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

Seeing that he had quelled the situation, Liu Wen was secretly pleased with himself. He turned to look at Yang Xuan, who was standing at the very front.

"Magistrate Yang, how dare you! As the head of the county, instead of comforting the people, you've instigated a popular uprising! What is your punishment?!"

Liu Wen believed that Yang Xuan would surely bow his head and confess his guilt in front of a hundred elite state soldiers.

However, Yang Xuan did not back down. Instead, he stepped forward and stared at Liu Wen with piercing eyes.

"Your Excellency is mistaken," Yang Xuan's voice boomed, echoing throughout the street. "I am not inciting a popular uprising; I am acting on behalf of Heaven and in accordance with the will of the people!"

"Following the will of the people?" Liu Wen laughed angrily. "You lead men to storm a virtuous family, and you call that following the will of the people?"

"A family of good people? Lord Liu, look at the people around here!"

Yang Xuan suddenly pointed at the salt workers and laborers who were dressed in rags and whose faces were full of grief and indignation.

"For generations, they've boiled salt at Qing'ao Well, yet they can't even afford a full meal! Meanwhile, the Tian family, by rationing their own food and embezzling government salt, has built a mansion in this city that rivals those of royalty! Last night, they even beat the old salt official Wang Quan to death in the street when he tried to go to the capital to file a complaint!"

"May I ask, Chief Secretary, if the Tian family is considered a virtuous family, then what about the common people they exploited to death?"

Yang Xuan's words were like daggers, instantly reigniting the people's anger.

"You corrupt official! You're in cahoots with the Tian family!"

"Kill him too!"

The crowd stirred again, and some even started throwing stones into the state soldiers' formation.

"Insolence! Prepare to fire the arrows!" Liu Wen ordered angrily.

"Who dares to fire an arrow!"

At this critical moment, Pei Zhao roared and led forty salt guards, charging towards Yang Xuan like tigers descending a mountain.

They had no spears, only swords.

But their cold, ruthless gazes and the mandarin duck formation they formed sent a chill down the spines of the soldiers.

This is the aura of someone who has truly seen blood and killed people!

"Lord Liu, you should think this through."

Yang Xuan stood behind Pei Zhao and the others, his tone cold and menacing, like a demon from hell.

"If you dare to order the firing of arrows here today, killing thousands of civilians in Yaozhou City, tomorrow, a memorial stating 'The Jiannan Circuit troops massacred civilians, inciting chaos in Yaozhou' will be displayed on the imperial desk in the Daming Palace of Chang'an!"

"Take your guess, when the time comes, will His Majesty execute me, the demoted county magistrate, or will he punish you, the prefectural chief, and the governor behind you, to quell the public outcry?"

Yang Xuan's words were like an invisible dagger, piercing Liu Wen's Achilles' heel.

Liu Wen's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his hand gripping his sword trembled violently.

He dared not gamble.

He only came to negotiate lower prices and split the profits, not to bear the stigma of "inciting a popular uprising" that would lead to the execution of nine generations of his family!

If blood really flows like a river here and alarms the high-ranking officials in Chang'an, the governor will definitely push him out as a scapegoat immediately!

Looking at Liu Wen's blustering yet cowardly demeanor, Yang Xuan knew that his gamble had paid off.

"Lord Liu," Yang Xuan's voice softened slightly, but still carried an irresistible pressure, "the waters of Yaozhou are boiling. If you don't want to be scalded to death, you'd better take your men and retreat to the side now."

"I, the magistrate of Yanjing County, have full authority to handle matters here!"

The county government's large drum resonated with the overwhelming public sentiment.

Liu Wen sat on horseback, his face alternating between pale and flushed.

Retreat? He, a dignified prefectural governor, leading a hundred regular soldiers, would lose face if he were forced to retreat by a county magistrate leading a mob.

Once he returned to the prefectural capital, how could the governor possibly forgive him?

But if they don't retreat, Yang Xuan's threat to "alarm Chang'an" will be like a guillotine hanging over their heads.

Although the border generals of the Tang Dynasty are currently powerful, if a peasant uprising of several thousand people were to break out in the heartland, the wrath of the imperial court would be far beyond what a mere prefectural governor could bear.

Cold sweat trickled down Liu Wen's forehead, soaking through his scarlet official robes.

"Lord Liu."

Yang Xuan took a step forward, his tone losing its previous sharpness and instead carrying a hint of earnestness.

"Sir, you came to Yanjing County to seek wealth and to stabilize the salt tax in Jiannan Circuit, not to quell a rebellion, right?"

Yang Xuan's words were an excellent way to give Liu Wen a way out.

Liu Wen swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing his panic, and followed Yang Xuan's words, saying, "I...I have naturally come for the peace of Yaozhou. If it weren't for my belief in Heaven's benevolence in protecting life, I would have executed these unruly people on the spot long ago!"

"Your Excellency is truly benevolent." Yang Xuan bowed slightly, then lowered his voice, "Since Your Excellency is only after wealth, what use is the Tian family to you?"

Liu Wen was taken aback, but then he understood what Yang Xuan meant.

Yang Xuan was using the Tian family to quell public anger, while also hinting to the prefectural government that as long as the Tian family fell, the profits from Qing'ao Well could still be negotiated.

Liu Wen glanced at the dilapidated gate of the Tian family's house and quickly began to make plans in his mind.

Although Tian Boyong has given the state a lot of benefits over the years, he has now become the target of public criticism.

To offend the entire city's population and even risk a popular uprising in order to protect him would be a losing proposition.

Moreover, with the Tian family gone, wouldn't all the riches of Yaozhou fall into the hands of the prefectural and county governments?

"Magistrate Yang," Liu Wen's expression finally softened. He sheathed his sword. "Since you claim the Tian family has disregarded human life and incited public outrage, I will give you a chance. This case will be handled entirely by your county office. But you must guarantee that you will not allow these people to cause further trouble, and you must not alert Chang'an!"

"Rest assured, sir," Yang Xuan replied loudly, "I will certainly uphold justice and give an explanation to the people of Yaozhou, and also to the prefectural government!"

Liu Wen nodded, said no more nonsense, and waved his hand sharply: "State troops, listen to my command! Retreat!"

With Liu Wen's order, a hundred state soldiers retreated from the street like a tide, leaving this battlefield entirely to Yang Xuan.

As the state troops retreated, the surrounding people erupted in a deafening cheer.

In their view, the county magistrate had forced the high-ranking official in the prefecture to step down on their behalf!

"Your Excellency is the Magistrate!"

"Lord Yang is mighty!"

Amid cheers, Yang Xuan turned around, looked at the tightly closed gate of the Tian family, and his eyes instantly turned icy cold.

"Pei Zhao!"

"exist!"

"Break down the door! Arrest him!"

Pei Zhao roared and, leading several fierce salt guards, raised a thick battering ram and slammed it against the Tian family's gate.

"boom!"

With a loud crash, the heavy vermilion gate of the Tian family's house collapsed, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Charge in! Grab Tian Boyong!"

The angry crowd surged into the Tian family mansion like a flood bursting its banks, following behind the salt protectors.

Those farmhands who usually acted arrogantly and domineeringly had no intention of resisting when faced with an uprising of several thousand people. They threw down their weapons and fled in all directions.