The Prefectural Governor's Office of Shu Commandery.

"Human life is at stake! Aren't you afraid of the Emperor's wrath?"

The Marquis of Fuyu was furious, roaring and shouting, his eyes wide as copper bells.

He never imagined that this corrupt official, who held absolute power, would not only fail to send a single soldier to rescue those trapped in the collapsed mine, but also take the opportunity to shift all the blame onto the Jin family.

They even sent their henchmen to arrest the Jin family members, young and old, threatening him to confess and submit to the law!

Marquis Fuyu was so angry that he trembled all over, veins bulging on his forehead, and his heart was burning with rage.

If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have come to ask for help!

The thought of his sons and nephews trapped in the mine, their fates unknown, filled him with panic. He only thought that with many people there would be strength, and he should quickly dig open the mine to rescue his sons, nephews, and the people. Little did he know that Magistrate Mei had no intention of saving anyone!

He should have guessed it sooner!

He should have guessed it when he entered Shu County and saw that although the land was fertile, the people lacked food and clothing and were even selling their children! He should have guessed it when he discovered that Shu County's tax revenue was three times that of other counties!

He should have sent the message to Kyoto earlier, instead of just secretly gathering evidence and raising mining wages to give the people a way to make a living.

He should have guessed it sooner!

Prefect Mei sat leisurely in his armchair, leaning back slightly. He gently supported the bottom of the teacup with his left hand and lifted the lid with his right hand, slowly skimming off the foam on the surface of the tea.

Taking a sip of the fragrant Snow Top Green Tea, a refreshing and mellow flavor instantly fills the mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

It truly lives up to its reputation as a tea worth one tael of gold and one tael of tea: Snow Top Jade.

Fine tea!

His gaze swept over the wealthy Marquis beside him, but a hint of barely perceptible jealousy flashed in his eyes.

What is Marquis Fuyu anyway?

He was just a lowly merchant who earned his current title of Marquis by relying on the mines in Shu County.

Thinking of this, Prefect Mei couldn't help but snort coldly, slamming his teacup heavily on the table with a crisp sound.

If he were to hand over this mine, wouldn't the marquisate be his Mei family's? The Jin family would be stealing the glory that belonged to the Mei family!

Magistrate Mei listened to Marquis Fuyu's angry rant without expression. What was there to be angry about with a dead man?

He raised his hand and waved it, uttering a casual remark: "Drag him away and lock him in jail."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.

The guards immediately obeyed and stepped forward, seizing the Marquis of Fuyu like wolves and tigers.

"You—you have the ambition of a wolf! My Jin family is under the imperial command to control the mines. Not only do you refuse to cooperate, but you also dare to distort the truth and fabricate stories out of thin air!"

"You're deceiving your superiors and hiding the truth; His Majesty will absolutely not listen to you!"

Marquis Fuyu's eyes widened in anger, his face flushed red, and veins bulged on his forehead.

Prefect Mei sat up unhurriedly, straightened his clothes, and then a smug smile appeared on his lips: "Even now you still don't know your mistake? The Jin family embezzled public funds and mined the imperial mines for their own use, causing the mines to collapse and countless innocent people to die or be injured."

"As the prefect of this prefecture, it is my duty to uphold justice and protect the people. Therefore, I have dispatched messengers on horseback to the capital as quickly as possible to entrust His Majesty with the decision."

Magistrate Mei casually convicted the Jin family of treason and ordered their extermination—and that was an iron mine!

"nonsense--"

The Marquis of Fuyu was furious, his eyes blazing with rage. "This is slander! There's no evidence! His Majesty will never listen to your side of the story!"

Stealing mineral veins? How dare Magistrate Mei?!

"Heh, evidence?"

Magistrate Mei put down his teacup, leaned back in the wide chair, and narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a chilling glint in them.

"The innocent civilians who died or were injured in this mine are the most irrefutable evidence!"

A fierce glint, like that of a predator hunting its prey, flashed in Magistrate Mei's eyes. A cruel smirk played on his lips: "And besides..."

"The Marquis betrayed the Emperor's grace, committing suicide in prison out of fear of punishment. He left behind a letter written in blood, in which he detailed the Jin family's secret collusion with... Prince Chen, attempting to steal mineral resources and plotting a rebellion."

"You—you you you—"

Marquis Fuyu spat out a mouthful of scarlet blood, his fingers trembling as he pointed at the person before him, his voice hoarse with anger and despair.

At that moment, all the mysteries seemed to be solved instantly. No wonder he was unwilling to rescue the trapped people. It turned out that he not only wanted to frame the Jin family with false charges, but also wanted to implicate Prince Chen, attempting to eliminate both of them in one fell swoop. What a ruthless heart he had!

An even more terrifying thought suddenly surged into his mind, causing him to tremble and widen his eyes.

Could it be... that the collapse of the mine was not a natural disaster, but a man-made one?!

"You—you must have done it!"

Marquis Fuyu roared, "So many lives! Retribution...aren't you afraid of retribution? His Majesty will never be fooled by you!"

"Hahaha……"

Prefect Mei threw his head back and laughed loudly, his laughter filled with endless mockery and sarcasm: "So you still don't know? His Majesty is seriously ill, and His Highness the Crown Prince is now in charge of the court!"

Marquis Fuyu was shocked on the spot, "Crown...Crown Prince? How is this possible?"

He muttered incredulously to himself that they knew that Prince Chen and Jiao Jiao had gone missing after being attacked by bandits.

In this way, the answer to who in the capital will be able to ascend to the throne of the crown prince is practically obvious!

Marquis Fuyu suddenly raised his head and stared intently at the prefect in front of him: "So you are actually one of the Fifth Prince's men!"

Magistrate Mei's lips curled up slightly, revealing a contemptuous smile, and he said, "Now that you've fallen into my hands, don't even think about leaving alive."

"This prefect has always been kind and magnanimous. Today, I will let you die knowing why, so that you can close your eyes in peace when you arrive in the underworld."

"Guards, drag him away!"

Magistrate Mei waved his hand, signaling his men to take the Marquis of Fuyu away immediately.

Just then.

The steward rushed in, stole a glance at the Marquis of Fuyu who was about to be dragged away, and quickly walked over to the prefect. "Your Excellency—news of the mine collapse has arrived, and the people have gathered at the government office, begging you to do justice!"

Magistrate Mei rose triumphantly.

He flicked his sleeves and said, "There's no need to lock him up in jail. Just gag him and take him to the government office."

"yes--"

The guards responded and gagged the Marquis of Fuyu.

The Marquis of Fuyu struggled with all his might, but the guards held him down tightly, making him unable to move at all. His eyes were bloodshot, so red that they looked like they were about to bleed, and he was dragged away.

Just as I left the prefect's residence, I saw a carriage enter the government office through a side gate.

Upon seeing the prefect, the guards standing by the carriage immediately stepped forward to report, "Sir, inside the carriage... is the person the young lady requested."

"Hehe... Hurry up and take her in, make the young lady happy."

Magistrate Mei's eyes were filled with mockery.

No matter who the princes or nobles are, in Shu County, even dragons have to coil up and tigers have to lie low.

They climbed onto the carriage by stepping on people's backs.

Magistrate Mei had someone tie a piece of cloth to the back of the carriage, and with a turn of the wheel, the Marquis of Fuyu was dragged along at breakneck speed.

What a humiliation!

How outrageous!