The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

"You two go down and rest first. Lord Xiong and Lord Jiang will stay here."

"I'm waiting to retire."

After watching them leave, Li Chengfeng nodded at Xiong and Jiang, indicating them to sit down.

"General Xiong, how are the captive soldiers from the Northern Frontier training going?"

"Your Majesty, you may not know that at the beginning, they were all very unconvinced, but I beat them one by one until they were subdued."

"Those ministers who love to cause trouble are also given special attention."

"This time I'm pulling them out to gain some experience."

"How did you know I was here?"

"Your Majesty," Jiang Long said, bowing, "Lord Song sent the two of us to protect Your Majesty."

"Oh? What did Lord Song say?"

Thinking of Song Weiyu's pretty face, Li Chengfeng's eyes were unconsciously filled with tenderness.

"Lord Song has to deal with government affairs every day. Seeing that Your Majesty has not returned to the capital for such a long time, he is worried that you have encountered an accident in Jiangnan, so he asked us two to come and see you."

"Is there anything unusual in the court?"

"Everything is going well in the capital. Lord Song and Prime Minister Song have managed all government affairs in an orderly manner."

"That's good"

"Master Xiong, please distribute some of the money confiscated this time to the soldiers."

Xiong Haikuo was puzzled: "Why now?"

"Jiangnan is not like the capital. It's a very hard-pressed place. If I want to completely resolve the problems here, it will inevitably lead to another bloody storm."

"The soldiers will be more motivated to do their work if they receive rewards."

"In the future, if there are any house searches, just turn a blind eye to any treasures the soldiers have hidden."

"This is my special approval."

"...yes"

Xiong Haikuo looked surprised. Is this how you can lead troops?

He was becoming increasingly puzzled by the young emperor, but such an order felt pretty good.

Li Chengfeng continued, "Xiong Haikuo, Jiang Long, tomorrow you two will be responsible for supervising the distribution of money and grain. You must ensure fairness and justice."

“Also, detailed records of distribution will be kept for future inspection.”

He paused, his eyes burning, "I don't want to hear any more about corruption!"

"We obey your order!" Xiong Haikuo and Jiang Long clasped their fists and accepted the order with solemn expressions.

Xiong Haikuo glanced at Jiang Long secretly, with a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Jiang Long had a blank expression on his face, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He just nodded silently.

The next morning, the streets of Yuxiang County were bustling with activity.

County Magistrate Gao had already arranged for yamen runners and clerks to distribute the gold, silver, and grain seized from the confiscation to the people according to the extent of the disaster.

At the same time, yamen runners posted notices throughout the county, informing the people that the money and grain were the emperor's grace, in order to appease the people.

On the notice, written in neat regular script were the words "The emperor's grace is boundless, providing relief to the victims", and every word revealed the royal majesty and kindness.

The people, bringing their elderly and children, lined up in long queues to receive money and food.

After they received the money and food, they all smiled happily and knelt down, shouting "Long live the emperor" and thanking the emperor for his kindness.

An elderly woman took the grain bag tremblingly, tears streaming down her face, and said excitedly: "God bless you, the emperor is truly a living Bodhisattva!" The people around her also echoed her, and the scene was deeply touching.

……

At the same time, Sun Wuchu, the Minister of Works who was far away in the capital, changed his expression drastically when he received the news that the officials of Yuxiang County had their homes confiscated.

He suddenly threw the teacup in his hand to the ground, his face pale and he paced back and forth, feeling anxious.

The Yuxiang County official was just a signal; the young emperor had likely discovered the problems in Jiangnan Prefecture. Li Chengfeng's move was clearly a warning to others; he might be the next target!

"Someone come here!" Sun Wuchu shouted sternly.

A guard immediately pushed the door open and knelt on one knee, "What are your orders, sir?"

"Go, call Guards Six and Seven!"

A moment later, two men in black appeared silently in front of Sun Wuchu and bowed, "Sir."

Sun Wuchu's face was gloomy and he ordered:

"Send someone immediately to spread rumors that the real emperor has gone on an incognito tour to the south of the Yangtze River."

"The one in Zhenguo Temple is a fake emperor."

"Li Chengfeng's actions are costly and deceptive, and he's misleading people. He's not really doing disaster relief, but rather trying to win over people and consolidate his throne!"

With a fierce look in his eyes, he said, "We must make this a big deal, and it would be best if everyone knows about it!"

"Yes!" The two men in black took the order and left, their figures quickly disappearing into the night.

"We must deal with Jiangnan's traces as soon as possible!"

He called his trusted aide, Zhang Sheng, and said, "Mr. Zhang, something happened in Yuxiang County!"

After closing the study door tightly, Zhang Sheng said solemnly, bowing:

"Please be patient, my lord. Please speak slowly."

"The young emperor went to Jiangnan and found Yuxiang County. The shoddy construction of the dike was exposed."

"The accounts of Jiangnan Prefecture..."

Sun Wuchu waved his hands and said resolutely: "It must be wiped clean!"

"Yes, I'll do it right away."

After saying that, he quickly walked out of the study and summoned all the messengers in the mansion to convey Sun Wuchu's order to the officials of Jiangnan Prefecture as quickly as possible.

The messengers spurred their horses and disappeared into the night.

On the other side, the two men in black found Sun Wuchu's confidant who was stationed in the capital, a shrewd middle-aged businessman, and conveyed Sun Wuchu's instructions to him.

After hearing this, the merchant smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, sir. Leave this matter to me."

The man in black nodded and turned to leave.

The businessman watched them leave with a sneer on his face.

He immediately summoned his men and assigned them the task of spreading rumors.

His men were spread all over the capital, including storytellers in teahouses, street vendors, and waiters in restaurants. Each of them performed his duties and began to spread rumors that were unfavorable to Li Chengfeng and create chaos.

"Have you heard? The money and food used for disaster relief were originally plundered from us ordinary people!"

"That's right! I think that person isn't really doing disaster relief. He's just pretending to win people's hearts!"

Various rumors spread in the streets and alleys of the capital, causing panic among the people.

In the teahouse, the storyteller was telling the story of the emperor's disaster relief in a vivid manner.

"The emperor, ostensibly providing disaster relief, actually..."

The storyteller deliberately lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "He's gone to plunder the people's wealth and seek pleasure in pleasure!"

The guests in the teahouse listened with great interest and made comments from time to time.

An old man in plain clothes sighed, "Alas, this world..."

He shook his head, his expression gloomy.

A young man nearby retorted, "I don't think so. The emperor is a wise ruler. How could he do such a thing?"

"What do you know!" a man with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks interrupted.

"The Emperor is a tyrant! The money and grain for disaster relief were originally extorted from us ordinary people, and now he's just giving it back. And he expects us to be grateful for this!"

He spoke excitedly, spitting everywhere.

The young man couldn't argue with him and left in anger.