Ming Dynasty: A centenarian madman criticizes the Grand Secretary and brings his coffin to court!

Images flow across the sky.

The absurd farce of "running naked in the snow to replace the crown prince" temporarily suppressed Zhu Qiyu's ambition.

but.

As an emperor, as the holder of power.

How could Zhu Qiyu give up so easily?

Since we can't pass the "physical fitness test", let's try a different approach!

There is no cat in this world that doesn't eat fish!

There are no officials who don't love money!

If there is one, it is—

The money isn't enough!

【Ding--】

[Time: Winter of the third year of the Jingtai reign.]

Location: Beijing, the residence of Grand Tutor Gu (formerly the Prime Minister's residence).

[The Incident: A Case That Could Be Included in the "Anti-Corruption Storm" Textbook]

[Entrapment!]

on the screen.

It was late at night.

A convoy of carriages, moving with suspicious movements, quietly stopped at the back gate of the Gu residence.

A full ten large trucks!

The wheels made a dull creaking sound as they rolled over the bluestone slabs, clearly indicating that they were loaded with heavy loads.

Xing'an, a trusted eunuch, knocked on the door like a thief.

"Grand Tutor!"

Xing'an, beaming, pointed to the ten large carts behind him and said in a low voice:

"His Majesty is grateful for the Grand Tutor's hard work and great achievements."

"I specially ordered my servants to send over some... local specialties."

"Please accept this as a gift, Grand Tutor."

talking.

Xing'an lifted the curtain of one of the carriages.

"Whoosh—"

The dazzling jewels instantly illuminated the night sky!

This time.

It's no longer those cheap, golden melon seeds.

But -

A red coral half a person's height!

A luminous pearl the size of a fist!

Boxes and boxes of gold ingots!

There are even a few masterpieces by famous artists from previous dynasties!

The combined value of these ten truckloads of goods is enough to buy half of Beijing!

This "toll money" was raised by Zhu Qiyu by emptying the imperial treasury and even selling off some of the palace's treasures!

There is only one goal—

Change the crown prince!

"Grand Tutor..."

Xing'an observed Gu Canghai's expression and said cautiously:

"His Majesty said so."

"As long as the Grand Tutor likes it, this kind of 'local specialty' will be available every year!"

"As for that matter..."

Gu Canghai stood at the door.

He was wearing a tattered sheepskin coat and holding a teacup in his hand.

He looked at the cart full of gold and silver jewelry.

Those old eyes, which were originally somewhat cloudy, instantly...

Bright!

It's as bright as a 1,000-watt light bulb!

"oops!"

Gu Canghai put down his teacup, rubbed his hands together, and looked greedy.

"Your Majesty is too kind!"

"Would it be impolite of this old minister to refuse?"

"Since it is Your Majesty's kind intention, wouldn't it be disrespectful for Your Majesty to refuse?"

Gu Canghai waved his hand and shouted to the servants in the mansion:

"Someone come here!"

"Move them all inside!"

Be careful! Don't break it!

"That red coral is a treasure! It's my retirement fund!"

Xing'an was overjoyed at the sight!

Received!

This stubborn old madman, who wouldn't listen to reason, finally succumbed to the allure of money!

"Grand Tutor, please accept it! Please accept it!"

Xing'an smiled so broadly that the wrinkles on his face blossomed into a wide grin:

"What about the Crown Prince..."

"Of course! Of course!"

Gu Canghai patted Xing'an on the shoulder, his smile carrying a deeper meaning:

"Go back and tell His Majesty."

"If you take someone's money, you're obligated to solve their problems."

"Tomorrow morning court session..."

"This old minister will definitely give him a—big surprise!"

"A surprise?" Xing'an didn't catch the implication in the words and assumed it was good news, so he happily went back to report.

……

the next day.

Fengtian Temple.

early morning.

Zhu Qiyu sat on the dragon throne, a barely suppressed smile on his lips.

He was so excited after hearing Xing'an's report last night that he couldn't sleep all night.

Become!

