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

Chapter 28 The First Loose Thread (Bonus Chapter)

After an unknown amount of time, the massive, mountain-like outline of the Qianqing Palace finally appeared in the darkness ahead.

The East Warm Pavilion remained as bright as ever, with its dim light that seemed to never go out.

Wei Zhongxian stopped at the foot of the steps in front of the palace. He carefully straightened his ordinary clothes, then took a deep breath, forcing the icy air into his lungs, as if using the cold air to suppress all the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

Having done all this, he respectfully placed the small ram's horn lantern in the snow at the foot of the steps, then, with his no longer upright body bowed, he silently walked step by step up the steps leading to the pinnacle of power.

Standing guard at the entrance to the warm pavilion was Wang Chengen, who resembled the emperor's shadow.

Upon seeing Wei Zhongxian, Wang Chengen's perpetually unchanging face remained expressionless.

He simply nodded slightly to Wei Zhongxian, then turned to the side and made a "please" gesture, thus clearing the way to the palace.

Wei Zhongxian knew perfectly well that Wang Chengen was the emperor's other pair of eyes. He didn't talk much or do much, but his gaze was like a hawk circling in the sky, sharply watching everyone in the palace, including himself, the powerful director of the Eastern Depot.

He stepped into the warm pavilion, and a wave of warmth, a mixture of precious camphor sandalwood and the scent of ancient books, instantly hit him, easing his body, which had been stiff from the cold wind, and making his blood seem to start flowing again.

He immediately spotted the young figure behind the throne, standing quietly in front of the huge map with his back to him.

The emperor did not wear the dragon robe that symbolized supreme power, but only a plain moon-white dress. His long black hair was simply tied back with a white jade hairpin, and his hands were behind his back.

His figure appeared somewhat frail in the flickering candlelight, yet inexplicably exuded a steadfast and unwavering presence, like a mountain.

Wei Zhongxian dared not look too long, not even daring to let his gaze linger on that figure for more than a moment. His knees buckled, and he knelt down on the ground in an extremely practiced and fluid manner.

He pressed his forehead deeply, firmly, against the hard gold brick.

"This old servant, Wei Zhongxian, kowtows to His Majesty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

His voice was humble to the core, yet it carried a perfectly timed slight panting from the hurried journey, as well as heartfelt excitement and admiration at finally seeing the Emperor's face.

How to demonstrate one's utmost loyalty with the most humble posture is an art he devoted his entire life to mastering, an art unparalleled in the world.

A suffocating silence fell over the main hall.

Apart from the occasional crackling sound from the thick tallow candle on the candlestick as it burned, there was no other sound.

The emperor did not immediately order him to rise, as he usually did.

Wei Zhongxian remained quietly in the prostrate position, motionless like a stone statue.

No matter how powerful or influential he was outside the palace, in this study, before this young emperor, he was always just a servant who could be crushed at any moment.

Time ticked by in the deathly silence.

Wei Zhongxian felt his forehead begin to go numb, and his kneecaps, which were in contact with the cold gold bricks, were also experiencing a sharp, needle-like pain. However, he remained motionless, and even his breathing remained steady.

He didn't know how much time had passed, so long that he almost thought he was about to turn into a real fossil on that cold, hard gold brick, when the voice he both respected and feared finally floated down from above his head like heavenly music.

"Get up."

The voice was flat, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Thank you, Lord Long Live."

Wei Zhongxian felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and with an almost struggling posture, he slowly crawled up from the cold ground.

He remained deeply bowed throughout, his head bowed, his gaze fixed only on the ground three feet in front of his toes, never daring to look up and peek at the emperor's face.

"Is there any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?" The emperor's voice rang out again, getting straight to the point.

Wei Zhongxian's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly pulled out a dossier wrapped tightly in oiled paper from his inner pocket.

This dossier was far lighter than any of the reports he presented to the court during the day, but the weight it contained was far greater.

"Your Majesty, this old servant has successfully completed the mission and has... pried open the mouth of a key criminal." He held the dossier high above his head with both hands.

Wang Chengen, like a shadow without form, silently stepped out from the side, respectfully took the dossier, and turned to present it to the emperor on the throne.

