The prince is more stable

Chapter 367: Dead City Living People
As the saying goes, "The sky is high and the emperor is far away", Zhao Xiaoqian has deeply understood the essence of this sentence today.

Zhao Xiaoqian was not only disappointed when he encountered this kind of thing just after entering the city, but also felt that he had a long way to go in the future.

A border town full of internal and external troubles would have unimaginable consequences if it were to encounter an invasion by foreign enemies.

On the surface, it seemed that this was just a group of ruffians extorting businessmen, but what they said made Zhao Xiaoqian realize that there was a densely interwoven network behind them.

The strong men had been knocked down by Chen Shou and others, and Zhao Xiaoqian and Li Qingchen finally walked out slowly from the darkness on the street.

Jia Shi was quite perceptive and he also moved two chairs for Zhao Xiaoqian and Li Qingchen and placed them in the middle of the street.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat down without any hesitation, but Li Qingchen shook his head and said with a wry smile that he didn't dare to sit.

Although Zhao Xiaoqian didn't say a word at this moment, the suffocating cold aura emanating from him made Li Qingchen tremble from the bottom of his heart, and he didn't dare to sit next to him at all.

It was obvious that Zhao Xiaoqian was very disappointed with the results of his two years of governing Zhending City. At this critical juncture, Li Qingchen was unable to argue and had to try hard to humble himself.

Sitting on a chair in the middle of the street, Zhao Xiaoqian crossed his legs and looked calmly at the group of strong men who had just been beaten.

The leading burly man was dealt with personally by Chen Shou. He was beaten the worst, with countless bones broken in his body, his entire face swollen, his eyes squeezed into slits, and he could vaguely see a young man in purple official uniform sitting opposite him.

The strong man didn't know Zhao Xiaoqian, but he knew Li Qingchen.

Seeing that Li Qingchen, the prefect of Zhending, could only stand obediently beside the young man, the strong man took a breath and immediately realized that there would be no peace today.

The highest-ranking official in Zhending Prefecture was Li Qingchen. At this moment, Li Qingchen was standing, while the young man was sitting, which showed that his official rank must be higher than Li Qingchen's.

After the strong man realized the situation, he shuddered all over and an idea suddenly popped up in his mind.

This is a high-end game!

If he can't pass this level today, his life will be in danger. Even the umbrella of protection behind him may not be able to offend this young man. At that time, the only option is to kill him secretly to silence him.

The imperial guards around also stopped. The strong men who had been so arrogant and domineering in front of the merchants just now were now wailing in pain and crying.

Zhao Xiaoqian remained calm and pointed his index finger at the leading strong man, motioning him to come over.

Chen Shou picked up the strong man with one hand and walked in front of Zhao Xiaoqian. The strong man stood there with a look of fear on his face, shaking uncontrollably.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat on the chair, raised his head slowly, frowned and said, "I don't like looking up when talking to people, and people like you are not qualified to sit on the same level with me, so..."

The sturdy man didn't understand what he meant, but Chen Shou did. After clasping his fists and bowing, he took out a square iron hammer and hit the sturdy man's knees hard.

With a crisp sound of "crack", the strong man's knee bent at a strange angle and he fell to the ground. It was not until then that the pain reached his brain nerves. The strong man opened his eyes wide and let out a shrill scream.

After howling for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't stand the disturbing noise anymore and frowned again.

Chen Shou noticed the change in Zhao Xiaoqian's expression and immediately said viciously, "If you dare to howl again and disturb my noble family, you will die!"

The strong man immediately endured the piercing pain and closed his mouth in horror. Beads of sweat the size of beans dripped down his forehead and his face was as pale as a dead man.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at him with interest. "Merchants in Zhending City want to do business, but it seems they have to get your approval. Are you an official?"

The strong man shook his head in horror.

"So, you're collecting money on behalf of officials?"

The strong man said nothing.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded slowly. "It seems so. I'm not an expert at interrogating people. I'll find a professional to interrogate you. Who are you standing behind? Who are you working for? You'd better confess quickly, otherwise you'll regret why you're still alive."

Motioning towards Chen Shou, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Take these people to the Dragon Guard Camp in the eastern suburbs for interrogation. Let Zhao Xin of the Imperial City Division personally conduct the trial. No officials or military officers from Zhending Prefecture are allowed to enter the camp. I want to see their confessions within one day." "Tell Zhao Xin that I only want confessions, not life or death. It doesn't matter if these scum are dead or disabled."

Chen Shou took the order, and dozens of imperial guards escorted the group of strong men out of the city.

Zhao Xiaoqian turned his head and found that Li Qingchen, who was standing next to him, was pale and sweating like the strong man.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled kindly: "Is Magistrate Li scared?"

Li Qingchen forced a smile and said, "Duke Zhao's thunderous tactics are something I admire."

To be honest, Li Qingchen was indeed scared.

When we first met today, I realized how cruel and ruthless Zhao Xiaoqian was. He didn't even blink an eye and crippled one of these strong men in front of him. The subsequent interrogation by the Imperial City Bureau was so tragic that I couldn't even imagine how tragic it was.

Zhao Xiaoqian still smiled brightly and said leisurely, "There are probably more scum in Zhending City than just these few. Does Magistrate Li know the details?"

Cold sweat broke out on Li Qingchen's back again.

Zhao Xiaoqian spoke politely, but the method he used just now had deeply frightened him. Now, Li Qingchen had to think twice before speaking anything Zhao Xiaoqian said.

I had heard from my colleagues in Bian Jing a long time ago that although this Duke Zhao looked young, he was definitely not a good person.

Just now, he was able to cripple a strong man without even batting an eyelid, completely ignoring the procedures of legal punishment. If Li Qingchen answered incorrectly, who knows if he would use the same method to deal with an official?
The government favors him so much that in his eyes, there is probably no difference between removing a street thug and removing a local official.

After a moment's hesitation, Li Qingchen said cautiously, "Lord Zhao, could you please find a quiet place with me, and I will explain the details to you?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Of course. I've forgotten that little unpleasantness just now. Let's go into the government office."

Like almost all cities in the Song Dynasty, the government office was located in the center of the city.

The group continued walking. Zhao Xiaoqian looked around as he walked. He carefully observed every shop on the roadside and every passerby with a thoughtful look on his face.

The more I look at it, the heavier I feel.

Bianjing and Zhending were both cities of the Song Dynasty, but the people and merchants in the two cities had completely different spirits.

Although the people in Bianjing City did not live a rich life, the passers-by and merchants on the street had cheerful expressions. They greeted everyone they met. The streets were bustling with people talking in a friendly manner. It was a kind of urban atmosphere that could not be acted out. People felt genuinely comfortable walking on the streets.

However, in the city of Zhending, not only are there few pedestrians on the streets, but even if you see passers-by walking, they are silent and filled with deep sorrow.

The streets were deserted, passers-by were silent, and the shops on the street had their doors open lifelessly. The merchants inside had numb expressions, staring at the street in a daze without any emotion, just like the statues enshrined in the shops.

Although they were all living people, Zhao Xiaoqian felt a sense of death. The whole city seemed like a deserted ruin, and the people walking on the streets were nothing but lonely ghosts.

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression became increasingly ugly.

His mission to Zhending was to target the Liao Kingdom and plan the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

But the current situation is that his own backyard is on fire, so he has no energy to care about what's happening outside.

What Zhao Xiaoqian was most curious about at this moment was how big a network these officials and generals in Zhending City had woven to turn the city into a dead city.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at Li Qingchen next to him inadvertently.

I wonder if this former prefect is also a thread in this web?

(End of this chapter)