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

"Routine?!" Li Che looked straight over and laughed in anger, "What a routine!"

Wang Degui was shaking like a sieve and didn't dare to look directly at Li Che.

Seeing how cowardly he was, Li Che became even more furious and kicked him.

"Drink the blood of soldiers! Eat up the entire family! Eat up the widows of martyrs who died for their country, and turn a 24-year-old woman into an old woman!"

"Look at you now, you're so fat and bloated, how can you even look like a soldier of the Fengguo Kingdom?!"

Li Che stepped on Wang Degui and turned to glare at Zhao Kang:

"Zhao Kang, is this the practice of your Third Division? This is the practice of my Fengtian Army?!"

Zhao Kang looked bitter when he heard this.

He was indeed unaware of this matter, or rather, he had never thought about it at all.

Most of the Fengtian Army's generals were promoted based on their military merits, and many were even promoted on the front line, having fought their way up from the bottom of the army.

Let them charge ahead and follow orders, and they will certainly do a great job.

But if they are asked to manage military affairs, especially to deal with miscellaneous tasks such as pensions for soldiers, they basically push it to the people below them.

Zhao Kang is such a person. He only focuses on fighting and leaves other matters to his subordinates.

But can one absolve oneself of guilt by simply saying that they were not aware of the situation?

Of course not!

Although Zhao Kang was unaware of this, he never failed to show his filial piety to Wang Degui.

It's just that Zhao Kang was too careless and didn't care where the money his subordinates used to bribe him came from, which is why he suffered the consequences today.

Seeing Zhao Kang kneeling on the ground with an expression of admitting his guilt and accepting punishment, Li Che's expression became even uglier.

He remembered Zhao Kang, a brave general and a loyal man.

Now that Zhao Kang has been implicated in corruption, Li Che can't bear to see it.

After all, the army is his base.

The entire Fengtian Army was nominally divided into various military regions, with many factions and origins, but in reality there was only one boss - Fengtian King Li Che!

Li Che regretted it very much at this moment.

I was still too lazy and just focused on strengthening the army, but forgot to exercise proper control over it.

Li Che turned around and said in a frighteningly cold voice: "Huo Duanxiao!"

"I'm here!" Huo Duanxiao stepped forward.

"Take this king's token and seal off the Third Division headquarters. All the generals, quartermasters, and clerks of the Third Division are to be detained on the spot."

"Without this king's order, no one is allowed to leave the barracks! Violators will be executed!"

Huo Duanxiao bowed and said, "Yes!"

"Seal all the account books of the Third Division, especially those related to pensions, military pay, and military supplies. Not a single page can be lost, and submit them all to the Ministry of War."

Li Che looked coldly at the officers of the Third Division and said word by word:

"Investigate for me! From the Third Division to the Military Transportation Department, all officials who have handled the distribution of the pensions must be thoroughly investigated!"

"Those who dare to lay hands on this, I will catch them one by one!"

"I want to see how wide this web of 'convention' really is! How dark are the hearts of these soldiers who drink their blood!"

Huo Duanxiao responded again and took the token: "Your Majesty, I obey your order!"

When everyone saw this scene, they were all sighing in their hearts.

They had already anticipated that this would be the largest and most severe purge since the founding of Feng State.

From this small base of the Third Division, sweeping across the entire Fengtai and even the court, God knows how many people will be involved.

Zhao Kang's face was ashen and he collapsed to the ground. The many officers behind him also looked like they had lost their father.

He knew he was finished, but now he was not thinking about himself, but the entire Third Division.

After this purge, the management of the Third Division will definitely undergo a major change, and it is even a question whether the number can be retained.

"Your Highness..." Zhao Kang cried bitterly, looking at Li Che not far away.

Li Che gave him a cold look, feeling very disappointed: "Zhao Kang, Zhao Kang...you are forcing me to become the Emperor Gaozu of Han!"

Li Che spoke without thinking and mentioned Liu Bang, who did not exist in this world.

Although Zhao Kang didn't understand, he could sense the determination in Li Che's tone.

This matter will definitely not end well.

Just as he was about to say something else, Qiu Bai and Ying Bu came forward from the left and right and took him away.

The rest of the pale-faced officers of the Third Division were also quickly controlled and taken away by the personal guards. Only a few of them remained calm, while most of them had expressions of fear on their faces.

The soldiers on the training ground had stopped training and were looking over here in confusion.

Li Che stood in the cold wind, the anger and heartache in his chest intertwined, almost making his eyes go black.

"Let's go! Back to Fengtian Palace!"

. . . . . .

Inside the Fengtian Hall, the charcoal fire was crackling.

Li Che's face was as gloomy as water. He sat upright in the upper seat, his fingers tapping the armrest unconsciously, which made the important officials standing solemnly below feel depressed.

After returning from the Third Division’s base, Li Che’s anger not only did not subside, but instead became more intense.

As the saying goes, when you see a cockroach, the whole house is full of cockroaches.

The problem of the Third Master could not be an isolated case, I just happened to encounter it.

Of course, Li Che also knew that it was impossible to completely eliminate corruption. It was impossible in modern times, let alone in ancient times.

What made Li Che angry was that this group of people actually dared to attack the pensions of the martyrs' families!

If military pay is embezzled, soldiers may still resist.

If military supplies were moved, the Ministry of War would also review them.

But those who receive the pension are orphans and widows. They have no one to support them and can only swallow the bitter fruit in silence.

The sacrificed soldiers shed blood and tears, there is no way to forgive such a thing!

