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

Huo Duanxiao's eyes were solemn as he clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I will definitely fulfill your mission!"

Zhang Zhen had no expression on his face, but bowed again: "Night Watchman, obey the order."

Wang Sichun wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I will obey your order and do my best!"

The order had been given, the murderous intent was apparent, and the ministers in the hall seemed to have already seen the coming bloody storm.

Li Che closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, the murderous intent in his eyes seemed to have subsided a little, replaced by a complex and indescribable emotion.

He spoke slowly, his voice much lower:

"They are all old men who followed me on my campaigns, crawling out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood... They have made great contributions to the country."

Li Che paused, as if he was considering his words, and all the ministers were silent and waiting.

"However, merits are merits, and faults are faults. It is difficult to offset merits and faults. The law is like a mountain and cannot be desecrated lightly."

Li Che changed the subject and swept his eyes across the audience: "This king is not a mean-spirited person who doesn't remember old friendships."

"From today onwards, within three days, all those who have embezzled the relief funds must surrender themselves to the Ministry of Justice and return the embezzled funds and materials in full. I hereby promise to give them a lenient sentence!"

"This king cannot absolve him of his guilt. Dismissal, stripping of title, caning, exile... all are possible."

"But, perhaps he can be spared from death, and his wife and children will not be harmed!"

Li Che's voice suddenly turned stern, and he looked at everyone coldly:

"After three days, if the deadline has passed and you still stubbornly refuse to return the money, hoping for a lucky break..."

"Once the Night's Watch finds out, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"When the time comes, don't mention this king..."

Li Che stood up and uttered two words coldly:

"ruthless!"

He emphasized the last two words.

These three days are the last chance, and it can be regarded as a decent ending for these heroes who shed blood for the country.

Anyone involved in corruption must not be employed anymore.

However, if they are willing to surrender, it means that they are still loyal to him, and Li Che is willing to spare their lives.

Those with minor offenses were sent to the grassroots level, those with ordinary offenses were dismissed from office, and those with serious offenses had their homes confiscated and they were exiled.

But if they refuse to admit their mistakes and continue to resist, there will be no friendship between the monarch and his subjects.

Those who should be killed should be killed, and those who should be chopped should be chopped. Li Che never cared about his reputation in the future, and was not afraid of being the Emperor Gaozu of Han or the Emperor Taizu of Ming!

There was a dead silence in the hall. All the ministers bowed their heads deeply, their hearts filled with turmoil.

They knew that a storm that would sweep across the entire army and even the court was about to come.

How much blood this storm will eventually shed will depend on the choices those people make in the next three days.

Li Che waved his hand tiredly: "Everyone, go down, Huo Duanxiao, Zhang Zhen, Wang Sichun, do it immediately!"

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

The ministers bowed and left the hall in order, each of them walking very lightly.

Outside the hall, the cold wind was howling.

Inside the hall, Li Che sat alone on the throne, his figure looking somewhat lonely in the huge palace.

He looked at the dancing charcoal with a deep gaze.

After an unknown amount of time, an almost inaudible sigh dissipated in the empty hall.

"I hope...you won't force me..."

. . . . . .

Fengtian City, Ministry of Justice Prison.

The cold, damp air was mixed with a musty smell, and the torches cast flickering shadows on the walls, adding a touch of eeriness.

In the deepest solitary cell, Wang Degui curled up in a corner covered with thin hay, his fat body trembling with fear.

His military uniform had long been stripped off, and he was wearing rough prisoner clothes, which made him look even fatter and bloated.

At some point, the chains on the prison door rattled and were opened by the jailer.

Wang Sichun walked in expressionlessly.

A clerk holding a pen and ink followed him silently and found a corner to prepare to take notes.

Wang Sichun sat down on the wooden chair brought by the jailer, his eyes fixed on Wang Degui.

When Wang Degui saw that the person coming was Wang Sichun, hope flashed in his desperate eyes.

As if he had grabbed the last straw, he crawled forward two steps using his hands and feet, crying out:

"Minister Wang! Sichun! It's... it's me, Wang Degui!"

"Last year...last year, General Sanchun celebrated his birthday, and I went to give him a birthday gift. You...you don't remember me?"

Wang Sichun looked at him begging for mercy, and a trace of undisguised disgust flashed in his eyes.

Wang Degui could still try to build relationships with others, but he chose the wrong person when it came to building relationships with the Minister of Justice.

Although he came from the criminal army, Wang Sichun never regarded himself as a general, but as Li Che's minion.

The more his brother Wang Sanchun was trusted by His Highness, the more he should not have anything to do with the military.

Wang Sichun did not respond to the other party's flattery, but pulled out a scroll from his sleeve:

"Wang Degui, a former refugee from Chaoyang City, joined the army when Your Highness first left the border and was assigned to the Auxiliary Battalion. Because he had some knowledge of arithmetic, he was later transferred to the Supply Corps."

