Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

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"Why is nobody speaking? Did you leave your vocal cords at home?"

"Just look at the sorry state of Tianfeng Prefecture's Department of Tranquility; it was like this before I arrived, and it's still the same. Have I come here for nothing?"

"Rest assured, if the sky falls, I'll hold it up. You can all place the blame on my head. I will take twenty percent of the profits, Deputy Prefect Qi takes ten, the thousand households and hundred households get ten, and the subordinates get thirty. The remaining thirty percent will go to whoever contributes the most effort—I will give them the largest share."

Yi Chen cheerfully boosted the morale of all the people in the Department of Tranquility.

Power comes from the distribution of resources. With tangible benefits laid out before them, it would be impossible for the subordinates not to give their wholehearted effort. Should they succeed, even if Qi Yuan wanted to act against him, he would be isolating himself from his peers.

"Sir, the Huang family is the wealthiest in Tianfeng Prefecture. They control more than half of the profitable businesses in the entire prefecture. However, this person is backed by the Seventh Prince. Do you dare to take action?" Clenching his teeth, it was none other than Steward Li who stepped forward from the crowd.

Since Yi Chen had shaken things up, Steward Li could no longer mix in Tianfeng Prefecture. He might as well take a gamble.

"Steward Li, choose your words carefully. How could the Seventh Prince engage in such profit-grabbing actions against the people? Doesn't he have his own royal manors and fiefs?"

"The Huang family is the Huang family; do not make wrongful associations and tarnish the Seventh Prince's good name."

Yi Chen corrected Steward Li's words while sipping tea.

Information about the Seventh Prince, Yue Jinyi, was naturally within the intelligence on the major powers of Tianfeng Prefecture provided by Feng Linsu.

This Seventh Prince enjoyed a reputation for virtue. His fief was located a few hundred miles away from Tianfeng Prefecture, in the town of Jinyi.

The prince's background was modest, his talents average, and his mother's family was a minor clan, which was why he was enfeoffed in Jinyi.

However, no matter what, he was a prince. All major forces would give him some face. Moreover, with his capable means and adept social skills, he had also attracted many extraordinary characters under his command, making him a significant power within the entirety of Tianfeng Prefecture.

The occurrences in Tianfeng Prefecture—disappearances, the death of the town's protector—Yi Chen would never believe that the local nobility, wealthy merchants, and large forces had no inkling of these events.

Therefore, one of the reasons why he was gathering money was that Yi Chen felt aggrieved and wanted to grab a piece of the pie.

The second reason was to use this as an entry point to stir the waters of Tianfeng Prefecture. With the situation being stagnant, he needed to agitate the water to get the dirt at the bottom to rise.

The third reason was if you wanted to get things done, you needed to feed your people well. To feed them, you had to bleed. Since the Yi Taoist was working on behalf of the court and for Feng Linsu, it couldn't be his own blood that was shed. It was better to make the nobles and big merchants bleed.

Throughout his journey, he had felt that the people of Tianfeng Prefecture were not as wealthy as he imagined.

If the commoners weren't wealthy, then surely there were parasites feeding off them. It was only fair to have these parasites regurgitate some of what they had taken.

Armed with the sudden demise of Xu Xiaoxun in the secret chamber and the Department of Tranquility's righteous fury, and combined with his own cultivation and the support of Feng Linsu, Yi Chen wanted to see who would dare to stop him?

Without using some tactics to warn the major forces, and dealing with a few ringleaders, how could he conduct his work? With everyone tying his hands, how could the case be investigated? How could the Taoist make his fortune? Did the few coins given by Feng Linsu compensate for the assassinations Yi Chen had faced?

If there are no conditions, create them!

Even thinking from another perspective, the bigger the commotion he caused, the safer he actually became.

"Excellent! I have come to Tianfeng Prefecture to do only three things: investigate, investigate, and still investigate!"

"Whoever has money, that's whom we'll earn from."

"Steward Li, get the scribes to compile a list of the dirty dealings of all the big noble families and merchants for me. I have great use for it. Qi Yuan, you bring two thousand households along with Steward Li to meet the Huang family with me."

Yi Chen slapped his thigh, making an immediate decision, "And the rest of you brothers, keep a close watch on all the major powers. Report anything that's not within the rules. All of this must be investigated thoroughly!"

"Intimidation, bribery, creating divisions, setting traps—I don't care what means you use to gather intelligence."

"Whether you drink broth or water, it all depends on you. Our fortunes are earned together."