"Regarding today's matter," Li Che's voice broke the suffocating silence. "What do you think, my Lords, should be done with it?"

Wen Zaiyin, who was of the most upright character, was the first to step forward, his voice heavy with sorrow: "Your Highness, I believe this trend must not be allowed to continue. It must be investigated thoroughly!"

"Drinking the blood of soldiers, coveting compensation, shaking the foundation of the country, and demoralizing morale, his crime deserves death!"

"No matter who is involved or what position they hold, once the facts are verified, they will be severely punished."

"Only in this way can we deter the scoundrels and serve as a warning to others!"

"Old Wen is right. We must investigate." Li Che glanced at everyone, "But how?"

The hot potato was thrown over, but no one dared to step forward to catch it.

This is the army, His Highness's most important ceremonial guard. If anything goes wrong...

Finally, Zhuge Zhe pondered for a moment, then stepped out and said:

"Your Highness, the military system is complex and intertwined. A single move can affect the entire system. Perhaps you could first order the commanders of each army to conduct self-inspections and make corrections, and report back within a specified timeframe."

"At the same time, the Ministry of Justice has been ordered to intervene and select elite officials to form a special task force. Based on the reports from various armies and anonymous tips, they will apprehend the officers responsible."

"This may avoid causing excessive unrest among the entire army."

As a minister who assisted the king, Zhuge Zhe's advice tended to be cautious, and he tried to find a balance between rectification and stability.

This is also the position of most officials. Now that Fengguo is thriving, everyone is seeking stability.

In other words, only when Fengguo is stable can the positions of the ministers be secure.

Feng was surrounded by foreign enemies and the crisis over the succession of the crown prince was about to arise. At this critical juncture, no one wanted to offend the army to death.

Upon hearing this, Li Che frowned slightly and remained silent.

He understood Zhuge Zhe's concerns, and he was the one who was most reluctant to deal with these generals who had followed him in his battles.

However, the military system was closed, making it difficult for outsiders to interfere. Most of the detectives and clerks in the Ministry of Justice were wounded and retired Fengtian Army soldiers, and many of them had military backgrounds.

If we ask them to investigate their former colleagues or even their superiors, the result can be imagined.

When the Minister of Justice Wang Sichun heard that this hot potato was going to be thrown to him, his face immediately wrinkled into a bitter gourd.

But he did not refute it, but just agreed silently.

Although his brother Wang Sanchun is a big shot in the army and he himself comes from the criminal army, Wang Sichun himself does not have much experience in leading troops in battle and is not deeply involved with the army.

After all, Wang Sichun is loyal to His Highness. If His Highness asks him to fight on the front line, he will not refuse.

Li Che glanced at Wang Sichun and spoke slowly, "Let each army conduct a self-investigation. What if they cover up for each other, push a few scapegoats, destroy the account books and evidence, and let the matter go?"

"Wang Sichun, can your Ministry of Justice take on this responsibility?!"

Wang Sichun smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not speak rashly. It is indeed difficult."

Wen Zaiyin frowned, "Your Highness, do you mean to let this matter go?"

"Forget it?" Li Che shook his head. "This king said that he would investigate this thoroughly!"

His gaze turned to Qiu Bai, who was standing beside the palace pillar: "Qiu Bai!"

"My subordinate is here."

"Calling, Night's Watch Commander Zhang Zhen."

As soon as the word "Zhang Zhen" came out, everyone in the hall's expression changed slightly, and fear flashed in their eyes.

As the sharpest knife in the hands of the King, the Night's Watch has always been pointed outward.

On the surface, the Night Watch's function is nothing more than lurking in Daqing and spying on the surrounding countries.

Some elite soldiers also transformed into shadows to protect the safety of Li Che, Li Lin and important officials of Fengguo.

Its existence is not well-known among grassroots officials, but it is no secret to the top leaders of Feng State.

Now, Your Highness wants to turn this sharp blade around and point it at his own people?

This made them involuntarily think of the spy agencies of the previous dynasty that were feared by everyone.

Including the Jinyiwei of Daqing, under Li Che's training, they have become the target of public condemnation, but they also make everyone feel afraid.

Is the Jinyiwei incident going to happen in Fengguo now?

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall was so solemn that it seemed as if water was about to drip out.

Soon, there was an almost inaudible sound of footsteps.

A thin man with an ordinary face who would be lost in the crowd walked into the hall silently.

He walked briskly, his eyes calm as he half-knelt and saluted Li Che on the throne:

"Your Highness, I, Zhang Zhen, pay my respects to you."

There were no unnecessary movements or words, but as soon as he appeared, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

Li Che didn't say a word of greeting and directly gave the order:

"Huo Duanxiao! Zhang Zhen! Wang Sichun!"

"Chen is here!"

The three of them stepped out together.

"You three will lead the investigation into the military's embezzlement and pensions case. Huo Duanxiao will oversee the overall situation, and the Ministry of War will provide all the files, rosters, and necessary support."

"Zhang Zhen, you, the night watchman, will be the main force, responsible for investigating, collecting evidence, and arresting all those involved in the case, regardless of their position."

"Wang Sichun, the Ministry of Justice is responsible for providing legal support, examining case files, determining guilt, and making preparations for receiving and detaining prisoners."

Li Che's gaze was like a substance, pressing on the shoulders of the three people:

"The entire Fengguo army, from brigade level on up, must be thoroughly investigated by me! Investigate thoroughly! No single detail can be overlooked, and no favoritism can be shown!"

"This prince wants to see the true accounts, hear the conclusive confession, and get the blood-stained stolen money!"

"You three, can you possibly do it?!"