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

Chapter 76 Those who block our way, shut them up, or shut them up forever!

In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youjian laughed for no apparent reason.

He presented the future revealed by the bloody "Nine-Sided Map" to them in the most straightforward way. He thought that as the elite of the empire, they could at least understand the life and death of the dragons on the chessboard and understand what it meant for the lips to be gone and the teeth to be cold.

"Wei Zhongxian, Tian Ergeng."

The emperor's voice was soft, yet it was like two icicles piercing the ears of the two men who stood with their heads bowed below the throne.

"The old slave is here."

"The minister is here."

Wei Zhongxian bent even lower, his aged face revealing no emotion, but a flame, long dormant, rekindled deep within his cloudy eyes.

Tian Ergeng knelt on one knee. This commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who was in charge of the most feared organization in the Ming Dynasty, felt a chill spreading from his body.

The emperor did not look at them; his gaze remained fixed on the urgent message delivered over 600 li on the table.

"I will restore the policy of rewarding and rewarding the Mongols, provide relief to the Kharachin and other tribes, and reopen the border trade."

His tone was as flat as if he were talking about today's weather.

"I want these national policies to become the supreme will of my Great Ming Dynasty at tomorrow's court meeting, and to be implemented immediately."

The hall was completely silent.

Zhu Youjian slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on the two of them. His eyes were calm and deep, yet carried a chilling coldness.

"I don't care what methods you use."

His voice paused, each word seeming to come from the deepest hell.

"Shut up those who are blocking your way."

"or……"

"...Shut up forever!"

boom!
Tian Ergeng felt a loud bang in his head, and his blood seemed to freeze at that moment.

He didn't dare to look up!
The emperor was no longer the benevolent, kind, and even somewhat weak Prince Xin of legend; instead, he was a tyrant who bared his fangs from his throne!
Beside him, Wei Zhongxian, the long-suppressed, beast-like excitement within his aged body was awakening; his dry lips trembled slightly, and his eyes gleamed with a cruel and fanatical light.

Wei Zhongxian knew that at this time, the emperor desperately needed his old dog.

A vicious dog that can tear apart and bleed for its owner!
Most importantly, given the emperor's current attitude and the situation we face, there will be many more times when he needs this old dog. Wei Zhongxian won't die; in fact, he'll certainly live a good life!
"This old servant... obeys the decree." Wei Zhongxian's voice was hoarse, yet it carried an uncontrollable tremor.

Tian Ergeng felt a chill and buried his head deeply.

"Sir, obey the order!"

……

At 9 PM, the capital city was locked up.

The heavy city gates slowly closed with the groan of the winches, shutting out all the noise and extravagance of the day.

The vast capital city was like a giant beast that had fallen into a deep sleep, with only the watchman's clapper striking out a monotonous rhythm in the empty streets and alleys.

The study of Wang Jiazhen, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was brightly lit.

At this moment, Vice Minister Wang was extremely uneasy, his forehead was covered in cold sweat and his temples were soaked, because sitting opposite him was a guest he could never have imagined, much less dared to imagine.

Wei Zhongxian.

This once powerful eunuch, who could stop children from crying at night, made no show of ceremonies tonight. A small sedan chair and a few inconspicuous eunuchs entered his mansion quietly, like an old neighbor visiting.

Yet the aura emanating from him was even more chilling than the deepest ice in the imperial prison.

“Minister Wang, no need for formalities. I’ve just come to chat with you about everyday matters.” Wei Zhongxian chuckled and took a sip of tea, his voice gentle to the point of being insincere.

Wang Jiazhen dared not sit down, half his buttocks dangling from the chair, bowing deeply. "The Grand Eunuch has arrived so late at night, I wonder... I wonder what your orders are?"

Without wasting a single word, Wei Zhongxian got straight to the point: "I'm here today for no other reason than for your good son who's sailing off to sea in Fujian."

Wang Jiazhen's heart was instantly gripped by an invisible hand. Although his son, Wang Mian, was busy with business, he was ultimately a proper scholar and the future that the Wang family had painstakingly cultivated. Of all professions, only studying is noble. The real hope of the Wang family was that his son would pass the imperial examination and bring glory to the family.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and forced a smile: "Eunuch, my son is unruly. I wonder what has troubled you, Eunuch?"

