After being busy for a while, when the rain in Xunnan finally stopped, Song Qingxue suddenly realized that the Mid-Autumn Festival had passed for a long time.
It's starting to get cold.
When the sun shone on the land of Xunnan, the people of Xunnan began to cheer.
The dam was almost repaired, and the flood that had lasted for two months in Xunnan was finally effectively cleared.
The low-lying areas have been exposed, and the rain water that has accumulated for a month has flowed along the embankments to the lower parts of the river, and then along the river to the wider basin.
The plague that broke out at that time was also well controlled and treated. Most people recovered and began to rebuild their homes.
The few patients who remained were in good condition and were no longer in danger of death.
Everything seemed to be getting better, the people were happy, and Xiahou Chongyuan and Song Qingxue finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After a short rest, Xiahou Chongyuan began to investigate the case of embezzling disaster relief funds.
When the bailiffs broke into the mansion to arrest Li Chang, he was comfortably drawing water from his water bag. When he was arrested, his face was full of confusion.
"What are you doing! What are you doing!?"
"presumptuous!!"
Li Chang shouted, and his fat body struggled a few times before he began to gasp for breath.
Lin Xian walked in holding a sword, his face cold and serious: "Master Li, we are also ordered to capture him, please cooperate with us."
He spoke only honorifics, but his tone was not respectful enough.
After saying this, he unceremoniously took Li Chang to the court.
Li Chang was kneeling in front of the hall, while Xiahou Chongyuan was sitting under a plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hanging High". Standing on both sides were no longer the original runners from the yamen, but silver-armored guards with swords on their waists. Outside the hall, a group of common people gathered and were cursing at him.
He couldn't count how many pairs of eyes were watching him right now.
Until the gavel suddenly rang, the people fell silent, and Xiahou Chongyuan spoke.
"Li Chang, do you admit your guilt?"
Li Chang was so frightened that he trembled, but he lowered his head and denied it, "I don't know what crime I have committed, please tell me clearly, Your Majesty."
"Li Chang! You concealed the flood first, and then embezzled the disaster relief funds. Do you really think no one knows?!"
Li Chang was extremely panicked when he heard this.
But then he thought again, he had been busy with the floods for a while, how could he have had time to look for evidence, so he felt confident again and started to argue: "Your Highness, please be clear! I am innocent! I have been honest for ten years, always caring for the people, but I don't know where you heard the accusation of corruption!"
It has to be said that those who dare to commit corruption are indeed extremely courageous.
Even when he was caught and brought to court, facing countless pairs of eyes seeking justice, he was still able to lie with his eyes open.
As for the prefect Li Chang, Xiahou Chongyuan actually already knew something about him before coming here.
This Li Chang was originally just the magistrate of a small county town in the Xunnan area. At that time, he was a corrupt official who bullied the good and feared the evil. He had never done anything to benefit the country or the people. However, because of his wealthy family, he spent a large sum of money to buy a prefectural position.
Since his official title was obtained through illegal means, it is natural that the things he did could not be any good.
Three years after Li Chang took office, the people of Xunnan were suffering terribly, but since no one had reported it before, he had never known about it.
It was also because Xunnan was too far away from the capital city and he was really out of reach that such a big mistake occurred!
If it weren't for the flood this year, when he sent secret guards to investigate the disaster and discovered this, Li Chang would probably have been able to do evil for a few more years.
Money is really a good thing. It can be used to buy higher official titles and thus embezzle more money.
It's time to find an opportunity to reorganize this court.
Seeing that he was still quibbling, Xiahou Chongyuan flew into a rage. He then shouted in a dignified manner, "Lin Xian, read the charges!"
"yes!"
Lin Xian responded, then spread out the stack of papers in his hand and spoke solemnly.
"Officials who take bribes and use money to buy official titles are guilty of the first crime!"
"He embezzled disaster relief funds and ignored the refugees. This is his second crime!"
"Privately increasing local taxes and enriching oneself is the third crime!"
"Sheltering bandits and allowing them to commit crimes is the fourth crime!"
"Colluding with several unscrupulous merchants to sell illegal salt is the fifth crime!"
…
…
Lin Xian enumerated his crimes one by one. The more he spoke, the colder Li Chang felt.
He never thought that the man sitting in the upper echelons would find out all the things he had done over the years.
Li Chang, who originally relied on the support of a noble man, could no longer be so arrogant at this moment, and he almost collapsed in front of the hall.
Xiahou Chongyuan glanced at the pile of evidence on the table, then looked up at him and said in a cold tone: "Li Chang, now that the evidence is irrefutable, do you still want to quibble?"
Upon hearing this, Li Chang quickly knelt up, knocked his head on the ground, and said anxiously: "Your Highness! I am only following orders in these matters! I am forced to do this, please spare my life, Your Highness!"
Xiahou Chongyuan naturally knew that there were other officials behind him, and he found out quite a few of them, but in order to avoid any omissions, he still gave Li Chang the opportunity to give out his accomplices.
Li Chang thought that if he let go, he would have a chance to survive, so he quickly confessed everything he knew.
Xiahou Chongyuan asked his men to write this down, and then he said coldly: "Since you have admitted your guilt, then sign it."
After Xiahou Chongyuan finished speaking, Lin Xian immediately took the charges to Li Chang and asked him to sign.
However, just as he pressed his hand seal, Xiahou Chongyuan said mercilessly: "Li Chang, the governor of Xunnan, has committed many capital crimes in the three years since he took office. He now pleads guilty and all his property shall be confiscated, and he shall be executed immediately."
"Ah!" Li Chang was stunned. He then shouted, "I have already confessed, why should I die? I am an important witness!"
Xiahou Chongyuan didn't care and just said indifferently: "Drag him away."
"You can't kill me! I'm a witness! I'm a witness!!" He was still struggling when he was being dragged out.
"Regent! Regent! You killed me today and you wanted my life! Then I will wait for you in heaven for the day when you die without a burial place!"
Li Chang roared like a madman, but no one paid attention to his crazy words. There was only cheering that made people happy.
The plaque inscribed with "A Clear Mirror Hanging High" in the courtroom was wiped clean, and sitting beneath the plaque was the most impartial regent of the Dongyue Dynasty.
Li Chang was beheaded in the street. When the execution was carried out, the people of Xunnan were standing all around.
“You deserve it!”
"Bah! You dog official! Go to hell!"
"Hahaha, the crooked official finally got his comeuppance! God has eyes! God has eyes!!"
Before his head fell to the ground, all he heard was the curses and laughter of countless people.
But he doesn't regret it.
He has been an official for ten years and has never been an honest official for a moment.
This is the retribution he deserves.
However, he never thought that this retribution would actually come true on him.
He was born an evil person. Until the last moment, he still resented Xiahou Chongyuan in his heart and hoped that Xiahou Chongyuan would go to hell and be buried with him in the near future.