Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 102: Time is running out for the Ming Dynasty.

The next day.

Fengtian Hall, early morning.

The enormous golden pillars supporting the magnificent dome cast dappled shadows through the lattice windows onto the golden brick floor, but they could not dispel the heavy gloom in the hearts of the officials.

The civil and military officials stood in neat rows, completely silent.

Especially the Donglin officials, led by Qian Longxi, all lowered their heads and bowed their heads so low that they almost wanted to rest their chins on the insignia on their chests, looking down at their noses and minds, as if some unparalleled knowledge was hidden in the gold bricks under their feet.

Almost none of them slept well last night; everyone rehearsed the scene of this morning's court session countless times in their minds.

Perhaps it was a thunderous rage that led to the immediate arrest of several court officials; perhaps it was a stern and stern rebuke of the crimes committed in Jiangnan, forcing them to take a stand; or perhaps it was a grim-faced display of evidence, a warning to others.
They even carefully considered their excuses and pleas for mercy hundreds of times in their minds.

However, when the young figure in the bright yellow dragon robe slowly sat on the dragon throne representing supreme power amidst the resounding shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", all expectations were dashed.

Zhu Youjian, seated on the throne, had a calm expression and indifferent eyes, showing no sign of joy or anger.

He sat there calmly, as if the urgent bloodshed from Jiangnan was nothing more than a gentle breeze that caused no harm.

"Everyone is safe."

His voice was cold and emotionless.

"If you have something to report, do so now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

as usual.

The hall was eerily quiet; the only sounds were the suppressed breathing and heartbeats of the other occupants.

After waiting for a while and seeing that no one stepped forward, Zhu Youjian began to handle government affairs as usual.

"The General of Guyuan reports that the Tao bandits' cavalry are spying outside the border wall. Please provide more military equipment."

Zhu Youjian said calmly, "The Ministry of War shall draft a regulation, and the Arsenal Department shall check the inventory. The matter shall be decided within three days."

"The Ministry of Works reports that the old course of the Yongding River is silted up and needs to be dredged in preparation for the spring flood season. Please allocate 100,000 taels of silver."

Zhu Youjian flipped through the memorial: "Approved. The Ministry of Revenue shall allocate the funds, and the Ministry of Works shall initiate the project and supervise its implementation. There must be no mistakes."

"Minister of Revenue Wang Yongguang reports on his duties..."

After listening to Wang Yongguang's lengthy report, Zhu Youjian even raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a hint of approving smile: "Minister Wang, you have worked hard and made great contributions. The expenses of the nation are quite enormous. You have worked hard."

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation." Wang Yongguang quickly bowed his head.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces...

All of those dealt with were perfectly normal military and political affairs.

Time ticked by, and every breath was a silent torture for the officials standing below.

The calmer the emperor appeared, the more terrified they became.

It feels like having a massive guillotine hanging over your head, and you have no idea when it will fall.

Qian Longxi's back was already soaked with cold sweat. The icy sweat slid down his spine, making him feel as if he were immersed in ice water. He could feel that Qian Qianyi's body was also trembling slightly beside him.

Finally, the routine reporting process was completed.

The high-pitched voice of the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial was about to ring out, announcing the end of the court session.

At that very moment, every official's heart was in their throat!

Coming?

Zhu Youjian remained silent.

His gaze swept over the crowd below from the dragon throne with an imposing intensity.

His gaze swept lightly over the ranks of military officers and nobles, then over the silent officials, before finally settling unhurriedly on the small area where the Donglin Party members were most concentrated.

In that instant, Qian Longxi felt as if he were being stared at by a giant python from the abyss, and his blood seemed to freeze.

Zhu Youjian's gaze lingered briefly on his aged face, which was covered in cold sweat.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Qian Longxi's mind went blank.

However, the emperor's gaze lightly shifted away, landing briefly on Qian Qianyi behind him, before moving on to the next person...

He was like an experienced old farmer inspecting his vegetable garden, examining which cabbage was growing the fattest and which was rotten inside.

After Zhu Youjian's gaze swept over this area, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

Everyone assumed that this scrutiny would be followed by a thunderous outburst.

But Zhu Youjian merely raised his eyelids slightly and said indifferently to Wang Chengen below:
"If there is nothing else, then the court may adjourn."

These words, as light as a feather, struck everyone's heart with tremendous force.

"Dismiss—the court—" Wang Chengen's shrill voice echoed in the empty hall.

