Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 690 I don't need you to say anything.

"You two are going to take over the intelligence and operations departments of the Investigation Division. You'll handle the handover of the specific tasks yourselves; you've already been taught that in school, right?"

"I will follow your arrangements, sir."

The two young men exchanged a glance: "However, we don't currently have detailed intelligence network information."

"It's alright, Hongxiu will hand it over to you. We have people in all the major forces in the Northwest. They all have their own operation codes and contact persons. When you take over, you must be careful."

Xia Lin's demeanor and tone of voice when speaking to them were completely different. After all, these children all had to call Xia Lin "Teacher" or "Headmaster," and were considered his direct disciples.

"Sir, should we interrogate the assassin we captured today?"

Xia Lin waved his hand: "There's no need for an interrogation, we won't find anything out. You two go and spread the word that the murderer in the Dali Temple murder case has been solved, two of the three have been killed on the spot, and the remaining one has been placed under the protection of the Investigation Department because he agreed to the allegations."

“Oh! I see, sir. Actually, we don’t need him to say anything, we just want his finger.” One of the youths raised an eyebrow: “That finger can kill whoever it points at.”

Xia Lin laughed heartily: "Alright, stop being so clever, hurry up and go!"

"Order!"

After the two left, Xia Lin sat down and began to review the confessions on the table. Yes, confessions, confessions about who ordered them to attack the Dali Temple.

The man was probably still unconscious, but his statement was already on Xia Lin's desk. The statement was very detailed, even down to a specific person in a particular family. It involved forty-seven major clans, and even nobles from the Central Plains and the Northwest.

Does Xia Lin need the truth? He doesn't, and he can't grasp the truth, but he is well aware of the "elevator dog principle." As for what the "elevator dog principle" is, it's actually quite simple. It means that there are dogs in a certain community that always urinate in the elevator. The residents have complained many times, but the situation has not improved. Even though the property management has posted warning signs prohibiting urination and defecation in the elevator, it is still ineffective.

But one day, a line of text appeared below the warning sign, and the problem was solved. That line read: "If you're so capable, kill it; if not, shut up."

This statement is far more deterrent than most warnings.

Similarly, this model applies here as well: if you are unable to resolve the current conflict, then escalate the conflict and let those who are capable of resolving it take over.

This confession was like the Great Wilderness Imprisoning Heaven's Finger, spreading the pressure evenly among all the powerful families. Of course, they would deny it outright, but what good would it do? Weren't they overturning the law? The law is based on the principle of presumption of innocence, but this was overturned, so naturally it became presumption of guilt.

Anzi's sword must be used to cut through this thorny path, otherwise Xia Lin, as a friend, will embarrass him.

So these people have to produce evidence for me. If they can't, they're the main culprits, and Xia Lin can just slam his fist on the table and shout "Search the house!"
Those who tried to reason with them were driven to their deaths, so now naturally there are unreasonable people standing up.

Sometimes it's quite interesting to think about. Xia Lin recalled that when he was a child, he was always curious about why even a powerful figure like Dong Zhuo had to follow the rules when he read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and why the ruthless Cao Cao had to find a reason to do anything. He wondered why they, who were so powerful, couldn't do whatever they wanted like the West when they became powerful.

As he grew older, he gradually came to understand that the stronger one is, the more one needs to play within the rules. Once the rules are violated, the annals of history will judge. At this point, some people might say, "Didn't all the great emperors of the past rewrite history? Whether it's Li Shimin or Zhao Guangyi, history is just a little girl who can be dressed up however one pleases."

Alright, have you ever thought about this question: how do people in this world know about past lives? How can they know about this distorted history?
There might be some changes, but certainly not too many, because covering up official history will create unofficial history. Official history isn't necessarily true, but unofficial history is definitely terrible...

Just like Xia Lin now, if things go well, he could be seen as a politician saving a collapsing empire; if things go wrong, he could be seen as a treacherous minister using the emperor to command the nobles. If he doesn't get a proper reputation, everything he does will be overturned in the future, and future generations will adjust his course.

Is Xia Lin dead or alive? Can he live forever? So we dare not use Western thinking to maintain the Eastern server, otherwise it won't just be a matter of cultural incompatibility, it will definitely evolve into a fierce struggle.

