Chapter 74 Husband and Wife United
The rain in Jiangnan is always lingering and poignant.
But in the main hall of the Lin'an government office today, the sound of rain was like a death knell, striking the hearts of the dozen or so officials kneeling below.
Liu Deshui has fallen, but the mess he left behind remains. The officialdom in Jiangnan is deeply entrenched and rife with corruption; besides that fat man, there's a whole host of corrupt officials still hopping around.
Shen Jin, dressed in the regent's python robe, sat upright in the courtroom. The gavel in front of him slammed down with a "crack," shaking the dust on the roof beams three times.
"My lords."
Chen Jin's voice was cold and stern as he flipped through the account books he had taken from Liu Deshui's secret room the night before. "The floods in Jiangnan have displaced the people, and there are corpses everywhere. But I see that you gentlemen are all eating your fill, looking rosy-cheeked and bloated."
The officials kneeling below trembled, cold sweat streaming down their foreheads, yet they still stubbornly tried to argue their case:
"Your Highness, please understand! This humble official...this humble official also lives a life of poverty!" "Yes, Your Highness! Liu Deshui's embezzlement has nothing to do with us!" "This humble official is innocent! This humble official is utterly loyal to the court!"
Shen Jin looked at this group of old hands who wouldn't admit their mistakes until they were faced with a dire situation, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.
Just as he was about to lash out, a disdainful sneer suddenly came from beside him.
"Poverty?"
Jiang Mianmian sat beside Shen Jin, holding a hand warmer in her hands, watching the people below as if they were watching a monkey show.
【Pah! How dare you claim to be poor?】
The magistrate on the left has a jade buckle on his belt made of Hetian warm jade, worth five hundred taels! The county magistrate on the right has Suzhou embroidery showing at the collar of his inner garment, worth a thousand gold pieces per inch!
[And that magistrate who cried the most, with a mouthful of gold teeth, his mouth was like a flash of light when he opened it. You're telling me you're poor? Do you think I and the prince are blind?]
As Shen Jin listened to her precise criticism, his originally gloomy expression softened a bit.
He turned his head to look at Jiang Mianmian, his eyes filled with encouragement: "It seems that the Princess Consort... has something to say?"
"Yes, I have!"
Jiang Mianmian stood up, stretched, and then walked down the steps to the magistrate who was crying out that he was "wrongfully accused".
“My lord,” Jiang Mianmian said with a smile, pointing to his mouth, “your teeth…are quite good?”
The official was taken aback and instinctively covered his mouth: "What...what does Your Highness mean?"
"It doesn't mean anything."
Jiang Mianmian circled around him, her nose twitching. "I just think... the incense you're wearing is quite unique. If I'm not mistaken, it's 'agarwood,' right? It's worth a fortune, priceless. How much is your monthly salary, sir? You probably have to sell your ancestral home to afford this fragrance, right?"
The magistrate's face turned deathly pale: "This...this is...this is a family heirloom of mine..."
"A family heirloom?"
Jiang Mianmian sneered, "So, are all those gold teeth of yours inherited from your ancestors? Should I, the princess, find a dentist to appraise their quality and see if they're this year's newest style?"
[Pretend to be poor with me? When I was scavenging for supplies in the apocalypse, what good stuff haven't I seen? Your meager resources might fool others, but they can't fool my discerning eyes!]
Jiang Mianmian unleashed a barrage of criticism, leaving the magistrate speechless and slumped to the ground.
As Shen Jin watched her dominate the scene below, a proud smile curled at the corner of his lips.
This is his queen.
He may seem lazy on ordinary days, but when it matters, his eyes are sharper than anyone else's.
"The princess is right."
Shen Jin added timely, "Since this lord is so 'wealthy,' let's start the investigation with you. Shadow One!"
"exist!"
"Go to this official's residence and search it thoroughly. See how many 'family heirlooms' he still possess."
"yes!"
With Jiang Mianmian acting as a "human treasure appraiser" and a "lie crusher," the ensuing interrogation was nothing short of a one-sided massacre.
"Hey you, stop pretending to be dizzy. Your heart is pounding like a drum. If you keep pretending, I'll give you a shot!"
"And you, saying you didn't embezzle? Then where did that string of Buddhist prayer beads you have come from? Those were tributes from the previous dynasty, recorded in Liu Deshui's ledger. He gave them to you, didn't he?"
Holding the ledger, Jiang Mianmian, like calling out names, exposed the dirty secrets of these corrupt officials one by one.
[Awesome! So awesome!]
