With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

Qian Baiwan and others listened to Lu Yan's words, but sneered in their hearts.

They agreed to cooperate on the surface, raised their glasses frequently, and treated Lu Yan as brothers.

In fact, he was thinking about how to continue to fight against the new policy.

"Master Lu, your wine is really good!"

Qian Baiwan smiled and raised his glass.

"Come, let me toast you!"

Lu Yan also raised his glass with a smile.

"Master Qian, you're too polite! The future development of Shannan Prefecture still depends on your support!"

"That's nature, that's nature!"

Qian Baiwan and others responded one after another, but they were cursing in their hearts.

"I don't support you! I wish you would die sooner!"

After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

Qian Baiwan and others pretended to say goodbye and left.

Lu Yan looked at their receding backs, a sneer appearing on the corner of his mouth.

"Hmph, if you don't accept my toast, then I'll punish you! Since you don't appreciate my courtesy, don't blame me for being rude!"

Lu Yan had long expected that Qian Baiwan and others would not cooperate sincerely.

He secretly sent people to collect evidence of their illegal activities.

When the time is right, we will catch them all in one fell swoop.

Qian Baiwan and others returned home and immediately gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

"This Lu Yan is really a smiling tiger!"

"On the surface, he's acting like a brother to us, but behind the scenes, we don't know how he's plotting against us!"

Qian Baiwan sneered.

"What are you afraid of? He's just a small prefect, how can he really turn the world upside down?"

"With so many of us, are we still afraid of just one person?"

"But...what if he really catches us?"

Another powerful man said with some concern.

"Catch us?"

Qian Baiwan curled his lips in disdain.

"He dares! We have been operating in Qingshui County for many years and have deep roots. If he dares to touch us, the people of Shannan Prefecture will not agree!"

Just when Qian Baiwan and others thought they had victory in their grasp.

The detectives sent by Lu Yan have surrounded their house...

"Smash it for me!"

Lu Yan gave an order.

The detectives were as fierce as wolves and tigers, kicking open the vermilion door of Qian Baiwan's house.

Qian Baiwan and his men were still discussing in the backyard how to give Lu Yan a warning.

Suddenly hearing the noise in the front yard, everyone was frightened and turned pale.

"What's going on? What's going on?"

Qian Baiwan's fat body was trembling, and he was holding half a piece of osmanthus cake in his hand.

Before he could react, the detectives rushed in.

Without any explanation, these powerful people who usually acted arrogantly were pinned to the ground.

Qian Baiwan's osmanthus cake fell to the ground, covered with dust, just like his mood at the moment, dirty and messy.

"Lu Yan! How dare you arrest me! Do you know who I am?"

Qian Baiwan roared at the top of his lungs, his fat trembling.

"Of course I know who you are. You're Qian Baiwan, a wealthy man in Qingshui County. Unfortunately, you're also a big borer in Qingshui County!"

Lu Yan walked in with a sneer on his face.

"take away!"

Qian Baiwan and others were escorted to the county government office, all of them looking dejected.

Lu Yan laid out the evidence of their illegal activities in front of them one by one.

The evidence is irrefutable and they cannot afford to quibble.

These powerful people who are arrogant and domineering on weekdays.

But at this moment, he was like a defeated rooster, dejected and willing to plead guilty and be punished.

Lu Yan confiscated their property and used it to improve the people's livelihood in Qingshui County.

When the news spread, the people of Shannan Prefecture rushed to tell each other and applauded.

The people who were once oppressed by these powerful people are now proud and admire Lu Yan even more.

After dealing with these "local tyrants", Lu Yan began to rectify the administration of officials.

Officials in Qingshui County usually live a life of luxury, engage in corruption and do nothing.

Lu Yan is no pushover. He acted decisively and dismissed these corrupt officials one by one.

Replaced them with honest, capable officials.

He also formulated a series of rules and regulations to strengthen supervision and management of officials.

From then on, officials lived in fear and walked on thin ice.

The people of Qingshui County were jubilant, beating drums and gongs to celebrate the capture of corrupt officials.

Lu Yan stood at the gate of the county government office, looking at the singing and dancing scene in front of him, and couldn't help but smile.

There was relief in this smile, and also... a barely perceptible hint of pride.

He stroked the non-existent beard on his chin and thought to himself:

"This is just the beginning, the best is yet to come!"

The officialdom of Qingshui County has now been turned upside down by him, and all the chaos has been swept away.

It was like a toilet that had been scrubbed with soapy water, so clean that it was unbelievable.

Because the Qingshui County Magistrate Zhao Dezhu was demoted by the empress.

The nearby Shannan County was upgraded to a prefecture.

Naturally, Qingshui County became under the jurisdiction of Shannan Prefecture.

Those officials in Qingshui County who are usually arrogant.

Now everyone is behaving like a coward.

They were afraid that they would accidentally anger the "King of Hell" of Shannan Prefecture.

Lu Yan's methods of rectifying the administration of officials were ruthless and iron-blooded.

Those who commit corruption and accept bribes will be dismissed from office and their property will be confiscated. No leniency will be shown.

Those who are just sitting in their positions and doing nothing will be directly dismissed and investigated and will never be re-employed.

He even personally formulated a new official assessment system with clear rewards and punishments and strict enforcement of the system.

Now, the officials of Qingshui County finally understood what it means to "serve the emperor like serving a tiger."

The people's evaluation of Lu Yan has changed from initial suspicion and wait-and-see attitude to unanimous praise today.

Some of them even secretly set up a longevity tablet for him and worshipped him day and night.

Lu Yan just smiled at this. What he pursued was not false fame, but real benefits.

The changes in Qingshui County naturally spread to Shannan Prefecture.

It even spread to the capital, attracting the attention of Prime Minister Liu An.

This shrewd prime minister was sitting in his study.

He held a memorial about Lu Yan in his hand, his brows furrowed.

"This Lu Yan is really a restless guy!"

Liu An snorted coldly and threw the memorial on the table.

"Destroy the Black Wind Village, recruit the bandits, and expand the army..."

"They also arrested Qian Baiwan! This is going to be a disaster! Qian Baiwan is my cash cow!"

What is he trying to do? Is he planning a rebellion? "

Liu An's confidant, a legal advisor named Zhao De.

He stood aside with his head bowed, and said cautiously:

"Prime Minister, this Lu Yan is indeed a bit suspicious."

"In just a few months, he managed Qingshui County in an orderly manner and won the hearts of the people."

"If we let him continue to develop, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

Liu An suddenly raised his head, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"I'm afraid he'll become too powerful and threaten my position! Humph, I won't let him succeed!"