Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 115 I've finished speaking. Who agrees? Who disagrees? [10,000-word update, please subscribe and subscribe to all chapters]

The entire city of Kaifeng was on high alert.

Nearly half of the troops from Shandong and Henan provinces have been concentrated here, making the defense extremely tight.

However, large numbers of refugees gathered at all the city gates throughout the prefecture.

These are all people from the vicinity of the prefectural city who were left homeless due to the ravages of war.

Now, everyone is dressed in rags and crowds around the city, wanting to enter, but they are blocked by the soldiers at the city gate.

"Sirs, please have mercy and let us in!"

"We want to see the Commander-in-Chief!"

"Save us!"

Looking at these poorly clothed refugees, the city guards showed no mercy. Each of them held a sword and guarded the city to the death, preventing the refugees from entering.

Some soldiers were reluctant to let the refugees into the city, but they couldn't disobey orders and dared not let them in, lest they cause unrest.

With sighs, all they could do was stand with their colleagues and defend the city gates to the death, resisting the refugees.

"Go away!"

"No one is allowed to enter the city without the Commander-in-Chief's order!"

"Stand back, or I'll kill you!"

The stern rebukes dimmed the hope in the eyes of countless displaced people.

"Heavens above, what have we done wrong? Why are you treating us like this?!"

"We are also citizens of the Ming Dynasty, we just want to survive!"

"Someone, please save us! Waaah..."

"Mother, Mother, what's wrong, Mother?!"

"Sirs, please, save my mother! She can't hold on any longer..."

"Go away..."

Besides the refugees gathered at the entrance, many people who had sought help but to no avail also gathered in the woods on both sides of the main road behind and along the dry riverbed.

Most of these people were emaciated, poorly clothed, and had a numb expression; they had long since lost hope for life.

In just half a month, the flowers, grass, bark, and even the grass and tree roots buried underground in the forest have all been eaten and gnawed away.

Now, they have nothing left to eat. When they are starving, they can only drink water from the stinking ditch and wait to die.

Tens of thousands of people gathered together, the stench of excrement and sweat mingling together, flies and mosquitoes swarming, resembling an apocalyptic scene that inspired fear.

Hoof-clack, hoof-clack...

In this numb and desperate atmosphere, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar.

A fully equipped, armored, and heavily armed team slowly made its way down the official road.

The refugees wanted to ask for help, but looking at the orderly and terrifying formation, even from a distance, they felt as if a fierce and bloodthirsty aura was rushing towards them. They subconsciously stopped and made way for each other, not daring to block the way.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard? It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Go and report this immediately!"

The soldiers guarding the city had sharp eyes and immediately recognized the group's clothing. They quickly sent someone to the government office to report.

Soon, the thousand-strong force reached the outskirts of the city.

"This……"

"How could this be?"

Upon seeing the chaotic scene outside the city, the group became somewhat agitated, and everyone looked surprised.

"Master, why are they keeping all these people outside the city?"

Lin Pingzhi's face was grim as he looked at the emaciated, poorly clothed people, his eyes filled with intense anger.

Jiang Xuan also frowned.

But thinking about the scenes he had encountered these past few days, he had a vague guess in his mind.

"Let's go into the city first and then talk about it."

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xuan suppressed his anger and slowly led his men to the city gate.

The guards at the city gate had already made way for them, each with a respectful expression, bowing their heads and waiting for the Imperial Guards to enter the city. Not one of them dared to step forward to check their identities or stop them.

In the Ming Dynasty, no one dared to impersonate a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, let alone thousands of them.

……

Inside the government office.

A burly young man clad in armor sat in the main seat, his brow furrowed, seemingly lost in thought.

The dozen or so officials sitting on either side below remained silent.

The atmosphere was very serious.

"My lord, please think of a solution!"

Finally, an official couldn't help but speak up: "With so many refugees gathered outside the city, something bad is bound to happen sooner or later. I've heard that people have already started dying..."

"Without money and provisions, what do you expect me to do?!"

Lu Xiang-sheng suddenly looked up and stared coldly at him: "If you let them into the city and cause trouble, will you take responsibility?!"

The official immediately fell silent.

Lu Xiang-sheng took a deep breath, turned to look at the man to his left, and asked in a deep voice, "Lord Zhu, has there been any news from the court yet?"

Zhu Xieyuan shook his head and sighed: "I have submitted six memorials explaining the situation and requesting the court to allocate funds, but so far there has been no reply."

"These bastards!"

Lu Xiang-sheng angrily slammed his fist on the table, and the solid wood table, which was originally made of stone, shattered into pieces in an instant.

He always reported the war situation and disaster situation in Shandong and Henan truthfully.

Firstly, they requested the imperial court to send experts to reinforce and continue the siege of the White Lotus Sect; secondly, they requested the imperial court to allocate funds for disaster relief and resettle the affected people.

Regarding military matters, the imperial court responded seven days ago, stating that it had dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to assist.

However, they made no mention of the funding.

He'd never believe there wasn't something fishy going on here!
But now that the war is raging, he dares not return to the capital on his own to explain the situation to the emperor. He can only wait here for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to come and continue south to Huguang to wipe out the remnants of the White Lotus Sect.

He was powerless to help the people affected by the disaster.

But the anger in his heart had grown so intense that he was about to explode!

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Xiang-sheng's eyes.

If the imperial court still doesn't respond, then there's nothing we can do...

stomping on...

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence.

A soldier rushed in and anxiously reported, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the Imperial Guards dispatched by the court have arrived!"

"what?"

"So fast?!"

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

Lu Xiang-sheng was also somewhat surprised. The imperial court had just given a reply seven days ago, yet the Embroidered Uniform Guard had arrived so quickly?

"Where are we?" Lu Xiang-sheng asked hurriedly.

"They've already entered the city and are heading towards the government office!"

Lu Xiang-sheng's eyes flickered. Thinking of his plan, his gaze hardened, and he stood up, saying, "Follow me to greet them!"

"Yes!"

Everyone got up and walked outside.

soon.

The long line slowly came into view.

On horseback, the Imperial Guards, clad in armor, armed with crossbows and swords, stood tall and imposing.

The dozen or so men at the very front were all dressed in the same style: turbans, flying fish robes, copper sunflower flower sashes, and black-patterned boots, with embroidered spring knives hanging from their waists. They were clearly all generals of the rank of centurion or above.

The leader, in particular, was broad-shouldered, tall, and looked to be in his early twenties with a handsome appearance.

