Fang Linyuan had gained some insight into matters regarding money and grain. In particular, when stationed at Hulao Pass, part of the military supplies came from grain shipped from the capital, while the rest was paid in silver. During wartime, when food was scarce, they would purchase it from local villagers. During the harvest seasons, he would even buy extra to stockpile.

Over the years, Fang Linyuan had worked with countless farmers, and was thoroughly familiar with the imperial court’s tax regulations.

When he arrived at the government office, the door was half-open, and several guards peeked out to secretly usher him inside. As soon as Fang Linyuan entered, the guards hurriedly shut the door behind him, as if they were hiding from something dangerous. Looking back, he saw the magistrate of the county and the deputy from the capital’s Ministry of Justice, Yu Gaomin, along with several other local officials, standing at the top of the steps. They were eyeing him with different expressions.

The county had been in chaos, and the local officials had been surrounded. They looked disheveled, clearly having endured great hardships to escape here, seeking protection from the magistrate.

Fang Linyuan smiled as he looked up at them. Instantly, everyone bowed deeply in greeting. The magistrate, bending slightly, quickly came down the steps, smiling broadly, and greeted him with a bow. "We’ve been waiting for you, General, for quite some time. Thank you for coming to our rescue!"

Fang Linyuan smiled back, but it was a smile that carried a hint of irony. He knew they had all heard his words outside. They should know exactly whom he had come to save.

Several other county officials crowded around him, eager to invite him inside. "Since you're here to understand the situation, we should sit down and talk slowly. Our Jianyang County is different from others. The situation here is complicated, and there are many things you might not know..."

But Fang Linyuan stood still, unmoving.

"If it's a matter of official business, it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss it privately, would it?" he said, turning to the magistrate.

The magistrate’s smile stiffened as he looked back at Yu Gaomin, the deputy from the capital. Despite being a low-ranking official, Yu Gaomin carried himself with an air of arrogance and walked down the steps with calm steps, giving Fang Linyuan a smile that clearly held a subtle warning.

"General Fang," Yu Gaomin said, "when it comes to matters of finance and taxes, you’re hardly an expert." He continued, "This subordinate is only afraid that the general will do wrong things with good intentions, which might ruin your own future.”

Fang Linyuan understood the veiled threat—this official had powerful connections. If Fang Linyuan meddled too much, there would be consequences when he returned to the capital.

Fang Linyuan's smile faded, and he looked at Yu Gaomin. These officials were well-connected and protected each other, and despite his military rank and achievements, he knew that he might not be able to play their game. These people often used future and reputation as threats.

But what did his own future or reputation matter? Standing outside the office were so many people emaciated and gaunt, so thin they looked like skeletons. One wrong move, and they would be crushed by these powerful people like insects beneath their feet.

They weren’t afraid—today, they stood there risking their lives for a chance to save the children in their families.

With so many people and lives at stake, they were not afraid of vengeful spirits haunting them in their dreams. Fang Linyuan, however, would not act against his conscience.

Besides...

A reliable backer?

Who doesn't have one?

Even those old foxes in the court would show respect to Zhao Chu, calling him their "fox ancestor." Fang Linyuan himself was tightly bound to Zhao Chu, just like a grasshopper tied to a string.

Seeing Fang Linyuan's smile disappear, Yu Gaomin’s lips curled upward.

He reached out and tried to pat Fang Linyuan on the shoulder. “General Fang, since that’s the case, how about we go inside and discuss things further?”

But before his hand could touch him, Fang Linyuan subtly sidestepped, causing Yu Gaomin to miss. His hand hung in mid-air as he saw Fang Linyuan smile at him, his eyes turning crescent-shaped.

“Which future prospects?” Fang Linyuan said with a chuckle. “You're joking, my lord.”

“I’ve already become a son-in-law, what more future do I need? I only hope the princess’s heart is like a stone, so I can live a life of wealth and leisure.”

