amaotonovel Chapter 61 He's Making a Name for You
Chapter 61 He's Making a Name for You
"Has the culprit been caught?"
Liu Qingfeng nodded slowly: "Of course they have been captured. This county was originally a large county with a population of about 200,000, but due to years of tyranny, even with the addition of villages, townships and towns, the total population is only about 100,000, with about 50,000 in the county seat alone."
The He, Zhu, and Pan families, who had been entrenched here, had been wiped out by County Magistrate Guo Yuan.
The Lu and Bi families, on the other hand, chose to compromise and become lackeys by marrying their daughters off to the county magistrate.
I have already taken control of the entire Guo Yuan clan, and the Lu and Bi families are also surrounded by my men.
There are two Grand Martial Masters in the county. One of them was a retainer of the Guo family, whom I have already killed.
The other was a Taoist priest sent by the imperial court from the Imperial Preceptor's residence. He fled when he saw that things were not going well.
There are many other martial arts masters, most of whom are holding their ground at the Lu and Bi families.
The underground gang Taikang Gang has seven martial arts masters, but the gang is somewhat ambivalent and difficult to investigate because it blends into the crowd, so it hasn't been dealt with for the time being.
In terms of the military, the Taikang County City Guard had three thousand men, but none of them were worth mentioning. In reality, there were only a little over a thousand men, most of whom were old, weak, sick, or disabled, with only a little over a hundred capable of fighting.
The total number of yamen runners and constables was no more than a hundred; they either escaped or died.
There are roughly three bandit groups outside the city. Liuyun Mountain is composed of refugees who frequently rob merchants.
Both Jiguanshan and Woniushan were raised by the Guo family in conjunction with two other major families.
Not far from Taikang County, in Muhua City, there is a Leizhou army of 100,000 men, but it is estimated that only 20,000 to 30,000 are capable of fighting. However, if they were to besiege Taikang, they would only send less than 5,000 men.
Yan Qing, the General of Zhennan in Leizhou, was an incompetent man who spent his days enjoying a carefree life in Muhua City.
I've heard that they also frequently resell weapons, embezzle military pay, and beat and abuse soldiers.
Of his ten generals, more than half were just coasting along.
The other half also harbored their own ambitions, and some of the capable ones had even sided with the King of Chu.
The situation in Leizhou was in chaos, and Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Yuanzhou were also in turmoil.
The King of Chu in Yuzhou harbored ulterior motives. Over the years, he had been allowing these officials to commit evil deeds so that he could gain fame for himself. Thus, the King of Chu had already begun to consolidate his power in Yuzhou.
Yongzhou, Linzhou, and Runzhou are relatively stable, while Yunzhou is frequently harassed by grasslands.
The Central Plains were also rife with intrigue and treacherous officials.
These are my basic understandings of the Wuji Empire.
Shen Miao was stunned after hearing this.
"So...the world has become this chaotic..."
Wei Qing's expression grew increasingly complicated.
She never imagined that the once peaceful Wuji Empire had become so rotten. Was her adoptive father, King Qi, really a wise ruler?
From the Shenjiying explosion to the present, each case has shocked her.
Every day was filled with the suppression of rebels, the investigation of dissidents, and the rigorous examination of officials.
If the world were at peace, would I and the Imperial Guards need to be so busy?
The various bizarre and mysterious minor cases are even more terrifying upon closer examination.
Theft, murder, robbery, fighting, assassination...
Given all these disputes, can I really handle them all properly?
But even if you can find out everything yourself, so what?
Xu Tianyi is right. This is no longer a matter of rebellion, but a political issue.
If the country's problems are not resolved, then for every case that is resolved, ten more will arise.
Eventually, until the entire empire collapsed...
The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. She didn't know how to continue and could only stare blankly at the two people in front of her.
Perhaps, they are the empire's hope?
Gu Qinghan couldn't help but speak up: "If Father were here, the world would certainly not be in this state!"
"Father? May I ask who this princess is?"
Liu Qingfeng couldn't help but start asking questions.
Gu Qinghan really didn't want to be associated with her princess identity, but that identity was proof of her existence.
"I am Gu Qinghan, the eldest princess of the Wuji Empire, the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince. This gentleman beside me is my consort, Xu Tianyi."
Liu Qingfeng was dumbfounded, then exclaimed with delight, "So it is Her Highness the Princess and her husband here. Liu Qingfeng, a scholar from Taikang County, greets the Princess."
"No need for formalities. At this moment, I am just an ordinary citizen."
Liu Qingfeng nodded: "Your Highness, the Valley God Sect also works for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is renowned for his benevolence. If it weren't for Prince Qi's rebellion back then, I might already be the magistrate of a county, governing a region."
Gu Qinghan was surprised: "Is the Valley God Sect really working for the Crown Prince?"
Although she had heard Xu Tianyi say it before, hearing it from someone from the Valley God Sect made her believe it even more.
Liu Qingfeng laughed loudly, "This matter is known only to the higher-ups of the Valley God Sect, but I have never met the Crown Prince. Perhaps he is more benevolent, but even during the Crown Prince's regency, the people were still enslaved and oppressed, barely managing to survive..."
Gu Qinghan was also unaware of her father's abilities, so she could only give an awkward smile.
Then, the group went inside the granary.
Along the way, countless ordinary people and followers of the Grain God Cult made way for them.
The open space in front was piled with sacks filled with mud, sand, and chaff, many of which had already been opened.
A unique earthy smell mingled with the stench of blood in the air.
Countless expectant and eager eyes watched the group of people moving forward.
Their silence was deafening.
Such silence only stems from trust in the leader.
Xu Tianyi sighed silently.
"Mr. Liu, please reassure the people and tell them that these corrupt officials sold the grain and that you are currently interrogating them."
Find out where the grain was sold and go get it back immediately.
At the same time, tell them that these noble lords are still hiding grain, and you should find it now and distribute it to them. Tell them to be patient, and they will be able to eat by evening at the latest.
Liu Qingfeng nodded; he had already arranged for people to do these things.
He is not incompetent either.
He turned his head and began to shout loudly. No one knew what secret method he used, but his voice began to travel through the air and could be clearly heard even a hundred meters away.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the two women beside me are the Crown Prince's daughters, Her Highness the Eldest Princess, and the other is the Prince Consort."
Today, they have heard that our Valley God Sect is speaking out for the people, and they have come to assist us.
"The Imperial Son-in-Law, Young Master Xu Tianyi, said that all this grain has been..."
Liu Qingfeng's words stirred up excitement among everyone.
Xu Tianyi and Gu Qinghan were speechless.
Wei Qing nodded silently: "He is an upright man, and he doesn't accept such a prestigious title. Xu Tianyi is making you famous."
"Perhaps..."
Xu Tianyi understood why he did it.
He had no ambition; he simply wanted to be a good official.
Of course, the royal family of the Wuji Empire is very convincing.
Because this empire lasted for nearly 1,700 years without any change of dynasty.
On numerous occasions, it was a collateral branch of the royal family that seized power.
Gu Qinghan's status as the eldest princess is particularly useful.
Every member of the royal family has a chance to seize the throne.
Moreover, the Crown Prince has the legitimate right of succession as the eldest son of the legitimate wife. Unless he dies, the King of Qi's position is illegitimate.
Now that the Crown Prince's daughter has returned, everyone is naturally overjoyed.
Xu Tianyi suddenly felt that his jade pendant was beginning to generate internal energy.
This left him speechless.
So, it turns out that you have to genuinely do the right thing?
If I took people to seek medical treatment before, does that mean I wasn't sincere?