Wei Zhongxian pulled a booklet from his wide sleeves and slammed it onto the table.

The booklet was thrown open and faced directly at Wang Jiazhen.

His gaze swept over her once, and he felt as if struck by lightning, his whole body turning ice-cold.

The document clearly shows the list of his son Wang Mian's fleet, written in black and white, along with a shipping permit stamped by the Fujian Maritime Trade Office!

Next to the cargo manifest of each ship, a line of glaring small print was added in red ink: "Three hundred dan of smuggled ironware," "Sulfur, saltpeter..."

Smuggling military and national weapons!

If these charges are proven true, forget about taking the imperial examinations to enter officialdom. Based on the Shanxi merchant case that the new emperor just handled, being executed by slow slicing, having their property confiscated, and their entire family wiped out would be considered lenient!
"Factory...Factory Master, this is a frame-up! Someone is framing my son!" Wang Jiazhen's voice had completely changed, and it was choked with sobs.

Wei Zhongxian finally raised his eyelids, and a sinister glint flashed in his seemingly senile old eyes.

“Minister Wang, you are a wise man. Your son’s fleet is currently anchored outside Quanzhou Port, and our men are keeping an eye on it for you. Everything on board is clearly written in this register.”

He extended a withered finger and gently tapped Wang Mian's name.

"We don't want to hear nonsense."

"Tomorrow at the morning court session, you may say whatever His Majesty wishes to hear. Do not utter a single word that His Majesty does not wish to hear."

Wei Zhongxian slowly stood up, walked to Wang Jiazhen, who was already pale and swaying, and said in an almost whispered voice:
"The continuation of your Wang family line rests entirely on this one son. Our family can't bear to see an elderly person bury their young... that scene is too heartbreaking."

After saying this, he didn't look at Wang Jiazhen again, turned around, and hunched over as he prepared to leave.

As he turned around, a glimpse of Wang Jiazhen's dejected and disheveled appearance caught Wei Zhongxian's eye, and he felt nothing but cold contempt.

A bunch of bookworms who've gone mad from reading too much!
They spout Confucian classics and moral principles all day long, but behind the scenes they are engaged in activities that undermine the foundation of the nation and enrich their own families.

The only way to deal with these kinds of people is with knives and blood to make them understand human language!

If it weren't for the Emperor's decree, which only allowed for a reprimand and left these few officials with some reputation to serve as puppets in the court...

Wei Zhongxian sneered inwardly.

Based on this booklet alone, the Wang family mansion should be awash in blood tonight!
Pity.

However, His Majesty's chessboard extends further than ours. With that thought, Wei Zhongxian left the study without further ado, disappearing into the thick night.

Behind him, Wang Jiazhen stood frozen in place, like a stone statue.

After a long while, his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

It's over, it's over!

His son's life, the future of his Wang family, and the "glory to the family" he had pinned his life's hopes on were all shattered into nothingness before this thin booklet. A desperate sob escaped his throat.

……

At the same time, on another street, at the residence of Zhang Zheng, a censor in the Ministry of Revenue.

There was no announcement, no formality.

The mansion's gates weren't knocked open, they were rammed open.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is investigating a case; anyone who obstructs will be killed!"

At the cold command, dozens of officers in flying fish uniforms surged in like a tide.

Several servants rushed out from the front yard, and before they could even speak, they instinctively blocked the path of the charge.

Their answer was the clear, resonant dragon's roar as the Embroidered Spring Blade was drawn.

A flash of light, and blood spurted out.

Hand up, knife down.

Before they could even scream, several fine heads rolled to the ground, and warm blood instantly stained the bluestone slabs. The boots of the Imperial Guard captains stepped over the pool of blood without pausing for a moment.

Inside the study, Zhang Zheng was still immersed in the impassioned speech at court that day, and even had a smug smile on his lips.

"boom!"

The study door was kicked open.

Li Ruolian, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, strode in, reeking of blood, stepping over the broken door panels. Behind him, two captains stood guard at the door like iron towers, blood still dripping from their blades.