Zhu Youjian did not immediately open the file. Instead, he held it in his hand, slowly walked back to the huge rosewood desk with carved dragons, and sat down again.

"Speak," he uttered, sparingly.

"Yes." Wei Zhongxian swallowed, moistened his throat which was a little dry from nervousness, and then began his "report" for the night.

"Your Majesty, this old servant, following your secret decree, conducted a thorough purge of the Eastern Depot. Among them was a clerk named Qian Youlu, who had close ties with officials of the outer court and whose behavior was suspicious. During the initial interrogation, he was very stubborn and only admitted to common crimes such as accepting bribes and passing on palace messages to officials of the outer court."

Wei Zhongxian controlled his speaking speed perfectly, neither too fast nor too slow, and every word was spoken with exceptional clarity.

"Based on my years of experience, I feel that this person must be hiding an even greater secret. So, I dared to have my men use some... less conventional methods." He paused subtly here, while carefully observing the emperor's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

The emperor's face remained expressionless, but he rhythmically tapped his long, slender fingers on the smooth surface of his desk.

"continue."

"Yes." Wei Zhongxian felt a little more at ease and continued, "After spending three days and three nights without sleep in that dark place of the imperial prison, his bones finally gave way. He confessed to something that this old servant thought was no small matter."

As he spoke, his voice unconsciously lowered, creating a tense atmosphere as if a storm was brewing.

"He said that about two and a half years ago, someone had used his connections to secretly inquire with the palace about the transport routes and specific times for the border troops' provisions and equipment on the Liaodong front. The person who entrusted him with this task was not any official in the court, but a trusted steward of Fan Yongdou's household, the owner of the Fanji Trading Company in Shanxi."

When the name "Fan Yongdou" was clearly uttered by Wei Zhongxian, he noticed with his hound-like keen senses that the emperor's fingers, which had been tapping the table steadily behind the desk, paused for an extremely brief moment, almost imperceptibly.

Although the pause was only for a moment, so short that it seemed like just an illusion.

But Wei Zhongxian still managed to pinpoint it accurately.

A surge of joy welled up within him. He felt he had finally found a thread that could truly touch the emperor and pique the interest of this unfathomable ruler.

He almost couldn't wait to present his pre-prepared suggestions.

"Your Majesty, this old servant believes that this matter must not be taken lightly! A mere merchant dares to collude with the corrupt officials of the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guard to spy on border military intelligence. His intentions are despicable, and his crimes deserve to be punished! This old servant implores Your Majesty to issue an imperial decree immediately, ordering me to dispatch the elite troops of the Eastern Depot to Shanxi day and night to arrest the audacious Fan Yongdou along with his entire family and bring them to the capital, imprison them in the imperial prison, and interrogate them rigorously using all means! This old servant guarantees that we will be able to follow this lead and uncover the high-ranking officials in the court who are colluding with him!"

He spoke with great passion and spittle flying everywhere, perfectly portraying the image of a loyal dog eager to share the emperor's burdens and eliminate traitors.

In his view, this is undoubtedly the most normal, direct, and effective way to handle the situation.

Arrest people, raid homes, interrogate, expand the case!
This was the secret weapon that the Eastern Depot had relied on for survival for hundreds of years since its establishment, and it was also Wei Zhongxian's specialty.

However, after he finished speaking, he was not met with the praise he had expected, but with a chilling silence.

Zhu Youjian did not speak, but slowly opened the file and looked at it carefully with an almost scrutinizing gaze. It contained Qian Youlu's confession, which was recorded in blood and fear.

Wei Zhongxian's heart was once again in suspense, filled with anxiety.

He didn't know whether what he had just said was right or... wrong.

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept over the thin statement.

Qian Youlu, Fan Yongdou...

finally come!

The first thread that he had been waiting for, the thread that could loosen the entire Shanxi merchant group, was finally successfully dug out by Wei Zhongxian, that old dog with a keen sense of smell!

　Bonus chapter for the first time this book received a donation from a reader, thank you to reader 20231217192514022 for the 100 coins.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)