicine to cure his illness.

.........

In the past few days, more deaths have occurred in the Capital, leaving the populace anxious. The Emperor was furious upon learning this, and today marked the deadline for Lord County Magistrate to solve the case.

Thus, Eunuch Li was dispatched to the County Yamen to summon the County Magistrate.

When Eunuch Li arrived at the County Yamen, he found that Lord County Magistrate was unwell, and his condition was severe; he couldn’t even recognize Li. According to a Government Official nearby, this situation had persisted for several days.

"Lord County Magistrate, the Emperor summons you to the palace," Eunuch Li stood at the door, looking condescendingly at the County Magistrate in the room and called out.

Under normal circumstances, the County Magistrate would have hurried over to pay his respects upon seeing Eunuch Li. However, today was peculiar; the County Magistrate merely glanced at him expressionlessly and lowered his head, ignoring him. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Eunuch Li found this strange and, looking to the side, asked the accompanying Government Official, "What’s... what’s wrong with him?"

Government Official: "Since the County Magistrate fell ill, he hasn’t recognized anyone."

Eunuch Li paused for a moment and asked suspiciously, "Is it real or fake?"

It’s no wonder Eunuch Li thought so; just a few days ago, the County Magistrate was energetic. As soon as the Emperor’s deadline for solving the case arrived, he claimed to be sick. Anyone would suspect that the County Magistrate was pretending to be ill to escape the Emperor’s punishment.

The Government Official hesitated to speak: "Eunuch Li, I advise you not to get too close to the Magistrate."

Eunuch Li thought the Government Official was trying to help the Magistrate evade the Emperor’s punishment, so he scoffed and said, "The County Magistrate failed to solve the case on time, infuriating the Emperor, who had me come to summon the County Magistrate to the palace to face the Emperor."

Recently, more deaths had occurred in the Capital and surrounding villages, causing an uproar among the people. The Emperor’s mood grew increasingly restless, and he swore to punish the County Magistrate severely.

Thus, today, the County Magistrate faced a grim fate.

As Eunuch Li finished speaking, the Government Official frantically waved his hand with a very anxious expression, saying, "Eunuch Li, this is inappropriate, it’s inappropriate; the County Magistrate cannot meet the Emperor now."

Eunuch Li raised his voice sharply, reprimanding, "Such insolence! The Emperor’s decree must be obeyed. Defying it is treasonous and leads to beheading—not only does the County Magistrate face execution, but his entire family will be implicated."

The Government Official was startled and instantly didn’t dare to speak anymore.

After Eunuch Li finished speaking, he approached the bed-ridden County Magistrate.

"Aow."

Suddenly, the County Magistrate let out a peculiar sound. When Eunuch Li looked up, he clearly saw the Magistrate’s eyes were blood-red and eerily strange, staring fiercely at him, as if he wanted to devour him.