Zhang Xin's expression turned cold in an instant.
"A major case…" he repeated, his voice low.
If it were just one or two people crying injustice, it might be a personal dispute.
But hundreds of civilians blocking the road?
That was no small matter—it meant something had gone seriously wrong at the local level.
"Summon the magistrate of Quanzhou immediately!" Zhang Xin ordered sharply.
"Yes, my lord!"
Before the order could even fully settle, the crowd ahead had already begun to stir.
The commoners, seeing the carriage stop, surged forward like a tide—yet they did not dare come too close. One by one, they knelt on the ground, pressing their foreheads into the dirt.
"My lord, please redress our grievances!"
"My lord, we have been wronged!"
The cries rose one after another, filled with desperation and suppressed anger.
Zhang Xin's brows furrowed tightly.
"Have them send a representative forward," he said, restraining his temper.
Soon, an old man, his clothes patched and worn, was helped forward by several villagers. His body trembled as he knelt.
"This humble commoner greets the Lord…"
"Speak plainly," Zhang Xin interrupted. "What injustice?"
The old man's eyes reddened instantly.
"My lord… the Quanzhou magistrate has been forcibly seizing our land!"
As soon as these words fell, the surrounding crowd erupted.
"They took our fields!"
"They beat those who resisted!"
"My son was crippled by them!"
Zhang Xin's face darkened further with every sentence.
Seizing land… beating civilians…
This was no longer mere corruption—this was oppression.
Gu Yong, standing at the side, also changed expression slightly. He lowered his voice and said, "My lord, if this is true, it must be dealt with severely."
Zhang Xin didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he looked down at the kneeling crowd—at their calloused hands, their worn clothes, their fearful yet hopeful eyes.
These were the people he had worked so hard to stabilize.
The very people whose lives had just begun to improve.
And now…
Someone dared to trample them again?
A cold glint flashed in Zhang Xin's eyes.
"Where is the magistrate of Quanzhou?" he asked, voice icy.
At that moment, a flustered official hurried forward from the rear of the convoy, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead.
"This… this subordinate greets Your Excellency!"
Zhang Xin didn't even look at him directly.
"Did you hear what they said?"
The magistrate's legs trembled. "My lord, this is… this is slander! These unruly people are gathering to cause trouble—"
"Silence!"
Zhang Xin's shout cut him off like a blade.
The entire road fell deathly quiet.
"Unruly people?" Zhang Xin slowly turned his gaze toward him, each word heavy with pressure. "Hundreds of people, all lying?"
The magistrate opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Zhang Xin took a step forward.
"Wang Meng."
"Here!"
"Take men. Seal the magistrate's residence. No one enters or leaves."
"Yes!"
The magistrate's face instantly drained of color.
"My lord! My lord, please investigate clearly—this subordinate is loyal—!"
"Whether you are loyal or not," Zhang Xin said coldly, "we will find out soon enough."
He then turned to Gu Yong.
"Yuan Tan."
"Yes, my lord."
"You will personally take charge of recording testimonies. Every household, every complaint—write them all down."
Gu Yong's expression grew solemn. "Understood."
Finally, Zhang Xin looked at the kneeling crowd and said in a steady voice:
"I, Zhang Xin, am here today. Your grievances—will be heard."
For a brief moment, the crowd was stunned.
Then—
A wave of crying broke out.
"Thank you, my lord!"
"Thank you, my lord!"
Some even kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads striking the ground with dull thuds.
Zhang Xin stood there, unmoving.
But inside, his thoughts were already racing.
If this was just one corrupt magistrate, it could be handled easily.
But if…
This was a sign of something deeper—
Then what he needed to deal with… would not just be a single man.