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

Chapter 60 A Coup? I'm Afraid? (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)

This is not the voice of a few individuals; it is the voice of the entire Donglin Party group, and the collective voice of the court's civil service.

If the emperor insists on going his own way, he will face not just opposition from a few individuals, but a collective rebellion from the entire scholar-official class.

The sheer scale and ferocity of the event left even the military officers standing by feeling a profound sense of awe and shock.

This is no longer considered offering advice.

This is a coup d'état.

A blatant and undisguised coercion.

But Zhu Youjian was still smiling.

He not only laughed, but even clapped his hands gently.

"Crack, snap, snap."

The applause was soft and slow, sounding particularly abrupt and jarring after the impassioned shouts.

Each round of applause felt like a slap in the face, striking the kneeling ministers hard across their cheeks.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant."

Zhu Youjian's voice was calm, even carrying a hint of appreciation.

"Minister Qian, your words were truly passionate and moving. I was deeply touched by them."

He stood up and slowly walked down from the dragon throne, step by step towards Qian Qianyi, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Especially these 'three major crimes,' they are a perfect summary. Violating ancestral laws, insulting scholars, disrupting the economy... each one hits the nail on the head, and each one leaves me speechless."

Zhu Youjian walked up to Qian Qianyi and stopped.

"Minister Qian, raise your head and let me take a good look at you."

Qian Qianyi slowly raised his head and met Zhu Youjian's gaze.

At this moment, the distance between the two people was no more than three feet.

But these three feet were like an insurmountable chasm, completely separating the ruler and his subjects.

Zhu Youjian looked into Qian Qianyi's eyes and smiled. The smile was bright and sincere, as if he were looking at an old friend.

"Minister Qian, do you know? I was still hesitating today about how to put on this show and where to begin. But what you just said has really helped me a lot. You've chosen the opening act for me and also the first target for me."

Qian Qianyi's pupils suddenly contracted.

He read a dangerous signal in Zhu Youjian's eyes.

It wasn't anger or panic, but a confident killing intent.

"comprehensive."

Zhu Youjian suddenly turned around and whispered to Zhou Quan, who was standing to the side.

"Bring me that file."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhou Quan took out a thin file from his pocket and presented it to Zhu Youjian with both hands.

The cover of the file was ordinary kraft paper, without any markings, and looked unremarkable, but at this moment it was like a bomb, exuding a chilling aura of danger.

Zhu Youjian took the file, flipped through it casually, and then handed it to Wang Chengen, who was standing on the other side.

"Wang Banban, read this part of the document aloud for me. Remember, speak loudly so that every minister present can hear it clearly and understand it perfectly!"

Wang Chengen took the file and bowed in agreement.

Qian Qianyi's face had turned somewhat pale.

He had a bad feeling, but he didn't know where it came from. He just felt that Zhu Youjian's smile was too bright, so bright that it was a little scary.

Wang Chengen cleared his throat and then began to recite:
"The case file concerning Lu Shouqi, the Supervising Censor of Shandong Circuit of the Censorate, who accepted bribes."

This opening line was like a lightning bolt cleaving through the heavy atmosphere in the hall.

All eyes instantly focused on a corner of the civil servants' line.

There, a middle-aged official, around forty years old and already not very good-looking, suddenly turned deathly pale.

Lu Shouqi, Supervising Censor of Shandong Circuit of the Censorate, was a seventh-rank official.

More importantly, he was Qian Qianyi's prized student and one of the important forces of the Donglin Party in the Censorate.

Wang Chengen continued reading:
"According to investigation, in June of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign (1626), the Wang family, merchants from Shanxi, sought protection for their illegally established trading post in Tongzhou. On the night of June 18th, they sent someone with 3,000 taels of silver to Lu Shouqi's residence. Lu Shouqi accepted the money and promised to use his position in the Censorate to provide protection for the Wang family's trading post."

"On June 21st, the Censorate received a memorial impeaching the Wang family's warehouse for illegal operations. Lu Shouqi volunteered to take charge of the case, but subsequently dismissed it due to 'insufficient evidence.'"

"The evidence is as follows: First, a photocopy of Wang's account book, which contains the inscription 'June 18th, gifted three thousand taels to Imperial Censor Lu in exchange for his protection of the Tongzhou warehouse,' with complete handwriting and seal. Second, a handwritten reply from Lu Shouqi, whose handwriting, after comparison, is indeed that of Lu Shouqi."

