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

Chapter 4 makes our choices right!
Everyone present thought they had misheard.

Deal with Xu Xianchun? Isn't that one of our own? He's Minister Cui's man, which means he's Your Majesty's man!
The flood flushed the Dragon King Temple?
One of the chief executioners couldn't help but speak up: "Ancestor, is there...is there some misunderstanding here? Lord Xu, he..."

"Qiang!"

Wei Zhongxian slammed the teacup to the ground, scattering shards of porcelain everywhere.

"Misunderstand?"

His voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and piercing, like the cry of an owl.

"Our words are the proof! The Emperor's decree is the law of heaven!"

"Are you deaf? Or are you, like Xu Xianchun, harboring ulterior motives?!"

A terrifying killing intent instantly filled the entire room.

Everyone fell silent, kneeling down in unison.

"My subordinates dare not!"

"Subordinates deserve to die!"

They finally realized that the Nine Thousand Years Old was still the same Nine Thousand Years Old.

No, he's even more terrifying than before!

Although the former Nine Thousand Years Old was ruthless, at least there were traceable patterns to his actions, which were driven by power and profit.

The current Ninth Prince is like a reactivated walking corpse, and all his actions are filled with a crazy and reckless determination!

"listen!"

Wei Zhongxian stood up and looked down at the people kneeling on the ground.

"Gather three hundred elite guards and seal off all exits of the Xu residence. Not even a fly is allowed to escape!"

"Arrest all family members and servants, and detain them separately for interrogation!"

"Seize and seal all property, letters, and account books within the mansion; not a single thread can be lost!"

"Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

"Anyone who dares to tip off the culprit will have their entire family executed!"

He paused, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes.

"I'll go myself!"

……

An hour later.

The Xu residence, located in the inner city of the capital, was completely surrounded by three hundred fierce-looking secret agents from the Eastern Depot.

While Xu Xianchun was still embracing his beautiful concubine, dreaming of promotion and wealth in his warm bed, the gate of the Xu residence was kicked open!

Xu Xianchun hurriedly got out of bed, looking in horror at the East Depot agents who filed in, and finally, the expressionless figure who slowly walked in.

"Eunuch Wei... Eunuch Wei? What are you doing here...?"

Wei Zhongxian did not answer him, but simply waved his hand coldly.

"Take it."

The entire raid was efficient, bloody, and ruthless.

Wei Zhongxian and his men were "experts" in this field; no one in the world knew more about confiscating property than them!

They knew where Xu Xianchun hid his money, where his secret room was, and which of his confidants were the most compliant.

In less than half a day, the entire Xu residence was turned upside down.

Inside the cellar, neatly stacked boxes of silver ingots gleamed with a cold yet alluring light under the torchlight.

Hidden in the wall's crevices are rolls of land deeds and IOUs.

In the hidden compartment of his study were secret letters exchanged between him and other officials, each one enough to ruin the reputation of a Beijing official.

The evidence is conclusive.

It was even more than Wei Zhongxian had anticipated.

As darkness fell, Wei Zhongxian returned to the Eastern Depot.

The judge respectfully handed over a newly compiled set of accounts.

"Ancestor, the inventory has been completed. There are a total of 308,422 taels of silver, 1,500 taels of gold, and countless land deeds, house deeds, jewelry, and jade artifacts."

Wei Zhongxian looked at the numbers in the ledger with a complicated expression.

Three hundred thousand taels. A mere deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could extract so much wealth from the people.

What about Cui Chengxiu?
What about the gentry of Jiangnan?

Throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, how many more than ten million parasites were sucking blood from this wrecked ship?
He suddenly understood why the young emperor had that look in his eyes.

It was a deep-seated disappointment and disgust.

"Pack the silver into boxes and send it to the palace immediately."

Wei Zhongxian closed the account book, his voice weary.

"I must go and report back to the Emperor."

……

Late at night.

Zhu Youjian did not stay in his bedchamber, but instead quietly read books in the study of Wenhua Hall.

Only a few candles were lit inside the hall, casting a dim, yellowish light that clearly illuminated his young profile.

He seemed very patient, reading page by page with great care, as if he were truly immersed in the teachings of the sages.

A young eunuch tiptoed in, brought a cup of hot tea, and then quietly withdrew.

Only when a slight commotion came from outside the hall did Zhu Youjian slowly put down the book in his hand.

He knew that his knife had returned!

A moment later, Wei Zhongxian entered, led by a young eunuch.

He knelt down again, but this time the movements were much smoother and more composed.

"Your Majesty, I have successfully completed my mission."

"Xu Xianchun is guilty of embezzlement and corruption, and his crimes are extremely heinous. He has been apprehended by this servant and imprisoned in the Eastern Depot's prison. A total of 300,000 taels of silver were confiscated from his residence, and this servant has already sent them to the palace for Your Majesty to inspect."

one day.

Zhu Youjian muttered to himself.

I gave him two days, but he only used one. In this light, he truly deserves the title of a fine sword that would rather kill his friend than himself!

Three hundred thousand taels of silver, though still a drop in the ocean for the entire Ming Dynasty.

However, for Zhu Youjian himself, this money was enough to solve his immediate crisis.

well.

No wonder he's Wei Zhongxian!

However, Zhu Youjian's face remained expressionless; he simply gave a faint "hmm."

"Well done."

"Put this money into the imperial treasury."

"As for Xu Xianchun's crimes, let the Eastern Depot investigate them thoroughly, and let the three judicial departments conduct a joint trial and announce it to the world. I want everyone to know that this is the fate of corruption, no matter who one works for."

"This servant... obeys the decree." Wei Zhongxian lowered his head, but his heart was ice-cold.

Proclaim this to the world!

This is meant to permanently nail Wei Zhongxian to the pillar of shame for being "unrecognizable to even his own family," and he is going further and further down the path of being "betrayed by all and abandoned by his relatives"!
Therefore, he must stand firmly on the Emperor's side in order to save his life.

Zhu Youjian seemed not to notice his reaction, and stood up on his own, walked to the window and pushed open the carved wooden window.

A cold night wind blew in, causing the candlelight to flicker.

He gazed out the window at the unfathomable, ink-like night and said softly:

"Wei Banban, do you know that many things in this world, once the arrow is released, there's no turning back!"

Wei Zhongxian's body stiffened.

The young emperor before him continued in an unwavering voice:

There is never any absolutely correct choice in this world.

"All we can do is, after making the choice, use every means possible and pay every price..."

He slowly turned around, and the dim candlelight ignited two flames in his deep pupils.

"Let's make the right choice!"

(End of this chapter)