The scheming empress starts by conquering men

Shaodian Sishui strode towards the place where the prefect was holding his office.

When she reached the main hall, she paused and looked up, looking at the four characters "Integrity and Honesty" engraved above the plaque.

Shao Chaogan saw what His Highness did and looked up as well.

After seeing these four words, he sighed and moved closer to Shaodian Sishui.

"Your Highness, Xin Yinzhen is truly worthy of the title of being upright and incorruptible."

"If you want to bribe her to work for you, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Shaodian Sishui looked convinced and tugged at her earlobe impatiently.

"Well, I'm not stupid yet. You mentioned me ten times on the way here! My ears are callused now."

It's so annoying. Ever since Shao Chaogan decided to join her, he has become just like those old fathers in modern times.

They control everything, worry about everything, and analyze the pros and cons of everything with you, for fear that you will be deceived.

It's really annoying, but you can't drag her out and beat her up.

The first time he saw the Sixth Princess showing an impatient look, Shao Chaogan finally felt that she looked like an eighteen-year-old girl.

Even though Her Highness may seem meticulous and ruthless sometimes, she is just a young girl who has only been in marriage for a few years.

Thinking of this, she muttered again, "Even if I tell you eight hundred times, you will still be stubborn. I told you that she is too upright, but you just don't believe me and insist on coming."

When Your Highness meets Xin Yinzhen later, he will know whether what she said makes sense or not.

Shaodian Sishui originally wanted to warn her, don't always say absolutes when judging people, be careful of getting slapped in the face too quickly.

As a result, Xin Yinzhen and others caught up with her breathlessly, and she was too lazy to talk.

When he turned around, he teased Shao Chaogan casually.

"When did you become blind?"

Shao Chaogan was completely confused, with his head full of question marks.

Why did His Highness suddenly ask her when she became blind? She looked left and right and up and down and found that she could see, so she was not blind!

Shao Chaogan didn't have time to think about it and walked to the left hand of His Highness and sat down.

Xin Yinzhen and others are on the right.

The servants had already prepared tea, and served it to them one by one after they sat down.

Shaodian Sishui picked up the teacup and took a sip, with an indifferent expression and no intention of speaking. In fact, she was thinking about her opening remarks.

This really put the people sitting below in a difficult position. They wanted to talk to her, but they didn't dare to disturb her because she was drinking water with her head down.

Only after she finished drinking and put down the teacup did Xin Yinzhen stand up and bow politely before speaking.

"I wonder what important matter your Highness has brought you here to ask for?"

Shaodian Sishui played with the lid of the teacup and asked instead of answering, "Did you cut off the hands of the little thief we caught this morning?"

She is a thoughtful person, sometimes very good at confronting people, but she is not good at making opening remarks.

Ah this...

"Puff, cough cough cough..."

Everyone was stunned. Shao Chaogan had just taken a sip of tea, but the part he didn't swallow went into his trachea and he almost choked to death.

Her face flushed and she hurriedly wiped and covered her mouth, trying to lower her voice.

Xin Yinzhen looked at Shao Chaogan and secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

So you and the prince came to the government office just to find out whether Xiaoman's hand had been chopped off?

I knew that the Sixth Princess was bloodthirsty, but I didn't expect her to be so ruthless.

Why is this so!

It was too cruel that he had to come in person and watch the child being chopped.

Not only did she think Shaodian Sishui was cruel, everyone thought so.

Including Shao Chaogan, everyone felt that the Sixth Prince was indeed a bit cruel, but she believed that cruelty meant having a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

So, different people have different opinions on how exaggerated it is.

People asked His Highness what he was doing here, and His Highness asked if the thief's hand had been chopped off.

Those who don’t know would think that the Sixth Prince is cold-blooded and heartless, and he came specifically to watch the little thief chop off his hands and feet.

But she knew that the prince came here to mine minerals, not to supervise the boy's hand being chopped off.

She held her breath and didn't want to cough, but she couldn't help coughing.

Xin Yinzhen stood up and saluted, with a serious face and a righteous voice, "Reporting to the Sixth Princess, according to the laws of the Great Zhou, thieves must be tattooed and demoted to slavery."

