The title of "Lady Huimin," bestowed with the rank of First-Rank Imperial Consort, was an extraordinary honor. This unprecedented bestowal was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake in the capital, creating ripples far exceeding Xin Jiuwei's expectations. After the imperial edict was proclaimed, carriages and horses streamed incessantly before the Prince's residence, and congratulatory invitations arrived like snowflakes. Among them were genuinely respectful officials, opportunistic weather vanes, and even more unscrupulous opportunists seeking to curry favor.

Xin Jiuwei, however, refused to see any visitors.

The West Garden Council Hall remained her only battlefield. The glory of the imperial edict did not blind her; instead, it made the burden on her shoulders even heavier. The name "Huimin" was both an expectation and a spur. The pilot program for equal land distribution in the three counties of Yingzhou and the myriad tasks of reforming the canal transport system weighed heavily on her desk like two towering mountains.

“Madam,” Mr. Fang said, pointing to the unfolded map of the three counties of Yingzhou, his brow furrowed, “the situation in Liulin County is the most troublesome. The county magistrate, Zhou Bingkun, is a distant relative of Xue Chongyi’s wife’s family. Although he wasn’t directly implicated and imprisoned, he outwardly complies with the land equalization pilot program but inwardly opposes it. He secretly condones the local powerful Liu family, who, under the guise of ‘temporary management,’ forcibly seize hundreds of acres of wasteland registered as belonging to displaced people! The displaced people dare not speak out, and small-scale conflicts have already occurred. If not handled properly, it could lead to a popular uprising, giving the opponents a pretext!”

Mr. Qin added, “What’s more troublesome is that this Liu family has close ties with certain officials in the capital. Zhou Bingkun’s actions may well be a test. They’re just waiting for you, Madam… or Prefect Xin to make a move so they can use it as an excuse to attack the equal-field policy as ‘competing with the people for profit’ and ‘forcing good people to rebel’!”

Xin Jiuwei's gaze fell on Liulin County, her fingertips icy cold. She could almost see the anger and helplessness of those refugees whose hopes had just been ignited, only to be pushed back into the abyss of despair. Zhou Bingkun, the Liu family… these parasites, like maggots clinging to bones, were everywhere! The respite that the soldiers on the front lines had risked their lives for was not meant for them to continue to prey on the people!

"What a fine 'good citizen'!" Xin Jiuwei's voice was icy cold. "A good citizen who seizes the disaster victims' life-saving fields? You Ye!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Take my warrant and Lady Huimin's seal, and set off immediately on horseback to Yuncheng! Tell my father and brother-in-law Qi Huaihe in detail about the situation here! Tell my father that he does not need to handle the matter in Liulin County personally, so as not to give others a handle against him. Tell my brother-in-law..." A sharp glint flashed in Xin Jiuwei's eyes, "...to give them a taste of their own medicine!"

You Ye understood immediately: "Your subordinate understands! Young Master Qi must have a brilliant plan!"

Xin Jiuwei then looked at Mr. Fang and Mr. Qin: "I would like to trouble you two to collect and organize all the evidence of the illegal activities of the powerful Liu family in Liulin County over the years, especially their crimes of seizing farmland, bullying the market, and colluding with the government to evade taxes, no matter how small! It must be done quickly and in detail! At the same time, I would like to ask Sister Lin to help me find out which official in the capital has the deepest connection with the Liu family!"

"Yes!" Fang and Qin's spirits lifted. The madam was going to use a two-pronged approach to strike at the heart of the enemy!

Yuncheng, Qifu.

After reading Xin Jiuwei's letter and You Ye's report, Qi Huaihe's handsome face revealed a cold smile. He put down his teacup and said to Xin Xiyao, who also looked worried, "Wei'er is trying to use someone else to do her dirty work, and she wants that person to willingly cut into her own people."

"Does my husband have a solution?" Xin Xiyao's eyes lit up.

"A solution?" Qi Huaihe chuckled. "Merchants pursue profit, but they also fear power. This Liu family, relying on Zhou Bingkun's backing, has been running rampant in Liulin County for many years. Most of their wealth came from cunning and forceful means. They thought they had climbed a high branch in the capital, but little did they know that their little bit of leverage was no match for the real storm."

He summoned his trusted steward and whispered, "Go, find a way to 'send' the evidence of the Liu family's grain shop in Liulin County for 'passing off inferior goods as superior ones' and 'taking in large measures and giving out small measures,' as well as the old case file from three years ago where they drove a tenant to his death over a piece of mulberry land, to Liu's biggest rival—Manager Zhao, another grain merchant in Liulin County. Remember, make it look like Manager Zhao himself painstakingly dug it up."

The butler accepted the order and left.

Qi Huaihe then said to You Ye, "Guard Chen, I'd like to trouble you to take a few men and spread some news in Liulin County. Tell them... the situation in the capital has suddenly changed, the Xue family has fallen, and Magistrate Zhou's backer is in danger. The newly arrived 'Wisdom Lady' is intolerant of any wrongdoing and is secretly sending people to thoroughly investigate the illegal activities of all officials and powerful figures in Yingzhou, with those who have seized the land of disaster victims being the first to be targeted! The first place to be targeted... is Liulin County!"

A glint of light flashed in You Ye's eyes: "Young Master Qi is brilliant! I'll take care of it right away!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout Liulin County. Manager Zhao, overjoyed to have obtained the "ironclad evidence," immediately joined forces with several other merchants who had long been exploited by the Liu family and filed a lawsuit against them at the prefectural government! Meanwhile, rumors spread like wildfire that Zhou Bingkun was about to fall from power and that the Liu family was facing imminent disaster.

Liu Bapi, the head of the Liu family, panicked. He hurriedly went to Zhou Bingkun for help, but was turned away. Zhou Bingkun was in dire straits himself, so how could he dare to take on this hot potato? Liu Bapi was desperate and was even more terrified when he heard that Xin Shouye had sent the prefectural criminal clerk with a team to Liulin County to investigate the matter of the displaced people's land being occupied.

Just when he was filled with anxiety, Qi Huaihe sent someone to "opportunely" extend an olive branch. The Qi family steward spoke "earnestly": "Master Liu, things have come to this point, and resisting will only lead to death! Madam Huimin is benevolent, and all she desires is for the disaster victims to be at peace. If you are sensible and voluntarily return all the land you seized to the refugees, and also donate some money and grain for the repair of the county's irrigation ditches, my eldest son might be able to put in a good word for you with Madam, thus redeeming your crimes. Otherwise... the yamen runners from the prefecture will probably be coming to invite you for tea, sir."

Coercion and bribery, soft and hard tactics combined. Looking at the sharp-eyed guards behind the Qi family steward, thinking of the cold shackles of the prefectural government office, and then of the vast wealth he had accumulated over the years, Liu Bapi finally succumbed to his fear of death and his attachment to riches. With a mournful face, he pressed his bright red fingerprint onto the confession and donation documents "drafted" by the Qi family steward.

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