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

Chapter 59 Your subject, Qian Qianyi, has a memorial to present.
The dawn was like blood.

It's not poetic rhetoric, but a kind of unsettling reality.

Through the bright yellow curtains hanging high in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the rising sun cast dappled shadows. These spots of light moved and danced on the white marble floor of the hall, like blood splattered on the stone slabs, slowly flowing and searching for cracks.

The air was so still it was suffocating.

The entire hall seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, all sounds were compressed and distorted, and even breathing became cautious.

The occasional footsteps, amplified infinitely in the silence, seemed to pound on everyone's hearts.

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, civil and military officials lined up on both sides, resembling two human walls.

The arrangement was deliberate. On the east side, civil officials were arranged with the Grand Secretariat at the head, followed by the Six Ministries, and then officials such as the Hanlin Academy members, Censors, and Imperial Censors at the end.

On the west side, the military officers were headed by the Five Military Commissions, with the commanders of the Beijing Garrison, the Imperial Guards, and the border garrison standing in order.

This order, in ordinary times, is a symbol of the imperial court's majesty and the well-organized operation of this vast empire.

But today, this order is tinged with an indescribable murderous intent.

Qian Qianyi stood at the very front of the civil officials' line. He was not tall, and could even be described as somewhat thin, but at this moment his back was straight, like a long spear.

He held a jade tablet tightly in his hand, the edge of which had left deep marks on his palm from the force of his grip.

Qian Qianyi's face was very calm, so calm it was almost frightening. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he stared intently at the dragon throne hanging high in the distance through his half-closed eyelids.

Behind him stood the core forces of the Donglin Party. Their expressions ranged from solemn and furrowed to indignant, but without exception, all of them shared the same resolute and determined gaze.

A strange smell filled the air; besides the usual sandalwood and ambergris, there was also a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of gunpowder.

Everyone could sense that the Hall of Supreme Harmony was a giant powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

A sharp, long shout shattered the deathly silence.

All eyes instantly focused on the door in the center of the hall.

Zhu Youjian appeared.

His steps were steady and unhurried, each step landing precisely on the texture of the white marble floor. His face carried an almost imperceptible smile, not one of pleasure, but of confident composure and an undisguised anticipation.

Qian Qianyi frowned.

What was the emperor expecting?
Looking forward to the start of a good show?
The moment Zhu Youjian stepped onto the nine steps and sat on the dragon throne, the atmosphere in the entire hall suddenly became extremely tense.

"Flat body."

His voice was flat, even slightly nonchalant.

But no one dared to relax.

Everyone could sense that something was hidden beneath this unassuming exterior, like seeing a venomous snake coiled on a rock basking in the sun, seemingly lazy on the surface, but its eyes were always searching for the best opportunity to strike.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly swept over the assembled officials below, finally settling on Qian Qianyi.

Everyone could sense that the calm at this moment was fake.

"If there is anything to report, please do so; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

As soon as Zhu Youjian finished speaking, Qian Qianyi slowly took a step forward.

"Your subject, Qian Qianyi, has a memorial to present."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from deep within his chest.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, his expression remaining calm and composed: "Speak."

Qian Qianyi took a deep breath and then raised the tablet in his hand.

This action is commonplace; every minister would raise his tablet as a sign of respect when presenting a memorial.

But at this moment, Qian Qianyi's action of raising the tablet was like raising a battle flag.

"His Majesty."

His voice suddenly became high-pitched, no longer the low and suppressed one before, but a passionate and inspiring shout.

"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, we have been filled with trepidation and worked tirelessly day and night, fearing only that we might fail to live up to Your Majesty's grace. However, observing the recent state of affairs, we are deeply worried and have no choice but to offer our honest advice for the sake of the nation, the people, and the legacy of our ancestors!"

Every word he spoke resonated deeply. Everyone present felt a strong sense of oppression, not from the imperial power, but from Qian Qianyi's own aura. This usually gentle and refined Donglin scholar, known for his poetry and prose, was now unleashing an almost terrifying energy.

"Your Majesty has committed three major crimes, which I must speak out!"

The words "three major crimes" resounded like thunder in the hall.

Everyone held their breath.

Qian Qianyi did not stop.

He knew that once he opened his mouth today, there would be no turning back. Moreover, he was already certain that the emperor wouldn't dare to do anything to him or them!
"First crime: Violating ancestral laws!"

His voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the hall.

"The Grand Secretariat is the Emperor's close advisor, responsible for drafting memorials and assisting in the administration of state affairs. The Six Ministries are the court's important officials, each with their own duties and not allowed to overstep their bounds. The Censorate is the court's eyes and ears, its officials holding the position of censor, specializing in investigations and prosecutions. This is an ancestral law, passed down for over two hundred years, how sacred it is!"

