At the beginning, I gave up my military power with a cup of wine, and I ascended the throne

Chapter 13: The Governor's Hongmen Banquet
"Yes."

Zhang Lian and Ma Dai nodded: "The barbarians around Xiliang have been invading repeatedly, the people are living in poverty, the treasury is empty, and we are worried too."

"I don't think so."

Pan Yuanshao suddenly sneered: "Although Xiliang is bitterly cold, it is still a prefecture after all. How could the treasury be so poor?"

Hear the words.

Zhang Lian's body trembled unconsciously, and Ma Dai quickly gave him a look.

"There must be some termites in Xiliang County."

Pan Yuanshao slammed the table and said sternly: "General Xiao has always hated this kind of termite the most. I don't know how many of them I have chopped off in the northern border of Jiyou."

Ma Dai and Zhang Lian's faces changed instantly, but they quickly pretended to be calm.

"I was suddenly moved today. Please do not spread what I heard, my two lords."

Pan Yuanshao lowered his voice and said, "As the saying goes, a new official has three things to do when he takes office. These people from Xiliang dare to defy the general. It will be difficult for the general not to punish them."

"Your Excellency is right."

Ma Dai sneered.

"These people are simply lawless, and that's just what a general should do."

Zhang Lian also agreed.

"The general said that he had just arrived in Xiliang and was unfamiliar with the place. He would have to rely on you two adults for some things."

Pan Yuanshao looked at the two men with deep eyes: "If you two can help replenish the treasury and recover the money and grain, it will be a great achievement."

"I will do my best and will never let the general down."

Ma Dai immediately stood up and patted his chest to make a promise.

"Me too."

Zhang Lian followed closely behind.

"Good good."

Pan Yuanshao nodded: "No wonder the Lord praised you two, you are upright and loyal people, you will never go along with those parasites."

……

"let me go."

"What do you want to do?"

Just then, a group of soldiers passed by the hall, carrying two people who were tied up.

"doing what?"

Pan Yuanshao frowned, walked forward and scolded loudly.

"According to the general's order, send the captured corrupt officials to the governor's mansion for personal interrogation by the general."

The captain clasped his fists.

"The general is working in the backyard."

Pan Yuanshao said: "You wait and bring the person over."

"this…"

The captain hesitated, but seeing Pan Yuanshao's gloomy face, he dared not disobey and brought two officials from Xiliang Prefecture to Pan Yuanshao.

Pan Yuanshao: "What are your official positions?"

"My humble servant, the Treasury Secretary."

"Little armory guard."

"Sir, we are wronged."

The two petty officials knelt on the ground and cried out in unison for justice.

"The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare to quibble."

The captain took out two account books and a pile of letters and presented them: "Sir, these are the account books found in the two people's homes and the letters with the Zahu tribe."

Suddenly.

The two clerks looked ashen.

"Tell me, who is the mastermind behind you?"

Pan Yuanshao had a cold expression on his face.

Ma Dai and Zhang Lian on the side turned pale.

Ma Dai came from a military background and quickly regained his composure.

While Pan Yuanshao was not paying attention, he kept signaling the two clerks with his eyes.

"Say it."

The captain drew his sword and brought it down upon the neck of the armory guard.

The latter felt his scalp tingling and his whole body trembling.

"Before the general took office, the Marquis of Zhenbei ordered that within Xiliang Prefecture, any official transfers, life and death, could be decided by the general himself without reporting to the higher authorities."

Pan Yuanshao sneered: "If you two clerks don't behave, you won't survive this night."

"Master Ma, Master Zhang, save me."

The two petty officials were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground and begged Ma Dai and Zhang Lian.

"You have colluded with the barbarians and stolen from the treasury. Your crimes are unforgivable. How can I save you?"

Ma Dai's voice and expression were both stern.

"Master Ma, you can't just stand by and watch me die, I..." The guard of the armory burst into tears.

"Say it."

“Who is the mastermind behind this and who are the accomplices?”

Pan Yuanshao shouted.

"Pan Fucheng, such treacherous people should be executed on the spot."

Ma Dai said quickly.

"Master Ma, since you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust."

"I'll recruit."

The armory guard pointed at Ma Dai and said bitterly, "They are the masterminds behind this."

"Correct."

The treasury official also pointed out Ma Dai and Zhang Lian.

"You are slandering me."

Zhang Lian's face was pale and his eyes were panic-stricken.

Ma Dai slumped in his chair with a blank look in his eyes.

It’s over.

It's all over.

At this moment, this was the only thought in Ma Dai and Zhang Lian's minds.

They will be burned to ashes and completely destroyed by the first fire started by Xiao Han, the new governor.

"presumptuous."

However, Pan Yuanshao's words suddenly gave rise to a glimmer of hope in their already desperate hearts.

"Marquis Ma and Chief Zhang are upright and loyal men praised by the general himself. How could they be in league with you?"

Pan Yuanshao flew into a rage, pointing at the two petty officials and cursing, "You are desperate and are just biting at random."

"Correct."

Just like a drowning person grabbing a life-saving straw, Zhang Lian didn't know where he got the courage from.

"Mr. Pan, please don't believe their lies. Lord Ma and I are both innocent."

“They are framing us.”

"Yes, they must be the ones who are biting randomly."

"Please understand Mr. Pan and the governor."

Zhang Lian, the chief clerk of Xiliang County, was almost ready to swear an oath to heaven to show his loyalty.

"What a courage."

Pan Yuanshao snatched the dry knife from the soldier beside him, and swung the knife down. Two heads fell to the ground instantly, and blood spurted out.

The two clerks died with their eyes wide open, with fear and confusion still on their faces.

They didn't understand why they were killed after they had confessed.

"What Pan hates most is this kind of villain who makes random accusations."

Pan Yuanshao threw away his sword and cursed with a gloomy face.

When he turned around, his expression returned to normal and he waved his hand: "Drag him out and feed him to the dogs."

"promise."

……

After flushing with two buckets of water, there was no trace of blood in the hall.

"Marquis Ma, Chief Clerk Zhang, it seems that there are many villains in Xiliang County. You two must be more careful in your future actions."

Pan Yuanshao said sternly: "If this kind of attack appears again, even if the general trusts you two, I'm afraid he will be suspicious."

"Pan Fucheng, I swear to heaven that if I have any second thoughts about the governor, I will be struck by lightning."

Ma Dai said quickly.

"Ah That's good."

Pan Yuanshao smiled and nodded.

Ma Dai and Zhang Lian finally breathed a sigh of relief. They were not stupid and naturally saw through it.

Today's event is a Hongmen Banquet to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and it is put on display for them to see.

If I complete the task assigned by the governor well, I will be safe. If I fail to do it well, I am afraid that my head will fall off in an instant.

Facing the two terrified people, Pan Yuanshao said: "Don't worry, my two lords, as long as you work hard for the general, he will not treat you unfairly."

"Please ask Minister Pan to speak well of us in front of the governor."

Ma Dai said flatteringly.

"no problem."

Pan Yuanshao took a sip from the wine glass, then put it down and said, "You two have served as officials in Xiliang for many years. I will leave the task of collecting the lost silver from the treasury and reselling weapons to you. Is it not difficult?"

"I will never decline this position even if I die."

The two immediately stood up and bowed to make their promise.

(End of this chapter)