Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 355 A Sudden Awakening, But It Was Too Late

Suddenly, several muffled thuds came from outside the courtyard wall, followed by the sound of guards falling to the ground.

The general of Juyong Pass suddenly stood up, knocking over the teacup beside him: "Who?"

"boom!"

The door was kicked open, and officers from the Western Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guards filed in.

Before the Juyongguan garrison commander could resist, the chain knife in the West Depot captain's hand sliced ​​through the air like an arrow, instantly piercing through his arms and pinning the Juyongguan garrison commander, who was trying to resist, directly to the wall of the room.

At this moment, Yu Huatian strolled in. He glanced around the room and smiled faintly, "Lord Yang has quite the refined taste. It seems that other border generals all meet in secret."

"And you, you meet with the General of Juyong Pass in broad daylight."

Yang Tan's face turned pale, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Eunuch Yu is joking. Lord Zhao and I are comrades-in-arms. Today is just a rare reunion after a long separation. We chatted about family matters and didn't even mention official business."

"On the contrary, Eunuch Yu has quite the airs of an official!"

"If I remember correctly, you haven't even officially become the head of the Western Depot yet, but you dare to be so arrogant and domineering. Without a formal letter of introduction or imperial decree, you led a group of Western Depot officers to break into the mansion!"

By the end, Yang Tan's guilty conscience had lessened considerably, and he once again displayed the authority of the Minister of Revenue, pointing at Yu Huatian and angrily rebuking him: "Yu Huatian, do you still have any regard for the laws of the court, or for His Majesty the Emperor!"

"You have trespassed into my residence without cause. Do you intend to rebel?"

"Ah!"

Yu Huatian scoffed and waved for the captain to make his move. "Lord Yang certainly knows how to label people. He just opened his mouth and labeled us as rebels."

"Yu Huatian, what exactly do you want to do?" Yang Tan shouted angrily.

"What are you doing?" Yu Huatian seemed to have finally heard an interesting question. He curled his lips and revealed a cold smile: "I am acting on His Majesty's orders to investigate all officials. Although Lord Yang is the Minister of Revenue, you just talked to this General Zhao Yong of Juyong Pass about the excuse that the Ministry of Revenue was in deficit and asked His Majesty to compromise and make concessions."

"You truly command our utmost respect!"

Yang Tan's pupils contracted, and only one thought flashed through his mind: "Did Yu Huatian hear it? How much did he hear?"

If it's all of them, then...

The consequences would be unimaginable.

boom! boom! boom!
Before Yang Tan had much time to think, a series of bursts into the house, accompanied by the cries and screams of his family members, echoed throughout the entire Yang residence, forcibly pulling Yang Tan back from his panicked state.

Yang Tan's eyes showed fear, but he could only force himself to calm down and shouted again, "Yu Huatian, what exactly do you want to do?"

"Hmph, what are you doing?"

Yu Huatian flashed and appeared in front of Yang Tan, grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up: "The Ministry of Revenue's account is in deficit, and you even want to embezzle the money for His Majesty's enthronement ceremony, which is disgraceful to His Majesty."

"You even dare to use this to force His Majesty to make concessions, so as to fulfill your ambitions."

"Yang Tan, Minister of Revenue Yang, you are truly audacious!"

Yang Tan felt utterly hopeless, but after years in officialdom, it was impossible for him to just bow down and admit to a crime that could wipe out his entire family, or even his entire clan: "Ahem, Yu Huatian, I am a second-rank official of the court. Without the joint trial of the three judicial departments and without His Majesty's approval, if you dare to touch a hair on my head, you will also suffer... ahem, you'll be in deep trouble."

"Even now, you still naively believe that our family is just here to show off our power?" Yu Huatian sneered, looking at Yang Tan as if he were a dead man.

"The Ministry of Revenue is in deficit; the Ministry of Revenue has no money?"

"Then let's start by investigating you, the Minister of Revenue. His Majesty has given us the authority to act expediently."

"Lord Yang Tan, you'd better pray that you're clean."