"Yet Your Majesty has established some kind of 'Imperial Inquiry Bureau,' bypassing the Three Judicial Offices and the Censorate, to directly investigate major cases. How is this tantamount to abolishing ancestral systems? How is it tantamount to establishing new laws? Your Majesty, for your own selfish reasons, has destroyed the established laws of your ancestors; this is your first crime!"

Qian Qianyi's words were piercing to the heart.

He did not directly attack Zhu Youjian's character or ability, but instead attacked him from the perspective of the system and ancestral rules. This was the most skillful way to attack. In an era that highly valued ancestral rules and emphasized that "the laws of the ancestors cannot be changed", any challenge to ancestral rules was the most serious crime.

Zhu Youjian remained seated on the dragon throne, his expression unchanged, even smiling, though his fingers were gently tapping on the armrests.

One, one, another.

The rhythm was very slow and soft, almost inaudible.

But those ministers who had already noticed that the new emperor was quite different from any of the previous emperors could sense a dangerous signal contained in the knocking sound.

Qian Qianyi continued his impassioned speech.

"Second crime: Insulting scholars!"

"Since ancient times, scholars have been the foremost of the four classes of people, and those who are learned are the foundation of the nation. When scholars are upright, the court is enlightened; when scholars are honest, the world is at peace. However, Your Majesty's recent actions involve frequently suspecting court officials, frequently initiating large-scale purges, and frequently confiscating property and exterminating entire families. How is this any different from treating all the civil and military officials as thieves? How is this any different from treating all the scholars in the world as criminals?"

"Even worse, His Majesty has appointed a group of low-ranking officials who have been dismissed and demoted to form some kind of 'Imperial Inquiry Bureau,' allowing them to investigate and prosecute court officials. This act reverses the hierarchy and confuses right and wrong. How is it different from letting servants turn against their masters? How is it different from letting petty people suppress virtuous people?"

"Scholars are the face of the nation. Your Majesty's disgrace to scholars is a disgrace to the nation; Your Majesty's distrust of scholars is a distrust of the entire nation. This is the second crime!"

This second sin is more insidious than the first.

Qian Qianyi was trying to sow discord between the emperor and the entire civil service, implying that Zhu Youjian had lost the support of the scholar-official class and had become the enemy of the entire Donglin faction. In an empire that relied heavily on the civil service for governance, such accusations were extremely damaging.

Zhu Youjian tapped the armrests of the dragon throne a little faster.

But he still wore that calm smile.

Qian Qianyi gave Zhu Youjian a deep look before delivering the final blow.

"The third crime: Disrupting the economy!"

"National finances are related to the people's livelihood and the foundation of the nation. Since ancient times, wise rulers have always reduced taxes and levies to allow the people to rest. However, Your Majesty's recent actions have been to confiscate the property of wealthy households such as Shanxi merchants and to severely investigate and punish court officials. Once this precedent is set, wealthy households throughout the country will feel insecure, merchants will dare not do business, and court officials will dare not take office."

"Does Your Majesty know that the Shanxi merchants are not only wealthy households among the common people, but also an important source of revenue for the imperial court? Confiscating their property will not only ruin the lives of a few merchants, but will also cut off the imperial court's source of income and the very foundation of the nation!"

"Furthermore, if every court official is insecure, who will dare to share His Majesty's burdens? Who will dare to serve the court? If this continues, the government will surely fall into chaos, and the affairs of the state will surely be ruined. This is the third crime!"

Qian Qianyi stopped abruptly at this point.

He raised the tablet high, his voice becoming even more resonant and impassioned:
"Your Majesty! If you do not repent for these three sins, you will not only fail the spirits of your ancestors in heaven and the trust of all the people under heaven, but also betray Your Majesty's own virtue as an emperor! We are loyal and devoted, and we cannot bear to watch Your Majesty make one mistake after another. Therefore, we risk our lives to remonstrate with you! We hope Your Majesty will think twice! We hope Your Majesty will repent!"

After saying this, Qian Qianyi slowly knelt down and raised his official tablet high above his head.

Behind him, the core figures of the Donglin Party also knelt down in unison.

Ni Yuanlu, Zhang Guowei, Cao Yubian, Bi Ziyan... one after another, these were prominent names, these were all important officials of the court. At this moment, they all prostrated themselves on the ground, holding up their official tablets, and made the same gesture.

"Your Majesty, we humbly beseech you to repent and reform, and to change your ways!"

"Your Majesty, we humbly request that you abolish the Imperial Inquiry Bureau and release the innocent court officials!"

"Your Majesty, we humbly beseech you to consider the established laws of our ancestors and refrain from further reckless actions!"

The pleas and shouts echoed in the hall, creating a suffocating sense of oppression.

(End of this chapter)