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

Chapter 30 An open-book exam, one sentence warmed his entire day.
The air is solidified.

Even the sandalwood incense rising from the purple-gold incense burner seemed to lose its flowing form due to the extremely heavy oppression, freezing in mid-air.

Wei Zhongxian knelt there, his head, which had never truly bowed before countless princes and ministers, now wishing it could be embedded into the cold, hard cracks in the gold brick floor.

His mind was blank and chaotic.

Countless thoughts, like a disturbed swarm of bees, clashed and hissed wildly in his mind, each one carrying a deadly sting that pierced the depths of his soul.

How did the emperor know?
How did he know the name Fan Yongdou?

In Wei Zhongxian's mind, he was just a wealthy merchant with a slight reputation in Shanxi's business circles who was good at scheming, one of the countless vague faces who would occasionally send tributes to the Eastern Depot through his disciples and followers.

Such people were as numerous as carp crossing a river in the Ming Dynasty, and were not worth his personal attention as the "Nine Thousand Years Old".

But the emperor was able to pinpoint the most crucial and hidden poisonous insect from among the thousands of ants!

How did he know that behind this seemingly ordinary businessman lay a massive, treacherous network capable of overthrowing the nation?

How secretly and profoundly this net is woven!
It is buried in the gullies of the Loess Plateau, hidden on the ancient trade routes where camel bells rang, and disguised in every seemingly normal grain and silk trade!

To uncover it, what a meticulous intelligence network it would take, what years of infiltration and surveillance it would require!

He, Wei Zhongxian, who was in charge of the Eastern Depot—the largest secret service agency in the empire that should theoretically be all-pervasive and monitor the entire country—was completely ignorant of this, like the blind men touching an elephant!
This was the greatest humiliation of his life!

How did the emperor know that grain, ironware, and even military supplies that the court had repeatedly ordered to be strictly controlled and prohibited from being transported—strategic materials that would enable the Jianzhou Jurchen barbarians to forge sharper blades and stronger armor—were flowing into the Later Jin through these secret trade routes like an endless stream?
These pieces of evidence are enough to warrant the death by a thousand cuts and the extermination of nine generations of a family by anyone involved!
This intelligence was so confidential that even the couriers who personally escorted the goods might not have known it all; it existed only in the minds of a few key figures.

But the emperor spoke of it so casually, as if he were telling a common story circulating among the people.

He has only been on the throne for a few months!

From the deep and oppressive cage of the Prince Xin's Mansion to the even larger and more desolate cage of the Forbidden City.

He only came into contact with those rule-abiding eunuchs and palace maids, those lecturers who spoke fluent classical Chinese, and those civil and military officials who argued heatedly over trivial matters in the court.

How could he possibly know so much about the hidden crimes that occurred thousands of miles away on the dusty trade routes of Shanxi?
Even... even more, deeper, and more thorough than I, the head of the Eastern Depot, the largest intelligence agency in the world!

"hiss--"

Wei Zhongxian's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

The damp, cold silk undershirt clung tightly to his skin, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave that had never melted. He could even hear his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Wei Zhongxian slowly raised his head, trembling, and looked once more at the young emperor standing before the huge map, his figure long and lonely in the candlelight.

That figure was clearly so young, even carrying a hint of youthful frailty.

But in Wei Zhongxian's eyes, the figure was constantly growing taller and expanding.

At that moment, he felt that he was not facing a mortal with flesh and blood.

Wei Zhongxian finally understood.

In his mind, it was as if a gate had been suddenly opened, and all the things that he couldn't understand and were confused about before were all broken through by an overwhelming force!

The emperor never intended for him to "investigate the case" from the beginning.

The emperor was "setting a challenge" for him.

No, it doesn't even qualify as "setting questions".

This is more like an open-book exam!

The emperor was the one who set the questions and the sole examiner, while Wei Zhongxian was merely a candidate assigned to copy the standard answers.

What the emperor wanted was never for his servant to discover anything.

All he wanted was for his servant to "decipher" the "answers" he already knew, using irrefutable evidence that could be presented in the court, announced to the world, and silence public opinion, and then neatly present them to him!