Crazy Gu has finally confessed!

Once this biggest obstacle is overcome, the replacement of the crown prince will be a done deal!

"If you have something to report, do so now; if not, the court may adjourn!"

With a shout of "Yes, sir!" from the eunuch.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Gu Canghai, who was standing at the head of the table, with anticipation.

We're waiting for this Grand Tutor, who's taken the money, to come out and take the lead in making a statement.

really.

Gu Canghai made a move!

He straightened his official robes, picked up his ivory tablet, and strode to the center of the main hall.

"His Majesty!"

Gu Canghai's voice was loud and clear, full of energy:

"I have a story to tell!"

"Grand Tutor, please speak!" Zhu Qiyu said with a smile, "I am all ears!"

"This old minister observed the celestial phenomena last night!"

Gu Canghai's face was serious, even carrying a hint of compassion:

"The Purple Star appears dim, and malevolent energy surges from the north!"

"This is... a sign of an empty treasury and unstable border defenses!"

"Well……"

Zhu Qiyu was taken aback.

This script is wrong!

Shouldn't it be said that "the crown prince is weak and should be replaced"?

How did this turn into a discussion about the national treasury and border defense?

Before he could react...

Gu Canghai suddenly waved his hand:

"Someone come here!"

"Bring this stuff up here, you bastards!"

"Boom—!!!"

Outside the palace, a muffled sound of wheels could be heard.

Followed by.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the entire court.

Ten fully loaded carts, which had not yet been unloaded, were pushed directly to the entrance of Fengtian Hall by a group of burly guards!

"Splash—!!!"

Gu Canghai walked over and ripped off the tarpaulin covering the car!

Golden light!

A dazzling golden light!

Those were the ten cartloads of rare treasures that Zhu Qiyu had just sent out last night!

"this……"

Zhu Qiyu was stunned.

What is this old madman trying to do?

Showing off wealth in public?

"My lords, please take a look!"

Pointing to the mountain of gold and silver, Gu Canghai began his performance with great emotion:

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"His Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler for all time!"

"His Majesty summoned his old ministers last night, lamenting the dire state of the nation, the long-standing neglect of the nine border defense lines, and the strain on the national treasury!"

"Your Majesty, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and its people..."

"it turns out……"

Gu Canghai wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye:

"He actually used his secret stash of money that he'd saved up for years in the imperial treasury!"

"A full ten truckloads!"

"Take it all out!"

"Entrust it to this old minister!"

"Let this old minister..."

"Confiscate everything!!!"

"Used for rebuilding the nine border defense lines! Used to pay the soldiers stationed on the border!"

boom!!!

The moment those words were spoken, the entire Fengtian Hall erupted in chaos!

"What?"

"His Majesty donated the entire imperial treasury?"

"Heavens! His Majesty is truly a wise and benevolent ruler!"

"We are ashamed! We are not as good as Your Majesty!"

The officials were all moved to tears, their eyes filled with reverence as they looked at Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu sat on the dragon throne.

now.

His face turned green!

It's so green it's practically glowing!

That's my money!

That's money I gave you as a bribe!

I did this so that you could change the crown prince!

Who the hell told you to confiscate it?!

Who the hell told you to build the Great Wall?!

"Grand...Grand Tutor..."

Zhu Qiyu pointed his trembling finger at the ten carts of treasures, wanting to speak, but found that his throat felt blocked.

How so?

Does this mean, "This wasn't donated by me; it was a bribe I gave him"?

Should he continue being emperor?

"His Majesty!"

Gu Canghai didn't give him a chance to speak at all.

He knelt down with a thud and shouted:

"Your Majesty is so righteous!"

"They treat money like dirt!"

"This old minister is deeply moved!"

"This old minister has made a decision..."

Gu Canghai pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket (actually, it was embezzled money obtained from confiscating the property of corrupt officials):

"This old minister has even taken out his entire life savings for his funeral!"

"One million taels of silver!"

"They donated it all!"

"Following His Majesty, let us do our part for the Ming Dynasty!"

