I, Emperor Chongzhen, have extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by five hundred years.

He set off immediately on a fast horse, heading towards the capital.

The riders on horseback worked day and night, changing horses but not riders, and after a day and two nights, they finally arrived.

Two hours later, another fast horse galloped out of the city and headed straight for Baoding Prefecture.

Luo Yangxing arrived in Jinan Prefecture at a leisurely pace. Upon learning of this, Prefect Xiong Hua hurriedly went to personally greet him.

"Commander Luo, your presence is an honor! I apologize for not being able to welcome you properly!"

"Prefect Xiong, you're too kind!"

Luo Yangxing gave a casual bow, then followed Xiong Hua to the main hall of the government office.

Xiong Hua ordered someone to serve fragrant tea, then asked with a forced smile, "Commander Luo, what brings you to Jinan Prefecture?"

Luo Yangxing cut to the chase: "Zhang Dequan, the magistrate of Qidong County, embezzled the pensions for border soldiers. According to his confession, he only took a small portion, and the rest disappeared. Jinan Prefecture is the superior authority of Qidong County. I have come specifically to ask Prefect Xiong, what is your opinion on this matter?"

pat!

The teacup lid slipped from Xiong Hua's hand and fell onto the table. Realizing his lapse in composure, he quickly picked it up.

"Such a thing is true?"

In the blink of an eye, Xiong Hua's face was filled with shock. He said, "If that's true, then it is indeed my oversight! But then again, Jinan Prefecture governs four prefectures and twenty-six counties, and I am truly..."

"Prefect Xiong need not explain."

Luo Yangxing interrupted directly, saying, "Zhang Dequan is already on his way to the capital. Once he's in the imperial prison, he'll be forced to confess. I've come here to ask Prefect Xiong if he knows where the pension money went."

The hall was silent, deathly silent.

Xiong Hua unconsciously stroked the insignia on his official robes, his Adam's apple bobbing: "May I ask, which soldier's pension has been in such trouble?"

"Chen Dayong, of Dengzhou Guard."

"Chen Dayong? What is his military rank?"

Luo Yangxing shook his head: "No official position, just an ordinary soldier."

"No military rank, this, this..."

Xiong Hua leaned forward and asked again, "What kind of background does he have? Or, does he have connections with any high-ranking officials in the court?"

"An ordinary military household, with no connections whatsoever."

After Luo Yangxing finished speaking, he smiled slightly and asked in return, "What? In Prefect Xiong's eyes, aren't the lives of soldiers lives too?"

"No, no... that's not what I meant!"

Xiong Hua waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "How could a mere thirty taels of silver for compensation have alarmed the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to personally investigate? This matter... is illogical!"

"Um?"

Luo Yangxing suddenly sneered, "Thirty taels? Lord Xiong knows the exact amount perfectly well!"

Xiong Hua then realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly said, "The ordinary soldiers' pension is thirty taels, but... it's all been distributed! Not long ago, Eunuch Gao from the Eastern Depot came to Jinan, and I even took him to visit the memorials of those martyrs. If Commander Luo doesn't believe me, you can always ask him after you return to the capital..."

"Gao Qiqian has been captured!"

Luo Yangxing raised his hand to interrupt again, and then said, "Prefect Xiong, I might as well say a few more words. Gao Qiqian came to Shandong for inspection and collected a lot of gold and silver, which has now all been turned over to the national treasury. As for who gave him this gold and silver..."

"It's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding!"

Xiong Hua panicked completely, and tremblingly pulled out a delicate little handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Luo Yangxing slammed his teacup down on the table, rose, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Since Prefect Xiong is unaware of this, I will not disturb you any longer. Farewell!"

"Wait a minute!"

Xiong Hua hurriedly got up to stop him, beads of sweat the size of soybeans appearing on his forehead.

"Commander Luo, you misunderstand! Such a major case of embezzlement has occurred within our jurisdiction; how could we not investigate? However… however, the case is complex. I beg Commander Luo to stay a few days so that I may thoroughly investigate it!"

Luo Yangxing squinted: "How many days?"

"Ten days!"

Luo Yangxing shook his head and said, "This commander must hurry back to the capital to report, and cannot wait ten days."

Xiong Hua rubbed his hands together and tentatively asked, "Then... seven days?"

Luo Yangxing did not answer, but just kept shaking his head.

Xiong Hua gritted his teeth: "Three days! Just three days! This prefecture will give Commander Luo an explanation!"

"good!"

Luo Yangxing stood up and placed his hand on Xiong Hua's shoulder: "For the next three days, I will stay at the post station next to the government office, ready to await Prefect Xiong's arrival at any time."

"How can we let Commander Luo stay at the post station? I will arrange the best hotel for him right now..."

"No need. I have official duties to attend to, so staying at the post station is more convenient! Otherwise, if word gets back to those upright officials, wouldn't I be impeached again? They might even impeach you, the prefect, for abusing your power and using your position for personal gain. Don't you think so?"

Xiong Hua's shoulders trembled, and he forced a smile, saying, "Commander Luo is right, then...we'll stay at the inn!"

After Luo Yangxing left with the Imperial Guards, Xiong Hua slumped into a grand chair.

A clerk emerged from behind the screen and whispered, "Sir, should we pass a message to the Provincial Governor...?"

"quick!"

Xiong Hua's face turned pale. He said, "Quickly send someone to invite the Provincial Governor... Never mind, prepare a sedan chair! I want to see the Provincial Governor myself!"

In less than half an hour, Xiong Hua's official sedan chair stopped in front of the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office.

He didn't wait for the gatekeeper to announce his arrival and barged directly into the official residence of Zhang Bingwen, the Left Provincial Governor.

"Your Excellency, a terrible thing has happened!"

As soon as Xiong Hua entered the door, he slumped into a chair, panting heavily from exhaustion.

Zhang Bingwen was reviewing official documents when he looked up and asked, "What happened that made you so flustered?"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard... Commander Luo Yangxing of the Embroidered Uniform Guard suddenly led his men to arrest Zhang Dequan of Qidong County, and now the investigation has reached Jinan Prefecture!"

Zhang Bingwen's pen suddenly stopped, leaving a stain of ink on the memorial.

"What did you say? Luo Yangxing, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has personally come to arrest Magistrate Qi Dong?"

"It's absolutely true, Your Excellency!"

Xiong Hua wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and explained, "That Luo Yangxing brought the account books from Qidong County and said that Zhang Dequan embezzled the soldiers' pension funds..."

Zhang Bingwen frowned: "Which soldier?"

"A lowly soldier named Chen Dayong from the Dengzhou Guard..."

"Chen Dayong from Dengzhou Guard? Never heard of him. What's his background?"

Xiong Hua, his face contorted with grief, said, "I asked him too, but Luo Yangxing said he's just an ordinary soldier, without even a military rank..."

"Bullshit!"

Zhang Bingwen frowned and said angrily, "Ordinary soldiers could alarm the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to personally investigate? What a joke!"

Xiong Hua asked cautiously, "That's what Luo Yangxing said, and he gave him three days. If he's allowed to return to the capital like this, Zhang Dequan definitely won't be able to hold out, and then..."

"Alright!"

Zhang Bingwen raised his hand to interrupt, then ordered, "Someone come here!"

The curtain was lifted, and two servants immediately slipped in.

"Quickly summon Zeng Hualong, the Governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, and Liu Zeqing, the Commander-in-Chief of Shandong. Tell them it's a major event and that they must arrive in Jinan Prefecture within three days!"