Chapter 91: Urgent Dispatch Over Eight Hundred Miles

Chapter 91: Urgent Dispatch Over Eight Hundred Miles

At that moment, the news of the relief commissioner entering Ancheng with the Yinzhou garrison and detaining a Huizhou official at the city gate spread rapidly throughout the city.

The Yinzhou garrison marched into the city with a synchronized and commanding pace.

The troops fanned out all the way to the entrance of the Ancheng government office.

With such a commotion, it was nearly impossible for those inside to pretend to be unaware or act superior. The Huizhou prefect hurriedly came out to greet them, and upon looking up, he saw the Shadow Guard, wearing distinctive armor and holding Modified Firearms, accompanying a woman dressed in the official robe of the Liang dynasty, approaching.

The prefect's heart tightened, and he hastily stepped forward, saying, "I, Xu Zhi, your humble servant, greet Lord Shi and Minister Qiu."

"Owing to pressing official matters, I was unable to welcome you at the city gate. Please forgive me."

Xu Zhi was in his early forties and well-preserved.

Shi Yuanxi slightly raised her eyes and saw the emerald thumb ring on his thumb.

This Huizhou prefect, probably because he rarely had to be so subservient in front of others, was somewhat uncomfortable, speaking with excessive humility, yet his posture remained straight, with one hand behind his back and the other holding a pose, projecting an air of authority.

His gaze fell on Shi Yuanxi, and he was equally astonished.

...Previously, he had only heard she was a woman, but he didn't expect her to be so young and beautiful, with eyes like a deep, bottomless pool, which made one's heart tremble.

While he was still in a daze, Shi Yuanxi directly said, "Since Lord Xu is already here, let's start the court session at once."

Xu Zhi's heart skipped a beat. How could the envoy demand a court session immediately upon arrival?

He wanted to say that Shi Yuanxi didn't understand the rules, but upon seeing the menacing gun barrels of the Shadow Guard, he ultimately kept his mouth shut.

He only whispered, "The two lords must be tired from the journey, and today you need to erect shelters and serve porridge immediately. The interrogation doesn't have to be so urgent. It would be the same to hold the suspect in the dungeon and conduct the trial tomorrow."

Shi Yuanxi slightly raised her head, looking at him with a faint smile, "Is this the Huizhou government's way of handling cases?"

Xu Zhi didn't expect her to be so unyielding, his smile froze, and his expression darkened.

Shi Yuanxi, however, seemed completely unaware of his reaction, walked right past him, entered the Ancheng government office, and coldly said, "Open the court; let the session begin!"

This was to act against their own on their own turf.

Xu Zhi, having been an official for so many years, had never seen such an overbearing individual.

But he also knew that all the military forces inside and outside Ancheng combined were outnumbered by the Yinzhou garrison troops under Xiao Chi's command.

Not to mention, Shi Yuanxi also had the Modified Firearm, a lethal weapon.

She had safely arrived in Huizhou and unexpectedly mobilized the Yinzhou army to assist, catching them off guard.

Now that the situation was in her hands, no matter how unwilling he was, he could only temporarily follow her orders.

The capital was too far from Huizhou, and Xu Zhi's understanding of Shi Yuanxi was still too shallow.

He thought Shi Yuanxi just wanted to humble the Huizhou officialdom, but he didn't expect that she was truly planning to adjudicate this matter.

Upon entering the hall, Shi Yuanxi first softly informed A Tuo to take Le Shu and some manpower to erect shelters and serve porridge.

Then she whispered a few words to Qiu Lang.

They had discussed the flood control methods along the way, but after seeing so many refugees, Shi Yuanxi paused for a moment and added some more.

"Although the rain has temporarily stopped, the situation outside the city has not been alleviated. These matters will need Minister Qiu's attention."

Qiu Lang quickly waved his hand and said, "Lord Shi, you flatter me. This is also my duty."

After seeing the specific situation, Qiu Lang had a rough idea in his mind and promptly left with the local officials in charge of water conservancy and people's livelihood in Huizhou to discuss countermeasures.

Shadow Thirteen promptly walked to Shi Yuanxi's side and whispered, "The Shadow Guards who entered the city ahead of time have received the message and are already on their way to the government office."