Although he looks young, his noble and eye-catching bright yellow flying fish robe already shows his unique status.

The surrounding people quickly scrambled into the alleyways on both sides, looking at the imposing procession with awe and whispering amongst themselves.

Walking along the way.

Looking at the bustling and prosperous scene inside the city, and then thinking of the numb and chaotic scene outside the city, the members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard felt even more confused and angry.

We are both citizens of the Ming Dynasty, yet separated by only one city, we are worlds apart!

The city was sheltered by the army and people lived happily, but what about the innocent civilians outside?
Even the most basic need to survive has become a luxury!
With cold expressions, the group slowly arrived at the entrance of the government office.

Is this commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard really as young as rumored?
At this moment, the people in the government office looked at the approaching young man, and a look of surprise flashed in their eyes.

Immediately, led by Lu Xiang-sheng, a group of officials and generals stepped forward to pay their respects:

"I am Lu Xiang-sheng, and I greet Commander Jiang!"

"We pay our respects to the Commander!"

Jiang Xuan dismounted, clasped his hands in greeting, and calmly replied, "Greetings, Commander Lu, and greetings to everyone."

Seeing Jiang Xuan's lukewarm attitude, Lu Xiang-sheng's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't have time to think too much about it. He smiled and said, "Lord Jiang must be tired from your journey. Why don't you go into the yamen and rest for a while? I have already ordered people to prepare wine and dishes. We will hold a welcome dinner for you later. What do you say?"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "The Grand Supervisor can make the decision."

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled and nodded, waving his hand and saying, "Commander Huang, quickly lead the brothers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the military camp to settle them in."

"Yes, Commander!"

A man in his forties stepped forward and bowed in acceptance.

Jiang Xuan glanced at the man.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiang-sheng casually introduced, "This is General Huang Ming, the commander of Xuanwu Guard."

Xuanwu Guard?
Jiang Xuan nodded slightly and stepped into the government office.

……

A moment later, the group took their seats in the main hall of the yamen.

Lu Xiang-sheng seated Jiang Xuan in the first guest seat on the right, and then invited the others to take their seats. Only then did he say with a sigh of relief, "Lord Jiang, we have been eagerly awaiting your arrival every day."

"Now that you have arrived, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Jiang Xuan remained noncommittal and said calmly, "I would like to trouble you, Lord Lu, to tell me about the current situation first."

Lu Xiang-sheng nodded and then said, "In the past six months, I have fought against the White Lotus rebels several times and have wiped out nearly half of the White Lotus sect's forces."

"Originally, annihilating the main force of the White Lotus Sect was a sure thing, but unexpectedly, during the last battle in Yanzhou, the Jianghu rebels in the southern border region, the 'Sun Moon Divine Sect,' suddenly made a move and kept assassinating our senior generals."

"The commanders of many garrisons, such as Jinhaiwei, Weihaiwei, and Dengzhouwei, were assassinated by the rebels of the Sun Moon Cult. In just a few days, our senior generals were killed one after another, causing chaos in the army."

"I had no choice but to order the troops to be gathered together, which gave these traitors an opportunity to escape to the Huguang region."

"According to reports from our spies, this group of rebels is currently active in the Yongzhou and Chenzhou areas of Huguang."

Jiang Xuan asked, "How many members of the White Lotus Sect's main force are left?"

"There should still be around 30,000 left."

Lu Xiang-sheng paused for a moment, then continued, "In addition, I have received news in the past few days that there are still some remnants of the White Lotus rebels in Shandong and Henan. They should be the remnants that were scattered in the last battle, and the total number should not exceed three thousand."

Jiang Xuan said, "I've already encountered that."

"You encountered Lord Jiang?" Lu Xiang-sheng looked surprised.

Jiang Xuan nodded: "Three days ago, in Jinxiang County, Yanzhou, a group of White Lotus Sect members robbed a village. The leader was a branch altar master. I happened to run into him and took care of him."

Lu Xiang-sheng suddenly realized: "Most of the troops in Yanzhou have been transferred to Kaifeng. No wonder we couldn't find these rebels. They were hiding in Yanzhou."

"Don't worry, Lord Jiang. In the past few days, I have sent scouts to Shandong, Henan and Jiangnan to investigate. As soon as we find out their location, we will send troops to surround and annihilate them, trapping them like turtles in a jar."

"I guarantee that none of these remnants of the traitors will escape!"

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "These remnants of the White Lotus Sect are nothing to worry about. What Lord Lu needs to consider now is how to deal with the main force of the White Lotus Sect and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Lu Xiang-sheng nodded: "I already have a plan for this matter, and I'm just waiting for Lord Jiang to arrive."

"What are your plans, Commander-in-Chief?" Jiang Xuan inquired.

Lu Xiang-sheng said, "The main reason why we let these traitors escape last time was because our army's senior generals were assassinated by the enemy, which caused instability in the army. I had no choice but to gather my troops."

"But now that Lord Jiang has arrived, I no longer have this worry."

"Next, Lord Jiang only needs to send men to accompany the army and protect the commanders. I will then mobilize the troops of the chieftains and garrisons in Jiangxi, Sichuan and other places to assist us and form an encirclement again. We will surely be able to wipe out this group of traitors in one fell swoop!"

Jiang Xuan nodded: "No problem. His Majesty sent me here to assist Lord Lu in quelling the White Lotus Rebellion as soon as possible. If there is anything you need, please give me your orders."

Lu Xiang-sheng felt relieved and cupped his hands, saying, "In that case, I'll have to trouble Lord Jiang."

Jiang Xuan asked, "Has Lord Lu investigated the origins of these White Lotus rebels?"

"Lord Jiang, are you referring to the core members of the White Lotus Sect?"

Jiang Xuan nodded: "Three days ago, when I was wiping out the leader of the White Lotus Sect branch in Yanzhou, I discovered that the leader was accompanied by two poisonous corpses made using Miao Gu techniques..."

A look of seriousness flashed in Lu Xiang-sheng's eyes, and he nodded, saying, "Lord Jiang's guess is correct. The core members of this group of White Lotus rebels, especially the leader and those elders, are very likely all Miao people."

"I have already seen the poisonous corpse that Lord Jiang mentioned in my previous battles with the White Lotus Sect."

"These poisonous corpses are made using Miao ethnic evil magic. They are not only incredibly strong, but also extremely difficult to kill. Furthermore, they are covered in deadly poison. Even if you are just accidentally scratched or bitten, it is almost impossible to save you."

