Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 685 Tracking
"This"

Seeing the men below looking at each other blankly, stammering and speechless, the young emperor, having reached a crucial point, stared at Shi Longjiang, the Minister of Works, and continued to question him: "Such a major matter as the transfer of treasury silver, yet you, the Minister of Works, have failed in your duties. How will you manage the rivers and canals, and exercise the power of grain transport in the future? As the Minister of Works, in charge of all affairs, you have caused such frequent bad news, with millions of taels of silver lost, ships destroyed, and lives lost. How will you face the Emperor, and how will you apologize to the people!"

“Your subject Shi Longjiang has betrayed Your Majesty’s trust and deserves to die ten thousand times over.”

With a thud, Shi Longjiang, who was over fifty years old, fell to the ground, speechless.

"You old bastard, you deserve to die, but will killing you bring back my money or bring back the soldiers who perished in the Han Canal?!"

The young emperor flicked his sleeves, suppressing his anger, and slowly said, "The Ministry of Works officials sent to Shanyang to investigate this matter have returned empty-handed, not even managing to recover half a tael of silver. Meanwhile, the strange incident of the boat capsizing in the Han Canal has become more and more frequent. Do you all really think I am Emperor Hui of Jin?"

Before the words were finished, a five-clawed golden dragon, its details clearly visible, appeared behind the young emperor. Its powerful aura silenced everyone present, who dared not utter a sound.

Although the dragon shadow was lifelike and almost tangible, most of its body was a dark, blackish-gold color, with only two divine eyes that shone with a bright and intense pure blackish-gold hue.

"Your Majesty, please calm down, Your Majesty, please calm down."

Sensing the increasingly tense atmosphere in the Imperial Study, Shi Longjiang, who was at the forefront, finally mustered the courage to speak, attempting to ease the tension: "I have already issued an edict, dispatching Cui Yong, the Director of the Waterways, to Shanyang to request the assistance of Shi Liang, the Prefect of Huai'an, to conduct a thorough investigation. He recently returned to the Ministry of Works, stating that the investigation has been completed. The capsizing of the boat in the Han Canal was caused by evil spirits, resulting in loss of life. Furthermore, the excessive silt and numerous hidden reefs in the waterway led to the capsizing and sinking of the official vessel, and the disappearance of millions of taels of silver from the treasury."

"Hmph, so this is the truth that the Ministry of Works uncovered—such vague and unsubstantiated facts about the crimes committed by the wicked?"

The young emperor stared at Shi Longjiang and said sarcastically, "The official ships that escort the imperial treasury silver all possess the immeasurable talismans inscribed by the Taoist priests of Dengzhen Pagoda, which can exorcise evil spirits and keep the waves calm. You old thief, you shift the blame to some nameless and mysterious evil spirit. If you don't have a guilty conscience, you are just extremely stupid! Your Ministry of Works is full of people like you. No wonder the canals are not safe and the official ships are capsizing. You are truly despicable!"

"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to appoint the right people and have neglected my duties. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Seeing that the young emperor had hit the nail on the head, Shi Longjiang was powerless to refute him and could only prostrate himself on the ground and kowtow to beg for forgiveness.

"You old scoundrel, you hold the position of Minister, the highest rank among officials, yet you act so foolishly! You deserve to die, you deserve to die!"

Then, the young emperor changed the subject, looked at Li Shenbo, the Minister of Personnel, who was sitting with his eyes downcast and seemingly lost in thought, and shouted: "Minister Li, dismiss Shi Longjiang from his post as Minister of Works and hand him over to the Three Departments for trial. It would be best if he could be convicted of a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family, so as to appease my anger!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."

At the same time, Li Shenbo glanced almost imperceptibly at Chen Shuda, his sleeves fluttering slightly, as if to remind him of something.

"Um, Your Majesty, please calm down."

Uncle Chen suddenly realized what was happening and spoke up at the right time, persuading the young emperor, who was not yet of age to come of age, to stop.

