Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 376 Turning the Sky Upside Down (11,000 words)

The cold wind howled outside.

Snow is flying all over the sky.

In that instant, everyone seemed to freeze, standing motionless, their eyes fixed on the main hall of the Zuo residence. Countless golden beans bounced playfully on the ground, making a crisp sound.

Candles were still burning in the lobby.

The flickering candlelight, carried by the wind, reflected off the gold beans, scattering a dazzling light.

Huff, huff, huff...

Inside and outside the lobby, one could faintly hear heavy breathing.

The gold stirred the greed in people's hearts. Even Zhao Gaizhi couldn't help but swallow hard. Although he was the Marquis of Anning, his mansion had long since fallen into ruin. He received a fixed salary every year. Before Zhao Feng and Yang Shuxuan died, he only held a sinecure in the court. The vast expanse of gold in front of him was a great stimulus to Zhao Gaizhi.

"Marquis Anning..."

Song Yan's indifferent voice startled Zhao Gaizhi from his own world. He looked up and saw Song Yan holding an iron hammer, still standing quietly in the same spot, seemingly completely unaffected by the golden beads.

"Wh...what happened?"

"One per person, no more." Pointing to the gold beans on the ground, Song Yan said coldly, "Go and distribute them." When ransacking homes, it was common practice for soldiers to skim off a little bit of profit. As long as they didn't go too far, almost no one cared. This was a tacit rule, and even Song Yan didn't intend to break it.

He didn't want the Imperial Guard soldiers to see him as an enemy.

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the many Imperial Guards soldiers outside the hall gleamed with excitement. Gold is heavy, and a single gold bean weighs about one tael. The exchange rate between gold and silver in Ningguo is approximately one to ten, but because gold is scarce, it is very possible that one tael of gold could be exchanged for eleven or twelve taels of silver.

Twelve taels of silver, that's half a year's salary.

Zhao Gaizhi's throat bobbed slightly. He wanted to say that this was against the rules, but considering the relationship between Song Yan and Emperor Ninghe, he decided not to bother with it. He then casually tore down a curtain in the Zuo residence, wrapped up a pile of gold coins, and walked out the door.

"The Ministry of Revenue and the Director of Finance should also be included; don't forget them. Also... issue them in His Majesty's name, saying it's His Majesty's favor."

Zhao Gaizhi nodded, and distributed gold coins to the soldiers one by one. His face lit up with even greater joy, and he worked even harder. The soldiers guarding outside the Zuo residence stood even straighter. Song Yan swung his iron hammer around the main hall before slamming it heavily against the wall.

boom.

Unfortunately, no one shouted "Eighty!" to add to the festivities.

Amidst the broken bricks and flying dust, pieces of silver bricks could be seen stacked in the cracks of the wall.

As they walked, they made a lot of banging noises wherever they went, and sometimes they would misjudge things, but Song Yan didn't pay much attention. Finally, they arrived at the Zuo family ancestral hall, where the ancestral tablets of the Zuo family were enshrined. At first, they didn't think there was anything wrong with this place, until a soldier accidentally bumped the offering table, and a tablet fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Only then did they realize that the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall were all made of gold.

Confiscating property is actually a rather tedious task.

Families whose assets have been confiscated are highly likely to hide them.

Therefore, before confiscating a house, the first thing to do is to surround and monitor it. Government officials or soldiers will surround the house, restrict people from entering and leaving, and cut off water and food to put pressure on them. This process may last for several days, and may even starve people to death. The purpose is to force the other party to hand over the hidden property.

Next comes the process of ransacking a house, which is often depicted in TV dramas.

The officials entered the mansion and took away all the valuables.

Then, the official scribes meticulously recorded everything, covering gold and silver jewelry, real estate deeds, antiques, paintings and calligraphy, furniture and porcelain... For the more stringent ones, even chickens, ducks and livestock would be included.

Finally, there is the question of how to deal with the confiscated assets. Generally, there are two options: first, to return them to the national treasury; second, to return them to the imperial treasury.

The most time-consuming part of this process is the first step of enclosing and monitoring the property. However, the current situation is somewhat special, with a large number of officials waiting to have their homes searched. Therefore, the enclosing and monitoring process has been temporarily canceled. As a result, how much wealth can be confiscated depends on the methods of the search team.

Clearly, Song Yan is an expert in this area.

He seemed to have an extraordinary sense for things like gold and silver jewelry.

