The Whole Dynasty Spoils the Tyrant's Beloved Youngest Daughter-Chapter 408: Capture Is Just Around the Corner

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Capture Is Just Around the Corner
Mrs. Li hurriedly said, "Princess, can’t we discuss this again?"
"No." After Jun Ning coldly refused, she continued to calculate the items in her hand.
Mrs. Li sighed and left.
Seeing Mrs. Li leave, Jing Shu hurriedly walked over to Jun Ning and said, "Aunt, are you sure you want to let her go? Really not trying to salvage it a bit? If she leaves, the account books will be even more elusive."
"No worries."
Seeing Jun Ning unmoved, Jing Shu grew even more anxious.
She furrowed her brows and said, "Aunt, don’t take this lightly. Can’t we negotiate this further?"
Jun Ning looked up at Jing Shu, seeing her nervous expression, she advised, "Don’t worry."
Jing Shu said, "How can I not worry? To repair the riverbank, we need to understand Yuyang County’s financial situation, and understanding the financial situation requires the account books. The account books are key to our task."
"Trust your aunt, within three days, Mrs. Li will bring the account books over." Jun Ning appeared confident, "But before that, we must stay calm, otherwise we lose our leverage and fall into a passive situation, manipulated by others."
Now as long as they don’t show signs of urgency, the anxious ones will only be County Magistrate Li and Mrs. Li.
Because they are eager to return home and no longer want to kneel there.
And once they become anxious, Jun Ning will have leverage in her hands.
"Oh..." Jing Shu nodded, half understanding.
...
By the riverbank.
The summer sun was unbearably scorching. Particularly during those couple of hours in the afternoon, County Magistrate Li was kneeling at the riverbank, with no shelter around, fully exposed to the sunlight, drenched in sticky sweat, his skin painfully burned.
Especially the spot on his back, he felt like it was going to explode.
Too hot, and exhausting.
He propped his hands on the ground to alleviate his bodily fatigue.
Large beads of sweat dripped down his sun-darkened face, landing on his neck, itching slightly; he reached up to wipe it, glancing at Chao Jiu beside him.
Chao Jiu was from the Imperial Guard, exposure and training were routine for him. These few days of sun exposure only left him a bit sun-darkened, with no other effects.
He remained vigorous, standing behind County Magistrate Li, watching him.
By contrast, apart from some hardship in his youth from studying, County Magistrate Li had enjoyed a privileged life since becoming an official, never enduring such suffering in years.
Now kneeling here, exposed to the sun for several days, resolving all daily needs in this tiny area, watched by others, his dignity in ruins.
Whether in public or not, he always cared about his reputation.
But now, dignity fallen to the ground was something he couldn’t bother to pick up, nor did he have the mood to do so. Kneeling here day and night made him feel worn out.
He couldn’t endure anymore.
Kneeling too long, his legs had completely lost sensation, numb every day.
If he continued kneeling, it was foreseeable that his legs would be ruined first.
If legs were going to be ruined, how much would dignity matter?
When Mrs. Li brought the meal over, she saw County Magistrate Li staring at his legs with weary eyes, filled with pain, sadness, and despair...
She had been married to County Magistrate Li for years, and had never seen him like this.
"Husband..." Mrs. Li knelt next to County Magistrate Li, looking at him with concern, saying, "Let’s not hold on any longer, hand over the account books and compromise? At worst, we’ll stop being officials..."
Mrs. Li thought that County Magistrate Li was hesitant to hand over the account books for fear of losing his official status.
"Wife, it’s not as simple as you say."
If those account books were handed over, it wouldn’t just be a matter of being an official or not; it would be a matter of losing one’s head.
County Magistrate Li... didn’t want to lose his head.
Mrs. Li didn’t know the seriousness of the matter, she kept urging County Magistrate Li to hand over what Jun Ning wanted.
At first, County Magistrate Li would shake his head and respond a few times, but soon he didn’t want to say anything anymore.
Mrs. Li didn’t understand the situation, whatever he said was futile. And with Chao Jiu nearby, there were secrets he couldn’t explain to Mrs. Li.
Mrs. Li sobbed and muttered for quite a while, and after she saw County Magistrate Li finished eating, she left with the meal container, looking back at the despondent and defeated County Magistrate Li every few steps. Amidst her sadness, she suddenly made a decision.
County Magistrate Li refused to hand over the account books, insisting on staying there, she couldn’t bear to see it anymore.
Because staying would only lead to a dead end, no other way.
To survive, she had to do something for County Magistrate Li.
She decided to help County Magistrate Li find the account books.
As for what County Magistrate Li was avoiding in the account books, she planned to find someone to handle it secretly, then there would be no problem.
Mrs. Li acted immediately, and three days later, she brought a pile of altered account books to Jun Ning, who accepted them and quickly skimmed through them.
She wasn’t unable to see through the alterations, she simply pretended not to notice.
After a brief review, she placed the books on the table and said to Mrs. Li with a smile, "Now that the account books are here, you can take County Magistrate Li back from the riverbank!"
After a pause, she added, "It’s said that today’s sun is intense, and County Magistrate Li couldn’t take it and fainted. When you bring him back, please send my regards, and hope nothing bad happens to him."
"What?" Mrs. Li was terrified, "Did my husband faint?"
Jing Shu said, "Yes, hasn’t anyone told you? My aunt and I received the news early on."
Aunt?
Mrs. Li keenly noticed Jing Shu’s term for Jun Ning, she had previously wondered about their close relationship, but now it was clear.
But she couldn’t afford to delve into it; her husband’s situation was urgent.
She rushed to the riverbank with people to rescue her husband.
...
Jun Ning continued to review the account books in her hand, marking all problematic areas, and then instructed Chao Jiu, who had returned ing County Magistrate Li’s fainting, to investigate.
Investigate who helped Mrs. Li alter the account books. Once identified, apprehend them quickly and have them restore the account books.
Once the account books were restored, capturing County Magistrate Li would be imminent.
"Chao Jiu, any issues?"
Chao Jiu nodded, "No issues."
"Then how long will it take to find them?" Jun Ning asked.
If the time required was too long, she could summon people from Qianji Pavilion to assist in the investigation.
This time on outings, she had brought several scouts from Qianji Pavilion who specialized in gathering information, and they could be of use.