"According to the intelligence I have gathered, these poisonous corpses were created by the First and Second Elders of the White Lotus Sect using the evil corpse-controlling techniques of Miao territory, supplemented by the Gu poison method."

"Fortunately, refining these poisonous corpses must have cost a considerable amount of money, and the White Lotus Sect is also unable to refine them in large quantities."

"Furthermore, based on past observations, only core high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect, at the level of altar master or above, are qualified to be equipped with poison corpses, and these are mainly used for self-defense, rarely for direct combat."

Jiang Xuan nodded; this was not unexpected.

If the White Lotus Sect can truly mass-produce poisonous corpses, then there's no need to fight this war.

Similar to the poisonous corpses we encountered last time, if we could just concoct a few thousand of them, we could sweep across the entire Ming Dynasty.

"These poisonous corpses are so troublesome, how did you manage to kill them before, Lord Lu?"

Jiang Xuan looked at Lu Xiang Sheng, puzzled.

In his perception, among all the generals in the entire hall, only Lu Xiang-sheng had reached the Innate Realm and could deal with those poisonous corpses.

Most of the others are just ordinary people, and there are very few skilled martial artists. I'm afraid they can't even break through the defenses of the poisonous corpses.

Lu Xiang-sheng laughed and said, "Although these poisonous corpses have strong defenses, they are not without weaknesses."

"Once the person controlling the corpse is killed, the poisonous corpse will lose control, and then it can be burned to death."

"In addition, our Ming Dynasty's firearms, as well as some specially made weapons forged from fine iron, can also barely penetrate the poisonous corpse's defenses, but it may require more weapons and ammunition to kill it."

Jiang Xuan suddenly realized.

He almost forgot that the Ming Dynasty was famous throughout China and intimidated other countries for its firearms.

"However, these poisonous corpses vary in strength. Ordinary poisonous corpses can be killed with more manpower and gunpowder."

"But some powerful poisonous corpses are extremely difficult to penetrate even with firearms and ballistae made of fine iron."

"The ten elders of the White Lotus Sect are all protected by these poisonous corpses. Last time, in order to kill two elders of the White Lotus Sect, we lost more than seven hundred people!"

Lu Xiang-sheng's expression was somewhat grim: "In addition, there are two powerful poison corpses beside the White Lotus Sect Leader, which are probably much stronger than the poison corpses controlled by the Ten Elders."

"In the last battle, it was the White Lotus Sect leader who, carrying two poisonous corpses, broke through our army's defenses and created an opening, leading the main force of the White Lotus Sect to escape into the Huguang region."

Jiang Xuan nodded: "I will help Lord Lu deal with the White Lotus Cult Leader and those poisonous corpses."

"As for how to deploy troops and wipe out the White Lotus Cult, I don't know how to do that, so it's up to Lord Lu."

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled and nodded: "If Lord Jiang can really solve these poisonous corpses, it will have already helped me solve a great problem, and we will be able to lose fewer people in the future."

"As for troop deployment, that is my responsibility, Lord Jiang need not worry."

"I, Lu, am confident in this much."

"It's good that Lord Lu has confidence."

Jiang Xuan nodded, then changed the subject and asked, "When I entered the city, I saw a large number of refugees gathered outside the city, all of whom were blocked by the city guards. What is the situation here?"

finally come!

Lu Xiang-sheng sighed and said, "Lord Jiang, you are unaware of this matter, but even I am powerless to help you with it."

"These refugees are all people from the surrounding area who were robbed by the White Lotus Sect."

“This year, a severe drought has occurred in various places, the land is parched, there is a lack of food and a poor harvest. People were already struggling to make ends meet, and with the looting by these White Lotus rebels, they can no longer survive.”

"Many villages and towns, and even houses, were burned down by the White Lotus rebels, with Kaifeng Prefecture being the most severely affected."

"Upon learning of this, I led my army to Kaifeng, where I prepared to open the granaries and distribute grain to settle the people before heading to Huguang to quell the bandits."

"Unexpectedly, the disasters have been severe in the past two years, resulting in poor harvests and low grain reserves in the prefectural city."

"Moreover, the feeding and grooming of my hundreds of thousands of troops is also a huge expense."

"If we let these people into the city, and something goes wrong, the entire prefecture will fall."

"I had no choice but to do this!"

Lu Xiang-sheng's face showed helplessness.

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "As far as I know, the imperial court had already allocated funds for disaster relief when the White Lotus Sect was in turmoil half a year ago. In the past six months, grain and disaster relief funds have been allocated every month, amounting to at least a million taels."

"With so much money, let alone just Kaifeng Prefecture, it should be enough to properly resettle the disaster victims in Shandong and Henan provinces, right?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent.

Immediately, a middle-aged man in a red official robe with a cloud pattern stood up, his eyes filled with anger, and said with his hands clasped: “Commander, you may not know this, but the quota for disaster relief silver in Kaifeng Prefecture was approved by the court as 100,000 taels, but so far, our prefecture has only received 10,000 taels of silver.”

Jiang Xuan looked at him: "Who are you?"

"I am Wu Shunan, the Prefect of Kaifeng."

Wu Shunan cupped his hands in greeting: "This ten thousand taels of silver was also used to relieve disaster victims some time ago. Every single transaction is recorded. If you don't believe me, sir, you can go and check it yourself!"

Jiang Xuan stared at him: "You mean, of the 100,000 taels of disaster relief funds allocated by the imperial court, you only have 10,000 taels left?"

"Then the other 90,000 taels, were they embezzled and withheld by someone?"

Wu Shunan gritted his teeth and said, "I dare not speculate on the whereabouts of these disaster relief funds, but I have repeatedly reported on this matter over the past few months, but there has been no news."

"He's right."

Lu Xiang-sheng replied, "Lord Jiang, that is indeed the case."

"Moreover, it's not just Kaifeng Prefecture, but also other disaster-stricken prefectures in Shandong and Henan provinces. The amount of grain and silver they received did not match the amount allocated by the imperial court."

"After I learned of this matter, I submitted several memorials to the emperor, but they all went unanswered."

"Therefore, with no money or food at the moment, I have no choice but to keep the refugees outside the city to prevent further chaos."

Jiang Xuan's gaze turned cold.

He had previously suspected that there might be problems with these disaster relief funds.

Surprisingly, it really is true!

It's one thing to manipulate taxes.

