"We dare not!"

The people below immediately responded in unison.

Lan Linxue gave a cold laugh, which felt even more biting than the wind and rain outside.

"I've heard it all before: there's nothing the officials in Yangzhou wouldn't dare to do! With wealthy salt merchants backing them up, there's nothing in this world they wouldn't dare to do!"

At this point, Lan Linxue seemed extremely angry, standing on the ground with her hands on her hips, panting heavily.

"You won't talk, huh? You'd rather die than hand over the silver, would you? Fine, I'll tell you the truth today. I've seen the Qinhuai River, and it absolutely cannot be left unrepaired! If you obediently hand over the silver now, I might spare your lives. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless! If you don't know what kind of temper I have, you can ask your Fifth Master. Of course, you can also ask the Emperor!"

Immediately, a chorus of cries for justice and weeping erupted from below, shaking the heavens and the earth, as if the injustices of June were about to turn to frost.

Lan Linxue looked at these tough nut to crack, then glanced at Lan Xiuyuan, who remained stubbornly silent, and smiled coldly to herself.

They'd better complain loudly; if they actually obediently hand over the money, he won't be able to continue his act.

Just then, a subordinate ran over and quietly reported that Jun Yannuo had arrived.

Lan Linxue waved her hand, "Let him come over! Let him see for himself which heartless bastards he's been giving his money to all this time!"

The people below quickly brought Jun Yannuo over.

After a day and a night of toil, Jun Yannuo looked somewhat haggard.

Upon seeing Lan Linxue, Jun Yannuo immediately knelt solemnly on one knee: "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Lan Linxue waved her hand, signaling Jun Yannuo to stand up, then suddenly shouted, "Shut up, all of you! The Emperor is still alive, why are you all here wailing and mourning?"

The noise below immediately subsided.

Lan Linxue put one hand on her hip, leaning against the edge of the car to maintain her balance. Her face, however, showed no sign of distress.

Jun Yannuo stood up and stood to the side with her eyes slightly lowered.

Lan Linxue pointed at Jun Yannuo and said, "Jun Yannuo, these bastards said that the fishermen and villagers you hired to build the dike embezzled money? Come on, tell me, how much benefit did your Qin Tian Pavilion pocket in there?"

Upon hearing this, Jun Yannuo's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible anger. Controlling his emotions, he said, "Your Highness's words leave me speechless! Every year, Qin Tiange not only embezzles money, but he also pays for most of the construction costs of this dike. Moreover, he contributed both money and labor to repair many weak sections. How can it be that now that something has gone wrong, everything is being blamed on Qin Tiange? I, Qin Tiange, will go to the Emperor and demand justice! Isn't this kind of injustice against people against all reason?!"

"Did you hear that?! Did you all hear that?!" Lan Linxue pointed at the people below, gritting her teeth and cursing, "Have your hearts really turned black?! They helped you so much, and in the end you still try to frame them! Have you lost your minds? You pigs, if you want to frame someone, you should at least find someone with a bad reputation, someone stingy and unreasonable. Don't you think that if Qin Tiange can give you money today, why can't he give it to a higher official, find a bigger backer? Does the money have names written on it? They have piles of silver, and what do you have? Just a pig's head! From today onwards, if I ever hear you dare to say another word against Qin Tiange, I, the Crown Prince, will personally rip off your dog skins!"

Lan Linxue was both angry and disappointed. Looking at Lan Xiuyuan, she said sarcastically, "Fifth Brother, is the Prime Minister really getting old and his eyesight failing? How come he can't see people clearly anymore, and keeps appointing these ignorant pigs to official positions? I think the officialdom in Jiangnan is rotten to the core. Shi Mengjian was killed, and who knows, it might be because these people joined forces to hide all those unspeakable things!"

As soon as Lan Linxue finished speaking, another chorus of cries for justice and sobs erupted from below.

Lan Linxue nodded. "You're all innocent? Is that right? Fine! You're all innocent. Today I'll show you what happens when the innocent cry out for justice!"

With that, Lan Linxue's face turned cold, and she said to the guards below, "Go! Throw those two rows in the back into the river to fill it up. Until the silver comes out and the dam isn't built, they can forget about coming up!"

"yes!"

The Crown Prince's guards look imposing and powerful.

At Lan Linxue's command, they immediately grabbed the two rows of minor officials behind them like tigers and wolves, and without saying a word, threw them directly into the river.

Thump! Thump!

The officials who were thrown into the river couldn't even call out before they sank. They struggled to their feet and barely managed to get back to the surface, only to be swept away again by the rain and the surging waves.

Fishermen in the distance saw the scene and, without hesitation, jumped in to save the people.

The people on the shore were so frightened that some even wet their pants. They rushed over to hug Lan Linxue's legs, and their cries were more pitiful than if their father had died and their mother had been buried.

Lan Linxue remained motionless with a cold expression.

The seventh brother was cheering from the sidelines.

With a cold face and a deep voice, he said sternly, "It would be better for you gentlemen to hand over the silver. If the treasury cannot be replenished, it will not be as simple as filling in rivers and building dams! As you all know, not to mention you, even a third-rank official in the capital would not be stopped if the Crown Prince said to throw it away!"

Those below burst into tears upon hearing this, realizing that even if they sold their pants and their buttocks, they couldn't raise several million taels of silver!

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!