We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

"Well, that makes sense." Emperor Qing nodded slightly. "If a prince breaks the law, he will be punished just like a commoner."

Under the imperial desk, Qin Huizhi and Wang Yongnian exchanged glances, and both caught a glimpse of imperceptible joy in each other's eyes.

The two of them knew each other tacitly, and knew that the Sixth Prince had always been disliked by His Majesty, so they dared to take the risk and go to the palace together to file a complaint.

If it were any other prince, even if he was angry, he would have to swallow his anger.

"Your Majesty, my son is still detained in the prison of Yecheng. Can you..." Qin Huizhi asked cautiously.

"If he is innocent, he can naturally be released." Emperor Qing said again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace." Qin Huizhi hurriedly bowed to express his gratitude.

"Please rise, my dear ministers." Emperor Qing's tone softened slightly. "The morning court will begin soon. Please come with me to discuss the crimes of the Prince of Ninggu."

"Yes." The two bowed and said.

"Huang Jin." Emperor Qing called.

"I'm here." The old eunuch came out and stood aside with his head lowered.

"Share the chicken soup with the two of you, my dears, to drive away the cold and warm your bodies."

"According to the order."

The two were about to decline, but Emperor Qing interrupted them without question: "Don't be polite. You two are the pillars of the country. You must take care of your health."

The two of them then thanked him and took the small bowl of chicken soup from Huang Jin.

After taking two sips, both of them frowned slightly.

This chicken soup... has a bland taste. There are no seasonings except salt, and it doesn't taste good.

Emperor Qing is really frugal. He hardly uses any expensive spices in his meals, as long as he can fill his stomach.

But after all, it was a reward from the emperor, so the two of them drank it all up with gratitude on their faces.

They were completely unaware that Emperor Qing's deep gaze remained on them the entire time, taking in every subtle change in their expressions.

"It's getting late, please follow me to court."

Emperor Qing drove to Xuanzheng Hall, and all civil and military officials had already gathered.

Seeing Wang and Qin entering with the emperor, the ministers in the hall had different expressions and whispered to each other.

I'm afraid that the matter of the Sixth Prince will have an explanation today.

Ever since Li Che shut down the Wang family's slave trade, people from all walks of life have been paying attention to this matter.

This is not just a matter concerning Li Che alone, but also a major issue concerning Your Majesty's attitude towards vassal kings and aristocratic families.

Emperor Qing sat down on the dragon throne, and the court officials cheered "Long live the emperor!" and the morning court officially began.

Emperor Qing was the first to speak: "My dear ministers, let me repeat what happened just now and discuss it with you all."

Wang and Qin looked at each other and stood up to repeat themselves.

After he finished speaking, the hall was suddenly filled with buzzing sounds. Many ministers were whispering to each other, and the Xuanzheng Hall immediately became noisy.

"Silence!" Huang Jin shouted in a shrill voice.

"I still don't quite understand. Could you two dear ministers help me clear it up?" Emperor Qing asked in a gentle voice.

"Your Majesty, please speak. We will tell you everything we know."

"You said that the Prince of Ninggu destroyed your family's business. I wonder what business it was exactly?"

Hearing this, Wang Yongnian suddenly felt guilty.

"It's just a...livestock shop."

"Beast?" Emperor Qing sneered, "A human sacrifice, right?"

Their pupils suddenly shrank and they looked at Emperor Qing in disbelief.

How did Your Majesty know about this?

As soon as the incident in Yecheng broke out, a memorial was sent to the Censorate. The two had already contacted the aristocratic families and blocked the news.

The memorial that Emperor Qing saw should have been the version edited and revised by the Censorate, and it would not have mentioned the slave trade at all.

"Your Majesty," Wang Yongnian said with a determined heart, "No matter what the deal is, the Prince of Ninggu shouldn't allow his troops to plunder!"

"Indeed, Prince Ninggu was at fault in this matter." Emperor Qing nodded gently, his eyes stern. "But your Wang family is guilty!"

Wang Yongnian was shocked when he heard this, his legs went weak and he fell to the ground.

"Where is the Minister of Justice?" Emperor Qing asked sternly.

The Minister of Justice quickly stepped out and said, "I am here."

"Tell me, what is the crime of officials trafficking in human beings?"

"According to the Daqing law, those who sell people as slaves shall be hanged; those who sell people as retainers shall be exiled 3,000 miles; those who sell people as wives, concubines, sons, or grandchildren shall be sentenced to three years in prison." The Minister of Justice said truthfully.

Emperor Qing nodded and looked at Wang Yongnian: "Did you hear that?"

Wang Yongnian gritted his teeth and replied, "Although the law says so, this matter has always been a case of the people not reporting it and the officials not investigating it. It has been like this for many years!"

Emperor Qing looked at him coldly, his tone suddenly rising:

"It has always been like this, so it is right?!"

Wang Yongnian stood there in a daze, not knowing how to answer.

Emperor Qing pulled out a memorial from his sleeve and threw it fiercely in front of Wang Yongnian:

"Just look at this year's taxes! Compared to last year, they're a full 10% less!"

"In recent years, Daqing has enjoyed good weather except for minor floods in the south. Why is tax revenue decreasing?"

"Could Minister Wang answer me?"

Wang Yongnian shook his head: "I don't know."

"Okay!" Emperor Qing sneered, "I'll tell you!"

"That's because fewer and fewer farmers pay taxes. Their land has been taken over by you, and their children have been sold by you. They have no choice but to sell themselves to wealthy families!"

"My people have all become your slaves, and all the land in the world has become your private fields."

"If I still don't care, won't you all divide up this Daqing kingdom?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many ministers present could not stand and fell to their knees.

"Minister Wang, raise your head." Emperor Qing glared down. "Now, do you realize your mistake?"

Wang Yongnian's face flushed crimson as he muttered, "I merely provided some servants for my colleagues. I have never done anything against the will of heaven or morality. What crime have I committed?"

Emperor Qing immediately shouted angrily, "Those people just wanted to survive. What did they do wrong?!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongnian realized that there was no turning back on what happened today, and he collapsed to the ground in despair.

Emperor Qing glanced at him as if he were trash and said, "The Wang family is committing human trafficking. This is an unforgivable crime. All those involved will be executed!"

"Wang Yongnian failed to supervise his subordinates strictly and abused his power for personal gain. He is exiled to Ninggu County!"

"Your Majesty!" Wang Yongnian suddenly raised his head.

Exile would be fine, but how could he be exiled to Ninggu County?

That's the Ninggu County Prince's territory! What's the difference between this and sentencing yourself to death?

Emperor Qing remained unmoved and looked at Qin Huizhi who was trembling beside him.

"Qin Sheng, the magistrate of Yecheng, colluded with the Wang family and aided the tyrant. He is dismissed from office and will never be employed again!"

"Qin Huizhi is a poor parent and has been demoted three levels and ordered to reflect on his mistakes!"

Qin Huizhi quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude.

Emperor Qing swept his eyes across the court, and all the ministers lowered their heads and avoided him, no one dared to look him in the eye.

"From today on, those who traffic in human beings will be punished with an even greater crime! The Ministry of Justice must quickly draft laws and regulations. If this happens again, there will be severe punishment!!!"

The Minister of Justice bowed in response.

Emperor Qing nodded slightly, Huang Jin immediately understood and shouted:

"If there is something going on, go ahead and leave if there is nothing going on!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongnian suddenly stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Your Majesty, we are guilty and have nothing to say!"

"But the Prince of Ninggu... he led his troops into Yecheng without authorization, looting property, killing and injuring servants, and assaulting officials!"

"Such a serious crime, are you going to turn a blind eye to it?"