The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 174 Times have changed
In principle, no one would voluntarily admit to a capital offense like colluding with demons, monsters, or evil people without irrefutable evidence.

Unless... the principles are in someone else's hands.

For example, right now, Wang Wen holds the principles in his hands!

Those who become officials may not be very smart, but none of them are stupid.

How could the officials present not see that Wang Wen, with a large number of demons and ghosts, had come to question Gu Yue about colluding with evil sorcerers in front of thousands of people, giving them a choice?

'If you want to be decent, then be decent yourselves!'

'If you're not willing to maintain your dignity, then I'll help you achieve it!'

Not to mention, Gu Yue actually raised a group of evil sorcerers, using them as resources to help his second son cultivate evil sorcery.

Even if he truly is as pure as a white lotus flower, and has never had any dealings with any evil or heretical forces...

Whether he colluded with evil forces or heretics is up to Wang Wen to decide.
Almost all the officials from the Transport Commissioner's Office present were certain that if Gu Yue denied it to the death, demons and ghosts would immediately jump out from Wang Erhu's side to identify Gu Yue as a "witness".

That's exactly what the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion does. Now that they've revealed their true colors, if they don't kill Gu Yue in one fell swoop, are they going to wait for Gu Yue to regroup and start a war against their General's Mansion again?

If he doesn't make this case airtight, how can Wang Erhu explain himself to the imperial court?
And their Transport Commissioner's Office, without the support of the law and righteousness, who could do anything to the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion?

Not to mention that without the support of the law and righteousness, the local militia and patrol naval forces would certainly not risk the charge of "rebellion" to protect them by force.

Even though these local troops and patrol naval forces are willing to confront the Demon Slayer General's Mansion, they still have serious doubts about whether these local troops and patrol naval forces can protect them!
Things have come to this point, so they have no choice but to sacrifice their fellow Daoists rather than themselves.

In the power struggles of officialdom, it has always been a case of the victor becoming king and the loser becoming a bandit. If you dare to gamble, you have to accept the defeat; there is no room for sentimentality.

Since you, Gu Yue, are less skilled than us, don't blame us for turning our backs on you and kicking you when you're down...

It's better for your family to die than for everyone to die together!

……

Seeing that the officials present were so sensible and understanding, Wang Wen relaxed his brow with relief.

They were right.

Wang Wen's decision to expose the underworld police and naval forces to the world is driven by the idea that "if you don't want to be respectable, I'll help you be respectable!"

In fact, when he sent Ma Feng to investigate Gu Yue and granted Ma Feng permission to mobilize the naval forces to assist in the investigation, he was actually implying to Ma Feng that if they couldn't find evidence of Gu Yue's collusion with demons and monsters, then they would be the evidence against him!
That's certainly a despicable thing to do.

Is giving it your all the greatest respect you can show to the enemy?

Gu Yue knew perfectly well what kind of business the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion was in, yet he had no reservations when he attacked it. Did Wang Wen have to tie his own hands and follow Gu Yue's rules to start a war with him?
Why! ! !
Gu Yue started the war.

How to fight and to what extent is naturally up to Wang Wen to decide!

As for the underworld messenger camp and the naval camp...

His Demon-Slaying General's Mansion is responsible for suppressing demons and monsters. Isn't it normal for him to subdue some demons and monsters and use them for his own purposes?

what?
He colluded with demons and monsters in the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion?
Go down and talk to those demons and monsters who died at the hands of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion. You'll definitely have a lot in common!
As the saying goes, one force can overcome all methods!

Now that he was confident he could stand up to the imperial court, Wang Wen no longer needed to hesitate in his actions...

Anyone who disagrees, let's start a war!
"Someone is coming!"

Wang Wen shouted with a smile on his lips.

"The general is here!"

All the general's guards on the three cargo ships responded in unison.

Wang Wen pointed at Gu Yue, who had fainted on the dock, and said, "Take down the entire Gu family, blockade the Transport Commissioner's Office, and anyone who dares to resist will be punished as if they were colluding with evil sorcerers and engaging in armed rebellion!"

"Here!"

The general's mansion's demon-suppressing guards responded in unison, leaping off the cargo ship in droves like wolves and tigers. They seized the unconscious Gu Yue, then swept away the soldiers and officials blocking their way as if they were in an empty field, and rushed towards Shanyang County.

At the same time, orderly ranks of underworld officials had already taken flight and floated towards the Transport Commissioner's Office to prevent the people inside from destroying evidence.

The officials and soldiers present, looking up at the many underworld messengers floating overhead, felt both fear and overwhelming awe.

'Collapse at the first touch! '

Utter defeat!

'The world has really changed...'

Some people recalled the scene of Gu Yue running around and discussing various strategies to deal with the attack from the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion these past few days.

