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

Chapter 339 One Slash Chops Up 3 Clans

The next day.

As dawn broke, Linjiang City was still shrouded in a thin mist, like a lazy dog ​​that hadn't woken up yet.

Lin Chen had already gotten up; he wanted to personally appear today.

Three hundred Snow Dragon Riders, clad in silver armor and riding white horses, their iron armor gleaming coldly in the morning light, silently entered the city.

Yan Da rode his horse alongside Lin Chen, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the streets like an eagle's.

"Your Highness, we've arrived at the county government office."

Lin Chen dismounted, his boots clicking softly on the bluestone slabs, but everyone present heard them.

He straightened his collar and strode into the county government office, his steps neither fast nor slow, each one feeling as if he were stepping on the tip of someone's heart.

At the same time, a thousand Imperial City Guard troops split into two groups, one rushing towards the Qian family and the other towards the Sun family.

Yan Er, who was leading the team, didn't even knock on the door; he just kicked it open.

"Imperial City Guard in action! Everyone, hands behind your heads, kneel down! Anyone who resists, kill!"

Qian Youcai had just crawled out of his concubine's bed, not even having pulled up his pants, when he heard the clattering footsteps and screams outside. His legs trembled, and he sat down on the ground.

Sun Fugui fared even worse. He was squatting in the outhouse when the door was kicked open, and he fell headfirst into the cesspool. When he was pulled out, his entire body was unsmelly.

At this moment, Zhao Deming was in his bedroom in the backyard of the county government office, adjusting his official hat in front of a bronze mirror.

He was thinking about something—should he take the initiative to visit Lin Chen?

Logically speaking, since he was on a hunting expedition here, he should have paid his respects to the local officials.

But this god of death killed his way through everything in his path...

"Never mind, let's check the wind first—"

Before he could finish speaking, a thunderous sound of horses' hooves thundered past his courtyard wall.

Zhao Deming's expression changed, and he rushed to the door, pushing it open a crack to peek out—

The courtyard was filled with silver-armored cavalry.

The horses snorted, the armor clanged, and the red tassels on the spears fluttered in the wind.

The cavalrymen sat motionless on their horses, like three hundred silver statues, their eyes all fixed on the gate of the county government office.

Zhao Deming felt that his legs, from the knees down, suddenly no longer belonged to him.

It's soft, like noodles.

He tried to steady himself by holding onto the door frame, but his hands were shaking, and he was trembling like a leaf.

"Big... big..."

He can't even speak fluently.

Lin Chen was already seated in the lobby.

He tossed his official hat aside on the corner of the table, propped his boots up on the desk, picked up the case file, and slammed it down on the table with a "thud."

The sound wasn't loud, but it echoed several times in the empty lobby, each echo feeling like a slap in Zhao Deming's face.

"Zhao Deming, do you know your crime?"

The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow, as if asking if you had eaten.

Zhao Deming was carried in by two large snow dragon riders, one on each side.

His official hat was askew, his collar was disheveled, and his face was as white as rice paper.

His lips trembled, his teeth chattered, and he seemed to want to say something, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

His mind raced—

deny?

The elders denied it, and their heads were hung on the city wall.

Playing dumb?

Those few who pretended to be stupid, their graves are now overgrown with weeds.

beg for mercy?

All they could do was beg for mercy.

With a "thump," Zhao Deming knelt down straight down, his knees hitting the blue bricks, which sounded painful.

His forehead slammed against the ground with a "thump, thump, thump," like pounding garlic, and soon it started bleeding.

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! This humble official... this humble official is willing to hand over all his property!"

Everything! Not a single penny left! Confiscated! I beg Your Highness to have mercy... to have mercy...

He was stumped, unable to think of anyone Lin Chen should give as a favor.

Lin Chen didn't look at him, but instead looked down at the files, flipping through them page by page, making a rustling sound.

When he turned to a certain page, Lin Chen paused and read aloud:

"Zhao Deming served as the magistrate of Linjiang for three years and three months."

In three years, more than 400 households in Linjiang City fled, more than 280 people sold their children, and 137 people were driven to their deaths.

He closed the file, looked up at Zhao Deming, his eyes slightly cold:

"One hundred and thirty-seven lives, how will you repay them?"

