"I am guilty."

Zhang Gui knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

Although he hadn't witnessed Jiang Chen's methods firsthand, he knew exactly how he had obtained his position as magistrate.

It was after Jiang Chen's furious purge that swept away officials throughout Zhongzhou that he was able to fill the vacancy!

Such a large-scale undertaking was unprecedented, not only in the Wei Dynasty but throughout history.

Yet, the current Emperor had done just that!

From this alone, Zhang Gui knew that Jiang Chen was definitely not a soft-hearted man.

The He Runli and He Runyi brothers also realized what they were about to face. Their bodies went limp, and they collapsed to the ground.

Jiang Chen didn't bother wasting words with Zhang Gui.

"Zhang Gui, after arranging all local affairs, take them both to the Ministry of Justice in the capital. Am I clear enough?" Jiang Chen said coldly.

Zhang Gui shuddered, his face turning deathly pale.

This was sending them to their doom.

But Zhang Gui didn't dare disobey.

Following Jiang Chen's instructions might only result in punishment for the parties involved.

But if he ran away, the implications would be much greater.

The entire clan might be in danger!

Seeing Zhang Gui agree, Jiang Chen roared, "Get out!"

"Yes... yes..."

Zhang Gui scrambled backward. He Runli and He Runyi wanted to say something, but Zhang Gui glared at them fiercely, scaring them into silence.

Once outside, He Runyi hurriedly said, "Nephew-in-law, going to the capital is dangerous!"

Zhang Gui looked at He Runyi, so angry he wanted to kill him.

If it weren't for this unreliable He Runyi, he wouldn't be in this predicament!

"Go if you want!"

Zhang Gui waved his sleeve and boarded his carriage.

Before leaving, he glared at the He Runli brothers again. "I advise you to obediently come with me to the capital, otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

After saying that, Zhang Gui left.

He Runli and He Runyi stood there, not regaining their senses for a long time.

It was the first time they had seen Zhang Gui so ruthless.

This time, it really seemed like the end!

Upstairs, Red Peony and White Peony didn't leave with Zhang Gui and the others.

They had played a little trick. Nepotism and oppressing the villagers were all their business.

They hadn't done anything.

Moreover, the handsome man before them was actually the current Emperor. No matter what, they had to take a chance and try.

If they succeeded, they would truly become phoenixes from ordinary chickens.

White Peony, in particular, harbored this thought.

She believed that with her skills in dealing with men, even Jiang Chen, with his three thousand concubines in the harem, would surely be under her control.

Thinking of the future glory and wealth, White Peony swayed her slender waist and walked towards Jiang Chen with a seductive sway.

"Your Majesty, this humble servant..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jing Yue, who was beside Jiang Chen, suddenly stood up.

Before she could react, she saw Jing Yue suddenly appear in front of her.

"What do you want to do?"

As soon as White Peony finished speaking, she felt herself flying.

Bang!

White Peony fell heavily to the ground, wincing in pain.

Even so, she tried to maintain the appearance of a delicate woman. "You... how can you be so barbaric?"

As she spoke, mist rose in her eyes, her voice filled with coquetry. "Your Majesty, look at her..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Ting slammed his hand on the table, making a loud bang.

The loud noise startled White Peony. She saw Zhao Ting staring at her fiercely.

"If you don't get out, I'll throw you down!"

White Peony's face, covered in rouge, instantly turned whiter than paper.

She glanced at Jiang Chen, unwilling to give up, but saw that Jiang Chen was sipping tea with interest, not even looking at her. She stomped her foot in anger.

Then, she felt Zhao Ting's oppressive gaze again and quickly turned and ran out.

As for Red Peony, when she saw White Peony being thrown to the ground by Jing Yue, she had already slipped away without a word.

Jiang Chen put down his teacup and smiled at Jing Yue. "Well done."

Jing Yue's face flushed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

After enjoying a good meal at the restaurant, Jiang Chen set off again with Jing Yue and Zhao Ting, heading to the capital of Zhongzhou – Shangdu.

The name Shangdu naturally came from the capital of the Shang Dynasty in ancient times.

In addition, its location was in the center of successive dynasties, which naturally made it a necessary place for north-south and east-west connections.

In addition, the area is mostly plains and hills, which is also one of the important grain-producing areas of successive dynasties.

With the blessing of these factors, the prosperity of Shangdu ranks among the best in the entire Wei Dynasty.

Entering Shangdu, what you can see is the people and merchants from all over the Wei Dynasty.

In addition, the number of fields held by the people near Shangdu is more than that of the people in other places.

Therefore, the people of Shangdu and its surrounding areas are not so stretched in their lives.

The appearance of Jiang Chen and the other two did not attract the attention of any of the people.

There were no less than eighty or one hundred such carriages every day.

However, a few interested people noticed Jiang Chen's carriage.

In a corner, several sturdy men with gleams in their eyes took out a portrait, looked at it, and then nodded heavily.

"He should be Zhao Ting, who is rumored to have fought the tiger!"

"Notify the others, find a suitable opportunity, and kill Jiang Chen at all costs!"

After Jiang Chen took Jing Yue and Zhao Ting to book an inn, they came to the streets of the city and walked slowly.

When they left the capital, it was mid-October.

Along the way, it was already early November.

The weather was already very cold, but the streets were still bustling with hawkers and conversations. The prosperity of Shangdu made Jiang Chen very happy.

Here, one could not see how much disaster the Wei Dynasty had experienced this year.

Along the road, they soon reached the end.

"Young Master, today is the Winter Solstice. There happens to be a dumpling seller here. Why don't we eat here?" Zhao Ting suggested at this time.

Jiang Chen glanced over and saw a woman was guarding a steaming stove, kneading dumplings.

Hearing Zhao Ting's words, the woman hurriedly greeted, "The three of you, the dumplings are freshly made, please sit down."

Jiang Chen smiled and took Jing Yue and Zhao Ting to find a table closest to the stall and sat down, watching the woman skillfully put the dumplings into the pot.

"Madam, how is business usually?" Jiang Chen asked.

The woman was also a talkative person. Hearing Jiang Chen's question, she smiled and said, "It's okay, it was a little worse than before in the middle of the year, but it's been much better recently."

"How many people are there in your family? What do they all do?" Jiang Chen asked again.

"There are three sons. The eldest one used to be a waiter in a restaurant in the town, but now he has returned home to farm with the second and third."