After saying this, he smiled and gave a respectful bow to Yu Gaomin. Then, turning back, he raised his voice and ordered: “Open the doors, raise the hall.”

*

This time, the gates of the county office swung wide open. The guards nervously stood to the sides, and the officials seated in the hall looked uneasy. Fang Linyuan sat at the main seat, watching as the people outside, their courage slowly building, entered and filled the courtyard.

Their faces were so thin and emaciated that only their dark eyes remained, gazing at Fang Linyuan like people lost in the mud, looking up at the last bit of hope in the sky.

The deputy general also sneaked in, giving Fang Linyuan subtle looks as though warning him not to go too far.

Fang Linyuan paid him no mind.

The clerk hesitated before handing over the accounts of taxes collected.

Fang Linyuan opened the ledger and saw that it clearly recorded the tax payments of various villages in Jianyang County.

He flipped through it, calmly closing it when he finished. He had some recollection. Last year, when he returned to the capital, it coincided with the New Year, when local taxes were reported to the palace.

At that time, Emperor Hongyou had given special rewards to the governors and officials of the seven counties of Jibei, likely because local tax revenues were poor everywhere, but those from the seven counties of Jibei were particularly high.

Fang Linyuan had only heard of this achievement, but he hadn't expected such a scene behind it.

In a year of famine, the taxes submitted to the court appeared well-organized and substantial, as though they had been blessed by good harvests.

“Our Jianyang County has always been known for its regular and thorough tax payments!” the clerk continued, describing it with enthusiasm.

“Then, where is last year’s harvest record?” Fang Linyuan asked.

“The total grain yield of Jianyang County last year was over 29,000 shi. The total taxes paid amounted to over 2,900 shi. General, you can do the calculations,” said the clerk.

Fang Linyuan smiled and closed the ledger.

“Jianyang County has a total of over 2,000 households, with an average yield of 1 shi and 50 jin per mu, and 15 mu of land per household. Last year, the harvest was down by less than 20%, which doesn’t meet the standard for tax reduction. The records are clear—what’s there to calculate?”

He turned to look at the clerk with a smile. “You’ve done a good job keeping track of these figures.”

The officials present immediately grew nervous.

“General, you can’t just make accusations without evidence...” one of them began.

"No empty mouths and white teeth." Fang Linyuan said. (NT: meaning ‘Don't just speak without action ’)

“I’m not making accusations,” Fang Linyuan replied. “I’m not asking for this. Each village, each hamlet, has a grain yield record, stamped with the official seal, correct? I want the one for each household, with the grain yield clearly marked and signed. Bring it to me.”

The officials were stunned and speechless. How did General Fang know about this? Even the ordinary citizens didn’t know that such practices existed in their villages, let alone the soldiers!

Who exactly was this General Fang?

After a moment, one person stammered, “Those... those records are with the villagers. We don’t have them.”

Just then, a trembling voice came from the crowd of people.

“I... I brought the records you wanted, General!”

Fang Linyuan looked up and saw an old man in tattered clothes. His hair and beard were white, and his face was deeply wrinkled. He leaned on a wooden cane, and one of his legs was badly wounded, with blood soaking through his rags and turning his shoes a dark red.

The old man hobbled forward, pulling a hand-made booklet from his clothes and handed it to Fang Linyuan.

The old man had multiple wounds, but he carefully protected the booklet, keeping it warm and covered.

“This is the account from Xiaoping Village last year. I brought it to you, General,” the old man said.

Fang Linyuan took the booklet with both hands. However, the old man didn’t let go.

Fang Linyuan looked up and saw tears in the old man’s cloudy eyes. His lips trembled as he spoke.

“General, last winter... over ten people starved to death in Xiaoping Village.”

Fang Linyuan looked at him for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly.

Then, he reached down to his waist and tossed a pouch to the deputy general standing nearby.

“Go buy some hemostatic medicine,” he ordered.

The deputy general caught the pouch, confused, and looked at Fang Linyuan.

“Go,” Fang Linyuan said, his expression unreadable.

