An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

Almost overnight, all checkpoints on land and water were abolished. Notices were posted at every city gate and entry and exit port, including the gates of the prefectural and county governments.

Seas of people crowded around the notices, their faces filled with disbelief and their eyes filled with confusion and anticipation. They discussed the matter in a cacophony of excitement.

"Is this true? I can be exempted from taxes for three years."

A white-haired old farmer asked in a hoarse voice. His face was full of wrinkles, and the vicissitudes of life made him look particularly vicissitudes. At this moment, his eyes were shining, as if he couldn't believe the sudden good news before him.

"Does that mean tea will no longer be confiscated?" a young man asked. His hands were rough and strong, obviously the result of long-term labor. Beside him stood his wife, holding a swaddled baby in her arms. His wife's face also showed expectation and anxiety.

"Master, you are literate, please explain it to us. Why don't we understand it?" someone in the crowd shouted anxiously.

As expected, everything was arranged in advance. Before each notice, there would be three or two teachers or scholars, who would cling to the wall and patiently explain the contents to the people. The teachers and scholars were all dressed in long gowns. Although their clothes were simple, their temperaments were elegant. They all looked focused and patiently explained the contents of the notice to the people.

"Starting tomorrow, everyone can line up at the yamen with cloth bags and bring proof of the grain and tea your families have surrendered over the past two years," a teacher said earnestly, pointing to the notice. His voice was low, yet it exuded a firmness and composure. The people around him nodded, their eyes lit up with a flicker of sudden enlightenment.

"The notice says that the taxes paid over the past two years will be converted into silver at market price and used to distribute grain to the people," another scholar continued. He looked younger, with a touch of youthfulness on his face, but his eyes shone with seriousness. He gestured with his hands as he spoke, speaking slowly, fearing the people wouldn't understand.

Worried that the people behind him couldn't hear him, he spoke very loudly and repeated the same words over and over again.

"Those who were taken captive, as long as they are still alive, will be released soon," the Master continued, his voice filled with joy and relief. Cheers erupted from the crowd, and many people's faces broke into long-lost smiles. Some were even moved to tears.

As soon as the news came out, the entire Jian'an City was filled with cheers.

"We are saved. We won't starve to death anymore," an old woman said excitedly. Her face was full of wrinkles, and the vicissitudes of life made her look particularly haggard. But at this moment, her face was filled with a happy smile, as if all the suffering had disappeared.

"God has mercy on us! Which deity couldn't bear to see us suffer and gave us a way to live?" A middle-aged man knelt on the ground, hands clasped together, praying to the sky. His face was filled with gratitude and awe, and his eyes revealed a firm belief.

"Who else could it be? Didn't you see the guards escorting the dog official? The century-old aristocratic families and prominent clans of Jian'an County have joined forces to rid the people of this evil," someone in the crowd said, their voice filled with pride and respect. The people who heard it nodded in agreement, their eyes lit up with sudden enlightenment.

"Think about it, the most prestigious and powerful families in Jian'an City are only those one or two," an old man said in a deep voice, stroking his beard. His face was full of wisdom and composure, his eyes shone with a deep light, and his words were full of meaning.

"God is watching over us. I will go back and burn incense and kowtow to them, praying for them, asking the Buddha to bless their Chu family to prosper for a thousand years and have many descendants." A young woman said, her face still showing shyness and piety, but her eyes revealed a firm belief.

"I heard that it was that family who contributed manpower and food to solve the urgent problem of Jian'an County and save the people from dire straits." Someone in the crowd whispered, his heart and eyes filled with awe and gratitude.

"I also heard that it was they who strongly recommended the people who are now temporarily taking over the work of the county magistrate's office and the county government, all of them are honest and upright officials." This was what a teacher said, and the people were very convinced.

"Thank you, Lord Qingtian! Thank you, Cui Mansion!" Cheers rang out from the crowd, and the people knelt on the ground, kowtowed and bowed in the direction of Cui Mansion. Their faces were full of gratitude and respect, and their eyes revealed a firm belief.

"Hurry up and go back to prepare, and look for the receipts for paying grain and tea!" A middle-aged man shouted, calling out to himself and others, his face full of eagerness and excitement, and his eyes unusually firm.

As he spoke, he turned and ran towards home, leaving a trail of hurried footsteps behind him.

"No, there will be too many people tomorrow. I have to let the two boys go to queue up first. At worst, they can just wrap up all the clothes at home and lie down in front of the government office tonight." Another man said, and before he turned and squeezed out, he shouted loudly: "Big boy, second boy, come out quickly and queue up at the government office!"

It was still early, but the people were already excited and moving. This news had given them hope and motivation to continue living.

After this notice was issued, the people, who had been holed up in their homes for almost two years, poured out into the streets. Once the city gates were opened, the influx of people was even faster than ants moving their homes, creating an unprecedented bustle everywhere.

The streets were bustling with people, as if the entire Jian'an City was ignited by this sudden good news, and it felt like the world had changed.

Many people lit incense burners on both sides of the street and burned tall incense sticks. Many people knelt and kowtowed to express their gratitude to the Cui family, while many cursed the corrupt officials for having no descendants and a bad death.

Some offered consolations to deceased relatives, others prayed for the swift return of those taken captive. Incense curled upward, filling the air, carrying the people's prayers and gratitude as it drifted off into the distance.

Over the next few days, the seven or eight counties under Jian'an Commandery were also in turmoil. Wherever the Golden Shadow Guards went, officials surrendered and voluntarily surrendered their weapons.

……

Jing Chunxi felt very tired at night and bored during the day. Occasionally, she would stand outside the gate, looking out the window at the bustling street scene, a relieved smile on her face.

Ever since he told Xu Zize his secret, he summoned several big leaders of the Golden Shadow Guard to discuss all matters and made many deployments.

The first task of the Golden Shadow Guard was to capture the main officials of Jian'an County and their minions, and temporarily assign orders to capable officials who cared about the people.

The members of the Golden Shadow Guard, dressed in black and agile, appeared silently in every corner and took down the corrupt officials one by one. Their actions were swift and decisive, leaving no chance for the officials to resist.

The arrested officials were all pale and terrified. They had never imagined that they would be caught so easily, and they didn't expect that their doomsday would come so soon.

The Jin Yingwei also planned the entire parade and petition process. Naturally, the escort team could no longer be made up of the Jin Yingwei's people. Instead, they selected representatives from aristocratic families, academies, and the people who had a sense of justice and dared to take responsibility to form a large escort team, bringing relevant evidence and the people's petitions to Beijing.

They meticulously planned every detail, from the parade route to the petition and the method of escorting the prisoners, all of which were repeatedly deliberated and discussed. This petition concerned the future of Jian'an County and the fate of the people, so it had to be foolproof.

The task of posting the people's joint petitions and notices was still personally completed by the brothers Chengrui and Chengzhi.

They took their own small teams and traveled through the streets and alleys, posting notices and collecting petitions from the people.

Wherever they went, they would earnestly explain to the people the significance of the petition, its impact on the people and the future of Jian'an County, and encourage everyone to bravely fight evil and actively participate. The people responded one after another, and they also regarded themselves as part of Jian'an County and signed their names on the petition.