From beginning to end, he had only ever been the most useful and sharpest knife in the other's hands. When this thought surfaced in his mind as clearly as a branding iron, the last trace of pride in Wei Zhongxian as the "Nine Thousand Years Old," the last bit of wishful thinking that he could rival imperial power, was crushed to dust by this absolute force, leaving not even a speck of dust behind!

Instead, there is a deep-seated awe, a mixture of fear and worship, that comes from the very depths of one's soul.

He bowed deeply once more.

This time, there was no more hesitation, no more distractions.

His forehead slammed heavily against the cold, hard gold brick, making a dull, real "thud."

This is not a performance.

This was not the fake kowtow he had practiced a thousand times over the past few decades to please previous emperors and gain a foothold in the palace.

This was the most genuine and devout kowtow in Wei Zhongxian's entire life!
"Your Majesty...this old servant...this old servant deserves to die!"

"This old servant has been in charge of the Eastern Depot for many years, considering himself a lackey of our Great Ming Dynasty, capable of monitoring the world for His Majesty. But... but I knew nothing about such a heinous case that could shake the foundations of the nation and involve treason! This old servant is blind, this old servant is heartless! I have failed His Majesty's grace, I have failed the late Emperor's trust! This old servant... this old servant deserves to die!"

"I implore Your Majesty, for the sake of this old servant's continued usefulness, grant me another chance, a chance to redeem myself through meritorious service! Even if it costs me my dying, worthless life, I will surely weave this traitorous net you speak of, completely and utterly, from that rotten mud of Shanxi!"

Zhu Youjian slowly turned around, the candlelight casting an indistinct shadow of his expression.

Looking at Wei Zhongxian, who was prostrate on the ground, his whole body trembling like a leaf due to the intense emotional turmoil, a hint of satisfaction finally flashed in his eyes.

"Get up."

His voice was softer than before, no longer the coldness that kept people at arm's length, but rather carried a hint of the appropriate reassurance a superior would give to a capable subordinate.

The sound, upon reaching Wei Zhongxian's ears, was nothing short of heavenly music.

“This matter is far too important, and its implications are bound to be far-reaching.” Zhu Youjian walked up to him and looked down at him. “Looking at the entire court, civil officials are forming cliques, military generals are domineering, and members of the imperial family are greedy. I can only trust you.”

One sentence, like a warm current, instantly flowed through Wei Zhongxian's entire body.

"I only trust you."

These six words excited him more than any reward or any gold or silver jewels!

“You must remember this well,” Zhu Youjian’s tone became serious again, “before I order the net to close, I don’t want to see even the slightest ripple on this deep pool. If you need manpower, I will allocate the best I can. If you need money, I can give you access to the imperial treasury. As for the Western Depot, Zhou Quan will fully cooperate with you.”

"But from this day forward, Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know."

Zhu Youjian leaned down slightly, his voice extremely low, like a devil's whisper, each word striking Wei Zhongxian's heart:

"What if, before the operation is completed, a third person finds out about this through an unauthorized channel..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but just looked at him quietly.

But the lingering threat, the terrifying consequences of mountains of corpses and seas of blood hidden behind that calm gaze, instilled in Wei Zhongxian a chilling fear that penetrated to the bone, far more than any harsh words.

"This old servant understands! This old servant understands! Please rest assured, Your Majesty! Even if this matter is buried with me to my grave, I would never dare to utter a single word to anyone!" Wei Zhongxian kowtowed repeatedly, his voice becoming shrill with urgency.

"Go." Zhu Youjian waved his hand, straightened up, and regained his imperial indifference. "I await your good news."

"This old servant... obeys the decree! This old servant takes his leave!"

Wei Zhongxian bowed low, like a tamed shrimp, and carefully backed away into the East Warm Pavilion.

As Wei Zhongxian's body stepped once again into the cold, piercing darkness of the palace, he shivered violently.

But this time, he felt the whole world had changed.

The road he had come by was gloomy and cold, filled with the unknown and fear. He walked cautiously with every step, his heart filled with suspicion and wariness of the young emperor.

But the road back seemed to burn with a raging flame in his eyes, making even this old man, whose body was already on the verge of death and hollowed out, feel his blood boil!
(End of this chapter)