I turned the cold palace into a paradise

Chapter 156 Taking advantage of the situation

Yun Yue looked at the people in the audience and said loudly: "It's over, everyone can go back. The city gate will be opened tomorrow, it's up to you whether you want to go or stay."

But no one left.

Someone asked, "Um...Mr. Yue, can we really leave?"

"of course."

"Aren't you afraid that we'll all run away?"

Yun Yue smiled slightly: "Will you? How can you guarantee that there won't be another Prefect Lin where you go?"

"Then can you guarantee that you are not the next Prefect Lin?" someone shouted loudly, but when he thought of how Yun Yue and the others had just killed Prefect Lin without batting an eyelid, he quickly covered his mouth.

"It's no use for me to promise. Actions speak louder than words."

"Master Yue, what if the imperial court knew that you killed Prefect Lin and sent troops to avenge him? Otherwise, you should just leave."

"The imperial court? Humph! They can't even take care of themselves now!" Si Cheng felt very happy when he thought about the news he received. He was afraid that the officials nowadays were not as rich as he was. When he thought that this matter should be related to Miss Yun, he felt that his master had picked up a god.

"Do you know Prince Rong?"

The people in the audience didn't know why Si Cheng suddenly mentioned Prince Rong, but they all responded: "Yes, everyone in the world knows! Isn't it the former Crown Prince?"

"Originally, the emperor should have been His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Yes, if it weren't for the current emperor..."

"Oh, you don't want to die? Have you forgotten the people that were captured by Prefect Lin?"

"What are you afraid of? Magistrate Lin is already dead! If he has the guts, he can turn into a ghost and complain to the emperor..."

"..."

Si Cheng continued, "Yes, Master Yue is Prince Rong's... good friend. If the imperial court sends troops to encircle and suppress you, Prince Rong's 100,000-man army will not just sit there and watch!"

"real or fake?"

"Of course it's true! I am the guard beside Prince Rong, and this time I am here to help Master Yue on the orders of the prince!"

……

Yun Yue looked at Si Cheng without saying anything. This was something they had discussed long ago. Now that her foundation was weak, she might as well borrow Xiao Yinmo's power. He shouldn't mind. If he did, she would let Si Cheng bring back more money in a few days.

These people thought that Chengnan Prefecture was next to Prince Rong's territory, and they probably didn't have the guts to use Prince Rong's name to deceive them. Although they were still a little worried, they all dispersed at Yunyue's urging.

When Yunyue returned to the mansion, the first thing she did was to call Zhang Yuankai

"I have a mission for you. Go and bring the county magistrates of the four counties under the jurisdiction of Chengnan Prefecture."

"Yes." Zhang Yuankai didn't ask any more questions. Now that he was following Yunyue, he naturally had to obey her orders.

"Master Yue, are you going to recruit them?"

Yun Yue flipped through the intelligence in his hand and said in a deep voice: "Those who serve the people and can be used by me, I will naturally recruit them. If they don't... humph."

Yunmeng County Government Office.

An officer hurried towards the study.

"Mr. County Magistrate, the city gates are still closed! There is no news!"

A man in cloth raised his head from the case file. He frowned and said, "It's been three days, and the city gates haven't been opened yet. I don't know what Prefect Lin is doing! I think something big has happened! Da Wang, you keep sending people to keep an eye on it."

"Yes, sir! But sir, our county's tax revenue for this year has not yet been collected. If we don't collect it, then the prefect will..."

"Bang!" Shen Ce slammed the file in his hand on the table. He said angrily: "Qingzhou and Youzhou have been suffering from drought for more than a year. The people have no harvest. They should have been exempted from tax, but the tax was increased instead! Isn't this going to kill the people?"

"Look, this is the news sent today. Four of the five people in a family of Daling Village froze to death! Only one child was left in the arms of his mother!" Shen Ce's eyes turned red as he spoke. He was the parent official of the people, but he couldn't help them at all. He felt guilty!

Wang Wang's eyes were also filled with anger. Although he was a consulate worker, he was not much better off than the common people. The few acres of thin land in his family also yielded no harvest. Now his whole family relied on his meager salary to survive, and who knew how many of the common people who depended on the weather for their livelihood had starved to death.

It's winter again, and many families don't even have quilts or thick clothes...

"Sir, there are soldiers outside. They want you to go with them to the city." A doorman reported outside the door.

Shen Ce touched the corner of his eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "The city gate is open? What's the matter?"

"No, I just want to see you. I'm waiting in the front hall now."

Shen Ce stood up and walked towards the front hall.

"County Magistrate Shen, long time no see." Zhang Yuankai bowed to County Magistrate Chang.

Seeing that it was Zhang Yuankai who came, County Magistrate Shen breathed a sigh of relief. Captain Zhang was a good man.

"I wonder what Brother Zhang is doing today?" County Magistrate Shen bowed.

"My master asked me to pick you up and take you to the capital city."

"Master?" County Magistrate Shen's eyes flashed.

"How is Magistrate Lin's health now?"

Zhang Yuankai did not answer. He knew that the perceptive Magistrate Shen had already known something.

"Don't be afraid, Lord Shen. Going to the capital city is a good thing."

"A good thing? Could it solve the tax problem in Yunmeng County?"

Zhang Yuankai thought about Yunyue's appearance, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "Maybe?"

Magistrate Shen did not expect this kind of reply. For the sake of tax collection, he also had to go to the provincial capital.

After entering the city gate, County Magistrate Shen did not find anything unusual in the city. The people were still trying hard to live, and the guards at the city gate were still those familiar faces.

The doubts in my heart became even greater.

It was not until I arrived at the prefectural government office that I noticed the difference.

The guard at the gate stood straight with a sharp look in his eyes, completely different from the guard at the prefect's gate before.

The person who came to greet them was not the familiar doorman, but a young man who looked like a scholar.

"Greetings, County Magistrate Shen. I am Song Li. The master will be here soon. Please sit down and wait for a moment."

Magistrate Shen followed him to the main hall, but without drinking tea, he began to look around.

The woman who served him tea looked very heroic and seemed to have some skills.

After a while, a few more people came in. They were the same as him, and they were the county magistrates of the remaining three counties.

"Old Shen, you are here too? Do you know why the prefect asked us to come here?"

Magistrate Shen glanced at the man who was asking him a question and turned his head away, pretending not to hear.

This man is in the same boat with the prefect, and he is too disdainful to talk to him.

"Hmph, why are you so arrogant? I heard that your county's taxes are the only ones that haven't been paid. Wait and see how the prefect will deal with you." Shen Lun was a little proud.

"I heard that your Dawan County forced dozens of people to death in order to collect taxes, is that true?"

"Stop talking nonsense! It was those untouchables who refused to cooperate and wanted to die. What does it have to do with me?"

"You beast! You are unworthy of being an official!" Magistrate Shen glared at the man in front of him, feeling sad. He was a farmer's son, and his family had supported him through more than ten years of hard study. He thought he could contribute to the court and the people.

In the end, everything turned out differently from what he had imagined. The government did nothing and didn't care about the lives of the people.

The people were poor, and not only could he not help them, he also worked together with the court to exploit them.

This official...