On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Cangzhou government office, main hall.

The atmosphere was as heavy as the silence before a storm.

Jizhou Governor Li Chongwen and Hebei Road Chief of Army Zhao Huaian, these two high-ranking officials whose stomping of their feet could shake the Hebei Road three times, now stood in the hall like two clay sculptures and wooden carvings, holding their breath and concentrating.

Li Chongwen was about fifty years old. His elegant face could not hide his fatigue and panic from the long journey. The hem of his official robe was stained with undried mud.

Zhao Huaian was about the same age as him, with a burly build and a resolute face. He was still in his military uniform, and his brows showed the heroic spirit honed by military service. But at this moment, he also lowered his head slightly, looking down at the ground, not daring to look directly up.

In the main seat at the top, Lin Zhen sat upright like a deep abyss.

There was no trace of fatigue from the long journey on his face, only a deep and unfathomable coldness.

That coldness was not a deliberate display of majesty, but rather the extreme coldness that resulted from the forced suppression of the raging anger in his heart.

Next to him was the dazzlingly new "Zheng Yuande Case File" that he had taken out from the file library.

"Snapped--!"

A clear and piercing loud noise suddenly broke the silence!

Lin Zhen suddenly grabbed the file, swung his arm, and threw it heavily on the blue brick floor in front of Li Chongwen and Zhao Huaian with a sharp sound of breaking through the air!

The heavy pages fell, splashing fine dust. The words on the cover "The file of a serious beheading case reported by Cangzhou Prefecture in the 17th year of Tianbao" looked particularly ironic under the dim light.

"Look! Open your eyes and look!" Lin Zhen's voice was not loud, but it was like an ice pick hitting rock, and every word was filled with a biting chill.

"This is what you rule! The dignified governor of Cangzhou, the father of the local government, has done! He embezzled state funds to an appalling amount, colluded with enemy chieftains, hid royal treasures, and, for personal gain, framed innocent citizens, fabricated false evidence, and disregarded human life! He caused loyal men to be wrongly executed! A chaste woman was stigmatized for twenty years!"

He stood up suddenly, looking down at the two frontier officials from a high position, his eyes burning with anger.

"Tell me! You two, the high officials in charge of Hebei Province! Are you blind?! Deaf?! Or are you colluding with Chen Changli?! Are you in cahoots with him?!!"

The invisible pressure came crashing down like a mountain! Li Chongwen felt a chill running from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head. His legs softened and he fell heavily to his knees with a thud!

Beads of cold sweat instantly oozed out of his forehead, slid down his temples, and dripped onto the cold bricks and stones.

"Prince, please calm down! Prince, please calm down!"

Li Chongwen's voice was filled with tears, and his body was shaking like a sieve. "I heard about this on the way here. Chen Changli is a traitor and has taken human life lightly. As his superior, I am to blame for this! This matter is indeed due to my failure to supervise and control my subordinates. I dare not defend myself. Please punish me severely, Your Highness! I have no complaints!"

He kowtowed like pounding garlic, his forehead hitting the blue bricks with a dull "dong dong" sound, his posture was humble enough to be in the dust.

Zhao Huaian, standing by, didn't kneel, but he bowed deeply and saluted with his fists clasped. His soldierly stance was filled with unquestionable loyalty and guilt. "Prince! General Zhao Huaian! I am also responsible for my negligence in this matter! Although I am in charge of military affairs and have little involvement in local government, Cangzhou is a major city in Hebei Province. I failed to detect the evil intentions of this villain, causing the people to suffer and the loyal and good to be wronged! I am ashamed of your cultivation, Your Highness, and the trust you have placed in me!"

He suddenly looked up, a trace of military ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "This is a scoundrel official who has brought disaster to the country and the people, a man without conscience! Cutting him into pieces is not a pity! I beg your permission! I am willing to personally supervise the execution! Behead him and display his head in public! As a warning to others! And to comfort the soul of the innocent!"