"Is anyone injured?" Shi Yuanxi asked.

"Lord Zhou was tortured in prison, and besides, several Shadow Guards have suffered minor injuries."

The Shadow Guards who came out with her were all wearing bulletproof armor that Shi Yuanxi had modified twice.

The new armor is lighter, has better protection besides being bulletproof, and has significantly improved safety.

For this reason, Shi Yuanxi allowed them to risk infiltrating Ancheng to rescue people.

"Please have the accompanying imperial physician tend to their injuries, and also properly arrange for Lord Zhou."

Shi Yuanxi did not intend to have that official confront Chen Jiang, at least not now.

They all knew that the officials in Huizhou were colluding with each other, and Chen Jiang was just a small player among them.

Chen Jiang was brought in at this moment.

He looked up and saw Xu Zhi was also there, and immediately said, "Prefect Xu, I have been wronged!"

"Lord Shi had me arrested at the city gate without any justification. I don't know where I offended you! Or is it that Lord Shi just wants to take my life to intimidate all the officials in Huizhou?"

This blunt statement made the officials in the hall change their expressions.

Xu Zhi sneered and looked at Shi Yuanxi, "Lord Shi only arrived in Huizhou today, may I ask how you knew Chen Jiang was guilty?"

"Yes, all the officials in Huizhou are busy with the flood. As soon as you arrived, you directly arrested someone and demanded punishment. There is no such reason."

"Lord Chen is diligent and honest in his duties, loved by the people of Huizhou. Even if Lord Shi wants to arrest him, there must be a reason, mustn't there?"

Amid the clamor, Shi Yuanxi calmly stood up, looked at the full hall of Huizhou officials, and said lightly, "You are all colleagues of Lord Chen. Since you are defending Lord Chen like this, you must be clear about his character."

She paused slightly before saying, "If so, do you know that a few days ago, the Huizhou government office wrongfully detained the prefect of Jiangcheng, Zhou Qing'an?"

At these words, the officials who were shouting earlier immediately fell silent.

They fell silent, and Shi Yuanxi spoke up. She coldly said, "As officials of Huizhou, even though Ancheng is the capital, Zhou Qing'an is a fourth-rank official personally appointed by the court, outranking you."

"Tell me, who authorized you to detain the prefect of Jiangcheng at will?" Shi Yuanxi turned her head and glanced at Xu Zhi, "Was it you, Lord Xu?"

"Or was it your governor, who has never shown himself?"

The officials in the hall all changed their expressions. Su Wenhui paused and finally said, "Zhou Qing'an was detained due to the out-of-control refugees. After being imprisoned, Zhou Qing'an escaped to evade responsibility..."

"Committing such a grave mistake, even as a prefect, is a capital crime. We officials are merely performing our duties."

What a performance of duty.

Shi Yuanxi had seen the general situation of Huizhou along the way, with people displaced, unable to eat or dress warmly, and even forced to become refugees.

These Huizhou officials, however, closed their doors and lived their good lives.

Jiangcheng was hit the hardest by the disaster, but thanks to Zhou Qingan's leadership, the situation was far better than that of Ancheng.

Shi Yuanxi's informants discovered that before the flood, Zhou Qingan had repeatedly warned the Huizhou prefect and Xu Zhi, saying that after a severe drought, there would inevitably be a major flood, and given Huizhou's peculiar geography, preparations should be made beforehand.

Unexpectedly, they completely disregarded his warnings, ultimately turning a natural disaster into a human-made calamity, and now they are even blaming all the fault on Zhou Qingan.

Shi Yuanxi's face turned icy. She turned around and returned to her seat, looking at the officials and saying, "The refugees have gone rogue."

"Lord Su, are you implying that Zhou Qingan, as the prefect of Jiangcheng, mismanaged the refugees outside Ancheng, resulting in a massive uprising?"

"Or are you accusing him of sending that secret letter to me, unveiling all the corrupt officials in Huizhou!?"

Su Wenhui's face turned pale. He hadn't anticipated that Shi Yuanxi had already amassed so much intel before even meeting Zhou Qingan.

He never thought Shi Yuanxi would confront them head-on.

