The prince is more stable

Chapter 973 Entering the City to Eliminate Evil
The problems in Yingtian Prefecture are significant, involving not only money and land, but also much more serious matters.

Han Zhongyan's knowledge was limited to the account books of Yingtian Prefecture, and these falsified account books were enough to condemn Li Huai to the deepest hell.

As for other more serious issues, the Imperial City Guard will handle the investigation, as well as the evidence gathered by Liu Zening.

It is certain that the officialdom of Yingtian Prefecture will experience an epic upheaval this time, and it would not be surprising if Li Huai, who bears the brunt of it, were to be torn to pieces.

Han Zhongyan now has the evidence in the accounting books, but he only has a thousand men under his command and dares not alert the enemy.

The matter was so serious that even he, as the supervising physician, felt it was somewhat beyond his control. He could only report to the Emperor and await his decree.

"Pass down the order: increase the number of posts and sentries at the main camp. Soldiers, please work hard for the next few days, day and night, to strengthen the camp's defenses and guard against any emergencies," Han Zhongyan said in a deep voice.

The clerks were startled, and one of them immediately went out of the military tent to relay the order.

It was late at night, past midnight. Han Zhongyan, who valued health, should have been asleep by now, but he was wide awake. The account books in front of him were alarming. A storm that would affect the entire city of Nanjing was about to break out, and he simply couldn't sleep.

Half an hour later, the clerks neatly stacked the reviewed account books and respectfully withdrew from the military tent.

Han Zhongyan yawned, intending to rest for a while, when he suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from not far away.

The sound of hooves grew closer and closer, stopping outside the camp. Not long after, a clerk outside the tent reported that the army under Di Zi, the commander of all the Imperial Guards, had sent his personal guards on horseback to see Doctor Han, as General Di had important matters to report.

Han Zhongyan's expression brightened, and his face became serious. He put on his clothes and stood up, ordering his personal guards and messengers to be invited into the camp.

The messenger entered the military tent, bowed, and then told Han Zhongyan that General Di Zi had been ordered to quell the peasant uprising in Xiayi and Chuqiu counties. After two days, the uprising had been quelled, and several thousand soldiers were left in the two counties to handle the aftermath. The remaining ten thousand soldiers were marching rapidly towards Nanjing overnight.

Han Zhongyan was startled: "Why did General Di personally lead his troops to Nanjing?"

The messenger bowed his head and reported, "General Di has received the Emperor's decree. The Emperor has ordered General Di's army to rush to Nanjing to assist Doctor Han in arresting Li Huai, the garrison commander of Nanjing, and all the officials in Nanjing."

Han Zhongyan was even more shocked: "Does the Emperor already know about the crimes Li Huai committed?"

"News has come from Bianjing that the Imperial City Guard has obtained the confession of Chen Su, the magistrate of Xiayi County. The Xiayi uprising was instigated and provoked by Li Huai, the Nanjing garrison commander. This man is guilty of heinous crimes and must be arrested and interrogated immediately, and escorted to Bianjing for trial. All officials in Nanjing and its seven subordinate counties must be thoroughly interrogated."

Han Zhongyan was taken aback, his face turning ashen. "So it really was him who instigated the rebellion, and he even tried to frame Liu Zening! Li Huai, you deserve to die!"

Instigating a popular uprising is already an unforgivable crime, not to mention that Han Zhongyan has freshly produced account books and data, as well as the collusion between local powerful landlords and their interests that will inevitably be involved. All these crimes combined are enough to warrant Li Huai's death a hundred times over.

"When will General Di's troops arrive in Nanjing?" Han Zhongyan asked, suppressing his anger.

"The main army is still half a day's journey from Yingtian Prefecture, but the vanguard cavalry of three thousand men is less than a hundred li away from Yingtian Prefecture and can reach it before dawn."

Han Zhongyan nodded, his face grim, and said, "Three thousand men are enough for the vanguard. Li Huai doesn't have the ability to contend with three thousand men."

