Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

Meng Zhi was promoted to Duke of the State, granted the title of 1,000 households, and retained his position as Grand Protector of Anxi. Generals such as Li Gan and Zhang Huan were each promoted and rewarded. Pensions for fallen soldiers and rewards for heroes in Liang Province were meticulously implemented, with a clear and organized approach that combined grace and authority. While the ministers cheered, each had their own concerns. In particular, upon hearing about tax reductions and the allocation of large sums for Liang Province's reconstruction, some of the veteran officials in charge of finances frowned subtly.

What followed was the final handling of the corruption case of Wang Yun, the governor of Luozhou.

"After a joint trial by the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Supreme Court, the evidence is conclusive that Wang Yun, the governor of Luozhou, was guilty of corruption, abuse of power, and oppression of the people." Qin Ming's voice was icy, echoing throughout the hall. "According to the Daqian Code, he is sentenced to immediate execution, his property confiscated, and his relatives exiled three thousand miles away. All officials involved in the Luozhou government office will be executed, exiled, or dismissed from their posts, depending on the severity of the offense. Execution is immediate."

The decree fell silent throughout the court. Wang Yun came from a prominent family and had numerous allies. This case implicated a wide range of people, yet Your Majesty offered no room for maneuver. His determination was palpable. Many officials paled, their court robes drenched in cold sweat.

Qin Ming then shifted gears, using powerful logic and precise data to question the various ministries and agencies regarding their administration. His questions ranged from the progress of canal dredging to border military grain reserves, from the selection of Jinshi candidates to flood relief in a particular region. His questions were sharp and direct, cutting to the heart of the matter, leaving the officials in charge trembling with fear and treading on thin ice. Any ambiguity or unclear data was met with a harsh reprimand, sometimes even on-the-spot salary deductions and demotions.

The court meeting lasted nearly two hours, the atmosphere as oppressive as the sea before a storm. There were no cheers, no arguments, only the emperor's cold questions and judgments, and the ministers' panicked responses and obedience.

When the last item of the agenda - whether to accept the request of the Hunxie tribe in the northern border to expand trade - was flatly rejected by Qin Ming on the grounds that "border trade is no joke, and we must first strengthen our border defense", the court meeting finally ended in silence.

All officials bowed and left the Imperial Palace, many feeling their legs weaken and their backs soaked. The Emperor's return brought not the joy of victory, but an air of solemnity more chilling than the cold winds of the Western Territory.

Qin Ming returned to the warm room, and before he could sit down, the new Minister of Revenue hurriedly asked to see him with an anxious look on his face.

"Your Majesty, the summer taxes for this year are due soon. However... the western border needs to reduce or exempt taxes, the northern border needs to increase military pay, and the southern border's grain transport system will also require a huge amount of money. The national treasury... the national treasury may not be able to support such a huge expenditure... Can... can we temporarily suspend some of the border army's pay, or... or impose an additional "Qiang Ping Donation" in the south of the Yangtze River to make up for it?" The Shangshu's voice trembled, and it was obvious that he had mustered up his courage.

Qin Ming's eyes suddenly became as sharp as a knife, staring at the Minister of Revenue until the other party almost fell to his knees.

"Increase taxes?" His voice was low, yet it carried immense pressure. "I just exempted taxes in the Western Territory, and you're increasing them in Jiangnan? Do you think my sword isn't sharp enough, or do you think the world is too peaceful?"

"Your Majesty...your Majesty is willing to die! That is not my intention at all! It's just that the national treasury is really..." The Minister of Revenue knelt down on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

"The treasury is empty, so allocate two million taels from the internal treasury to cover military pay and rebuilding the western border," Qin Ming said coldly. "As for raising taxes, forget it. Find the savings elsewhere! Lay off redundant officials, reduce palace expenses, and strictly investigate losses and deficits in warehouses across the country! If I hear the word "raising taxes" again, I'll replace you as the Minister!"