The deputy general glanced at the officials sitting around, bit his lip, and, after a moment of hesitation, took the pouch and left in a hurry.

Meanwhile, Fang Linyuan opened the booklet.

There were only three pages, but by now, the county governor, who had been sitting, was visibly uneasy and stood up.

“General...” He wanted to speak, but hesitated, standing in place with an awkward posture.

Fang Linyuan turned his head to look at him.

“Has the governor seen this ledger?”

He pointed at the ledger with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

The governor was silent for a long time.

Fang Linyuan glanced at him, then lifted the ledger and directed it toward the clerk, who was standing by with his hands behind his back, looking uneasy.

“Last year, every household’s grain yield was reported to be only 60 to 70 jin per mu, more than a 50% reduction. So how did you arrive at nearly 30,000 shi of grain?”

“Th... this... I...” The clerk looked to the governor for help.

Fang Linyuan didn’t stop there. He pointed at the tax records in the nearby ledger and addressed the governor and the head of the temple.

“The laws of Daxuan clearly state that the land tax is 15% and should be paid by the landowner, not the tenant farmers,” he said. “Why then are these tenants also paying 10% tax? Are you gentlemen the ones who set these rules for His Majesty?”

*

Jibei’s land was vast and fertile, making it a prime posting for local officials. Every year, large quantities of grain were sent to the capital, and tax revenues were the highest. If one was lucky enough to be assigned to this region, promotion was almost guaranteed.

But these governors and county magistrates were unlucky. They had only just been appointed to Jibei when they encountered one of the worst harvest years in decades.

After two years of hardship, they could endure, but if their performance remained poor, their future prospects might be over.

After many years of study and work, no one was willing to let their career end like this. The officials in Jibei had come to an unspoken agreement to collect extra taxes and grain. By the end of the year, they had enjoyed a good harvest.

They hoped that this year would bring favourable weather, and once the harvest came in, the extra taxes would be easily forgotten.

No one had expected the common people to cause trouble, or that despite all the careful planning in the capital, the emperor would send Fang Linyuan to investigate.

The local government was forced to post an announcement, ordering all tenant farmers to come to the county office to reclaim the extra taxes they had paid. In addition, due to the reduced harvest, the rent and food compensation paid last year would be returned.

With the warehouse of the government wide open, long lines formed outside the county office. The officials, who had retreated to the back courtyard, were nervous. Fang Linyuan’s soldiers kept a tight watch over the area, not allowing anyone to leave.

The deputy general, who had returned with the hemostatic medicine, carefully approached Fang Linyuan.

“General, if we proceed like this, there will likely be a lot of trouble when we return,” he said, handing over the medicine.

Fang Linyuan didn’t take the medicine right away. Instead, he pointed toward the elderly man who had handed over the ledger.

“Take it over there,” he said. “When we return to the capital, I will bear all the consequences. Military orders are strict—you only need to follow them.”

The deputy general was hesitant, but seeing Fang Linyuan’s resolve, he still felt uncomfortable.

“General, that’s not what this subordinate meant...”

Fang Linyuan didn’t respond, merely pressing his hand on the deputy’s shoulder.

“Deliver the medicine,” he said. “I’ll go out for a while and return at night. You will issue my orders—if anyone dies here today, whether from illness or old age, it will be on your heads.”

“...Understood.” The deputy general then asked "Where is the general heading?"

"My estate is nearby, I’m just going to check on it," Fang Linyuan said with a glance. "I don't need to report to you, do I?"

"No, no!" The deputy general still uneasy, quickly turned and left to deliver the medicine to the elderly man.

Fang Linyuan looked away.

He had noticed several people who were injured. When he subtly inquired, he learned that when Yu Gaomin had arrived in Jianyang County, he had brought several guards to force the refugees out. When the people refused to leave, he had ordered the guards to threaten them with knives.

During the fight, many civilians had been injured, and Yu Gaomin himself, who was not skilled in horsemanship, had fallen off his horse when it was startled.

