Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 297 The Great Fire of Chaozhou Prefecture

The season begins in early autumn.

In the Lingnan region, the miasma lingers and the summer heat persists, yet the northerly winds can already bring a touch of coolness through open windows and doors.

When Lu Xiang-sheng returned to his residence, the sun was already setting in the west, and the light was filtered into fragments of gold by the tall banyan trees, falling on his slightly dusty casual clothes.

After a month of inspections, traversing the entire Guangdong region, the wind and frost etched weariness onto his face, and his lips were cracked like a tortoise shell. Only his eyes remained sharp as a hawk surveying the sky, taking in all the happenings within the mansion.

From the vermilion gate of the Governor's Mansion to the Second Study, it's only a hundred steps away.

The personal guards, their armor gleaming, clashed with a thunderous roar as they saluted their commander upon his return. Their voices were like booming bells, their spirits soaring high.

Wei served freshly brewed tea, but Lu Xiang-sheng did not drink it, only feeling the cool celadon cup with his fingertips.

"After touring Guangdong for a month, I issued a proclamation to all the prefectures, demonstrating the power of the emperor, urging them with the promise of imperial grace, threatening them with sharp weapons, and enticing them with official titles and ranks... I thought that even if I could not shatter their hearts and minds, I could at least gain some respect from them."

Now it seems that thunder only rumbles in the distance, and imperial favor is merely idle talk in one's ear.

The governor's words were like autumn wind passing by their ears.

This tea, much like the officialdom in Guangdong, is held in one's hands with apparent respect, but in reality, it has long lost the genuine warmth one should have felt.

They were waiting, waiting to see how this outsider would stumble and make a fool of himself in this tangled mess.

They were watching, watching how he would be worn down by this invisible, soft knife, eventually becoming one of them, or... leaving in disgrace.

Lu Xiang-sheng slowly sat down. In the study, light and shadow were cut into pieces by the window panes, and it was so quiet that you could hear the sound of dust settling.

This stillness is not peace, but the deathly silence before a storm, when all things hold their breath.

……

Lu Xiang-sheng hadn't even finished his sip of tea when he felt the tea moisten his chapped lips.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the study, accompanied by a hoarse shout, shattering the eerie silence of the mansion:
"Your Excellency Governor! A military report from Chaozhou Prefecture, delivered with utmost urgency—!"

Before he could finish speaking, a messenger, led by a guard, stumbled in.

The man had shaved and disheveled hair, his official robes were soaked with sweat and stained grayish-yellow with dust, his face was pale, and he looked anxious. As soon as he entered the study, he collapsed to the ground, and his exhaustion did not seem to be fake.

He raised both hands high above his head, holding a sealed nanmu document tube in his palms.

On the tube, the two characters "urgent" written in cinnabar were glaringly red in the dim light, like an ominous pool of blood.

The guard took it and presented it to the table.

Lu Xiang-sheng's gaze sharpened, and he reached out to take it. His fingertips touched the sealing wax, which was still warm.

Instead of using a knife, he suddenly exerted force with his thumb, and with a crisp "crack," the sealing wax shattered.

Lu Xiang-sheng pulled out the few thin sheets of Xuan paper from the tube and read them quickly.

In an instant, the weariness on his face vanished, replaced by a terrifying ashen color.

Within three feet of him, the air seemed to be drawn away by an invisible force, solidifying into ice.

The guards standing beside him felt as if their breath had stopped.

The writing on the military report was in the handwriting of Zhou Tingbo, the prefect of Chaozhou.

His handwriting was beautiful, neat, and elegant, just like his usual gentle and refined demeanor.

Yet at this moment, these words exude a chilling coldness and arrogance.

Lu Xiang-sheng's gaze swept across the paper like a blade:

"...Last night at the third watch, I suddenly heard that a fire had broken out in the storeroom in the backyard of the government office. The flames were soaring into the sky and could not be contained..."

"...At that time, Lord Li and Lord Wang of the Southern Garrison Inspection Division were in the warehouse, holding candles, checking and verifying the logbooks of recent years' coastal defense supplies for the commander-in-chief's review..."

"...The officials, loyal to the country, bravely rushed into the fire to save the account books and documents...but the fire was fierce, the beams and pillars collapsed, and...unfortunately, they all perished..."

