Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 231 The nation's wealth and provisions are transported to Mizhou!

Luoyang, the Ministry of Revenue.

The moon was high in the sky, and all was quiet except for the office of Jiang Xingzhou, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, where the candles still burned brightly.

He sat upright behind a huge rosewood desk, his figure appearing even more slender against the backdrop of mountains of account books and documents.

However, the flickering candlelight on the desk illuminated his deep eyes with an astonishing brightness, as if they could pierce through all the fog surrounding the empire's finances and taxes.

Jiang Xingzhou's fingertips were gently tapping on the three thin reports on the table.

Compared to the thick files around them, these three reports seemed insignificant, but the text recorded on them was irrefutable evidence of the corruption of three high-ranking officials of the third rank in Jiangnan, Bashu, and Guanzhong.

A third-rank official, equivalent to a vice minister of a ministry, is the most powerful figure below the regional governor, deeply entrenched in his territory, far superior to the minor officials of the fifth and sixth ranks.

"Pan Yu, Zhao Gang, Zhang Ba..."

Jiang Xingzhou murmured these three names, enough to stir up a storm in the region, his tone calm and even, yet carrying a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the land for miles.

“The parasites of the nation have grown so fat… Very well, it’s good to borrow your heads for a while.”

His gaze sharpened, and without the slightest hesitation, he picked up the vermilion pen that symbolized the power of life and death, and drew a decisive, scarlet "X" over the names of the three reports.

The vermilion was as red as blood; with each stroke, one could almost hear the deafening roar of the foundations of these three colossal structures crumbling.

The enormous wealth they have accumulated over the years by sucking the blood and flesh of the national treasury is about to be transformed into a massive supply of provisions and iron armor for the Northern Expedition against the Snow Wolf Kingdom.

Luoyang, the Imperial Garden of the Imperial Palace.

The first rays of dawn were breaking, and the dew was still glistening.

The Empress sat upright in the pavilion, her slender fingers slowly closing the memorial presented by Jiang Xingzhou, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Those ledgers containing evidence of corruption lay quietly on the stone table, yet they seemed to weigh a ton.

"A high-ranking official of the third rank..."

The Empress's voice was as cold as ice, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. "Very well! My Jiangnan Water Transport Commissioner, Bashu Salt and Iron Commissioner, and Guanzhong Iron Commissioner have become their private treasuries for lining their own pockets!"

She looked up at Jiang Xingzhou, who was bowing respectfully, and her tone softened slightly: "Minister Jiang, the evidence is conclusive. In your opinion, how should this be handled?"

Jiang Xingzhou bowed deeply, his voice clear and firm: "Your Majesty, the scale of the three men's embezzlement is shocking, the evidence is conclusive, and they deserve to be executed according to the law. I request Your Majesty to immediately issue an edict to confiscate their property and deposit all the embezzled funds into the national treasury, so as to uphold the law and serve as a warning to others!"

"Granted!" the Empress said decisively, waving her sleeve. "Order the Ministry of Revenue to work with the Censorate to handle this immediately! I want to see just how much of the people's wealth these parasites have swallowed!"

"Sir, obey the order!"

The Censorate.

When Jiang Xingzhou strode in holding the imperial edict, Zhang Ji, the Censor-in-Chief, had already been waiting in the hall for a long time.

"Zhang Zhongcheng,"

Jiang Xingzhou solemnly handed over the imperial edict and the Empress's verbal instruction, "Please immediately select three capable censors to go to Jiangnan, Bashu, and Guanzhong, and conduct simultaneous investigations and confiscations in three routes."

His gaze was sharp, and his tone was calm: "This matter is of great importance. The person chosen must not only be bold and meticulous, but also able to handle... any extraordinary obstacles that may be encountered. The action must be swift, the move precise, and the execution ruthless."

Zhang Ji accepted the imperial edict with both hands, his expression solemn: "Lord Jiang, rest assured, the Censorate is never short of capable people."