Fang Linyuan glanced back.

The deputy general, being timid and afraid of trouble, allowed Fang Linyuan to go ahead and handle another matter.

Today, Fang Linyuan had indeed kept the officials and guards confined here, but now that the tenants had received their rent and relief grain, news of this would likely spread.

If the other six counties received the news and hurriedly altered their records, it would be much harder to administer justice once their forces arrived.

The best approach was to go to the Jibei Prefecture.

Jibei Prefecture governed the seven counties and held all the tax records for those counties. If Fang Linyuan took those records ahead of time, no matter how much the officials tried to alter them afterward, it would be too late.

Although the best option would be to take the army directly, the emperor had only allocated him 1,000 men, all of whom were stationed here and unavailable for other tasks.

Today, the grain had been distributed, and since Jibei was the largest of the provinces, with many people and eyes watching, things could easily go wrong if there weren’t soldiers guarding the area. That could make the situation worse.

Therefore, Fang Linyuan used the excuse of inspecting his own estate to mount his horse and set off alone for Jibei Prefecture.

*

When he arrived at Jibei Prefecture, night had just fallen. The prefectural office was brightly lit, and the guards at the door were leisurely chatting while holding their swords.

Recently, there had been some unrest in Jibei, but those causing trouble had gone to the county offices and the prefecture’s office remained peaceful.

When Fang Linyuan arrived, the entire office was caught off guard and panicked.

The Prefect of Jibei, who was elderly and had gone to bed early, hurriedly dressed and ran to meet Fang Linyuan, even forgetting to put on one of his shoes.

“I wasn’t aware the general was coming today, and I failed to welcome you properly!” The prefect trembled as he bowed to Fang Linyuan.

“It’s no trouble,” Fang Linyuan said. “I didn’t plan on coming to Jibei Prefecture, and I apologize for the disturbance. I only need to take something from you.”

“Please, General, say what you need,” the prefect replied respectfully.

“I need the tax records for the seven counties of Jibei from last year,” Fang Linyuan said.

The prefect froze, his white beard trembling in shock.

“Th... this... General... this item...” he stammered.

Before he could say anything further, he was already afraid.

“You know about their unlawful tax collection and the way they inflated their performance,” Fang Linyuan said clearly.

“I had no part in that!” the prefect quickly denied.

“No part?” Fang Linyuan said with a neutral expression. “So, you were aware and turned a blind eye, since high taxes were also beneficial to you.”

The prefect, already frightened by Fang Linyuan’s sudden arrival, was now nearly on his knees as he heard Fang Linyuan’s sharp and determined words.

“I had no involvement! The taxes were reported by them, the grain was collected by them. Jibei Prefecture doesn’t even have a single mu of good farmland! The only thing I personally oversaw was the commercial tax!” he hurriedly tried to clarify, desperate to distance himself from the situation.

Seeing that Fang Linyuan remained unmoved, the prefect, trembling, took two steps forward and tried to grab Fang Linyuan’s sleeve, but in his nervousness, he tripped over one of his shoes and nearly fell.

Fang Linyuan expressionlessly caught him.

“General, I’m getting old, and in just a few years, I’ll be retiring to my hometown...” The prefect, disregarding his own embarrassment, spoke earnestly, his eyes pleading with Fang Linyuan.

Fang Linyuan understood his meaning.

He was aware of the situation but chose to turn a blind eye, caring only about his own comfortable position as the prefect and fearing any trouble that might arise.

Mediocre, lazy, and careful to keep his hands clean.

For someone in a high position, such behaviour might well be considered a serious wrongdoing.

Fang Linyuan couldn't be bothered to argue with him. He had received the emperor’s orders to quell the disturbance, not to conduct an interrogation.

Without saying a word, he raised his hand and swept all the cups and dishes on the nearby table to the ground.

The sound of breaking dishes startled the prefect, who trembled violently, as if Fang Linyuan had almost scared him to death.