As he had said earlier, for an imperial envoy to succeed in their mission, they needed the cooperation of local officials. How could she act so rashly without fearing the situation would spiral out of control?

He pinched himself hard, trying to calm down, and said in a low voice, "I’m not sure where Lord Shi obtained this information, but the facts are not as you claim."

"Before the imperial envoy arrived, Ancheng was running smoothly, both inside and out. But after Zhou Qingan dispatched that forged secret letter, a throng of refugees appeared outside the city!"

"Zhou Qingan is deceitful and treacherous. Your Excellency mustn’t trust his biased account!"

Seeing this, Shi Yuanxi's expression suddenly turned cold.

She shot a glance at Chen Jiang and Su Wenhui, and said coldly, "Lord Su is right."

She suddenly changed her tone, causing the officials to pause and look at her with suspicion, only to hear her say:

"As the saying goes, 'catch the thief red-handed.' How can you convict someone without any evidence?"

Hearing this, Su Wenhui felt relieved, thinking that Shi Yuanxi was about to step back and leave some room for both sides.

But then Shi Yuanxi spoke again, "Bring in the refugees who caused trouble at the city gate for questioning."

The hall fell into dead silence.

Su Wenhui was stunned. He looked up in disbelief at Shi Yuanxi.

Then he heard Shi Yuanxi say expressionlessly, "I would like to ask, who was it that drove them away, forcibly collected taxes, and prohibited the opening of granaries to distribute food?"

At these words, the expressions of all the officials in the hall could no longer be maintained.

Officials in the government can collude with each other, and even those in charge of interrogating Zhou Qingan in prison had been prepared in advance.

But while they could silence everyone, they couldn't silence the voices of the common people outside.

In a daze, Su Wenhui could only look up at Xu Zhi on the dais.

The officials of Huizhou had made a wrong judgment about Shi Yuanxi.

Or rather, their initial decision was flawed from the start.

The refugee uprising was originally their welcome gift to Shi Yuanxi. The higher-ups wanted Shi Yuanxi's life, and there was no more reasonable way for her to die than at the hands of the refugees.

In the past few days, they had allowed the refugees to cause trouble, even deliberately hiding among them to incite their resentment.

Their main goal was to kill Shi Yuanxi.

They just didn’t expect that Shi Yuanxi would be prepared, having dispatched troops from Yinzhou before entering Huizhou.

...Had Shi Yuanxi chosen to deploy local troops in Huizhou, this matter would have been impossible to accomplish. Zhou Qingan had already been captured by them, and without Zhou Qingan, she had no way to move Huizhou’s troops.

Yinzhou was far away, and she must have sent someone to mobilize the troops at least a few days ago.

Her preemptive action in this matter led to the failure of taking her life through the refugee incident, which instead became her biggest leverage.

Among the four prefectures of Pingjiang, Yinzhou was actually under the command of that Commander-in-Chief, but the Xiao family within Yinzhou prevented the Commander-in-Chief from seizing power there. Besides, one of the other two prefectures was also not under the Commander-in-Chief’s control.

Shi Yuanxi, with her extensive connections, chose Yinzhou first, thereby avoiding the most powerful local authority in Huizhou.

The mobilization of the Yinzhou garrison must have also been reported to the Commander-in-Chief.

But since Yinzhou was not under his control, the news naturally spread slowly.

This brought us to today’s situation.

All those in the room knew that once the refugees entered the hall, not only Chen Jiang but also most of the officials in the hall would likely be convicted.

They couldn’t risk such an outcome.

Under these circumstances, it now seemed that they had to abandon Chen Jiang first.

Xu Zhi quickly responded, “Lord Shi!”

He called to Shi Yuanxi, his eyes on Shadow Thirteen, who had received the order and was about to leave.

As Shadow Thirteen hesitated, Xu Zhi breathed a little easier. He quickly added:

“The incident in Ancheng was indeed caused by the negligence of the subordinate officials. As the sub-prefect, Chen Jiang failed to handle the refugee matter properly, which constitutes gross dereliction of duty.”

Kneeling in the hall, Chen Jiang stared at Xu Zhi in shock.

Xu Zhi didn’t even glance at him. Now, he was just unlucky to cross Shi Yuanxi.

