Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 306 Death is also a kind of grace

At midnight, the moon was as cold as frost.

In the study of the Grand Canal Governor's residence, the lamp was dim and the people were like withered trees.

Governor Yang Yipeng sat there listlessly.

He was still wearing his official robes for receiving guests, but his official hat was neatly placed on a corner of the table, as if he had already laid down his official position and honors for a lifetime.

He was fifty-six years old this year. His well-maintained face and the few carefully groomed strands of long beard appeared somewhat desolate and silvery-white in the dim candlelight.

The wind outside whistled and sobbed through the gaps in the window paper, much like the boatmen's chants on the canal outside Huai'an City—weak and powerless, yet full of tenacious struggle.

But Yang Yipeng knew in his heart that his tenacity had been exhausted tonight.

His gaze fell on the small Ru kiln cup placed beside him.

The cup, half-filled with a clear, cool liquid, swayed slightly in the candlelight, shimmering with an eerie glow.

It was arsenic, which he obtained from a Fang family at great expense; it was a deadly poison that could kill instantly upon contact with blood.

As a scholar-official who had spent his life studying the classics, he chose the most dignified, yet also the most resolute, path for himself.

He was not afraid of death.

Yang Yipeng, a descendant of a famous minister during the Jiajing reign and a Jinshi during the Wanli reign, had experienced more than 30 years of ups and downs in his official career. What storms hadn't he seen?
From the noble life in the Hanlin Academy to the trials of being sent to local posts, and then to the illustrious position of overseeing the nation's grain transport, he believed that his life's work was worthy of his official robes and, more importantly, worthy of the title "scholar."

As for the "wasted rice" and "float" entries in those ledgers... Yang Yipeng's lips curled into a cold smile.

Yes, he was corrupt, and extremely corrupt at that, with a sum so large that it would have been enough to have an ordinary minor official's family wiped out ten times over!
But so what?
He felt no remorse, only a boundless rage at being fooled and humiliated!
Did that young emperor really believe that this vast empire was run by Confucian classics and incompetent government offices?

Looking across the imperial court, which high-ranking official, which minister of the Six Ministries and Nine Departments, dares to say that he can withstand such a thorough investigation that involves confiscating property?
Without these lubricating funds, officialdom would be unable to move an inch, and government orders would not even leave the capital!
These are the rules, the unspoken rules of survival that everyone knows!

You, Zhu Youjian, want to investigate? Fine! But you can't overturn the table! You can't treat everyone like pigs and dogs to be slaughtered! If you do that, no governor in the land can withstand an investigation! No important official can escape your butcher's knife!

Since you're not leaving us a way out, then don't blame me, Yang Yipeng, for using my own death to drive the final nail into your tyranny!

Yang Yipeng didn't think about those tangled interests; he only saw himself as Lu Xiufu on the cliff, or Dong Cheng in the imperial edict.

He wanted to use his own blood to wash away the false accusation of corruption imposed on him, and he wanted to use his head to strike the warning bell!
Yang Yipeng's hand stroked another object on the table—a will that had already been written.

Using the finest Huizhou Xuan paper and pine soot ink he personally ground, his vigorous and elegant small regular script was executed with unrestrained skill, filling the paper with the force of wind and thunder.

"...I have heard that the ruler is the boat, and the people are the water; water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it. Now Your Majesty, with the might of thunder, has acted like tyrants and sages, slaughtering the gentry of Jiangnan, opening up maritime trade without authorization, and competing with the people for profit, causing the moral order to be overturned and the rites and music to collapse...I hold a high position in the frontier and receive the salary of the court, yet I cannot correct Your Majesty's mistakes. I can only offer my life! I hope that with this crippled body, Your Majesty will be awakened and pulled back from the brink of disaster. Then, even on the day I die, I will live as if I were still alive..."

He silently recited the words in his mind, his heart filled with a tragic and heroic sentiment.

Yang Yipeng seemed to already see that when the imperial envoy arrived tomorrow, all he would find was his dignified corpse and this tearful last letter.

When the news spreads, scholars and intellectuals across the land will be shaken, and his name will be ranked alongside those loyal and virtuous men who have left their mark on history, his fame lasting for eternity!

He must never be like that good-for-nothing Qian Qianyi!
Thinking of that guy who had recently become a laughing stock, Yang Yibao's eyes were filled with contempt.

Both were driven to despair by the emperor's schemes, but Qian Qianyi even tried to survive by betraying his students. In the end, on the shore of Wuxi Lake, facing a pool of clear water, he left only the words "The water is too cold," becoming a disgrace to the literati!
That's not death, that's a scandal!
But Yang Yipeng wanted a spectacular death, one that would be recorded in history!
He sacrificed himself for his cause, died a heroic death, and won the greatest fame in the most dignified way.

This is the most perfect ending for a scholar-official.

He picked up the small Ru kiln cup, and felt its coolness against his fingertips.

Yang Yipeng closed his eyes, preparing to drink the cup of innocence.

"boom--!"

