Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 114 The traitor has already jumped out
The night was as dark as ink, slowly flowing down from the dome, dyeing the glazed tiles and vermilion walls of the Forbidden City a deep and solemn dark color.

The imperial power that was so dazzling during the day now had its brilliance subdued, settling into a more restrained and oppressive silence.

Inside the hall, the audience between the emperor and his ministers concerning the Ming Dynasty's maritime power had just concluded.

The newly appointed Admiral Zheng Zhilong, the "Chief Inspector of the Imperial Treasury's Maritime Trade Office," bowed and retreated under the guidance of his eunuch, still carrying the lingering scent of the sea breeze and feeling dizzy from the overwhelming honor.

His figure disappeared into the heavy shadows of the palace gate, like a giant dragon about to enter the sea, taking away the last trace of bustling human activity from the palace.

Tian Ergeng also bowed, preparing to take his leave.

"Tian Ergeng, stay for a moment."

Tian Ergeng's body stiffened for a moment, then he straightened up even more respectfully, looking down at his nose and standing silently in place.

He could sense that as Zheng Zhilong left, something seemed to be drawn out of the air in the hall, and something else was injected into it.

The grand atmosphere of rulers and ministers conspiring to rule the world and directing the course of history is rapidly dissipating, replaced by something more private yet more dangerous.

It's the aura of power.

Zhu Youjian walked to the "Map of the Great Ming Dynasty" that always hung on one side of the hall, and his gaze slowly swept across the map, from the capital to Shanxi, and then to Jiangnan.

Tian Ergeng involuntarily breathed even more lightly.

"Only by confiscating the Shanxi merchants' property did my imperial treasury finally have its first real cash; only by investigating the grain merchants did I gain the confidence to stabilize the people's hearts and suppress the bandits."

Zhu Youjian finally spoke, his voice still calm, as if he were talking about an old story. He turned around and his gaze fell on Tian Ergeng. For the first time, a hint of approval was revealed in those young but terrifyingly deep eyes.

"Minister Tian, ​​your sword has rendered unparalleled service to the country and to the Emperor!"

Tian Ergeng felt as if his heart had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and then he was being soaked in a scalding hot spring.

This seemingly ordinary praise, in that instant, weighed more heavily than all the imperial edicts and favors he had ever heard in his life combined!

He spent half his life on the battlefield, risking his life, rising from a low-ranking officer to the high position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and receiving countless praises in the process.

But no other statement could compare to the one made by this young emperor in a private setting, in the presence of only his confidants!

This is not just a reward, but also... recognition.

It is an acknowledgment of his tireless efforts and treacherous actions over the past few months!

It is an acknowledgment of his courage in risking his life to fight his way out for the emperor in Shanxi and Jiangnan, on those battlefields where no smoke of gunpowder could be seen!

In that instant, all the fatigue and thrills of the past few months seemed to find their home.

A surge of heat rushed from his chest to the top of his head. Almost instinctively, Tian Ergeng knelt down, his forehead pounding heavily on the cold gold bricks. His voice trembled slightly with extreme excitement: "Your Majesty, I... am willing to die for you!"

The emperor had given them gold and silver treasures, high-ranking official positions and generous salaries; these were the rewards for being a tool.

But the phrase "unparalleled achievement" coming from the mouth of this deep-thinking monarch who rarely showed his emotions was a completely different matter.

Its weight is enough to crush the defenses of any minister, and enough to reignite the flame of loyalty to a powerful minister who has long since disregarded life and death!
However, Tian Ergeng is, after all, Tian Ergeng.

After the initial excitement, a deeper calm, like a cold current from the deep sea, quickly cooled his boiling blood.

He lay prone on the ground, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see a corner of the emperor's dragon boots and Wang Chengen's hands hanging motionless at his sides.

He woke with a start.

The more the emperor relied on it, the more it showed that the Embroidered Uniform Guard held an irreplaceable position in his heart.

An irreplaceable knife must meet three conditions:

Always sharp.

Always clean.

Forever, it belongs only to the one who wields the knife!
He thought of Wei Zhongxian, whom he once looked up to, who had recently become increasingly kind and approachable to him; he thought of Zhou Quan of the Eastern Depot, that adversary who lurked in the shadows like a venomous snake, whose gaze always held a hint of scrutiny.

