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

Chapter 356 Giving someone face but not daring to be shameless, playing the long game to catch a big fish.
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, any official who embezzles more than sixty taels of silver shall be punished.

Cut in half at the waist and discarded in the market, skinned and stuffed with straw.

Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts) and beheading.

Yang Tan's home was found to contain a million taels of real gold and silver, along with numerous other charges including embezzlement, bribery, falsifying Ministry of Revenue accounts, misappropriation of national treasury funds, embezzlement of military pay, and forming cliques for personal gain.

Let alone skinning someone alive, Yang Tan estimated that he himself might even be subjected to the most brutal form of execution, such as being skinned alive or stuffed with straw.

At this moment, his previous arrogance vanished completely, leaving only panic and terror in his eyes. He mumbled something, as if trying to say something, as anxious as a manic-depressive.

Unfortunately, Yu Huatian didn't want to listen to his nagging.

"The Ministry of Revenue can't come up with the silver, so it all went into the pockets of people like you, didn't it?"

"It's okay, we have plenty of time and patience."

“In this vast capital city, with its mediocre officials, give me some time, and I can get back to His Majesty any amount, let alone a hundred million taels of silver.”

Yu Huatian did not utter his last words.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, he and Cao Zhengchun had already made their own plans after receiving the imperial decree.

Although the Eastern Depot was still responsible for providing clues and assisting Yu Huatian and the Western Depot, Cao Zhengchun could not possibly be just a stepping stone for him. Given the size and intelligence of the Eastern Depot, Yu Huatian believed that Cao Zhengchun was probably somewhere in the capital at this time, wreaking havoc.

"The General of Juyong Pass?"

Yu Huatian strolled up to Zhao Yong, sizing him up: "You haven't even reached the Vajra Realm, and you haven't accomplished much over the years, yet you hold the position of General. Now you're even more audacious, conspiring with Yang Tan to threaten His Majesty with finances and military defense?"

"We're very curious, what gives you your confidence?"

"The less than 30,000 troops stationed at Juyong Pass?"

Zhao Yong suddenly felt his body relax, and the sealed acupoints for speech were released. He struggled and roared, "Hmph, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a reason. I was just discussing with Lord Yang Tan, hoping to say a few good words to His Majesty so that the military pay could be issued on schedule to reward my brothers at Juyong Pass."

Zhao Yong gave an irrelevant answer.

He acted as if he knew nothing and was only there to discuss military pay.

"As long as I don't confess, you still dare to torture me into confessing?" Yu Huatian couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the expression on my face when I couldn't get a confession out of me.

"In that case..."

Yu Huatian waved his hand: "Today, when our Western Depot was investigating the evidence of embezzlement by Yang Tan, the Minister of Revenue, a thief broke into the mansion with the intention of stealing the national treasury silver that Yang Tan had embezzled. He was executed on the spot by our Western Depot."

"Guards, drag him away, chop him up, and feed him to the dogs!"

Zhao Yong glared angrily, roaring in disbelief, "You dare, Yu Huatian? I am a high-ranking official of the imperial court! How dare you touch me?"

"Stop arguing, drag them away." Yu Huatian waved his hand. Since the other party didn't want the opportunity, then so be it. He didn't really want to know that much. Anyway, he had all the evidence and information he needed, whether or not the other party confessed, so it didn't matter.

boom! !

With Yu Huatian's orders, Ji Xueyong, the third-in-command of the West Depot, showed no mercy to Zhao Yong. He punched Zhao Yong in the chest, causing him to vomit blood, and then grabbed Zhao Yong's head and ripped him off the wall.

Then, as if dragging a dead dog, he walked towards the door.

General of Juyong Pass?

Where is there any General of Juyong Pass here?

The Western Depot killed a notorious thief who refused to confess and attempted to steal money from the Ming Dynasty's treasury.

"Jinliang."

"exist."

"Please invite our Minister of Revenue to visit our Western Depot."

As Yu Huatian spoke, he gave Yang Tan a smile that sent chills down his spine.

The Eastern and Western Depots and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were known as dens of demons.

All the officials turned pale upon hearing this. Even Yang Tan, the Minister of Revenue, felt as if he were about to be thrown into the deepest hell at the thought of being taken back to the Western Depot.

"Don't worry, we just want you to go to the imperial prison and ask you some questions."

"If you cooperate obediently, you can suffer less." Ma Jinliang said, revealing a smile that he thought was handsome but was actually extremely ferocious, making Yang Tan swallow hard.

Inside the Yang residence, cries of agony and pleas for mercy filled the air.

The Western Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard acted like executioners, coldly chaining and shackled all those who tried to beg for mercy, plead for life, or escape.

Under Yu Huatian's instructions, boxes of gold and silver were deliberately left unsealed and transported out of the Yang residence in an orderly and rapid manner, heading towards the palace.

……

Yu Huatian chose to directly target Yang Tan, the Minister of Revenue.

On the other side, Cao Zhengchun was also quick to act.

Zhou Xianzheng, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was having his face stepped on by Cao Zhengchun's toe at that moment: "Imposing a memorial before the Emperor? I'm afraid you won't live to see tomorrow."

“We just received news that you old bastard, who outwardly appears selfless and devoted to the country and its people, has been embezzling nearly two million taels of tax revenue from Jiangnan.”

"You even dared to have close ties with the Salt Tax Commissioner and the Salt Transport Commissioner of Yangzhou, not only affecting the imperial tax revenue but also daring to interfere with the salt transport, which is explicitly prohibited."

"If you can live to see tomorrow's sun, I will personally offer my head to His Majesty."

The morning light illuminated the terrified face of Zhou Xianzong, the Vice Censor-in-Chief. He collapsed like a limp rag when he saw the guards search his house and find a huge pile of gold and silver jewelry and boxes of account books.

In a secret passage of the Zhou residence, a young woman was running for her life, carrying a child who was not yet seven years old.

"Sir, shall we not give chase?"

"A weak woman who doesn't know martial arts, and has a burden to carry, do you think she can escape the Five Finger Mountain of our Eastern Depot?" A tall, gray-haired swordsman sneered.

"Let her go!"

"Let's see where she can run to."

"The supervisor is worried about not catching too many big fish, and hopes that the Zhou family's daughter can give us a surprise."

You have to cast a long line to catch a big fish.

……

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, along with his cavalry, set up a checkpoint on Qipan Street. All the family members who had escaped from the homes of Yang, Zhou, and others, regardless of age or gender, were blocked at the street entrance.

A woman holding a baby tried to bribe the imperial guards with a gold hairpin, but Zhuque personally severed the tendons in her wrist with his embroidered spring knife.

"Kill!" Zhuque's voice was completely calm. Watching the baby roll out of its swaddling clothes and be trampled by the horse's hooves, he turned to his subordinates and said, "Keep a close eye on the people from the Ministry of Personnel's office. They have intricate connections with Wanchun Tower in the capital. Do not let a single one of them escape."

"Yes!"

The Imperial Guards gripped their swords and responded.

This mission is crucial to the future of all the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Everyone was on high alert, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

At this moment, a member of the Imperial Guard rushed in to report:

"grown ups……"

"Is that so?" Suzaku's eyes lit up, and he immediately pointed to the centurion of the elite cavalry: "You guard this place, the rest of you, follow me!"

The other Imperial Guards did not understand what had happened.

But they quickly caught up.

(End of this chapter)