Prime Minister.

Chapter 43 [The Decisive Strike]

The Ministry of Works corruption case itself is not complicated.

The cause was the severe floods this summer, which resulted in a large number of disaster victims in many parts of the south. The imperial court was under tremendous pressure to provide disaster relief, as it had to address the problem of an empty treasury while also taking a responsible approach to appease the public and the people.

Whether Gu Heng, the Director of the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works, had lost his mind or was coerced and instigated by others, his sudden targeting of Xue Mingzhang, who had been dead for six years, caused a large-scale uproar.

At this point, the emperor could not possibly let the people of the Water Conservancy Bureau off the hook.

The problem is that the emperor of today is no longer the diligent and ambitious ruler he was when he ascended the throne. As he approaches the nineteenth year of his reign, what the emperor wants to see is a stable court, officials performing their duties, and a peaceful and harmonious society. He is no longer willing to work day and night as he did more than a decade ago.

Of course, he didn't want to see the foundation of the Great Yan Dynasty devoured by a group of parasites, so he would teach his subordinates a lesson from time to time.

He knew that the Ministry of Works' problems were very complicated, which is why he decided to let Shen Wang handle the matter. Based on the calmness and restraint that Shen Wang had shown over the past ten years, the emperor believed that he could understand the emperor's wishes and keep the case within a reasonable and orderly scope.

He never expected that Shen Wang and Xue Huai, the master and apprentice pair, would give him such a big "surprise".

When Xue Huai publicly mentioned the Prince of Dai's Mansion at the court assembly, the emperor knew that this matter could not be easily let off the hook.

Therefore, he began to suspect that Shen Wang had been planning to make a big fuss from the very beginning, and such a self-serving idea could not be tolerated.

Looking back on the whole incident, the emperor easily discovered the strangeness of it all. When the entire investigation office was closed off from the outside world, Xue Huai, the secretary of the investigation office and a disciple of Shen Wang, went home for no reason. Then he was approached by people from the Prince of Dai's mansion, which led to the Prince of Dai's mansion's private purchase of official land, which resulted in the complete uprooting of the four departments of the Ministry of Works.

This is the real reason why Xue Huai was summoned to the Imperial Study today.

"Don't tell me that you left your post just to go back to your residence to get some clothes. That's something that can be done by simply sending a servant."

The emperor's deep gaze was fixed on Xue Huai's face, and then he said, "Or are you so homesick that you've become distraught after just a few days away from home?"

A single, piercing question chilled the warm air in the imperial study.

If what he said is true, Xue Huai can't eat or sleep after being away from home for just a few days, what use is such a subject?
Xue Huai looked slightly puzzled, but said frankly, "Your Majesty, I returned to the residence to retrieve some files. The files from the Hanlin Academy mysteriously disappeared and have not been recovered to this day, so I dare not entrust them to others for fear of making a mistake."

The emperor hadn't expected this answer and frowned slightly, asking, "What files?"

Xue Huai quickly replied, “Your Majesty, at that time I was in charge of auditing the files and accounts of the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works. In addition to the book ‘River Work Notes,’ my late father also left behind some insights and experiences on water management from that year. Therefore, I wanted to use the materials left by my late father to compare and investigate the flaws in the accounts of the Water Conservancy Department.”

Hearing him mention Xue Mingzhang, the emperor was somewhat moved.

That young minister, who was honest, upright, and skillful in handling affairs, left a very deep impression on the emperor back then.

He had once thought of forging a beautiful story of ruler and minister with Xue Mingzhang, but fate was cruel and the virtuous minister died young, which was a great pity in the emperor's heart.

Otherwise, why would he have been interested in paying attention to the path of a mere youth in the imperial examinations, and why would he have tolerated Xue Huai's inappropriate behavior over the past two years?

"I see."

The emperor softened his tone. Although his suspicions remained, Xue Huai brought up his deceased father's name, and even if it was only to uphold the bond between ruler and subject, the emperor could not continue questioning him.

At this moment, Crown Prince Jiang Xuan's heart began to stir.

He had grown accustomed to being taciturn, like a shadow beside the emperor.

On the surface, he was the incomparably noble crown prince, but there were some things only he knew. For example, he knew that although his father respected his mother, he did not love her. What he really cared about was the cunning Consort Liu, who would only visit Kunning Palace a few days a month.

Throughout history, most adult crown princes have had to endure long periods of hardship. If they perform too well, the emperor will be wary of them; if they perform too poorly, they will cause criticism from the court and the public. It is truly difficult to strike the right balance.

Jiang Xuan's situation was even more difficult, because he knew that his father had made him the crown prince only because he was the rightful eldest son of the emperor, but this did not mean that his position as crown prince was absolutely secure.

Therefore, he was extremely cautious and walked on thin ice, even daring not to have too close a relationship with the court officials, for fear of arousing his father's suspicion.

However, after observing the situation from the sidelines for a while, Jiang Xuan vaguely felt that Xue Huai seemed to be a good person to win over. Not only did he have the legacy left by his deceased father, but he also had a mentor like Shen Wang. He was also quite mature in his actions. Most importantly, after the investigation of the corruption case in the Ministry of Works, there was absolutely no possibility of him and Prince Jiang Chang of Dai reconciling.

Jiang Xuan glanced at Xue Huai without making a sound, and silently made a decision in her heart.

