On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

"Pfft!"

Wang Youde felt as if his spine had been pulled out, his legs went limp, and he fell heavily to his knees on the ground!

The cold sweat on his forehead flowed down like a stream, instantly soaking the front of his official robe.

He supported himself on the ground with his hands, his body shaking like a sieve, and he made incoherent excuses with a sobbing voice:

"Your Highness, please understand! This is an injustice, a monstrous injustice! These are the deposits these merchants paid to buy the land! They are the money to buy the land! I am only keeping it for safekeeping, for safekeeping! I have absolutely no intention of corruption! I have served as an official in Hu County for many years, working diligently and conscientiously, with an incorruptible character, and I love the people like my own children. Heaven can bear witness to this, Your Highness!"

As he spoke, he kowtowed hard, his forehead hitting the cold floor tiles with a dull "bang bang" sound, trying to gain a little sympathy with this humble gesture.

"Working diligently? Incorruptible?" Lin Zhen chuckled, his laughter filled with undisguised mockery. "County Magistrate Wang, the incorruptible spirit beneath your official robes must be woven with gold and silver threads, right?"

Wang Youde's body suddenly stiffened, he stopped kowtowing, and the blood drained from his face, leaving only a pale white.

Lin Zhen stopped looking at him and turned his gaze to the huge landscape screen on the side of the inner hall. He said lightly: "Er Gou."

"My subordinate is here!"

A ghostly figure emerged silently from behind the screen!

It was the investigative secret guard that Lin Zhen secretly set up years ago, and Ergou was the leader!

He was thin and small, wearing an inconspicuous black nightgown, with a black scarf covering his face, revealing only a pair of bright and alert little eyes like a mouse. His pointed and monkey-like appearance revealed the slickness and cunning of the stock market.

He knelt on one knee in front of Lin Zhen with quick and decisive movements.

"Tell me." Lin Zhen's voice remained flat.

Ergou raised his head, his voice deliberately lowered and hoarse, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Reporting to the Crown Prince! I was ordered to arrive in Hu County three days ago to secretly investigate County Magistrate Wang Youde, his relatives, and property."

He spoke very quickly, like pouring beans, and clearly:

"First, upon investigation, we have discovered five large estates located northwest and southeast of Hu County, as well as three locations along the river outside the city, covering nearly a thousand acres. Although the land deeds are held in the names of different individuals, they ultimately belong to Wang Youde's brother-in-law, cousin, and other relatives! These estates are all tenanted by local residents, with rent and taxes reaching 70%!"

"Secondly, deep in the cellar of his bedroom behind the county government office, we unearthed a cache of silver totaling 37,000 taels! 1,200 taels of gold! There were also two boxes of jewelry and jade! The value is inestimable!"

"Third, according to the confession of his trusted steward, since taking office, Wang Youde has been exploiting the people under false pretenses and accepting bribes from merchants, providing cover for his seizure of land, lowering wages, and tax evasion! The proceeds of his corruption far exceed what is currently available!"

Ergou paused, his small eyes gleaming with a glint of insight as he added, "Fourthly, during my investigation, I discovered that he has dozens of thugs at his disposal, bullying the villagers and exploiting the common people! He's even been implicated in several murders, and the victims, unable to file a complaint, are being persecuted!"

Every charge was like a heavy hammer, hitting Wang Youde's heart hard!

His body, kneeling on the ground, began to tremble violently, his face turned from pale to gray, and finally to a dead silent despair!

He never expected that the prince's men would be so powerful!

In just three days, his long-hidden secrets and deepest buried wealth were peeled off layer by layer like peeling an onion and exposed in broad daylight!

Even his coffin buried in the deepest part of the cellar was dug out!

This is simply a supernatural method!

After hearing this, Lin Zhen's face showed no surprise. He just nodded slightly, his eyes returning to Wang Youde, who was lying on the ground like a pile of mud, and his voice was filled with a hint of cold amusement:

"County Magistrate Wang, do you have anything else to explain now?"

"Pfft!"

Wang Youde completely collapsed!

The last glimmer of hope was ruthlessly crushed!

He seemed to have all his bones pulled out, and he collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face, howling like a slaughtered pig and begging for mercy:

"Prince, please spare my life! Please spare my life! I deserve to die. I am a fool! I was blinded by greed and money! Please have mercy on me! Give me a way to live! I am willing to work like a slave and give away all my property. I only ask you to spare my life, wuwuwu..."

He wailed and banged his forehead against the ground frantically, his face covered with blood, tears, and snot. He looked like a madman, extremely humble and despicable.

Lin Zhen looked at his ugly appearance, and a trace of undisguised disgust flashed in his eyes.

He frowned slightly, as if annoyed by the wailing, and waved his hand casually: "Alright! Whether you can survive depends on your performance."

Like a drowning man grabbing the last straw!

Wang Youde suddenly stopped crying and raised his bloodied and battered face. His eyes gleamed with ecstasy, and he shouted as if he had grabbed a lifeline: "Prince! Prince, tell me! As long as you spare my life, I will do anything! I will go through fire and water! I will do anything!"

"It's very simple." Lin Zhen's voice was as cold as ice. "Write down all the corruption and bribery you've done over the years, one by one, to this prince! Time, place, people, amount, reason, not a single detail can be left out! Including..."

He glanced at the merchants who had already turned pale with fear and huddled in the corners of their chairs. "Including the names and companies of all the merchants who bribed you or colluded with you!"

Upon hearing this, the ecstatic expression on Wang Youde's face froze instantly, and then turned into an extremely complicated distortion!

Fear, hesitation, struggle... In the end, the fear of death overwhelmed everything!

He nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice: "Write! Write! Your humble servant...your humble servant does not need to write!"

He seemed to have remembered something, a strange light flashed in his eyes, and he said anxiously: "Prince! I have a private account book, everything is recorded clearly on it, all the things, all the money, all the names! It's all in it! It's all in it!" He seemed to see the hope of life, and his voice changed with excitement.

"Oh?" Lin Zhen's eyes flashed, "Account book? Where is it?"

"In... in..." Wang Youde hesitated for a moment, but seeing Lin Zhen's cold gaze, he dared not hesitate any longer. "In the study room behind the county government office, there is a secret compartment behind the bookshelf! The account book... the account book is hidden in it!"

"Mao Mengji!" Lin Zhen immediately ordered.

"I'm here!" Mao Mengji appeared behind Wang Youde like a ghost.

"Take a few people, take him and get the account book! If he dares to play tricks... haha." Lin Zhen's voice suddenly turned cold.

"I understand!" A fierce gleam flashed in Mao Mengji's eyes. He lifted up the limp Wang Youde like a chicken and said in a voice that sounded like it came from hell, "County Magistrate Wang, please! It's best not to let me do it myself!"

His skinny fingers clamped on the back of Wang Youde's neck like iron clamps, bringing a biting chill and severe pain!

Wang Youde was so frightened that his soul was about to be shattered that he kept shouting, "I dare not! I dare not! I will lead the way right away! I will lead the way right away!"

Escorted by several ferocious Jinwu Guards, he staggered and crawled as he was dragged towards the back house.