Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

The old man sneered, revealing his burnt teeth. His voice was as hoarse as sandpaper. "Money? I'm lucky to be able to pull the boat to the shore alive! Pay me back?"

He pointed at the boatmen: "See? The 'new tax'! Governor Lu's benevolent policy! In the past, you could earn a meal by pulling a boat, but now? Hey! The wages you get are not even enough to pay the taxes and levies! My wife and children at home are crying out in hunger, so I have no choice but to work hard! But my life... is worthless!"

"New tax?" Captain Han frowned. "Didn't I hear the court has exempted taxes in the western border and is going to reduce levies?"

"The imperial court?" the old man spat. "The sky is high and the emperor is far away! Governor Lu is the local tyrant here! He says to increase donations, so we increase donations. He says to increase taxes, so we increase taxes! Who dares to disobey? See those people in silk at the bow of the boat? They are the masters of the canal gang! The dogs of the government! Anyone who is slow, who can't pay the donation, will be whipped immediately! A few days ago, Old Wang was exhausted and slowed down a few steps. He was whipped and rolled down the river bank, hitting his head on a rock... and died on the spot! No one collected his body!"

The old man's voice was not loud, but every word he said was heartbreaking, with a kind of desperate anger that had smoothed out its edges.

As he was speaking, the canal boat on the river suddenly stopped, as if it had run aground. The trackers' calls suddenly became shrill, and everyone pulled desperately, the tow ropes stretched straight, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

A tax collector at the bow jumped ashore cursing, swung the whip in his hand, and indiscriminately hit the few boatmen closest to him!

"You useless bastards! Haven't you eaten yet? Pull harder! If you delay my time, I'll throw you all into the river to feed the fish!"

The whips whistled through the air, piercing the air as they landed harshly on the trackers' already scarred backs, instantly leaving several more bloody marks. The trackers dared not dodge, or even cry out in pain. They simply gritted their teeth, channeling all the pain and humiliation into an even hoarser cry, exhausting every last ounce of their strength.

Captain Han and the veterans behind him clenched their fists, their knuckles turning white, their eyes practically blazing with fire! They had been through many battles and witnessed the most brutal fighting, but they had never seen such a naked scene of people being enslaved like animals!

"Then... no one will care?" Captain Han's voice trembled slightly due to suppressed anger.

"Manage? Who does?" The old man laughed bitterly. "The government? They run the government! A few days ago, a few young men were dissatisfied and went to the government office to file a complaint... And guess what? The next day, they were gone! They said they fell into the water... Hey, there have been quite a few people who have drowned in this canal because of 'accidents'!"

At this moment, the rope that was stretched to the extreme suddenly made a sound of breaking under the heavy weight!

Snapped--!

A crisp sound, like a death knell!

A section of the tow rope broke with a sound, and the huge rebound force hit several trackers hard!

A sudden scream rang out! One of the nearest trackers was struck in the waist, flung back like a rag bag, and slammed heavily onto the rocks on the riverbank. He twitched a few times before falling still. Blood quickly spread from beneath him. The other two were also struck in the legs and fell to the ground screaming, their bones clearly broken.

The tax collectors and canal officers on the boat showed no sign of panic or sympathy. Instead, they cursed loudly: "Bad luck! Damn bad luck! Another dead! Quick! Drag the body away! Send someone else aboard! Don't delay my boat!"

Soon, several skinny, pale-faced, obviously new boatmen, driven by the ferocious boatmen, tremblingly took over the blood-stained rope and filled the gap. No one even glanced at their dead companion, as if it were just a discarded, broken tool.

The sun sank completely below the horizon, its last ray of light vanishing, leaving only darkness and coldness between heaven and earth. The horn sounded again, hoarser and more desperate, dragging the heavy canal boat slowly into the twilight, leaving only a pool of dark red blood on the riverbank and a few crushed bones.

Captain Han and the veterans stood frozen in place, as if drenched in icy water. The evening breeze blew, carrying the uniquely cold, fishy scent of the canal, but it couldn't dispel the thick, inextricable stench of blood and despair that permeated the air.

The old man stood up silently, picked up the wooden barrel, hunched his back, and staggered towards the dark village, as if he was already accustomed to all this.

"Captain..." A younger veteran's voice choked with sobs, his eyes filled with tears, "These beasts..."

Captain Han remained silent. He simply crouched down, pulled a clean cloth from his pocket, and carefully gathered up the blood- and flesh-stained mud on the riverbank, along with a few broken pieces of rope. His movements were slow and gentle, as if he were gathering the remains of a comrade. Every fingertip trembled with intense rage.

After tying the package, he held it tightly in his hand. The cloth bag seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and was scorching hot.

He stood up, looked at the dark river where the canal boat disappeared, and then looked in the direction of the capital. The last trace of warmth in his eyes completely disappeared, leaving only the cold murderous intent tempered by the wind and snow of the north.

"Go." He only said one word, his voice as hoarse as the friction of rusty iron sheets.

The team set out again in silence, the sound of their horses' hooves sounding particularly heavy in the still night. What they collected was no longer just testimony, but a weighty, ironclad evidence soaked in blood, tears, and lives.

Qin Ming closed the last scroll of his secret memorial and tapped his fingertips lightly on the imperial desk. The rhythm was steady, yet it carried a sense of impending doom. He looked up at Ying Qi, who stood by with his hands drooping. "Where is Lu Yuandao now?"

"Your Majesty, I'm still at the Governor's Mansion in Huai'an. I heard that Censor Lin Hao went south and has suspended the collection of the 'new grain tax'. He has also urgently dealt with the families of the boatmen involved in an attempt to cover up any traces." Ying Qi's voice was calm, but with a hint of coldness.

"Cover up?" Qin Ming's lips curled up in a cold arc. "I want to see how he can cover up the boiling public discontent on both sides of the canal."

He stood up, walked to the huge map of the empire, and his eyes fell on the canal line running from north to south.

"Practice."

The sound was not loud, but it instantly made all the clerks in the warm room hold their breath and concentrate, picking up their pens and waiting.

"First, the Grand Canal Governor Lu Yuandao has deceived the emperor, oppressed the people, and engaged in corruption and dereliction of duty. He is to be immediately stripped of all official titles and imprisoned, brought to the capital, and brought before the Three Courts for trial! All officials under the Grand Canal Governor's Office are to be suspended and placed under investigation!"

"Secondly, I order Lin Hao, the Imperial Censor of the Grain Transport, to temporarily assume the duties of the Governor-General of the Grain Transport. He will bear the golden medallion bestowed upon him by me, 'As if I were present in person,' and take charge of all grain transport matters! His primary task: thoroughly investigate the 'New Grain Transport Tax' scandal and severely punish all implicated grain transport officials, tax collectors, and colluding grain merchants! Anyone found guilty of forcing someone to death or embezzling taxes, regardless of rank, will be executed immediately. Their property will be confiscated, and their families will be exiled!"