They even dared to covet disaster relief funds.

This is completely pushing these refugees to their deaths!

If I were in that situation, I would have reacted the same way.

"Pingzhi," Jiang Xuan called out.

"Master!"

Lin Ping stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting, his eyes filled with anger and murderous intent.

"Go and investigate. I want to see who embezzled this disaster relief fund."

Jiang Xuan said coldly.

"Yes!" Lin Pingzhi, his killing intent palpable, turned and left.

Lu Xiang-sheng and the others exchanged glances, all secretly relieved.

If the other party dared to embezzle disaster relief funds and even intercepted their memorials, they must have connections in the court, someone they couldn't afford to offend.

But this man was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a close advisor to the emperor.

If this person is determined to investigate, they will definitely be able to find some clues.

Moreover, unlike them.

This gentleman could easily see the Emperor.

Jiang Xuan looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "I will thoroughly investigate this matter and report it to the Emperor at the meeting for his decision."

"But the most urgent task is to find a way to resettle these disaster victims."

"Otherwise, in this sweltering heat, with so many people crammed together, it's easy for an epidemic to spread. If it does, the consequences will be far beyond what you can bear!"

Lu Xiang-sheng sighed and said, "I have also considered what Lord Jiang said."

"But right now the government office has no food or money, and even the military funds and food reserves for suppressing the bandits are running low."

"Even if Lord Jiang thoroughly investigates the matter of disaster relief funds, it will not be able to be disbursed in a short period of time once the Emperor reallocates the funds again."

"Now Mr. Lu really doesn't know what to do!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan also fell silent, frowning in deep thought.

What Lu Xiang-sheng said is indeed reasonable.

Even if he investigates the matter of the disaster relief funds, gets the money back, or gets the court to allocate funds, it will take at least a month or two for this back and forth.

But the refugees outside the city were so hungry that they had even gnawed on tree bark; how could they wait that long?
At this moment, Lu Xiang-sheng's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, "Actually, it's not that there's absolutely no way."

Jiang Xuan looked at him: "What does Lord Lu mean?"

Lu Xiang-sheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "The government office has no money or grain, but the local gentry and powerful families in the city definitely have surplus grain."

"If Lord Jiang can find a way to persuade them to take out grain to help the disaster victims, it should be enough to last until the court allocates funds again."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at him calmly: "Lord Lu, do you think that I look younger and therefore easier to fool?"

"If you use me as your weapon, are you prepared to be devoured?"

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled helplessly, stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Please forgive me, Lord Jiang, I had no such intention."

Jiang Xuan stared coldly at him: "Since you know that these local gentry have grain in their hands, why don't you go and persuade them yourself to lend them grain to help the disaster victims? Why do you have to wait until I come to do it? Do you think I'm a fool?"

Lu Xiang-sheng quickly replied, "I absolutely did not mean that."

"In fact, Lu had already come to ask for help seven days earlier, but these local gentry were not easy to deal with. Each family gave Lu several tens or hundreds of taels of silver and sent him away."

"I had no other choice but to resort to this tactic, and I'm going to have Lord Jiang give it a try as well."

Jiang Xuan sneered: "So, you don't dare offend them, and you want me to offend them?"

Lu Xiang-sheng smiled wryly: "I really can't afford to offend them."

At this moment, Prefect Wu Shunan quickly stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Lord Jiang, you don't know this, but these local gentry are not like ordinary gentry. We really can't afford to offend the powerful figures behind them."

Jiang Xuan looked at him with icy eyes.

Wu Shunan sighed and asked, "Lord Jiang, do you know about Prince Fu?"

"The Prince of Fu in Luoyang, the Emperor's uncle, Zhu Changxun?" Jiang Xuan frowned.

Wu Shunan nodded: "Exactly."

After a moment's hesitation, Wu Shunan said, "I don't know whether I should say these things."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Jiang Xuan said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Wu Shunan took a deep breath, as if he had finally made up his mind, nodded, and said, "Lord Jiang, you may not know this, but the disasters in Henan and Shandong in recent years are actually related to this Prince Fu."

Jiang Xuan didn't interrupt, waiting for him to explain.

Wu Shunan said, "Since the Prince of Fu took up his fief, the tax revenue of the surrounding prefectures of Luoyang has been higher than that of other places for more than ten years."

"Because we still have to pay a tax to this Prince Fu."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly: "You mean, Prince Fu is secretly levying taxes on the people?"

"exactly!"

A flash of anger crossed Wu Shunan’s eyes as he said, “This Prince Fu was once greatly favored by Emperor Wanli. When he was enfeoffed, he was granted 20,000 hectares of land.”

“At that time, there was not enough land in Luoyang, so it was taken from Shandong, Henan and Huguang regions to make up the difference. Even various miscellaneous taxes along the river in Yangzhou were allocated to the Prince of Fu’s Mansion.”

"But this Prince Fu was still not satisfied. Relying on his power, he oppressed the people and seized land. Now most of the land in Shandong and Henan belongs to the Prince Fu's mansion."

“Every year, the common people not only have to pay taxes to the imperial court, but also to the Prince of Fu’s mansion.”

"These past few years have already seen frequent disasters and poor harvests, and with such harsh taxes, how can ordinary people afford to pay them?"

"Furthermore, due to the recent White Lotus Rebellion, many people joined the White Lotus Rebellion, which led to the current situation of widespread disaster."

Jiang Xuan frowned.

So, does this mean the Luyu uprising was related to this Prince Fu?

Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was the third son of Emperor Wanli. He was indeed favored by Emperor Wanli. Under Emperor Wanli's indulgence, he even competed with Emperor Taichang, Zhu Changluo, for the crown prince position, a struggle known in history as the "Succession Crisis".

This debate lasted for fifteen years, during which countless opposing ministers were reprimanded, demoted, and flogged. Finally, under the combined opposition of ministers both inside and outside the court, Emperor Wanli had no choice but to yield, appointing his eldest son Zhu Changluo as crown prince and enfeoffing Zhu Changxun as Prince of Fu, with Luoyang as his fief.

Despite this, Emperor Wanli still favored Prince Fu.

It is said that when the palace was built for him, it cost a full 280,000 taels of silver, which was ten times the cost of an ordinary palace.

Emperor Wanli even sent eunuchs to privately collect "mining taxes," and the millions of dollars obtained were all given to the Prince of Fu's mansion.

This shows just how much the Prince of Fu was favored.