Xu Zhi had the entire Huizhou officialdom in his grip, so he wasn’t worried that Chen Jiang would reveal anything after being captured by Shi Yuanxi.

His priority now was to calm Shi Yuanxi.

Xu Zhi stepped toward Shi Yuanxi, but Shadow Fourteen blocked his path.

Kept at a distance, he murmured, “The decision today rests entirely with you, Lord Shi. However, the flood issue remains unresolved. Please show mercy so Huizhou officials can swiftly fulfill the court’s orders.”

If Shadow Thirteen hadn’t been there, he might have whispered more to Shi Yuanxi.

When force failed, he tried charm. Xu Zhi gave Su Wenhui a look.

Buying time until the Commander-in-Chief arrived would change everything.

Truth be told, Xu Zhi was a bit nervous. The moment the court ordered Shi Yuanxi to handle the disaster, he’d alerted the Commander-in-Chief.

But the Commander-in-Chief still hadn’t arrived... Had something gone wrong?

He looked up to meet Shi Yuanxi’s inscrutable stare, her face a mask.

Xu Zhi’s unease grew. Was she agreeing?

“Since that’s the case, then let it be as you say, Lord Xu.” Naturally, she agreed.

However, it had to be done her way.

Shi Yuanxi paused briefly, raised her hand, and the Shadow Guard behind her immediately stepped forward.

She glanced down at Chen Jiang and said coolly, "Dispatch someone to Chen Jiang's estate to seize everything."

"Shadow Thirteen, take charge personally. Ensure nothing escapes the Chen estate. I want to see exactly what Mr. Chen has reaped from his 'hard work' in Huizhou."

Before Chen Jiang could process this sudden turn of events, he heard these words, and his face turned pale in an instant.

His legs buckled, and he fell to the ground.

The other Huizhou officials were equally shaken by Shi Yuanxi's actions.

A property seizure.

Only they knew exactly what they had amassed in their homes over the years.

If the vast amounts of gold, silver, and treasures were seized, no additional evidence would be necessary. Shi Yuanxi could execute them on the spot.

Chen Jiang was in a panic, and the officials who had conspired with him were even worse off.

Su Wenhui, feeling dizzy and weak-legged, stumbled out of the government office. After being helped into the carriage by his housekeeper, he suddenly came to his senses and immediately said, "Quick, hurry back to the residence!"

All his past gains now loomed over him like a sword, making him restless and extremely anxious.

Not just him, but starting tonight, the officials in Huizhou would likely feel as if they had a fishbone stuck in their throats, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

While they were in a state of constant fear, Shadow Thirteen led a team to confiscate a large amount of gold and silver from Chen Jiang's home.

After tallying the amount, his expression grew particularly grim.

If even a lowly assistant prefect like Chen Jiang had such a staggering amount, who knows how much ill-gotten gains the three above him were holding onto.

He recorded everything into a ledger and handed it to Shi Yuanxi by evening.

Shi Yuanxi had temporarily settled in a civilian residence in Ancheng.

She had implemented a thorough overhaul, and Xu Zhi, now fearful, persistently urged her to stay at his residence before her departure.

Shi Yuanxi declined, only having the Shadow Guard rent a civilian residence.

Staying in Xu Zhi's residence would not only be inconvenient but also unsafe, as many matters wouldn't be handled by her trusted personnel.

With most officials in Huizhou out for her blood, how could she casually stay in Xu Zhi's residence?

Shi Yuanxi picked up the ledger, flipping through a few pages, her gaze chilling.

Seeing this, Shadow Thirteen asked in a low voice, "With such a good opportunity today, why not round up all these corrupt officials in one fell swoop?"

Shi Yuanxi closed the ledger and said, "Minister Qiu still requires the cooperation of Xu Zhi and others."

These officials held the livelihoods of most of Huizhou in their hands. As Xu Zhi had said, Shi Yuanxi couldn't possibly take down all of them.

If that happened, there would be no one left to manage the essential duties, and the situation in Huizhou would only become more chaotic.

But contrary to Xu Zhi's expectations, Shi Yuanxi had no plans to let them escape unscathed.

