You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 147 Investigating the Ministry of Revenue
Jinluan Palace.

Minister of Revenue Fan Yongdou sent the imperial guards flying and leaped toward Zhou Chen on the dragon throne.

Fan Yongdou's goal was simple: he didn't want to live, but he wanted to die.

It would be best if they could injure Emperor Zhou Chen on the dragon throne, but it doesn't matter if they can't. They would just be killed on the spot, which is better than being imprisoned in the Eastern Depot's jail and suffering torture.

"presumptuous."

However, just as Fan Yongdou had knocked the guards away and leaped into the air, Cao Zhengchun's figure appeared in front of him.

As soon as Cao Zhengchun appeared in front of Fan Yongdou, he reached out and slapped Fan Yongdou.

Fan Yongdou's expression changed.

My instinct was to try to get away.

just.

Under the overwhelming aura of Cao Zhengchun, Fan Yongdou had no chance to dodge Cao Zhengchun's palm strike.

"puff."

Cao Zhengchun landed a palm strike on Fan Yongdou's shoulder.

Fan Yongdou's figure, which had just leaped up, deflated like a punctured balloon and knelt down on the ground again, returning to its original position.

Fan Yongdou opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Fan Yongdou looked at Cao Zhengchun as if he wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he could only weakly utter a sound.

"Rebellious ministers and traitors."

"How dare they act so presumptuously in the imperial palace, and even attempt to assassinate His Majesty."

"It's really life-and-death."

Cao Zhengchun looked at Fan Yongdou, who was now powerless to resist, with a cold expression and said coldly.

If Fan Yongdou hadn't been somewhat useful, Cao Zhengchun would have just killed this arrogant scoundrel who dared to act so presumptuously in the Golden Palace with a single palm strike.

At this moment, Dian Wei, who was guarding outside the palace, also rushed in with the imperial guards.

Seeing that Fan Yongdou had been captured by Cao Zhengchun, Dian Wei led the Imperial Guards out of the Golden Palace.

Fan Yongdou was also dragged out by the Eastern Depot.

What awaits Fan Yongdou next is clear to him and to all the civil and military officials in the hall.

From the moment Fan Yongdou suddenly lashed out to the moment he was dragged out, only a blink of an eye passed.

The civil and military officials in the main hall were mostly still in shock.

By the time the civil and military officials in the hall came to their senses, Fan Yongdou had already been dragged out.

The civil and military officials in the main hall all had tense expressions, their minds racing.

No one expected that Fan Yongdou, the Minister of Revenue, would dare to curse the incompetent emperor on the throne in the Golden Palace and even suddenly threaten to kill him.

This truly shocked the civil and military officials in the hall.

With Fan Yongdou's outburst, the Ministry of Revenue's office was completely ruined.

Perhaps even the Fan family of Jiexiu won't fare well.

Originally, Fan Yongdou's embezzlement was a serious crime, but it shouldn't have implicated the Fan family of Jiexiu.

But once this commotion happens, the nature of the situation changes, and it becomes hard to say.

Both Prime Minister Yuan Bo and the Minister of Justice saw through Fan Yongdou's deeper meaning, and their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant.

Fan Yongdou did this because he didn't want to be arrested and imprisoned in the Eastern Depot, where he would suffer their tortures; he genuinely wanted to die.

But isn't this also putting pressure on the Fan family of Jiexiu and them?
Zhou Chen, sitting on the dragon throne, never changed his expression from beginning to end. He remained calm and composed, like a stagnant pool of water, revealing no trace of joy or anger.

Zhou Chen looked down at the civil and military officials below and said, "You all heard what Cao Zhengchun just read, didn't you?"

"These are the officials of my Great Zhou Dynasty. The Minister of Revenue, a dignified official, is actually such a parasite."

"Not only did he embezzle disaster relief funds, but he also dared to curse me as a tyrant and try to assassinate me. He deserves to die."

"You all know in your hearts how many of you are like the Minister of Revenue."

"I have already given you the opportunity to stand up and confess your sins, but you do not know how to cherish it."

"Then I will say no more."

At this point, Zhou Chen looked at Cao Zhengchun, who had returned to his side and was standing there.

"Cao Zhengchun, draft the imperial edict."

"Fan Yongdou, the Minister of Revenue, embezzled disaster relief funds, accepted bribes, offended the Emperor's majesty, and plotted to assassinate me in a heinous manner. His crimes are heinous and deserve to be punished."

"The Ministry of Revenue's residence was ransacked, and nine generations of his family were executed."

As soon as these words came out.

The civil and military officials in the hall trembled, and their faces all changed color.

It's nothing to raid and destroy the Ministry of Revenue's residence.

But to execute nine generations of relatives is a much bigger problem.

Fan Yongdou, the Minister of Revenue, came from the Fan family of Jiexiu. Although he had separated from the Fan family of Jiexiu, he was still considered a member of the Fan family of Jiexiu.

Zhou Chen's "extermination of nine generations" tactic is essentially aimed at exterminating the entire Fan family of Jiexiu, isn't it?

Although the officials had expected this, they were still shocked when they heard Emperor Zhou Chen issue the decree.

