The Official Lady and the Bandit

The county office in Chuyi County has been empty for eight years. After the previous two magistrates died, one violently and the other of illness, the court never sent anyone to replace them. Chuyi County lies in a remote area, its people are fierce, and bandits run rampant. The court would like to govern it, but it's simply too far away. Then, this year, a woman arrived to take the post of magistrate. Two disheveled bailiffs squat outside the dilapidated county office. "A woman can be an official?" "The court changed the rules years ago. Only a few women have become officials, and now they've sent one here." "What would a woman want with a place like this?" "To get herself killed." "That's a pity." Everyone says Chuyi County is beyond saving. The friends who see her off look at her with pity, as if they already know she won't come back. Sure enough, Lin Yijun runs into trouble on her very first day in office. The only road into the county is blocked by bandits. With broadswords slung over their shoulders and menace in their eyes, they shout at her to hand over her money. Lin Yijun looks up at the sky and rolls up her sleeves. A moment later, she walks into town again with her luggage on her back. The bandits tremble like leaves, clutching their crotches and weeping in silence. Word has it that a formidable female magistrate has come to Chuyi County. She looks like a little white rabbit, but she's really a ferocious tiger. Zhou Zhaonan, the young lord of Gray Snake Mountain, the largest bandit organization in Chuyi County, refuses to believe it. "I want to see just how formidable a woman can be!" Later, the young lord returns with a bruised face, grinding his teeth. "That's too much! You shouldn't hit someone in the face!" Life at the county office: make money, hear cases, make money, build infrastructure, make money, and suppress bandits. She's got work to do, but romance too. A capable person can have both. A calm, clear-headed female official with the best fighting skills VS a hopelessly incompetent, lovestruck puppy of a bandit who loves to fight Notes: * The heroine is five years older than the male lead. It's an older-woman-younger-man romance, with a slight everyone-loves-the-heroine vibe. * The dynasty is fictional, with plenty of made-up details. * One of the supporting characters has transmigrated. * Happy ending. * Background art by artist Qi Jiuzi. * The characters are not perfect, but I hope you enjoy the story. Happy reading, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! Theme: Everyone is responsible for obeying the law