Therefore, the phrase "having a just cause" has been consistent throughout the entire course of history, and only by grasping the great cause can one be sure of victory.

This silence is Xia Lin's act of righteousness.

Attacking the Dali Temple and killing many people—who can bear such a crime? No one can. This thing is a sharp blade hanging over their heads.

The news spread quickly. This was already a major case that shocked the world, attracting the attention of countless people, from ordinary peddlers to high-ranking officials. Now that even a little bit of information had been revealed, it caused quite a stir.

Everyone was talking about this over tea and after meals, with various opinions circulating. Some said it was a muddy tactic to cover up the heinous crimes committed by one of the individuals, crimes deserving of execution. Others said it was a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Emperor and the implicated families, stirring up trouble in the court. In short, all sorts of theories were circulating, with countless directions vying for attention.

It was said that the assassin had been captured, and many of them noticed that the Red Armor Army outside the city was beginning to move around and train frequently. The entire city of Jinling was immersed in an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement.

Every ordinary person wanted to see which of those usually high-and-mighty men would be dragged to the execution ground this time, regardless of age or gender, and all of them would be beheaded.

In stark contrast to the common people are the major families of the capital. Some have been entrenched in this land for eight hundred years, while others have been for one or two hundred years. Some of them are noble families from the founding of the Great Wei Dynasty, while others are powerful clans that have been deeply rooted since the previous dynasties.

Every household had a certain influence in the court, but now they had actually discovered that the court had changed, and an invisible hand had quietly gripped their throats.

Everyone is now investigating themselves; they're terrified, fearing that it will be discovered that one of their family members, who thinks they're so clever, was responsible—that's truly frightening. However, what's even more terrifying is that Xia Lin will find out it was indeed that one of their family members, who thinks they're so clever, who did it.

“Patriarch…we really don’t have anyone who would do such a thing. The Dugu family has never participated in politics, and moreover, the patriarch has repeatedly ordered that we must not get involved in such matters. The Dugu family would never do such a thing.”

Even the super shut-in Little Sprout was alarmed and came all the way from Fuliang to Jinling. She held a cup of tea in her hand, gently turning the lid, listening to the reports from her subordinates, but her brows remained furrowed.

"Have you checked it carefully?"

“Go home, Lord. We have already checked three times and found nothing missing.”

Upon hearing this, Little Sprout took a deep breath: "Go, tell the outside world that the Dugu family is willing to accept the investigation by the Investigation Department."

"Yes."

Little Sprout's move was tantamount to putting other families on the spot, but the essence of the game is to force people to choose sides. So on the afternoon the news spread, the families in the capital began to choose sides at lightning speed. A considerable number of families immediately responded to the Dugu family's call and welcomed the investigation by the Investigation Department.

The rest either haven't spoken out yet or are still observing; none of them have explicitly refused, not a single one. It's as if their millennia-old backbone has been shattered in that instant.

"Sir, just as you predicted, they couldn't sit still any longer."

Upon hearing the student's report, Xia Lin smiled slightly, leaned back, took a deep breath, and said, "The first step in dividing them is to make them hostile to each other and separate them into camps."

"But what if they defect to us?" "Divide them again." Xia Lin waved his hand: "Divide them until there's nothing left to divide, then they'll be nothing but dogs. We can't fight this war without dismantling their alliance."

"Understood, sir."

Xia Lin smiled at the two students in front of her: "Shi Lin, Chu Xiong."

"The students are here."

"Right now, you must quickly discard what you have learned in school and adapt to the rapidly changing situation as fast as possible. What we are about to face is a great change that has not been seen in hundreds of years, and you will leave a strong mark on history. But the premise is that you can handle the good and bad variables that this change brings."

"The students will certainly not fail in their mission!"

Xia Lin looked at the two young people with the same unwavering determination he had shown when he first emerged from obscurity, his eyes filled with joy, much like the joy a sect patriarch felt when witnessing a prodigy.

"Alright, you should go and rest now. You've all worked too hard these past few days. Let me remind you, I'm not worried about gold or silver, but you need to be extremely careful about this honey trap."