The heavy mahogany study door was forcibly smashed open from the outside, and splinters of wood flew inward along with the hinges, carrying a sharp, cold wind that instantly extinguished the lonely candlelight on the table.

Yang Yipeng suddenly opened his eyes, and the wine cup in his hand wobbled, spilling some of the poisoned wine.

In the darkness, several dark figures rushed in like wolves and tigers. They were dressed in flying fish robes, carrying embroidered spring knives, and their waist badges reflected a sinister light in the darkness.

Jinyiwei!
The leader was a burly man whose face looked particularly ferocious in the torchlight.

He walked slowly, his official boots creaking on the broken door, each step feeling like a blow to Yang Yipeng's heart.

“Tian…Tian Ergeng!” Yang Yipeng recognized the person as the emperor’s most ruthless henchman.

Tian Ergeng had a smile plastered on his face, but that smile was colder than the freezing cold of the dead of winter.

His gaze swept over Yang Yipeng, then landed on the wine cup in his hand, and his smile widened.

"Lord Yang, where are you in such a hurry to go? His Majesty's decree has not yet arrived, and you are already setting off on your own. This is extremely disrespectful."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his foot and kicked Yang Yipeng's wrist with lightning speed.

With a crisp clang, the precious Ru kiln cup flew out of his hand, arced through the air, and crashed heavily to the ground, shattering into more than a dozen pieces.

Yang Yipeng felt a sharp pain in his wrist and staggered backward, crashing into the bookshelf behind him, causing the books on the shelf to rattle.

"You...!" Yang Yipeng was both shocked and furious, his breath caught in his chest, and he could barely speak.

Tian Ergeng seemed oblivious to his anger, strolling leisurely to the desk, his gaze drawn to the will.

He chuckled and unceremoniously picked up the sheet of Xuan paper that embodied Yang Yipeng's lifelong integrity.

"Oh, what is this? Let me see... 'I have heard that the ruler is the boat and the people are the water'... Tsk tsk, Lord Yang, what a fine piece of writing, what a spirit!"

He actually started reciting it right in front of Yang Yipeng, shaking his head and swaying his body.

Tian Ergeng's voice was rough and lacked rhythm, yet he tried to imitate the chanting style of a scholar, which sounded incongruous and full of vicious mockery.

"...His Majesty, with the might of thunder, has committed the acts of tyrants and sages... Hahaha!" Tian Ergeng burst into a piercing laugh, laughing so hard he almost fell over. "Lord Yang, your audacity far exceeds your official rank! If these words were to reach His Majesty's ears, guess how many relatives and friends from ten different clans you wouldn't even recognize in the afterlife?"

Yang Yipeng trembled with rage, his face turning from white to red, then from red to green. He had always prided himself on his literary talent and refined taste, and this suicide note was his masterpiece, the culmination of his hard work. Yet now it was being so blatantly desecrated by such a crude and vulgar man, a pain worse than having his flesh cut with a knife.

"Shut up! You traitor! You're not allowed to touch it!" he roared, trying to pounce on it.

Two Imperial Guard captains immediately stepped forward, grabbed his arms like iron clamps, and pinned him to the spot, unable to move.

Tian Ergeng laughed even harder, twirling the suicide note between his fingers, and said, "Lord Yang, do you think that by writing such a letter and staging a 'death to prove one's innocence' drama, you can gain a good reputation that will last for eternity? Do you also think that scholars all over the world will lament for you, that history books will write your biography, and that you will be praised as a saint who 'speaks out for the people and is not afraid of the powerful'?"

Yang Yipeng glared at him, his eyes almost spitting fire, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I, Yang, have always acted with integrity and uprightness! How could you treacherous villains slander me!"

"Upright and honest?" Tian Ergeng's smile vanished abruptly, replaced by a mocking expression, like a cat playing with a mouse.

He slowly took out another file from his pocket and unfolded it in front of Yang Yipeng.

"Come, Lord Yang, take another look at this."

In the firelight, Yang Yipeng was struck dumb at just one glance, and his blood seemed to freeze instantly.

That handwriting!
The handwriting was exactly the same as his own, with the pauses and variations in strokes and the style of the characters being imitated flawlessly, as if it were written by his own hand!
The contents of the document made him faint, his vision blurred.

That was not a rousing testament, but a groveling and begging letter of surrender!
"...This sinful subject, Yang Yipeng, was bestowed the title of Grand Canal Supervisor by the Emperor's boundless grace, receiving a generous salary. I should have served Your Majesty to the death. However, blinded by greed, I committed the grave crime of embezzlement, failing the Emperor's grace... Now, hearing of the impending arrival of the Emperor's wrath, I am filled with fear day and night, unable to eat or sleep. I wish to offer my savings of 2.3 million taels of silver, along with 120 boxes of various land deeds, house deeds, antiques, and paintings... I only beg Your Majesty to remember my past meager merits..."

This is not all!

Attached to the letter was a detailed "confession"!
From the salt commissioner of Lianghuai to the officials of Yingtian, from the provincial governor of Southern Zhili to the ministers of the capital who secretly colluded with him, he betrayed all familiar faces and illustrious names!

