Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 481 Please Note the Differences

Inside the house, Mu Zirong frowned as she looked at Zu Ting's room full of "unexpected wealth".

"Xiaozheng, how can we stop you from acting so recklessly?"

Zu Ting held the golden cicada, gently brushing away the grime from it, and said:

"I'm not afraid, so why are you worried?"

Mu Zirong looked at Zu Ting, who seemed indifferent, gave a wry smile, and sat down next to him.

"Xiaozheng, do you know why Lord Cui is so lenient?"

Zu Ting smiled slightly upon hearing this.

“I knew it from the moment I entered the neighborhood.”

Zu Ting naturally knew this; in fact, he knew things were not simple when he was transferred from Weizhou to Luoyang.

Zu Ting took the brush, flicked it lightly, and said:
"I've always heard that Cui Ling is arrogant and corrupt because of his family background. Now, this matter is probably because they've got something on him."

Seeing Zu Ting's carefree manner, Mu Zirong quickly covered his mouth.

"Xiaozheng, don't you know where you are?"

You live in someone else's house, eat their food, and "take" so many of their things. Now you're so brazenly accusing them of embezzlement. Aren't you afraid they'll beat you up?

Zu Ting stammered, but only chuckled when Mu Zirong let go of his hand.

"The more you say, the more you want; you're too cowardly."

……

"Good, good, that's greedy enough!"

After hearing Cui Er's report, Cui Ling was not angry at all, but rather pleased.

Greed is a highly desirable quality for aristocratic families like Cui Ling's.

Only by being greedy enough can one win people over.

Upon hearing this, Cui Er couldn't understand why his lord was willing to be a sucker.

"My lord, in my humble opinion, Zu Ting is nothing special. Even with all the actions Yuwen Tai took in Xiangzhou a few years ago, he couldn't find any fault with you. Zu Ting is just a child; how could he possibly be more powerful than Yuwen Tai?"

Although Cui Ling was greedy, he acted cautiously and did not leave any evidence against him.

"Since the Liang ruler entered Luoyang, the prestige of the Prince of Qin has been unmatched. Now, he has ordered Murong Shaozong to oversee the construction of warships in Guang Prefecture, ordered Yan Qing and other chief craftsmen to forge weapons, and ordered various prefectures in Hebei to stockpile grain and fodder. His intention to conquer Goguryeo and recover Liaodong is clear."

"My lord, what does this have to do with this case?"

Cui Er didn't understand, but Cui Ling sighed even more.

"If we wish to conquer Goguryeo, Hebei will be our crucial rear base, providing us with weapons, provisions, and labor. If the King of Qin were to launch a distant campaign against Liaodong, how could he allow his rear to be controlled by us?"

"But our lord had no intention of rebelling!"

Cui Ling shook his head and said:

“We do not wish to rebel, but we also do not wish to submit.”

Ultimately, the issue of the treatment of the aristocratic families in Hebei remained unresolved. They desired the status of the five prominent families during the Northern Wei Dynasty, but Li Shuang clearly had no intention of granting that.

Li Shuang summoned them to the court and granted them the positions of high-ranking officials.

But the current court doesn't care about anything; these officials are just figureheads.

A few years ago, with the situation still uncertain, the powerful families of Hebei did not feel a strong sense of urgency.

But now, things are different.

The Southern Liang Dynasty was divided into dozens of kingdoms ruled by princes and nobles. Xiao Gang, who was based in Jiankang, controlled the Jiangdong and Lingnan regions and was the most powerful, but he could not stop his descendants from expanding and annexing other kingdoms.

The officials and nobles in Luoyang could all see that the Southern Liang would not pose a major threat within ten years. In fact, if the princes of the Southern Liang were incompetent enough, they would not pose a major threat for decades.

The Tuyuhun to the west had already surrendered, and the Western Rouran and the Hephthalites were waging war against each other for the position of hegemon in the Western Regions. The Hephthalites had dominated the Western Regions for decades, while the Western Rouran had only recently entered the Western Regions, and it was not yet clear who would prevail.

