60: Chapter 60 Drink up, then we can raid your house.

When Duke of Cao's magnetic yet icy cold voice echoed and reverberated through the hall, time seemed to freeze in that instant. The shred of official authority on Magistrate Zhang Deguang's face vanished instantly, and his ruddy complexion turned deathly pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Your Highness, Prince of Wu?"

Magistrate Zhang Deguang murmured, his cloudy eyes fixed intently on the youth in black robes standing on the steps. The youth had delicate features, still carrying a hint of lingering childishness, but those deep, profound eyes were as cold as ice, making him tremble uncontrollably all over.

With a dull thud, Magistrate Zhang Deguang's legs went weak, and his knees slammed heavily onto the hard nanmu floor. Ignoring the pain, he pressed his forehead against the ground, his voice trembling so badly it was out of tune: "Your humble servant... Magistrate Zhang Deguang of Liuhe County, pays respects... pays respects to Your Highness, Prince of Wu! This humble servant was blind and offended Your Highness; I deserve to die ten thousand times, I deserve to die ten thousand times!"

Behind him, Third Master Liu, who had originally been trying to clamor, scrambled to his knees, kowtowing like he was pounding garlic: "Commoner... commoner Liu Jin... pays respects to Your Highness, Prince of Wu!"

How could the crowd not understand now? They had truly stumbled upon royalty, and they all knelt down in a rush.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong ignored the two of them, walking with steady strides past the two limp, kneeling figures, and entered the 'Spring Breeze Triumph' private room.

The private room was decorated with extreme luxury: famous landscape paintings hung on the walls, and the gold-inlaid chihu incense burner on the table burned high-quality agarwood. Wisps of smoke, carrying the aroma of the table full of delicacies, rushed to meet them.

On the table were: Hongwu Tofu, Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix, Golden Bridge Child's Play, Shark Fin Braised with Three Delicacies, Roasted Lamb Head and Trotters, Original Juice Lamb Bones, Spicy and Sour Kidney, Crystal Goose, Huang'an Donkey Meat, Pepper and Vinegar Fresh Shrimp, Twice-Cooked Fried Fresh Fish...

Fu Zhong, Prince Consort Guo Zhen, and other young nobles followed behind with cold sneers. As Fu Zhong passed by Liu Jin, he deliberately pressed down on the sword at his waist. The heavy scabbard slammed hard against Liu Jin's thick thigh, causing him to let out a suppressed groan in pain, though he dared not even lift his head.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong walked to the head seat and sat down leisurely. His slender fingers gently brushed over the cold tabletop, finally resting on the pair of ivory chopsticks.

"Magistrate Zhang Deguang, I said, I came here today to drink."

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's voice was very soft, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty. He lifted his eyelids and looked indifferently at the two people kneeling on the ground: "How can you drink while kneeling on the ground?"

"Your humble servant... dare not, it is fine if I serve you while kneeling." Magistrate Zhang Deguang said with a trembling voice, sweat dripping from the tip of his nose onto the carpet, staining a small, dark mark.

"I do not wish to repeat myself." The temperature of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's tone dropped suddenly.

Duke of Cao immediately understood. He walked forward slowly and deliberately, looking at Magistrate Zhang Deguang with a fake smile: "Magistrate Zhang Deguang, His Highness granting you a seat is a tremendous favor. By hesitating and making excuses, do you perhaps think His Highness is unworthy of drinking with you?"

Magistrate Zhang Deguang was scared out of his wits. He scrambled up from the ground using his hands and feet. Because his legs were numb, he stumbled several times before barely managing to steady himself. Under the cold gaze of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Imperial Guard Cavalry, he could only sit with half his butt hanging off the chair, trembling, at the side of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong.

As for Liu Jin, he was grabbed by the back of his collar by Fu Zhong like a dead pig and thrown directly onto the chair at the end of the table.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong picked up a pot of wine, the crisp sound of the liquid pouring into the cup seeming particularly jarring in the silent room.

He poured two cups, kept one in front of himself, and slowly pushed the other toward Magistrate Zhang Deguang.

"Magistrate Zhang Deguang, the water and soil of Liuhe County are nourishing indeed." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong raised his wine cup and said indifferently, "Looking at the scale of this Yingxian Tower, and the 'Dragon's Beard and Phoenix's Tail' on this table, even the Fengsheng Tower in the capital probably cannot compare to this. I am quite curious, is a year's salary of Magistrate Zhang Deguang enough to buy even a few dishes on this table?"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhang Deguang felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his throat. He stared fixedly at the cup of wine in front of him, the liquid slightly swirling, reflecting his terrified, distorted face.

