Yanyu Kingdom is a great power in the Central Plains, and its people live in peace and prosperity. However, even in the best of countries, there may be places where people suffer.

Currently, the residents of Daliu Town are suffering from a severe salt shortage and are not consuming salt in their daily diet. This has resulted in their skin becoming somewhat sallow.

Some bold villagers gathered at the entrance of their village, holding pens and slapping them onto the table.

A burly man with a full beard and an air of righteous indignation shouted.

"Fellow villagers, listen to me. Nowadays, the amount of government-supplied salt in our town is decreasing, and some salt merchants are selling it at ridiculously high prices!"

"I've heard that the current emperor is a lecherous good-for-nothing who only knows how to be surrounded by women. Tell me, how could we possibly let such a good-for-nothing be our emperor!"

An old man emerged from a rather ornate door, gripping his cane, and walked with firm, powerful steps toward the burly man.

He shouted.

Kneel down!

The old man, seeing that the man refused to comply and was staring at him with hatred, coughed violently again.

"Cough, cough, kneel down. The current emperor does like beautiful women, but what man doesn't love beauty? The emperor is being talked about like that."

"It's all the work of someone. His current concubines were deliberately placed there by someone. Did they do this when he went to the battlefield to fight the enemy?"

"Have you all forgotten?!"

The burly man was terrified by the old man's righteous words, and his previous arrogance vanished completely. He knelt on the ground, trembling.

"Clan chief, we were wrong, but this way of doing things can't be resolved. The official salt is still not being delivered; if it wasn't swallowed up by Wu Yuan, what else could it be!"

"I already reported this to the imperial court a long time ago, and I've already secretly sent it to Lord Zhang."

"Really? When will the master be able to see it?"

Before he finished speaking, a group of soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Daliu Town yamen officials rode up on horseback and surrounded the so-called rioters.

"Lord Wu has arrived!"

The man on horseback had his full head of black hair tied up, with a few strands of white hair mixed in, proving that he must have been overworked to be in this state.

The robe was made of middle-aged fabric, and although it was a common style, the gold velvet thread inside was of the finest quality.

The middle-aged man dismounted, walked a few steps around the scene, and stared at the dozen or so troublemakers. He casually picked up one of them, whom he considered the instigator, and asked him a question.

"Is it you who spread these rumors that I swallowed government salt? I have said that the government salt was taken away by divine power, what does it have to do with me?"

"Haven't I investigated the truth? You're just making a scene here! Guards!"

"Your subordinate is here."

"Drag him away and give him 30 strokes of the cane!"

The people watched helplessly as their fellow citizens were punished by this treacherous official, unable to resist. They could only blame themselves for lacking power!

They could only turn their eyes away and pretend they didn't hear those screams.

Seeing that the person was in critical condition and had fainted, Wu Yuan waved his sleeve and sat down on a chair in his herbal tea shop.

He sat with his legs crossed, in a comfortable posture like an emperor. Everyone else was kneeling.

"Which one is the town mayor?"

"Yes, sir, it is me."

"You insolent fools! Didn't I give you salt? You just didn't buy it. Isn't that right!"

"No, sir, it's these salt merchants who set the prices too outrageously. The villagers nearby all said they couldn't afford it, so... so..."

"Hmph, I'll say it one last time."