In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

Once they settled in, Uncle Wen first straightened Han Jitong's shoulders.

With a "click," a wave of sweat immediately broke out in the passenger compartment.

Ah Fu's shoulder ached from listening to all this outside.

"That old official is really good at enduring things."

"Being able to endure means we haven't reached a dead end yet."

Cui Shen whispered from the side.

"A person who is truly in dire straits should have thrown away their bag at that sloping point to save their life."

He didn't throw it away.

"This means that what's in that bag is more important than life itself, at least in his eyes."

By the time the injuries had been mostly treated, it was already getting dark.

Han Jitong was finally brought to the main vehicle.

This time he didn't hold on as tightly.

But the bag was still pressed against his lap, as if he could clutch it again at any moment.

Yang Xuan looked at him, without asking what was in the bag first.

Instead, ask first:

"If you are the former clerk of Yanjing County, why were you fleeing for your life on the mountain road?"

Han Jitong remained silent for a long time.

So long that the fire crackled softly twice.

Finally, he said in a hoarse voice:

"Because the scoundrels no longer want to falsify their accounts."

"Also because... the villain knows too much."

Cui Shen then asked:

"who are they?"

Han Jitong's lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, or perhaps he didn't know where to begin.

After a long pause, he finally uttered a few words in a low voice:

"Wellhead".

"Head of the brokerage firm."

"Caravan leader."

"And...those people in the county and prefecture who get shares without working."

Ah Fu, who was listening nearby, was stunned.

The old official's words revealed most of the truth about the rough map they had pieced together along the way.

Han Jitong continued:

"I was originally only in charge of old books, old contracts, and old well records."

"But the more I did it, the more wrong it became."

"The official records show the number of wells, but the salt production on the ground doesn't match; the well household registers look complete, but there are many empty names and names of dead people; and there are several of the largest salt-producing wells that are clearly listed as belonging to the government in the records, but in reality... in reality, they have long been distributed by people using white gloves and fake contracts."

His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

It's as if every word doesn't come from the throat, but is scraped out from old accounts and rotten paper.

Cui Shen's eyelids twitched as he listened.

This is no longer just a bad debt.

Everything, from the well, the people, the goods, to the government office itself, was completely hollowed out.

"So what you brought out was an account book?"

Yang Xuan finally looked at the oilcloth bag.

This time, Han Jitong did not hide.

He slowly placed the bag on his lap and untied it layer by layer.

Inside was oil paper.

Inside the oiled paper were three old books, two tiny folded contracts, and a wellhead map with worn-down edges.

In the firelight, the dense annotations and corrections on the paper were revealed.

Afu got a headache after just one look.

Cui Shen's breathing became lighter.

If this thing is real, then it's not simply "useful".

Instead, before taking office, they could get a general idea of ​​half of Yanjing County's vital resources for them.

Han Jitong pressed his fingers on one of the old books, his voice hoarse:

"This is an old record of well-keeping from three years ago."

"This is the distribution book that was revised once later."

"Of these two contracts, one is fake, and the other... was originally real, but someone changed the name on it later."

"I originally intended to send these to the prefecture."

He gave a wry smile as he said this.

"But it wasn't until halfway there that I realized what was going on."

"If the state government were truly willing to take responsibility, the county wouldn't be in such a state of disarray."

This was said very casually.

It was so cheap it chilled one to the bone.

Because it's not a guess.

This is a conclusion reached by someone who has spent many years immersed in messy situations.

Yang Xuan did not immediately go and look through those books.

He simply asked:

"Then why are you still heading south?"

Han Jitong looked up at the people in the main car, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Because I've heard that the new magistrate is a member of the Yang family who came from Chang'an."

"I've also heard that along the way, you've arrested messengers at post stations and torn up people at inns to keep them. You haven't even reached your destination yet, but you're already scouting Yaozhou along the way."

"I don't know if you can succeed."

"But at least... at least you're not like those people who just sit around holding the seal and waiting for their share."