"Your Highness... your humble servant... your humble servant's family background is decent, these are all... all prepared by Third Master Liu for my birthday celebration, your humble servant could not decline!" Magistrate Zhang Deguang attempted a final struggle, his voice trembling violently.

"Could not decline?"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong chuckled, the laughter revealing a bone-chilling coldness. "Jiang Wan, recite the rules of our dynasty regarding corrupt officials to Magistrate Zhang Deguang."

Jiang Wan spoke expressionlessly: "Reporting to Your Highness, anyone who embezzles or accepts bribes amounting to 60 taels or more shall be 'beheaded and displayed in public' and subjected to the punishment of skinning."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhang Deguang convulsed violently and nearly fell off his chair.

"Drink." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong acted as if nothing was the matter, pushing the wine cup forward. "Magistrate Zhang Deguang, I toast you with this cup of wine. I toast to you for managing things here in Liuhe County so 'prosperously'."

Magistrate Zhang Deguang looked at the wine cup and seemed to see the moment his own head would fall to the ground. He reached out with trembling hands and shakily picked up the wine cup.

"Drink up, Magistrate Zhang Deguang, do not keep His Highness waiting." Duke of Cao added a sarcastic remark from the side.

Magistrate Zhang Deguang closed his eyes, suddenly lifted his head, and poured the spicy, strong liquor into his mouth.

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough!" Because he drank too hastily, the strong liquor choked his windpipe, and Magistrate Zhang Deguang began to cough violently, tears and snot instantly covering his face. He slumped wretchedly against the table, gasping for air, but dared not utter a single plea.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong elegantly picked up a chopstick of fish sashimi and put it into his mouth to savor carefully.

"The taste is indeed not bad." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong put down his chopsticks, his gaze like lightning, piercing straight at Magistrate Zhang Deguang. "However, Magistrate Zhang Deguang, I previously reviewed the account books of the Ministry of Revenue. Liuhe County's summer tax last year was short by thirty percent; as for the autumn grain, less than half was paid."

"This leaves me very confused!"

This single sentence was like a basin of ice water that extinguished all of Magistrate Zhang Deguang's wishful thinking; he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to bluff his way through this hurdle today.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, please see clearly!" Magistrate Zhang Deguang ignored his wretched appearance, left his seat again to kneel, and said with tears and snot, "Your humble servant is guilty, your humble servant is incompetent! But the taxes of Liuhe County were not embezzled by me! It is truly... it is truly these local tyrants; they collude with the garrisons, conceal land property, and violently resist taxes! Your humble servant once sent yamen runners to investigate, but the Liu Family's servants actually dared to beat a court-appointed official in public!"

In order to save his life, Magistrate Zhang Deguang completely threw caution to the wind. He suddenly turned his head, pointing fiercely at Liu Jin, who was curled up into a ball beside him, his eyes filled with resentment.

"It is him! Liu Jin! Relying on being a distant relative of Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng, he runs rampant in the county. His family occupies three thousand mu of military garrison land, yet they do not pay a single grain of tax! Your humble servant... your humble servant truly cannot afford to offend him!"

Liu Jin had originally thought that as long as he played dead he could escape this disaster. At this moment, hearing Magistrate Zhang Deguang splashing all the dirty water onto his head, he was so angry he trembled all over, pointing at Magistrate Zhang Deguang and cursing: "Magistrate Zhang Deguang! You are talking nonsense! Those three thousand mu of land, do you think the shares you take every year are few? Which day is this private room on the second floor of Yingxian Tower not reserved for you? Now you want to make me the scapegoat, you are dreaming!"

"Your Highness! He is slandering me!" Magistrate Zhang Deguang kowtowed frantically, "Those silver taels were all forced upon your humble servant by him. Your humble servant was terrified of being poor and did not dare to spend a single cent!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong watched the two of them biting each other like dogs, a mocking expression appearing on his face. He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

The cold night wind poured into the warm private room, blowing away the intoxicating aroma.

Looking down from here, one could see the pitch-black streets of Liuhe County. In the slums not far away, countless commoners were perhaps wrapped in tattered quilts, waiting for an unknown tomorrow amidst hunger. Yet the officials and merchants here were arguing over who received more of the illicit loot.

"Jiang Wan." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong called out softly.

"This subject is here."

"You are familiar with this matter." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong turned around, the lamplight illuminating his half-bright, half-dark face, "The evidence of the crime and the confessions are all confirmed... we can proceed to ransack their homes."