Xue Huai was naturally unaware of the Crown Prince's thoughts. He secretly thought that today's audience with the Emperor might not have been perfect, but he should be able to pass smoothly.

That was enough. He didn't expect the emperor to look at him differently just because of a few words, or for him to rise rapidly in rank.

However, at this moment a calm and composed voice rang out.

"Your Majesty, what Compiler Xue said is not the whole truth."

Shen Wang's sudden statement caused the atmosphere in the Imperial Study to freeze abruptly.

Even the emperor frowned as he looked at this leader of the reformist faction, who was widely recognized as a reformist figure, wondering what he was up to.

Is he planning to abandon his trusted disciple after using him? But why would he do that?
The Emperor said calmly, "What do you mean by that, Minister Shen?" Shen Wang stepped to Xue Huai's side and slowly said, "Your Majesty, the other day Xue Huai asked me to return to his residence to retrieve some files. I granted his request for another reason: I wanted to see if anyone would come looking for him after he left the investigation office. Sure enough, he had only been gone for half a day when the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Dai's residence appeared impatiently. It was through this clue that I began a comprehensive investigation of all departments of the Ministry of Works."

The emperor's expression grew cold.

Xue Minglun felt a strong sense of crisis engulfing him. He realized the problem and it seemed that Shen Wang was unwilling to remain silent because the emperor had given him another chance.

Shen Wang stood upright as always and continued, "Your Majesty, before I took over this case of corruption in the Ministry of Works, I had already heard some rumors that the Ministry of Works colluded with other government departments to wantonly embezzle state funds, causing great harm. However, I did not have conclusive evidence before, so I could not speak carelessly about this matter. This time, I was ordered to thoroughly investigate the Water Conservancy Department of the Ministry of Works. The reason I made sure the investigation office was closed was to make some people uneasy, so that they would expose themselves."

This is the Imperial Study. Apart from Xue Huai, everyone present is a high-ranking official of the court. There is no need to hide anything, so Shen Wang spoke very directly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Even if the emperor dislikes him, he cannot directly deprive Shen Wang of his right to speak.

He could only say with a grim expression, "So you've found out now?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Shen Wang made no attempt to conceal anything. He looked at the Emperor calmly and frankly and said, "When I first went to the Ministry of Works, I deliberately befriended Minister Xue so that he would become suspicious and thus influence those corrupt officials hiding in the shadows. All the actions of the officials in the Investigation Department afterward were driven and propelled by me. They were simply acting on my orders, including Xue Huai."

Xue Huai lowered his head slightly.

He recalled his teacher's words that morning: "I will help you eliminate any hidden dangers."

His mind was racing, but he knew he could only remain silent for the time being.

"There's no need to bring these things up again."

The emperor was clearly impatient. He stared at Shen Wang and said, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Shen Wang glanced at Xue Minglun, the Minister of Works, and then said solemnly, "Your Majesty, through the compilation and analysis of the case files of the various departments of the Ministry of Works, I came to an unbelievable conclusion last night. In the past nearly ten years, the Ministry of Works has withdrawn an average of three million taels of silver from the national treasury every year, and according to my estimate, less than 60% of this silver has actually been spent."

The emperor narrowed his eyes.

Xue Minglun's face turned pale.

Shen Wang said, word by word, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works alone embezzles between 1.2 million and 1.6 million taels from the national treasury every year, which amounts to nearly 14 to 15 million taels over ten years. Although this is just my estimate, Minister Xue certainly knows that this amount is not far off."

“This summer, many parts of the south suffered severe floods. Your Majesty and the officials of the court were so worried about the money for disaster relief that they lost their appetite and couldn’t eat or drink. Meanwhile, some people have mountains of gold and silver hidden in their homes. Whenever I think of this, I can’t help but lose sleep at night.”

"How can the Great Yan dynasty remain stable if this continues?"

"Therefore, I could not investigate only the Water Conservancy Bureau, so I took it upon myself to do so. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."

After saying this, Shen Wang bowed deeply, as if relinquishing everything and awaiting the emperor's final decision.

At this moment, not only Xue Minglun felt dizzy, but the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of War, and even the Minister of Justice subconsciously shrank their necks.

The Imperial Study was deathly silent.

The emperor remained silent for a long time, then suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Upon seeing this, Xue Minglun immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

Ning Hengzhi sighed inwardly.

"I……"

The Emperor seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He looked at Xue Minglun kneeling on the ground and slowly said, "I understand the principle that water that is too clear has no fish, and I also understand the difficulties you face in leading such a large Ministry of Works and dealing with all sorts of obstacles. Therefore, I have not been harsh on you over the years. However, I did not expect that you could cover it up so well, treating the national treasury as your own storehouse and racking your brains to embezzle my money."

"More than ten million taels... Good, very good."

In the end, the emperor's tone was icy cold, devoid of any vitality.

Xue Minglun was horrified and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have never embezzled so much money. I request the Jing'an Division to investigate thoroughly!"

"Just because you didn't take the bribe, doesn't mean you bear no responsibility?"

The emperor slowly stood up and said indifferently, "Considering that you have been quite diligent over the years, I will spare your life and give you one last dignified end."

"You should beg for your life."

……

……

(A huge thank you to the generous patron "枫丶潇潇" for the generous donation! There will be extra chapters later, but updates will be slower during the new book period, so please bear with me!)
(End of this chapter)