But Fang Linyuan lazily said, “Did you see that? I smashed things in the Jibei Prefecture. The account books were taken by me, not given by you.”

He raised his chin slightly, indicating.

“Are you reassured now? If so, go get the account books and stop wasting time.”

The slippery old fish seemed to have understood. Confirming that Fang Linyuan had taken full responsibility for the matter and had made an excuse so he wouldn't offend the officials in the capital, the prefect quickly handed over the account books.

As he sent Fang Linyuan off, he didn’t forget to express his thanks. “General, sitting in this position is like sitting on a thorny seat. There’s nothing I could have done! With you standing up for justice today, I thank you on behalf of the people of Jibei!”

Fang Linyuan couldn’t be bothered to respond. He simply took the books and left.

He would travel through the night and could return to Jianyang before dawn. Once he visited the other counties to inspect the accounts, if there were any discrepancies, he would confront them with the account books stamped with the prefectural seal.

The thick stack of seven account books was tightly bound to his saddle.

He noticed the carved copper bell tied around the neck of the horse.

He casually tugged at it, then mounted and disappeared into the night.

*

In the darkness, the fiery red figure cast a long shadow that stretched over a mile.

Since Fang Linyuan left the Jibei Prefecture, a group of shadowy figures in night clothing, riding black horses, had followed him. As they neared Jianyang, they still trailed behind, almost like kites, their shadows stretching far.

Fang Linyuan had noticed them long ago.

Who could be following him? Two in ten might be trying to kill him, but eight in ten were likely after the stack of account books on his horse.

It wasn’t surprising that someone had gotten restless and sent assassins after him, but Fang Linyuan didn’t expect the assassins to be so inexperienced. At this pace, they would likely miss their opportunity before reaching Jianyang.

They hesitated, but Fang Linyuan wasn’t going to wait any longer.

It didn't matter if these people missed their chance, but he urgently needed to know who was behind them.

As he approached a bend in the path that would lead through a brushwood, he subtly slowed his horse, one hand resting on his sword, straining to listen for any sound from behind.

He had been paying attention the entire way, and he already had an idea. There were no more than twenty people trailing him, easily manageable for him alone.

But...

After listening for a while, the faint sounds behind him vanished.

Where had they gone? There was only one road—had they lost track of him?

Fang Linyuan had been tracked many times, but this was the first time he encountered such a situation.

He gradually stopped his horse, and in the silence without the sound of hooves, he listened again.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, only the rustling of the dark forest broke the stillness. No other sounds.

Fang Linyuan slowly drew his sword, turned his horse around, and began to ride back slowly.

Had they dismounted and entered the thicket? But given the distance, they shouldn't have been able to catch up on foot…

He continued to ride back, and gradually, he heard faint voices.

The sound was unclear but somewhat familiar.

He steered his horse toward the direction of the voices, moving quietly and slowly, until he returned to the bend.

The forest around him stopped here. Without the cover of the branches or the rustling noise, he could clearly see the scene before him.

About ten figures dressed in black were bound up like rice dumplings and tossed on the ground like pigs and sheep. Several men in black stood guard around them, holding long swords, resembling stone statues.

Among them, a tall figure in black with his arms crossed walked slowly toward one of the prisoners, looking down from above.

In the next moment, the man in black boots stomped on the prisoner's throat, grinding down with force, causing the prisoner to tremble violently.

But the standing man, despite using such force, moved with an elegance that seemed like fine jade.

"My patience is limited." The man slowly spoke. "Who sent you?"

The sound was as clear as jade striking stone, and it could belong to no one else.

Fang Linyuan froze in place in shock.

At that moment, the man seemed to have heard a noise and slowly turned around.

Their eyes met.

The cold, sharp eyes locked onto Fang Linyuan, momentarily displaying a look of surprise.

--

The author has something to say:

Zhao Chu slowly withdrew his foot: "General, you know, I left my mother when I was very young, I am weak and delicate... Even a slight breeze could make me sick..." (Looking pitiful)

Translator : DarNan