The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Li Da added, "Nowadays, the military, political and civil affairs of Songjiang Prefecture are actually all handled by Wang Ji, the magistrate of Huating County."

Lin Yue was immediately enraged and cursed, "That dog Wang Ji, wielding power at both the prefectural and county levels, fled for his life during the disaster, abandoning the people of Songjiang. He deserves to die!"

Lin Yue's gaze swept over the direction of the prefectural government office. Huating County was not only the county seat but also the prefectural seat of Songjiang Prefecture. According to regulations, it should have a number of subordinate officials, including the prefectural magistrate, the assistant prefect, the judge, the county magistrate, and the registrar.

He rushed to the government office, kicked open the ceremonial gate, and shouted, "I am the Imperial Envoy personally appointed by His Majesty to inspect Jiangnan! All officials at the prefectural and county levels, please proceed to the front hall for a meeting immediately. Those who fail to appear will be punished as deserters!"

The constables rushed off, and it wasn't until half an incense stick later that a few people finally arrived, dawdling along.

Seeing that there were so few people, Lin Yue asked in surprise, "Just you few? Where are the others?"

"Alright then, among you, is there anyone who understands hydrology and knows how to manage water resources?"

County Magistrate Li Song bowed and said, "Your Excellency, the Prefect of Songjiang has been transferred, the Assistant Prefect... has died, the Prefectural Judge has not yet been appointed, the Magistrate has been transferred to Nanjing, and the position of County Magistrate is vacant. Now, only the Magistrate and the Registrar remain in office in the entire Songjiang Prefecture."

The Assistant Magistrate of Songjiang Prefecture was beheaded by Zhu Di for his loyalty to Emperor Jianwen.

Registrar Wang Fu followed up, saying, "I am in charge of grain taxes, the county magistrate is in charge of patrols and arrests, and the registrar is in charge of household registration. None of us have the responsibility or ability to manage water resources."

Lin Yue was dumbfounded upon hearing this. It was already May of the first year of the Yongle reign, and Zhu Di had seized the throne through the Jingnan Campaign. How come he hadn't even appointed all the local officials?

Seeing that the local officials in the prefecture were unreliable, he simply closed his eyes and began to ponder the current situation on his own.

Clearing the canal outlets is not difficult, and the flooding can be relieved quickly; it's just a minor ailment.

The most pressing issue is whether the Huangpu River will breach its banks. The Huangpu River is a secondary flood discharge channel for Taihu Lake, and its riverbanks are mostly old rammed earth structures that have fallen into disrepair over the years. With the continuous torrential rains, if the banks were to breach, the entire area of ​​Huating City and Songjiang Prefecture would be submerged.

When Lin Yue opened his eyes, his gaze was sharp, and he had already made up his mind.

"With my duty on my shoulders, how can I desert my post? I will certainly report the matter of Magistrate Wang Ji to His Majesty."

Today's matter is nothing more than flood control and disaster relief. All matters concerning the prefecture and county are to be decided solely by this imperial envoy. Do any of you have any objections?

The officials looked at each other, none of them responding.

Lin Yue ignored them and turned to the imperial guards, ordering, "Disperse and search the Huangpu River embankment, focusing on the Majiabang and Lujiazui sections. Report back immediately if there are any signs of breach!"

Dozens of Imperial Guards clasped their hands in greeting, mounted their horses, and galloped off towards the south of the city.

Lin Yue stayed in the city to mobilize the people.

He found a gong, stood inside the city and banged it loudly, saying, "Now the rains are continuous, the water level of Taihu Lake is rising every day, and the water level of Huangpu River is also rising."

If the river overflows its banks, it will definitely flood the fields and the city.

If the riverbank collapses, families will be ruined and lives lost; this year's harvest will be nonexistent. Those willing to protect the dike will receive two liters of rice daily. Wealthy households and gentry will donate grain, money, and manpower. Songjiang Prefecture must unite as one to overcome this current crisis..."

The people leaned out from the high ground around them; the promise of two liters of rice was still very attractive.

The floods in Jiangnan were very severe. The imperial court organized disaster relief efforts, and the people had no reason not to cooperate.

"I'll go! I'm strong!"

"If the adults keep their word, we'll do as they say!"

Looking at the people in front of him, Lin Yue raised his hand and placed it on the hilt of his sword, his voice loud and clear.

"Good! You're all in high spirits! Now, folks, follow me to find grain."

