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

Chapter 41 The wind started at the end of Qingping

The wind and snow are still there.

Only two days remain until the final closing of the vast net quietly woven in the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.

The sky was the deepest, darkest blue before dawn, like a piece of cold jade soaked in indigo, inverted above the dome of the Forbidden City.

At 3:45 AM, before the morning bell had even rung, the square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was already filled with civil and military officials who had come to attend court.

The cold wind, like an invisible ruler, harshly surveyed this solemn land, seeping in through the collars and sleeves of the officials' heavy court robes, taking away the last bit of warmth from their bodies.

They stood like statues placed in fixed positions, motionless in the biting cold wind, their breaths dissipating as soon as they left their mouths, merging into the persistent cold mist.

No one whispered to each other, and no one looked around.

Before this palace, which symbolizes the highest power of the empire, one's emotions and will seem to be stripped away by the solemn aura, leaving only a ritualistic silence.

This morning court session seemed no different from any other day in the past, but for some, the silence today was heavier than ever before, and the air was filled with unsettling impurities.

Han Kuang stood at the very front of the civil officials' line. As the first chief minister after the new emperor ascended the throne, his position was closest to the vermilion and gold-painted palace gate, and he could feel the strange aura emanating from the depths of the palace most keenly.

He lowered his head slightly, his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, his white beard trembling slightly in the cold wind.

This old man, who had spent his entire life navigating the turbulent waters of the imperial court, was currently troubled by a sense of unease that he himself could not quite explain.

This unease didn't stem from a specific report or an attack from a political enemy; it was more like an intuition, a premonition of the oppressive dampness and faint earthy smell in the air before a downpour.

Not far behind him, the figure of Li Banghua, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, stood out like a javelin among the slightly hunched civil officials.

Li Banghua stood ramrod straight, his face sharply defined, as if carved from the hardest rock, without a trace of superfluous expression.

His eyes were his sharpest weapon, and at this moment they were silently scanning the seemingly ordinary details in the square.

Some fragments, some insignificant or even baseless details.

But when these fragments are strung together by someone like Li Banghua, using his political intuition that is even more sensitive than a hunting dog's sense of smell, they are enough to piece together a chilling picture.

Something is happening.

A major event that kept them all in the dark.

Li Banghua's gaze pierced through the crowd, briefly meeting Han Kuang's in mid-air at the front of the line.

There were no words, no actions, just a glance between them.

But Han Kuang understood. A look of understanding flashed in his slightly cloudy eyes, which then turned into a deeper worry.

"Open the hall—"

With a long, sharp announcement from the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the heavy doors of the Hall of Supreme Harmony slowly opened inward with a heavy creak.

A warm breath, a mixture of ambergris and candlelight, wafted out of the hall, like the breath of another world, but was instantly shattered by the bitter cold outside.

The civil and military officials straightened their clothes, stepped over the high threshold, and filed in.

Zhu Youjian was already seated on the dragon throne.

He seemed somewhat absent-minded today, with one hand casually resting on the golden armrest of the dragon throne, while the other hand tapped his knee lightly and absentmindedly.

Zhu Youjian's gaze was not focused on any of the ministers in the hall, but rather drifted to the intricate caisson ceiling on the roof, as if there were some mystery on it that was more worthy of his attention than the assembled civil and military officials who were the pillars of the nation.

He looked like an ordinary teenager who was a little sleepy from getting up too early, and a young emperor who felt a slight instinctive aversion to the dull and tedious agenda of the court meeting.

The court assembly proceeded as scheduled.

The Minister of Revenue stepped forward shakily and reported the amount of money and grain for the Grand Canal transport; the string of dry figures echoed in the empty hall. The Vice Minister of Works followed closely behind, reporting on the progress of the repairs to the Yongding River dike and earnestly requesting additional funds.

An official from the Ministry of Rites tirelessly inquired about the various intricate rituals for the upcoming sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, from the types of offerings to the style of the emperor's crown, leaving no detail unattended.