Silver bricks were neatly arranged in large boxes, gold beans were placed in a wooden box, and jewelry, porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, and antiques were also packed into boxes according to their categories. By the time the last box was sealed, it was already late at night. One by one, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard braved the wind and snow, holding torches. The leaping flames slightly dispelled the darkness between heaven and earth.

The finance commissioner also handed the account books to Song Yan, but couldn't help clicking his tongue after just a glance at Song Yan.

"Transport it into the palace!"

At a command, carts, pulled by two horses, slowly and laboriously approached the palace, leaving deep ruts in the thick snow. Finally reaching the palace gates, the bodies of those who had died there had been cleared away, leaving only patches of dark red on the ground. After another round of tedious inspections, the carts were finally transported into the palace.

Directly above the imperial steps, a middle-aged man stood in the wind and snow, letting the snowflakes fall on his hair and lash his cheeks.

It was Emperor Ninghe.

In the firelight, those eyes appeared even darker and more profound.

His expression was indifferent as he quietly watched a group of eunuchs from the imperial treasury take boxes of valuables from the imperial guards, count them again, and only after confirming that they matched the records in the ledgers did they drive the carriage away.

"Come up."

Emperor Ninghe rubbed his temples and turned to walk towards the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi exchanged a glance, then winked at the Imperial Guards, signaling them to go back first, before following behind Emperor Ninghe.

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, bamboo charcoal was burning, so there wasn't much of a chill in the air.

On the emperor's desk lay memorials that had not yet been reviewed.

A young eunuch promptly brought him a heel brace. The three of them, the emperor and his ministers, sat facing each other with a charcoal brazier in the middle. Emperor Ninghe's face showed obvious fatigue, and he took his hands out of his sleeves to warm them over the charcoal, rubbing them from time to time: "My two dear ministers have been busy all afternoon, you must be tired."

"To share His Majesty's burdens," Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi replied in unison.

A young eunuch brought over pastries and sliced ​​meat.

"There's nothing good in the palace." Emperor Ninghe was a little embarrassed, and rubbed his hands together. "As the emperor, my food, clothing, and housing are probably not as good as many of the court officials. My two ministers haven't had dinner yet, so please have something to eat first."

Zhao Gaizhi's expression stiffened slightly, feeling that this was against the rules.

Song Yan didn't care about all that. After all, this was his father-in-law, and while it was appropriate to show respect at his father-in-law's house, there was no need for all sorts of complicated rules. The meals at this time were quite simple, with meat slices and pastries mostly served directly with one's hands. Song Yan picked up a slice of meat, dipped it in some salt, and popped it into his mouth.

It has a slightly bitter taste, but for most ordinary people, it is a delicacy that they can only enjoy during the Chinese New Year.

Seeing Song Yan make a move, Zhao Gaizhi no longer hesitated. After all, he was really hungry, and with the heavy snow falling, he was already starving. Even Emperor Ninghe couldn't help but reach out his hands repeatedly until all the pastries and meat slices were in his stomach. With the help of bamboo charcoal roasting to dispel the cold, he finally felt a little more comfortable.

Seeing that Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi had eaten and drunk their fill, Emperor Ninghe smiled with some relief. For Emperor Ninghe, dining with others like this was an extremely rare opportunity. He pursed his lips and then asked:
"How's the raid going?"

“Today is just the first one.” Song Yan took out the account book and casually flipped to the last one: “Zuo Kai’s family property has been confiscated. A total of 1,528,774 taels of silver, a box of gold beans worth 3,200 taels, seven boxes of pearls, jade, agate and other precious stones, 133 sets of porcelain, and 71 paintings and calligraphy works were seized. Their value is hard to estimate. In addition, 23 ancestral tablets of the Zuo family were also brought back, all of which were cast in gold.”

"The time was too short; there may still be hidden assets."

Emperor Ninghe's expression was solemn.

So much silver, so much gold, and so much jewelry.

He felt he should be happy, since with this large sum of money, the imperial court's finances would be much more relaxed.

On the other hand, he felt uncomfortable. If a fourth-rank official, an official known for his integrity and incorruptibility, was so greedy, what were the other officials in the court like?

Thinking this way, he should be very angry, but all that was left in his eyes was deep weariness.

"Ningguo is truly rotten to the core."

It seemed as if he was speaking to Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi, yet it also seemed as if he was merely murmuring to himself.

Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi opened their mouths, but didn't know how to answer.

Even though there was a charcoal brazier right in front of him, with the crimson charcoal crackling, and the Qin Zheng Hall was very warm, Emperor Ninghe felt a chill all over his body.

"Marquis of Anning, Marquis of Champion... what do you think? With 203 official positions vacant this year, can we select a few capable individuals for the imperial examinations this spring?" Emperor Ninghe suddenly raised his head.

"Yes," Song Yan replied confidently.

Throughout history, the Central Plains has never lacked talented people, regardless of the era. This is beyond doubt.

Not to mention the late Eastern Han Dynasty, when heroes rose up everywhere, even at the end of the Song Dynasty and the end of the Ming Dynasty, great talents still emerged.

Emperor Ninghe's face lit up with joy, and a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Song Yan's face remained as gloomy as ever: "We can recruit some talented people, but... the court will be filled with ten times more or even more mediocre people, and even corrupt officials and treacherous ministers." He was somewhat reluctant to shatter Emperor Ninghe's illusions, but the bloody reality had to be faced in the end. To think that one could turn the tide by relying on the imperial examinations was ultimately just a dream: "Don't forget, what kind of people are those who can study in Ningguo now?"

"A scion of a prominent family."

"The son of an official".

Even if someone comes from a poor family, it is still a door.

"Very few scholars actually rise from the bottom of society, and they lack books, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones."

“Even though I dislike aristocratic families and the civil service, I have to admit that their offspring, in terms of academic knowledge alone, are far superior to those from humble backgrounds and even the lowest-ranking scholars.” Song Yan shook his head: “I can’t pass the exam.”

This is the saddest reality before our eyes.

Zhao Gaizhi glanced at Song Yan discreetly, grinned, but couldn't make a sound. This guy really dares to speak his mind, doesn't he? Is he courting death?
The light in Emperor Ninghe's eyes gradually faded, turning into a bitter and helpless expression. He understood that what Song Yan said was true. This Ghost Cave incident, which seemed to have eliminated a large number of corrupt officials, would ultimately only result in a new batch of corrupt officials taking over, nothing more.

Emperor Ninghe shook his head and stood up.

Song Yan and Zhao Gaizhi also quickly got up.

It's inappropriate for the emperor to stand while I sit.

"Marquis Anning, it's getting late, you should go back now. I'll need you to keep a close eye on the confiscation of his property in the next few days." Emperor Ninghe sighed. "Marquis Champion, accompany me for a walk."

Song Yan can also be considered Emperor Ninghe's nephew-in-law.

It was indeed inappropriate for Zhao Gaizhi to stand by and talk with his father-in-law and son-in-law. He didn't think much of it, apologized, and left the Qin Zheng Hall.

Even though it was already the end of the first lunar month, the sudden heavy snowfall was even more intense than before the New Year.

Snowflakes fell all day.

The snow had already reached up to my calves.

Two figures, one in front of the other, walked through the palace.

The sound of your feet crunching on the snow is truly delightful.

Some snowflakes landed on the back of my neck, sending a chill straight to my core.

Song Yan silently followed behind Emperor Ninghe. For some reason, he felt that Emperor Ninghe seemed a little off today.

Suddenly, Emperor Ninghe stopped.

He raised his head, his eyes fixed straight at the sky.

It was pitch black, without a single ray of light.

"I wonder when the weather will clear up."

"It should be soon, after all, it's already spring, it can't keep snowing forever."

Emperor Ninghe chuckled: "Yang Hetong invited you to a banquet today, could it be that he's doing what that fellow Fang De did, trying to force his daughter into your life? That old scoundrel Fang De has already brought his most beloved little daughter back to the Fang residence..."

Song Yan was somewhat embarrassed: "No, I didn't. They gave me one million taels of silver, hoping I could return to Pingyang and continue to be a prefect."

“One million, that’s quite generous.” After a pause, Emperor Ninghe spoke again: “It was indeed a rash decision of mine to keep you in the capital.”

"Originally, I thought there was still hope for Ningguo."

"So they gave up a few official positions in exchange for you staying in Dongling. I agreed. I'll get the benefits first, and then we'll figure out a way to get you to leave." Emperor Ninghe seemed a little embarrassed and looked awkward. "I thought that with your temper, as the Prefect of Dongling, you would definitely turn Dongling City upside down. When that happens, I'm afraid those people will be more than happy to see you far away."