"Minister Chen, what do you have to say?" Seeing Uncle Chen step forward, the young emperor's expression finally softened, and he asked patiently.

"Regarding the collapse of the silver mine, has His Majesty sent anyone to investigate on-site and arrive at a definitive conclusion?"

"The result? Hmph, Minister Chen's plan was indeed thorough. Indeed, I have ordered the Chief of the Divine Chariot Division to lead five squads of constables north to Shanyang to conduct a thorough investigation. At that time, whether it is the work of evil spirits or a conspiracy by villains, there will surely be a clear answer! However..."

Suddenly, the young emperor sighed heavily, a worried look appearing on his brow. He continued, "The Grand Canal transport system is a crucial means of collecting tribute silver from the salt administration warehouses in Jiaxing, Hailing, and Yancheng in Jiangnan, using the convenience of waterways to bring it into the national treasury in the capital. This year, the tribute silver in the Lianghuai salt region has frequently encountered problems, and the issue remains unresolved to this day. This gives me a bad feeling. I fear that what happened today will be repeated in Liangzhe and Fujian."

"So the Divine Warriors left the capital to handle this matter. As expected, His Majesty is wise, having thought of things far more than us old folks."

Upon hearing about the Shenzha Division's actions, Chen Shuda appeared thoughtful. His gaze swept over Shi Longjiang beside him, and he advised, "Your Majesty, the Han Canal section is covered in thick silt and riddled with hidden reefs. Even if the Shenzha Division can thoroughly investigate the matter, eliminate the evil spirits, and recover the missing treasury silver in one fell swoop, this section of the river will still need repairs, won't it? In my opinion, it would be better to allow Lord Shi to remain in office while under investigation, so that he can make amends for his past mistakes."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I hope that Your Majesty will consider that Minister Shi has worked hard all these years, even if he has not made any great contributions, and give him a chance."

The Minister of Rites, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.

Looking at this group of old men pleading for Shi Longjiang, the young emperor couldn't help but feel a headache. Since he launched a bloody coup last year to seize power and purge the court officials, the remaining high-ranking officials of the six ministries were basically his confidants who firmly supported him.

For example, Chen Shuda is the current empress's father, and Li Shenbo is the teacher he recognized when he was still the heir of the Prince of Ying. Even Shi Longjiang, whom he is now angry with, once donated a lot of silver for military equipment to help him recruit talents and prepare for the Shenzha.

Thinking of the past, the young emperor waved his hand, still softening his heart and letting Shi Longjiang off the hook: "Alright, since all my beloved ministers have pleaded for this old scoundrel, then I will spare him this time, but this will not be a repeat of the past!"

After a pause, the young emperor looked at Chen Shuda and said, "Minister Chen, the reason I summoned you to the palace today is actually because of the important military defense matters along the Huai River. Although the disaster at the Han Canal is difficult to investigate and understand, I believe that the Director of the Imperial Secretariat can find out the truth. However, if the Huai River navy makes a mistake and allows the rebels of Da Shun to march south, then the prosperity of Nanjing will be in danger."

"With the Grand Canal failing, the nation's lifeline is blocked, border defenses are in disarray, and the situation is extremely difficult. It is now urgent to sweep away the evil influence in the Huai River region. Minister Chen, now that you have ascended to immortality and returned to tranquility, this heavy responsibility will likely fall on your shoulders."

"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your trust and kindness. I would rather die than repay such a debt. I dare not disobey your orders."

Uncle Chen cupped his hands in greeting.

"Very well. Now that the military conflict in the southwest has ended, I hereby appoint you as the Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai, to command the Six Ministries, and to lead the Dinghai, Guanhai, and Jinghai Guards to garrison along the Huai River. You are here by imperial decree to rectify official corruption, investigate major cases, and act expediently. Wherever you go, it will be as if I were personally present. Imperial edicts will be issued immediately. You must find my money!"

"Your subject accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude."

Seeing the six ministers kneeling to express their gratitude, the young emperor raised his eyes and looked at the towering Dengzhen Pagoda in the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)