"I will wait for General Di's vanguard troops in the main camp. Once the vanguard arrives, I will order them to enter the city and arrest the people."

…………

Meanwhile, inside the government office in Yingtian Prefecture.

It was also late at night, and the officials of Yingtian Prefecture were also up all night.

They had something on their minds and couldn't sleep.

Two days ago, after Han Zhongyan suddenly took away the account books of Yingtian Prefecture from all previous years, the officials felt that something was very wrong.

Auditing accounts is the most convenient, simple, and effective way to lock down evidence of crimes committed by officials in office.

Yingtian Prefecture always prepared two sets of account books, one for the emperor and one for the emperor, but the fake account books were always used to deal with the inspections by court officials.

However, Han Zhongyan did not play by the rules. Before he even entered the city, he ordered the imperial guards accompanying him to take away the account books. The efficiency was so fast that Li Huai and the officials had no time to prepare. As a result, the real account books of Yingtian Prefecture were taken away by them.

With the ledgers taken away, the fate of the officials in Yingtian Prefecture was essentially sealed.

If it were merely a matter of embezzling a little money or land, given the current relaxed political environment of the Song Dynasty, it might not be a capital offense. However, the officials were well aware of the saying, "Pulling out a radish brings out the mud."

Confirmed embezzlement is not so terrible; at worst, one can be dismissed from office and exiled. However, Han Zhongyan, the supervising official, was clearly not so easily fooled. He came to Nanjing in person, and checking the accounts was just a side matter. What he really wanted to investigate was the truth and inside story of the Xiayi peasant uprising.

This could really be fatal!
Inside the government office at that moment, a group of treacherous and corrupt officials were still holding a meeting.

Li Huai, seemingly insane, was speaking vehemently to reassure the officials present. He told them not to be afraid, as Han Zhongyan could only find out about embezzlement of money and land; matters like popular uprisings could not be found in the accounts.

As long as everyone sticks to their guns and refuses to admit anything, pushing all the blame onto Liu Zening, the matter will remain unverified.

The only thing the court can prove against us is embezzlement. The worst outcome is dismissal and exile. I have a mentor in the Hall of State Affairs secretly supporting and protecting me. Once the storm passes, we can be reinstated...

After all, in the Song Dynasty, where civil officials and scholars were treated well, was it a big deal for them to embezzle a little money?

His impassioned tone, as if delivering a speech, failed to stir even the slightest emotion in the hearts of the officials present.

Those who rise to official positions are not fools; everyone is well aware that they are in deep trouble.

Li Huai's verbal comfort was even less reliable than a scumbag's vows.

The peasant uprising in Xiayi was impossible to cover up, because it had already broken free from the control of the Nanjing garrison.

With just a little investigation, the Imperial City Guard would uncover the truth, and none of those present would escape punishment. If Li Huai hadn't acted rashly from the start, even the most serious findings by Liu Zening might have only resulted in dismissal and exile.

However, in order to keep his official position and wealth, Li Huai chose to instigate a popular uprising and kill Liu Zening to silence him. From that moment on, everyone was on the road to ruin.

Li Huai's move was utterly foolish, and it killed everyone involved.

After a passionate and rousing speech of consolation, no one among the officials spoke. After a long while, Li Huai seemed to be getting sleepy and yawned, saying, "It's getting late, let's rest for now. Remember, if we stick to our guns and don't give in, the court can't do anything to us, and the peasant uprising won't involve us."

The officials forced smiles and agreed, then everyone got up and dispersed.

It was still dark, only the dead of night, and the city was silent, with only the occasional barking of dogs and crowing of roosters.

However, at that moment, several figures hurriedly walked out of the government office. These people came out one after another, each carrying a simple bundle of valuables.

Dressed in the coarse cloth of ordinary people, they hurriedly avoided the guards at the gate and ran towards the four city gates of Yingtian Prefecture, their figures quickly disappearing into the dark night.

These people who fled were all officials of Yingtian Prefecture, including Li Huai, who was left behind in Nanjing.

Yes, nobody took that comforting speech seriously.

