The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 223 Emergency Preparations

However, just in case, she still reminded Lü Mengying, "It's the same on your end, you know? Be assertive in crucial moments."

Lü Mengying nodded solemnly.

After they left, Zheng Xun rode alone to the Tingzhou prefecture. Except when she needed to take care of her own physiological needs or change horses, she hardly stopped.

Even when eating, she would just quickly nibble on a few bites of dry food to tide her over.

When she arrived in Tingzhou, she looked haggard and disheveled.

Her horse was exhausted, so she found a nearby inn to leave it there before heading to the prefectural capital.

However, an accident occurred halfway there.

She was a travel-worn young girl, without any adults with her, making her an easy target for evil people.

Soon, a middle-aged man who claimed to be her father grabbed her hand.

This scene feels familiar, these words sound familiar.

Okay, okay, so when you were clearing out human traffickers, you only paid attention to the north and not the south, right?

Zheng Xun didn't have time to argue with him.

They simply twisted his arms and legs, and then lined them up along with his accomplices who were mixed in with the crowd.

Her gaze swept around and finally landed on a peddler carrying a load on a shoulder pole.

The vendor pretended not to notice her gaze and picked up his load to leave.

Zheng Xun stopped him: "This one..."

The peddler dropped his load, stood up straight obediently, and placed his hands nervously at his sides: "Young lady, please understand! I am not with them!"

Zheng Xun: ...

"Uncle, how much is your rope?"

The vendor hesitated for a moment, then quickly took out a rope from his basket and handed it to Zheng Xun: "I'm not selling it, I'm not selling it, I'll give it to you, young lady. They are human traffickers, I can tell. Do you need any help, young lady?"

"No need." Zheng Xun took the rope, tossed a few copper coins to the vendor, and then neatly tied up the traffickers.

She was not far from the government office. She dragged several traffickers and strolled leisurely to the government office, attracting many onlookers along the way.

The yamen runners were also encountering such a scene for the first time. They exchanged glances, and one of them hurriedly went to report to the prefect of Tingzhou.

This Prefect Wu was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) during the reign of the late emperor. He was already over fifty years old and not particularly capable. He had earned his position purely through years of experience.

He wasn't a major corrupt official, but he wasn't particularly capable either.

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, he frowned: "All you do is cause me trouble all day long."

He's already this old, and all he wants is to work steadily until he's old enough to resign, and then return to his hometown in style to retire.

Therefore, what he hates most is people who cause him trouble.

Filled with resentment, he slowly got up: "Let's go."

Upon arriving outside the prefectural government building, Prefect Wu sighed and lazily raised his eyelids.

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on Zheng Xun, a hint of doubt gradually appearing on his face.

No, why is it a little girl?

Why is it a little girl dragging four men along?

He became interested and took a closer look at the little girl's appearance.

Hmm? This looks familiar?

But where could he possibly meet such a fierce young girl?

After a while, he finally matched Zheng Xun's appearance with a portrait in his memory.

Zheng Xun's status in Dayong is now extraordinary. Any minister with connections knows that she is going on an inspection tour, and her whereabouts are not exactly a secret. Therefore, most ministers already have a portrait of Zheng Xun.

However, Zheng Xun looked too disheveled, and Prefect Wu couldn't immediately match her with the portrait.

After he came to his senses, a feeling of impending doom suddenly washed over him.

He had a sudden inspiration, pretending not to recognize her, and asked with a stern face, "What happened?"

A bolder member of the public shouted from the crowd, "Your Excellency, these bound men are kidnappers who tried to harm this young girl! Who knew this girl was no ordinary person? She easily subdued them!"

"So that's how it is?" He cleared his throat, ready to make a good impression, but Zheng Xun didn't have time to play with him.

“Wu Zongyu!” Zheng Xunqing’s sharp gaze fell on him. “Now that you’ve recognized me, stop pretending.”

Wu Zongyu wanted to defend himself, but then he belatedly remembered that the princess was also known for her divination skills.

He hesitated for a moment, then decisively lifted his robe and knelt down: "Greetings, Princess Yuanjia! May the Princess enjoy happiness, longevity, and peace year after year!"

The people here have never seen a princess in their lives, but they understand what those two words mean.

Before they could even be surprised, they all knelt down and followed Wu Zongyu's example to bow.

Although they had not learned the etiquette for dealing with royalty, they could still imitate it.

The four human traffickers lying on the ground, already half-dead from the ordeal, lost their last glimmer of hope upon hearing the scattered greetings around them.

It's over, it's over.

Getting involved with this powerful figure means their lives are no longer in their own hands.

They didn't even have time to feel fear; instead, they began to recount the regrets of their lives.

"Get up, come inside and talk."

Wu Zongyu stood up respectfully, his movements so swift that he seemed ten years younger, a far cry from his previous leisurely demeanor.

He followed behind Zheng Xun, a position that was convenient for giving directions without overstepping his bounds.

The princess walks so fast! Her legs don't look long, but he's been pampered for so long that even with all his might, he almost couldn't catch up.

However, Zheng Xun's imposing presence was too heavy, and although he was tired, he didn't even dare to breathe heavily.

"Your Highness must be tired from your journey. Your humble servant has had water prepared for you..."

Zheng Xun didn't accommodate his pace and interrupted, "Wu Zongyu, how many people can you mobilize right now?"

Wu Zongyu was stunned for a moment, then stammered for quite a while.

Since he became the prefect of Tingzhou, the area has been very peaceful.

He tends to delegate tasks to his subordinates rather than handle them himself, so he is not very clear about the situation in Tingzhou.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he quickly came up with an excuse: "Princess, there have been many personnel changes in Tingzhou in the past two years, so..."

"you do not know."

"If I were to issue an order now, how long would it take you to get the people in all these places to mobilize?"

"You know, the people here are always so long-winded..."

"Is half a month feasible?"

"possible……"

Zheng Xun suddenly stopped, and Wu Zongyu swallowed his words in shock.

"Wu Zongyu".

Wu Zongyu felt dizzy; he thought he was going to die...

Zheng Xun turned his head to look at him, his face expressionless: "You really want to enjoy your retirement, don't you?"

Wu Zongyu knelt down with a thud: "Princess, spare my life! Princess, spare my life!"

"I'm giving you half a month to relocate the people of Tingzhou to Dingzhou and Qizhou. Is that possible?"

The tension on Wu Zongyu's face dissipated.

It wasn't that he wasn't afraid, but rather that Zheng Xun's order seemed like utter nonsense to him.