This private reward from the emperor was an honor and a talisman, but it was also a death warrant, a divine decree that would put him completely on the hot seat.

From this day forward, the Embroidered Uniform Guard must not make the slightest mistake in any of its operations.

Eternal ruin is just a thought away.

Thinking of this, Tian Ergeng lowered his head even further, an unprecedented sense of urgency gripping his heart.

He had to do something.

He kowtowed and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"Speak." Zhu Youjian's voice returned to its usual calm, as if that earth-shattering praise had never been uttered.

Tian Ergeng swallowed hard, each word carefully considered before he spoke: "Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's power has grown increasingly stronger recently. Wherever their guards go, the whole country trembles in fear. The amount of money and valuables they handle is in the tens of millions. I... am terrified."

He paused, raised his head, and looked at you with sincere concern: "I fear that over time, people will become arrogant, and some unworthy men under your command may be misled by profit or taken advantage of by treacherous people, and do things such as relying on their high merits, making friends with foreign officials, or even... leaking secrets, thereby ruining Your Majesty's grand plan."

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity, like those of a truly loyal minister who shares the burdens of his ruler.

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to establish a 'Discipline Bureau' within the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"The Discipline Office?" Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly quite interested in this.

"Yes!" Tian Ergeng's voice was resolute. "This department is not involved in external affairs; it is solely responsible for internal matters. From the deputy commander to the captains and guards, anyone who is corrupt, oversteps their bounds, colludes with others, or behaves improperly will be investigated and dealt with by the Discipline Department! I intend to use this department as a sharp blade to first dissect ourselves, scrape the bone to remove the poison, in order to ensure the absolute purity of my Emperor's personal guard!"

He finished speaking in one breath, then kowtowed again; this was his answer.

He wanted to prove to the emperor that he, Tian Ergeng, was not only a good knife, but also a knife keeper who knew how to maintain and polish it. He wanted the emperor to see that what he thought of was even deeper than what the emperor was worried about.

A brief silence fell over the hall.

The crackling sound of the lights was particularly clear in the empty hall.

After a long silence, a soft laugh broke the stillness.

Zhu Youjian smiled. It was a meaningful smile, seemingly gratified, yet also amused. He slowly walked to Tian Ergeng and personally helped him up.

"What a fine Disciplinary Office! What a self-inflicted wound!" The emperor's fingertips were icy cold, and when they touched Tian Ergeng's arm, they sent a chill down his spine.

"I am very pleased that Minister Tian has such a heart. Granted!"

Tian Ergeng felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and was about to express his gratitude when he heard the emperor's next words, which made his heart jump into his throat again.

"only……"

Zhu Youjian's tone softened. He walked around Tian Ergeng, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if trying to see right through him.

"The Discipline Division is the knife of knives, the whip of whips. The person in charge of the Discipline Division must be absolutely loyal and absolutely reliable, with no room for the slightest flaw. Who do you intend to appoint as the whip-wielder?"

He stopped in front of Tian Ergeng, looked him straight in the eye, and asked, "What if... there's a traitor within the Discipline Bureau?"

This question was like an invisible shackle, instantly binding Tian Ergeng's neck. He felt as if the emperor's seemingly casual gaze had pierced through his heart.

However, Tian Ergeng was prepared for this; he had already considered this issue in his mind no less than a hundred times last night.

He needs someone with a clean family background, outstanding abilities, a simple background, no major conflicts of interest with him, and someone he can control.

There is only one answer.

He straightened his back, his face radiating unprecedented confidence, and bowed as he replied, "Your Majesty, I have already chosen someone. This person is none other than Luo Yangxing, the Assistant Secretary of the Southern Garrison!"

He deliberately emphasized the surname "Luo," as if the surname itself were a guarantee of loyalty.

"The Luo family has been a hereditary Imperial Guard for three generations. His father, Luo Sigong, was a veteran minister who followed the late emperor for many years. His loyalty to our Ming Dynasty is as clear as day and as unwavering as the sun and moon! Luo Yangxing himself is young and promising, capable in handling cases, and has a good reputation for integrity within the Imperial Guard. If he were to take charge of the Discipline Inspection Commission, with his family's reputation for integrity, he could exercise real power to strictly investigate internal affairs. No one would dare to disobey him!"

After Tian Ergeng finished speaking, he looked up at the emperor, waiting for the expected praise.