"You truly did not disappoint me. You are even more outstanding than I imagined. Before you even reached the position of Prefect of Dongling, you had already eliminated two hundred and three parasites in the court."

"Logically speaking, I should be very happy to get rid of these woodworms."

"But I can't be happy at all... Of these 203 officials, 27 are my men." Emperor Ninghe laughed self-deprecatingly.

Song Yan was taken aback: "Royalists?"

Fang De had previously stated that there were more than a dozen royalist officials, so how did Emperor Ninghe come to say that there were twenty-seven? That's more than double the number.

"Some of them I developed gradually, and a few others I carefully cultivated and tried every means to get into the court."

“These people, even Fang De didn’t know them.”

As he spoke, Emperor Ninghe turned to look at Song Yan, his expression extremely strange: "Especially three of them, all of whom came from poor families. The Imperial City Guard noticed their talents, and I tried my best to arrange for people to examine them to determine their talents and character. Then I arranged for learned scholars to personally teach them."

"Finally, they tried every means to help them achieve a ranking in the imperial examinations and enter the imperial court."

"They started their official careers four years ago."

"I still remember the oath they made: if one day they entered the court as officials, they would protect the people, punish corrupt officials, and restore peace and order to Ningguo."

"Four years, just four short years... and they've already rotted away like everyone else."

His voice was hoarse, almost as if he was venting.

Song Yan remained silent.

At this moment, he finally understood why Emperor Ninghe was so dejected and exhausted.

In Ninghe's eyes, these people were like seeds, seeds that could bring hope to Ningguo.

But when the seed sprouts, blossoms, and finally grows into a towering tree, it is discovered that the tree is crooked and its roots are rotten.

That disappointment, that heartache... it was as if all his energy and spirit had been drained away in an instant, and the blow to Emperor Ninghe was unimaginable.

However, given the current environment in Ningguo, once you enter officialdom, you're bound to get corrupted.

"They were originally ordinary people at the very bottom of society."

"Unable to tolerate the oppression of collusion between officials and businessmen, they even dared to file a complaint with the emperor. In just four years, they turned into the very thing they once despised."

"There was a time when I thought that as long as I brought down Bailu Academy and the Yang family, Ningguo would be completely transformed."

"Now I realize I was wrong, terribly wrong."

"Even if the Yang family is gone, there is still the Fang family; even if Bailu Academy is gone, there is still Donglin Academy. Nanlin Academy is just a change of name without substance."

"Perhaps only iron and blood can wash away the filth in this court."

Song Yan remained silent.

He knew that Emperor Ninghe was just venting, and at this time, he just needed to listen quietly.

Just then, Emperor Ninghe suddenly changed the subject: "You would be better off returning to Pingyang sooner rather than later."

"This winter is too cold. The news from the spies of the Imperial City Guard is that both the Haixi Grassland and the Mobei Grassland are covered by heavy snow, and countless cattle, sheep and horses have frozen to death."

"When spring comes, both the Xiongnu and the Jurchens will surely launch an attack on Ningguo. Ninghe's twenties... will not be easy."

“I don’t feel at ease in Pingyang without you there. When you go back, take the youngest daughter of the Fang family with you. That old man Fang De dotes on her the most. And… never mind.”

"If we can destroy the Jurchens, then we should destroy them. Destroy their ancestral temples, wipe out their descendants, and completely eliminate this future threat."

“I know you are a miracle doctor, and you can cure even the most troublesome illnesses…” Emperor Ninghe looked up at the sky: “The current Ning Kingdom is like a patient on his deathbed, already terminally ill.”

"If you can save them, please do so..."

"If they can't be saved..."

"Then..."

It turned the sky upside down.

……

Song Yan left.

Emperor Ninghe was left standing alone in the snow.

"Master, it's time to go back and rest." Wei Liang's figure appeared beside Emperor Ninghe at some point, a trace of regret flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

Emperor Ninghe let out a breath and turned to walk towards his bedchamber.

Suddenly, he stopped.

A flash of pain crossed his face, followed by a violent cough.

He instinctively covered his mouth and nose with his hand. When the cough subsided, he removed his hand, and only a little bit of scarlet remained on his palm.

He casually wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, and when he looked up again, Emperor Ninghe seemed to have regained his former high spirits.

He'll have to hold on for a few more years, after all.

(End of this chapter)