The feeling of having a hypocrite's mask ripped off in public is even more exhilarating than eating hot pot!
[Chen Jin plays the good cop, and I play the bad cop; we're—the Male and Female Duo! Oh wait, I mean, the Condor Heroes!]
Shen Jin listened to the phrase "The Condor Heroes". Although he didn't know what the story was, since it was about a couple, it must mean a pair.
He appreciated it.
"Did you all hear that?"
Shen Jin slammed the ledger on the table. "The evidence is conclusive, and you still dare to argue?!"
"Guards! Remove all these people from their posts and throw them in jail! Confiscate their property! All the proceeds shall be used for disaster relief!"
"Your Highness, spare my life!"
The lobby was filled with howling and wailing.
Just then, a registrar who had been silent all along suddenly raised his head, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes after despair:
"Wait! Regent! You can't kill me!"
"Oh?" Shen Jin raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because...because only I know the whereabouts of those 50,000 taels of disaster relief funds!"
The clerk gritted his teeth, thinking he had grasped a lifeline, "The silver didn't sink in the river! It was secretly moved by Liu Deshui! If you kill me, you'll never find that money again!"
These words shocked the entire audience.
Is the silver still there?
Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian exchanged a glance.
Jiang Mianmian blinked, her expression somewhat strange.
Uh... um... bro, do you have to be so confident?
[That fifty thousand taels of silver is currently lying peacefully asleep in my space. What do you know about it?]
[However... since he said that, could I take this opportunity to 'conjure' the silver and clear its origin?]
Shen Jin looked at her sly little face and immediately understood.
"Yeah?"
Shen Jin looked at the registrar with a half-smile, "You say you know where the silver is?"
"No...that's right!" the registrar said, forcing a smile. "As long as Your Highness releases me, I will take you to find him!"
"No need."
Jiang Mianmian suddenly spoke up, interrupting him, "Last night, I dreamt that the old immortal came again."
Everyone: ...It's that old immortal again? This old immortal is quite busy, huh?
“The old sage said,” Jiang Mianmian pointed to a dry well in the back garden of the yamen, “that sum of money, out of gratitude for the prince’s benevolence, grew legs and ran into that well.”
"ha?"
The registrar was dumbfounded. "Your Highness, you must be joking! How could silver grow legs?"
"Don't believe me?"
Jiang Mianmian shrugged. "Yingyi, go take a look."
Although Yingyi also found it outrageous, he was already used to the princess's "miracles." He flew to the backyard and returned moments later, looking utterly shocked.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! There really is silver in the well... there really is silver in the well!"
"A full fifty thousand taels! Official silver! Not a single tael less!"
boom--!
The lobby erupted in chaos once again.
The clerk collapsed to the ground, staring at Jiang Mianmian as if she were a ghost.
How is that possible?
Liu Deshui clearly said that the silver was taken away... how could it end up in the well?
Could it be... a divine intervention?
Jiang Mianmian kept her achievements hidden and mentally gave herself a thumbs-up.
[Spatial teleportation technique, interested in learning more?]
While you were all rambling on, I teleported the silver over using my mind. It was a bit mentally taxing, but now the money's gone, and the guy's caught—perfect!
Shen Jin looked at her, his eyes full of doting affection.
"The princess is indeed... divine."
He stood up and made the final decision, "Now that the silver has been found and the corrupt official has been arrested, the case in Jiangnan is closed."
"Drag these parasites away! Execute them immediately! To comfort the souls of the people in heaven!"
"yes!"
As the corrupt officials were dragged away, dawn finally broke in Lin'an Prefecture.
Shen Jin walked to Jiang Mianmian's side and took her hand in front of everyone.
Are you tired?
"A little." Jiang Mianmian rubbed her temples. "I was using my mind... uh, I overused my brain just now, and I feel a little dizzy."
Shen Jin bent down and picked her up horizontally.
"Then go back and rest."
"Leave the rest to me."
He carried her out of the lobby, the sunlight shining on them.
In this battle, the couple worked together to not only clean up the officialdom and recover the disaster relief funds, but more importantly...
Shen Jin looked down at the person in his arms.
He discovered that as long as she was by his side, there seemed to be no problem that couldn't be solved, no obstacle that couldn't be overcome.
This feeling of fighting side by side...
Very good.
[Calm and cautious...]
Jiang Mianmian snuggled against him, "Um... could I have some of the money from the confiscation of our property? I want to buy some silk from Jiangnan..."
He chuckled silently.
"It's all yours."
"I will bring back all the good things in Jiangnan for you, as long as you want them."
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