Some people, filled with emotion, looked around at the hundreds of imperial officials and thousands of local militia and naval troops...

My heart is filled with a sense of absurdity, and a kind of sorrowful sense of interdependence.

Prior to this, many of them had a premonition that, in this confrontation, their Transport Commissioner's Office would probably be unable to suppress this rising star and unstoppable General of Huainan.

After all, the grand training exercise around Huainan Road by the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion had just come to an end.

These officials from the Transport Commissioner's Office, located at the heart of Huainan Road's waterway transportation hub, had naturally heard about the major battles and bloody fights that General Dangmo's Mansion had waged during its training exercises around Huainan Road.

The Demon-Slaying General's Mansion isn't even afraid of those mountain-dwelling demons and monsters. They know there are tigers in the mountains, yet they still venture into the tiger's den. How could they be afraid of your 'mere' Transport Commissioner's Office?
Is it possible?
But they never expected that their Transport Commission would be defeated so easily and so utterly...

It felt like the Demon General's Mansion hadn't even exerted its full power yet, and they were already on the verge of collapse!
Once upon a time, their Huainan Transport Commissioner's Office integrated the finance, administration, and judiciary of Huainan Circuit. When they left Shanyang County, they were two levels above the officials. The Transport Commissioner was not a military governor, but he was more powerful than a military governor. How prestigious that was!

Now, the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, which was established less than a year ago, has defeated their Transport Commissioner's Office in one round!
This instilled in all the officials of the Transport Commissioner's Office a sense of sorrow that "when the times abandon you, they don't even say goodbye."

Wang Wen had no time to pay attention to the sentimental musings of these corrupt bureaucrats; he had to hurry up and make this case airtight!
It's not just about Gu Yue colluding with evil sorcerers and helping his second son kill people to practice evil magic.

He also wants to bring the case of the Transport Commissioner Si embezzling the grain and salary of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, as well as who instructed Gu Yue to embezzle the grain and salary of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, to the imperial court!
Since he was already here, he wasn't afraid to make things even bigger!
Outsiders dare not expose these unspoken rules of official corruption...

He, Wang Wengan!

Others fear the cruel vortex of the princes vying for the throne...

He, Wang Wen, is not afraid!
He really wanted to see if the Great Zhou Dynasty could collapse and crush him, Wang Wen!
With such ruthless intent, Wang Wen ordered the naval camp to blockade Shanyang County and personally led five hundred Demon-Suppressing Guards to occupy the Transport Commissioner's Office.

On the one hand, they sent people to interrogate the case of the Gu family raising evil sorcerers.

On one hand, he dispatched people to thoroughly investigate all the accounts of the Transport Commissioner's Office for the past three years. With the double buff of 'Great Memory Recovery Technique' and 'I'll Talk Even After I'm Dead', many details of the case were revealed to Wang Wen.

It's not difficult at all!

A major political upheaval, centered in Shanyang County, is slowly sweeping across the entire Huainan Circuit!

……

Just as Wang Wen was in charge of the transport commissioner's office, he was ruthlessly persecuting those officials who had offended him.

The files on his assassination of the newly appointed prefect Meng Xinghuai in Yangzhou, as well as the massacres he committed against the Wang and Chen families, were also delivered to Emperor Hongtai's desk by fast horse.

The elderly Emperor Hongtai was momentarily surprised as he looked at the various pieces of evidence in the dossier that proved Wang Wen's identity.

He also couldn't understand why Wang Wenming, who could have killed Meng Xinghuai and the others silently, would have taken matters into his own hands, leaving behind irrefutable evidence and making it known to everyone... No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a frame-up.

But soon, he suddenly realized what he meant and chuckled lightly, "Interesting!"

In the Imperial Study, Xia Lan, the commander of the Demon Suppression Division who had been summoned to the palace, wore a purple python robe and had his graying brows furrowed. He said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, this boy is probably going to be quite something!"

As the head of the Demon Suppression Division, his perspective on issues kept pace with the changing times.

Emperor Hongtai looked up at him and said calmly, "Does your Demon Suppression Division have any countermeasures?"

Xia Lan pondered for a long time before saying in a meaningful voice, "This child's file shows that he was very filial to his adoptive father, Huang Xingde."

Emperor Hongtai remained silent, but simply pulled out a scroll from the pile and handed it to the portly old eunuch beside him.

The portly old eunuch took the file with both hands and handed it to Xia Lan.

Xia Lan took the file, quickly scanned it, and then her brows furrowed even more.

But after a moment's hesitation, he still emphasized, "Your Majesty, this trend must not be allowed to spread, otherwise it may lead to strange and unusual people in the countryside imitating it!"

Emperor Hongtai lowered his aged eyelids and asked calmly, "Your Demon Suppression Division has been established for two years. I have granted you high-ranking positions and generous salaries, and the authority to act as you see fit, to gather extraordinary talents. Now, how many of these talents can rival this young man?"

