Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 85 Lin Chen's Domineering Nature

That night, at the Suzhou Prefectural Government Office.

Prefect Zhang Chengan was pacing anxiously in his study.

He was a protégé of Cui Mingyuan, the Vice Minister of War, and had colluded with the grain transport gangs over the years, accumulating countless sums of money.

Now that the Grand Canal Gang has been destroyed, he is extremely uneasy.

"Master!" The clerk rushed in, his face pale.

"Something terrible has happened! The city defense camp has been taken over by a group of white-armored cavalry. The leader claims to be acting on the orders of the Duke of Zhenguo to investigate corruption!"

"What?!" Zhang Cheng'an exclaimed in shock, "He dares to touch an official appointed by the imperial court?!"

Before he could finish speaking, the study door was kicked open.

Zhou Tong led ten Great Snow Dragon Riders in, their white armor frosted with white, their long spears like a forest.

"Zhang Cheng'an," Zhou Tong said coldly.

"You colluded with the canal gang, embezzled public funds, and disregarded human life."

There are thirty-seven pieces of conclusive evidence. According to the Great Derivation Law, he should be beheaded.

"The Duke has the authority to act first and report later; I have come today to carry it out."

"You...you can't kill me!" Zhang Cheng'an backed away. "I'm a fourth-rank official of the imperial court! If you want to kill me, you need a joint trial by the three judicial departments..."

"No need," Zhou Tong said, waving his hand.

A burst of energy swept past, and Zhang Cheng'an's head fell to the ground.

Blood splattered on the desk, staining the account books he hadn't had time to destroy.

The advisor was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, his crotch soaked.

Zhou Tong didn't even look at him, and said to the knight behind him:

"The government office is to be sealed off, all account books and documents are to be stored away, and all relevant personnel are to be detained."

"yes!"

The same scene was playing out across the Jiangnan region.

At the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's office, Zhou Wenyuan—the cousin of Zhou Ming, the Vice Minister of Revenue—was burning evidence.

In the firelight, his face was contorted with rage: "Lin Chen... you've cut off my livelihood, my Zhou family will never forgive you..."

"You've lost your chance."

Yuan Tiangang appeared in the hall like a ghost.

Zhou Wenyuan was shocked: "You...how did you get in?!"

"A mere early-stage Grandmaster dares to question me?" Yuan Tiangang raised his hand and gestured for him to speak.

Zhou Wenyuan felt as if Mount Tai had pressed down on him, and he lay on the ground, unable to move.

"You colluded with the Grand Canal Gang, embezzled 3.2 million taels of silver, sold weapons, and smuggled contraband," Yuan Tiangang said calmly.

"According to the law, this is punishable by slow slicing, but the Duke is merciful and will grant you a quick death."

He pressed down with his palm.

Zhou Wenyuan was turned into minced meat.

That night, blood flowed like a river in the officialdom of Jiangnan.

Zhang Chengan, the prefect of Suzhou, Zhou Wenyuan, the transport commissioner, Wang Meng, the naval adjutant, Li Youcai, the tax commissioner... a total of twenty-seven officials were all executed.

Each of the Eight Great Vajras led a team of Snow Dragon Riders, armed with irrefutable evidence, to arrest people according to the list.

Those who dared to resist were killed on the spot, while those who confessed and accepted their punishment were imprisoned and awaited the court's judgment.

By dawn, all the corrupt officials in Jiangnan who colluded with the grain transport gangs had been purged.

Lin Chen received the battle report while having a late-night snack at the inn.

"Your Majesty, all twenty-seven officials have been brought to justice, and more than 33 million taels of silver in illicit gains have been seized, along with ten boxes containing various account books and letters of evidence," Zhou Tong reported.

"Mmm." Lin Chen took a sip of porridge.

"Once the evidence is compiled, send one copy to His Majesty in the capital, and keep one copy for future reference. Load all the embezzled silver onto a ship and transport it back to the capital."

"Yes."

Xiao Yulou said from the side, "Eighth Brother, this trip to Jiangnan is going to shake up the officialdom."

"So what if it vibrates?" Lin Chen said indifferently.

"His Majesty has given me the power to act first and report later, which means I can do whatever I want. If these parasites are not eliminated, there will never be peace in Jiangnan."

He paused, then smiled and said:

"Besides, with so much silver confiscated, it's easier to explain to His Majesty. Thirty-three million taels is enough for the court's expenses for almost half a year."

Xiao Yulou shook his head and chuckled.

This eighth brother, though seemingly a playboy, is actually quite shrewd.

Killing corrupt officials and confiscating stolen silver not only cleaned up the officialdom but also replenished the national treasury. How could the Empress not be happy?

……

Three days later, at Wangjiang Tower in Suzhou.

The area in front of the building was bustling with carriages and horses, as representatives from various families and chambers of commerce in Jiangnan arrived one after another.

But unlike usual, everyone's face was solemn today, even showing signs of fear.

Because everyone has witnessed the bloodshed and turmoil in the Jiangnan officialdom over the past three days.

Twenty-seven officials were killed without warning, including a high-ranking official of the fourth rank!

This ruthlessness and power chilled everyone to the bone.

In a private room on the second floor, Lin Chen leaned against a soft couch and ate melon seeds.

