Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 312 The First Sword of the Hunting Patrol

Xifeng County.

The county town was small, and the city walls were dilapidated, with large patches of plaster peeling off to reveal the yellowish mud bricks underneath.

There wasn't even a single soldier guarding the city gate; just two stray dogs squatting there sunbathing.

When Lin Chen's troops stopped outside the city, the entire county was in an uproar.

"The Prince of Zhenbei is here! The Prince of Zhenbei has come to our Xifeng County!"

When the news spread, people flocked to the streets to see what was happening.

There were old men with canes, women carrying babies, and barefoot teenagers, all craning their necks to look towards the city gate.

County Magistrate Ma Defa, along with his assistant magistrate, registrar, and clerk, eagerly ran to the city gate to greet them.

Upon seeing the cavalry in silver armor and white robes, and the extremely luxurious carriage, Madfa's legs went weak. He forced himself to remain calm and saluted.

"Your humble servant, Ma Defa, Magistrate of Xifeng County, respectfully welcomes His Highness the Prince of Zhenbei!"

The group of people behind them followed suit and bowed, their bodies almost bent at a ninety-degree angle.

The carriage stopped, the curtain was lifted, and Lin Chen stepped out.

He stood on the carriage shaft, looking down at the bent-over Madfa.

胖。

Very fat.

His belly looked like he was carrying eight big watermelons; it was bent over and almost touching the ground.

Lin Chen suddenly smiled: "Magistrate Ma, get up."

Madfa, as if granted a pardon, straightened up shakily, bowing and scraping:

"Your Highness must be tired from your journey. I have prepared a small feast at the county office. Please, Your Highness, take a seat..."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "No rush."

He turned to look at Yenching University.

Yan Da understood, took out a file from his bosom, opened it, and read aloud:

"Ma Defa, the magistrate of Xifeng County, embezzled a total of 34,000 taels of disaster relief funds during his three-year term."

He condoned the extortion of the people by his yamen runners, leading thirteen families to sell their children.

Last winter, the withholding of disaster relief grain led to the starvation deaths of 237 people in the county seat and surrounding villages.

Yenching University's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

Madfa's face turned pale instantly.

The onlookers were first stunned, then erupted in uproar.

"So it was him! That corrupt official!"

"My son starved to death last winter because he didn't receive disaster relief food!"

"My old man was the same! He starved to death!"

"Kill him! Kill this corrupt official!"

The crowd surged forward, and if it weren't for the Snow Dragon Riders holding them back, the people would have rushed up and attacked them.

Madfa knelt down again with a thud, his whole body trembling, the flesh on his face shaking:

"Your Highness, I'm innocent! I didn't! I'm innocent!"

Lin Chen looked down at Ma Defa, a faint smile on his face.

"Innocent? Fine, then I'll give you a chance to defend yourself."

Then he looked at Yenching University: "Where's the evidence?"

Yan Da waved his hand, and several Snow Dragon Riders escorted a person up.

The man was wearing prison clothes, was so thin he was skin and bones, and had a sallow complexion, looking like a skeleton.

When Madfa saw him, his face turned even paler, and he trembled like a leaf.

Yan Da introduced, "This man is named Qian Gui. He is Ma Defa's advisor, and he handles all the accounts."

Qian Gui knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head, and trembling as he recounted the whole story.

From how they withheld disaster relief grain, to how they divided the spoils with Master Zhao in the west of the city and Gentleman Li in the south, to how they destroyed evidence, everything was explained clearly.

Finally, he kowtowed and said, "Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life! I was forced into this by Ma Defa..."

Madfa collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a single word.

Lin Chen ignored him and turned to Yan Da: "Where are those local gentry?"

Yan Dadao: "We've already sent someone to pick it up."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion arose in the distance.

Several teams of snow dragon riders escorted seven or eight people over. Some were fat, some were thin, some were old, and some were young, but they were all dressed in silk, and they were obviously rich people.

The fat old man at the very front was still struggling and shouting:

"What right do you have to arrest me? I'm a scholar! I have official rank!"