Lin Zhen swept his cold gaze over the two of them.

Zhao Huaian is a brave general promoted by my grandfather. His loyalty is unquestionable. His duties are mainly in the military, and local government affairs are indeed not the focus of his jurisdiction.

His anger subsided a little, but when he turned to Li Chongwen, the coldness became even worse!

"Punish? Supervise the execution?" Lin Zhen's voice was tinged with sarcasm. "There's no need for you two high-ranking officials to personally handle the punishment of a corrupt local official! I came to Cangzhou in person, not to kill Chen Changli!"

He took a step forward, his eyes like knives piercing Li Chongwen:

"I'm angry about such a heinous crime, such a horrific injustice! It's been entrenched right under the nose of you, Jizhou Governor Li Chongwen, for twenty years, and you actually tell me you didn't know?!!"

"Li Chongwen, you inspect the various prefectures every year as per your custom, and Cangzhou is under your jurisdiction in Jizhou. Chen Changli reports to you every year and pays you taxes every year. Are you aware that his mansion is extravagant and far exceeds regulations, and that his officials have many complaints. Did you really not hear a single word of this?! Or—"

Lin Zhen's voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap:

"You accepted his bribes and covered up for him?! You were in cahoots with him?!"

"Your Highness, please understand! I dare not! I absolutely dare not!" Li Chongwen was so frightened that his soul was about to leave his body. His body was shaking so much that he almost collapsed to the ground, and his voice was hoarse and shrill.

"Although I conduct my annual inspections, Chen Changli is incredibly cunning. He's a master of the surface, and the government accounts, at least the ones on the surface, are impeccable! I've heard some rumors, but I have no concrete evidence! Furthermore, he did have a reputation for defending the city, so I was hesitant to investigate further. I'm guilty! I deserve to die! But I swear to heaven! I haven't accepted a single cent of bribe from Chen Changli! I haven't shielded him! Nor have I colluded with him! If I tell even a single lie, I'll be struck by lightning! My entire clan will be wiped out!"

He pointed to the sky and the earth, tears streaming down his face. His forehead was already bruised and blood was oozing out.

Lin Zhen stared at him intently.

In fact, the ancients did not swear often, but if they dared to swear, it was basically true, and not as worthless as the lies in later generations.

Besides, whether he is greedy or not can be known through investigation. Lin Zhen doesn't believe that Li Chongwen dares to be so cunning at this critical moment. He must be tired of living.

"Okay." Lin Zhen finally spoke, his voice still cold. "I've taken note of your words. From now on, the secret guards I've brought with me will work with the Jizhou Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to thoroughly investigate all the documents and accounts between your Jizhou Governor's Office and Cangzhou Prefecture over the past ten years! We will also investigate all the properties, land, and shops under the names of you, Li Chongwen, and all your immediate family members! If there's even a hint of impropriety..."

He leaned forward slightly, approaching Li Chongwen's face, which was distorted by fear, and spoke clearly, word by word:

"I promise you'll die a hundred times more miserably than Chen Changli!"

Li Chongwen's whole body shook violently, as if all his strength had been drained away. He collapsed to the ground, leaving only heavy breathing and desperate sobs.

Deep inside the dungeon of Cangzhou government office.

It was dark and damp here, and the air was filled with a strong stench of mold, blood, and excrement.

Water droplets condensed on the cold stone wall, dripping.

This was the water dungeon area built by Chen Changli himself to detain serious criminals and political enemies, but now it has become his own prison.

The jailers received strict orders from their superiors not to let Chen Changli die easily, but special care was inevitable.

Who allowed this corrupt official to withhold salaries while in office and allow his relatives to abuse their power in prison?

Now that we are in trouble, it is time to seek revenge for our grievances.

Therefore, Chen Changli's prison food was rotten, the drinking water was polluted, and occasionally he could enjoy dirty water accidentally splashed in by the jailers, as well as stones flying from nowhere in the dark.

In just a few days, he was tortured beyond recognition.