The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Ji Jie walked for a full 35 minutes before returning, carrying more than a dozen large wooden crates.

He carried the wooden crate onto the platform and casually opened it. Upon seeing the contents of the crate, Guan Xing's eyes widened in surprise.

Thirteen large wooden chests, more than half of which were filled with gold, silver, jewels, jade, and agate, their various colors shimmering and dazzling.

The other half consists of bamboo slips; it's unclear what they record.

Ji Jie explained, "Captain, these wooden boxes were found in a secret room in Zhu Hong's study. They were filled with Zhu Hong's embezzled funds from Wushang."

"Those bamboo slips are land deeds that Zhu Hong obtained through various means, including real estate, mines, and fertile land."

After saying this, he took a wooden box about a foot long from his subordinate, opened it, and handed it to Guan Xing, saying, "This is a collection of letters between Zhu Hong and the officials of Jianye, as well as the local gentry and bandits in the mountains. It records what he gave to whom in what year and month, what he asked them to do, or what he received from whom and did what for them."

Seeing this, Zhu Hong completely broke down and struggled violently on the ground, so frightened that he lost control of his bladder and bowels.

These things were leverage in his hands, but in Guan Xing's hands they would become evidence of his crimes.

If Guan Xing were to use these things against the gentry, wouldn't they hate him to death?

Although he has fallen into Guan Xing's hands and no longer needs to worry about retaliation from the gentry, his children and grandchildren are still in their hometown. If the gentry transfer their hatred towards him to his children and grandchildren, his branch of the family will be completely finished.

That damned Ji Jie, what grudge do you hold against me that you're trying to kill me?

Guan Xing didn't take the wooden box, but looked at Ji Jie with a meaningful smile and said, "County Commandant Ji can even find this. It seems you know Zhu Hong very well."

Giving this thing to me is clearly a way of saying they don't want Zhu Hong to live.

Sure enough, the person who knows you best knows where to strike for maximum pain!

Ji Jie touched his nose and chuckled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

Just then, a commotion came from the direction of the county government office. Guan Xing turned his head and saw Xie Chong leading more than a dozen criminals toward them.

These criminals were all covered in wounds, some even having difficulty walking, clearly having suffered a great deal.

Guan Xing looked at the criminal who was barely recognizable as a human, and then at the dazzling jewels in the box. He couldn't help but sigh, "A county magistrate in three years, amassed 100,000 taels of silver. Zhu Hong has only been the magistrate of Wushang County for a little over two years, yet he was able to amass so much wealth. He really has a knack for making money."

Although he spoke casually, the murderous intent in his heart had already reached its peak.

Look at the people below the stage, aren't they all pale, thin, and bony?

Looking at Zhu Hong, how did he accumulate so much gold and silver in just two years?

The people were so poor they were starving to death, yet Zhu Hong, the county magistrate, was still extorting them. Such behavior deserved to be punished severely.

Guan Xing ripped the smelly sock out of Zhu Hong's mouth, looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Magistrate Zhu, how did you earn so much money? Teach me, I want to earn it too."

Zhu Hong trembled with fear at the murderous intent in his tone, unsure how to defend himself.

Ji Jie seized the opportunity to kick someone when they were down, saying, "Reporting to the captain, gold and silver are just the small part; land is the real prize."

“After taking office, Zhu Hong has been frantically acquiring land. He has already taken 70% of the land in Wushang into his own hands. The land deeds in the box are the evidence.”

"Zhu Hong's method of annexing land is very simple: first, he sends bandits to rob and plunder to create panic, then he contacts the villagers to buy the land at a low price. If the villagers are sensible and sell the land voluntarily, everything is negotiable."

"If they didn't know their place, they would become the bandits' main targets and suffer every now and then. The villagers couldn't stand the constant torment day and night, and in the end they had no choice but to submit."

"In addition to seizing land, Zhu Hong also engaged in highway robbery, allowing bandits to rob passing merchants."

“Wushang is bordered by Zhuji to the north and Damu to the south. It has convenient transportation and a large number of merchants. It has always been known as the first of the eight counties of Wuzhou and Fancheng. However, since Zhu Hong took office, fewer and fewer caravans have passed through Wushang. I haven’t seen a caravan for half a year.”

"What's even more hateful is that Zhu Hong, who plundered Wushang, has been promoted. He has already received a transfer order to the Yuzhang Military Office and will be going to Nanchang to take up his post in a few days."

"That's why he was in such a hurry to kill me, in order to pin the blame for the disaster on me and clear himself of any wrongdoing."

He then pulled a piece of silk from the box and handed it to Guan Xing, saying, "Captain, please take a look. This is a secret letter that Zhu Hong wrote to the queen bee, the leader of the poisonous bees."

"The Poisonous Bees are the largest bandits in Wushang. Before Zhu Hong took office, their leader, the Bee Queen, was just a small leader with a dozen or so bandits. In just two years after Zhu Hong took office, the Bee Queen not only expanded the Poisonous Bees to a thousand people, but also changed their equipment."

"Now the poisonous bees not only have knives, guns, bows and crossbows, but also dozens of heavy armors. Not to mention Wushang, even other nearby counties have suffered."

Guan Xing's eyes grew colder as he read the letter. He gritted his teeth and said, "As a county magistrate, you are harboring bandits to maintain your own prestige. Zhu Hong, you truly are a scourge to the region as an official."

Zhu Hong said urgently, "It wasn't me, I didn't do it. Ji Jie did all of this and it has nothing to do with me. General Guan, please understand, this is slander. Ji Jie is slandering me."

Guan Xing naturally wouldn't just listen to their side of the story. He looked up and asked the villagers, "Fellow villagers, did you all hear what County Magistrate Ji said? Can anyone tell me if what he said is true? Was it Ji Jie or Zhu Hong who colluded with bandits to harm you?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than someone shouted from behind: "General, please understand! This humble citizen accuses Magistrate Zhu Hong of extortion and forcing women into prostitution. He has repeatedly sent men to kidnap my family members and force me to pay ransom. Please, General, do justice for me!"