Gu Canghai suddenly turned his head, his wolf-like eyes fixed on the entire court of officials:

"My lords!"

"His Majesty has emptied the family coffers!"

"This old minister has even donated his savings for his coffin!"

"you……"

"Shouldn't we at least show some appreciation?"

"Anyone who dares to be stingy..."

"That would be disloyalty to His Majesty! That would be unjust to the Ming Dynasty!"

"I'm going to have my doubts..."

"Are you trying to save your money to guide the Oirats?!"

This is a naked—

Moral blackmail!

Moreover, it was the Grand Tutor who kidnapped the Emperor along with him!

Who would dare not donate?

Anyone who dares to say "no" is saying they don't want to serve in the imperial court!

"Your Majesty, I will donate! Your Majesty, I will donate ten thousand taels!"

"Your Majesty, I will donate 30,000 taels!"

"I will sell my ancestral home to donate it!"

With tears in their eyes and gritting their teeth, the officials began to reach into their pockets.

He mentally cursed Gu Canghai's ancestors for eighteen generations.

But they still had to proclaim, "Your Majesty is wise! Grand Tutor is righteous!"

……

An early morning court session.

It turned into a large-scale fundraising event.

The national treasury was instantly filled!

The military funding for the nine border regions has been secured!

Meanwhile, our "great philanthropist" Zhu Qiyu sat on the dragon throne, watching as truckloads of treasures were pulled into the Ministry of Revenue's treasury.

My heart is bleeding!

I'm so heartbroken!

That's my money!

That's money I've saved up for half my life!

That's it...gone?

Didn't you hear a sound?

After the court session ended.

Gu Canghai walked up to Zhu Qiyu, smiled, and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"His Majesty."

"Surprised?"

"Surprised?"

"Look at this national treasury, how full it is!"

"This is all thanks to His Majesty!"

Zhu Qiyu stared intently at Gu Canghai, gritting his teeth as he forced out a sentence:

"Grand Tutor..."

"You...you've got some impressive skills!"

"He took my money..."

"Is this how things are done?"

"Where is my crown prince?!"

"The Crown Prince?"

Gu Canghai's smile faded, and he patted the now-empty carriage:

"His Majesty."

"You're not right about that."

"The money did indeed end up in the hands of this old minister."

"but……"

Gu Canghai leaned close to Zhu Qiyu's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"In this Ming Dynasty."

What's mine is mine.

"your……"

"It's mine too!"

"The national treasury..."

"It's still mine!"

"Once the money's in my hands, how I spend it is my decision!"

"You want to change the crown prince?"

Gu Canghai sneered:

"Fill the national treasury first!"

"Let's completely subdue the Oirat people first!"

"As for now..."

"You'd better save your breath!"

"It's not easy to save up some extra money on the side."

Done.

Gu Canghai laughed heartily, picked up his iconic coffin, and swaggered away.

Zhu Qiyu was left alone, standing in the empty hall.

Looking at those ten empty cars.

I want to cry without tears.

This is--

Black eat black!

You'll suffer in silence, unable to express your bitterness!

……

Beyond the sky.

The Hongwu Plane.

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears streaming down his face.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"good!"

"What a convenient 'What's mine is mine, and what's yours is also mine' statement!"

"That madman Gu..."

"He's a complete thug!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slapped his thigh, his face full of admiration:

"But he did a good job as a bandit!"

"Taking the emperor's money to do state affairs, while the emperor gains a good reputation and the speaker gains a righteous cause!"

"This method..."

"This is even more sophisticated than when we killed corrupt officials back then!"

"Killing corrupt officials takes a lot of effort."

"He's... killing without shedding blood!"

The Minister of Revenue, standing to the side, looked at the overflowing national treasury in the picture, his eyes reddening with envy:

"His Majesty……"

"Could we also...?"

"roll!"

Zhu Yuanzhang kicked it:

"You want us to donate our secret savings?"

"No way!"

"We need to save that little bit of money for Biao'er to get married!"