Like the Cui family of Boling, the Fan family of Jiexiu is a prominent and powerful family among the seven great families.

His Majesty first exterminated the nine clans of the Cui family in Boling, and now he has issued an edict to exterminate the Fan family in Jiexiu.

It was impossible for the officials not to be shocked.

"besides."

"Start now, conduct a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Revenue."

"The Minister of Works and the Minister of Justice will jointly be in charge of this matter, with the Eastern Depot assisting in the arrests."

"Any official who is involved with the Minister of Revenue, or who is involved in corruption, abuse of power, or other illegal activities, will be taken down immediately once discovered."

"Anyone who dares to resist shall be executed."

Zhou Chen glanced at Liu Ye, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Justice, and then coldly gave the order.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the civil and military officials below changed once again.

A thorough investigation of the Ministry of Revenue?

This is really going to be a disaster.

The Ministry of Revenue was the purse strings of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and countless interests were involved within it.

Once an investigation is launched, it will definitely implicate a lot of officials.

The officials in the Ministry of Revenue, in particular, almost collapsed to the ground upon hearing Zhou Chen's decree.

If we're talking about investigating the Ministry of Revenue, the first to suffer will definitely be the officials who work there.

Even loyal ministers like the Minister of War, Marquis Weiwu, and Zhou Xian, the Eighth Prince, were feeling quite uneasy at this moment.

Your Majesty's investigation of the Ministry of Revenue—is this a preparation to thoroughly purge all civil and military officials?

"The minister obeys the order."

Both Liu Ye, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Justice immediately bowed and said...

"Retreat."

After saying these words, Zhou Chen immediately announced the end of the court session and left the Golden Palace.

Most of the ministers only came to their senses after Zhou Chen's figure had completely disappeared.

"His Majesty has ordered an investigation of the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Your Majesty is going to...?"

Most of the civil and military officials exchanged glances.

They all realized that during this investigation of the Ministry of Revenue, countless officials would be implicated.

Among them, there may be one, several, or even a dozen.

The officials all wore extremely solemn expressions; the events that had occurred at the morning court session had left them somewhat bewildered.

First, Fan Yongdou, the Minister of Revenue, was removed from the throne by the one on the dragon throne, and an imperial edict was issued to confiscate his property and exterminate his entire family, including nine generations of relatives.

The Fan family of Jiexiu, one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was the target of the purge.

It was that person on the dragon throne again who was about to issue an edict to investigate the Ministry of Revenue. Each of these matters was, to say the least, a serious one.

All of this forced civil and military officials to be cautious and prudent.

……

After leaving the palace.

The officials all wore somber expressions and hurriedly dispersed.

Because they knew that a significant upheaval was about to occur, both in the imperial court and in Luoyang.

Nobody knows which officials will be affected by this earthquake.

Therefore, they all need to hurry back and prepare for the earthquake.

Compared to the officials who hurriedly dispersed, the Minister of Justice and Prime Minister Yuan Bo were much more composed.

The Minister of Justice and Prime Minister Yuan Bo walked out of the palace together at a leisurely pace.

Then, the two left the palace gates together.

……

Prime Minister's House.

Inside the council chamber.

Prime Minister Yuan Bo and the Minister of Justice sat solemnly in the hall.

Besides the two of them, the steward of the Prime Minister's residence was also standing respectfully to one side.

"Master, what can I do for you?"

The steward asked the Prime Minister Yuan Bo, who was seated in the main seat.

As soon as Prime Minister Yuan Bo returned, he immediately summoned his steward.

The butler suspected that he had some important business to attend to.

Prime Minister Yuan Bo disregarded the presence of the Minister of Justice and directly addressed the steward, saying, "Steward, immediately spread the news that His Majesty has decreed the extermination of the Fan family of Jiexiu. Don't let the Eastern Depot's henchmen target us."

Prime Minister Yuan Bo knew that the Fan family of Jiexiu, as one of the seven great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty, was like his own Yuan family.

The Fan family had their own information channels within Luoyang.

As long as the news spreads that the emperor in the palace has issued an edict to exterminate the Fan family of Jiexiu, the news channels of the Fan family in Luoyang will surely reach the Fan family of Jiexiu.

This time, it's not like the extermination of the Cui family of Boling.

The one in the palace made no prior preparations and shouldn't even think about using a feint to secretly advance his own plans.

By then, the Fan family of Jiexiu had received the news and made preparations.

The one in the palace who wants to exterminate the Fan family of Jiexiu won't find it as easy as he did with the Cui family of Boling.

"Yes, sir."

A glint flashed in the steward's eyes, and he immediately understood what Prime Minister Yuan Bo meant. He turned and left the council hall.

After the steward left, the Minister of Justice frowned and looked at Prime Minister Yuan Bo, who was sitting in the main seat. "Prime Minister, His Majesty has ordered the Minister of Works and me to investigate the Ministry of Revenue. What exactly is His Majesty planning?"

"Shouldn't it be Minister of Rites Du Ruhui, or Minister of War, or the Eighth Prince and their ilk?"

"Why would they make me investigate the Ministry of Revenue together with Liu Ye, the Minister of Works?!"