This is almost half a declaration of loyalty.

But Yang Xuan didn't respond.

He simply said:

"You're desperate, so you're taking another gamble with me."

Han Jitong's lips trembled, but he ultimately lowered his head.

"Yes."

Yang Xuan looked at him for a moment before saying:

"Gambling is allowed."

"But I don't like gambling without knowing what you're doing."

"I can keep and look at the contents of this bag for now."

"I can protect your people first."

"But from now on, you have to tell me everything you know, distinguishing between what's important and what's not, and tell me the truth, layer by layer."

"If even one word of your life is meant to fool me, I can send you back to the mountains tomorrow."

That's not a strong statement.

It was even more even than the short fight at the slope just now.

But after listening, Han Jitong felt a chill run down his spine.

Because he understood.

The new magistrate in front of him saved him not out of a momentary act of kindness.

They were attracted by what was in his mind and what was in his bag.

This precisely demonstrates that the other party is someone who can truly use these things.

Han Jitong took a deep breath and finally bent down:

"I understand."

"Let's start with the first thing."

Yang Xuan said.

"Which well in Yanjing County is the most valuable?"

Han Jitong acted almost without hesitation.

"Qing'ao Well".

"Now, let's talk about the second thing."

"Who does Qing'ao Well nominally belong to?"

Han Jitong paused for a moment.

"Nominally, it belongs to the county government."

"Actually?"

The firelight flickered gently.

Han Jitong looked up, and the hesitation on his face was finally broken.

"Actually, it's no longer in the hands of the county government."

Upon hearing this, the people by the fire fell silent.

Although Afu didn't understand salt wells, he knew what it meant.

The most valuable well in a county.

It was nominally under the control of the officials, but in reality, it was not in their hands.

How much of a county does Yanjing County still resemble?

Cui Shen's fingertips were slightly warm.

This is the rotten part that they've been guessing about all along, but haven't fully implemented yet.

It's not that the county government is incompetent.

Instead, the county government office had long since become a mere shell for people to hang around in name only.

The real meat-eaters are others.

Yang Xuan's expression remained unchanged.

He seemed to have anticipated this answer, and simply continued to ask:

"Who has it?"

Han Jitong's lips were dry.

"It's not just one hand."

"The wellhead is managed by the well owner."

"Salt route is powered by the Mabang line."

"The books were washed by a broker with white gloves."

"Former officials in the county helped them fill in the missing seals."

"Someone in the state is taking a cut."

"That's why I say that Qing'ao Well has never really been in the hands of the county government."

"It's in the hands of a string of people."

This is more troublesome than "being in the hands of a powerful family".

It's also more valuable.

This shows that the most lucrative well in Yanjing County was not stolen by one person.

It was split up by a pre-planned network.

No one is likely to swallow it all.

But everyone got a bite.

In this way, if the new magistrate really wanted to take action, he would not be targeting just one household, but the entire network.

Wen Bo frowned deeply upon hearing this.

"Then how can this place be treated?"

No one answered him immediately.

This problem cannot be solved simply by asking "how to cure it".

But at that moment, Yang Xuan suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question:

"Han Jitong, in all your years in this county, have you ever seen anyone who, despite having eaten, is unwilling to settle for just that one bite?"

Han Jitong was taken aback.

That's a very off-topic question.

But somehow, he subconsciously thought of one person.

"have."

"Who?"

"Mo San."

"Is that the 'Manager Mo' that those people were talking about earlier?"

"Yes."

Han Jitong's voice lowered even further.

"He used to be just a gofer for the brokerage firm, but later he got in touch with the Qing'ao Well area and started doing things like relaying messages, covering up misdeeds, and settling accounts for several families."

"Hands aren't the biggest."

"They are the most ambitious and the most capable of doing dirty work for others."

Cui Shen and Yang Xuan exchanged a glance almost simultaneously.

I understood everything.

Even big fish aren't necessarily easy to catch.

But these are precisely the kinds of people who are best suited to be the first to be exploited.