The stolen magic is a bit magical

Lin Xiaosu smiled: "It's actually easy for the Prefect to prove whether what I used was a Lesser God Soul Suppression Technique. You can try it yourself and you'll understand."

Song Yuncang laughed: "You, a mere fourth-rank official, want to do whatever you want with a second-rank official like me in this prefecture? You'll have to see if the official seal of this prefecture will allow it!"

Mad Wolf's gaze suddenly shifted to the face of Song Lifu, the Minister of Justice.

She is from Zhentian Pavilion.

She knew the power of a second-rank official seal.

No matter how powerful his own master's second-rank divine soul-suppressing technique was, it was impossible for it to break through the control of the second-rank official seal and truly suppress Song Yuncang.

So, can the Minister's official seal keep Song Yuncang in check?

Impossible!

Although officials of the Ministry of Personnel are officials in the capital and theoretically superior to local officials of the same rank, this is only a matter of etiquette.

The true power of an official seal doesn't depend on etiquette, but on rank. If two people are of the same rank, their power is equal.

Song Yuncang respected the officials in the capital, so he could pay his respects to them first. But now it was clearly not the time to solve the problem by paying his respects. Lin Xiaosu wanted to subdue Song Yuncang, so how could Song Yuncang let him do whatever he wanted?
If they were to force the issue, Song Yuncang, who was still the prefect at the time, had a large number of subordinate officials, all of whom were high-ranking officials of the third or fourth rank. If they all took out their official seals at the same time, it would create the biggest scandal in the officialdom.

Moreover, it still failed to achieve the goal of suppressing Song Yuncang.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "The prefect is quite confident in using the official seal as leverage, but I wonder if he knows that today's events were all under His Majesty's discerning eye?"

The smile on Song Yuncang's face vanished without a trace.

A sudden burst of cold sweat seemed to erupt on his back.

My God, Your Majesty…

Observing the whole process?

"Your Majesty, please!" The official seal in Song Lifu's hand rose into the air.

A single point of light appears out of nowhere!
A figure appeared at the end of the Wenling Hall!

tom!
Song Yuncang knelt down with a thud.

boom!
All the prefectural officials behind him knelt down.

Zhang Tao and Kuang Lang, who were standing next to Lin Xiaosu, bowed deeply at the same time.

Lin Xiaosu also bowed deeply.

"Prefect Song!" His Majesty's voice rang out: "A robbery has occurred in the prefect's prison. You claim you wish to plead guilty before me. Is it fair and reasonable for me to temporarily revoke your title of prefect?"

His Majesty's voice was calm and indifferent, seemingly devoid of joy or sorrow, yet an immense pressure still gathered over this land.

Song Yuncang kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty bestowed upon me this position, and if Your Majesty wishes to take it back, I will return it with my hands clasped!"

He raised both hands, holding the prefectural governor's seal in his palms, his hands trembling slightly.

"Excellent!" A golden light burst forth from His Majesty's figure, and the seal of the prefectural governor flew up.

This flight signifies the removal of Song Yuncang from his post as prefect.

"Minister Su!"

"Your subject is here!" Lin Xiaosu bowed.

"At this moment, Song Yuncang is no longer a second-rank prefect. You shall use your Lesser God Soul Suppression Technique to interrogate him!" His Majesty said.

Song Yuncang was greatly shocked: "Your Majesty... this villain possesses divine magic and can control other people's words for his own use. When I was interrogated by him, I didn't even know what shocking things I would say. If I offended Your Majesty, I hope Your Majesty will not hold it against me."

His Majesty's face was grim, and he did not answer.

Lin Xiaosu said, "Whether it's a revelation of truth under the Soul-Suppressing Technique or a frame-up under the Divine Magic Technique, there's a best way to distinguish them: compare them to reality. Song Yuncang, let me remind you beforehand: you must guard your mind closely and not reveal the location of your embezzled funds! If those shameful embezzled funds come out of your mouth and are actually found in reality, then your slander against me will be exposed."

Song Yuncang trembled violently, and sweat poured down his face!

His Majesty was greatly shaken; he was overjoyed at the mention of money…

Zhang Tao's eyes lit up. Was this also a military strategy?
His Majesty is most sensitive to enormous wealth, and you've already touched upon his most sensitive spot before you've even begun...

