Crown Prince Colton, having assumed the alias Roman, infiltrated the prefectural office as a lowly clerk to investigate corruption in the salt administration. He endured humiliation from colleagues who splashed ink on him, stole his credit, and seized his rewards before demoting him to the stables, yet he quietly gathered irrefutable evidence. At the autumn judicial ceremony, he revealed his identity as imperial envoy and had Prefect Dylan and other parasites dismissed and prosecuted. He then followed the trail to a major treason case involving Prince Evan and suppressed the rebellion with new firearms. After ascending the throne, he reformed the salt administration, opened border markets, and abolished harsh policies, thus inaugurating the golden age.