After scanning the crowd seated below, Yi Chen called upon Qi Yuan and Steward Li to prepare to set out.

Respect human nature, respect interests, and you can hardly go wrong in this world.

Yi Chen's approach was straightforward.

He started by suppressing a group of noble families and rich merchants under the pretext of everyone making money. Once they had a taste of the benefits with Yi Chen leading the charge, the Department of Tranquility would become invigorated.

Eventually, Yi Chen would need to consider how to temper these blood-thirsty wolves.

Once everyone had made a tidy sum, likely offending a circle of people in the process, those who had received the most would be even more reliant on Yi Taoist, and his authority would grow ever greater!

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Wouldn't a tightly knit Zheng'an Bureau have emerged by Yi Taoist's side then?

Gather a batch of people, rope in a batch, beat a batch.

Investigate the cases, earn the money!

All for the imperial court, to seek justice for the deceased town commander, Yi Chen is willing to bear some blame and suffer a bit!

As for what to do after Yi Chen leaves in a month, there's no need to worry at all. As long as Feng Linsu isn't a fool, would he spit out the meat that he has swallowed?

Has there ever been a price increase followed by a reduction?

There will surely be capable people to safeguard these interests.

Qi Yuan's eyebrows furrowed, and a glint of understanding suddenly flashed in his eyes. It was as if he had guessed a part of Yi Chen's strategy, and his expression relaxed. He called two shrewd subordinates to follow Yi Chen.

If it was really as he had thought, then he was beginning to like this special envoy. The frustration he felt following Xu Xiaoxun was more than enough.

In no time, the machine that was Tianfeng Prefecture's Zheng'an Bureau began to rumble into action!

… Enjoy new tales from empire

…

Tianfeng Prefecture・Gold Family Garden Courtyard.

The Gold family was located at the center of Tianfeng Prefecture, oozing opulence, with a vast estate, artificial mountains with flowing water, and ornately carved beams and painted rafters—clear signs of wealth. Yi Chen nodded repeatedly, thinking that he had come to the right place.

"Master Yi, please." The Family Head of the Gold family led the way with a smile that did not reach his eyes, gesturing forward with a hollow politeness, and they made their way to a garden courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard, there was even a small lake, covering two to three acres.

It was the spring season, flowers bloomed abundantly, and the water rippled invitingly.

The garden with its varying shades was reflected in the rippling water, presenting an enchanting view.

"The light chill of early morning disappears beyond the green willow smoke, and spring is boisterous on the branches of red apricot trees; Master Gold truly knows how to enjoy life."

"The Zheng'an Bureau is pitiable in comparison, with only two jujube trees in our yard!" Yi Chen stared at the Gold Family Head with a smile, eyeing him as one would a fat sheep, causing the Family Head to feel uneasy.

Serve the tea, take a seat, talk shop.

"What brings the esteemed official here?" The Gold Family Head asked with clasped hands.

"Naturally, I am here concerning the sudden death of Town Commander Xu Xiaoxun in his secret chamber. In his fury, Feng Linsu entrusted this burdensome task to me, leaving me with no choice but to make this visit," Yi Chen said with a smile.

The Gold Family Head wanted to continue with pleasantries and flattery, but the next second, Yi Chen's expression suddenly shifted from sunny to overcast.

"Upon reviewing the archives, I've found that the Gold family has had quite a few problems in recent years."

"However, as the Gold family is famously benevolent in Tianfeng Prefecture, to avoid any misunderstandings and harm to the loyal and good, I have personally come to inquire further."

At these words, the Family Head of Gold's complexion dramatically changed. His aura surged, revealing a pressure similar to that of Zhu Buqun, realizing the presence of an unwelcome visitor.

Yi Chen's eyes blazed as he stared intently at the Gold Family Head. His bare hands turned to a golden color, and the air of readiness about him caused the hem of his robe to flutter slightly.

The Gold Family Head suddenly felt as if he were being hunted by a ferocious beast, with his body hair standing on end.

This man could not be confronted by force!

The Gold Family Head's eyebrows furrowed, and he swiftly subdued his own aura. If he couldn't fight, it was time to evoke his background.

"Does Master Yi know who stands behind me?"

"And who exactly stands behind Master Gold?" Yi Chen asked with a cold laugh.

A prince out of favor and not in a position to be doted upon; wielding the power of the Zheng'an Bureau, to knock on the door of one of his frontmen—a mere pawn—Yi Chen, with his current cultivation level and strength, had no reason to fear.

He was 'begging' for alms based on his own power and status, after all.

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