Frontier Army Warrior

Chapter 719 Crossing the Line

He still doesn't think that Lin Feng dares to treat him in any way. After all, he is a favorite of the emperor and a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue.

During the war, he had made great efforts to ensure that the Imperial Guards had enough food and fodder, so that Master Wan's troops would not starve.

Cheng Liang had received the order and prepared the torture instruments in the interrogation room early.

Lin Cangshi was taken all the way to Cheng Liang's interrogation room. Faced with the smell of blood all over the room, he began to panic.

Oh my god, are they really going to do it?

He had been in Kyoto for a long time, but he had never experienced such a cruel and bloody side.

The emperor has a good temper and will not get angry with him even if he says a few more words.

However, no one expected that such an important official of the court would be captured in Kuncheng and sent to such a dirty and brutal place.

Lin Cangshi felt like he was dreaming at this moment and still didn't believe that all this was true.

There was a loud "bang" sound, which made Lin Cangshi shudder.

He looked up with confused eyes at Cheng Liang who was standing in front of him.

"Will you tell me for yourself, or will you try these torture instruments first and then tell me for yourself?"

What kind of bullshit logic is this? Lin Cangshi was even more stunned.

Cheng Liang waved his hand: "Okay, let him try it first."

Two more men came forward and held Lin Cangshi down, took two thick clamps and put them on his thighs.

Lin Cangshi stared at the two clamps in horror and forgot to speak for a moment.

It was not until a sharp pain spread from his legs throughout his body that he woke up and screamed loudly, begging for mercy.

"Slow down, let me tell you, I'll tell you...ah..."

This was not a pain that a human could endure. At this moment, he said whatever was in his heart and could not hold back at all.

Lin Feng was not worried about the outcome of the interrogation at all.

Court officials like these are already tainted by corruption. They live in luxury and enjoy a life of luxury all day long and cannot bear this kind of suffering at all.

It is only a matter of time before he confesses his crime.

Lin Feng looked at the IOU in his hand and sighed.

"There's no money in the treasury, so writing this IOU is useless."

The four staff officers came to work early and sat upright in the seats assigned by Lin Feng.

Ju Chaoyue came closer and looked at Bai Tiao.

"We did go to various prefectures and counties to collect a lot of food and fodder. There was no other way. The troops had to fight without enough food."

Lin Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Wen Jian, pass the order down and have each prefecture and city make an IOU. It will be used to pay taxes in the future. Whoever wants to collect taxes must pay back the money first."

Wen Jian bowed and said yes, then turned around to convey the order.

The news that the Minister of Revenue Lin Cangshi was captured by Lin Feng soon reached Prime Minister Han Qi.

Han Qi is a well-known calm person, and emotional stability is his motto.

But when he received the message, his hand holding the teacup still shook, and the tea almost spilled on his hand.

What is Lin Feng going to do?

He has already captured two senior generals in the Imperial Guard. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, there is nothing wrong with doing this.

However, Lin Cangshi was an important official in the court and a senior executive of the Ministry of Revenue. How could he just take it?

Even if there is something wrong with Lin Cangshi, you, Lin Feng, shouldn't cross the line.

Han Qi knew very well that the memorials impeaching Lin Feng had piled up like a mountain in front of the emperor.

It's totally useless. Although everyone is criticizing him, they are just venting their emotions.

Knowing that the rebels were nearby, he couldn't leave Lin Feng.

But if Lin Feng continues like this, will he still be able to serve as prime minister?

Grand Tutor Wan has been sidelined by Lin Feng. Could it be that Lin Feng is reaching out to him again?

The more Han Qi thought about it, the more frightened he became.

This person was recruited by King Rui from Zhenxi, so we must go and talk to King Rui.

Han Qi asked someone to prepare a sedan chair and did not care about other business.

Prince Rui received Han Qi in the guest hall.

Of course, he also received the news that Lin Cangshi had been arrested.

During the most difficult times in Kyoto, Prince Rui, Prime Minister Han Qi, Minister of War Tang Bingqian, and Vice Minister of Revenue Lin Cangshi, these ministers, were the ones who stayed by the emperor's side.

His loyalty to the imperial court is evident to all.

Han Qi didn't say anything else, just sighed.

"Your Majesty, none of these old ministers are without flaws, but Your Majesty should be well aware of their loyalty to the court. Lin Feng's actions will chill the hearts of these loyal ministers."

"Prime Minister, I wonder what Lord Lin is doing in Kuncheng?"

"It's because of the court's tax problem. The emperor asked the seven prefectures in the northwest to recover the taxes from previous years. Lord Lin volunteered to share the difficulties for the court, but who knew..."

Prince Rui frowned and said, "Why would he go anywhere else but to provoke Lin Feng? I wonder what he's thinking."

Han Qi quickly explained, "Your Highness, the seven prefectures in the northwest are all under the control of Lin Feng. If he doesn't ask, who would dare to pay taxes?"

King Rui also acknowledged this fact.

"Can we go to other prefectures first?"

Han Qi smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, other prefectures and counties are so poor that they can barely make ends meet."

"Oh? Why is the gap so big?"

"Due to years of war, large tracts of farmland have become barren. Currently, people from all prefectures and counties are fleeing the famine to the seven northwestern prefectures. Almost nine out of ten houses are now empty."

Han Qi held his forehead with his hand and shook his head repeatedly.

"Has the Prime Minister studied the policies that Lin Feng implemented in his prefectures and counties?"

Han Qi sneered, "He turned all the land and houses over to the public and distributed them to the people for free, including grain seeds and farm tools."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed outside the door.

"Your Majesty, can this policy be implemented in other prefectures and counties?"

"If he can do it, why can't we?"

Han Qi shook his head. "Those officials, wealthy merchants, and aristocratic families have accumulated wealth for many years, and now all of it is gone to someone else. If it happened to Your Highness, would you be willing?"

Prince Rui nodded. "I've heard for a long time that the policies he implemented in the prefectures and counties were full of contradictions, and countless people came to the capital to file complaints. How were these cases handled?"

Han Qi said helplessly: "Because of the surrounding rebels, these lawsuits have been suppressed. If the rebels retreat, they will inevitably resurface."

Prince Rui pondered for a long time.

"Alas, the Fu Wang rebels are currently stationed in Lindu, Jingdong, and Yongning Prefectures, only 600 miles from Kyoto City. You and I should focus on suppressing the rebellion, and let's suppress these minor matters at the same time."

Han Qi said anxiously, "It's no problem to suppress it, but I'm afraid that once it develops a lawless momentum, it will be difficult to recover it."

Prince Rui narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

"What do you think, Prime Minister?"

"The Emperor and the Prince are generous. You can give them some power, but there must be a limit. You cannot give them unlimited power and allow them to expand."

"Mr. Prime Minister, you are the chief official in charge of selecting talents for the imperial court. Could you recommend a general capable of leading troops to quell the rebellion? If you can recommend someone who can replace Lin Feng, I can limit his power."

Han Qi opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

How could he have such talent? Even if he did, there is no way to prove that he has such ability.

Prince Rui waved his hand and said, "Let's leave it at that for now. If Lin Feng has second thoughts, given his ability, he will definitely do more than this."

His words were obscure, but Han Qi could still understand them.

Knowing what King Rui meant, with Lin Feng's current ability, he should be able to destroy the Dazong court. If he had any intention of rebellion, he would have taken action long ago.