Chapter 61: Raiding Homes: Practice Makes Perfect
Li Wei took Xiao Yang to inspect the military barracks. The soldiers watched with curiosity and awe, but Xiao Yang knew that their true loyalty was to Li Wei.
She was nothing more than the Little Emperor who was willing to pay.
But as long as Li Wei’s loyalty remained unchanged, these men would serve her.
After the inspection, Xiao Yang and Li Wei headed back.
Lost in thought, she completely failed to notice the dark figure sitting at a roadside tea stall.
"Master, Your Majesty is heading back."
"Mm," he replied. He had seen her.
The Little Emperor’s seemingly absurd actions had earned her the absolute loyalty of a powerful military general. This was a good thing for the isolated and helpless Little Emperor.
Compared to the cunning civil servants, military generals were far better for stabilizing Imperial Power.
Prince Jing and his son were now loyal followers. Marquis Pingchuan’s son and daughter were in the palace, and the Marquis himself had always wanted to ally himself with the Emperor. Grand Tutor Xu had retired, but both his son and grandson had been introduced to the Emperor. Then there were the military generals, like Li Wei. The fall of the Chen and Liu Families had been traded for the loyalty of the military generals toward the Little Emperor.
In a short period of time, the Little Emperor had transformed from a Puppet Emperor controlled by the Empress Dowager into the current center of power, with more and more people gathering around her.
’She doesn’t really need me, the Regent King, anymore. And she even hates me...’
「The next day, at morning court.」
"Your Majesty, the National Treasury is empty! The new year is almost upon us, yet the court cannot even pay out salaries."
"Please, Your Majesty, for the sake of the nation, take back the illicit funds from General Li, replenish the National Treasury, and stabilize the court."
"We, your humble servants, are loyal to the nation. With the year’s end approaching, we beg Your Majesty to show consideration and not let your loyal subjects grow disheartened."
They cried out one after another, acting as if they were deeply aggrieved. But of those who could stand in Jinluan Palace and offer counsel, few were actually poor.
They were simply disgruntled. Disgruntled that the Emperor had given so much money to Li Wei alone, while they hadn’t gotten a piece of the pie.
Disgruntled that the Emperor had shaken up the Ministry of Personnel, implicating and damaging their own spheres of influence.
So now, a whole group of them was preparing to make trouble for the Emperor.
Yet no matter what they said, the Little Emperor on the dragon throne remained calm, looking as if she were enjoying a good show. She wasn’t even sitting up straight, leaning first to the left, then to the right, as if watching a monkey perform.
They spoke until their mouths were dry without getting any reaction, so they could only turn their gazes to Prime Minister Song and the Regent King standing at the front, hoping they would pressure the Little Emperor.
The Regent King didn’t move. The one who stepped forward was Song Qinghe.
"The year’s end is upon us. We ask for Your Majesty’s wise judgment."
’Wise judgment my ass. Aren’t they just trying to force me to take the money back?’
’If I actually agreed, I’d become a complete joke.’
Seeing that they couldn’t get through to the Emperor, they turned their heads, intending to target Li Wei instead.
Just then, the Emperor slammed a hand on the armrest and sneered, "Such a vast nation, with such a large Ministry of Revenue, and yet it’s come to the point where there isn’t a single coin left. So, you were all living off the Chen and Liu Families before, is that it?"
"Since that’s the case, We will settle these accounts with you properly."
"Summon Prince Jing."
Only then did the officials realize that while they had been arguing for so long, Prince Jing, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, had been absent.
"Your Majesty, your subject has arrived."
At the entrance of Jinluan Palace, Prince Jing walked in with a large retinue, every person carrying thick account ledgers.
Prince Jing’s back was ramrod straight, his aura menacing.
Once he reached the center of Jinluan Palace, he declared loudly, "Your Majesty, all the ledgers are here. Your subject has completed the audit of every one."
Xiao Yang stood up, picked a ledger from the pile, and looked at the Minister of Ministry of Industry.
"Five months ago, the Ministry of Industry repaired the city gates. Labor costs, eight hundred taels. Materials, one thousand taels. But upon investigation, it turns out only a single door stud was repaired. What kind of labor costs are so expensive? Could it be that you, the Minister, repaired it yourself? Or was that door stud made of solid gold?"
"In the third month, repairing the city walls: three thousand taels. In the second month, repairing a storehouse: five thousand taels. Last year, repairing the river dikes: five hundred thousand taels..."
"All these projects were recorded, but what was actually done? Does We need to summon witnesses to confront you?"