The two boys exchanged a glance and laughed together: "Please rest assured, sir. We are both of us and have already made our hearts as firm as a rock. We were trained in school, and those who are not qualified will certainly not be able to stand in front of you."

"Hmm." Xia Lin nodded: "How many jobs have you taken on with Hongxiu?"

"Probably 80%, but she seems to be trying to keep some things to herself."

“It’s only human nature.” Xia Lin waved his hand. “She knows in her heart that if she tells me everything, she will be of no use to me. She’s not a good spy, but Feng Hua Xue Yue has been deeply rooted in the North for many years and has its own system. As for how to digest it, that’s up to you.”

"Understood. So, what should we do with Hongxiu after that?"

Xia Lin lowered his eyelids: "Send her back to Fuliang for training, and then let her stay there to teach. She has some good skills, but her mind is outdated."

The two students laughed and then bowed to Xia Lin, saying, "Sir, we'll be leaving now."

"Go."

The saying goes, "A kind heart cannot command an army, righteousness cannot manage finances, affection cannot establish affairs, and benevolence cannot make one an official." Xia Lin has now decided to abandon Hongxiu, even though she has made great contributions to building Xia Lin's information network. The problem is that she is outdated and can no longer support her participation in the next stage of high-intensity struggle.

Not killing her was Xia Lin's last act of mercy. The rest was up to Xia Lin's own trained people; the spark had already been ignited, and they couldn't be allowed to remain trapped in the furnace any longer.

Burn, let the raging fire spread quickly! He doesn't aspire to universal harmony; he only hopes to achieve the goals he set for himself in his lifetime.

"Lord Si, the head of the Dugu family requests an audience."

"please."

Soon, Little Sprout walked in, tilting her head to look at Xia Lin: "Lord Xia, it's been a long time. I heard you've taken a concubine? I wonder if you'll announce it next, so I can prepare a small gift."

Xia Lin rested her chin on one hand: "How old is your daughter?"

"Soon to be seven years old."

"Hmm." Xia Lin looked up at her. "That concubine, Twelfth."

"Oh, that Xia Sihou is quite a beast."

Xia Sihou didn't tolerate this guy's bad habits, so he closed the door, pulled him over, and had his way with him.

After having his fun, Bean Sprouts indeed stopped trash-talking. While getting dressed, he said, "You've been holding back for quite a while. Didn't your princess come a long time ago? What? You won't let me touch you?"

“That little princess from the grasslands treats her like her mother, clinging to her every day. She cries and throws a tantrum if she’s separated from her for even a short while. What can I do? It’s very difficult.”

"Difficult? If it's difficult, let's do it together. What kind of dirty tricks can't you, Lord Xia, pull off?" Little Sprout flicked her sleeves. "Let me tell you, these few days are my lucky days. If I get pregnant again, let's see how you explain it to your princess. She's so old and has never laid an egg."

"Stop talking nonsense." Xia Lin threw a stack of confessions on the table: "Read them yourself."

Little Sprout picked up the stack of confessions and began to read them. She was shocked as she read them. After finishing, she looked up and questioned, "Are you planning to kill me? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"Let's see how smart you are." Xia Lin laughed. "If you're not smart, I can wipe out the Dugu family and destroy the number one family in the world. Then you can live a peaceful life raising your child."

"The number one family in the world? It has changed hands long ago. The current number one family in the world is the Li family. Why don't you go and take over her empire?"

"No rush." ​​Xia Lin beckoned to the little sprout: "Come here."

"What are you going to do?" Little Sprout squinted at him. "What are you going to do now?"

"Nothing much, let's do it again."

This time, Bean Sprout really ran out of trash talk, he was exhausted... He lay there too lazy to move.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The sounds outside carried far away, and Little Sprout immediately got up and dressed. But Emperor Jingtai was quick; when he and Old Zhang walked in, they were both carrying something that looked like some strange bird…

"Two swans, a male and a female, suddenly appeared in my palace. I killed them and brought them here to stew... um?" Emperor Jingtai was halfway through his sentence when he saw the little bean sprout standing there with a flushed face and disheveled clothes.

Emperor Jingtai smacked his lips and said, "Daosheng, this is supposed to be our office..."

(End of this chapter)