Chapter 94: The Great Clan’s Calamity

The flood conditions here were far better than upstream. As usual, Chen Mu directed the flood relief troops to repair the embankments, then searched for places to divert the waters, dug drainage channels, and led the flood into lower ground.

After that, Chen Mu selected a new county magistrate and his subordinates, and left behind another five thousand flood relief soldiers to assist with distributing supplies and handling other matters.

Once again, Chen Mu led five thousand men by carriage to Yuyuan County in the Eastern Plains region.

As soon as the army reached the county border, they saw the magistrate and a party of officers waiting to greet them.

Instead of feeling pleased, Chen Mu frowned. "Magistrate, why are you here instead of taking people to distribute supplies and repair the embankments?"

The magistrate hurriedly bowed low. "Your Highness, I have already arranged for the head constable to lead volunteers to every village to hand out supplies, and for the deputy magistrate to take the constables to the embankments for repairs. Everything is in order."

Chen Mu's expression eased a little. "If that is so, then I cannot say you have done wrong. But with disaster at hand, there is no need for such ceremony. Come with me and inspect everything together."

The magistrate let out a sigh of relief and rose to his feet.

The group first went to the embankments, where Chen Mu saw that officials were indeed leading the people in repairs, and others were discussing with village elders where to divert the floodwaters.

Everything was being done according to his guidelines.

Chen Mu nodded with a smile. "Good. If every place were like Yuyuan County, I would have far fewer worries."

The magistrate beamed. "Thank you, Your Highness. This is only what this humble official ought to do."

Just as the scene was warm and harmonious, a man in tattered hemp clothing suddenly came walking over.

"Please, give me something to eat. I am about to starve to death."

The expressions of everyone present changed as they looked toward him.

Chen Mu studied him for a moment and immediately sensed something was wrong. Judging by the man's movements and mannerisms, he did not look like someone who had been starving for days. Then why was he lying?

And why was he approaching them step by step?

Seeing a stranger come near, the guards immediately surrounded him.

"Stop!"

"Who are you?"

The man in the ragged hemp clothes said pitifully, "This commoner is Duncan, a local. I haven't eaten for several days. Please, soldiers, give me something to eat."

The magistrate grew anxious. "Your Highness, I truly did send people to distribute grain from village to village. There should not be anyone going hungry."

Chen Mu's expression turned strange. "Oh? Perhaps someone was missed."

"Take him over there. Bring him some dry rations and water."

The moment Chen Mu heard the name Duncan, he understood. This man was from the Rag-Robe Guard. Duncan was his code name.

In this era there were indeed people surnamed Duncan, but it was highly unlikely anyone would actually be named that, much less appear so conveniently before Chen Mu.

So Chen Mu was certain this man had come to pass along a message.

Why he had chosen such a method was worth pondering.

Chen Mu took him into the tent and dismissed everyone else.

"Where are you from?"

Duncan replied, "Spurs."

Chen Mu smiled. As expected, he was one of his own; otherwise the code would not have matched.

Then Chen Mu's expression changed again. "What is so urgent? Why did you have to block the road to bring word?"

Duncan said solemnly, "If I had not done it this way, I am afraid I would never have had the chance to see Your Highness."

After Duncan explained everything, Chen Mu's face turned grave as well.

It turned out that all the volunteers recruited in Yuyuan County were people from the Zhang and Zhao clans.

If they had simply been working normally, it would not have been illegal. Not only were these people receiving proper subsidies, they were also cooperating with the magistrate to falsify accounts and collect pay for nonexistent workers.

What was worse, the magistrate had joined forces with members of the two great clans to withhold supplies, secretly sell them off, misuse public office for private gain, and line his own pockets.

In order to deliver a message to Chen Mu, Duncan had already worked at the embankment for seven days straight, waiting for this one opportunity.

On the surface, flood relief in Yuyuan County appeared to be proceeding without issue. If he had not reported it here, Chen Mu might well have been fooled away by the magistrate.

By the time the flood relief ended, there would be no evidence left to find.

After hearing all this, Chen Mu suddenly understood.

So the magistrate had come out to greet him precisely to prevent him from meeting the common people, fearing that someone might report the matter.

And the village where the embankment stood was probably one where the supplies had been distributed in full, so the magistrate had not worried about anyone making accusations there. Unfortunately for him, he had miscalculated in one crucial respect: there was a member of the Rag-Robe Guard here, and he had chosen this very method to deliver the warning.

If Duncan had not spoken his code name, the guards would have simply driven him away, and Chen Mu would never have allowed him near so easily.

Once he understood this, Chen Mu felt awkward. Just moments ago he had praised the magistrate of Yuyuan County, only to be slapped in the face almost immediately.

"For the matters you described, do you have any physical evidence?"

Duncan answered, "Yes. This subordinate has already confirmed the cases of fictitious payroll and withheld supplies. Your Highness only needs to send someone to the county office and check the accounts; everything will match."

Chen Mu nodded slowly. "Good. I will make arrangements first, then go at once to the county office."

He stepped out of the tent and ordered the flood relief soldiers to take over the embankment, while all volunteers and nearby villagers were to stand down and rest.

Then Chen Mu led the remaining soldiers to the county office.

Although these soldiers carried no weapons, each of them had a shovel in hand, which still gave them a certain fighting strength. The Zhang and Zhao clans would hardly dare make a move.

The magistrate could tell something was wrong, but then he thought better of it. The supplies for this village had been distributed in full, and he had not done any other wicked deeds lately.

That Duncan should have little worth reporting.

As for why Chen Mu had suddenly decided to go to the county office, he could only adapt as the situation demanded.

Once they arrived at the county office, Chen Mu had the account books brought out and checked them against the dates Duncan had mentioned. Sure enough, there was a problem.

If it had been another month or two, the magistrate might have used other entries to cover the discrepancy, but at this moment the missing amounts in the ledgers matched Duncan's report exactly.

Chen Mu held the ledger in his hand and asked the magistrate with a cold face, "Do you know your crime?"

The magistrate fell to his knees with a thud.

"Your Highness, I know my guilt. But I was forced into it. The Zhang and Zhao clans came together to find me and said they wanted to seize this chance to make a fortune."

"Yuyuan County's tax revenue depends entirely on those two great clans. If I did not agree, my own days would become difficult, and the people's lives would be difficult too."

"I did this for the sake of the common people, Your Highness. Please see clearly!"

As he spoke, the magistrate actually began to weep.

Chen Mu's face turned livid.

He had never expected the great clans in the Eastern Plains region to be so brazen.

"Fool!"

"Even if the great clans were pressuring you, you should have sought aid from the court!"

"I have carried out reform after reform, reclaiming great-clan lands and restricting their private militias. Do you not know why?"

"As an imperial official, to be frightened into this state by two clans?"

"Guards! Strip off his official robe!"

At Chen Mu's order, the guards stepped forward, pinned the magistrate down, and in a few swift movements stripped off his official robe.

The magistrate kept wailing and pleading, but Chen Mu paid him no mind.

"Take him back to the capital and deal with him according to law."