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Chapter 1460 Absent-minded 2
"That's good. Let's see. Although this matter is temporarily unrelated to the Office of Transmission, it cannot be said that the officials and their families have not done similar things."

Over the years, I have devoted myself to creating a safer living environment and more opportunities for earning money for my people, and my soldiers on the front lines have fought and sacrificed their lives for this cause. Yet some people fail to understand my good intentions, unable to resist their greed and willing to take risks for it!

The emperor seemed to believe it. He reached out and picked up a thick stack of documents from his desk, then threw them onto the carpet. His tone was heavy and slightly desolate, and he sighed deeply as if he had suffered a defeat at the front lines, instantly aging himself by more than ten years.

But Xiong Wencan didn't believe the emperor was helpless or even despondent; on the contrary, a chill ran through him. He had served as the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review for over ten years, frequently meeting with the emperor. He wouldn't say he had grasped the emperor's essence, but he had at least summarized some patterns.

In terms of character, this emperor was unprecedented; no one in history could rival him. While some emperors in history were incompetent, some cruel, some shrewd, and some absurd, no matter how despicable they were, they were still human beings with emotions and desires.

But Emperor Jingyang was completely different from them. On the one hand, he was worthy of all the good words such as great talent and strategy, shrewdness and competence, diligence and hard work, respect for the virtuous and talented, upright and incorruptible, compassionate towards the people, selfless and dedicated, and diligent and honest.

On the other hand, derogatory terms such as ruthless, unconventional, cruel, militaristic, and greedy also apply to him. He is a very multifaceted person, and it's difficult to say whether his good or bad sides outweigh his good ones.

However, what is most detestable and frightening is not the aforementioned characteristics, but rather their superb acting skills. Beneath that harmless facade, ulterior motives are always hidden, and if one is not careful or is deceived by their appearance, one will immediately fall into a trap from which there is no escape.

Frankly speaking, no official wants to work under an emperor whose mind is unpredictable; it's incredibly passive and exhausting. If the emperor is particularly intelligent and shrewd, then every day feels like an eternity.

Unfortunately, I happened to be born under such an emperor. Even more unfortunate was that this emperor was a capable ruler and enjoyed extremely high prestige among the people, to the point of being considered on par with gods and Buddhas. Even if I felt uncomfortable, I could only endure it, powerless to resist.

"...This...this is absolutely outrageous and audacious! But is there any solid evidence?"

But Xiong Wencan quickly dismissed his speculations and stopped doubting that the emperor was putting on an act to trick people. Although the dossier he picked up from the ground was thick and contained a lot of information, he could roughly guess the gist of it after reading just the first page.

There were people smuggling weapons on a large scale, and for quite some time. The number of companies and chambers of commerce involved was no less than a dozen, including many well-known wealthy merchants and even people from almost all government departments. The names of people from the Office of Transmission were also on the list.

If this is true, then the emperor must be concerned. As a high-ranking official, even if he doesn't lead troops, he should be aware of why the Ming army has been invincible in recent years.

It wasn't the renowned generals who were skilled in battle, nor the strategist Zhuge Liang, nor the emperor's wisdom or the blessings of the ancestors, but rather the muskets in the soldiers' hands, the cannons mounted on the warships, and the factories that continuously produced military equipment.

If all these assets were revealed to the world, it wouldn't be long before the borders were constantly under attack, and the national treasury would be so empty it could run a horse-drawn carriage. Even the wealthiest dynasty couldn't withstand constant warfare; the wealth accumulated over decades would be depleted in less than five years.

"If there is evidence, how do you think it should be handled?" The emperor didn't mention the source of these investigation files, only making a hypothetical statement. "...Kill! Execute the entire clan of all those involved; not killing them is insufficient to uphold the law!"

Even if the emperor didn't say anything, Xiong Wencan already had part of the answer in his mind: it couldn't be anything more than the Advisory Office and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Only those two institutions could secretly conduct such a comprehensive investigation within the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, if the investigation comes from the advisory office or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it means the investigation is nearly complete. The emperor never fights a battle unprepared, nor will he allow anyone to find fault with him; if someone dares to show it to him, it means they are confident.

Then what are we waiting for? Kill them! For these kinds of people, no matter who their background is, we should wipe them out completely. Because they have harmed everyone in the Ming Dynasty, including their own families, and have completely stood on the opposite side of the majority of people. There's no need to pity them.

"If the problem could be solved so easily, why would I need to worry?"

"Well... Your Majesty is foolish and doesn't know why you are worried?" However, the emperor, who had always been ruthless against corruption and unafraid of killing people and incurring public wrath, had suddenly backed down. Judging from his tone, it seemed that he no longer wanted to kill anyone, which really confused Xiong Wencan.

"Go down first, and while you're at it, notify all the Grand Councilors to come to the palace for a meeting. Don't mention this case file at all!"

Seeing Xiong Wencan's bewildered expression, Hong Tao was slightly disappointed, but quickly came to terms with it. If he truly possessed the ability to govern a country, he wouldn't have needed to remain in the position of Commissioner of State Affairs for over a decade.

This matter requires further consideration, but not now. The situation in the Western Regions and the Persian Gulf has changed drastically. We must immediately formulate a plan for our next steps and send it to the front lines, where tens of thousands of troops are waiting anxiously.

"Your Majesty, we offer our congratulations! Your Majesty has won this battle! Your Majesty's fame will soon spread far and wide to the Western Regions! Long live the Emperor!"

Xiong Wencan was quick on his feet, and the conference table in the Hall of Mental Cultivation was filled in less than an hour. Before taking their seats, the ministers, led by Yuan Yingtai, performed a very formal kneeling ceremony, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" in unison, a scene comparable to a long-awaited grand court assembly.

It must be said that the etiquette developed by the ancients was indeed unique and also very much in line with psychology. Even though Hong Tao had a deep aversion to kneeling and bowing, being bowed to by so many powerful court officials made him feel that he truly had the grandeur and ability to rule the world.

If one weren't a reincarnated being, lacking centuries of foresight, and having experienced multiple time travels to gain a complete understanding of life, they would probably raise their arms and shout for global unification. Then, like many great emperors in history who dreamed of this, they would have a spectacular but fleeting moment of glory.

"This is all the information in the battle report for now. We will have to wait for the next battle report to arrive to learn more about the specific situation. However, I will accept your congratulations in advance. Indeed, the great victories in these two war zones have set the tone for this war. Regardless of the situation at Enbird Port, the Great Ming Empire is already in an invincible position."

(End of this chapter)