The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

After Li Chengfeng had finished sentencing Tang and Gu, he felt half of his anger had subsided.

He flipped through books and pamphlets that previously recorded floods in the south of the Yangtze River, hoping to find some clues.

Jiangnan has been known as a land of fish and rice since ancient times and can be called the granary of the world.

Li Chengfeng knew about the prosperity of Jiangnan.

However, in recent years, floods have occurred frequently in the south of the Yangtze River. The imperial court has allocated funds for disaster relief every year, but there has been no effect.

He rubbed his brows and returned his gaze to the file in his hand.

The yellowed paper is densely packed with records of floods in the south of the Yangtze River over the years.

Li Chengfeng carefully flipped through the pages, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

He was keenly aware of the huge discrepancy between the extent of the disaster and the amount of funds allocated by the court.

Some years clearly recorded that "the flood was minor and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment", but the amount of disaster relief funds allocated by the court was more than that in the years when "the flood was devastating and the people were living in misery".

"There must be something fishy here!" Li Chengfeng slammed the file in his hand heavily on the table, making a muffled sound.

He immediately summoned the guards and said, "Call the Minister of Revenue to see you immediately!"

Soon, the Minister of Revenue came hurriedly and bowed, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. What are your instructions?"

Li Chengfeng said solemnly, "Bring over all the tax records of Jiangnan Prefecture over the past ten years, as well as the records of the disaster relief funds allocated by the court to Jiangnan Prefecture. I want to personally review them."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Beads of sweat oozed from the Minister of Revenue's forehead. He did not dare to delay and quickly stepped back to make arrangements.

Two hours later, several young eunuchs carrying several heavy wooden boxes entered the imperial study, panting.

The box was filled with account books, filled with dense numbers and records, which were dazzling.

Li Chengfeng also summoned Song Weiyu, Zhang Yuan and Chen Tingshu to meet him.

"I feel there's something fishy about the disaster relief funds in Jiangnan in previous years. These account books are from the Ministry of Revenue."

"Over the past ten years, the relief funds for the Jiangnan floods and the tax revenues in Jiangnan have been recorded."

"As for whether it's true or not, it depends on your sharp eyes."

Li Chengfeng gave Song Weiyu a sly smile.

Song Wei Yu's clear eyes were also filled with smile.

"Your Majesty, please stop teasing us. There are so many account books to look through. We need help."

Li Chengfeng said, "Lord Zhang, go to the Ministry of Revenue and find two clever clerks."

Zhang Yuan took the order and went out.

Soon Zhang Yuan came over with two tall and thin young men.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

The three of them saluted Li Chengfeng.

Zhang Yuan said to Li Chengfeng, "Your Majesty, they both came from humble backgrounds and suffered humiliation at the Ministry of Revenue. However, I noticed they were quite skilled in math and accounting, so I thought of bringing them here to help."

Li Chengfeng nodded and said, "Their eyes are clear and bright. They look like decent people and can be used."

Zhang Yuan smiled at Li Chengfeng and took the two of them to distribute the account books.

They each occupied a corner, divided the account books, and looked at them quietly.

Li Chengfeng flipped through the books very quickly, his fingers moving swiftly across the account book, occasionally circling and marking some key data with a red pen.

Time passed minute by minute, and the imperial study was so quiet that the only sound was the rustling of flipping papers.

Occasionally, there were the sounds of a few people discussing in low voices.

Li Chengfeng's expression became more and more serious.

The tax revenue of Jiangnan Prefecture decreased year by year, while the imperial court's funding increased year by year, showing a clear inverse trend.

This further confirmed his previous speculation: behind the floods in Jiangnan, there is a huge corruption scandal.

After reading through the documents, they rubbed their sore eyes, took out some blank papers, and began copying down the suspicious accounts and carefully analyzing the connections between them.

As the night deepened, the candlelight in the imperial study flickered, stretching Li Chengfeng's figure.

"These accounts don't seem right to me."

He picked up one of the sheets and pointed at the string of numbers on it. "In the third year of Jianwu, there was a severe drought in Jiangnan. The imperial court allocated five million taels of silver for disaster relief, but this account book only records the whereabouts of three million taels. Where did the remaining two million taels disappear out of thin air?"

Song Weiyu frowned slightly, took the paper and examined it carefully, then said thoughtfully, "The Ministry of Revenue should have more detailed expenditure records. Perhaps we can find out where the two million taels of silver went."

"There's more than one," Li Chengfeng picked up another piece of paper.

"Also, in the fifth year of Jianwu, there was a flood in Jiangnan. The imperial court allocated eight million taels, but the account shows that the victims only received one million taels of relief grain. The purpose of the remaining seven million taels is unclear, with only the vague words 'disaster relief expenditure' written on it."

Zhang Yuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this matter involves serious implications and requires careful investigation."

Li Chengfeng said, "No rush, this matter requires long-term consideration."

"Jiangnan's officialdom is deeply intertwined. If we alert them, they will become more defensive."

He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and glanced at the crowd, "What I mean is, openly repair the plank road, secretly attack Chencang."

Chen Tingshu's eyes lit up: "What does your majesty mean?"

Li Chengfeng's lips curled up into an intriguing smile. "That old scoundrel Tang Feng is under house arrest. Jiangnan Prefecture is now leaderless. My dear Minister Chen, are you willing to serve as the imperial envoy to deal with the flood in Jiangnan?"

Chen Tingshu said solemnly, "I am willing!"

Li Chengfeng said, "Jiangnan's officialdom is complex and intertwined. If we're not careful, we'll lose everything. This job is truly difficult."

Chen Tingshu bowed and said, "I have gained a lot of experience following Master Zhang. Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will do my best to complete the task successfully!"

"it is good!"

Li Chengfeng's chest was also filled with great ambition. Just a mere Jiangnan Prefecture, just wait and see how I can take it!

He then turned to Zhang Yuan and said, "Please keep a close eye on the Haisha situation. To fight against foreign enemies, we must first stabilize the country. I must personally go to Jiangnan to deal with the situation."

Zhang Yuan bowed and said, "I will follow your Majesty's orders."

"Song Aiqing."

Li Chengfeng looked at Song Weiyu with a smile in his eyes.

"I'll be in trouble with you, my dear Lord Song, while I'm away."

"Guard this capital city for me."

Song Weiyu also smiled at Li Chengfeng, with a confident look on her face. "Your Majesty, don't worry. Dad and I are in the capital. We will ensure that Your Majesty has no worries."

After Li Chengfeng arranged everything, he let them leave.

A good night's sleep.

At the morning court the next day, Li Chengfeng sat on the dragon throne and looked at the ministers below.

Little Liuzi stepped forward, unfolded the golden imperial edict, and began to read aloud: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, decrees: The Governor of Jiangnan, Tang Feng, is ill. I hereby permit you, my beloved Tang, to return home and recuperate."

"Governor Gu Changnian neglected his duties and did nothing after the flood. This pains me deeply. I am dismissing him from his post and investigating him. He will be temporarily placed under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple."

"Chen Tingshu is upright and decisive in his work, and gentle in character. I have specially appointed Chen Qing as an envoy to go to Jiangnan to control the flood."

"I hereby order"