I was kicked out of the house, and I was reborn and became the emperor

"My Lord, as the ruler of this place, even if the local officials are innocent, their dismissal and appointment are within your control, isn't it?"

"That being said, this Lu Dongxun's identity is particularly special. Commander Zhang must know the name of Concubine Qing in the harem."

"Concubine Qing, Concubine Qing is from the Lu family, could it be..." Zhang Wenyuan suddenly realized.

"That's right. Concubine Qing is the cousin of Magistrate Lu. In other words, Lu Dongxun is also a relative of the royal family. Not only that, his cousin is the concubine of the Grand Commander of Yanzhou. In this way, Magistrate Lu's background is as solid as a rock." Fang Yi sneered.

Zhang Wenyuan frowned slightly and exhaled softly, "No wonder His Majesty also thinks that County Magistrate Lu is difficult to deal with. It seems that it will not be easy to bring him down."

"But it's not that we are helpless. We just need to collect enough evidence and punish the criminals according to the laws of the Great Zhou! This is why we rushed to Jiuyuan County in advance!" Fang Yi said in a deep voice.

Faced with the cruel truth, Fang Yi and Zhang Wenyuan were filled with rage.

Taking advantage of this righteous indignation, the two men began collecting evidence and testimonies from the people overnight, intending to have enough evidence within just two days to punish Lu Dongxun according to the law.

However, things went against one's wishes. Despite its grand momentum, the investigation encountered many obstacles and did not go smoothly.

What is even more surprising is that even though Fang Yi offered a large sum of money to tempt them, no villager was willing to reveal the facts of Jiuyuan County.

When it comes to the official Lu Dongxun, the villagers' fear is beyond words. Some even praise County Magistrate Lu for his benevolent rule and love for the people - he opened the granaries to distribute grain during famines and led the army to resist the attacks of bandits. Isn't this nonsense?

After two days of visits, Fang Yi finally caught a valuable clue among the true and false words...

Jiuyuan County was once a prosperous prefecture, even larger than today's Ningde Prefecture. However, due to years of famine, the population dropped sharply and the economy declined, so it was forced to be reduced to a county. The former prefect of Yong'an Prefecture became the magistrate of Jiuyuan County.

The people's livelihood in Jiuyuan County is in decline. Apart from Lu Dongxun's greed and tyranny, the greater threat comes from external invasion.

There were plundering by the barbarians in the north, harassment by the Japanese pirates in the east, and bandits from Purple Mountain in the south.

Wars and natural disasters are frequent. Even in such a harsh environment, Lu Dongxun still exploits the people's wealth, eventually turning Jiuyuan County into a living hell...

Two days have passed, and Fang Yi and Zhang Wenyuan have still not found conclusive evidence against Lu Dongxun. Under Lu Dongxun's iron-fisted rule, the people are like a solid block, impenetrable.

Fang Yi will officially arrive in Jiuyuan County as a marquis tomorrow. Although delaying the time is feasible, it will be in vain if evidence is hard to find and the people remain silent.

The initial enthusiasm was gradually worn away by reality, and the two became discouraged.

Just when the two were about to give up, a turning point came quietly.

Fang Yi and Zhang Wenyuan rode their horses into a barren mountain and encountered a ragged madman who led them to a hidden corner at the foot of the mountain.

The scene before them shocked the two of them - charred corpses piled up like a mountain, some turned to ashes, and some limbs still had flesh and blood. This scene made Fang Yi unforgettable for the rest of his life.

The strong visual impact made Fang Yi's stomach churn. He quickly dodged to the side and vomited out all the food he had just eaten. He felt a little relieved until all the stomach acid was out. Zhang Wenyuan walked slowly towards him with a gloomy face.

"I have checked and found that these charred corpses are all wearing civilian clothes. There are about thirty of them, and they died between a week and half a month ago."

"Is it... is it Lu Dongxun who did it? What does he want to do? He is so cruel! Commander Zhang, please allow me to kill him directly! I will bear the responsibility alone! I will never allow this evil official to hurt our people in the slightest!"

Recalling that horrific scene, Fang Yi was shaking with anger, wishing he could immediately draw out the Youlong Sword and take Lu Dongxun's head.

"My Lord, please calm down. We are still unable to determine whether it was Magistrate Lu who did this. This place is close to Zijin Mountain, and the villagers may have been killed by bandits." Zhang Wenyuan reminded.

Fang Yi took a deep breath, reached out and grabbed the madman who was enjoying kicking the skull nearby, and repeatedly asked him about the truth behind the charred corpse.

However, the madman's answer was so wild and confusing that it led Fang Yi and Zhang Wenyuan back into the depths of the barren mountains.

The two tied their horses to the foot of the mountain and followed the madman up the winding path. Looking at the madman running wildly in front of him, Fang Yi suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

"Commander Zhang, the people here are so hungry that they are staggering, but why is this madman so energetic?"

"It's indeed strange, but please rest assured, Your Majesty, I am here to ensure that you are safe and sound." Zhang Wenyuan comforted him, and Fang Yi's worries dissipated.

Climbing to the middle of the mountain, smoke rose in the distance and a simple courtyard gradually came into view.

The madman suddenly broke into the yard, shouting loudly.

Then, a hunter came out of the cabin and talked to the madman for a few words.

Although the madman answered the two men's questions irrelevantly, he was frank with the hunter and told him everything that had happened in Jiuyuan County recently.

After that, the hunter handed him a wild vegetable cake mixed with grains as a reward. After the madman had his fill, he left with a silly smile on his face.

"Commander Zhang, if we had given food to this madman earlier, perhaps the truth would have been revealed long ago." Fang Yi said with a wry smile. At this time, the hunter also noticed their presence.

After some communication, we learned that the hunter family had hidden in this deserted forest to avoid Lu Dongxun's oppression.

Although the mountains are remote, people there hunt every day and occasionally grow rice, and their lives are more comfortable than those of the people in the county town.

Unexpectedly, when touching on sensitive topics, the hunter kept his lips tightly shut and was on guard. He even showed a hint of hostility towards Fang Yi and Zhang Wenyuan. He was probably worried about exposing his whereabouts.

Fang Yi knew that it was no use to continue hiding the truth and it might even cause misunderstanding, so he revealed his true identity!

"You...you are really the champion Hou Fang Yi?" The hunter widened his eyes and looked at Fang Yi in disbelief.

"Of course! If you don't believe me, please look at my seal!" Fang Yi took out the seal. Although the hunter didn't know how to distinguish the authenticity, he could feel the extraordinary demeanor of Fang Yi and Zhang Wenyuan.

"Really...it's really the Marquis. I was rude just now. Please punish me, Marquis." The hunter knelt on the ground in fear.

Fang Yi hurriedly helped him up: "Hurry up, what crime have you committed? The one who committed the heaviest crime is that vicious dog of the Lu family! This incognito visit is to restore peace to the people of my fiefdom!"

"Thank you, my lord, my lord..." The hunter was so excited that tears flashed in his eyes when he heard the words.

Fang Yi had not expected the hunter to react so strongly. It seemed that Lu Dongxun really oppressed the villagers on a daily basis.

"My lord, that madman said that people in the village are saying that...you..." The hunter hesitated to speak.

"You're saying I'm a fool, right? Do you think you can trust the words of a madman?"

Fang Yi smiled bitterly, never expecting that his bad reputation had spread to this remote area.

"My Lord, time is running out. We need to make a quick decision."