"Li Ruolian!" Zhang Zheng was terrified by the bloody scene, but still managed to maintain the last shred of dignity of a censor, shouting with a fierce but weak voice, "I am a censor of the Six Ministries, with the power to report matters based on hearsay! You...you are abusing your power and framing loyal officials! I want to see His Majesty!"

Li Ruolian didn't even bother to argue with him, and simply said:
"Your case has been closed with Lord Wang Ji."

Wang Ji!

If any other name could still make Zhang Zheng roar and argue, this name was like an invisible hand that instantly gripped his throat and crushed his courage!
Wang Ji, that mysterious figure who doesn't belong to any government office yet can mobilize all the files of the Three Judicial Offices, the Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Among high-ranking officials in the capital, the mere mention of it evoked fear!
Wang Ji's yamen doesn't arrest or interrogate people; it only has one task: to polish all the scattered pieces of evidence into an impeccable chain of evidence that no one can refute before the throne!

Even if arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one might still be able to rely on the appeals of colleagues and the law to maneuver in the imperial court and gain a sliver of hope for survival.

But with Wang Ji's case closed, it means that what will be presented to the emperor is an irrefutable and undeniable piece of evidence that will lead to his death!
"No...it's impossible. Wang Ji...what right does he have to convict me?" Zhang Zheng was heartbroken!
Looking at his completely broken state, Li Ruolian's lips curled into a cruel smile.

"Lord Zhang, everyone says that scholars who become officials should be mindful of danger, consider retreat, and be adaptable! But all I see in you is the thought of death!"

Before she could finish speaking, Li Ruolian moved.

Zhang Zheng only felt a flash of cold light before his eyes, incredibly fast.

"Qiang!"

The sound of the Embroidered Spring Blade being sheathed was crisp and resolute.

Behind him, a line of blood slowly appeared on Zhang Zheng's neck, then suddenly widened.

Zhang Zheng's eyes widened in incomprehensible terror and despair. He made a gurgling sound in his throat, slowly knelt down, and finally collapsed heavily onto his desk, staining his proud memorials crimson.

Li Ruolian didn't even glance at the corpse, coldly uttering a single word:

"Search!"

……

The following day, at the Wenhua Hall.

As dawn broke, all the officials stood solemnly.

The atmosphere, however, was extremely eerie.

When the emperor calmly proposed the national policy of "compassionate rewards, relief, and opening up border trade" again, the expected storm of opposition did not materialize.

The entire hall was as silent as a secluded valley, without even the sound of birds.

Qian Longxi, Qian Qianyi, and the others stared in astonishment at what they were seeing.

They couldn't understand what had happened overnight.
Zhang Zheng, the censor of the Ministry of Revenue who was quoting classical texts and speaking eloquently yesterday, did not come to court.

Although Wang Jiazhen, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was standing in the queue, his face was ashen and his head was bowed, showing no reaction to anything around him.

The dozen or so officials who stood with them yesterday, vowing to protect the country's wealth and remonstrate with the emperor, are now all mute, their eyes downcast and their minds blank, trembling with fear.

A chill ran deep in Qian Longxi's heart.

He subconsciously looked up at the throne.

The emperor's expression remained calm.

But Qian Longxi sensed a chilling level of control beneath that extreme calm.

After they arrogantly rejected his advice, the young emperor did not hesitate to reveal his methods.

That unseen hand, in the darkness of last night, seized the throat of all the opponents!

"Since you all have no objections," Zhu Youjian's voice echoed slowly in the hall, clearly reaching everyone's ears, "this matter is settled."

"The Cabinet shall draft the proposal, the Directorate of Ceremonial shall approve it, and the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War shall implement it immediately without fail!"

"I... obey your order."

Sparse responses arose, their voices trembling unmistakably quivering.

Qian Longxi lowered his head deeply, and once again he felt profoundly that the one sitting on that dragon throne was not a young emperor who could be bound by ancestral rules and the will of his ministers.

Instead, it is a true dragon that has honed its claws to an unparalleled sharpness and knows how to deliver a precise and fatal blow!

(End of this chapter)