After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

The field survey in Wuqing County has been fully launched.

In just a few days, 5,000 mu of hidden farmland have been surveyed and identified throughout the county.

This is just the beginning; some people are already getting restless.

In the Wu family mansion, seven or eight people sat in a circle, each with an increasingly grim expression.

There was a teacup in front of everyone, but the tea had long since gone cold.

The door opened, and an elderly man with gray hair and beard entered.

Wu Youfu quickly stood up and said, "Old Chen, you've arrived!"

"Um!"

This man is named Chen Nianzu. He is 67 years old this year. He once served as the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy. He retired ten years ago. Although he lives in the capital, he owns a large amount of land in Wuqing County and is the most senior local gentry.

Everyone stood up and bowed, and Chen Nianzu nodded in response and sat in the head seat.

After everyone was seated, Wu Youfu said, "Gentlemen, the reason I called you all here today is to discuss a strategy. The newly appointed magistrate, Wang Shouren, is currently surveying the fields. Given his temperament, if he discovers any hidden land or households, he will definitely investigate further, and the taxes you have to pay later could bankrupt you all!"

Everyone fell silent, sighing softly.

The gentry made their fortunes mainly by concealing their land holdings and household registrations; to put it bluntly, they exploited loopholes in the imperial court's system.

If a real investigation were to be conducted, no one could withstand it.

Wu Youfu asked, "Old Chen, now that things have come to this, do you have any good ideas?"

Chen Nianzu slowly said, "I've heard about what happened here. Cheng Zhirong not only amassed so much money, but he also breached the dikes and flooded the fields. Now he's in this predicament entirely of his own making."

"As for the people you invited..."

He shook his head, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Zhang Shi seems easy to bribe, but he's cunning! He only listens to the one on the dragon throne. Don't even mention you distant relatives who are not even remotely related to him; he'll impeach even the current crown prince."

Upon hearing this, Wu Youfu's expression changed: "Old Chen is right, I was negligent!"

Chen Nianzu waved his hand: "You don't need to belittle yourself. After all, you haven't been exposed to enough people and things, so it's understandable that you were tricked."

Wu Youfu opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

Chen Nianzu continued, "We're all in the same boat. If you have a better plan, speak up quickly, otherwise you'd better prepare to hand over your money! Wang Shouren is serious, and his father is the Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. It won't be easy to bring him down. You all saw how the former magistrate Cheng Zhirong, the county magistrate Hu Lin, Zhao Xingye, Chen Wanyou, and Zhang Yonggui all fell."

The room was quiet for a moment; no one spoke.

Wu Youfu said, "Old Chen, you also have businesses in Wuqing County, and everyone is waiting for you to take charge!"

Chen Nianzu smiled faintly and said, "Actually, dealing with this kind of person isn't difficult. He likes to follow the rules, so let's just do it the rules!"

Wu Youfu's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "You mean...?"

Chen Nianzu said, "Throughout history, the most effective tactic for auditing accounts has always been to drive someone to suicide and incite public outrage. Once a murder occurs, the audit must cease, and officials must be held accountable—that's the rule!"

The crowd began to whisper among themselves and nodded in agreement.

Wu Youfu exclaimed excitedly, "Old Chen, before you came, we'd practically lived in vain!"

They have been trying various methods to bring down Wang Shouren.

But in the end, all the scheming and calculating will only lead to losses for oneself.

Only after Chen Nianzu reminded me did I suddenly realize what was going on!

Chen Nianzu looked at him and continued, "There are rules even for the dead. The person has to be someone of some importance, like the family of Master Wu."

Wu Youfu's face immediately turned ashen: "Why my house?"

Chen Nianzu said unhurriedly, "If a peasant dies by the roadside, would anyone even glance at him? But if something happens to someone in Master Wu's family, it's a different story. You are a prominent figure in Wuqing County. At this critical juncture, if someone in your family dies, at least a woman, that's called 'the people rebelling because the officials have forced them into rebellion,' an injustice against heaven!"

Wu Youfu opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Chen Nianzu continued, "When the time comes, we'll jointly file a complaint with the Shuntian Prefecture. Even if Wang Shouren has a hundred mouths, he won't be able to explain himself. What use are his clean accounts? Human lives are at stake, and the court will have to give an explanation. As long as we transfer him away, even if a new magistrate comes, we'll have plenty of ways to deal with it."

Wu Youfu's face alternated between pale and flushed, and after a long while, he finally managed to stammer out, "Well... alright then! I have a concubine who's not very obedient. Let her hang herself tomorrow!"

Chen Nianzu shook his head: "Why tomorrow? Tonight!"

Wu Youfu was startled and said, "I need to prepare!"

"This kind of thing can't be delayed!"

Chen Nianzu looked at him, his tone as gentle as if he were having a casual conversation: "Wang Shouren's investigation is very thorough. Every day we delay increases the risk. If we get it done tonight, we'll head to Shuntian Prefecture first thing tomorrow morning. By the time Wang Shouren realizes what's happening, the coffin will already be out of the city."

Wu Youfu gritted his teeth and finally nodded in agreement.

The matter was settled, and everyone left to prepare for their own journeys.

Before they knew it, it was past midnight. In the backyard of the Wu residence, Madam Liu was removing her makeup in front of the bronze mirror. Hearing footsteps, she turned around and glanced back before turning back to continue undoing her hair.

"Is the master finished with his work?"

Wu Youfu stood at the door, watching her slender back, feeling a mix of emotions.

This Liu woman was taken in by him three years ago. She was only twenty years old, beautiful, but stubborn and prone to throwing tantrums.

But looking at her shadow under the lamplight, I suddenly felt a little sorry for her.

After removing her hair, Madam Liu turned around and saw him still standing there. She said, "What are you doing standing at the door, sir?"

Wu Youfu walked to the bedside and sat down. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "How have I treated you all these years?"

Madam Liu was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Master, have you had too much to drink? Why are you asking about this?"

Wu Youfu didn't reply, but took out a silver note from his sleeve and placed it on the bedside table.

"Here is five hundred taels of silver."

Madam Liu glanced at the silver, a look of confusion on her face: "Master, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Wu Youfu took out a piece of white silk from his bosom and threw it by the bed.

Liu seemed to realize something, and her face turned pale instantly.

Wu Youfu said coldly, "Master, I'm sorry! But this family's business can't be destroyed like this. If you help me this time, I will send this money to your parents. From now on, your name will be included in the Wu family genealogy, and your memorial tablet will be placed in the ancestral hall. I will burn paper money and incense for you during festivals."

Liu stared at the white silk, trembling all over.

"Master, do you want me dead?"

Wu Youfu turned his head away, not daring to look at her.

Suddenly, Liu rushed over and hugged his leg: "Master, I've served you for three years, even if I haven't done anything great, I've still worked hard! You can't treat me like this! I... I can leave, I'll leave right now, far away, and never come back!"

Wu Youfu closed his eyes, hardened his heart, and kicked her away.

"You're useless now that you're gone! We need dead men, not living men!"

Liu fell to the ground, her forehead hitting the edge of the bed, causing blood to seep out.

The door opened, and two guards rushed in, grabbing Liu by the neck without saying a word.

Liu struggled desperately, but to no avail, and eventually breathed her last.

Wu Youfu glanced at the corpse on the ground and said coldly, "Clean it up thoroughly, don't let anyone notice anything!"

"yes!"

The two agreed, and one of them brought over a stool.

Another person stood on a stool, hung the white silk ribbon on the roof beam, and tied it in a tight knot.

The two then worked together to carry Liu's body up there.