But even with such imperial favor, this guy was still not satisfied. He went to Luoyang and continued to act arrogantly and compete with the people for profit.

"Does His Majesty know about these things?" Jiang Xuan asked Wu Shunan.

Wu Shunan sighed, "Over the years, countless people have submitted memorials to the throne to accuse Prince Fu, but nothing has come of it."

Jiang Xuan was silent.

This Prince Fu held a prestigious position, and even the court officials probably dared not offend him.

Moreover, even if the emperor knew, he would probably turn a blind eye.

"Because of Prince Fu's power, in recent years, powerful families and clans in Shandong and Henan have flocked to him and joined his ranks. Relying on the power of Prince Fu's mansion, they have seized land and oppressed the people. We local officials are powerless to do anything about it."

Wu Shunan gritted his teeth and said, "Several aristocratic families and gentry in Kaifeng Prefecture are also people of the Prince of Fu's Mansion, and they pay tribute to the Prince of Fu's Mansion every year."

“Relying on the power of the Prince of Fu’s mansion, they even dared to seize military farmland.”

"The military households and garrison farming system in Shandong and Henan are now practically defunct, with most of the land occupied by powerful families and gentry."

“After deducting the taxes collected each year from the amount handed over to the imperial court, our local granaries have very little left.”

"This is also the main reason why our local government offices are unable to provide disaster relief on their own during this disaster!"

After listening to Wu Shunan's account, Jiang Xuan took a deep breath, his face unusually cold.

This Prince Fu is truly more arrogant and domineering than anyone could have imagined!

The Ming Dynasty had become so corrupt that this person truly deserves credit for it.

No wonder in my past life, after Li Zicheng captured Luoyang, he boiled him alive. Anyone would have been tempted to do that!
Inside the hall, the others also looked indignant and felt extremely resentful.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were actually such lowly princes who competed with the people for profit!
The Lu-Yu civil unrest was all caused by the scoundrels of the Prince of Fu's mansion.

These innocent civilians and soldiers who sacrificed their lives to quell the rebellion are pitiful.
Everyone is paying the price for this despicable and vile behavior!
However, there was nothing that could be done.

This is Prince Fu!

In terms of status and position, he is second only to the current emperor.

Even the Emperor himself would probably have to respectfully address him as "Uncle Wang" upon seeing him.

Even if they found out, who would dare to touch him?
long silence.

Jiang Xuan suddenly spoke up: "Invite the most prominent gentry in the city and tell them that I am hosting a banquet for them tonight."

Everyone turned to look.

Xu Longqing's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but speak: "Governor..."

He knew Jiang Xuan's personality all too well.

This was clearly an attempt to target the local gentry in the prefectural city in order to provide relief to the people outside.

But this means offending Prince Fu!
Jiang Xuan waved his hand and said calmly, "I also want to see how much I, the commander of the Imperial Guards in the capital, am worth in their eyes."

After saying that, Jiang Xuan looked at Wu Shunan and instructed, "Go and find the best restaurant for me. I will be waiting for them to arrive at 7 p.m. tonight."

Wu Shunan hesitated for a moment: "Sir, you should think it over carefully..."

"Wasn't what I said clear enough?" Jiang Xuan stared at him coldly.

"……Yes."

Upon hearing this, Wu Shunan dared not say anything more, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.

Lu Xiang-sheng looked at Jiang Xuan with a complicated expression and said, "Lord Jiang, I admire your character, but the Prince of Fu's mansion is very powerful. Tonight, let's know when to stop."

"Don't let things escalate too much, or you won't be able to handle it."

"These things are beyond our control."

Jiang Xuan stood up, his expression calm: "Thank you for the reminder, Commander Lu. I understand."

After saying that, Jiang Xuan walked straight outside.

Xu Longqing and the others quickly followed.

Everyone stared at his retreating figure, speechless.

out the door.

Jiang Xuan looked up at the sky and called out, "Long Qing, Jian Qing."

"Governor!" The two men immediately stepped forward and bowed.

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "It's not yet Wei Shi (1-3 PM), there are still three hours until Xu Shi (7-9 PM)."

"I need you to thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of these families in Kaifeng. Can you do that?"

An Jianqing bowed indifferently: "Your subordinate obeys!"

Xu Longqing looked somewhat worried and said, "Commander, are you...?"

Jiang Xuan looked at him coldly: "Do you want to take over the commander position?"

"I dare not!"

Xu Longqing quickly lowered his head: "This subordinate will definitely complete the mission!"

"If this happens again, you'll be sent to the horse stables!"

Jiang Xuan glanced at him coldly and turned away.

……

Wu Shunan was extremely efficient.

In less than half an hour, he had delivered the invitations to more than a dozen of the larger gentry and landlord families in Kaifeng.

Today, the Imperial Guards entered the city with great fanfare, and almost the entire city knew about it.

These local gentry and landlords could not possibly have been unaware of the news.

However, they had no intention of befriending these lackeys of the imperial court.

No matter how powerful the henchmen are, they are far away in the capital and cannot be controlled by them.

But to their surprise, the leader of this henchman, upon arriving in Kaifeng, took the initiative to host a banquet for them.

In an instant, everyone realized that the banquet was likely to turn out to be anything but pleasant.

Soon, more than a dozen local gentry and landlords who had received invitations exchanged information and gathered together to discuss the matter.

"What do you all think about this?"

Zhang Wenchang, the head of the Zhang family, sat in a chair, looked at the heads of the various families in the hall, and asked in a low voice.

"We have no connection with this commander, so why are they suddenly inviting us to a banquet? Need I say more?"

Wang Jianye, the head of the Wang family, sneered and said, "I'm afraid he's just like Lu Xiangshan, and he's here for those lowly people outside the city!"

"Relieve the people? That sounds nice, but after taking the money, he never actually gives those lowly people a single bite to eat!"

"They're so greedy!"

"We just gave that guy surnamed Lu several thousand taels of silver last time, and this guy surnamed Jiang came to ask for it again as soon as he entered the city. Our money doesn't grow on the ground!"

"Exactly, if we have to give something to every Tom, Dick, or Harry who comes along, how much would we have to give away?"

The others echoed their dissatisfaction.

Zhang Wenchang pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This man is from the capital after all, and he holds great power. He is a confidant of the current emperor, and he is young and impetuous. We don't need to offend him."

"Besides, they've already come knocking on our door, there's no way to avoid them, so we should just give them some money and send them on their way."