He believed that this was an answer that could never be wrong, a perfect answer.

The Luo family is the most unpolluted cornerstone in the deep waters of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
However, he did not receive any praise.

He only saw the smile on the emperor's face, which suddenly froze when the emperor uttered the name "Luo Yangxing".

It was merely a momentary freeze.

Then, just as a warm lake in spring is frozen in an instant by the cold winds of the far north, it shatters into pieces.

That smile vanished without a trace.

Instead, an extremely complex expression appeared on the emperor's face, one that Tian Ergeng had never seen before.

There was astonishment, as if they had heard something utterly unbelievable.

There was a chill, as if it were the deepest ice in the underworld, causing the temperature of the entire hall to plummet to the depths of winter.

There was also an indescribable emotion, a mixture of disgust and extreme anger!

It was the expression of someone who had seen some filthy insect wriggling on their most beloved possession; it was the overwhelming rage of someone who had been stabbed in the back by the most trusted person, and history repeating itself!

Tian Ergeng felt the air in the hall become thick and thin in that instant, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

What did he see?
He saw that when the emperor heard the name "Luo Yangxing", he was first stunned, and then seemed to suddenly recall some long-forgotten but deeply hated past events!
That kind of hatred that seeps into one's very bones cannot be concealed!
why?
What did Luo Yangxing do wrong?
No, he did nothing wrong! He couldn't possibly have done anything wrong!
He is the future of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a model of loyalty!
The question is, the emperor may never have even summoned Luo Yangxing alone, so where does this inexplicable hatred, which seems to have transcended time, come from?

Tian Ergeng's mind went blank. All his calculations and confidence were shattered by the emperor's sudden and completely illogical reaction.

Zhu Youjian stared at Tian Ergeng, his dark eyes filled with a web of anger and murderous intent that trapped Tian Ergeng firmly in the center.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it was like the friction of ancient ice, like a heavy hammer from the depths of hell, each word striking Tian Ergeng's heart with deliberate force.

"Let's start by investigating Luo Yangxing!"

Tian Ergeng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes. He stared blankly at the emperor, his lips moving, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He wanted to ask why, but he didn't dare.

The emperor's gaze told him that any questioning was a challenge to the emperor's authority.

This is not a matter for discussion.

This is... an order!
Zhu Youjian refused to look at him again, his eyes filled with such disgust that even a second longer would be an insult to him. He turned away from the distraught Tian Ergeng, leaving behind only a few cold, emotionless words.

"I will give you three days."

"I want the first file I see from the Discipline Inspection Commission to be about him."

"Go back."

Tian Ergeng didn't know how he walked out of the palace gate. He only remembered stiffly kowtowing and stiffly backing away until the cool night wind entered his collar, which made him suddenly shiver and come to his senses.

He stood on the white jade steps outside the palace, his back already soaked with cold sweat, clinging tightly to his official robes, cold and sticky. He looked up at the majestic palace shrouded in night, and felt that the brightly lit hall at this moment was like the gaping maw of a primordial beast ready to devour its prey.

He had just narrowly escaped from that mouth.

The confusion and suspicion in Tian Ergeng's mind lasted only a moment before being replaced by a colder decision.

What exactly did Luo Yangxing... or rather, what wrong thing did the entire Luo family behind him do, or what wrong thing did they say, that provoked the emperor to take such drastic action?
None of these things matter.

For a knife, it doesn't need to know why its master is swinging it; it only needs to be the fastest, most accurate, and most ruthless when its master points to the target!
The emperor gave him three days.

Three days? In Tian Ergeng's view, this was almost a lenient gesture, more like a test to see just how sharp his sword, which had just been praised as an "unparalleled achievement," really was!
Three days is too long. He wished he could uproot the entire Luo family and turn it upside down tonight!

Tian Ergeng took a deep breath of the stuffy air and strode towards the palace gate.

The moment I stepped out of the palace gate
"Someone come here!" Tian Ergeng almost roared.

Tonight, the lights of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's office will never be extinguished!

All Imperial Guards, regardless of their current activities, return to base immediately! Suspend all duties, seal all case files, and imprison the most wanted criminals—from this moment on, the entire Ming Dynasty's Imperial Guard will handle only one case:
Investigate the Luo family!
(End of this chapter)