As soon as Lin Xiaosu activated her divine technique, Song Yuncang's trembling stopped abruptly, and he became completely dazed.

"Speak! Have you been involved with the Heart Gate? Listen carefully, I'm talking about the Heart Gate, not the Heart Pavilion!"

"Yes!"

With just one word, all the officials under the prefectural governor's command broke out in a cold sweat.

Because of this one word, Song Yuncang was in big trouble.

What specific interactions were there?

"..."

One event after another, each with a general timeframe, location, people involved, and connections...

His Majesty's face began to darken.

Under normal circumstances, such an absolutely secretive matter would not be able to be tried in public. However, he could not interrupt today because the point he was most concerned about had not yet arrived.

Zhang Tao's eyes kept flashing.

He had been studying military strategy.

The adults' every move seemed to be a matter of military strategy.

Asking about these specific details also reveals the intention behind it.

These things can all be verified by reality.

Once verified, it distinguishes between the soul-suppressing spell and framing.

Framing and slander cannot correspond to reality, but these things, one by one, correspond to reality.

The officials behind the prefect's office felt utterly disheartened. These words, coming from Song Yuncang, corresponded to various major events in reality, declaring one thing: Song Yuncang was not just in big trouble, but completely finished.

Because His Majesty would never allow someone who is full of sins and whose crimes are known to the public to continue serving as a regional governor.

This is the most terrifying aspect of Lin Xiaosu's public interrogation.

If Song Yuncang's crimes are not made public, his career may still be preserved. Once they are made public, his career will be ruined without a doubt. His Majesty cannot afford the public opinion risk of "using a thief as an official".

Finally, and most importantly...

Where is the wealth you've amassed hidden?

“In the cave dwellings of Wuliuzhuang, on the outskirts of the capital,” Song Yuncang replied.

"how many?"

"The amount of unrecoverable gold is about thirty million, and the gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings... I can't remember them all at the moment..."

His Majesty's eyes suddenly closed.

He was worried that revealing his inner excitement.

Lin Xiaosu went to Jiangnan and took down four major powers, obtaining a total of more than 30 million gold coins, which was an unprecedented haul.

However, the amount of gold plundered by a single prefect was equal to the total amount plundered by the four major powers mentioned above!

All you need is this number, plus an accurate address.

He would have to change the initial settings...

"Your Majesty, I have finished asking my questions!" Lin Xiaosu reported to His Majesty.

His Majesty slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with... rage!

"The prefect of a prefecture should be the parent of the prefecture, bringing blessings to the entire prefecture. Yet this villain colluded with sects from beyond the borders, exploiting millions of people and personally orchestrating the prison break, resulting in the deaths of over two hundred innocent guards. His crimes are heinous!" His Majesty slowly stood up: "Your Majesty, I hereby issue the Imperial Decree!"

"exist!"

"Song Yuncang, the prefect of Huzhou, shall have his entire clan exterminated!"

"According to the order!"

"Minister Song!"

"Your subject is here!" Song Lifu bowed.

"The position of Prefect of Huzhou is vacant. You will temporarily assume the duties of Prefect and assist Minister Su in bringing peace and prosperity to Huzhou as soon as possible!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the prefectural seal fell into Song Lifu's hands.

"..." Song Lifu was terrified: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

The light and shadow in the sky disappeared.

His Majesty has finally disappeared.

This time, it's truly gone.

All the officials under the prefectural government stepped forward tremblingly to pay their respects to Song Lifu.

I paid my respects to the acting prefect.

Only Song Yuncang remained bewildered. Finally, after the guards came and put him in heavy handcuffs, he suddenly came to his senses, struggled desperately, and shouted, "Your Majesty..."

However, no one responded, and he continued on like that.

A high-ranking official, a regional governor who could command great influence in the imperial court, met his end and was executed along with his entire family.

The wealth he amassed was not mentioned at all in His Majesty's edict.

However, with the conclusion of exterminating three generations of the family, a tacit agreement was reached regarding this wealth—if all the people were killed, the property would naturally be confiscated and turned over to the national treasury!

"Lord Song was perfectly fine when he came, but he can't go back!" Lin Xiaosu's voice reached Song Lifu's ears: "What are your thoughts?"

cough……

Song Lifu coughed: "Gentlemen, please step back!" "This humble official takes his leave!" All the subordinates took their leave, their steps unsteady.