Another elderly man nodded slightly: "Old Zhang is right. This man is here on imperial orders to help Lu Xiang-sheng suppress the White Lotus rebels. He won't be staying in Kaifeng for long. There's no need to offend him over such a small matter."

"Alright, since Old Li has spoken, let's give him face and consider it feeding the dogs!"

"However, how much should we give?"

Zhang Wenchang said, "Just make it similar to that guy surnamed Lu, add a little bit of anything, and make sure he pleads poverty when he needs to. Don't feed him too much, or he won't want to leave, and that would be a loss."

"Okay, I'll do as Mr. Zhang says."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

……

Sunset.

In the back hall of the yamen, in a small courtyard.

A violent aura swept across the floating and sinking, like the churning of the sea, stirring up towering waves. Within this violent and magnificent momentum, there was also a dangerous aura.

Fallen leaves drifted down in the courtyard, dust swirled, and slowly swirled around a figure.

"call……"

After a long while, Jiang Xuan let out a long breath, and the surrounding fallen leaves and dust slowly settled down.

The atmosphere returned to calm.

[Martial Arts: Raging Dragon of the Sea (Session)]

[Progress: 2%]

"As expected, even with the master-level sword technique and the development of 'sword aura,' it has not yet reached its limit."

Looking at the system panel, Jiang Xuan nodded slightly.

Although he had grasped the essence of sword intent, he could clearly sense that even though his "Raging Sea Dragon" had reached the "Intent" level, there was still a lot of room for improvement.

I just don't know if I can accumulate enough progress to cultivate sword intent.

However, even if one cannot directly cultivate sword intent, there is no shortage of sword techniques at present.

The Pine Breeze Sword Technique and Heavenly Escape Sword Technique obtained from the Qingcheng Sect, as well as the Jade Maiden Sword obtained from Gu Santong, are all first-class sword techniques.

Moreover, with the experience gained from 'Raging Sea Dragon', the speed of sword practice will become faster and faster in the future.

At this rate, it will take at most two more months to master the second state of mind.

Tread...  

Two figures walked quickly towards them.

"Captain!"

Xu Longqing and An Jianqing each handed over a stack of documents, respectfully saying, "We've investigated everything!"

Jiang Xuan took the documents and went into the room. He listened to the two people's reports while carefully reviewing the documents.

After a while.

"It's just as I expected!"

"Without anyone's cooperation, even with Prince Fu as their backer, how could they have so easily seized the land!"

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes, a flash of murderous intent crossing his gaze. He handed the documents back to the two men and asked, "Is the person under control?"

"Reporting to the Governor, he's under control, and he's confessed everything!" Xu Longqing respectfully bowed.

Jiang Xuan nodded, stood up and said, "Let's go, let's see if they can feed this dog well tonight. If they can't, I'll have to take the food myself."

Although the tone was calm, both of them could clearly feel the chilling murderous intent contained in those words!
……

Xu Shi.

At the entrance of Jin Feng Lou, the largest restaurant in Kaifeng, a row of luxurious horse-drawn carriages were parked.

The thirteen largest gentry families in the city arrived one after another.

The group greeted each other and then went upstairs to wait. Each person was followed by several servants or guards, and each carried a gift.

"Brother Zhao, how much have you prepared for tonight?"

"One hundred taels, and what about you?"

"me too……"

Amid the murmurs, another commotion was heard downstairs.

Everyone fell silent and turned to look. They saw a figure dressed in a yellow flying fish robe slowly walking upstairs, followed by two commanders dressed in white flying fish robes.

Is this commander really that young?
A look of surprise flashed across everyone's eyes, while at the same time they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Being young means being less cunning and easier to manipulate.

"This must be the commander who just arrived in the prefectural city today, right?"

Zhang Wenchang, the head of the Zhang family, stood up first, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "This way, sir."

Jiang Xuan glanced at it and walked straight over.

These people were quite self-aware, taking the initiative and reserving seats for him.

"Since the Commander has come, we should be the ones hosting a banquet for him. However, considering that you just arrived in the city tonight, we didn't want to disturb you. We originally planned to host a banquet tomorrow to welcome you back. We never expected that you would have to spend so much money. It was really our fault."

Zhang Wenchang said with a smile, "This Golden Phoenix Pavilion is my property. I will cover all expenses tonight as an apology to you, sir."

Jiang Xuan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Then thank you for your expense."

"It should."

Zhang Wenchang smiled slightly and said, "Let me first introduce you, sir..."

"No need for introductions."

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "You all know my identity, and I have no interest in knowing your identities."

The crowd's expressions changed slightly. Was this kid really that arrogant?
Jiang Xuan ignored their thoughts and continued, "I won't waste any more words. I've invited you all here tonight for the sake of the disaster victims outside the city."

"The imperial court's disaster relief funds have not arrived, and the government offices have no money or grain to help the people."

"But I am kind-hearted and cannot bear to see these people go hungry. There is no other way but to make things difficult for you all."

Everyone's face darkened. Was this even human language?
You are kind-hearted but can't afford to save those lowly people, so you have to make us suffer.
Zhang Wenchang's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant. He hadn't expected Jiang Xuan to be so direct, but considering the other party's status, he suppressed his anger and asked, "How much grain does Your Excellency require?"

"That depends on your sincerity," Jiang Xuan said calmly.

Everyone looked at each other.

A moment of silence.

Zhang Wenchang stood up first, took out the silver notes he had prepared in advance from his sleeve and placed them in front of Jiang Xuan, saying, "These past few years have been plagued by drought and the harvest has been poor. Although we have quite a bit of wealth, our expenses are also high."

"Five hundred taels of silver, a small token of my respect."

Seeing this, the others also stood up.

"Five hundred taels!"

"Three hundred taels!"

"One hundred taels..."

One silver note after another was presented to Jiang Xuan. The Zhang and Wang families contributed the most, each contributing five hundred taels. Others contributed three hundred or one hundred taels. One family even contributed only fifty taels.

Did they really think they could just treat me like a beggar?

Jiang Xuandu laughed in anger, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd: "In your eyes, is this Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard only worth this little bit of silver?"

Zhang Wenchang narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You misunderstand, sir. It's just that we are indeed struggling to continue and can only do our best..."

Jiang Xuan, too lazy to waste any more words, interrupted, "I'll name a number."

“The Zhang, Wang, Zhao, and Li families will each receive 10,000 taels, while the rest of the people will each receive 5,000 taels.”

