Lord Hou's Decree

Though granted the title of Marquis, Xu Zhan insists on becoming the chief of a mountain stronghold. He discovers that the rules of the underworld are better than the law at dealing with corrupt officials: if you steal one tael from the people, bandits will take ten from you. When every stronghold in the land falls under his command, the emperor on the Dragon Throne finally realizes that the princess he sent to keep watch has become the bandits’ bookkeeper.

Whenever someone is caught taking bribes, he uses the ways of the underworld to make sure they don’t get away with it.

If you dare to embezzle, don’t complain when the stronghold raids your manor.

If you rob the people, the bandits will rob you in return.

When every mountain stronghold in the land belongs to the marquis,

even His Majesty the Emperor is just another business partner of his.

And not the only one.

It’s a good thing the emperor had sent his eldest princess to serve as the marquis’s bodyguard in advance.

Otherwise, even the emperor himself would have to answer to the chief of this stronghold.