"...By dawn, when the fire had died down, the government officials found several charred remains in the ruins, but the bodies were unrecognizable and the faces were completely disfigured. The account books and documents that the seven officials had risked their lives to protect had also been reduced to ashes, not a single piece of paper remained..."

"...Upon hearing this tragic news, I am deeply grieved and unable to eat or sleep! This is a great misfortune for Chaozhou and a devastating blow to the imperial court! I have already reported this to the Ministry of Personnel and promised to provide the best possible compensation to the families of the fallen officials, to comfort their spirits..."

At the end of the report, the words were earnest and sincere, vividly depicting the grief and self-reproach of an official who had "neglected his duty."

Every word is watertight, and every sentence is logical and reasonable.

"rustle……"

That was the sound of paper being squeezed and deformed by tremendous force.

Lu Xiang-sheng's fingers had unconsciously clenched into fists, and the flawlessly written report was twisted into a mess in his palm.

He abruptly closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the overwhelming rage that was about to burst forth from his chest.

Accident?

What a "surprise"!
He abruptly closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the surging anger in his chest.

The words "accidental negligence," "unrecognizable remains," and "complete destruction of account books" in the report pierced his mind like poisonous thorns.

In that moment of silence, a voice emerged clearly and heavily from the depths of memory.

That was the night before he left the capital, deep within the Forbidden City, when the emperor summoned him alone in the warm pavilion.

With the candlelight flickering, the young emperor dismissed all his eunuchs, leaving only the emperor and his minister.

Those words, which sounded like expectations and a heavy responsibility at the time, now seemed like a thunderclap that exploded in his mind:

"...At worst, Qin Liangyu and I will personally go to Guangdong!"

When this instruction overlapped with the meticulously prepared fire report before him, Lu Xiang-sheng instantly understood its full meaning.

That fire destroyed more than just seven officials and a pile of account books; it was a blatant provocation against imperial power, a test of the sharpness of his sword, and a challenge to the emperor's bottom line.

"Qin Liangyu..."

He silently pondered the name.

This means that if Lu Xiang-sheng cannot resolve the issue with swift and decisive measures, the emperor would rather ignite a real war in the southern borderlands to cleanse the land.

There was no turning back. Lu Xiang-sheng suddenly opened his eyes, the weariness and forbearance in them completely gone.

The emperor sent him not for gentle reforms or gradual changes!

……

Just as Lu Xiang-sheng's murderous intent reached its peak, a personal guard outside the door announced in a deep voice:

"My lord, Lu Jianxing, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, requests an audience."

"Let him in." Lu Xiang-sheng's voice was eerily calm.

The door opened, and a person slipped in silently, like a raccoon dog.

This man was in his early thirties. He was not wearing his flying fish robe on the outside, but only a black tight-fitting outfit. He had a sharp face and high cheekbones.

He carried a unique aura of someone who had lived in the shadows for years, a scent of blood and secrets.

This man was none other than Lu Jianxing, a distant relative of Lu Xiang-sheng. He was personally transferred by the emperor from the Northern Garrison Command and secretly instructed to infiltrate Guangdong several months earlier than Lu Xiang-sheng to weave a vast net.

Lu Jianxing did not kneel, but simply clasped his hands and bowed, saying concisely, "Commander-in-Chief."

Behind him, two burly men in captain's uniforms carried a heavy pear wood box, about a foot and a half square, to the desk and put it down with a thud.

The sound of the box hitting the ground seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.

Lu Jianxing personally took out a huge scroll from his bosom and slowly unfurled it on the wide rosewood desk in front of Lu Xiangsheng.

"Wow--"

This is actually a hand-drawn "power map" of the entire Guangdong province!
In the picture, mountains and rivers recede into the background, and what comes into view is a dense array of names and symbols.

The Guangdong Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Judicial Commission, Guangzhou Prefecture, Chaozhou Prefecture... the government offices at all levels were like individual square blocks.

More numerous are clan names like "Xu," "Lin," "Chen," and "Wang," scattered like stars, as well as symbols representing maritime merchants, mine owners, and salt smugglers.

Countless threads of different colors connect these squares and symbols together.

Red threads represent marriage alliances, black threads represent long-standing feuds, gold threads represent business dealings, and a striking dark purple thread represents the dark network of collusion between officials and businessmen and the transfer of benefits.

This picture starkly depicts the underground order of the entire Guangdong province.

Government officials, gentry, clans, maritime merchants, and even the pirates who lurk along the coast are all intertwined, forming a huge and intricate spider web.