"Yes! Yes! I obey your order! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" The Minister of Revenue crawled out as if he had been pardoned.

Qin Ming took a deep breath, suppressing the rage surging within him. He knew the treasury was empty, but exploiting the people was not the solution. The empire was riddled with deep-seated problems that could only be cured through drastic reform.

He picked up his red brush again, his eyes falling on a memorial about reforming the salt administration. This was a much tougher nut to crack, involving countless interests.

But he had no choice.

The solemn atmosphere of the grand court meeting in Huangji Hall had barely dissipated when Qin Ming moved to the West Warm Pavilion, once again burying himself in a vast mountain of paperwork. The pulse of the empire raced through his fingertips as his red pen rose and fell, issuing decrees that affected the nation's economy and people's livelihoods like flowing water, precise and ruthless. However, he knew that mere paperwork and iron-fisted decrees were far from enough to cleanse the deep-seated ills and corruption within the fabric of this vast empire. He needed sharper eyes and ears, more direct means, to pierce through the layers of lies and silence.

The bronze box was restarted, like a poisoned dagger, quietly cutting through the seemingly peaceful surface of the empire.

Within a short ten days, the heavy iron box was once again presented to the imperial desk. Ying Qi's voice was as deep as ever: "Your Majesty, we have received 137 new secret letters. After eliminating the nonsense, we have found 41. They involve the seven counties of Jingji, Hedong, and Jiangnan. The reasons are... even more serious than before."

Qin Ming opened the iron box, and one secret letter after another unfolded in his hands. The handwriting grew increasingly frantic, the contents increasingly horrifying—not only did they reveal corruption among county officials, but they also involved widespread fraud within the grain transport administration, substandard military equipment, and even... cases where officials who reported rumors were ostracized and suppressed by their colleagues, the truth deliberately obliterated.

His gaze lingered on some of the letters for a long time.

A letter written in blood accused the commander of a certain garrison in Hedong of falsely reporting the number of soldiers, embezzling military pay, and even distributing inferior weapons and armor to border troops, causing the soldiers to freeze to death.

A letter written in a neat but trembling handwriting revealed that officials of the Jiangnan Grain Transport Branch colluded with grain merchants to pass off old rice as new grain, steal and sell official grain, and keep flawless accounts.

There was another letter that was an anonymous report that a certain inspector of the Censorate had accepted bribes from a county governor, thus suppressing a major corruption case involving human lives and closing it with the conclusion that "no substantial evidence was found."

"Okay, very good." Qin Ming put down the letter and said in a terrifyingly calm voice, "Ying Qi."

"The minister is here."

"You are to personally select absolutely reliable individuals and dispatch them to these locations. Without alerting the local authorities, conduct secret investigations and gather evidence. This is especially true regarding the military equipment of Hedong, the grain reserves from Jiangnan, and that inspector... I require irrefutable proof."

"Here!"

"Remember, be quick and accurate. I...can't wait too long."

Ying Qi obeyed the order and disappeared like a ghost.

Silence returned to the warm room, the only sound being the crackling candlelight. Qin Ming leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and unconsciously tapped his fingertips on the armrest. The feedback from the bronze box confirmed his deepest fears—the empire's chronic illness was too deep to be eradicated by killing one or two Wang Yuns. Within the vast bureaucracy, a tangled web of interests was eroding the empire's foundations.

He needed a deeper and broader cleansing. But this time, it couldn't just rely on thunderous wrath; it also required...institutional reform and reconstruction.

A few days later, a small-scale imperial conference was held in the warm pavilion. The only participants were the prime minister, the privy councilor, the newly appointed chief censor, and the minister of finance.

Qin Ming did not take out the secret letters, but instead led the topic to a more profound direction.

"I have observed the reports received recently. Although the administration of officials in various places has been rectified, corruption and negligence in government affairs are still rampant. My dear ministers, do you have any plans for long-term stability?" He spoke in a steady voice and glanced at everyone.