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

Chapter 71 He gave too much

Wang Chengen then pointed to the land deeds and blueprints in the box on the right.

"The second reward is the land."

"These are the lands and estates under the names of Shanxi merchants that have disputed ownership."

He casually picked up a roll of blueprints and unfolded it.

“For example, this excellent paddy field in Tongzhou, which is 300 hectares in size, was ‘bought’ by a Shanxi merchant from a dilapidated marquis’s mansion. However, the document only has the signature of the spendthrift son of the marquis’s mansion, not the seal of the clan elder. According to the ‘Great Ming Code,’ this transaction is invalid.”

He picked up another land deed.

"Take this one for example, a hot spring resort on the outskirts of the city. The scenery is superb, and the annual income alone is no less than ten thousand taels. However, its west wall has a dispute with a villa of the Prince of De's Mansion over a few feet of land. The lawsuit over these few feet of land has been going on for three years without a result."

Wang Chengen showed them these problematic assets one by one, his smile becoming increasingly enigmatic.

"His Majesty said that these properties will also be bestowed upon you."

"The oral instructions were equally simple."

"You two go and resolve the dispute yourselves."

"It's settled. The land is yours."

silence.

If the first reward excited the Embroidered Uniform Guards, then the second reward instilled in them... fear.

They were experienced and resourceful in fighting against court officials.

But how do we resolve disputes with nobles, especially with members of the royal family?

Although the Marquis's mansion was in decline, its ancestors were founding heroes, and its disciples and old friends were all over the army. The Prince of De was even the uncle of the current emperor, a member of the imperial family!

Go and resolve the dispute with them? How?

Go to Shuntian Prefecture to file a lawsuit? Don't be ridiculous.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has only one way of solving problems!
Tian Ergeng's body began to tremble slightly, but it was not excitement, but fear of having his thoughts seen through and his plans laid out so clearly.

He finally understood what the emperor was doing.

The emperor is using these two rewards to force the Embroidered Uniform Guard to become enemies with all the nobles, imperial relatives and high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty!

No, we were already enemies before, and now, cutting off someone's livelihood means it's a fight to the death!
Rewarding bad debts offends the entire civil service.

The granting of land offended the entire nobility and royal family.

After the Embroidered Uniform Guards have offended everyone, who can they rely on? Who can they turn to?
They had no way out except for that emperor who was high above them and bestowed all of this upon them!
They will become a sword hanging over everyone's head, a public enemy that everyone fears and hates.

Their only way out was to cling to the emperor's leg and become the emperor's most loyal, fierce, unreasonable, and hopeless vicious dogs!

Having figured all this out, Tian Ergeng felt a chill run from his tailbone straight up to his hair.

The young emperor he followed was so cunning and ruthless that it was simply unbelievable!
The emperor was not bestowing rewards.

He is putting an unbreakable shackle on them, made of gold and power!

"Pfft!"

Tian Ergeng could no longer hold on and slammed his head heavily against the cold bluestone slab, making a dull thud.

"Your subject... Tian Ergeng... kowtows to thank Your Majesty... for Your boundless grace!"

His voice trembled slightly, a sound that could not be suppressed. This exclamation of "Heaven's grace is boundless" was half heartfelt gratitude and half a tremor from the depths of his mind.

The commanders and centurions behind him, who had also figured it out or were still unaware of the key points, all used all their strength to kowtow to the ground.

"We! We thank Your Majesty for Your divine grace!"

……

An hour later.

A secret room in the Northern Garrison Command.

Bright lights.

The black, unsettled ledger and the pile of disputed land deeds were spread out on the huge table, like a menu for a lavish feast.

Tian Ergeng sat in the main seat, with his most trusted subordinates, the four garrison commanders of the Northern Garrison, and more than a dozen powerful commanders in front of him.

Everyone's face was flushed with a sickly redness, and their eyes gleamed with the light of hungry wolves.

"Tell me your thoughts," Tian Ergeng said in a hoarse voice. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and tried to suppress the turmoil in his heart. "Where should we start with this first bite?"

A burly garrison commander grinned maliciously, pulled a page from the ledger, and slammed it on the table.

"Commander, I think we should start with this one!"

Everyone crowded around to take a look, and saw a name written on the account page: Liu Sihui, Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Below is a line of smaller print: In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, eight thousand taels of silver were borrowed, and have not been repaid.