His voice was deep, “The Jiangnan region will be entrusted to the Censor Shen Hanshan. He is known for his meticulous thinking and thorough actions, and is well-suited for this position.”

"For the Sichuan-Chongqing route, we will send Imperial Censor Li Moyang. He is familiar with the local conditions in the southwest and can handle the situation prudently."

After a slight pause, Zhang Ji's tone turned serious: "As for Guanzhong... Iron Commissioner Zhang Ba is a ruthless official who has been in power for many years. His mansion is heavily guarded, and he is protected by private soldiers and assassins. Ordinary censors would have a hard time getting close to him."

"I intend to send 'Iron-Faced Judge' Zhou Yi there."

“Censor Zhou has served as a senior official in the Ministry of Justice and a provincial inspector. He is experienced in handling cases and is particularly adept at tackling difficult cases. To deal with such an arrogant person, he needs to use swift and decisive measures to deter him.”

Jiang Xingzhou nodded: "Zhou Yi is a senior official in the Censorate and is indeed an excellent choice. Order them to receive the imperial decree and leave the capital immediately without delay."

"As ordered."

On that day, three imperial edicts in bright yellow were issued to the Censorate.

Zhang Ji personally delivered the imperial edicts to Shen Hanshan, Li Moyang, and Zhou Yi.

A somber atmosphere permeated the main hall of the Censorate.

"Imperial Censor Shen, Pan Yu, the Transport Commissioner of Jiangnan, has deep roots and a complex network of connections. I hope you will unravel the mystery and leave no future troubles."

"Your humble servant obeys!" Shen Hanshan bowed to receive the decree, his face as cold and stern as ice.

"Imperial Censor Li, the terrain in Sichuan and Chongqing is treacherous and the journey is long. We must be careful in everything we do."

"Your humble servant understands!" Li Moyang replied with composure and unwavering gaze.

Zhang Ji finally approached a nearly forty-year-old imperial censor with piercing eyes and solemnly confessed:
"Imperial Censor Zhou, Zhang Ba is arrogant and fierce, and Guanzhong is a strategically important military town. If there is any resistance, you are authorized to make the decision on the spot and execute him first and report later! I hope you will take up the Emperor's sword, eliminate the treacherous officials, and uphold the law of the country!"

Zhou Yi solemnly accepted the imperial edict, his voice booming and his presence imposing: "Rest assured, Your Excellency! On this mission, I will ensure that the corrupt officials are brought to justice and that the law is upheld!"

"set off!"

At Zhang Ji's command, the three men, carrying the imperial edict, sped out of the three gates of Luoyang under the escort of elite guards, like three arrows released from a bow, heading straight for Jiangnan, Bashu, and Guanzhong.

Jiang Xingzhou and Zhang Ji stood side by side on the high steps, watching the carriages and horses disappear into the distance, raising dust in the procession.

“Seizing the property from three high-ranking local officials at once…” Zhang Ji sighed softly, “It’s no small feat.”

Jiang Xingzhou said with a far-sighted look: "Once this batch of stolen silver is put into the treasury, the food and pay for the hundreds of thousands of troops in the northern frontier can be temporarily supported."

The Great Zhou's expedition to the northern frontier was extremely costly.

Although those officials of the fifth or sixth rank embezzled a considerable amount, it was ultimately a drop in the ocean.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the three imperial censors were like three cold blades wielded by the Great Zhou Dynasty, carrying the chilling might of the heavens, to stab at the three malignant tumors of Jiangnan, Bashu, and Guanzhong.

Jiangnan Road, Yangzhou.

The drizzle was fine and continuous.

When the censor Shen Hanshan arrived, no local officials were alerted.

Holding the imperial edict, he directly mobilized the three thousand Xuanjia guards stationed there to surround the luxurious mansion of Pan Yu, the transport commissioner, named "Qinfang Garden," like an iron barrel.