He swept his gaze across the crowd and shouted in a booming voice, "Which landlord in Huating County is the most immoral? Who among you can step forward and point him out!"

"This imperial envoy will act on behalf of Heaven today, confiscating his property and distributing his grain and land to everyone."

These words instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the people.

Wow, they're actually raiding the landlord's house? This must be supported!

With the great edicts issued during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign as a precedent, the common people of the Ming Dynasty had a strong desire to file complaints.

A young, strong man in a tattered short jacket suddenly pushed his way through the crowd, pointed south of the city, and shouted, "Sir! That old bastard surnamed Zhang is rotten to the core!"

"Yes! Zhang is evil!" Several men echoed, their faces full of indignation.

"This Zhang fellow bought grain at a high price before the flood, raising the price of rice to three taels of silver per shi!"

After the flood, they became even more ruthless, locking up the granaries and only lending grain if the land was exchanged.

My neighbor, Old Wang, was forced to sell his daughter to him just to borrow two bushels of rice. As a result, his wife starved to death, and his daughter was tortured to death and then thrown into a mass grave.

"And..." another middle-aged man interjected.

The villagers chattered on, recounting all the evil deeds committed by the landlord surnamed Zhang.

Lin Yue's eyes turned cold upon hearing this, and he said in a trembling voice, "That Zhang Wan'e is truly wicked; let's raid him!"

He looked at the young man and said, "Lead the way!"

The young man responded and turned to run south of the city.

"Sir, come with me. That bastard Zhang is in Sanpailou Alley, the one with the red-lacquered gate and stone lions!"

Lin Yue stepped forward to follow, with Liu Zhong and his cavalry protecting him on both sides.

The people were filled with righteous indignation, and they grabbed whatever wooden sticks and carrying poles were around them, surging forward with the able-bodied men.

"Ran Zhang's wicked home!"

"Give him his share of the grain!"

The group trudged through the mud and headed straight for the wealthy man's residence.

Lin Yue went up and kicked hard, but Zhu Qi didn't budge.

Upon seeing this, Liu Zhong let out a low roar and rammed into the door, causing it to burst open.

Lin Yue was the first to rush into the courtyard, raising his arm and shouting, "Fellow villagers, follow me! Arrest that wicked Zhang and bring him here for public execution!"

The people followed closely behind, surging aggressively toward the main house.

Soon, Zhang Wan'e was thrown out by Liu Zhong with one hand, like a dead dog.

Zhang Wan'e's lips trembled as he scrambled forward, kowtowing repeatedly: "Hero, spare my life! I..."

"It's easy to spare you, but what about the people who died?"

Lin Yue strode forward and shouted insults, ignoring his explanations, and beheaded him with a single stroke of his eight-sided sword.

Zhang Wan'e, who had committed countless evil deeds, was killed, and the people at the scene cheered, their trust in Lin Yue increasing rapidly.

"Hahaha, that was good!"

"Waaaaah, my revenge is finally complete! My revenge is finally complete!"

"What a pity, he should have been torn to pieces!"

With some people guarding the entrance, Lin Yue led a group of commoners toward the second wealthy household.

The massive flood control efforts in Songjiang Prefecture have begun.

At another wealthy family's mansion, the door was kicked open.

The common people flocked in, and Lin Yue held his eight-sided sword to the neck of an unknown wealthy man.

Lin Yue's voice was cold and hard: "Open the granaries immediately and donate grain. Summon all servants and servants to support the county's flood relief efforts. If you can't gather enough in a quarter of an hour, I'll throw you into the Huangpu River!"

The wealthy man pleaded repeatedly, "I'm willing to donate! I'm willing to donate!"

He shouted urgently, "Steward, open the granary quickly! Call everyone, hurry!"

Lin Yue did not loosen his grip on the sword, watching as the steward led the people to move grain, the sacks piled up like small mountains.

Within half a day, all the wealthy households in the south of the city were ransacked by Lin Yue, and thousands of bushels of grain, more than a thousand taels of silver, and hundreds of servants were forcibly conscripted.

Lin ordered the imperial guards to set up a wooden table in the open space in front of the government office, tear open the burlap sack, and pour out coarse rice, which covered the table with white rice.

"Distribute rations according to the number of people! Two liters for able-bodied men and women, one and a half liters for the elderly and weak!" Lin Yue shouted the order.

The people lined up in long queues, trembling as they held up earthenware bowls and cloth bags. The imperial guards used wooden spoons to scoop up the grain, and the coarse rice fell into the containers with a soft rustling sound.