"After I finish speaking, who is in favor and who is against?"

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, somewhat incredulous.

"How much... how much?"

"Ten thousand taels?!"

Anger flashed in Zhang Wenchang's eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, are you perhaps toying with me?"

"I don't have time to waste words with you!"

Jiang Xuan said coldly, "Don't you have any idea how many despicable things you've done behind the court's back all these years?"

"You choose between paying a fine to avoid disaster, or having your entire family wiped out and your property confiscated!"

Zhang Wenchang's expression changed slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "I don't understand what you mean, sir."

“I won’t cry until I see the coffin!”

Jiang Xuan's gaze was icy as he waved his hand and said, "Read it!"

Xu Longqing glanced at the crowd with a cold smile, strode forward, took out the information he had found from his pocket, and began to recite:
"In the 48th year of the Wanli reign, Zhang Wenchang, the head of the Zhang family, ordered his servants to kill four farmers and seize fourteen mu of their land; in the second year of the Tianqi reign, he colluded with Huang Ming, the commander of Xuanwu Guard, to seize twenty-three hectares of military land... In total, he seized twenty-seven hectares of farmland and three hundred and fifty hectares of military land!"

"Wang Jianye, the patriarch of the Wang family, seized farmland in the first year of the Taichang era..."

Starting with the Zhang family, the thirteen families upstairs, each of them had seized farmland and military land, and had killed countless civilians and tenants by relying on their family power. They had even colluded with Huang Ming, the commander of Xuanwu Guard, to murder military generals and court officials, and allowed others to oppress the people and forcibly abduct women... Xu Longqing read out one by one the details of their illegal acts, including the time and place.

Although it only lasted a day, the things they did were already on file in the Kaifeng Prefecture government office. The Embroidered Uniform Guard didn't even investigate in detail before digging up all the old cases.

As Xu Longqing recited, everyone's expressions grew increasingly grim.

It took almost half an hour before the story of the crimes committed by the thirteen families was gradually read out, and even then, the details were omitted.

It is evident how many illegal acts this group of people have committed over the years, relying on the power of the Prince of Fu's mansion!
Jiang Xuan stared coldly at the crowd, then waved his hand again: "Bring them up!"

"Shh~" Xu Longqing whistled.

Immediately, a commotion was heard downstairs.

A disheveled figure covered in blood was escorted up by two Imperial Guards.

At the same time, a dense swarm of Imperial Guards quietly surrounded the entire restaurant, their gleaming embroidered spring knives making everyone's faces appear even paler.

Bang!
Two imperial guards threw the disheveled figure to the ground.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Huang Ming, the commander of the Xuanwu Guard responsible for guarding Kaifeng Prefecture.

After listening to Wu Shunan's story today, Jiang Xuan felt that something was wrong.

Even with the Prince of Fu as their backer, these local families probably wouldn't dare to be so arrogant. It would be one thing to oppress the common people, but they even dared to seize military farmland.

They could never have accomplished so much without someone cooperating with them.

After investigation by Xu Longqing and others, it was indeed the case.

Of the dozen or so crimes committed, almost half of them were committed by Huang Ming, the commander of Xuanwu Guard.

It was this guy who colluded with these dozen or so families, which caused the people of Kaifeng to be enraged and resentful, and the people to suffer.

Jiang Xuan stared coldly at him: "Lord Huang, the court promoted you to commander, and this is how you repay the court?"

Having been interrogated by Xu Longqing and his men, Huang Ming was already extremely weak. Seeing this scene, he had no hope left, and fear filled his eyes as he hoarsely begged for mercy: "My lord, spare me... It was... they forced me... to do it..."

Jiang Xuan looked at Zhang Wenchang and the others, whose faces were pale, and said coldly, "Gentlemen, do you have anything else to say?"

Everyone swallowed hard and turned their gazes to Zhang Wenchang and his group.

Clearly, this group of interest groups is led by Zhang Wenchang and Wang Jianye.

Now that the truth has come out, everyone is panicked and can only place their hopes on Zhang Wenchang and his group.

Zhang Wenchang was also somewhat flustered at this moment, his legs trembling uncontrollably. But thinking of the consequences of this matter being exposed, and also thinking of the Prince of Fu behind him, he gritted his teeth, forced himself to calm down, slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said coldly, "Lord Jiang!"

"We've been rooted in Kaifeng for hundreds of years. Do you really think you can just rely on these few pieces of paper and Huang Ming's empty so-called confession?"

"What can you do? What do you dare to do?!"

Do you know who's behind us?

"What is a mere commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"well said!"

Jiang Xuan nodded lightly, and as soon as he finished speaking, he pointed with his right hand, and a pale golden sword aura suddenly lashed out.

Chi~
Zhang Wenchang trembled, his brow was pierced, he pointed at Jiang Xuan, and collapsed with an incredulous expression.

"master!"

The two were startled and immediately stepped forward.

Tsk, tsk!

Xu Longqing and An Jianqing suddenly stepped forward, their swords flashing, and the two guards instantly fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

It completely stunned everyone else.

Jiang Xuan slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the remaining people, and said calmly, "He asked me what the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is?"

"Now I will tell you."

"Cases that the government can't handle, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can handle; people that the government dares not arrest, the Embroidered Uniform Guard dares to arrest!"

"In short, the Embroidered Uniform Guard should manage what the government can manage, and it should manage even more what the government cannot manage!"

"Execute first and report later, special permission granted by the Emperor!"

"This is the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"How about that? Is it clear enough?"

Everyone's faces turned pale, and their bodies trembled like leaves. No one dared to speak, and they could only watch helplessly as this ruthless killer calmly got up and went downstairs.

Then, a dense swarm of Imperial Guards rushed forward, pressing sharp Embroidered Spring Blades against their necks and fastening shackles on them.

That night, the entire city of Kaifeng was shaken.

……

"what?"

Inside the government office, Lu Xiang-sheng received the news and his expression changed drastically: "He was sent to borrow money, and he directly confiscated the property of gentry families from thirteen villages in the city?!"

Zhu Xieyuan nodded with a wry smile: "I just received the news. He was prepared a long time ago. Even Huang Ming was taken away by his people at some point and confessed everything."

"Now, the entire Imperial Guard has been mobilized. Thirteen local gentry and noble families, including those connected to the case, have all been taken back to the yamen prison..."

"Truly... youthful arrogance and reckless behavior!"