When the armored soldiers burst through the vermilion gate, Pan Yu was embracing his newly acquired concubine, drinking wine and listening to music in the warm pavilion.

The soft sounds of music mingled with the rain outside the window, creating an atmosphere of decadent indulgence.

Shen Hanshan, like a shadow suddenly formed from the rain, stepped into the hall, holding a bright yellow imperial edict.

Pan Yu's fat face trembled violently, and the jade cup in his hand shattered on the ground with a "crack".

"Pan Yu, receive the imperial decree!"

Shen Hanshan's voice was colder than the winter rain in Jiangnan.

After the imperial edict was read, Pan Yu collapsed like a limp rag doll, wailing "Injustice!" in a piercing, deafening voice.

Shen Hanshan's face was ashen, and he waved his sleeve:
"Search!"

At the start of the raid, the armored soldiers entered the garden like tigers and wolves, breaking open the storerooms and finding piles of silks, satins, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings.

However, Shen Hanshan's eyes were sharp and piercing.

Beneath the pavilion in the mansion, armored soldiers skilled in swimming dived into the muddy bottom of the pool and dragged out dozens of heavy wooden boxes wrapped in oilcloth.

Upon opening the package, one finds it filled with "auspicious gold" pieces cast in clever shapes such as goldfish and ingots, dazzling in their golden light and amounting to an astonishing sum.

The old official tapped the wall of the study with his knuckles, and heard an echoing sound. Breaking open the wall, one was shocked to find a double-layered structure made of glutinous rice mortar mixed with molten iron.

The contents inside were not ordinary gold and silver, but a whole box of pearls from the East China Sea, a ten-foot-tall blood-red coral, and a thousand-year-old ginseng in a box made of golden nanmu wood, all of which were priceless.

Finally, Shen Hanshan stopped in front of a painting titled "Grain Transport on the Grand Canal," and a glint of light appeared at his fingertips. The scroll trembled slightly, creating faint ripples in the space.

What was taken out was not a physical object, but stacks of secret letters and accounts recording the collusion between Pan Yu and officials in Jiangnan.

Only when this item is unleashed can it truly deliver a fatal blow.

Upon witnessing the account book being revealed, Pan Yu's eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

The sounds of crying and fleeing mingled with the cold rain inside the mansion.

Shen Hanshan stood alone, watching as boxes of treasure were sealed and escorted by armored soldiers onto official boats moored in the canal.

The fleet, with its draft extremely deep, slowly sailed away from this money-burning haven in Jiangnan, which was soaked by the rain.

On the Sichuan-Chongqing Road, at the Salt Commissioner's villa, Imperial Censor Li Moyang's carriage silently pulled up in front of the villa.

The salt and iron mine made Zhao Gang's private residence unusually quiet. The black tiles and high walls stood silently in the damp mist of Sichuan, like a lurking beast.

Li Moyang did not rush into a full-scale attack.

He raised his hand to signal, and the accompanying imperial guards silently dispersed, setting up a formation around the villa to block all escape routes.

With everything in place, he straightened his clothes, held the imperial edict in his hand, and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Zhao Gang, His Majesty's decree is here. Why don't you open the door and receive it?"

A moment after he finished speaking, the heavy, black lacquered door creaked open.

Zhao Gang stood in the shadows inside the door, his face ashen, followed by several servants with empty eyes and a chilling aura like the cold stones in a tomb.

"Imperial Censor Li, what a fast pace you have."

Zhao Gang sneered, his gaze sweeping over the crowd outside the door like a venomous snake, lingering for a moment on the array flags, a fleeting look of apprehension crossing his face.

Li Moyang smiled calmly, but before he could say anything more, he suddenly unfurled the imperial edict, his voice like the clang of metal on metal:
"Zhao Gang! You have embezzled state funds and colluded with demons and barbarians to disrupt the court. The evidence against you is irrefutable! By imperial decree, arrest him! Search his residence!"

