Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 73: Read one, arrest one!
What is the meaning of thunderous wrath? This is it. Although the ministers present each had their own plans, when they realized that Emperor Jingtai was truly angry, no one dared to say anything more, and they all knelt down and loudly begged for forgiveness.

It took Emperor Jingtai quite a while to calm himself down. He had long been prepared for the presence of corrupt officials in the court, but when so much gold was laid out before him, he realized he had overestimated himself. He was truly furious, so furious that he wished he could tear these people to pieces.

This gold was earned by the people of the Great Jing Dynasty. When these corrupt officials were being supported by high positions and generous salaries, did they never think that it was because of the support of the people that they were able to live such a good life?
What a bunch of short-sighted, vicious fools.

After a pause, Emperor Jingtai looked at Ying Jiuque.

"Besides that, what else did you gain?"

"Your Majesty, I have located eleven hideouts, rescued nine hundred and sixteen people, seized countless gold and silver treasures, and also a large quantity of elixirs."

At this point, Jiu Que paused. According to local customs, as a woman, shouldn't she show some shyness when talking about such elixirs?

But after trying it once, Jiu Que simply gave up. No, no, she just couldn't make that expression.

"These elixirs are readily available in the courtyards where beautiful women and boys are kept. I have already interrogated the stewards of those courtyards, and they say that these things are used to enhance the pleasure of men who go there for entertainment. Moreover, if taken in excess, they can be addictive."

Upon hearing this, many people present froze. Lin Wei, in particular, stared blankly at his daughter, unable to comprehend how she could say such a thing in public. Where was the demureness expected of a lady from a respectable family? Where was the modesty and modesty expected of a woman? How could she bring up such a topic without even blushing or losing her breath? Had he truly given birth to a daughter, and not a man?
After today's experience, he finally understood that his daughter would never be able to get married. Even if she did, she could only marry a country bumpkin. What respectable young man would want to marry a woman who dared to speak so arrogantly in public?

Exterminate her entire clan! When he returns today, he will definitely open the ancestral hall and exterminate this rebellious daughter's entire clan! The Lin family has no daughter like that! Does she think His Majesty will punish those wicked officials? His Majesty will simply turn a blind eye; too many people are involved. Does His Majesty intend to wipe out half the court?
Ying Jiuque didn't even look at Lin Wei, and therefore didn't notice the other's ashen expression. He had brought not only a large amount of gold into the palace this time, but also an unexpected windfall.

This time, she confiscated a large quantity of pills from these places of pleasure. With Xie Mingchen's friendly help, these pills, along with those she had previously found at Qingyun Temple and the ones Xin Tanhua's father had taken before his death, had the same ingredients. In other words, they were essentially the same, just with different names.

She didn't believe these cases weren't connected. Unfortunately, Senior Cui only found half of the account book; the other half was missing. And after nearly two days of arrests, she still hadn't apprehended all the suspects. The rest…

She glanced at the court officials, whose expressions varied, and realized the rest were among these loyal ministers. She had brought all the witnesses and evidence she could find; now it was time to see how His Majesty would respond.

In fact, Ying Jiuque was also a little uneasy. After all, many of the people who were captured and the remaining names were people closely related to His Majesty, such as His Majesty's own son, the Third Prince, his stepson, Prince Ping, and even some brothers who had shared joys and sorrows with him.

The phrase "putting righteousness before family" sounds easy, but in reality, few people can make that decision decisively. After all, with a single word, you could kill not just a complete stranger, but a family member or friend with whom you've shared many years of life.

Torn between the law and personal feelings, what will Your Majesty choose?
A brief silence fell over the scene.

Emperor Jingtai, enraged, laughed. "Good, good indeed! These are my good sons, good ministers, good brothers!" he thought. Using innocent civilians to amass vast sums of money, and even those elixirs weren't just for entertainment. After all, those elixirs were addictive. Once addicted, wouldn't they continuously pour money into those places of pleasure? He couldn't bear to imagine that he had only been in the capital for thirteen years, while the Worry-Free Cave had existed for over a century. Whose pockets had the enormous profits circulating within ultimately gone?

Regardless of who the real culprit is, his purpose is obvious: to control the dynasty through various means. Although he is old, he is not dead yet! As long as he is alive, no one can cause trouble on the land of the Great Jing Dynasty.

"Golden Armor Guards".

The emperor's casual remark caused the golden-armored guards stationed on both sides of the square to simultaneously pound their spears, producing a dull thud.

"exist!"

"Yingqing, bring up the list. Jiufu, read out the names! Arrest them one by one. I refuse to believe that these corrupt officials cannot be completely eliminated."

Many officials turned pale, their legs trembling, and some even nearly collapsed at the thought of their fate. Even when their colleagues steadied them, their expressions remained grim.

Jiufu picked up the list, a hint of grimness creeping onto his usually humble and respectful face. He was an old hand who had followed Emperor Jingtai, once just an ordinary commoner. Unable to endure the constant torment, he had joined the emperor in a rebellion, eventually rising to this supreme position. Although he had long been detached from the common people, he had never forgotten his roots.

These officials in the court, they usually look down on him with disdain. He never imagined that these so-called loyal ministers were inferior to someone like him, a nobody. Even he knew that a gentleman loves money but acquires it honestly, yet these people were willing to harm innocent people for their wealth.

How is this any different from the corrupt officials at the end of the previous dynasty?
Do you really think that His Majesty is old and soft-hearted and won't take action? His Majesty fought his way to the throne amidst bloodshed, rising from nothing to the supreme position. His Majesty didn't rely on soft-heartedness, but on the decisiveness to make swift and decisive moves.

"Zuo Qiutang, a staff member of the Ministry of Justice..."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, I was merely blinded by greed for a moment. I am willing to donate all my wealth! I only beg Your Majesty to spare my life and allow me to repent..."

"Boom!"

His Majesty did not speak, but the golden-armored guards beside him saw someone attempting to shout at the imperial city and struck the shouting minister twice with their clubs, causing him to vomit blood and collapse to the ground.

The remaining officials who had been preparing to follow suit immediately fell silent. Their faces were deathly pale; after so many years of hard work to reach this position in the court, who could have imagined their path to advancement would be cut short?
(End of this chapter)