The words from the servant were truly shocking, leaving the Clan Leader and the men gossiping with the servant dumbfounded. What! The relief grain sent by the Emperor was actually withheld by the Magistrate of Hong Yang Prefecture!

If they were constantly questioning before, now this servant’s words were almost instantly accepted by those present.

The reason was simply because they were on the brink of madness from hunger. At this moment, a batch of disaster relief grain sent by the Emperor was like providing timely help during a snowstorm, a hope to escape the depths of suffering.

They didn’t believe the servant, but they believed in hope, wanting to grasp onto this hope.

Now this hope was intercepted, and in an instant, their resolve was ignited with anger. This was their lifeline grain, how could it be intercepted!

The servant looked at the Clan Leader and sighed: "It’s really helpless, the Emperor originally wanted our Magistrate of Hong Yang Prefecture to open the granaries and distribute the grain. Unfortunately, the Magistrate said our harvest last year was bad and there was no surplus grain. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The Emperor had no choice but to divert grain from Qingyang Prefecture, but still it’s not getting to your hands. Let me speak frankly, I am extremely relieved to be with my master, not having to worry about a meal.

Yet if I were to encounter such a situation, I would rather charge in with everyone to take back the grain.

Even if the government does not tolerate it later, at least one could survive, better than starving to death because some heartless official withheld our lifeline grain, dying with a full stomach is better, don’t you think.

What’s more, the grain was originally given to you by the Emperor, even if it’s taken by force, it’s just retrieving your own grain, the Emperor wouldn’t hold it against us."

After saying this, the servant left, but the Clan Leader and his descendants did not notice. Their minds were filled with just one thought: the Emperor had sent lifeline grain, but it was withheld by heartless officials!

And the thought, rather than starve to death, better to take the grain. Since it’s the grain the Emperor gave them, even if taken, it’s their own grain, the Emperor won’t blame them.

Let’s take it! That Magistrate wasn’t a good person to begin with, their harvest last year was indeed good. The collected grains were heaped into mounds, how could the granary be empty? They couldn’t believe it.

Similar words as spoken by the servant spread among the disaster victims, quickly reaching all of them. For a time, the atmosphere among the victims became strange and restless.

............

In the government office of Hong Yang Prefecture, the Magistrate, the Assistant Magistrate, and the Assistant Magistrate were gathered, drinking and making merry. The sound of music and dance filled the hall, with a dozen alluring women performing gracefully.

The Magistrate was a fat-headed man, looking corpulent and bloated. At this moment, he was holding a beautiful young woman in his arms, enjoying his drink while watching the song and dance.

The Assistant Magistrate and the Assistant Magistrate also held women in their arms. These two had drunk quite a bit, their faces flushed red, eyes glazed over as they leaned on their chairs, being served food by the women in their arms.

The Magistrate was particularly happy today because the Emperor had sent disaster relief grain twice. Initially, he thought the second batch of grain would not be forthcoming because he heard the coming official was from the Emperor’s side.

Unexpectedly, the arriving official was a clever person, who personally delivered the grain to him, saying it was a favor in hopes of securing a promotion path.

The Magistrate generally looked down on such minor officials, but since this one was from the Emperor’s side, it gave him a sense of secretly defying the Emperor.

Thus the Magistrate happily accepted the grain and expressed his appreciation for the official’s insight into current affairs, then watched as the official left full of gratitude.

The Magistrate, feeling pleased, returned to the government office and brought in the Assistant Magistrate and Assistant Magistrate, who were of the same aristocratic family, to enjoy themselves together.

While they were reveling, a servant rushed in chaotically. In his haste and panic, he slipped and fell, knocking over a decorative vase.

The sound of the vase shattering interrupted the music and dance in the room. The Magistrate frowned, displeased, and reprimanded the intruder: "What’s the meaning of this? Utterly improper!"

The intruding servant ignored the Magistrate’s rebuke, clambered up, and kneeled before the Magistrate, trembling as he said: "Master, something’s wrong. The common people outside have rebelled! They’ve actually raided your granary!"

"What did you say?!" The Magistrate almost thought his ears were malfunctioning! Those peasant-like maggots actually dared to raid his granary!

In fact, the Magistrate’s hearing was perfectly fine because the messenger repeated it tremblingly: "Master, the common people have rebelled and raided your granary!"

The Magistrate finally confirmed he hadn’t misheard. When he hurriedly led soldiers to the site where the grain was kept, he saw nothing but an emptied granary.

The Magistrate was so furious that his face turned red, and all his fat quivered with rage: "These rebellious peasants! They dared to raid from me.

The entire bunch are treacherous. This is blatant rebellion, I want to arrest them all and send them to hard labor!"

The infuriated Magistrate of Hong Yang Prefecture personally led people to arrest the common people who had taken the grain. However, as soon as he had arrested them, a young general led troops to arrest them in turn.

The Magistrate was completely bewildered, recognizing the young general, Jiang Hui Xu, as a descendant of nobles, and his father was a military general.

People from the Emperor’s side and those of aristocratic lineage like him were naturally at odds, yet before this, Jiang Hui Xu never dared provoke him. What made him suddenly daring today, daring to arrest him?

The Magistrate felt terribly unlucky; the peasants he looked down upon dared to raid his grain, now his nemesis even dared to bind his people, his anger making him curse and swamp in rage without regard for image.

But Jiang Hui Xu paid no attention to his curses and simply arrested them, putting them along with the Assistant Magistrate and Assistant Magistrate into jail, and the entire Hong Yang Prefecture was taken over by the military.

Next was the pacification of the people, with Jiang Hui Xu not pursuing the people for taking the relief grain, earning immense gratitude from the common people who were in admiration and gratitude to him.

At this time, a rumor quietly spread among the people of Hong Yang Prefecture. It was said that Jiang Hui Xu was not an aristocratic official, but someone from the Emperor’s side.

For the first time, the common people clearly felt the difference between aristocratic officials and those aligned with the Emperor and for the first time clearly identified their object of resentment. It wasn’t the Emperor, but the aristocrats.

The aristocrats exploited them, yet the Emperor thought of them. The hateful aristocratic officials deceived above and below, intercepting the Emperor’s lifeline grain.

Fortunately, the Emperor had a backup plan, sending a good official to help them capture the bad aristocratic officials, preventing further bullying by them.