The residence of the Iron Envoy in Guannei Road.

When faced with the residence of Zhang Ba, a notorious official with a long history of tyranny, Imperial Censor Zhou Yi adopted the most direct and forceful approach.

He ordered the elite troops of his accompanying military corps to line up in front of the mansion gate, with bows and crossbows fully drawn and swords drawn, their chilling killing intent pressing directly against the vermilion gate.

"Zhang Ba! The imperial edict has arrived! Open the gates to receive it!"

Zhou Yi's voice was as loud as a bell, so loud that the high walls seemed to hum.

After a brief commotion inside the mansion, the heavy iron gate slowly opened.

Zhang Ba, dressed in brocade robes, emerged with several of his trusted retainers, each with fierce eyes and a powerful aura. He forced a smile and said, "Imperial Censor Zhou, it is an honor to have you here. I have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me..."

Zhou Yi gave him no chance to feign compliance, and directly unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict and read it aloud.

When the words "confiscate their property and arrest them" exploded like thunder, Zhang Ba's face instantly turned ashen, and the hands of his family retainers behind him all gripped the hilts of their swords, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense!

"What, Lord Zhang, are you trying to defy the imperial decree?"

Zhou Yi's gaze swept over the restless guards with lightning speed. The elite armored soldiers behind him stepped forward in unison, the sound of metal scraping against metal was ear-piercing, and a murderous aura spread.

Zhang Ba's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his expression changed several times. Finally, he waved his hand dejectedly and sternly ordered his servants to leave.

The search was launched immediately, and the results were even more shocking.

Beneath the mansion, there was a massive underground furnace and a private workshop. The furnace fire was still burning, and piles of fine privately cast weapons and armor were stacked up nearby. Their craftsmanship and specifications far exceeded those of the imperial court!
Inside the silver vault, the silver ingots were dark in color and unusually heavy to the touch.

Zhou Yi took a piece of the ingot, squeezed it with all his might, and only left a faint mark.

"Heavy silver mixed with black iron? Zhang Ba! You have an audacity beyond belief!"

Zhou Yi rebuked him sternly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ba finally broke down completely, collapsing to his knees and repeatedly kowtowing and begging for mercy.

The privately minted armor and weapons, along with the black iron and silver, were inventoried, sealed, and transported by a large convoy of soldiers, departing from Guanzhong.

At the same time, official ships laden with goods from Jiangnan, oxcarts loaded with heavy loads from Bashu, and packhorse caravans from Guanzhong arrived.

The spoils from the three raids—mountains of gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and rare treasures, along with account books and secret letters that could stir up a tidal wave—were all sealed with royal seals, converging into a seemingly endless torrent of wealth.

The three imperial censors, Shen Hanshan, Li Moyang, and Zhou Yi, had completed their mission and were escorting a huge amount of wealth back to Luoyang, the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Jiangnan Circuit, Jinling Prefectural Government.

In late spring, the magnolia flowers in the courtyard are in full bloom, like clouds and snow, extremely elegant.

However, Wei Guanlan, the governor of Jiangnan, who was sitting in his study, had no interest in appreciating the art.

He held a letter delivered by express courier, its seal of Jiang Xingzhou, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, prominently displayed on the sealing wax.

The letter was short and the wording was respectful, yet it conveyed an urgent need that left no room for refusal.

Jiang Xingzhou did not explicitly mention the confiscation of property in the three routes. He only said that the military pay in the northern frontier was tight and a huge sum of money was urgently needed. The national treasury was empty, so he earnestly requested Governor Wei to consider the difficulties of the country and use a "special" sum of money—the huge amount of wealth that the major families in Jiangnan had previously "donated" to the country.

This sum was enough to cover ten years' worth of taxes in Jiangnan. After it was deposited into the treasury, a portion was handed over and used for the Taihu Lake water conservancy project, while the remaining funds were sealed in the governor's treasury.