Xia Lan's eyes flickered intensely for a moment, then he sighed silently, clasped his hands, and bowed: "Your subject...is ashamed!"

Although he had never met Wang Wen, he probably knew more about Wang Wen than Huang Xingde did.

For example, he knew that Wang Wen had played a very important role in the decisive battle at Huangshan in the past, and had influenced the outcome of the battle.

He also knew that Zhang Mazi, the master of the Innate Realm who had single-handedly killed Fang La, the leader of the Ming Cult, in Hangzhou years ago, was none other than Wang Wen.

He even knew that Wang Wen had some unknown connection with Wu Yanzu, the god of Huangshan, whom he had read through countless books but had not found a single trace of!
Based on all the information available, the only person in the world who could reliably defeat Wang Wen was Zhang Yong, the Land Sword Immortal…

But that Zhang Jianxian was not under the control of the imperial court!
They didn't even know where Zhang Jianxian was.

Emperor Hongtai remained silent for a moment before speaking: "This matter should be addressed by appeasement, and we should not allow the situation to deteriorate further... You only have one chance. If you fail in your first strike, this boy will surely rebel!"

He could clearly see that Wang Wen, the General Who Subdues Demons of Huainan, whom he had personally appointed, had no fear of imperial power whatsoever.

But Wang Wen still held some respect for his benefactor.

Just like the Yangzhou Incident, Wang Wenming clearly had countless ways to make Meng Xinghuai die without knowing why.

However, he openly appeared in Yangzhou and publicly beheaded Meng Xinghuai in front of everyone, leaving behind evidence to verify his identity as well as sufficient alibi.

This seemingly contradictory approach was actually a way of conveying a message to his benefactor: 'Meng Xinghuai was killed by me, Wang Wen. You decide how to deal with me; I'll accept it!'

The fact that his demons and monsters weren't used in this matter was, in effect, a way of indirectly declaring to him: 'It's true that I, Wang Wen, killed Meng Xinghuai, but I didn't harbor any bandits for personal gain. I've lived up to the title of Demon-Slaying General you bestowed upon me!'

In fact, judging from the cause and effect recorded in the case file, no matter how Meng Xinghuai died, even if he slipped and fell to his death in full view of everyone, a discerning person would definitely suspect Wang Wen.

The sudden death of a fourth-rank official of the imperial court will surely be thoroughly investigated without any oversight!

But his open and aboveboard actions were tantamount to declaring to his benefactor: 'My killing of Meng Xinghuai was a personal vendetta; I have no ill will towards you or the court.'

In summary, apart from the one mistake of Wang Wen killing Meng Xinghuai and the heads of the Wang and Chen families without the court's permission during the Yangzhou incident, there is nothing else to criticize about him!
Furthermore, according to the records, this incident was indeed initiated by Meng Xinghuai in collusion with the Huainan Circuit Transport Commissioner's Office, who first provoked Wang Wen...

Those idiots don't even realize that Wang Wen isn't afraid of any demons or monsters, so how could he possibly fall for their tricks?
of course……

The main reason why Emperor Hongtai focused on the major issues while letting the minor ones go was that the court was indeed not confident in punishing Wang Wen at the moment.

If we can't sanction him, then we can only look at his good points and ignore his bad ones...

Otherwise, the day this case file arrives in the capital will be the day the imperial envoy to arrest Wang Wen leaves the capital!

Moreover, he is already too old!

He no longer has the time or energy to deal with these trivial matters.

He had more important things to do...

After hearing Emperor Hongtai's proposed solution, Xia Lan, though unwilling, could only clasp his hands and bow, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

No boss would like a subordinate like Wang Wen who flips the table at the drop of a hat.

But ironically, he really had no way to deal with Wang Wen.

We can only swallow our anger...

……

Seven days after Wang Wen led his team to the Transport Commissioner's Office, he finally managed to sort out the details of the two cases.

At that time, he had already arrested and imprisoned 70% of the officials, both high and low, within the Huainan Circuit Transport Commissioner's Office.

The charge was, of course, embezzlement and corruption...

As for the remaining 30%, it's not that they didn't want to be greedy, but that they weren't qualified to be greedy, and others wouldn't let them be greedy.

With sufficient evidence, Wang Wen did not resort to private torture. Instead, he packed all the evidence and all the officials involved in corruption and sent them to the capital.

Having utterly destroyed the entire Huainan Circuit Transport Commissioner's Office in one fell swoop, he had finally gotten rid of most of the nausea he felt.

The remaining resentment will depend on whether that so-called Prince Qi dares to provoke Wang Wen again!
If you dare to come again, he'll settle all the old scores with you!

(End of this chapter)