Xiao Yang picked up another ledger. "Last year, the Ministry of Rites spent one million, one hundred thousand taels of silver on banquets, receptions, and decorations."
"Over eighty banquets. Who attended?"
"Receiving envoys? What envoys?"
"You all had a grand time feasting on the National Treasury’s money, didn’t you?"
"The annual tax revenue is ten million taels of silver, and every year you carve it all up until nothing is left! A single turnip costs one tael of silver? A single chicken costs one hundred taels of silver? Are you eating golden chickens?"
The Ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Industry dropped to their knees with a THUD. "Your Majesty... I have been wronged..."
"There must be a misunderstanding! I knew nothing about these matters!"
Sweat beaded on the forehead of the Minister of Ministry of Industry as he looked at the Regent King. "My Prince, your subordinate was simply following procedure! You knew about all of this!"
Xiao Yang glanced nonchalantly at Rong Yin. "It seems the Regent King is also involved in this."
The Minister of Rites was part of the Empress Dowager’s faction. After the incident with the Duke Rong Mansion, he knew he wouldn’t be able to escape. Now that the suspended blade had finally fallen, he was devastated but could also accept his fate.
But the Minister of Ministry of Industry was someone who had sided with the Regent King. His backer was still around, so of course he would struggle desperately.
’I was corrupt, yes, but who in this court isn’t?’
’Why am I the one being made an example of?’
He looked at the Regent King, full of hope. When the Regent King and the Empress Dowager were vying for power, he had stood firmly on the Regent King’s side. If he were to be investigated, how could the Regent King save face?
Unfortunately for him, his hope was destined for disappointment.
Because Rong Yin produced a piece of incriminating evidence. "Your Majesty, please review this."
It clearly recorded the Minister of Ministry of Industry’s properties and business ties, as well as evidence of his collusion with various workshops.
It was even more direct and clear than what Prince Jing had presented, enough to seal his fate on the spot.
The Minister of Ministry of Industry stared at Rong Yin in disbelief. For him to produce it so readily, it was obvious he had prepared it long ago. In other words, even if the Emperor hadn’t made a move today, the Regent King would not have let them off.
"Why?"
"My Prince, your subordinate has always supported you with unwavering loyalty! How can you treat me like this?"
To declare unwavering loyalty to a Prince, right in front of the Emperor.
Had he thrown all caution to the wind?
Rong Yin wasn’t flustered by his questioning. "Is your so-called loyalty just corruption in my name? Did you ask for my permission?"
The Minister of Ministry of Industry frantically wracked his brain, trying to recall giving the Regent King any gifts. But he realized he had never sent any major tributes, nor had he shared any of his embezzled money with the Regent King. With rewards from two generations of Emperors, the Regent King would have never looked twice at the paltry sums he had stolen.
"Your subordinate... Your subordinate..." The Minister of Ministry of Industry was so anxious he broke out in a cold sweat. Xiao Yang couldn’t be bothered to watch him squirm. "Guards! Drag them away! Throw them into the Heavenly Prison immediately!"
Her gaze swept over the crowd. "Li Wei, seize their assets."
Li Wei, clad in black and gold armor at the entrance, bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."
When it came to seizing assets, it was unfamiliar the first time, but familiar the second. No one was more professional at it than Li Wei.
Xiao Yang sat back down on the dragon throne. As far as her eyes could see, every official had their head bowed low.
The entire Jinluan Palace was deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Those with guilty consciences didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.
The Regent King had only brought down the Minister of Ministry of Industry, but Prince Jing still had several more stacks of ledgers. They all knew their own hands weren’t clean, and perhaps one of those books was about them.
Who would dare to clamor for the Little Emperor to pay their salaries now? They were terrified the Emperor would liquidate them all at once.
The Little Emperor herself wasn’t actually that frightening. The main problem was that fellow Li Wei, who had become the Emperor’s attack dog, biting whomever she pointed at.
It wasn’t just Li Wei. All the military generals had been won over by the Emperor’s single act of favoritism. Now, it wasn’t the Emperor facing all the courtiers in the court; it was the Emperor and all the military generals suppressing the civil servants.
This was the difference between controlling the civil servants and controlling the military officials.
No matter how cunning and treacherous the civil servants were, overwhelming military might was the ultimate authority.
Xiao Yang looked out at the court, which had never been so quiet. "Why has everyone fallen silent?"
She casually tossed the ledger in her hand, her movements languid and carefree. Like a demon toying with its prey, she looked down on them all, a contemptuous smile playing on her lips.
"Weren’t you all so insistent on forcing Us to produce the money? We’re not short on funds anymore. Why doesn’t everyone look very happy?"