The Minister of Justice said with a puzzled look.

The Minister of Justice really didn't understand what Emperor Zhou Chen's intention was in doing this.
Logically speaking, Du Ruhui, the Minister of Rites, should be Emperor Zhou Chen's confidant.

If we're talking about thoroughly investigating the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministers of Rites and Works should be the ones most responsible.

Even if it wasn't Du Ruhui, the Minister of Rites, it should have been someone like the Minister of War, Marquis Weiwu, or the Eighth Prince.

It wouldn't even be his turn as the Minister of Justice!
After all, compared to Du Ruhui and his ilk, Du Ruhui and his group were the true confidants of the person in the palace.

However, in the eyes of the person in the palace, he, as the Minister of Justice, was not considered a confidant of that person.

But the person in the palace is now ordering him, the Minister of Justice who is not a trusted confidant, to investigate the Ministry of Revenue, which is somewhat puzzling.

The Minister of Justice wouldn't simply assume that this was because the person in the palace regarded him as a confidant.

Upon hearing the Minister of Justice's words, Prime Minister Yuan Bo glanced at him and said, "I can't fathom what that person in the palace is planning."

"However, no matter what that person in the palace is planning, you should be careful."

"A thorough investigation of the Ministry of Revenue cannot be completed in a short time, so there's no rush."

"My biggest worry right now is Fan Yongdou. Your Zheng family should have told you about the King of Shu as well."

"Now that Fan Yongdou has been arrested and imprisoned in the Eastern Depot, and the Fan family has been ordered to be exterminated by that person in the palace, this is not a good thing for us."

"You should understand what will happen if Fan Yongdou can't withstand the torture of the Eastern Depot and says something he shouldn't."

"Prime Minister Yuan Bo said with a solemn expression."

First, they resolved the problem of Minister of Works Cui Yongyuan, and now Minister of Revenue Fan Yongdou has also been imprisoned by the Eastern Depot, becoming another problem.

This caused Prime Minister Yuan Bo great anxiety.

If Fan Yongdou were to be pried open by the Eastern Depot, then all their current schemes with the King of Shu would be exposed.

At that point, their plans will fall apart, and their fate will be obvious.

This doesn't even include the events in the four northwestern prefectures.

If Fan Yongdou were to reveal the affairs of the four northwestern prefectures, they would suffer the same fate as the Cui family of Boling, and would have no place to stand in the Great Zhou.

The Minister of Justice also looked solemn upon hearing what Prime Minister Yuan Bo had said.

He certainly understood what Prime Minister Yuan Bo meant; Fan Yongdou was now an unstable factor.

Once they succumb to the torture of the Eastern Depot and their mouths are pried open, the consequences will extend far beyond just the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice.

Instead, it will affect the two major clans and a large number of people under the Shu King.

"That Fan Yongdou is a real bastard."

"Originally, the person in the palace only wanted to arrest him for corruption. As long as he confessed some things about that, everything would be fine, right?"

"But he did something else, he suddenly attacked His Majesty in the Golden Palace and caused such a big incident."

"Not only did he implicate the Fan family of Jiexiu, but he also forced us into a corner."

The Minister of Justice said with a gloomy expression.

During the morning court session, Fan Yongdou, the Minister of Revenue, suddenly threatened to kill Emperor Zhou Chen. Both the Chancellor Yuan Bo and the Minister of Justice guessed the deeper meaning behind Fan Yongdou's actions.

That is, Fan Yongdou wanted to use this method to implicate the Fan family of Jiexiu, thereby forcing Prime Minister Yuan Bo and the Minister of Justice to do the same.

They should join forces with the King of Shu as soon as possible to take action.

If that happens, then once it succeeds...

Fan Yongdou's family will definitely survive and be released by the King of Shu.

Fan Yongdu sacrificed his life to protect his family; it must be said that Fan Yongdu's scheming was quite profound.

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Yuan Bo sighed; "He is trying to use this method to give his family a chance to live."

"Otherwise, they will all die."

"However, his sudden outburst in the Golden Palace, threatening to kill the one on the dragon throne, did force us to succeed."

"It seems we need to find an opportunity to meet the King of Shu as soon as possible."

"This matter has already been marred by the unexpected turn of events involving Fan Yongdou and the Fan family, and it cannot be delayed any longer."

"To avoid long nights and too many dreams."

"Prime Minister Yuan Bo said with a solemn expression."

With Fan Yongdou's outburst in the Golden Palace, which implicated the Fan family of Jiexiu, Prime Minister Yuan Bo knew that they didn't have much time left.

If the person in the palace senses something, it will be too late for them to change things.

It will be much more difficult then.

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Justice nodded in agreement; "Indeed! After the unexpected incident involving Fan Yongdou and the Fan family, we must see the Prince of Shu as soon as possible."

"It is estimated that the King of Shu also knew at this time that Fan Yongdou had been arrested and imprisoned in the Eastern Depot, and that the Fan family had been ordered to be exterminated by that person in the palace."

"He probably shares the same concerns as us."

The Minister of Justice's eyes flickered as he spoke.

……

(End of this chapter)