With a distant look in her eyes, she gazed at the dark, heavy sky in the distance and said, "If we can't take them all out together, we'll pick them off one by one."

Hearing this, Shadow Thirteen instinctively looked up at her.

"They're in cahoots, acting so boldly; there's got to be some powerful protection over them," Shi Yuanxi narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "The Commander-in-Chief commands over twenty thousand troops."

Xiao Chi had told her this after they arrived at the residence that evening.

Xiao Chi added that the Commander-in-Chief delayed going to Huizhou to mobilize troops in Yuzhou while Shi Yuanxi was en route.

Shi Yuanxi asked with a deep gaze, "Do you know the last name of this almighty Commander-in-Chief in Pingjiang?"

Shadow Thirteen hesitated briefly before replying, "Wei?"

Shi Yuanxi nodded, "He likely got a secret message from Wei Changhong before we reached Huizhou, knowing I have powerful weapons."

He avoided confronting Shi Yuanxi, fearing the same fate as the ambushed hundreds.

Now, he's amassing troops because her actions in Huizhou likely forced the Wei family to order her death.

Shi Yuanxi kept the Huizhou officials alive not only to scare them into compliance but also to lure out the mastermind.

Xiao Chi mentioned that Huizhou had seen floods before, but none had gotten this bad.

It all boils down to the Wei family.

Huizhou officials teamed up with the Wei family, skimming off the people's wealth—some for themselves, the rest to the Weis.

Shi Yuanxi came to Huizhou mainly to uncover proof of the Wei family's ties with local officials, aside from aiding the disaster relief.

Evidence like that is tough to come by; the Weis wouldn't be so careless.

So, she decided to take them down one by one, spreading the word to rattle them and expose their weaknesses.

Shi Yuanxi snapped out of it and asked, "Have you found anything useful?"

Shadow Thirteen shook his head lightly, "The Shadow Guard ransacked Chen Jiang's place but only found a stash of gold and silver."

Shi Yuanxi expected as much.

Chen Jiang was small fry in Huizhou; the real power lies with the prefect and governor.

She murmured, "No hurry."

"By court law, Chen Jiang will be executed in seven days," Shi Yuanxi tapped the table lightly, setting a cycle for the corrupt officials in Huizhou.

Every week, one person will be put to death.

She aimed to terrify Huizhou's officials, making the corrupt ones regret their crimes.

Additionally...

Shi Yuanxi glanced at the confiscated ledger and said, "When we arrived, the Ministry of Revenue said the treasury was dry, offering scant relief funds."

"Who knew a Huizhou official could be so loaded?"

Shi Yuanxi's gaze fell on the ledger, and she looked up, "I will write a memorial tonight, and you send someone to rush it to the capital overnight."

Shadow Thirteen quickly responded, "Yes."

That same night, an urgent memorial from Huizhou, traveling eight hundred miles in five days, arrived at the court.

While Shi Yuanxi was away, the court stayed as lively as ever.

The arrival of this memorial, however, set the already lively court ablaze.

The reason was none other than what Shi Yuanxi had written in the memorial:

"Huizhou officials have neglected their duties and failed in their oversight, causing widespread refugees and chaos in the city. A raid on the residence of Huizhou's Assistant Prefect Chen Jiang uncovered tens of thousands of taels of silver."

"Corruption is rampant in Huizhou, and the people are in dire straits. As His Majesty's imperial envoy, I submit this memorial, requesting the execution of the criminal official Chen Jiang in seven days to calm the people."

On her first day in Huizhou, she moved to execute a local official.

But that wasn't all. In her memorial, Shi Yuanxi also impeached every official in the Ministry of Revenue.

She stated, "The taxes collected in Huizhou don't match the Ministry of Revenue's records. It's clear that some in the Ministry colluded with Huizhou officials, embezzling a large portion of tax revenue and blocking disaster relief."

"The Ministry of Revenue has repeatedly delayed the allocation of disaster relief funds. The amount allocated for disaster relief is even less than what was discovered in Chen Jiang's residence."

"I respectfully ask His Majesty to approve the use of funds seized from corrupt officials for disaster relief and to hold the Ministry of Revenue officials accountable, ensuring justice for the people of Huizhou."