'This was impossible to hide. Of course, they had to tell him. The more difficult they made it sound, the better.'
County Magistrate Li nodded, then changed the subject. He took a register from an attendant and asked in a menacingly neutral tone, "Village Chief Li, this selection is by order of the Capital City. I am merely following instructions, as you should understand. So why have all the daughters in your village been married off recently? The same goes for the surrounding villages. Can it be that you are dissatisfied with the imperial decree?" His gaze shot toward Li Changyu like a dagger.
Li Gengtian's heart sank. He immediately fell to his knees in a panic and kowtowed repeatedly. "My Lord, I truly know nothing of this matter!" he stammered. "How could I ever dare do such a thing? Besides, it wasn't just one or two families. So many households married off their daughters. What does that have to do with me?"