"He was promoted to captain for his meritorious service. After the military system reform, he was transferred to the newly formed Third Division and served as a military assistant in the Warehouse Department of the Quartermaster Department, responsible for the registration and distribution of bedding, food, and fodder."

"He was later promoted to Quartermaster, in charge of all military supplies for the Third Division, as well as the distribution of some salaries and pensions."

When Wang Degui heard Wang Sichun read out his resume indifferently, his fat face froze instantly.

Wang Sichun put down the document and leaned forward slightly:

"I remember seeing you once three years ago when I was a senior colonel in the army. Although you weren't very strong then, you were still well-built and looked like a soldier."

"How did they become so fat and bloated in just three years?"

"With all this fat on his body, I'm afraid he can't even get on a saddle, let alone lift a knife or fight in battle?"

Wang Degui's face flushed red, he lowered his head in shame, his voice as soft as a mosquito:

"Minister Wang...you...you also know that I was born into a refugee family and have been terrified of hunger and poverty since childhood..."

Wang Sichun suddenly interrupted him: "This is not a reason for you to embezzle the martyrs' pensions!"

"It's not an excuse for you to drink the blood of soldiers and eat the dead!"

"Those orphans and widows left behind by our fallen brothers tightened their belts every day, hoping for the money they received to survive, and all that money went to feed you, a thief!"

Wang Degui trembled all over after being yelled at, and collapsed to the ground like mud.

Tears streamed down his face, and he could no longer utter a complete sentence. He just kept kowtowing: "I am guilty, I deserve to die, I am so stupid!"

Wang Sichun watched him perform coldly until his forehead bled, then he slowly spoke:

"Okay, put away your pretense. Even though you've been arrested, you still have to think about your wife, children, and elders."

"If you want them to have a chance to live, tell me everything you know now!"

"How did you commit such corruption? How much did you commit? Who were your superiors? Who were your subordinates involved? Don't reveal a single word!"

Wang Degui also knew that he was arrested by His Highness himself, which was a typical example.

Others might be able to survive, but there is no way I would be spared.

He collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, and began to explain in a hoarse voice:

"It started with... a deputy director of the Second Army's Military Supply and Transportation Department. He sent someone to hint to me."

"He said that the allocation of military supplies and the distribution of salaries in various places all had 'wastes' and 'rules'. He asked the divisions below to hand over any 'surplus' funds according to their proportions for unified allocation."

Wang Sichun's eyes glared. "Whose pocket will the unified allocation go to? Tell me the name!"

"It's Zhou Bing, the deputy director of the Transportation Department." Wang Degui trembled as he spoke the name. "Initially, I only dared to tamper with the pensions and the occasional delayed pay, collecting 30% and handing it over. I didn't dare keep a single cent for myself."

"What happened next?" Wang Sichun's voice was cold.

"Later, I saw that the higher-ups were collecting the money without question, so I gradually grew bolder..." Wang Degui lowered his head even lower, "I figured since they were going to be greedy anyway, why not keep a little more for themselves?"

"I started to fiddle with the accounts, falsely reporting losses, deducting weights, turning in 30% and keeping 10% for myself, and even later..."

His voice gradually lowered. "Since everything has been fine, my appetite has grown even more."

"Sometimes, if the amount is not very important, or if I think the widows don't have much background, I will keep 30% or even more for myself."

The clerk wrote down Wang Degui's confession word for word with his pen.

Wang Sichun listened expressionlessly, but his heart was already boiling with rage.

Exploitation at every level, from the army headquarters to the division headquarters, and then to the battalions and companies below...

This is simply a blood-sucking leech, firmly attached to the body of the Fengtian Army!

"Besides Zhou Bing, who else?"

"Who else from your Third Division is involved? Have any of the quartermasters from the battalions and companies paid tribute to you?"

Wang Sichun continued to question.

Wang Degui revealed the names of several middle and lower-level officers within the Third Division, as well as how they colluded to divide the spoils.

Those who were unaware of the situation, such as Division Commander Zhao Kang, almost all took the money.

The interrogation lasted for nearly an hour, and Wang Degui told everything he knew.

Finally, Wang Degui could no longer say anything new and just collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

Wang Sichun slowly stood up, glanced at the thick stack of confessions written by the clerk, and said coldly:

"Paint."

The clerk brought the confession to Wang Degui.

Wang Degui dipped his trembling hands in red mud and pressed his fingerprints on the confession.

Wang Sichun picked up the confession, rolled it up carefully, and put it into his sleeve.

He took one last look at Wang Degui, who looked like a dead dog, and said in a calm voice:

"Just wait. Your fate will depend on the value of your confession and His Highness's final decision."

After saying this, he turned around and walked out of the cell without stopping.

Walk out of the dark cell and come to the courtyard of the Ministry of Justice.

The winter sun is a little dazzling, but it does not bring any warmth.

Wang Sichun took a deep breath of cold air and said solemnly to his subordinates waiting outside:

"These people on the list are under my watchful eye, but don't move them for now."

"The three-day deadline is over. If you haven't come forward to surrender, notify the Night's Watch."