Searching for Evidence of Guilt

The yamen runners who had been summoned were stunned for a moment when they saw this scene, and then they were all at a loss.

They all looked toward their county magistrate standing to the side.

The county magistrate was stunned by what he saw. Fang Weiyan already causing trouble so soon after taking office?

If they simply ordered their own constables to disarm, wouldn't that mean they'd have to resort to force?

"Your Excellency, why is this?"

The county constable couldn't sit still any longer and squeezed out to ask.

These are his own men; Fang Weiyan going to disarm them the moment he arrives?

Fang Weiyan, however, had a cold expression on his face. "What, can't I give an order?"

At this point, Fang Weiyan raised his hand, "All officers and servants of Pingshui City, listen to my order to remove your armor! Anyone who disobeys will be executed without exception!"

Cheng Feng had already been instructed by Fang Weiyan beforehand, so upon hearing this, his expression immediately hardened, and he grabbed his long sword and charged towards the constables.

"Your Majesty has your order, remove your armor!"

Those who disobey will be executed without mercy!

One hundred people began to shout angrily in unison, and their voices made the constables of Pingshui City shudder.

They could tell that the other person didn't seem to be joking with them.

This man was the prefect, and given his well-prepared appearance, disobeying orders would likely result in bloodshed on the spot.

Thinking of this, the group of yamen runners, who were originally just a motley crew, hurriedly threw their weapons and armor to the ground.

Although it's called armor, it's actually made of leather, not iron.

Seeing that these people had put down their weapons, Fang Weiyan ordered them to be put away, and then turned to look at the county magistrate and the others.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines under Fang Weiyan's gaze, unsure of what Fang Weiyan intended to do.

Fang Weiyan smiled and gestured, saying, "My lords, I have only just taken office today, and there are many things I need to discuss with you. Please, then?"

As he spoke, Fang Weiyan was about to invite these people back to the government office.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces froze. Just as they were about to say something, Cheng Feng and the others drew their swords.

His fierce appearance made the county constable and his men not dare to breathe loudly.

He said he was inviting these people in to have a proper discussion, but in reality, Fang Weiyan simply had them brought inside.

After removing all the guards' armor, they were put under guard again.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Liyun went out onto the street and began running around.

"My lord has just taken office. I've heard that many local magistrates are colluding with local gentry. Anyone with evidence or who has been wronged can come and report it. My lord will certainly handle it impartially."

"A reward of one tael of silver will be given to anyone who provides evidence."

Lin Liyun, accompanied by several constables, ran through the city, constantly shouting to the surrounding crowd.

They hoped that ordinary citizens would come forward to identify the suspect, and even offered a reward to do so.

Sure enough, upon hearing the mention of one or two taels of silver, many people turned to look in their direction.

One tael of silver! That's enough to buy several hundred catties of coarse grains!

Some people licked their lips, somewhat tempted, but also afraid it was all a lie.

Lin Liyun, however, continued to lead his men and shout around.

"Are you telling me, is this true or false? One tael of silver? How is that possible?"

A limping villager nearby looked somewhat tempted, but he wasn't sure whether he should go.

"What if it's fake, and the other party finds out what I did? Wouldn't that be suicide?"

"It seems unlikely that the prefect and the magistrate are in cahoots. I just saw with my own eyes outside the government office that the newly arrived prefect removed all the yamen runners' armor."

"It seems the county magistrate and his men have all been placed under surveillance. They've only just arrived and they've already resorted to such tactics; it doesn't seem like they're conspiring to deceive us."

A lean, wiry man said something in a sneaky manner.

He said this mainly in the hope that someone would give it a try.

If he could get the silver, he would go back later.

Hearing the man's words, the onlookers' expressions became even more clearly moved.

Could it be that the prefect who woke up was telling the truth?

At that moment, Fang Weiyan in the yamen was sending people to check the granaries and some registers in the mansion.

Let's see if we can find anything out.

After the booklet was delivered to Fang Weiyan Fang Weiyan, he flipped through it and found that the contents were all quite standard and conventional.

It's quite difficult to find all the loopholes in it at once.

How's the situation at the grain depot?

Fang Weiyan then asked a question.

"There was no grain left in the granary, but according to the records, in the spring of the eighteenth year of Kaide, Lingfeng Commandery suffered from floods and needed grain for disaster relief. Jiangling Commandery was next to Lingfeng Commandery, and grain was allocated for disaster relief according to the imperial decree. However, the grain was overturned by the Dragon King of the Wu River Wu River."

The Dragon King of the Wu River, it's the Dragon King of the Wu River again.

Fang Weiyan was both amused and annoyed upon hearing this; the demons of this world had truly provided these people with a convenient excuse.

I heard in the palace before that the Dragon King overturned the tax revenue from transportation, and now the grain here is being sunk into the Wu River in the same way.

Fang Weiyan was at a loss for words.

According to the booklet, which clearly states that there was indeed an imperial decree in place to allocate grain for disaster relief.

Who knows if they managed to transport any grain out at the time? Anyway, it sank.

Sure enough, these guys are all seasoned veterans; it'll be quite troublesome to find loopholes to prosecute them on these grounds.

"This new prefect seems to be looking for evidence against us."

Inside the government office, a group of people were trapped in the main hall.

The county magistrate paced back and forth anxiously, his face filled with panic.

Judging from their demeanor just now, they brought a hundred yamen runners with them, and they looked quite well-trained. It was clear that they had come with ill intentions.

Thinking about what I did in the past, I can't help but feel a little guilty.

"What's the panic? What could he possibly find out here? We already reviewed everything we've done long ago, after receiving the news from the Underworld Administration."

"We've already ensured everything is foolproof, what are you worried about? I was originally thinking of preparing a banquet to welcome them, but it seems unnecessary. From now on, let them know that being a prefect isn't so easy!"

Without their cooperation, how could Fang Weiyan possibly get things done?

Young people are truly fearless!

The magistrate sneered repeatedly, showing no concern whatsoever that his actions would be exposed.

Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances. Seeing the other party's certainty and recalling that they had indeed handled their previous affairs well, they felt slightly relieved.

If that's the case, there shouldn't be any danger.

Thinking of this, the people felt a little more at ease, but the next moment a group of yamen runners walked in, each with an unfriendly expression.