At the heart of this network, several key nodes prominently display the signature of the report just now—Zhou Tingbo, the prefect of Chaozhou, and the "Lin family of Chaozhou," who are related to him by marriage.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Jianxing waved to signal the captain to open the wooden box.

Inside the box were piles of files, ledgers, blood-written letters, and some strange pieces of evidence.

Lu Jianxing reached in and took out an account book: "The Lin family of Chaozhou has concealed land in various counties within the prefecture. According to our verification, the total amount is more than 37,000 hectares. This is a secret account of the Lin family's 'public land', which was stolen by the concubine of the second branch of the family."

He then took out a thick stack of letters: "The Xu family of Guangzhou Prefecture monopolizes shipping in the Pearl River Estuary and colludes with Portuguese to smuggle firearms, silk, and pig iron, which are strictly prohibited by the imperial court. These are secret letters exchanged between the two parties, as well as some transaction ledgers."

He then picked up a roll of yellowed linen, on which were pressed names in bloody fingerprints: "The Wang clan of Dongguan County has privately established a chapel to punish clan members and tenants according to clan rules. According to incomplete statistics, in the past three years, fifteen people have died as a result of private torture such as 'drowning in pig cages,' 'drowning in ponds,' and 'beating with sticks.' This is a blood letter jointly signed by the survivors and the families of the deceased."

One case after another, one crime after another, the evidence was overwhelming, the case was irrefutable.

Finally, Lu Jianxing carefully took out a thin stack of letters from his bosom and presented them to Lu Xiangsheng.

"Commander, these are letters of allegiance sent through our secret channels by small and medium-sized landowners, poor scholars, and other families with long-standing feuds with powerful clans, who have long suffered from the influence of powerful local magnates since you issued the 'Letter to the People and Soldiers of Guangdong,' which stated that the court would conduct a land survey and rectify officialdom. They risked their lives to submit to us."

The letter detailed the evidence of their crimes and offered to act as an inside agent, guiding the royal army. Their only desire was not wealth or status, but rather…that the law be upheld and their injustices be redressed.

On the enormous desk, the most ironic contrast in the world was formed.

On one side was the eloquent, superficial, and utterly deceptive "Report on the Aftermath of the Fire in Chaozhou Prefecture."

On the other side are mountains of irrefutable evidence, blood-stained accusations, and a giant net covered with red and black lines, representing evil and power.

Lu Xiang-sheng picked up the report from Chaozhou and glanced at it again.

He casually tossed it onto the corner of the table, as if it were a piece of scrap paper that had been wiped clean of dirt, not worth a second glance.

Then, Lu Xiangsheng stood up, walked to the brush holder, and took down the vermilion brush that was used specifically for marking red ink and symbolized the power of life and death.

He rolled up his sleeves and ground the ink himself.

The ink stick made a steady "shush" sound on the inkstone, like a whisper in the palace of the King of Hell.

After dipping his brush in thick vermilion ink, Lu Xiang-sheng did not write anything on any military orders or official documents.

He spread out a brand new sheet of Xuan paper, as white as snow.

The pen strokes fell.

Each stroke is powerful and penetrating, deeply moving and insightful.

Four large, blood-red characters, as if burning with flames, appeared on the paper:
Guangzhou Banquet
After finishing writing, Lu Xiang-sheng slammed his pen heavily on the inkstone, causing the vermilion ink to splatter like drops of blood.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze like two unsheathed swords piercing Lu Jianxing.

"it's time."

Lu Xiang-sheng's voice was not loud, and even a little hoarse, but it made the temperature in the entire study drop to freezing point.

"Pass on my orders."

"In the name of this Governor, I hereby issue a gold invitation card with the cloud and dragon design, inviting all registered gentry of the province, heads of prominent families in various prefectures, and wealthy merchants who pay more than ten thousand in taxes to gather at the Governor's Mansion in Guangzhou ten days from now, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fifteenth of August."

The smile on his lips became even more sinister.

"Let's discuss new policies for coastal defense and enjoy the moonlight over the southern land together!"

The order was given with resounding force.

Lu Xiang-sheng's gaze slowly shifted back to the enormous power map, scanning over each of the core names closely connected by gold and purple lines.

Outside the window, the cool breeze of early autumn suddenly turned fierce, making the pages of paper rustle in the study.

(End of this chapter)