"otherwise……"

"Not only will you die, but your entire clan will not escape either."

Yu Huatian sneered and tossed Yang Tan aside as if he were throwing away trash. He then sat down in the seat that originally belonged to Yang Tan, quietly waiting for the Western Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to raid his home.

"rain……"

"Shut him up."

Yu Huatian said without even raising his eyelids. The next moment, Tan Luzi appeared beside Yang Tan like a ghost, pressed his finger to silence him, and at the same time, turned his foot and sealed the acupoints of Zhao Yong, the general of Juyong Pass who was nailed to the wall.

This scene, in the eyes of Yang Tan, who had served as an official for many years, became a signal of despair.

……

The house was ransacked.

That's definitely one of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's specialties.

The West Depot guards basically did menial tasks, like moving and lifting things.

"Master, we have thoroughly searched the Yang residence and found seven secret rooms."

"These are the items seized. Please take a look, Chief Supervisor."

Ma Jinliang, accompanied by a group of guards from the Western Depot, came to report. The courtyard behind them was piled high with boxes.

There was a considerable amount of gold, silver and jewelry.

However, what made Yang Tan, the Minister of Revenue, who had his acupoints sealed and was being held captive by the Western Depot, most desperate was not the gold and silver treasures, but the account books and letters that he had hidden very well, many of which were not even kept at home.

Seeing that even the things he had deliberately hidden outside were included in the list of items confiscated from his home, the Minister of Revenue finally collapsed to the ground, letting out a hoarse moan.

He finally realized he had miscalculated!
This new emperor didn't care about the dignity of the court at all, nor was he afraid of an empty treasury.

Or rather, it seems he was deliberately waiting for the Ministry of Revenue to say that it couldn't come up with the money and that there was a fiscal deficit.

They'll use this as an excuse to unleash their murderous intent!
"Zhu Jinzhen, you...you're so ruthless!"

Yang Tan sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

He understood, he finally understood.

Unfortunately, it's too late, too late!

Zhu Jinzhen's ambitions lay not only with the expendable pawns being tested in the Fengtian Hall, nor even with those behind the scenes, but with the entire Ming Dynasty court, and even the whole country.

He thought himself clever, believing he could use the old methods of the Ministry of Personnel to control the emperor.

No one knew better or was more knowledgeable about how to manage the Ministry of Revenue's financial accounts than he, the Minister of Revenue. He thought he could control Zhu Jinzhen, since it concerned the enthronement ceremony and the face of the imperial family and Zhu Jinzhen.

But what Yang Tan didn't expect was...

Zhu Jinzhen didn't care at all whether the Ministry of Revenue had money, or even where the money went.

From the moment he stepped into the capital, or even before he did, his sights were not set on the national treasury, which had already been divided up by the Ministry of Revenue and various forces and interest groups.

Rather, it's these incredibly wealthy high-ranking officials and aristocratic families!
Yu Huatian glanced sideways at Yang Tan, and seeing the man's tearful, regretful expression, a cruel sneer gradually appeared on his face.

Did you guess it?

"Unfortunately, it's too late."

To use money and provisions to restrain or control His Majesty?
Yang Tan had clearly been in a high position for too long and had almost forgotten that he was just a subject.

Rather than the true ruler of the Ming Dynasty.

It's true that money needs to pass through the Ministry of Revenue, but if the Ministry of Revenue thinks it can control Zhu Jinzhen with this, there's only one outcome.

dead!
Zhu Jinzhen wouldn't cut off his hand; he only knew one thing.

kill!

Yu Huatian took the ledger, glanced at it briefly, then looked down at Yang Tan, whose face was ashen, and said coldly, "As expected of the Minister of Revenue, 1.76 million taels of real gold and silver are hidden in your home, along with various land deeds, shops, tributes from major merchants, and various private properties hidden in the open."

"Tsk tsk, it's worth at least ten million taels."

"Lord Yang, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, what punishment should be imposed for embezzling more than sixty taels of silver? You must know that."

(End of this chapter)