Xiao Yulou and Su Xiaoxiao sat opposite him, one wiping his longsword and the other playing and tuning her zither.

"Eighth Brother, everyone is here," Xiao Yulou said.

"The Cui and Zhou families have also arrived and are sitting downstairs."

"Let them wait," Lin Chen said lazily. "The main character always makes their appearance last."

Su Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Young master, the way you say that sounds like a character from a play."

"Life is like a play," Lin Chen shrugged. "Alright, it's time to meet our 'guests'."

The three went downstairs, where Yuan Tiangang and the Eight Vajras were already waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

Upon seeing Lin Chen, everyone exclaimed in unison, "Master!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the entire restaurant.

Lin Chen walked to the second-floor railing and looked down.

Nearly a hundred people were sitting in the lobby. When Lin Chen appeared, everyone stood up with awe in their eyes.

This time, it was genuine awe.

"Please sit down," Lin Chen said calmly.

Everyone took their seats and held their breath.

"I've invited you all here today for three matters," Lin Chen said, surveying the room.

"First, with the collapse of the canal gangs, the canal transport in Jiangnan cannot be stopped. Effective immediately, a new Jiangnan Canal Transport Chamber of Commerce shall be established to manage all canal transport affairs in Jiangnan."

The Chamber of Commerce is overseen by the imperial court, with the Su family at the helm. The imperial court holds 20% of the shares, the Lin family 20%, the Su family 10%, and the remaining families each receive 50%.

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room erupted in uproar, but no one dared to voice any objection.

In those three days, all those who opposed him died.

Lin Chen continued, "Secondly, the rectification of the officialdom in Jiangnan has been completed, and twenty-seven corrupt officials have been brought to justice."

From this day forward, any official in Jiangnan who again competes with the people for profit or engages in corruption and bribery will face this fate.

He clapped his hands.

Zhou Tong lifted a box and opened it.

Inside were twenty-seven human heads, preserved in lime, their faces grotesque.

"hiss--"

The entire audience gasped; some vomited on the spot, while others turned deathly pale.

"Third," Lin Chen continued, seemingly oblivious to the reactions of the crowd:

"The Chamber of Commerce will hold meetings every three years. The president will be nominated by each family and appointed by the imperial court. The specific rules and regulations will be discussed in detail with you all by the Su family."

After speaking, he looked at Cui Yongfu and Zhou Wenxuan: "Manager Cui, Manager Zhou, do you have any opinions?"

Cui Yongfu stood up, his face pale, but he tried to remain calm:

"I admire the Duke's methods."

However… the Cui family has been operating in Jiangnan for a century, with numerous businesses. Could I perhaps discuss this matter of the Grand Canal Merchants' Association with the head of the family before making a decision?”

That's a euphemism; it's really just a delaying tactic.

Lin Chen smiled: "Okay, but Manager Cui must understand that from today onwards, the Jiangnan canal transport will be under the unified management of the Chamber of Commerce."

If the Cui family's ships want to pass, they must follow the rules of the Chamber of Commerce, otherwise...

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was clear.

Cui Yongfu gritted his teeth, but dared not retaliate.

The man before us is a real killer. Although the Cui family is powerful, they are too far away to help us in our immediate needs.

If I really anger him, I'm afraid I'll end up like Zhang Cheng'an today.

"I understand, Mr. Cui." Cui Yongfu bowed his head.

Zhou Wenxuan was even more straightforward, standing up and cupping his hands in greeting: "The Zhou family is willing to obey the Duke's order and join the Canal Transport Merchants Association."

With the Zhou family taking the lead, other families also expressed their support.

The situation is settled.

"Very good." Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction. "The Su family will discuss the specific details with you all. I'm too lazy to get involved."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Lord Duke, please wait!"

A voice rang out.

Everyone looked over and saw four men in blue robes stand up, the leader of whom was a middle-aged scholar in his thirties.

"I am Chen Qing, the leader of the Jiangnan branch of the Azure Dragon Sect. I have come to pay my respects to Your Excellency the Duke on the orders of the Grand Master," the middle-aged scholar said, bowing.

"The Grand Master has said that the Azure Dragon Sect is willing to maintain good relations with the Lin family for generations to come, and the Azure Dragon Sect will fully support the Jiangnan Canal Transport Association."

Enclosed is a formal invitation, humbly requesting that Your Excellency, when you have the time, allow the Chief Master to pay you a visit.

These words were spoken respectfully, giving the speaker plenty of face.

Lin Chen accepted the visiting card and saw that it had a gilded cover with the seven characters "Respectfully presented by Azure Dragon Sect Master Canglong" written on it. The calligraphy was powerful and vigorous, and there was a faint sound of dragons roaring.

He nodded and said, "Senior Canglong, you are too kind. After things in Jiangnan are settled, I, Lin, will be waiting for your arrival in the capital."

Chen Qing was overjoyed: "Thank you very much, Your Excellency!"

With the Azure Dragon Gate taking the lead, representatives from the White Tiger Gate, Vermilion Bird Gate, and Black Tortoise Gate also stood up, presented their visiting cards, and expressed their goodwill.

With all four gates aligned, the situation in Jiangnan was completely settled.

Cui Yongfu and Zhou Wenxuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

With all four gates bowing their heads, what else can they do?