In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Upon hearing this, the officials looked around nervously, while Gao Shen and his two companions were even more suspicious. Why were they suddenly being called out by name?

"Your Highness, this humble servant is here."

A short, plump middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd, looking uneasy and forcing a fawning smile.

His face was so wrinkled that it looked like he was covered in oil.

"This humble servant, Lu Guang, pays his respects to His Highness the Prince of Han!"

"Upon learning of the Prince of Han's arrival, I rode at breakneck speed through the night, rushing here day and night, just to report to Your Highness!" he flattered.

It took Li Yuanchang six days to arrive, but it only took him one night to get here. This was mainly because the Prince's entourage was large and there were many goods to transport.

Lu Guang and his men traveled light, riding at high speed without needing to stop.

Li Yuanchang smiled.

"Magistrate Lu lives a comfortable life."

Lu Guang said awkwardly, "Your Highness, it is all thanks to His Majesty's care for us subjects that a considerable amount of meat and grain are bestowed upon us every year."

"In addition, I don't have time to ride horses and shoot arrows on weekdays, so this belly... hehe."

Li Yuanchang raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"

"Chang'an is giving the county magistrate so much meat and grain; people who don't know the situation might think they're plundering the people's hard-earned money."

Upon hearing this, most of the officials present changed color.

No matter how you look at it, these words sound like a warning.

Lu Guang immediately knelt down, his face filled with fear.

"Your Highness, please investigate!"

"I have worked diligently and conscientiously, and have never exploited the people!"

Li Yuanchang walked down calmly.

"What's the rush? I didn't say it was you."

"By the way, did you come alone? Did you have any companions?"

Lu Guang's forehead was covered in sweat as he kept glancing at Gao Shen and the others.

"Your Highness, it's not just me, but also several colleagues from Yangping County."

"Is there someone named He Wei?" Li Yuanchang asked casually.

Lu Guang's expression grew increasingly uneasy.

The cunning and shrewd Gao Shen narrowed his eyes, sensing something was amiss. He immediately gave his confidant a look, who then tried to withdraw from the crowd.

But the next second, Guo Chao's guards blocked their way.

Where are you going?

All eyes were on them.

The man stammered, looking flustered, "Your Highness, my stomach is upset, I need to use the restroom."

"Hold on for now!" Li Yuanchang coldly hissed.

"Yes!" the man replied tremblingly.

Li Yuanchang then looked at Lu Guang: "I'm asking you a question!"

Lu Guang shuddered, a bad feeling creeping over him: "Here he comes. He's a sergeant from Yangping County, and he's traveling with me this time."

"Bring it in."

"Yes!" The guards in the inner palace immediately sprang into action.

Inside the hall, He Guang asked uneasily, "Your Highness, what has happened?"

Li Yuanchang laughed and said, "You'll find out soon enough."

He Guang became even more uneasy.

At that moment, a sergeant was brought in by the guards.

According to rank, he didn't even have the qualifications to enter here. Although he was a military officer in Zhechong Prefecture, he was only from a county. Counties are divided into high and low, and Yangping County was obviously the worst kind.

Sergeant He Wei kept his head down, not daring to look at the people in the hall. He knelt down on the ground with a thud, trembling with fear.

"This humble servant, He Wei, greets Your Highness!"

Li Yuanchang smiled knowingly.

"Haven't seen you for more than a few days, has Commander He already forgotten me?"

The hall erupted in uproar. What did this mean? Had they met before?

Lu Guang stared intently.

He Wei looked up and stared at Li Yuanchang, clearly stunned for a moment. Then his pupils dilated little by little, as if he remembered something. He even rubbed his eyes hard.

"You, who are you?"

A hint of horror lingered in his throat.

"As I said, we will meet soon," Li Yuanchang said with a half-smile.

"This...how is this possible..." He Wei was struck dumb, instantly collapsing to the ground, completely bewildered.

"What happened?"

"He Wei, what exactly happened?" Lu Guang asked anxiously.

