Qin Dynasty: Ying Zheng is my brother, I am the Bad Commander

"Emerald Manor, Emerald Tiger!"

"Emerald Tiger?"

The moment the name was uttered, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the court.

Who is Jade Tiger?

That's the richest man in South Korea, someone whose wealth rivals that of a nation! More importantly, everyone in the court knows that Jade Tiger is one of the Four Fierce Generals of "Nightfall," and is General Ji Wuye's money bag!

In an instant, everyone's gaze once again focused on Ji Wuye. However, this time, in addition to the previous apprehension, their eyes also held a hint of shock and suspicion.

Zhang Kaidi's eyes lit up instantly. He had originally thought that at most he could only accuse Ji Wuye of unauthorized military action, but he hadn't expected Han Fei to drop such a bombshell, directly hitting Ji Wuye's very foundation!

Ji Wuye's face instantly darkened to a point where it seemed as if water could drip from it. He stared intently at Han Fei, his fists clenched so tightly in his sleeves that they cracked.

He finally understood why Han Fei had gone along with him earlier, saying "someone is causing trouble." Han Fei was subtly shifting the blame, using someone else's strength against them!

Ji Wuye immediately stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty! Jade Tiger is merely a merchant. Merchants prioritize profit, and while hoarding and speculation may be immoral, at most it only violates common market regulations, requiring only a fine or closure of the shop. For the Ninth Prince to link this matter to last night's turmoil, even claiming he is threatening the foundation of the nation, is far too alarmist and far-fetched!"

Ji Wuye had to protect Emerald Tiger. The operation of Nightfall, and the expenses of his vast army and assassin organization, all depended on Emerald Tiger's financial resources. If Emerald Tiger fell, Nightfall would be crippled.

"General, you are mistaken." Han Fei turned around to face Ji Wuye, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

"It's understandable for merchants to pursue profit. But Jade Tiger's appetite this time is far too great. Does the General know how much real money it would take to buy up 80% of Xinzheng City's grain in just half a month?"

Han Fei didn't wait for Ji Wuye's reply before raising a finger.

"At least 100,000 gold coins!"

"Ten thousand taels of gold?" A chorus of exclamations rose again in the imperial court.

This is an extremely large number, equivalent to more than half a year's revenue of South Korea's national treasury!

Han Fei's gaze sharpened, and he surveyed his surroundings, his voice clear and resonant:

"Although Jade Tiger is known as the richest man in South Korea, his businesses are mostly real estate and long-term ventures such as jade, cloth, and restaurants. For him to quietly withdraw 100,000 gold coins in cash and inject it into the grain market within just half a month is no easy feat! In fact, it's safe to say that with his normal financial management skills, he simply couldn't do it!"

Han Fei turned his head, staring intently at Ji Wuye, and posed the long-awaited, fatal question:

"So, here's the question: Where did Jade Tiger get this enormous sum of money—enough to buy up all the grain in the capital?"

The hall was completely silent. Everyone was following Han Fei's train of thought. Yes, where did all this cash come from?

Ji Wuye's heart sank, a deeply ominous premonition washing over him. Looking into Han Fei's seemingly all-seeing eyes, he suddenly realized that Han Fei's true killing move wasn't about inflating grain prices, but rather…

"One hundred thousand gold..." Han Fei paced slowly in the hall, speaking in a low voice, "Does this number sound familiar? My lords, Father, have you forgotten that not long ago, our Great Han also had a huge sum of exactly one hundred thousand gold that mysteriously disappeared?"

boom!

Han Fei's words struck the imperial court like a bolt from the blue!

The 100,000 taels of military pay, originally intended to appease the soldiers at the front, mysteriously disappeared during transport and remains missing to this day. Although Han Fei previously handled the case and recovered some of the "stolen money," it's clear to everyone that a scapegoat was found, and the real bulk of the military pay was never found! Now, Han Fei has linked the 100,000 taels of gold that Jade Tiger used to buy grain with the missing 100,000 taels of military pay!

The timing matches, and the amount matches!

"Ninth Young Master, you mean..." Zhang Kai's voice trembled with excitement as he pointed in Ji Wuye's direction, "It was Jade Tiger... who stole the military funds?!"

Han Fei stopped, turned to face King An of Han, and bowed deeply.

"Father, I have reviewed all of Emerald Tiger's recent bank transaction records. I discovered that just three days after the military pay disappeared, several underground banks under Emerald Tiger's name suddenly saw a large amount of gold with no known source. This gold was then broken down into smaller amounts and channeled into the grain market through various clandestine means!"

Han Fei's voice was resounding, each word like a heavy hammer, striking Ji Wuye's chest.

"All evidence suggests that Jade Tiger is the mastermind behind the theft of 100,000 taels of military pay! He stole the pay not only for personal enrichment, but also to manipulate grain prices in the capital, create unrest, and profit from the national crisis! Such acts are not only a capital offense, but a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family!"

Han Fei's reasoning was intricate and logically rigorous. Although the evidence was not presented directly, the facts and timelines he presented pieced together a truth that was utterly convincing.

At this moment, all the civil and military officials, including King Han An, had formed a clear understanding in their minds:

Ji Wuye's subordinate, Emerald Tiger, audaciously robbed 100,000 taels of military pay in pursuit of exorbitant profits. He then used this money to aggressively buy up grain in Xinzheng, causing grain prices to skyrocket. The reason Ji Wuye suddenly sealed the city gates and conducted a massive search last night wasn't to catch any assassins, but rather because their plot might have been exposed, or internal strife had erupted due to a dispute over the distribution of spoils. Ji Wuye was using his military power to clean up Emerald Tiger's mess and cover up his crimes!

Everything makes sense now!

King Han An's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He had only intended to use last night's events to give Ji Wuye a warning and reclaim some of his military power. But he never expected it would involve two major cases that threatened the very foundation of the state: the military pay case and the grain price case!

Both of these major cases point to Ji Wuye's money bag—the Emerald Tiger!

"General!" King Han An suddenly stood up, pointing at Ji Wuye, his anger turning into a mocking laugh. "Good! Good 'protecting Han'! Good 'protecting me'! Your men dared to steal my military pay to make a living off the blood and sweat of my people! What else do you have to say?!"

Ji Wuye was speechless at this moment.

What could he say?