“Liu Sihui?” Another garrison commander frowned. “This is a tough nut to crack. A key figure in the Donglin Party, he almost lost his life impeaching Wei Zhongxian back then. Everyone says he’s extremely upright. How could he owe money to Shanxi merchants?” “Heh, upright?” Zhang Daojun sneered. “It’s clearly written in the accounts. How could it be fake? Besides, does it even matter if it’s real or not? What matters is that His Majesty gave us this account book! We’ll take it to him. Will Liu Sihui acknowledge it or not?”

"If he denies it, that's treason! Disrespect for the imperial edict! Let's invite him to the Northern Garrison Command for tea and help him think it over carefully, to see if he actually borrowed the money or not!"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into knowing laughter.

They all understood that this ledger was a trigger, a trigger that would allow them to manipulate anyone they wanted...

"Good!" Tian Ergeng slammed his hand on the table. "Let's start with Liu Sihui! We'll tackle this toughest nut and set an example for all the officials in the capital!"

There was a gleam of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"As for this place..."

His gaze fell on the blueprints for the "Prince De's Villa".

"Send someone to dig a ditch outside the west wall of the manor for me. Tell them that our Embroidered Uniform Guard is conducting earthwork training on orders to defend against the Tartars attacking the city. Make a big fuss, and we'll stop when the Prince of De's mansion voluntarily gives up those few feet of land."

"As ordered!"

One problem after another, which was originally a huge problem, was transformed into a simple and brutal solution in the logic of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

They don't need evidence, they don't need laws, they don't need reason.

Because the emperor's decree is the ultimate truth!

……

That afternoon.

Outside Liu Sihui's residence.

A dozen or so Imperial Guard captains, dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives at their waists, stood like a group of silent statues blocking the main gate.

They didn't speak, didn't barge in, and didn't chase away passersby.

They stood there, staring at the tightly closed vermilion gate.

But their very existence is a powerful deterrent.

The entire street fell silent instantly.

Passersby, whether in sedan chairs or on foot, would avoid him and not even dare to raise their heads when they saw his distinctive attire.

Inside the mansion, Liu Sihui sat in the main hall, his face ashen.

The steward stumbled in, his voice trembling, "Master! The Embroidered Uniform Guard... the Embroidered Uniform Guard has blocked our gate!"

Liu Sihui's hand trembled slightly, but his face remained calm: "Did they say anything?"

"No...nothing was said. He just stood there, like a door god, it was terrifying!"

Liu Sihui closed his eyes.

He knew that what was bound to happen had finally arrived.

When the Shanxi merchants case came to light, he, as the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, submitted a memorial to protect several merchants with a good reputation, and also impeached the Embroidered Uniform Guard for its cruel methods that were detrimental to the national image.

Now the retaliation has come.

Before long, a junior officer from the Imperial Guard slowly walked in. He was not carrying a knife, but only a letter in his hand. He politely bowed to Liu Sihui.

“Lord Liu, our governor said he wouldn’t bother you. But we heard you’re short on cash lately, and you haven’t had time to repay the eight thousand taels of silver you lent to the Shanxi merchants years ago. Our governor was afraid you’d forgotten, so he sent us to remind you.”

"We're not in a hurry. You can return it whenever it's convenient for you. We'll just stand at the door and watch over it for you, so that no foolish thieves can bother you, this pillar of integrity."

These words, though extremely polite, were a hundred times more vicious than drawing a knife directly.

Liu Sihui's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Looking at the smug smile on the flag officer's face, Liu Sihui felt a surge of anger rush to his head.

But he didn't even dare to slam his fist on the table in anger.

……

The feast has begun.

Liu Sihai was merely the first appetizer.

The lights in the Northern Garrison Command remained on all night. As Tian Ergeng watched the messages constantly coming in from all directions and listened to his subordinates' excited reports, he felt as if he were standing at the pinnacle of power.

Tian Ergeng knew that he and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had become mad dogs with no way out.

But he doesn't care.

Because his master gave him the most delicious bones and the widest hunting grounds.

Tian Ergeng raised his head and looked towards the Forbidden City, his eyes filled with unprecedented fervor.

This master, though ruthless and cruel.

But he gave way too much!
(End of this chapter)