Li Yuanchang bypassed the two men, strolled casually, and addressed all the officials present: "Gentlemen, a few days ago, when I traveled to Liangzhou, I made a detour to Yangping County!"

"Hiss!" Everyone present gasped. An undercover investigation?

He Guang trembled, his face turning deathly pale, as if he had a premonition of something.

"There, I saw many people in tattered clothes, and they told me that they were hungry and cold."

"But this guy!" Li Yuanchang pointed domineeringly at County Magistrate Lu Guang, his tone becoming sharp, his volume gradually increasing, and a murderous aura emanating from him.

"He's so fat and bloated, he looks like a pig!"

"And his brother-in-law is none other than Sergeant He!"

"This bastard led his men to guard the city gate and openly charged the people a toll, taxing them per capita. If they didn't pay, they wouldn't be allowed in."

"Three coins per person, that's three coins!"

The sound was deafening, filled with extreme anger.

During the Zhenguan era, one coin could buy a pound of rice.

Gao Shen and his group of seasoned veterans in officialdom were taken aback.

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

"You, you, you've misunderstood. That's a market tax, not a transit tax!" Lu Guang grabbed Li Yuanchang's sleeve and stammered an explanation.

"Do you think I'm a fool?!" Li Yuanchang roared.

Snapped!

Lu Guang was slapped hard across the face and sent flying. His head hit the incense burner, and he clutched his forehead, letting out a pig-like scream.

"As a county magistrate, he indulged his relatives, deceived his superiors and subordinates, blocked roads to collect taxes, and oppressed the people."

"Which rule of the Zhenguan era allowed you to do this?"

"Speak!" Li Yuanchang unleashed his full power, aiming at Lu Guang.

"Your Highness, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"

"You've disgraced your ancestors! Drag him away and tear him apart by chariots!" Li Yuanchang roared, unleashing a force beyond his years.

The entire audience was instantly terrified!

The car... cracked!

"No, no!"

"Your Highness, I was wrong, I know I was wrong!"

Please!

"No!"

"My lord, save me! Save me!"

Lu Guang and He Wei were dragged along, screaming and desperately pleading for help.

Gao Shen frowned, stepped forward, and said in a gentle, ingratiating tone, "Your Highness, please wait."

"Whether it is a market tax or not, it's better to investigate before making a decision."

"Yes, Your Highness, killing a county magistrate requires careful consideration," Li Zhi and others chimed in.

Li Yuanchang was unconvinced and stared at the group with an almost fierce look: "So you mean I'm blind and have framed them?"

An invisible aura pressed down on the three men, sending chills down their spines and making their faces look unnatural.

They suddenly realized that this guy who had been parachuted in from Chang'an and demoted was definitely not a spoiled brat who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun.

At this moment, Li Yuanchang called out again.

"Who wants to plead for leniency? Fine! Don't say you weren't given a chance. Come out and sign a written agreement: if it's true, you'll be punished as accomplices!"

"Huh??" The officials shrank back in fright, not daring to look at him.

The scene was quiet.

"Speak! Who's here?!" Li Yuanchang roared, his voice booming like thunder.

The people who were close by, including Gao Shen, were so frightened that they trembled reflexively, their faces turning ashen, but they dared not utter a word.

The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Li Yuanchang sneered and cursed inwardly as a bunch of useless trash!

"Good! Now, everyone get out and watch the torture!"

"yes!"

The crowd bowed and dared not utter a word, surging out in a noisy throng, as if trying to escape this place, not daring to be alone with Li Yuanchang.

Soon, Lu Guang and his companion were used as scapegoats by Li Yuanchang, who made an example of them to warn others.

The bloodshed of being torn apart by chariots caused more than half of the officials present to vomit, their faces turning deathly pale.

On his first day in office, he killed a county magistrate and a sergeant, and forced all the officials in the prefecture to watch, making an example of him. Such is the way of a strongman!

This prestige has been established.