At this point, Wang Chengen paused and looked at Zhu Youjian.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"Thirdly, the witness Liu Er, a servant of the Wang family, has confessed without reservation, providing a detailed account of the silver delivery process, including the style of the Lu residence, the layout of the courtyard, and Lu Shouqi's personal appearance, speech, and behavior—all of which are consistent with the account."

"In conclusion, the facts of Lu Shouqi's bribery are clear and the evidence is conclusive."

After Wang Chengen finished reading, he closed the file and respectfully returned it to Zhu Youjian.

The main hall was deathly silent.

All eyes were on Lu Shouqi.

Lu Shouqi was now completely limp on the ground, his face ashen, his body trembling violently. "No...impossible...this is impossible..."

His lips trembled, and his voice was barely audible.

But no one believed his denial.

Ledgers, letters, and witnesses—three layers of evidence, linked together and flawless. More importantly, this evidence is not mere hearsay, but concrete physical and oral evidence.

Qian Qianyi's face was no longer pale, but ashen.

He knew that the appearance of this file was no accident, and that the emperor must have more and more deadly evidence in his hands, and today might just be the beginning.

Zhu Youjian slowly walked back to the dragon throne and sat down again. His movements were very composed, as if what had just happened was just a trivial matter.

"Qian Aiqing."

His voice was soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent hall.

"I just heard you say that my establishment of the Imperial Inquiry Bureau violates ancestral laws, that my investigation of corrupt officials is an insult to scholars, and that my confiscation of property is economic disruption."

"Then I would like to ask, in Minister Qian's view, does the behavior of Imperial Censor Lu, which involves accepting bribes and abusing his power for personal gain, constitute a violation of ancestral laws? Does it disgrace scholars? Does it disrupt the economy?"

Qian Qianyi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself unable to utter a word.

Zhu Youjian continued:

"Furthermore, Minister Qian just said that I used a group of 'dismissed and demoted minor officials' to investigate court ministers, which is a reversal of hierarchy and a confusion of right and wrong."

"Then I would also like to ask, people like Wang Ji, although they have indeed been ostracized, their ability and professionalism in handling cases are obviously beyond doubt. On the other hand, as for court officials like Imperial Censor Lu, I believe that all of you ministers present have already seen clearly what kind of character and ability he has."

"Who is truly reversing the order of hierarchy? Who is truly confusing right and wrong?"

Every word Zhu Youjian uttered was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Qian Qianyi's heart.

"I would like to tell you all a few words."

Zhu Youjian stood up, his gaze slowly sweeping over the assembled officials below, finally settling on Qian Qianyi.

"When investigating a case, one must be thorough."

These words were spoken very softly and casually, like an ordinary reminder.

But everyone present heard a deep threat and warning in those six words—

The evidence I possess is far more than you can imagine!

Your impassioned speeches just now were nothing but a performance by clowns in my eyes!

Today's Lu Shouqi is just an appetizer.

The real feast is yet to come!

Qian Qianyi looked at Zhu Youjian's young and calm face and suddenly felt a deep chill.

He realized that he had seriously underestimated the young emperor.

He thought this was a home show for the Donglin Party, a general offensive launched by them against the imperial power.

But now he realizes that from the very beginning, they have been firmly under Zhu Youjian's control.

They thought they were the hunters, but in reality, they were just the prey.

Zhu Youjian sat back on the dragon throne, his face still bearing that faint smile.

But at this moment, that smile looked so strange and terrifying to everyone, like a venomous snake coiled on a rock, finally revealing its fangs!

"Is there any other minister who wishes to continue listing my crimes?"

No one dared to answer.

The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony fell into a deathly silence.

Only Lu Shouqi's sobs, choked with extreme fear, sounded particularly jarring in the silence.

……

In a corner of the main hall, a young Hanlin scholar gripped his official tablet tightly, his palms sweating profusely.

He recalled that a few days ago, he had received a small "gift" from a businessman. Although the amount was small, now that he thought about it, the businessman's identity seemed to be somewhat questionable.

His gaze involuntarily swept towards the stack of files beside Zhu Youjian.

How many more pieces of evidence like Lu Shouqi's are there?
He dared not think.

All he could do was pray that he wouldn't become the next Lu Shouqi.

Among the military officers, several generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

They recalled their collaborations with Shanxi merchants in recent years, and the gifts and tea money they had taken for granted.

It turns out the emperor already knew.

It turns out that their every move was under the emperor's surveillance!

This emperor, who looked young and easy to bully when he first ascended the throne, was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing.

A hungry wolf patiently waits for its chance to devour all its prey in one gulp!

　If it makes it into the top ten new books today, there will be one more chapter.

　　You have no joke!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)