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

Just as the two were whispering to each other, a cold snort suddenly came from outside the door.

"Trying to run away?"

With a bang, the door to the back room was kicked open.

Princess Yanhe stood outside the door, dressed in plain clothes, her expression cold.

Wen Bo and Cai Fan followed behind her, both carrying lanterns.

Dong Liu and Zhou Er were so frightened that they trembled all over, and the broken bowl in their hands fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

"Princess...Princess..." Dong Liu stammered, his face pale, before his legs gave way and he knelt on the ground.

Yanhe did not enter the room that reeked of sweat and sour smell. She simply stood outside the threshold, her gaze sweeping over everyone inside with lightning speed.

"I had Afu relay a message during the day. The rules of the inner court forbid leaving the office without permission and accepting gifts from outsiders. It seems someone has taken my words to heart."

Yanhe's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears in the quiet night.

"Dong Liu," Yanhe called out his name.

Dong Liu trembled all over: "I...I'm here."

"You think the county government has run out of food and the county magistrate can't protect you anymore, so you want to use information from inside the government office to exchange for a decent meal outside, is that right?"

"I wouldn't dare! I was just confused for a moment and talked nonsense..." Dong Liu kowtowed desperately.

"Whether you're talking nonsense or you truly mean it," Yanhe interrupted him. "This team doesn't need two-faced, slippery people. Uncle Wen."

"This old servant is here."

"Drag Dong Liu out and give him twenty strokes of the cane. After that, throw him out of the county government office. Since he thinks the food outside is delicious, let him eat his fill."

"Yes!" Uncle Wen waved his hand, and two strong female servants behind him pounced on him like wolves and tigers, dragging the howling Dong Liu away.

On Tuesday, he was so scared that he lay on the ground, not daring to lift his head, and his crotch was already soaked.

The other constables inside the room and the men on the perimeter were even more terrified, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Yanhe looked at them, his tone gradually softening, but still carrying that kind of imposing authority that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

"I know you're afraid."

"Afraid of starving to death, afraid of powerful local bullies, afraid of the local tyrants of Yanjing County."

"But let me tell you, the magistrate's refusal to compromise isn't for his own heroic act, but to restore the authority of the county government and truly ensure your survival in Yanjing County!"

Yanhe's gaze swept over the heads that were hanging down.

"Before, you followed He Liu, the county magistrate, and the registrar, eating their leftovers and living like dogs wagging their tails and begging for scraps! Now, the county magistrate is going to fight for you the rule of eating with dignity, standing tall!"

"If you can't hold on, you can leave now."

"Those who want to stay, keep your mouths shut and stay calm. If the sky falls, the county magistrate will hold it up. If there's no food, we'll all share porridge; if there's no medicine, the county magistrate will bear the pain himself. Anyone who dares to undermine morale behind our backs..."

Yan paused for a moment, his eyes revealing an undeniable decisiveness.

"That's what happened to Dong Liu."

After saying that, she turned and left.

The back room was deathly silent. After a long while, someone finally let out a long sigh.

Lu Cheng leaned against a pillar by the door, holding the chipped knife, a smile that looked more like a grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"This princess... is even more ruthless than the captains in our army."

Dou Ping squatted on the ground, puffing on his pipe, but his eyes shone with an unusual brightness: "Ruthlessness is good. If you're not ruthless, you can't control these spineless cowards. I've figured out this place now. Following cowards will only lead to death, but following tough guys might actually allow you to fight your way out."

……

The main hall in the front yard.

Yang Xuan leaned back in his chair, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.

His injuries from the caning had not yet healed, and coupled with the mental and physical strain of the past day and night, and the lack of medication, the wounds had begun to ache faintly, as if countless ants were gnawing at them.

Cui Shen and Han Jitong were still checking the final accounts. Both of them were so hungry that they were dizzy, but neither of them stopped writing.

"My lord." Pei Zhao walked in from outside, bringing with him a cool night breeze. "In the inner quarters, the princess has dealt with Dong Liu. He's been beaten and thrown out, so things are finally calm in the backyard."

Yang Xuan closed his eyes slightly and hummed in agreement.

"Yanhe did a good job." He took a deep breath, suppressing the sharp pain in his back. "In times of crisis, severe measures must be taken. People like Dong Liu will be a menace sooner or later. It's better to kick him out now than to keep him around."

Pei Zhao frowned as he looked at Yang Xuan's pale face: "But my lord, your injuries... and this grain..."

"Don't worry about the grain." Yang Xuan slowly opened his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them. "Do the Tian family and Hu Rong think they can starve me by cutting off the supplies to the West Market and South Street? They've forgotten that there are more than just a few powerful families in Yanjing County."

Pei Zhao was taken aback: "Who else?"

"Those small merchants who have been exploited by them for years, those porters who have been charged countless times 'net fees' by the city gate stalls, and..." Yang Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile, "and those ordinary well-dwellers who can't even get a sip of salt water because Qing'ao Well was occupied."

He turned to look at Cui Shen.

"Cui Shen, the notice has been posted for a whole day. What's going on in the city?"

Cui Shen put down his pen and rubbed his sore eyes: "Reporting to my lord, on the surface no one dares to respond. But secretly, a few porters have thrown some firewood outside the back wall of the county government office. Also, the owner of a general store in the West Market asked someone to pass on a message, saying that if the county government could completely waive those miscellaneous fees at the city gate, he would be willing to offend the Tian family and send over a few bags of coarse rice in the middle of the night."

"Good." Yang Xuan's eyes lit up completely. "This is the will of the people."

"The Tian family thinks they can control everything because no one dared to stand up for the people before."

Yang Xuan leaned on the table and slowly stood up. Although the movement was somewhat difficult, his body remained ramrod straight.

"Pei Zhao, Chen Ye."

"exist!"

"At midnight tonight, bring your weapons and come with me." Yang Xuan's tone revealed a resolute determination, as if he had nothing to lose.

"Where are you going, my lord?" Pei Zhao asked in surprise.

"Let's rob them."

Yang Xuan coldly uttered those three words.

"If they cut off my food, I will cut off their salt."

"Over at Qing'ao Well, doesn't Mo San take away 30% of the official salt every month to resell? Judging by the dates, tonight is the time they'll be shipping it out under cover of darkness."

Yang Xuan stared at the deep night outside the door, his eyes sharp as knives.

"Since we're going to openly overturn the table, a few ledgers alone aren't enough to shock us. I want to bring the people and the stolen goods to the streets of Yanjing County."

"I want to show everyone whether or not the world in Yanjing County can be turned upside down!"