The various nomadic tribes to the north, having been trained over the years, have not become a threat but rather an asset.

The various tribes of Lingxia, Longyou, Hexi, the Five Hu tribes, the Hulu tribe, the Shedi tribe, the Eastern Rouran in the south of the Gobi Desert, and the Tiele tribe in the north of the Gobi Desert, totaling more than a hundred tribes, all obeyed the commands of the Heavenly Khan.

"Among all the kingdoms, only Goguryeo is currently disobeying the king's orders and acting arrogantly and rebelliously."

While feeling emotional, Cui Ling was also filled with a strong sense of crisis.

"But once Goguryeo is also pacified, who in this world can stop the King of Qin?" Cui Er sensed the complex emotions in Cui Ling's voice and asked:

"Does my lord mean that the King of Qin intends to follow in the footsteps of Cao Cao and Wang Mang?"

Cui Ling spat, his voice filled with anger.

"It would be great if he followed in the footsteps of Cao Cao."

If Li Shuang ascends the throne, these high-ranking officials can then demand their due. Moreover, after Li Shuang's accession, these nominal officials will gradually regain control of power.

But surprisingly, Li Shuang was incredibly patient.

Cui Ling said worriedly:
“Zu Ting is a breach that the King of Qin has created in Hebei. We must not allow this breach to be torn open again. Give him as much as he wants. Only with leverage can we control him.”

"promise!"

……

Xianyang Hall.

A group of court officials gathered, and among them, dressed in crimson and purple court robes, was a man in green court robes.

"I see your Majesty!"

After Zu Ting bowed, Yuan Baoju asked:

"How is your investigation going regarding the case of Cui Ling, the Minister of Ceremonies, who was impeached by an imperial censor for embezzlement?"

Zu Ting took out a memorial from his sleeve and said:
"Your subject has submitted a memorial, and humbly requests that it be reported to Your Majesty!"

The eunuch took the memorial and presented it to Yuan Baoju. After reading it, Yuan Baoju said:
"You mean it really happened?"

After Yuan Baoju finished speaking, the entire palace fell silent.

Cui Ling, in particular, stared wide-eyed at Zu Ting.

How can this person take money and not do anything?
"It is true that Cui Ling embezzled. This case has far-reaching implications, and there are countless corrupt officials below Cui Ling. I believe we should investigate thoroughly and bring all these corrupt officials to justice."

"You fart!"

Cui Ling retorted angrily, even disregarding etiquette.

How could I not know how many people have embezzled and how much they have embezzled?
It doesn't even reach the point of "not knowing how many there are".

Cui Ling left and came out, cupping his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty, Zu Ting's words are not to be trusted."

"Why?"

"I admire Zu Ting's talent and once invited him to a banquet. However, I never expected that Zu Ting would steal my personal golden cicada in court. Such conduct disgraces the name of the Zu family of Fanyang and is unworthy of being a scion of a noble family. How can his words be trusted?"

"Zu Ting, is this true?"

Zu Ting bowed respectfully and said:
"Your Majesty, if what Cui Ling says is true, and I am not credible for stealing his things, then how can his claim of embezzling state funds be believed?"

Yuan Baoju watched as the assembled officials began to besiege Zu Ting and spoke:

"Zu Ting, do you have any solid evidence?"

"It is still under investigation and will be presented to His Majesty soon."

"In that case, we will discuss it further after you have investigated it in detail."

……

As soon as he left Xianyang Hall, Cui Ling angrily blocked Zu Ting's path and said:

"You scoundrel, you've taken so many benefits from me, and yet you stab me in the back?"

Zu Ting waved his sleeve, completely unconcerned.

"This isn't taking, this is stealing!"

"What's the difference?"

"You gave it to me, but I obtained it through my own abilities. You are unworthy of being a high-ranking official; don't you even know such a simple matter?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)