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

Chapter 63 Moshan
An unprecedented sense of fear and pressure permeated the four corners of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, weighing heavily on everyone's shoulders.

The emperor's almost roaring question was like a boulder thrown into an abyss. Although the echo had dissipated, the shockwave transformed into substantial pressure, distorting the entire space.

The officials kneeling on the ground felt as if they were at the bottom of the deep sea.

Each breath became difficult and a luxury, my chest filled with heavy mercury.

They dared not look up, dared not speak, and dared not even have any intense thoughts, for fear that the slightest fluctuation would bring about annihilation.

Qian Qianyi's body was trembling slightly.

This is not because of fear, or at least not entirely.

More than anything, he felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. He believed that everything in the world could be argued, and that everything in the world had its own reason!

He can use classical allusions to refute his opponents completely, and he can use moral arguments to put his political enemies in a hopeless situation.

However, what should you do when the emperor stops debating the law with you and instead throws irrefutable evidence in your face?

Qian Qianyi's mind went blank. His brain seemed to have rusted at this moment. He found that all his knowledge and wisdom seemed so frivolous in front of the four bloody words "treason and betrayal of the country"!

Zhu Youjian stood quietly on the high platform, looking down at the group of distraught officials below. His anger had subsided, replaced by a more terrifying calm and indifference.

He knew the verbal exchange was over.

Now, it's time for the demonstration!

Zhu Youjian did not look at Qian Qianyi or any other minister. His gaze passed over everyone's heads and landed on the bright but somewhat dazzling sunlight outside the hall.

Then, he raised his hand again and gently turned his palm over.

The movement was so subtle that almost no one noticed it.

But Wang Chengen seemed to have received some silent command. His face, which was usually always covered with a fawning smile, became unusually serious, even carrying a hint of murderous intent.

Wang Chengen took a deep breath, and with all his might, let out a shout that was even longer than before:

"Summon—Wang Ji, the head of the investigation bureau, to bring the evidence of his crimes into the palace!"

This shout broke the suffocating silence once again, but this time it brought an even more ominous premonition to every official standing in the court.

Imperial order to investigate.

This newly established, mysterious, and terrifying institution is finally about to unveil its secrets to all the court officials for the first time.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats.

Following Wang Chengen's command, a series of heavy yet orderly footsteps echoed outside the hall.

A figure appeared at the entrance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

He was a middle-aged man of average build and average appearance, the kind of person who would be easily lost in a crowd.

He was dressed in a plain blue official robe without any extra decorations, but the moment he entered the hall, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

He is Wang Ji.

The director of the Imperial Exploration Institute, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure who suddenly appeared in the officialdom of the capital.

His face was sickly pale from prolonged lack of sunlight, and his eyes were sunken and bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept for dozens of days and nights.

He was like a judge who had emerged from the depths of hell, exuding endless coldness and murderous intent.

Behind him followed more than twenty subordinates with equally expressionless faces. These people were just like Wang Ji, each one like a ghost crawling out of a grave, their movements stiff yet carrying a chilling precision and efficiency.

They silently carried several huge wooden crates into the main hall.

Those wooden crates looked exceptionally heavy; each one required four people working together to barely lift it.

The edges of the boxes were wrapped in sheet metal and secured with several thick brass locks. They were carefully placed on the open ground in the center of the hall, making a dull thud that seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.

Wang Ji walked to the wooden box and knelt down in front of Zhu Youjian on the high platform. This was the only emotional gesture he had made since entering the palace.

"Your Majesty, I, Wang Ji, have been ordered to investigate the case of Shanxi merchants colluding with the enemy. All the evidence is here."

Zhu Youjian nodded expressionlessly.

"Open the box." Two words, spoken casually, yet carrying an unquestionable command.

Wang Jizhi stood up, took out a bunch of keys from his pocket, and personally stepped forward to unlock the copper locks on the wooden box one by one. He waved his hand, and his subordinates, who were like ghosts, immediately stepped forward and violently lifted the box open.

In that instant, everyone in the court held their breath.

They wondered what might be inside the box. Gold and silver treasures? Rare and exotic objects? Or something horrifying?

But they were all wrong.

The box contained no gold, silver, or jewels, only—

Paper.

Stacks, rolls, and volumes of all kinds of paper.

There were ledgers with curled edges, covered with densely packed numbers and entries in tiny handwriting.

There were neatly folded letters written on fine Xuan paper, with traces of sealing wax still remaining on them.

There is a map drawn on silk and rolled up on a scroll, with various passes and routes marked on it in vermilion.

There were also files bound with thick thread, the covers of which were worn and tattered from years of frequent handling.

Wang Ji and his men began to move these items out of the boxes one by one and then place them on several long tables that had been temporarily set up.

Their movements were precise and powerful, without a single superfluous motion.

As time went by, the items on the table became more and more numerous and higher.

The ledgers, letters, and files were neatly piled together, forming a... a small mountain.

A silent yet menacing mountain composed of ink.

This dark mountain stood silently in the center of the main hall, exuding a suffocating aura, and even more so... the aura of endless sin.

It seemed to have life and weight.

Looking at the mountain of evidence, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze.

Qian Qianyi stared blankly at the ink-black mountain.

They could debate the legitimacy of the law with the emperor for an hour, but could they debate these letters of treason?

They can argue with their colleagues about the very foundation of the nation all day long, but can they argue with these thousands of ledgers that record treasonous transactions?

No.

They lost.

At least in today's game, they lost completely and without any suspense.

We lost to this silent yet profoundly powerful Ink Mountain!
Wang Ji walked up to the ink-black mountain and expressionlessly pulled out an account book from it.

"In March of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Fan Yongdou smuggled 5,000 catties of refined iron to the Jianzhou Jurchens through Li, the deputy commander of Datong Town."

After saying this, he put down the letter and took out a map.

"In May of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Liang Jiabin drew up a detailed defense map of the capital region, including various passes, troop deployments, and grain reserves, intending to sell it to Jianzhou spies for 200,000 taels of silver."

Wang Ji's voice remained consistently flat and emotionless, as if he were a dutiful censor reading a report that had nothing to do with him.

But every word he said struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

He didn't do any analysis or make any inferences; he was simply stating the facts.

One cold, cruel, and undeniable fact after another.

With each name he uttered and each crime he recited, the eight Shanxi merchants kneeling before him trembled violently. In the end, they collapsed to the ground, defecating and urinating, emitting a foul stench.

But at this moment, no one cares about these things anymore.

All eyes were focused on that dark mountain.

They seemed to see the mountain growing larger and larger, eventually pressing down on the entire palace, the entire court, and even the entire Ming Dynasty!
(End of this chapter)