Everything seemed so normal, so normal it was almost unreal.

Zhu Youjian listened half-heartedly, occasionally letting out a muffled "hmm" from his nose, or uttering two words indifferently: "Granted."

His performance perfectly embodied all the characteristics a novice emperor, blinded by the powerful eunuch Wei Zhongxian and unfamiliar with the intricacies of court politics, should possess.

He knew that His Highness's people were watching him, especially the Donglin Party members. He could clearly feel those gazes, whether subtle or sharp, like countless invisible probes piercing him from all directions, trying to find out his true thoughts.

Zhu Youjian's heart was filled with cold desolation, like a glacier that had never melted.

"His Majesty."

A clear and firm voice, like the clash of metal, suddenly broke the somber atmosphere of the hall.

coming.

Zhu Youjian slightly raised his eyelids, but his heart remained calm, as if he had long anticipated this moment.

He saw Zhou Yanru walk proudly out of the queue, holding a pure white jade tablet, his posture upright, his face solemn, and his whole being seemed to radiate a kind of pure and upright light.

"Your subject, Zhou Yanru, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, has a memorial to present."

His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear and resounding throughout every corner of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

All the officials who were in the middle of a meeting stopped, and all eyes turned to him.

Inside the main hall, it instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhu Youjian looked at him without speaking, but gently tapped the armrest of the dragon throne with his fingers, a silent signal for him to continue.

Zhou Yanru took a deep breath and said loudly:
"I have recently learned that there has been frequent movement of troops both inside and outside the capital. The Western Hills New Army appears to be reorganizing and setting out, and their movements are shrouded in secrecy, with no official documents from the Ministry of War. What's more, the secret police and imperial guards have been making frequent trips lately, often breaking into homes at night to arrest merchants. Although nothing major has happened yet, their behavior is no different from that of bandits, and they are extremely sneaky!"

His words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, immediately creating huge, invisible ripples.

His Highness's officials began to stir, their whispers buzzing like a swarm of bees.

Many people had already noticed these unusual movements, but no one dared to be as direct as Zhou Yanru in front of the entire court and the emperor.

Zhou Yanru ignored the commotion around him. His gaze was like a drawn sword, piercing through the layers of space in the hall and stabbing straight at the seemingly nonchalant young emperor on the dragon throne.

"The Great Ming Code clearly states that no soldier or troop in the capital may be mobilized without authorization from the Ministry of War! This law was personally established by Emperor Taizu Gaozu and is the cornerstone of our dynasty's stability and prosperity!"

"The establishment of the Imperial Guard and the Secret Service was originally intended to protect the emperor and investigate treacherous officials. However, during the Tianqi era, the eunuch faction disrupted the government, and the henchmen of the Imperial Guard and the Secret Service ran rampant, poisoning the world. The severity of their calamities is a lesson we should never forget! The people of the world have never forgotten this pain!"

"Now that His Majesty has just ascended the throne, he should be bringing order to the world and comforting the people's hopes. However, the unprovoked movement of troops and the rampant activities of the secret police are not signs of a peaceful and prosperous era. They are very likely to shake the foundation of the country, arouse unfounded speculation, and make the people uneasy!"

At this point, he suddenly raised the jade tablet in his hand high, his voice sharp and stern, each word seeming to burst forth from his chest.

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to issue a clear decree reprimanding the officials of the Ministry of War and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and to severely punish them for their unauthorized mobilization of troops! I also request Your Majesty to reiterate and strictly order the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard not to arrest anyone without a document from the three judicial departments for joint trial! In this way, we can uphold the laws of our ancestors and put the people at ease!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a serene silence, like that of a secluded mountain valley.

All eyes shifted from Zhou Yanru's upright face to the young emperor on the dragon throne.

This was an obvious probe, but also a ruthless attack!

(End of this chapter)