The great snow dragon rider who was holding him slapped him on the back of the head:

"Fame and fortune to hell! Make another sound and I'll cut your tongue out!"

The fat old man immediately shut up.

A group of people were brought before Lin Chen and made to kneel in a row.

The onlookers were in an uproar again.

"Master Zhao! It's Master Zhao! Last year he took advantage of the disaster to buy land, forcing so many people to sell their children!"

"Squire Li is no good either! His granaries are overflowing, but he won't sell any grain, waiting for prices to go up!"

"And then there's Wang the Skinflint! He lent money at exorbitant interest rates, the interest just kept compounding. My neighbor, Old Zhang, was driven to suicide by him!"

Lin Chen listened, and a smile curled at the corner of his lips.

He looked at the row of kneeling gentry and said calmly, "Gentlemen, do you have anything to say?"

Master Zhao raised his head, his face beaming with smiles:

"Your Highness, I am innocent! I have always been law-abiding and charitable, and even donated grain last year during the famine..."

Yenching University opened another file: "Zhao Dehou, a native of Zhao Family Village, Xifeng County, holds the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examination at the county level)."

Last year, during a year of famine, they took advantage of the chaos to buy 800 acres of fertile land at low prices, forcing 23 households to sell themselves into slavery.

The grain you donated was twenty shi (a unit of dry measure) of old, moldy grain.

Master Zhao's smile froze on his face.

Yan Da then looked at Li Xiangshen: "Li Fugui, a native of Lijia Village, Xifeng County."

Last year was a year of famine, and people hoarded grain, storing 3,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) in the granary, not selling a single grain, waiting for prices to rise.

Later, grain prices tripled before you opened your warehouse and made a profit of five thousand taels.

Li, the local gentry, lowered his head.

Yenching University students continued their studies, one after another.

After finishing reading, Lin Chen looked at the group and smiled, "Everyone, do you have anything else to say?"

No one spoke.

Lin Chen nodded and turned to walk towards the carriage.

He took two steps and then waved.

Yan Da waved his hand, and several large snow dragons rode forward and pinned Ma Defa to the ground.

A flash of light.

Heads fell to the ground.

Blood splattered all over the ground.

The onlookers fell silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening cheers.

"Well done!"

"Lord Tianyuan!"

"Long live the Prince of Zhenbei!"

Lin Chen stopped, glanced back at the crowd, and suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly:

"I, by order of His Majesty, tour the world, act on behalf of Heaven, and eliminate corrupt officials."

These parasites were killed at His Majesty's order. If you want to thank someone, thank His Majesty.

The people were stunned for a moment.

Then someone shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Immediately afterwards, a chorus of shouts followed: "Your Majesty is wise! Long live Your Majesty!"

Lin Chen smiled and got into the carriage.

The carriage curtain was lowered, and the carriage slowly headed towards the county government office.

Behind them, shouts thundered.

Inside the train carriage, Yao Yao leaned against the window, her eyes sparkling as she watched the cheering crowd outside.

"My lord, my lord, they're all praising His Majesty's wisdom!"

Lin Chen leaned back on the cushion, picked up a grape, and popped it into his mouth: "Yeah, I heard you."

Liu Shengxue looked at Lin Chen thoughtfully: "Husband, did you do this on purpose?"

Lin Chen smiled and asked, "What do you mean, intentionally?"

"Give the credit to His Majesty."

Lin Chen didn't say anything, but simply picked up another grape.

Liu Shengxue did not ask any further questions, but a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao huddled in the corner, her face still a little pale. She looked at the cheering crowds and local gentry outside, then at Lin Chen, and whispered:

"Brother-in-law, will all those people... die?"

Lin Chen nodded: "Yes."

Liu Sheng Piao Piao pursed her lips and said nothing more.

After a long while, she whispered again, "They... damn it."

Lin Chen glanced at her and smiled: "You've grown up."

Liu Sheng Piaopiao blushed and lowered her head.