Although the donations were forced upon the powerful families of Jiangnan, most of the money was used in Jiangnan, which can be considered a benefit to the region.

Governor Wei Guanlan gently placed the letter on the sandalwood table.

He had a lean face, his three long beards were meticulously groomed, his eyes were calm as water, but his brows exuded the authority of a high-ranking official.

"Jiang Xingzhou...he has quite the appetite!"

He whispered to himself.

How could he not know what was going on in the court?

Three imperial censors simultaneously raided the homes of three high-ranking local officials.

Jiang Xingzhou's move was ostensibly to replenish the national treasury, but in reality, it was to prepare for a larger strategic move later on.

Using this "donation" is tantamount to dragging Jiangnan into the vortex of the capital.

An aide whispered, "My lord, this matter is of great importance. Should we first inform His Majesty, or perhaps speak with the heads of various families in Jiangnan? If we rashly allocate funds to Vice Minister Jiang, I fear..."

Wei Guanlan raised his hand to stop him from speaking.

He rose and strolled to the window, gazing at the blooming magnolias in the courtyard. His gaze seemed to penetrate the shadows of the flowers, reaching even further—to see the "Qinfang Garden" of Pan Yu, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, which had been confiscated; to see the official boats on the Grand Canal laden with treasure heading north; to see the increasingly solemn and dignified demeanor of His Majesty in the Zichen Hall; and to see the sharp-witted and meticulously calculating Vice Minister Jiang in the Ministry of Revenue's office.

He understood that now was the time to make a choice.

If we refuse to allow boats to travel on the river, it would be an open confrontation with this new faction that is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor, and it would also go against His Majesty's intention to replenish the national treasury.
If the funds are allocated in full, it would be handing over the lifeline of Jiangnan to Jiang Xingzhou, which would inevitably incur resentment from local powerful clans.

However, it may also provide a way out for Jiangnan in the future storms, or at least demonstrate Wei Guanlan's "putting the overall situation first".

The pros and cons clashed in my mind like lightning.

After a long while, Wei Guanlan slowly turned around, his face calm again, only a trace of determination flashing in his eyes.

He returned to his desk, picked up a vermilion brush, signed his name on a transfer document, and stamped it with the official seal of the Governor of Jiangnan.

"That's all."

He uttered two words softly, his voice low yet carrying immense weight.

"The national treasury is empty, the northern frontier is in dire need, and the people are starving. Since Jiang Xingzhou has asked for this money, then give it to him!"

He looked at his advisors, his tone regaining the composure of a high-ranking official: "Open the treasury immediately and take stock of the remaining money and grain. As instructed in Vice Minister Jiang's letter, load the grain onto ships in batches and send trusted confidants to escort them. The destination is Mizhou."

Mizhou?

The staff member was slightly taken aback.

"It is Mizhou."

Wei Guanlan did not elaborate further.

He knew that this batch of money and grain was not being transported to Luoyang, but was being sent directly to Mizhou to be given to the new governor of Mizhou, Xue Chonghu.

It is intended for an impending fierce border war.

Once the order was given, the silver ingots, sealed in chests and the full bags of grain, were carefully loaded onto the cargo ships from the warehouse.

With the boats drafted deep into the water, they silently glided into the main canal under the cover of night fog, then turned north and headed towards the distant north.

Standing alone atop a tall building in Nanjing, Wei Guanlan gazed at the fleet gradually disappearing into the horizon.

The spring breeze caressed his face, carrying a delicate fragrance, yet he felt no warmth in his heart.

The dispatch of this shipment of money and provisions is nothing short of a silent declaration: the turmoil in Luoyang has inevitably swept across Jiangnan.

He, and this beautiful land, have both fallen deeply into the raging torrent of power struggles.

"Jiang Xingzhou, I've given you the money and the grain."

Now, the battle against the Snow Wolf Kingdom will depend on your own abilities!

Wei Guanlan murmured, his gaze turning north again.

(End of this chapter)