The prince is more stable

Chapter 981 The end of the road

An earthquake has struck the political arena; the edifice is on the verge of collapse.

The collapse was so sudden and fierce that no one had time to react.

Faced with the power and violent machinery of the imperial court, no matter how powerful a family might be, it is ultimately as insignificant as a speck of dust.

What does it mean that the government of the seven counties under Nanjing’s jurisdiction re-surveyed and measured the land?
This means that the 150,000 hectares of land under the old man's family name will have nowhere to hide. Every piece of land will fall into the sight of the imperial court, and all of it will be recorded and included in the local taxes every year.

Is that all?

It's just a matter of paying a little more tax each year?
Of course it's not that simple.

Having concealed so much land from the court, will the court not investigate the amount of tax evasion in previous years?
Furthermore, where did you acquire these lands under your name? Do you have the legal permits? Were the prices fair? How much illegal profit have you made by colluding with officials over the years? How much land have you bullied and seized from farmers?

These all need to be settled.

The imperial court and government officials not only wanted to settle scores on land, but also on people.

At this moment, an atmosphere of despair permeated the front hall of the mansion. The old man could feel that the fortune of the entire family was gradually being drained away, and the family had reached a critical moment of disintegration and destruction.

The family fortune accumulated over three generations was lost in one day. As the clan leader, how could the elder face his ancestors and his descendants?
If he couldn't get past this hurdle, he could only commit suicide in front of the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall to atone for his sins.

"What about Bianjing? Those officials in the Bianjing court..." the old man asked, as if grasping at a last straw.

The servant lowered his head and said, "Those officials in the Bianjing court... they don't even want to see our family members. They sent word that the Emperor is personally overseeing this matter, and they are powerless to do anything about it."

"The Emperor is quite ruthless, even issuing an edict to exterminate three generations of a family. All the court officials are afraid and dare not provoke him. Those few are also afraid. If things come to light, they won't even be able to protect themselves, let alone us."

Seeing the old man's ashen complexion, the servant hesitated for a moment, then said, "...Those people also sent word that they asked the master to quickly burn all the letters and account books that have been exchanged with them over the years, and not to leave any trace. Otherwise, if our family is punished in the future, they will not show any mercy."

The old man slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Wolves! Untamable wolves! How much have I given them over the years? Millions of strings of cash! And now that trouble has struck, they've all turned their backs on me?"

The old man, panting heavily, weakly gripped the edge of the table, so angry he almost fell over.

The servant stepped forward, wanting to help but not daring to.

The building is about to collapse; it has reached a dead end.

"Has Zheng Chaozong, the garrison commander of Nanjing, already taken office?" the old man asked, trying to remain calm.

"They just entered Yingtian Prefecture yesterday and are currently staying at the residence," the servant reported.

"Send my visiting card, and also tell Zheng Chaozong one more thing: I am willing to hand over 100,000 hectares of land under my family's name to the imperial court in exchange for the court's pardon of my family," the old man said through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

As the head of a family, one must be greedy when things are going well, and also be willing to make tough decisions when things are going badly, sacrificing most of the family fortune to ensure the family's safety. As long as the family survives, there will always be a time for them to rise again.

The servant took the visiting card and left in a hurry.

However, less than an hour later, the servant returned with the visiting card, and his face became even more flustered.

“My lord, Zheng Chaozong does not wish to see you. He says everything should be done in accordance with the laws and regulations of the imperial court.”

The old man was startled, then slumped down, his face paler than a dead man.

"It's over, the whole family is finished!" the old man muttered to himself.

The newly appointed garrison commander of Nanjing and the newly appointed magistrates of the seven counties all came with official missions.

Sweeping away the old network of vested interests and investigating the land and fields under Nanjing's jurisdiction—either one of these was too much for the old man to bear. Once the truth was revealed, it would mean the destruction of the entire family.

It can't withstand scrutiny, it can't be investigated, and if it is investigated, something will go wrong.

Zheng Chaozong's response finally cut off the old man's last path to self-preservation.

What happened next was beyond his control; he was about to face the court's purge.

"Give him everything...everything! 150,000 hectares of land, and the wealth accumulated by the family over a century! Just in exchange for a pardon, how about it?" The old man stared at the servant with his bloodshot eyes and asked.

The servant shook his head dejectedly: "Zheng Chaozong's attitude is very cold. I guess... it's really difficult. I think he's determined to settle scores with our family. No matter how much we give him, it won't make a difference."

"News from Bianjing says that Zheng Chaozong's main purpose this time is to promote the Fangtian Equal Tax Law. The first step of this new policy is to investigate the land. Our family's 150,000 hectares of land is too much and too eye-catching. For Zheng Chaozong, our family is his achievement to curry favor with the emperor. How can he easily give it up?"

The old man closed his eyes in despair, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Give the order: before the authorities make a move, the hundreds of people in the clan should immediately disperse and relocate. Everyone who can escape should do so. If they are caught by the authorities, they should accept their fate. At least one branch of the clan should survive so that the family line can continue."

The servant looked at him in shock, his lips trembled a few times, but he finally sighed and accepted the order.

The old man's expression suddenly turned ferocious: "If my entire clan has no way to survive, then we'll all die together!"

"Zheng Chaozong, and the Emperor... Zhao Xiaoqian! Haha, let's all die together!" The old man laughed maniacally.

...Bianjing, Yanfu Palace.

The seventh day of the first lunar month is Zhao Xiaoqian's birthday.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year had not yet faded, but the palace was already making busy preparations for the Emperor's birthday celebration.

Zhao Xiaoqian was unaware of this until Zheng Chunhe carefully asked him whether he should invite important officials in the capital to a palace banquet on the seventh day of the month to celebrate the emperor's birthday.

