The Devastated Crown Prince

After returning to the newspaper office, the two sat in an empty room, facing each other in silence.

Li Yuanzhao sat in his chair, staring blankly.

Seeing his condition, Fang Zheng didn't want to disturb him further. He poured two cups of tea and drank by himself.

Outside, reporters could be heard loudly discussing some news.

It wasn't until the tea had cooled and Fang Zheng had finished three cups that Li Yuanzhao finally spoke in a hoarse voice.

His tone carried bitterness and undisguised disappointment: "How could this happen? I never told them to extort the people."

"They are common people too. During the district's flood, they worked hard to help."

"They drank with me, ate meat with me... they've never caused trouble before... how could they now..."

His words conveyed nothing but dejection.

Fang Zheng could only listen quietly. He had experienced betrayal and deception before, so he understood the feeling.

A simple office worker suddenly becoming a county magistrate overnight, bearing responsibilities that weren't his. He couldn't shed them.

Struggling along with these "burdens," when meat and silver were finally available to share, some of those who had shared hardships inevitably developed ulterior motives.

The magistrate's aura alone couldn't intimidate everyone.

Those figures who seem untouchable and unapproachable to outsiders become familiar once you enter their lives and the physical distance narrows.

The halo's radiance gradually fades... respect and boundaries disappear with it. This is human nature.

This was part of why the sanitation team dared to abuse their power and seek personal gain.

The Crown Prince mingled freely with his subordinates, appearing harmonious and wonderful. But this contained hidden concerns. Fang Zheng never spoke much, just quietly observed. Some things can only be understood through personal experience. Words from others always miss something essential.

Li Yuanzhao sat in place, seeming at a loss.

Fang Zheng finally spoke softly: "Your Highness, have you considered that this might be your problem?"

"My problem?! What problem could I have?" Li Yuanzhao felt a tightness in his chest. "I only wanted the people to live better. It's the people below who deceived me!"

"Your Highness, what kind of people are they? They were originally just night soil collectors who couldn't recognize a single character."

"Rising early and working late just to earn a bit of silver, barely supporting their families."

"Now given the opportunity to make money, how could they not take it? Even if it meant oppressing others!"

"Even though their lives have improved compared to before, their horizons have broadened and their desires have grown."

"Now Your Highness has placed authority in their hands. Would they give up this opportunity?"

"Has Your Highness realized how important the title 'Crown Prince' is? You represent the court, the state."

"With you backing the sanitation team, it means the court stands behind them."

"How could they not use their advantage? Perhaps they never deceived Your Highness, but simply passed one proposal after another to you, which you approved. Then the sanitation team added more and more pressure on businesses."

"They raised the standards to an impossible level. On one hand, they used you to expand their authority. On the other hand, they prepared to shift blame to the businesses should you ever question them."

"After all, the sanitation team had established standards in their minds. It was just the businesses that wouldn't comply and couldn't meet them."

"They will always take advantage, and the businesses will always be at fault." Fang Zheng spoke calmly, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

Li Yuanzhao appeared increasingly dejected. When Fang Zheng finished, he swallowed and retorted, "Old Fang, you're being too harsh."

"Even if they can't recognize characters, even if they were once night soil collectors, there are still good people among my subordinates."

"Remember Captain Wang from the disaster relief? He risked his life to save injured people from collapsed buildings."

"He now oversees the largest area in Banshan District. I don't believe he would do such things!"

"Shen Yi!" Fang Zheng called out as soon as Li Yuanzhao finished.

Shen Yi pushed open the door and entered.

"Bring the materials I asked you to prepare!"

Hearing this, Shen Yi returned to his desk and soon came back with several pages of documents, placing them on Fang Zheng's table.

"Thank you. Leave the door open and go back to work." Fang Zheng picked up the materials. "Your Highness, here's evidence of the sanitation team extorting businesses."

"And this is just part of it. They may officially be the sanitation team, but privately they've become a band of bandits."

"As for Captain Wang that Your Highness mentioned, he takes more than anyone. Large restaurants pay him twenty taels of silver monthly to avoid all inspections!"

"All told, he collects at least a hundred taels each month. Working hard for a few months would secure him for life!"

"If Your Highness doubts this, we can summon him for a direct confrontation!"

Li Yuanzhao's eyes were vacant as he snatched the materials, pointing at the text and reading carefully.

He muttered, "Impossible. I've drunk with him three times. He's generous, and his subordinates love him. There's no reason for him to do such things. If what you say is true, how could he be the kind of person who would risk his life to save others?"

His voice trailed off as his finger traced the detailed records of Captain Wang's misdeeds.

Gradually, Li Yuanzhao's eyes reddened.

The reporters who walked the streets daily, visiting everywhere, were truly professional, almost like detectives. The contents were written in such detail that specific locations, amounts, and even times were clearly recorded.

Combined with today's field investigation, there was almost no possibility of fabrication.

Li Yuanzhao gave up, slumping back against his chair.

His hands spread open, and the papers scattered on the floor.

Fang Zheng rose to pick up the materials, saying calmly, "Does Your Highness wish to summon Captain Wang for confrontation?"

"No... no need..." Li Yuanzhao said dejectedly. "Where did I go wrong... Did I not treat them well? Why would they do this to me?"

"They certainly weren't targeting Your Highness," Fang Zheng smiled slightly. "But these troubles were indeed caused by Your Highness."

"Power is like wine. It's addictive and corrupts a person."

"They themselves weren't capable of bearing this power... and naturally couldn't control it."

"So they used their authority to harass businesses... the lower classes oppressing each other."