Zhao Deming collapsed to the ground, his body as if his bones had been removed, his face covered in snot and tears, his lips moving slightly as he managed to utter a few breathy sounds.

"Your humble servant... Your humble servant..."

Lin Chen stood up, pushed the chair back with a creak.

He walked up to Zhao Deming, looked down at the keeper who was lying on the ground like a worm, and suddenly felt a little bored.

"If I spare you, will those people you drove to their deaths come back to life?"

Zhao Deming was completely speechless, lying on the ground, trembling as if he were being electrocuted.

Lin Chen didn't look at him again and walked out.

As his boots crossed the threshold, he didn't even turn his head, just waved his hand behind him casually, as if shooing away a fly.

Upon seeing this gesture, Yan Da flashed his sword.

It was swift and clean; Zhao Deming didn't even have time to scream.

Yan Da wiped his knife and said expressionlessly:

"Drag him out and hang him at the city gate."

Then he turned around and waved to the great snow dragon riders in the courtyard.

"Leave no one alive, execute them by name only."

Three hundred Snow Dragon Riders drew their swords in unison, the gleam of their blades reflecting the morning light, making the entire courtyard blindingly bright.

The sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, screams, and cries echoed simultaneously through the streets and alleys of Linjiang City.

But it didn't stay quiet for long.

It was as quiet as a ghost town.

At noon, the city gate of Linjiang was filled with human heads.

They were densely packed, row upon row, stretching from the left to the right of the city gate tower, like salted fish being dried in the sun.

The people watched from afar, and some counted them, saying there were ninety-three.

Zhao Deming's head was hanging in the very center, his eyes still open and his mouth wide open.

It's as if it's saying "I was wrong," and also as if it's saying "I'm not convinced."

The heads of Qian Youcai and Sun Fugui hung on either side of him, and the expressions on the faces of the three men were all quite interesting, each more ugly than the last.

The items seized from the house filled eighty large carts.

The company possessed 7.3 million taels of silver, 120,000 taels of gold, 47 estates, 103 shops, 30 boxes of antiques and paintings, and three warehouses filled with silks and satins.

In total, it exceeded thirteen million taels.

Lin Chen sat in the carriage, listening to Yan Da finish reciting the numbers, and smiled:

"A mere magistrate embezzled thirteen million taels of silver. If the people in the Ministry of Revenue found out, they'd be heartbroken and want to bang their heads against the wall."

Yan Da asked expressionlessly, "Your Highness, how should the silver be divided?"

"The distribution will be made by household. Each registered household in Linjiang City will receive twenty taels of silver first."

Those families forced to sell their children will be investigated and each household will receive an additional fifty taels of silver; those with deceased members will receive an extra thirty taels.

Yan Da nodded and turned to do it.

The scene of handing out silver was like a bustling market during Chinese New Year.

A long queue formed in front of the county government office, stretching from one end of the street to the other, winding around several bends.

The people held the silver; some cried, some laughed, and some both.

Someone set off firecrackers on the spot, and the crackling sound filled the whole city.

Someone was squatting by the roadside burning paper money, chanting as they burned it:

"Father, Mother, did you see that? That corrupt official is dead!"

His Majesty has sent someone to take charge for us! You can rest assured now...

Some people even set up incense tables at their doorsteps, with Lin Chen's longevity tablet on it, and incense burners, fruits, and snacks placed neatly beside it.

An elderly woman with white hair knelt before the memorial tablet, kowtowed three times, and murmured:

"Lord Tianyuan, Lord Zhenjun..."

Lin Chen's carriage slowly passed through the end of the street. The curtain was lifted a crack, and the lively sounds outside rushed in.

Yao Yao leaned against the window, chin resting on the windowsill, her eyes sparkling as she looked outside. After a while, she turned back and said:

"My lord, they are so happy."

Lin Chen leaned back on the cushion, half-closing his eyes, and hummed in agreement.

Yao Yao tilted her head and looked at him: "Then why are you unhappy?"

Lin Chen opened his eyes, smiled, a smile that held a hint of laziness, and something else entirely:

"What's there to be happy about? It's just killing a corrupt official."