My subjects are too rebellious!

Minister of Industry Li Qiliang spoke first: "Your Majesty, the teachings of the old master are the treasure of our Chinese civilization, which cannot be monopolized by one family. However, if someone uses the name of that family to cause trouble to the government, it is not only a blasphemy to the old master, but also a betrayal of our great country. Such behavior must not be tolerated!"

The Minister of Rites Su Shi followed closely and said, "Your Majesty, the purpose of etiquette is harmony, but harmony without uniformity is the way to show the truth. If that family really has rebellious behavior, they should be severely punished according to the law to serve as a warning to others. However, we should pay more attention to how to inherit and carry forward the old master's true knowledge and spirit, rather than being obsessed with the name of the family."

Zhang Baigui, the Minister of Personnel, continued, "Your Majesty, clean governance is the foundation of a country. If there are really unworthy descendants in that family who violate the law, they should be dealt with according to the law to maintain the justice and majesty of the court. When handling this matter, you must be fair and selfless, neither partial nor unfair."

He Shen, the Minister of Finance, added: "Your Majesty, the fullness of the national treasury is inseparable from the people's peace and happiness. If the affairs of that family are not handled properly, it may cause instability in the hearts of the people. I suggest that before finding out the truth, it is better to stabilize the hearts of the people and strengthen the supervision and management of that family and their children to prevent accidents."

The Minister of Justice, Lu Shanquan, stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, criminal law is a sharp weapon of the state. It should not be used lightly or not at all. Regarding the matter of that family, I think it should be strictly examined according to the law. If there is any violation of the law, no matter how prominent their family background is, they should be severely punished according to the law. At the same time, legal education for officials should be strengthened to prevent similar incidents from happening again."

Finally, the Minister of War Jin Su said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I think this old minister should conduct a thorough investigation! If there is such behavior, it should be dealt with severely!"

"If there are indeed some children in that family who use the name of the old master to do rebellious things, it is not only a shame for that family, but also a misfortune for the country. We must resolutely crack down on such behavior to set the record straight and serve as a warning to others."

Qin Chuan sat upright on the dragon throne, scanning the civil and military officials in the court with a deep gaze.

Seeing that everyone was silent, he coughed twice. Although the sound was light, it echoed in the silent hall like spring thunder.

Then, he said in a nonchalant tone: "I have made up my mind about this matter. I will deal with it severely. The old master is the cornerstone of our Chinese culture for thousands of years. His teachings have benefited future generations and must not be desecrated. If anyone dares to use the name of the old master to do rebellious things, disrupt the government, and corrupt the morals of scholars, I will punish them severely and will not tolerate it!"

Although Qin Chuan's words were light, every word was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of the ministers.

Having said that, Qin Chuan's eyes intentionally or unintentionally swept over the officials who had spoken for that family before.

In fact, he had silently memorized the names of these officials one by one.

And those officials who had previously spoken for that family felt an invisible pressure looming in their hearts.

However, Qin Chuan did not stop there.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and continued, "Of course, I also know that the family has produced many talented people throughout the ages and has made great contributions to the court. Therefore, while investigating this matter strictly, I will also be fair and not wrongly accuse a good person, nor let a bad person go!"

Finally, Qin Chuan glanced at all the officials and said in a deep voice: "I hereby warn all of you, my dear ministers, that as important officials of the court, you should be honest and self-disciplined, and keep yourself clean. You must not have the slightest intention of corruption. Do not do things that take advantage of others for your own selfish interests and corrupt the morals of our dynasty. You must not disappoint the people's expectations of you. You must always remember that the power in your hands is given by the people. You should be people-oriented and make decisions for the people. Only then can you be a truly good official."

At this point, Qin Chuan's tone suddenly changed, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He joked: "Of course, I also know that you, my dear ministers, sometimes encounter some financial difficulties. If the money in the mansion is insufficient, you might as well go and talk to the Lord. He is the 'God of Wealth' in our court."

"Of course, if you can't solve the problem with the adults, you can also come to me. Although I don't dare to say that I have a huge fortune, it is not a problem to lend you some money for emergency."

As soon as these words were spoken, a low laugh was heard in the hall, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.

However, Heshen, who was standing aside, blushed instantly. He never expected that Qin Chuan would suddenly bring the topic to himself, and he never expected that he would mention him in such a joking way.

Heshen felt mixed emotions, embarrassed and helpless. He could only force a smile and lower his head in silence.

Seeing this, Qin Chuan just smiled slightly and didn't investigate further.

He knew very well that although Heshen was greedy for money, he was quite capable in many government affairs. Moreover, what he said today was just to liven up the atmosphere and remind all officials to remain honest, and it was not really aimed at Heshen.

So he waved his hand gently, signaling all the ministers to leave, while he continued to stay on the dragon throne, thinking about what to do next.

Zhang Rang once again shouted: "Dismiss the court!"

All the officials then knelt down and saluted again, and then left the hall in order.

..........

Following Qin Chuan's order, the Jinyiwei acted quickly and launched a comprehensive investigation into the family.

They went deep into the house, collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and not missing any clues.

After some effort, the family's crimes over the years were gradually revealed, one by one, each one was shocking.

Among these crimes, the most despicable is the evil act of "eating human blood buns".

It turned out that the family had used its power and influence in the court to monopolize local resources for a long time, oppress the people, and even use cruel means to deprive others of their lives and take the victims' property for themselves in order to make huge profits.

This behavior is tantamount to taking human life lightly and seriously violates the laws of the Wu Dynasty.

The Jinyiwei recorded these crimes one by one, and after strict review, made them public through official channels.

For a time, the people of the entire Wu Dynasty were shocked and angry.

They didn't expect that the family that has always prided itself on Confucian culture and is highly respected would do such a heartless thing.

After the news spread, people began to talk about it, and voices of anger and condemnation towards that family were heard everywhere.

At the same time, they also expressed their sincere admiration for Qin Chuan's wise decision-making and the Jinyiwei's swift and decisive actions.

They believed that only such an emperor and such a court could protect them from oppression and exploitation by the aristocratic families and allow them to live a stable and prosperous life.

As the family's crimes were exposed and the people denounced them angrily, their status and reputation plummeted.

Many officials and forces that were once dependent on that family also distanced themselves from it, fearing that they would be implicated.

In the end, under Qin Chuan's personal supervision, the main members of the family were arrested one by one, while those who were not deeply involved and were obedient were kept by Qin Chuan.

After all, we are also the descendants of the old master!