"Spare me! I'm innocent! It's all that beast Baihu's fault!"

The piercing screams inside the torture chamber went on and on, sending chills down one's spine at first hearing.

Xiang Lihe and Zizhen, who had just entered the prison, vaguely heard this shrill cry. Perhaps because they were too far apart, they could no longer hear what the voice was saying.

"Sir, what did the general call us here for...?" Zizhen asked with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The bloodstains and dim lighting inside the cell made him feel extremely depressed and uncomfortable.

"You're pretty brave, aren't you? What are you afraid of?!" Xianglihe glanced at him sideways and took the lead in following the jailer who was leading the way.

After a series of twists and turns, the two were led to the torture chamber where the wicked husband and Li Si were being held.

"General, we've arrived!"

Xianglihe glanced at the four prisoners, whose bodies were covered in blood and gore, and then looked at the wicked husband.

“These four people are smuggling and selling forbidden artifacts. According to the investigation, all of those artifacts were made by your Mo family. You can see for yourself whether they are true or not.” The wicked man casually picked up a short sword from the table and handed it to Xiangli He.

Xianglihe stretched out his fingers and traced the blade of the sword bit by bit. Zizhen, who was beside him, also came closer and carefully examined the short sword in his hand.

“These patterns…forging techniques…” Zizhen uttered several words in quick succession, clearly knowing the origin of this forging technique.

“That’s right, it’s the Mohist school, and it’s my Xiangli family’s method.” Xiangli He sighed, then handed the short sword to the wicked man.

Zizhen composed himself and said in a deep voice, "General, the gentleman has been away from Qin for more than twenty years. We must not implicate him."

"Is this how you see me doing things?"

The wicked man, by chance, obtained Xiangli He, and thus refused to hold anyone accountable.

Hearing his husband's words, Zizhen finally felt relieved. Everyone said that Qin law was harsh and that punishments were collective, and he was really afraid that it would implicate Xiangli He, who had just returned to Qin.

"Old man, look at what Qin Mo has become!" The wicked man sighed, patted Xiang Lihe on the shoulder, and said, "I was thinking of having you give some guidance on the mountain first, but the current situation has reached a point where it must be resolved."

Xiangli He remained silent, his brows furrowed with sorrow. How could the once-renowned Qin Mo Xiangli have become like this?

"Qin Baihu"

You deserve to die!

Xianglihe uttered a curse through gritted teeth, and a bloodlust rose in his eyes.

"I have already ordered the capture of Qin Baihu and all the Mohists within the Qin territory. We should take this opportunity to eliminate them and have you continue as the Grand Master of Qin Mohism to revitalize the dynasty and restore its former glory. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Lihe showed a hint of disbelief and horror. He disregarded the words of the Grand Master and hurriedly pleaded, "General, Qin Baihu is narrow-minded. Those who remain by his side are all his lackeys and confidants. It would be right to punish them collectively."

"But...."

"We cannot condemn all the Mohist scholars in the entire Qin state because of this; some are innocent!"

Seeing how frightened he was, the wicked husband laughed loudly and quickly waved his hand to comfort him, saying, "The old man is very strong, but he can't be strong enough to be the best in the world, can he?"

At this point, he winked and teased, "So, does the old man really enjoy being all alone?"

Upon hearing this, Xianglihe and Zizhen breathed a sigh of relief and understood the meaning of the wicked husband.

"Since the general trusts me, Xiangli He will dedicate all his knowledge to restoring Qin Mo and regaining his former ability to assist in governing the country." Xiangli He's expression was solemn, his eyes filled with unwavering determination and confidence.

"Very good, just based on this demeanor, I am already looking forward to it!"

The wicked man gave a thumbs-up and turned to Li Si, saying, "After those people are captured, you should coordinate with Xiangli He. He will be in charge of deciding who deserves to die and who should be spared."

Li Si glanced at Xiangli He and then nodded.

From beginning to end, the wicked man didn't even glance at the four criminals. Only now, as he was about to leave, did he say, "Take these men into the city and execute them in front of the people as a warning to others."

"Businessmen can make money, but they must do so legally and compliantly. They must have a bottom line on what they should and should not do. How can they do something that would aid the enemy?"

The four criminals immediately cried out, trying to beg their wicked husband to spare their lives.

Unfortunately, the wicked man and Li Si had already strolled out of the torture chamber, no matter how much they cried and screamed.

Upon arriving outside the prison, the wicked man joked, "Your Excellency, this prison is too small. A steady stream of prisoners will be arriving soon. Aren't you afraid it'll burst?"

Li Si subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looking at the enormous prison in front of him, feeling a sense of bewilderment.

He couldn't decide whether his wicked husband was joking or serious.

"This... there are 130 cells in the prison, each capable of holding 10 prisoners. Lord Commandant, please don't joke around... that should be enough." Li Si said cautiously.

"Old Li, we've known each other for a long time. Why don't you trust my abilities?" The wicked man gazed into the distance, feigning profundity, and said, "This time, with the land tax reform, I will fight until rivers of blood flow. You'd better be prepared."

With more and more people under his command, these miscellaneous tasks can be delegated. Right now, the most important thing is the plan to integrate labor into land tax.

Feng Jie was ultimately a scholar, lacking in ruthlessness and cunning. This was his only chance; if he couldn't deter others with decisive action, it would be difficult for him to do it again in the future.

A flicker of emotion crossed Li Si's face, but it quickly turned ruthless again. He declared firmly, "This time, Li Si supports the general."

"A country cannot stand without laws, and its people cannot live in peace without laws. What does it matter if a few people die for the sake of a lasting dynasty?"

Ultimately, being a Legalist by training, Li Si decisively chose law over emotion.

"Then go ahead and do it. I'll be a little more lenient. Those who don't deserve to die will be locked up in jail for a few days, and then released after the land tax system is implemented."

After saying this, the wicked man left, leaving the three of them with only a profound and imposing silhouette.

"Erhe, go to Feng Jie's residence."

......

"General, please forgive me for not greeting you sooner."

Upon hearing that her wicked husband had come to visit, Feng Jie hurriedly went to the mansion to greet him, repeatedly apologizing.

The wicked man waved his hand and laughed, "It was unexpected, and I apologize for coming so abruptly."

Given his current status, even if he hadn't presented his invitation in advance, no one would dare to criticize or object.

"General, please come in!"

Feng Jie reached out to invite the wicked husband into the mansion, but the wicked husband shook his head and said, "I won't go in. I came to inform you that the decree to merge the poll tax into the land tax will be issued and implemented first thing tomorrow morning."

"Later, I will go to the palace to obtain the king's decree to mobilize troops from various prefectures and assist you in implementing this plan."

"But those who disobey, or those who collude with superiors, I will send the Black Dragon Armored Army to grind them to dust."

Feng Jie was stunned at first, then overjoyed. Finally, it was time to make a move!