Lu Xiang-sheng paused for a moment, then sighed, "This Kaifeng, no, this entire Shandong, Henan, Hubei and Hunan province, I'm afraid something big is about to happen!"

Zhu Xieyuan nodded, his expression grave, and said, "The Prince of Fu will not let this matter rest. In just a few days, I'm afraid the entire three provinces will be thrown into chaos!"

Lu Xiang-sheng remained silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'm afraid chaos won't really break out; Prince Fu doesn't have that much power."

As he spoke, he sneered and said, "Among so many common people, refugees, and even local officials from the three provinces, apart from those who are dogs of the Prince of Fu's mansion and collude with him, how many others haven't been oppressed by the Prince of Fu's mansion?"

"They're overjoyed that someone is now seeking justice for them!"

Zhu Xieyuan frowned and said, "But the Prince of Fu is, after all, of extraordinary status. What if this matter gets reported to the imperial court..."

Lu Xiang-sheng remained silent for a moment, a resolute glint in his eyes, then turned and sat back down at his desk, beginning to write.

Zhu Xieyuan asked in confusion, "What is the Commander-in-Chief doing...?"

Lu Xiang-sheng said coldly, "I served as the prefect of Daming Prefecture for four years. I had a heart full of patriotic fervor, but after taking office, my political affairs were repeatedly obstructed, and I had no way to appeal."

"After the eunuch faction, it's the turn of these powerful and aristocratic families!"

"If it weren't for his recommendation to the Emperor, which allowed me to lead the army to suppress the bandits, I would probably still be mired in Daming Prefecture, engaging in empty dealings with those scheming and despicable people."

"I've had enough of this kind of life!"

"Now that our Great Ming Dynasty has such passionate individuals, am I, who am a few years older than him, not as good as a young man in his early twenties?"

"This time, even if it costs me my future, I will fight these parasites that are corrupting my Ming Dynasty and see if there will ever be a day when the sun rises again!"

After saying that, he said no more and buried himself in writing.

Zhu Xieyuan's expression shifted several times, and he suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "I've had enough of this kind of world!"

"If even the Commander-in-Chief dares to act this way, what do I have to fear?"

After speaking, he also found a piece of paper and a pen and began to write furiously.

……

late at night.

The battle, which had lasted for several hours, slowly came to an end.

The densely packed Imperial Guards, detaining gentry and nobles, slowly made their way back to the yamen with cartloads of jewels and money, their bodies still reeking of blood.

Each of them had a cold expression and exuded a murderous aura.

But as soon as they arrived at the government office, they were stopped.

"Sir, please wait!"

Wu Shunan, the prefect of Kaifeng, was already waiting at the door. When he saw the group return, he quickly stepped forward to stop them.

"What's the matter?"

An Jianqing walked out indifferently.

Wu Shunan presented a stack of letters with both hands and said respectfully, "These are our memorials to the court. Please pass them on to Lord Jiang. If necessary, all officials of the Kaifeng government can go to the capital to meet the emperor and report the situation in Kaifeng truthfully."

A hint of surprise flashed in An Jianqing's eyes, but he said nothing. He took the letter and said expressionlessly, "I will give it to the Governor."

"Thank you." Wu Shunan bowed again.

An Jianqing remained silent, waved his hand, and led his men into the yamen.

After taking care of everything, he went to Jiang Xuan's residence to report.

Looking at the letters and memorials handed over by An Jianqing, Jiang Xuan's expression was somewhat surprised.

He carefully read through the dozens of letters, including those from military generals such as Lu Xiang-sheng and Zhu Xie-yuan, as well as a group of officials from Kaifeng Prefecture such as Wu Shun-an. The contents were all similar, reporting on the situation in Shandong and Henan over the years, and even defending him in the letters.

Jiang Xuan felt a warmth in his heart.

Although these people all stood by and watched tonight's operation, they were still doing their part for these people in their own way.

This also proves that his efforts were not in vain.

There is still a glimmer of hope in this world.

"Of the proceeds from tonight's confiscation, 100,000 taels will be set aside for disaster relief in Kaifeng. The rest, along with these letters, will be sent back to the capital and handed over to the Emperor."

Jiang Xuan handed the letter to An Jianqing, and also gave him the memorial he had written, instructing him: "Remember, you must deliver it to the Emperor personally. If you cannot see the Emperor, find Pei Lun. Do not trust anyone else."

"Yes! This subordinate will certainly complete the mission!" An Jianqing solemnly accepted the order.

"Go."

Jiang Xuan waved his hand.

After An Jianqing left, he continued to ponder his next move.

He wasn't actually that worried about what happened tonight.

He understood Zhu Youjian's character.

Although he was suspicious by nature and his abilities were mediocre, he could still be considered a competent emperor.

Zhu Youjian had absolutely zero tolerance for these acts of corruption.

Given sufficient evidence, coupled with the embezzlement of disaster relief funds, Zhu Youjian will definitely conduct a thorough investigation into this matter.

After all, those silver coins were taken directly from the national treasury.

He sent all the money he had obtained from dealing with Wei Zhongxian and Xu Xianchun into the national treasury to quell the Liaodong mutiny and domestic rebellions.

In other words, the money in the national treasury was Zhu Youjian's money.

He will never let anyone who touches his money get away with it.

Even the Prince of Fu was no exception.

Of course, based on these matters alone, the fire probably won't reach Prince Fu.

In the end, it usually ends in a compromise, with everyone backing down.

Prince Fu wasn't stupid. Now that things had escalated to this point, he couldn't possibly continue to oppose Zhu Youjian. He would definitely restrain himself.

At most, he would just hold a grudge against Jiang Xuan, the culprit who instigated this whole thing.

But Jiang Xuan was not afraid at all.

To reiterate, a qualified henchman should keep his distance from all other forces except the emperor.

As long as you don't cross the line, act in accordance with the law, and don't leave any evidence against you, what can Prince Fu do?

I, the governor, am not afraid of even Zhu Wushi, so why would I be afraid of you, a pig that Li Zicheng cooked?

sigh~
Just then, a dark figure quietly appeared in the room, interrupting Jiang Xuan's thoughts.

Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "What is it?"

The man in black approached and whispered something to him.

A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes: "Are you sure?"

"There shouldn't be any mistake; our people have been watching for several days!"

The drizzle nodded.

"This is a pleasant surprise..."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Keep an eye on them and wait for my news. Try not to alert them."

"it is good."

The drizzle nodded, then stepped into the darkness and vanished silently.

(End of this chapter)