"Lord Su, would you like to sit in the reception room?" Song Lifu said.

"Yes!" Lin Xiaosu walked away alongside him.

Kuanglang and Zhang Tao looked at each other, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes.

"The lord has started changing prefects!" Zhang Tao said. "Could you have imagined that?"

Mad Wolf shook his head, then nodded, unsure of her thoughts. Perhaps she wasn't thinking anything at all; her mind was simply in turmoil...

In the reception room, the two sat down, waved away the maid, and Song Lifu sighed: "Lord Su, I have some suspicions that you have set me up."

Lin Xiaosu feigned surprise: "Your Excellency, you are wronged! Even if I had the greatest courage in the world, I would never dare to set a trap for you."

"You dare not? You even dared to set a trap for His Majesty!" Song Lifu gritted his teeth: "Do you dare say that when you investigated and found out the amount of money Song Yuncang embezzled and the location of the hidden money, it didn't strengthen His Majesty's resolve to exterminate his entire clan?"

Lin Xiaosu shook her head vigorously: "How could that be? His Majesty only took him down because he colluded with the Xinmen and harmed the people! His Majesty is wise and mighty, how could he be swayed by money?"

Song Lifu stared at him for a long time, his mind filled with a string of curses, but it was not appropriate to show them. He could only sigh and say, "Lord Su, I really can't stay in Huzhou for too long. If you want to use me for something, just say it directly."

Judging from this statement, he genuinely suspected that this young man was using His Majesty's influence to keep him, the Minister of Justice, in Jiangnan in order to aid his grand plan to conquer the south.

He really can't stay here for long.

There's a ton of stuff going on in Beijing.

He also wants to compete for the position of prime minister.

Staying in Jiangnan, even if it's only as a temporary prefect, who knows how long that "temporary" will last?

In officialdom, there are precedents of this happening for several years in a row.

If His Majesty really demotes him for a few years, the Seventh Prince's grand plan will be ruined.

"If Lord Song does not wish to serve as the prefect of Huzhou, how could I not wish to? I have no connections in the court, and I am anxious about my position. Only Lord Song shares my interests, and I am even hoping that Lord Song will become the prime minister. If this distance from the center of the court is prolonged, the prime minister position will surely be taken by someone else, and then my career will probably be in a dead end."

"You knew that?" Song Lifu rolled his eyes. "Then why did you set up this trap to keep this old man trapped in Jiangnan?"

"My lord, you have truly wronged me. This is not a setup."

“You’ve controlled the whole thing perfectly. Every step has been exactly as you predicted. I absolutely do not believe that you can’t see the final outcome!” Song Lifu said, “Tell me, how can you get me out of here quickly?”

Lin Xiaosu said, "Actually, it's easy for you to get out of this situation, sir. Just find someone more suitable to be the prefect, and you'll be free."

“A more suitable person? Who have you taken a fancy to this time?” Song Lifu said, “Don’t you dare say the Provincial Treasurer or the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.”

If a prefect leaves office, and no one is appointed from above, the most likely candidates to succeed him are the provincial governor and the provincial judicial commissioner. Both of them are high-ranking officials of the third rank, and some are even high-ranking officials of the second rank.

As one of the three most powerful figures in the state, taking over the position would minimize the risks in officialdom.

“These two are clearly in cahoots with Song Yuncang. If it were them, Huzhou would just be a case of changing the name but not the substance. Obviously, it can’t be them,” Lin Xiaosu said.

"Then who else is suitable?" Song Lifu slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky. He considered several vice ministers from the eight ministries in the capital. It was customary for vice ministers to be assigned to a prefecture as governors. Who would be the most suitable?

After taking stock, he found that he couldn't find a suitable candidate.

The former crown prince had been regent for far too long—a full ten years.

Not to mention that the prefects of each state were basically all the former crown prince's men, even the reserve teams of the third and second ranks were basically all the former crown prince's men.

Song Lifu had a psychological barrier to making good use of the people in this team.

Because he was the former crown prince's adversary from the very beginning.

“There is one person!” Lin Xiaosu said, “Zhang Yiran, the prefect of Xijiang. I wonder if Lord Song knows him well enough.”