"Your Highness said to cut off his hands and feet. I thought it was against the laws of the Great Zhou Kingdom, so I didn't carry out the punishment."

Shaodian Sishui smiled and hummed lightly.

"Those two yamen runners offended me, so they were each given twenty lashes of the cane?"

Xin Yinzhen looked deeply distressed this time.

"They both offended Your Highness, so twenty strokes of the cane is too light a punishment. However, I have already given them twenty strokes of the cane according to Your Highness's order and suspended them from their duties."

Shao Dian Sishui nodded again and asked, "Has the little thief been tattooed?"

"Ah this..."

Xin Yinzhen paused.

Your Highness should praise her, why did he suddenly ask about Xiaoman?

She hesitated slightly and answered; "Not yet, but..."

Shaodian Sishui's brows sank slightly. Could this group of people really have something to do with that thief?

Just when they were wondering, Shu Feng next to them could no longer sit still. He interrupted Xin Yinzhen's unclear words, stood up and bowed.

"Your Highness, please allow me to report that Xiao Man was just stealing and did not cause any substantial harm. He has elderly and children at home, and he only stole to make a living."

"What's more, he is only twelve years old. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, all thieves under the age of thirteen, regardless of gender, will be given a verbal education to encourage them to abandon their evil ways and do good. There has never been a precedent for punishment, Your Highness!"

Shaodian Sishui condensed the comfortable breeze and said "oh".

"So you guys know that little thief. No wonder you're protecting him."

No wonder the thief's escape route seemed so familiar that morning, he must be an old thief.

But the child is estimated to be about 1.7 meters tall, and he is only twelve years old?

He grows up so fast that I thought he was already a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old.

Shu Feng was speechless. Your Highness, could you please not be so different in your focus?

It’s not a matter of whether they know the truth or not, but Xiaoman’s crime is really not serious enough!

Shaodian Sishui thought a lot in her mind. She thought that her mine needed manpower, and the thief was also recruited. She would rather steal than make money.

You want her to forgive such a person?

She tilted her body and stared at Shu Feng, revealing her kingly aura.

"It is precisely because he was not punished but only verbally admonished that he became so bold and lawless that he even dared to steal the money and badges of the palace and the marquis."

"He has elderly parents and young children to take care of, and the pressure of life is not a reason for him to steal."

"He has hands and feet, and he has a lot of strength. Why doesn't he work in the mines? He can earn one fine coin a month, which is enough to support his family."

Shu Feng paused slightly, then raised his head to look at Shaodian Sishui in confusion.

"Working in a mine? I didn't know about this!" She paused and said, "If this were true, how could those children be forced to embark on the road of stealing?"

Xin Yinzhen's expression changed and her eyes became slightly evasive.

Oh no, she was only concerned about Shu Feng begging for mercy on Xiao Man's behalf and sparing Xiao Man's life.

Regarding the Sixth Prince's recruitment, she really forgot what she had done.

In order to earn more money and benefit from it, she hid the mine's recruitment from many people, and only a few people from wealthy families knew about it.

If His Highness knew that she was taking advantage of the people and encouraging them to go on strike to demand more money, not only would her official hat be in jeopardy, but her life would even be in danger.

Shaodian Sishui was cruel and killed people like crazy. Killing her was the lightest punishment. What I am afraid of is that it is more difficult than death!

Oh my God, why is His Highness suddenly talking about the mine? Hasn’t he been talking about that child Xiaoman?

How could this be? No, no, she had to think of a way to save her life.

At this moment, Xin Yinzhen's head was throbbing with pain, so severe that she felt like she was going to faint.

I can’t think of any good solution at all. My mind is in a mess. What should I do?

It wasn't until her eyes fell on Shi Haiying next to her that her eyes lit up and she got it.

Shaodian Sishui took a quick look around and naturally noticed something was wrong with Xin Yinzhen, and he also knew that she had some hidden thoughts in her mind.

She said "oh" in confusion and looked at Shao Chaogan.

"I remember that you asked the yamen runners to convey my recruitment order. Is this what you call public knowledge?"

"Even the chancellor of the government office doesn't know, and you dare to say that everyone knows it?"