Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 83: Trinity's Profit Sharing?

"Announce him to come in!"

Zhu Houcong continued his self-righteous "generosity," waving his hand as if throwing money away.

The secret letter just now was sent back by Guo Xun via express courier. This secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard should be delivered by Shen Lian, the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander who accompanied him, right?

Exactly!

In his previous memorial to the emperor, Guo Xun mentioned that Shen Lian had also secretly accompanied Yan Maoqing on his mission to Anda.

Although the general direction will not differ too much, Shen Lian's secret report should record what Yan Maoqing did during his negotiations with Anda. I can also take this opportunity to understand what happened at that time so that I can be fully informed...

While talking.

Lu Bing had already entered the hall. He first glanced at the fallen gauze curtains, then at Tao Zhongwen with a strange expression and Huang Jin kneeling on the ground, before decisively kneeling down.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has sent back a secret letter requesting Your Majesty's review..."

Even Lu Bing only had a superficial understanding of Yan Maoqing's ingenious plan, because all the information he knew came from Shen Lian.

In fact, throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, there were only a handful of people who knew about the ingenious scheme: Yan Maoqing, Gao Gong, Zhu Houcong, Huang Jin, Guo Xun, and Zhang Zuo, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial who went to question Gao Gong.

Huang Jin and Wang Zuo had already been silenced by Zhu Houcong. Even if the slightest news of the "magical plot" were to leak out, the two of them would not need to defend themselves and would be beaten to death together.

That is why Lu Bing couldn't help but feel apprehensive at this moment.

Releasing prisoners, beheading traitorous generals, offering tribute of nine white coins, sending hostages to the state... While these were all good deeds, in his view, they still could not offset the crimes committed by Yan Maoqing in the secret report!
How dare a mere junior official be so arrogant!

He dared to have private dealings with court officials, communicate with officials both inside and outside the court, form cliques for personal gain, and solicit huge bribes. Moreover, he had formed a large faction that could arbitrarily influence the situation in the court.
Such wickedness and greed are simply unheard of and unseen!

This truly breaks the record for the most notorious criminals investigated since Lu Bing took over the Northern Garrison Command!
Lu Bing believed that after reading the secret report, the Emperor would be furious and order him to investigate thoroughly, and would definitely dig out and deal with all the "big shots" behind Yan Maoqing.

The Northern Garrison Command is going to be busy again soon; he might even have to personally torture Yan Maoqing...

"Send it over."

Seeing that Zhu Houcong had already received the secret report, Lu Bing quietly gave Huang Jin a wink, then lowered his body even further, preparing to face the storm to come.

"?"

Huang Jin didn't immediately understand Lu Bing's expression and a question arose in his mind.

What does it mean?
Could it be that there's something fishy about the secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which might turn this great news upside down?
So, should we believe or not, kneel or not?

It was during this period of hesitation that he...

"It actually became four hundred thousand taels?!"

Zhu Houcong stood up solemnly, his sparse beard trembling as his cheeks twitched. He almost crushed the secret report in his hand, and his voice became even sharper.

This is a full 400,000 taels of silver, which is already one-fifth of his silver savings!

It should be noted that the annual salt tax collected in the Jiangzhehuai region is less than two million taels!

How could Yan Maoqing, who so blatantly extorted money from Anda, actually manage to get his hands on everything and transport it all the way back to the Ming Dynasty by oxcart?!
what does this mean?
Zhu Houcong's heart trembled violently. He, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, only had two million taels of silver in his imperial treasury. And Anda was merely a leader of ten thousand households. How much imperial treasury could he possibly have saved? This wave of corruption might have been caused by Yan Maoqing draining the Tümed tribe under Anda's command, along with the imperial treasury and the imperial treasury, of their wealth, taking at least half of it.

Just how big is the appetite of this Yan Maoqing, who's practically emitting blue smoke?!

"I knew it would be like this..."

Seeing this, Lu Bing was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe, and he gritted his teeth and endured it.

However, there was still one thing he couldn't understand: Yan Maoqing's demand for a bribe of 400,000 taels of silver was indeed shocking.

But compared to the vast faction behind Yan Maoqing that can manipulate events at court, that should be what the Emperor cares about more right now.
After all, the most tragic thing in life is dying before you've spent all your money.

If this powerful faction continues to control the court, it could lead to the downfall of the nation.

How the Emperor should conduct himself in the future is more important than those 400,000 taels of silver.
Unfortunately, Lu Bing was unaware that the "huge party" he imagined was entirely fabricated.

Zhu Houcong was incredibly astute; he only needed a moment to ponder the secret report before he understood what Yan Maoqing meant by this "huge faction."

That was simply a tactic used by Yan Maoqing to deceive Anda.

Even he was amazed by this method.

Unexpectedly, this thing emitting blue smoke had such a keen sense of the political situation in the court. With just a "casual remark," it easily stirred up the court thousands of miles away, and used the civil and military officials in the court to cooperate in staging such a "double act."

If it weren't for the pressure of "re-entry" and the allure of the coal mine, how could I have given in so easily?

No, no!
Not only these civil and military officials, but even the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty was tricked by this thing emitting blue smoke!

He's getting something for nothing, he's stepping on his own feet, he's creating a winning hand out of thin air!
What on earth is this thing, so incredibly monstrous!
If we're talking about who the "big shot" behind him is, and who his accomplices are, isn't it none other than myself if we delve deeper?

Fortunately, this bastard still has some sense of right and wrong!

Although they schemed against me, they also knew how to bring this matter to a close.

With Altan Khan releasing prisoners, beheading traitorous generals, presenting tribute of nine white coins, and sending hostages to the state, if I were to step in now to halt the "restore the Tao" proposal, I would not only avoid being branded as weak, but would also become a wise ruler who governs the world with the Way of the King!
In this way, Yan Song was no longer of any use, and Xia Yan had no choice but to give up.

The imperial court will no longer slide into an endless quagmire of factional strife, and everything will return to peace. Meanwhile, the Ming Dynasty has quietly resolved the northern Tartar threat!

It was truly an unparalleled strategy that did not cost a single soldier or a single tael of silver!

No, no, no! Not only did we not lose a single soldier or a single tael of silver, but we actually made back 400,000 taels of silver! This is the most exhilarating thing I have ever experienced in my life, without exception!

The only problem is that I cannot use this ingenious plan to promote Yan Maoqing.

Even I cannot admit that Yan Maoqing's mission to Anda was actually on my orders, otherwise it might arouse Anda's suspicion and ruin the subsequent development of the "strategic plan".

Alright!

Then I will be even more generous and split the profits 30/10, allowing him to take 100,000 taels out of the 400,000 taels as compensation!

After all, he earned this money through his own abilities, so giving him 100,000 taels isn't too outrageous. It's really too good for that scoundrel...

(End of this chapter)