“Zhang Yiran?” Song Lifu frowned deeply. “He’s only a fourth-rank prefect, four ranks below a second-rank prefect. Aren’t you being too delusional?”

“Just five days ago, a seventh-rank county magistrate in Linjiang County was actually a fourth-rank prefect of Linjiang, only six ranks away! But he still succeeded!” Lin Xiaosu said.

“Lord Su, you are wrong!” Song Lifu said, “In His Majesty’s mind, officials below the third rank are all insignificant. Don’t use the promotion of officials below the third rank to define the rules of the upper echelons of officialdom.”

“Lord Song, you are wrong too!” Lin Xiaosu said, “In the peaceful and orderly court, everyone will consciously abide by the rules of officialdom. However, when it comes to the critical moment of correcting the wrongs, it is necessary to break the rules. I think His Majesty would never want this hard-won second-rank position to become a continuation of the old order with the same old name but different names.”

Song Lifu's face stiffened.

Set things right!

He used that word.

This word is sensitive and heavy, but it is generally a neutral word.

He can be released anywhere in the world without breaking the law.

Song Lifu understood the weight of this word in this specific context.

The world today appears peaceful and calm, but in reality, His Majesty harbors a deep-seated concern: the official team was built by the Crown Prince over a decade.

With the Crown Prince gone, they are powerless and may not be able to cause any significant trouble. However, in a sense, this team has all betrayed His Majesty.

Even if he doesn't eliminate this team for the sake of peace and stability, he still needs to leave his mark on them.

Therefore, Your Majesty needs to break the rules of officialdom and promote a group of people in an extraordinary way to dilute the old order and gradually form your own true core circle.

Song Lifu wasn't unaware of this principle; he just found it hard to accept... this young man's "understanding of principles."

Lifting his teacup, Song Lifu let out a soft sigh: "Perhaps you are right on the issue of order! But Lord Su, there is another condition. The so-called exceptional promotion has a prerequisite: the person to be promoted must have sufficient political achievements to back it up. In Xijiang Prefecture, the Qingxuan Sect has wreaked havoc for a century, and the people have suffered unspeakably. Local governance is also a complete mess. The dignified prefect has turned himself into a hermit of Shangqiu, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people. Do you think such a person is worthy of being the head of a prefecture?"

Lin Xiaosu picked up her teacup and remained silent.

Song Lifu said, “Perhaps you are also a person poisoned by Confucianism, thinking that as long as an official is virtuous, inaction is also a merit. I do not deny that he was a top scholar who did not want to part with his wife and gave up his promising career. He had great integrity. However, I am an official, and I do not believe that a person who is virtuous but not talented can be of great use. Such a person is perhaps best suited to be a hermit, rather than an official.”

Lin Xiaosu let out a soft sigh: "This humble official would like to ask Your Excellency, in your criteria for employing people, how do you consider both virtue and talent?"

"Naturally, one should possess both virtue and talent; why distinguish between the two?"

"Having both virtue and talent is certainly the ideal state, but do you think there are many such people?"

Song Lifu sighed deeply: "People have strengths and weaknesses, and things have right and wrong aspects. People who possess both virtue and talent are extremely rare."

"Yes, sir, you say I've been poisoned by Confucianism, but I see you as poisoned by idealism. You envision every official possessing both virtue and talent. In reality, there aren't that many people with both virtue and talent, but there are only so many positions in the world. What to do? We can't leave them vacant, can we? Therefore, I divide people into four categories: those with both virtue and talent are the best, those with virtue but no talent are next, those with neither virtue nor talent are next, and those with talent but no virtue are the worst..."

"Wait a minute!" Song Lifu said, "I agree with the first two points, but aren't the last two reversed? Isn't being lacking in both virtue and talent the lowest tier? Why is being lacking in both virtue and talent ranked in the third tier? And being lacking in virtue but possessing talent is ranked after that?"

"In governing officialdom, inaction isn't the most terrifying thing; the most terrifying thing is malfeasance! An official who is neither virtuous nor talented might at most be a little greedy, but he's not capable of doing anything earth-shattering. However, an official who is virtuous yet talented can easily ruin an entire prefecture." Lin Xiaosu said, "For example, Song Yuncang, the prefect of Huzhou, is considered talented, right? But under his rule, all eleven prefectures became sacrifices for the sects. Would you rather he be less capable or more capable?"