Zhao Xiaoqian then realized this and frowned.

Celebrating birthdays in ancient times?

"Who arranged this?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Zheng Chunhe had served the emperor for quite some time and had a thorough understanding of his expressions. When he saw the emperor frowning, Zheng Chunhe was startled and immediately sensed something was wrong.

But Zheng Chunhe still forced himself to say, "It was arranged by Her Majesty the Empress. She said that this year is His Majesty's first birthday after ascending the throne, and the palace should at least... show some respect."

Upon hearing that it was Di Ying's arrangement, Zhao Xiaoqian's expression softened, and he said, "Tell the Empress that this matter is over. I do not wish to celebrate my birthday, nor will I hold a palace banquet to invite my ministers to celebrate."

Zheng Chunhe mustered her courage and said cautiously, "This servant knows that Your Majesty is frugal, and the palace is also cutting back on food and clothing to save for the country's future. However, Your Majesty's birthday only comes once a year, and it falls during the New Year holiday. Your Majesty, would you please make an exception..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and asked, "Has the country been unified? Has the national treasury revenue exceeded one hundred million? Has the Americas been discovered? Has my second child been born?"

"Zhong Jianzhong's army is still on its way to war, the soldiers are wearing only thin armor and braving the wind and snow to move forward with difficulty, while I am spending my birthday in the palace in a lavish banquet. This is a typical case of the rich feasting while the poor feast. Is this right?"

Zheng Chunhe opened his mouth in astonishment, speechless with a profound sense of awe and high moral character from the official.

"Send someone to invite my mother to the palace the day after tomorrow, and then tell my wives that the whole family should sit down together for a meal with seven or eight dishes, and that will be considered a birthday celebration."

"Tell the Empress to stop all other arrangements, and don't make a fuss about it. This spendthrift woman is causing trouble now that she's pregnant. Does she not want to live a normal life?" Zhao Xiaoqian sneered.

Zheng Chunhe cautiously said, "All the officials know it's His Majesty's birthday. If they send him birthday wishes..."

Zhao Xiaoqian gave him a strange look and said, "If someone gives you a gift, of course you should accept it. How can you let down someone's good intentions? Do I have to teach you this?"

"Take the gifts, but get out of here. Don't expect me to treat them to a meal... If they want to eat my food in the palace, fine, but it'll be split the bill."

Zheng Chunhe stared wide-eyed in bewilderment: "AA...system?"

"It's calculated per person. Each person pays one thousand taels for food first, and I'll provide them with one meal in the palace. After they finish eating, they can get out of here."

Zheng Chunhe was dumbfounded: "This, this... I'm afraid this is inappropriate, isn't it? Your Majesty, this is detrimental to the dignity of the imperial family."

Zhao Xiaoqian spat and said, "What kind of prestige is this? One is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit. They came here to freeload. Did I force them?"

Mentioning money made Zhao Xiaoqian's mood sour. He cursed and muttered, "Damn it, destroying the Western Xia costs money, and the Northern Expedition against the Liao Kingdom also needs money. The national treasury is so empty that mice can run through it, and the hundreds of thousands of imperial guards and garrison troops of the Song Dynasty are starving for food..."

"I know that the officials in Bianjing are all rolling in money. There are so many rich people in the world, yet I, the emperor, am the poorest. Is that reasonable?"

"So I also need to make money. I want to come and freeload at the palace banquet. Just pay me a thousand taels each. I'll arrange a buffet for them, all they can eat, but they can't take any leftovers home, and they can't waste any food."

Zheng Chunhe's cheeks twitched a few times. He already knew the Emperor quite well and knew that the Emperor's words were just empty talk and should not be taken seriously, but he still understood what the Emperor meant.

Zheng Chunhe then bowed and took his leave to deliver a message to the Empress.

Not long after, Di Ying stormed into the Funing Palace, pouting at Zhao Xiaoqian with dissatisfaction.

"It's rare for my lord to celebrate his birthday, and this is his first since becoming emperor. Besides, our whole family is here. What's wrong with me arranging a small celebration in the palace? It won't cost much."

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed at her: "If it weren't for your big belly, you would be hanging up and whipped by me right now. The soldiers are out on the battlefield, enduring hardships of wind and rain, while I am holding a grand banquet in the palace to celebrate my birthday. If that were recorded in the history books, do you know how many years people will criticize me behind my back?"

"Are those officials in the court just sitting idly by? They watch my every move, waiting to find a fault in me so they can remonstrate and criticize me, thus making a name for themselves. When I celebrate my birthday, they are the happiest of all, understand? You spendthrift women!"

Di Ying was, after all, a woman, and didn't think so much. She simply wanted to celebrate her husband's birthday in a grand way, but she never expected that such a simple matter would involve so much intrigue and backstabbing.

Of course, Di Ying was not unreasonable. After being scolded by Zhao Xiaoqian, she understood the implications. So, Di Ying stepped forward and took his hand shyly.

"It was my oversight that I failed to consider your difficulties. In that case, let's not celebrate your birthday. How about we gather Mother and the sisters together the day after tomorrow for a simple family meal?"

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly smiled languidly: "After dinner, you sisters can privately celebrate my birthday, line up on the bed, and bend over..."

"This suits my taste better. Most importantly, it costs nothing. All I have to do is put in my physical strength and sweat... and hope after the seeds are sown."

Di Ying was stunned for a long time before she understood what he meant. Her cheeks flushed red, and she spat at him angrily.

"Bah! A tyrannical ruler! A debauched and immoral tyrant!"

(End of this chapter)