Each person's incriminating evidence, vulnerabilities, and private dealings were listed clearly, as if he were a shameless villain who had plotted to betray all his colleagues!
"This...this is forged! It's slander! It's a frame-up!" Yang Yipeng's voice had changed, becoming hoarse like a broken gong. He struggled frantically, trying to tear apart the false evidence that was enough to send him to the deepest hell.

Tian Ergeng deftly put away the file and said in a deep voice:

"Lord Yang, don't be hasty. Tell me, what if we make your 'loyal and righteous' last letter and this 'despicable' surrender document public at the same time..."

He savored the shift in Yang Yipeng's expression from extreme anger to extreme fear before uttering, slowly and deliberately, the most cruel words:
"Which letter do you think the world will believe?"

These words were even more powerful than the loud bang of the door being slammed, exploding directly in Yang Yipeng's mind.

The emperor and his henchmen wanted more than just his life; they wanted his reputation!
It is to completely tear apart the scholar-official reputation, integrity, and honor that he cherished and was most proud of throughout his life, and then throw them into the mud and water for millions of people to trample on!

Tian Ergeng's voice continued to drift in, like a judgment from the underworld:

"His Majesty has decreed that your moving 'surrender letter' will be proclaimed to the world tomorrow. Besides being published in the newly released *Da Ming Zhou Bao* in the largest print, as the front page headline, it will be carried out for three weeks in rotation..."

He deliberately drew out his words, pointed outside the mansion, and laughed:
"We will also erect a monument of merit for you outside your mansion. Oh no, it's a monument of self-reproach! Your 'merits' will be engraved here for eternity—engraving how you embezzled and abused your power, how you bleed the Ming Dynasty dry; engraving how you betrayed your colleagues and fawned on them! Let the people of Huai'an Prefecture, and future generations, know that the Ming Dynasty once had a Grand Canal Transport Commissioner named Yang Yipeng!"

"puff--!"

Yang Yipeng could no longer hold on, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, the crimson mist of blood spraying into the air in front of him.

He's crazy.

His eyes, which had once read countless articles, were now bloodshot and stared intently at Tian Ergeng.

"what--!!!"

A roar that sounded inhuman erupted from deep within Yang Yipeng's throat.

He used all his strength to break free from the two captains' restraints and charged straight at Tian Ergeng like a mad bull!
However, his body, already weakened by wine and women, was no match for Tian Ergeng. Tian Ergeng dodged to the side, and a captain beside him drew his embroidered spring knife and struck Yang Yipeng hard in the back.

Yang Yipeng staggered forward a few steps and crashed heavily into the desk. The force of the impact caused him and the desk to fall to the ground.

He struggled to get up, but his body wouldn't obey him. He felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and the world around him began to spin.

His most cherished reputation was shattered.

His last shred of dignity was gone.

Tian Ergeng looked at Yang Yipeng, who was convulsing on the ground and gradually falling silent. He kicked Yang's body with his toe in disgust, as if kicking away a dead dog.

As he wiped away the unsightly bloodstains splattered on his flying fish robe, the pent-up anger in his chest not only failed to dissipate but burned even more fiercely.

Although His Majesty did not openly reprimand him for the corruption scandal in the Grand Canal, the shame of "incompetence" was a torment for him every time he thought about it, given his deep imperial favor!
He, a farmer, receives the emperor's salary and holds the power of life and death, yet he causes His Majesty to worry about these parasites. This in itself is a great disgrace!
And now, Yang Yipeng, one of the culprits who troubled both him and His Majesty, is dead.
Cheap him!

The anger, ignited by his incompetent colleagues and cunning criminals, made his already cold expression grow even more somber. Tian Ergeng turned around expressionlessly and gave orders to those behind him, his voice colder than winter ice:

"To convey His Majesty's decree."

"The convicted official Yang Yipeng committed suicide out of fear of punishment. However, the law of the land is merciless, and the wrath of Heaven is unpredictable."

"His head was beheaded and displayed above the city gate of Huai'an Prefecture for three days!"

"Throw the corpses into the mass graves outside the city to feed the dogs!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the mess in the room, before coldly adding, "Let all the people of Huai'an see this, and let all the officials in the world see this... This is the consequence of defying the wrath of Heaven!"

But after a while, Tian Ergeng felt that this was not enough, far from enough to quell the anger in his heart.

He turned back to face his subordinates, and almost gritted his teeth as he forced out a new order:

"Pass down my message! From this moment forward, none of the remaining people on the list are to die so easily!"

Tian Ergeng's voice was filled with suppressed rage:
"Stop those who want to die! Save those who want to commit suicide! Use every means to keep them alive! Use all the good things in the prison, let every inch of their flesh wail in agony, let them endlessly chew on every sin they sowed!"

Seeing his subordinates' trembling silence, Tian Ergeng, cold and ruthless, laid down a bloody rule for the upcoming purge:
“For Benedict, death is also a blessing.”

Tian Ergeng paused, his eyes filled with a cruel, playful glint, and added, word by word:
"And they are clearly not worthy!"

(End of this chapter)