"Oh, do you think we can't control Tongzhou, so you are fearless?" Zhao Lin asked.
Lu Fang smiled and said, "Your Excellency, you can say that."
"Hmph! You are just a mere magistrate. Who gives you the courage to speak to me like that? Hang him up and give him twenty lashes first, then ten lashes every incense stick until his superiors come." Zhao Lin ordered.
Lu Fang's expression suddenly changed: "You dare?"
Zhao Lin waved his hand, and before Lu Fang could say anything, his followers came up and dragged them away.
Lu Fang still wanted to resist, but how could a group of yamen runners who only knew how to bully ordinary people be a match for Zhao Lin's personal guards? What's more, these personal guards were trained by Zhao Lin himself and were tough guys who had been on the battlefield and killed people.
Soon, there were a few more people hanging outside the boat.
The people on both sides of the river were watching with great interest.
The highest leader of the Guanhe Department is the Guanhe Tongzhi. Unlike the Tongzhi that Sudi and Zhao Chenhan had served as, this Tongzhi was only in charge of the river, similar to the deputy mayor who was only in charge of water conservancy in Zhao Lin's previous life.
Wu Zhonglin, the official of the Tongzhou Guanhe Hall, flew into a rage upon hearing the news, but quickly calmed himself down and asked, "Do you know who is on the boat?"
"It's Zhao Lin, the governor-general of Jiangbei, and Bai Shiyuan and Chi Qiaoyu, the governors of the two Jiangbei provinces." The subordinate replied.
"Zhao Lin? Why is it him?"
Wu Zhonglin frowned.
The title of Zhao Lin, the Governor of Jiangbei, did not scare him, but the meaning behind it made him wary.
Without sufficient imperial favor, how could Zhao Lin, at such a young age, be promoted three times in two years to become governor?
To offend him is like to offend the emperor.
"It's not easy." Wu Zhonglin said.
"Are we just going to watch them being hung up and beaten? Zhao Lin said that they will be whipped ten times every incense stick until the master shows up and beats them to death." The subordinate said hurriedly.
"Hmph! Zhao Lin is going too far!" Wu Zhonglin said angrily.
If it was just a beating, Wu Zhonglin would have endured it.
But hanging me up and beating me like this, and threatening not to let me go unless I go, is forcing myself.
If you don't show up, how can you continue to be an official in the future?
"Let's go. I want to see why Zhao Lin is interfering in the affairs of Tongzhou."
Wu Zhonglin directly mobilized the yamen runners, constables, and part of the city defense forces from Tongzhou Prefecture to come to the riverside and surround Zhao Lin's boat.
Seeing that more people were coming, and they were very aggressive, the people on both sides of the strait watched even more excitedly.
They called their friends and there were thousands of them. Some people were even squeezed and fell into the water.
"Sir, help me."
Seeing Wu Zhonglin coming, Lu Fang and others shouted.
Wu Zhonglin's face was gloomy. He said, "Put them down."
Just as the bailiff was about to release the man, he was stopped by the Qingzhou army.
"Are you Lord Wu, the Tongzhi of Guanhe? My master wants to see you." Shen Yuan said.
"snort!"
Wu Zhonglin snorted coldly, followed Shen Yuan in, glanced around, and said, "Who is Zhao Xiantai?"
Zhao Lin said calmly, "I am the governor."
"Zhao Xiantai, aren't you going too far?" Wu Zhonglin's face was gloomy. "You are the Governor-General of Jiangbei, not the Governor-General of our three provinces, so you have no control over us. But I will give you a favor and let them go. I will let bygones be bygones for what happened today. Otherwise..."
"What else?" Zhao Lin asked.
"The officials in my Tongzhou are not easy to bully." Wu Zhonglin said.
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "I want to see how hard it is to bully him. Hang him up too."
"You dare?"
Wu Zhonglin was furious: "Zhao Lin, it's true that you are deeply favored by the emperor, but I am not afraid of you. My niece is a concubine in the palace. If you dare to hit me, I will never forgive you."
"No wonder he is so arrogant, it turns out he has a backer. Tell me, which concubine is it?" Zhao Lin said.
"Rong Fei." Wu Zhonglin said proudly.
"I know Rong Fei. She has been very favored recently, and His Majesty almost obeys her every word." Zhao Lin said.
"Hmph, it's good to know. Why don't you release him quickly and apologize sincerely, and I will pretend that what happened today never happened. Otherwise, I will definitely let my niece sue you severely. Then we will see if your favor is still there."
Wu Zhonglin sneered and said, "If you lose the emperor's favor, let's see what you will do."
The Wu family is a wealthy merchant family with few officials. The position of Wu Zhonglin was bought by him at a huge cost.
Originally, this good thing was not his turn until his niece became Concubine Rong, and then he became the Tongzhi of Guanhe.
Zhao Lin sighed: "Do you know how I got my divine favor?"
"How did it come about?" Wu Zhonglin asked subconsciously.
Everyone knows that Zhao Lin is deeply favored by the emperor. He was promoted three times in just two years and became governor at the age of 18.
Everyone also found out that Zhao Lin had given the emperor a lot of money and gifts.
But no one is sure how it came about.
Wu Zhonglin looked at Zhao Lin expectantly.
If I could master the method of gaining the emperor's favor, could I also become a governor like Zhao Lin?
How could a mere Tongzhi of Guanhe Hall compare to the governor's power of life and death?
"Of course it's because you can have many concubines, but I only have one."
Zhao Lin didn't mention what Wu Zhonglin was interested in, and said, "Hang him up and beat him. I want to see if Concubine Rong can persuade the Emperor."
"You, you dare?"
Wu Zhonglin couldn't believe it.
Where did Zhao Lin get the courage to hit him even though he knew he was Rong Fei's uncle?
"You are the governor of Jiangbei, and you have no control over Tongzhou." Wu Zhonglin said with his neck stiff.
Indeed, what Zhao Lin did was committing a crime across provinces.
Zhao Lin sneered and said, "In addition to being the Governor-General, I am also a censor appointed by the Emperor. I can kill you on the spot, not to mention beating you. Do you want to try?"
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