The officials felt as if they had been granted a pardon, yet it was as if all their strength had been drained from them. They mechanically bowed and then turned and shuffled out of the hall in an almost disheveled manner.

No one dared to look up at the emperor on the dragon throne again.

Stepping outside the palace, Qian Longxi was struck by the fresh air and realized that the lining of his court robes was soaked through.

His colleagues around him were as pale as paper, and some of them were even unsteady on their feet and almost fell over.

The raised knife did not fall.

But precisely because it didn't fall, it hung over everyone's head.

This uncertainty, this agonizing wait for judgment, is a million times more terrifying than being chopped off with a single blow!
……

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian took off his heavy imperial robe and put on a black casual dress with dark gold dragon patterns. He looked a little more relaxed, but the imperial majesty between his brows did not diminish but rather increased.

Instead of sitting down to review the memorials, he walked slowly with his hands behind his back to the "Complete Map of the Ming Dynasty" hanging in the hall.

This painting, the culmination of months of painstaking work by countless painters and geomancers, meticulously depicts the mountains and rivers, the nine border towns, and the inland provinces of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian's gaze no longer lingered on the prosperous Jiangnan region, nor did he pay attention to the turbulent Liaodong.

His gaze traveled westward, eventually settling firmly on the provinces of "Shaanxi" and "Shanxi" on the map.

Fingers gently caressed the picture.

His face remained calm and composed, as if the psychological battle at the morning court session was nothing more than a trivial pastime for him.

He knew that the ministers were currently hiding in their respective residences like frightened birds, suspicious and fearful of each other.

He enjoyed the feeling.

The so-called dignity of the literati is stripped away layer by layer, revealing the selfishness, cowardice, and greed hidden within, and then this bloody reality is laid bare before them.

This is more interesting than killing them.

Of course, for a large portion of them, Zhu Youjian still wanted to play the role of a born killer.
What he wanted was not a group of so-called loyal ministers who dared to remonstrate to the death, but a group of tools who knew fear and were absolutely obedient.

Because time is running out for the Ming Dynasty.

He had neither the energy nor the patience to play any sentimental games of harmonious relations between ruler and subject with these parasites who only talked big and ruined the country!
……

Inside the main hall, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A young eunuch, carrying a cup of freshly brewed hot tea, entered silently with light, quick steps. He stopped a few steps behind Zhu Youjian, even his breathing was extremely soft, for fear of disturbing this young emperor whose mind was as deep as the ocean.

Just as he was about to put down his teacup and leave, another figure appeared at the door.

It was Wang Chengen.

He wore an inconspicuous gray eunuch's robe, his body slightly bowed, and his face wore an unchanging humble smile, but his eyes held a shrewd glint that only Zhu Youjian could understand.

He didn't make a sound, standing there silently, like a lifeless statue.

Zhu Youjian did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces on the map, as if there was no one behind him.

"arrive?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it made the young eunuch serving tea tremble. He then realized that although the emperor seemed to be gazing at a map, he could actually sense everything in the hall.

Wang Chengen took two steps forward, knelt down, his forehead touching the cool floor tiles, and spoke in a very low but exceptionally clear voice:

"Your Majesty, the agents of the Western Depot have brought Mr. Sun from Dai County, and he is currently waiting for your orders outside the palace."

Wang Chengen's reports were gradually approaching the level of precision and efficiency that Zhu Youjian appreciated.

Zhu Youjian slowly turned around.

On that face, which had remained as cold and unmoving as ice, a genuine smile finally appeared, like a thawing ice river and a spring breeze passing by.

That smile contained appreciation, anticipation, and even a sense of control, like a chess piece being placed in its position.

In Zhu Youjian's all-seeing eyes, even though Qian Longxi and Qian Qianyi wielded immense power, they were nothing more than paperhangers. They only knew how to use the tattered rags of ancestral laws and sages' words to patch up the already dilapidated house of the Ming Dynasty in order to maintain their own dignity and interests.

As for Sun Chuanting, this guy was a tough guy who dared to rush into the house with a knife, cut down the rotten and maggot-infested beams and pillars one by one, and replace them with new wood!
"very good."

Zhu Youjian's voice carried a hint of barely concealed pleasure.

He walked to the imperial desk, sat down, picked up the cup of hot tea that had just been served, gently blew away the rising steam, and took a small sip.

The warm tea slid down my throat, dispelling the gloom that had accumulated over the past few days.

Then, he put down his teacup and, facing Wang Chengen who was still kneeling on the ground, issued the most important decree of the day.

"Pass it on to Sun Chuanting."

(End of this chapter)