These old foxes were very clear-headed and rational in their assessment of the situation. Everyone knew that the tide had turned and disaster was imminent, and there was no other way but to flee.

He could give up his official position, his family property, and even his parents, wife, and children.

To survive, they must escape Yingtian Prefecture alone tonight and become fugitives.

All the officials of Yingtian Prefecture, including Li Huai, fled; not a single one remained.

They didn't call out to each other but acted alone. At this point, they couldn't rely on their teammates anymore, and they had to flee for their lives, making sure no one knew their whereabouts.

The city gates of Yingtian Prefecture were tightly closed late at night. Unless there was an urgent military situation, the imperial guards guarding the city would not open the gates.

However, Li Huai and his group were officials of Yingtian Prefecture and were very familiar with the imperial guards who were guarding the city. The officials, looking flustered, went to the four city gates and were about to call for the gates to be opened when another unexpected event occurred.

Through the heavy city gate, they could hear the chaotic and rapid sound of horses' hooves outside the city.

Everyone tensed up, their eyes filled with even more terror. Before they could react, they heard a military officer's stern shout from outside the city.

"By imperial decree, General Di Zi has quelled the peasant uprising and is returning to the city. Please open the city gates immediately and allow the vanguard battalion under General Di's command to enter the city to carry out their duties. Those who delay will be severely punished!"

The imperial guards guarding the city dared not delay. After lowering the basket and checking the troop mobilization documents and identification tags, they immediately opened the city gate.

Di Zi's 3,000 troops, along with Han Zhongyan's 1,000 Imperial Guards brought from Bianjing, a total of 4,000 men, entered Yingtian Prefecture from four directions at the same time.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the city in the dead of night. Many people lit their lamps and curiously opened their doors to watch as squads of elite imperial guards in full armor passed by, heading straight for the Yingtian Prefecture government office from all directions with murderous intent.

The officials who were hiding near the city gate, preparing to escape, were terrified when they saw the army entering the city. They collapsed to the ground in despair.

They knew they couldn't escape.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor and the court reacted so quickly. The Emperor even mobilized the army to quell the rebellion and rushed to Nanjing overnight. The action was as swift as thunder and lightning. They entered the city and questioned the officials of Yingtian Prefecture.

Now, even the thought of fleeing for their lives has become a pipe dream for them.

The city gates have been taken over by the Imperial Guards under Di Zi's command, and they will definitely not be opened again until all the officials of Yingtian Prefecture have been captured.

Li Huai naturally heard the commotion of the army entering the city in the dead of night. At this moment, he was like a stray dog, desperately cowering in a ditch outside the north gate of Nanjing.

He watched with his own eyes as the menacing Imperial Guards entered the city, their horses' hooves shattering the silence of the night, like a deadly reaper heading straight for the Yingtian Prefecture.

After the imperial guards entered the city, the heavy city gates were closed again.

Li Huai hid in the ditch, his body filthy like a beggar, his will to survive was strong.

We must leave the city tonight!
If he couldn't leave the city, death awaited him, along with his parents, wife, and children. He knew very well what he had done and what his fate would be.

Clenching his teeth tightly, Li Huai finally ran out just as the north gate of Nanjing was about to close.

Despite wearing only the coarse clothes of an ordinary person, and despite looking even dirtier than a beggar, he still tried his best to straighten his clothes, revealing the dignified official demeanor of the Nanjing garrison commander, and stood outside the city gate passage, looking up at the arrow tower above the city gate and shouting.

"I am Li Huai, the garrison commander of Nanjing. I have been sent out of the city on a secret imperial order. You must open the city gates immediately!"

This was the last time he used the pretext of remaining in Nanjing to seek personal gain.

This time, the stakes aren't money, they're life or death.

Tension, fear, and even despair churned within him, but Li Huai maintained a calm demeanor.

After an unknown amount of time, a familiar, laughing voice suddenly came from the arrow tower.

"I wonder what imperial decree Li is carrying out? Could you please explain it to me in detail?"

(End of this chapter)