Song Lifu fell silent!

Lin Xiaosu's four-tiered personnel theory shattered his long-held views on personnel management.

However, upon closer examination, he is right.

I'm not afraid of officials being mediocre and incompetent; I'm afraid of officials doing inhuman things every day!

If officials are mediocre, ordinary people can just treat them like raising a pig.

But if an official is capable but chooses not to follow the right path, that's terrible. He's not a pig; he's a man-eating tiger!
"That's why you think this former top scholar, now a recluse, is worthy of being given important responsibilities," Song Lifu said.

“Yes, at least they’re ranked in the second tier of hiring standards!” Lin Xiaosu said. “If we have to blame someone, we can only blame this era. There are just too few people who are both virtuous and talented.”

“In fact, every scholar, when he first entered the world, had some desire to save the world. However, the imperial court is a big dye vat. How many people can keep their original intentions and stick to their own path?” Song Lifu swallowed the tea in his cup heavily, as if swallowing the bitterness and sweetness of his past decades.

"From this perspective, think about this former top scholar again. Isn't it admirable that he has always upheld his simple and honest principles over the decades?" Lin Xiaosu said, "Moreover, Lord Song, please don't forget that his inaction does not necessarily mean that he doesn't want to act. It's just that he is under Song Yuncang's command, and any of his political views are rejected. He is unable to control the fate of the people under his jurisdiction, not that he has chosen to retire into seclusion."

When one is in the imperial court, one's actions are not one's own.

This is what Song Lifu understood most deeply.

Let alone a mere prefect, even he, a powerful second-rank minister, was suppressed to the point of having no temper for a considerable period of time. His criminal principles and his tough stance on the sect were also unable to be implemented, and he almost lost his own life.
From this perspective, he and the top scholar were actually kindred spirits.

He slowly raised his head: "Lord Su, why do you speak so highly of this top scholar? As far as I know, you have never even met him."

“But I’ve read some of his information!” Lin Xiaosu said, “Do you know what impressed me the most? It was a concept he proposed when he first became the prefect.”

"Oh? What kind of idea?"

"He advocated that children from farming families enter sects! He even went to the Qingxuan Sect and reached an agreement with them to allow 1,000 children to enter each year."

Song Lifu frowned: "This is about befriending a sect! He initially befriended a sect as well!"

"No, sir, you are wrong! This is an extremely forward-thinking strategic concept. The world will eventually move towards integration. If peasant children enter sects, then everyone will be a sect member. If the children of the powerful and wealthy dare to oppress the common people, then the children of the peasants can naturally resist. In terms of sect background, everyone has a sect background. In this way, the sect's 'military resources' cannot be controlled by the powerful and wealthy, and there will be no distinction of stance. Instead, things will return to the justice and fairness of the matter itself."

Song Lifu said, "But he didn't succeed!"

"Yes, he failed because the plan was leaked to the sect. The sect knew he had ulterior motives and was trying to sow discord within the sect, so they completely rejected the infiltration of the peasant youth. As a result, Song Yuncang launched an official crackdown on him, completely sidelining him."

Song Lifu gazed at the sky for a long time.

He was in the capital, but he had never known the land beneath his feet.

Who would have thought that a former top scholar, whom everyone ridiculed, had actually carried out a reform in this world in his own way?

The reforms were unsuccessful, and he paid a heavy price for them.

But have the footprints of the pioneers simply been forgotten?
“Lord Song, seeing is believing. How about I take you on a tour of the Xijiang region?” Lin Xiaosu said.

The two rose into the air and returned to Xijiang.

The fact that Xijiang Prefecture governs seven counties somewhat overturned Song Lifu's previous understanding.

In his mind, this prefect had lived a secluded life for many years, and the area under his jurisdiction should be in chaos. However, what he saw was peaceful, with men farming and women weaving, and they were not necessarily living worse than other ordinary people.

They even seemed to live better than the people in another prefecture they passed through.

They took off their official robes, transformed into ordinary merchants, and when they inquired with the people, they all said that they had a good county magistrate.

Yes, they didn't use the term "prefect," they only used "county magistrate."

They didn't even know who the prefect was. (End of Chapter)