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

Chapter 64 Nobody's Clean! (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)

Crimes were committed one after another.

One name after another.

Wang Ji's monotone voice was like a rusty file scraping back and forth across the vital parts of everyone in the hall.

Each name he uttered was like a pebble thrown into a stagnant pool, but instead of creating ripples, it produced a shriek from the depths of the eighteenth level of hell.

Behind every name lies a series of blurry yet clear shadows.

There were border generals, local prefects, doctors from the Six Ministries, and even... some important figures whom he didn't name, but whose outlines had already appeared in everyone's minds, making people's hearts pound.

That Moshan Mountain is not only evidence of the crimes of the Shanxi merchants, but it is also a mirror, a mirror that can reveal the demons in the hearts of all the officials in the court.

As Wang Ji narrated, the ministers kneeling on the ground could no longer maintain their quiet dignity.

A disturbance began, like an undercurrent stirring beneath the water.

Some officials who had long-standing dealings with Shanxi merchants and had received "charcoal tribute" and "ice tribute" turned ashen-faced.

Their bodies swayed uncontrollably, as if they might faint from the suffocating air at any moment.

Sweat soaked through their court robes, leaving large, dark stains on their backs, like some kind of ominous birthmark.

Others buried their heads even lower, their eyes darting nervously across the smooth, mirror-like gold brick floor, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

They were terrified that any glance they gave would be interpreted by the emperor, who sat high on his throne, as a sign of guilt, which could bring about their annihilation.

They were filled with rage at the moment, hating that the Imperial Palace was so empty, leaving them nowhere to hide.

However, many more eyes turned into poisoned arrows, firmly embedded in Qian Qianyi's back.

The awe and deference of the past were gone from those eyes; only a barely contained resentment was left.

it's him!
If it weren't for him, Qian Qianyi!
If it weren't for this self-righteous Donglin leader insisting on provoking the emperor at this crucial moment, things wouldn't have come to this!
The emperor might investigate and deal with it, but he would never resort to such a drastic measure as flipping the table!
We will never tear off everyone's face, skin and substance, and throw them all onto this Hall of Supreme Harmony!
Originally, this was just a game between the emperor and the Shanxi merchants, and outsiders like them still had room to maneuver.

But now, Qian Qianyi has personally forced the emperor to ignite this fire, and this fire is about to burn away the official hats of many people!
He dragged everyone down with him!
Finally, after almost eternal torment, Wang Ji stopped.

He gently placed the last file back on the top of the ink mountain, stepped back, and bowed to Zhu Youjian.

"Your Majesty, the evidence has been presented."

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence once again.

But this silence is completely different from the previous ones.

If the previous silence was the calm before the storm, then the current silence is the devastation left after the storm!
Everyone was overwhelmed by the weight of that dark mountain.

"Minister Qian, do you still think I am violating the laws of our ancestors?"

Qian Qianyi's body trembled violently as if struck by lightning. He used all his strength to slowly raise his head. His once spirited and elegant face, which could make famous courtesans in Jiangnan fall in love, was now distorted beyond recognition.

He wanted to say something.

He wanted to defend himself, to say that he was acting for the sake of the law and the country, and to make a struggle as a scholar.

But when he saw Zhu Youjian's eyes, all his words were choked back by a cold torrent.

At that moment, Qian Qianyi had a sudden realization!
From the very beginning, the emperor had no intention of debating with them.

The emperor had no intention of reasoning with them.

Everything he did was just paving the way for today, for this moment!
He first feigned weakness, using the Shanxi merchants case as a pretext to lure these self-righteous defenders of morality out of the way and make them reveal all their cards.

Then, with this irrefutable evidence, they will all be nailed to this pillar of shame called "treason and collusion with the enemy," never to rise again.

This was a meticulously planned political murder that left no room for compromise!

And they are the pitiful and foolish prey who are manipulated and think they are clever!
"Plop" sound.

Qian Qianyi finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, like a puppet whose bones and soul had been removed. His head slammed heavily against the cold, hard gold bricks, making a dull thud, but he felt no pain whatsoever.

Zhu Youjian's gaze, like that of a tiger king surveying his territory, slowly swept across the faces of everyone.

Those whose gaze fell upon him all lowered their heads, their bodies trembling violently.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the dark mountain.

Zhu Youjian watched quietly for a long time before slowly speaking.

"comprehensive."

Standing to the side of the hall, Zhou Quan, who had been like a shadow, suddenly sprang to his feet, stepped forward, and knelt down. "Your subject is here."

Zhu Youjian took a deep breath and said, word by word,

"The eight fugitives, including Fan Yongdou and Wang Dengku, are guilty of treason and collusion with the enemy, and their crimes are so heinous that they are too numerous to count."

“Zhou Yanru, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Feng Quan, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, are both important officials of the court. They not only failed to report what they knew, but also condoned, protected, and colluded with him. They are equally guilty.”

"Take him to the West Market immediately and execute him by slow slicing."

"All the evidence of the crimes shall be made public to the world!"

"All officials involved in the case, regardless of rank, will be dismissed and investigated without exception!"

……

One imperial edict after another was issued.

Lingchi execution!

Proclaim this to the world!

These people's entire families will also be wiped out.
This is to completely tear off the face of the entire scholar-official class, throw it on the ground, and then stomp on it a few times with boots covered in mud!
Everyone was stunned.

They had expected the emperor to punish them severely, but they hadn't anticipated it would be so harsh, so swift, so... without leaving any room for maneuver!
This is a massive purge!

To carry out a thorough political purge in the bloodiest and most brutal way!
What's even more frightening is that no one knows whether the evidence Wang Ji presented is just the tip of the iceberg or the whole thing.
How many names are still hidden in that ink-black mountain?

Will I be the next one to be exposed?
Nobody is clean!

No one dared to stand up and oppose it.

No one dared to say "no".

Because that dark mountain stands there quietly.

That's irrefutable evidence.

It is irrefutable, irrefutable evidence!

Faced with such overwhelming evidence, any plea or objection would be tantamount to declaring to the world in the loudest voice—

"I am also a traitor!"

Who dares?

Who would dare to risk their own life to challenge the authority of an emperor who was thoroughly enraged and who already held the Imperial Guards, the Eastern and Western Depots, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the New Army—several deadly weapons—within the Forbidden City?
No.

not a single one.

"According to the order!"

Zhou Quan's voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a hint of the morbid excitement bred by power.

He suddenly stood up and waved his hand.

"Take the criminal away!"

Outside the hall, the imperial guards, who had been waiting for orders, rushed in like wolves.

"No! No—!"

Fan Yongdou, who was in a semi-conscious state due to excessive fright, suddenly woke up the moment the cold iron hand grabbed his arm. He let out a scream that was not human and struggled violently like a fish thrown ashore.

His fat face was streaked with tears and snot, and his eyes were filled with animalistic fear.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life! This humble subject is willing to offer up all my possessions! Everything! I beg Your Majesty to spare this humble subject's life! Ah—!"

His struggles were in vain.

Two strong imperial guards lifted him up, one on each side. His heavy body left a messy trail on the ground. His shoes were off, his hair was disheveled, and his prison clothes were torn, revealing his pampered, pale flesh underneath.

The other merchants also realized what was happening, and cries, pleas for mercy, and curses filled the air, turning the entire Huangji Hall into a noisy marketplace in an instant.

"I'm innocent! I was forced into it!"

"I have intelligence! I have crucial intelligence! I can redeem myself through meritorious service!"

　It's the third watch of the night...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)