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

Chapter 115

Tian Ergeng's footsteps trod on the blackened bluestone slabs of Beizhen Fusi, stained with time and blood, without making a sound, like a nocturnal owl concealing all unnecessary presence.

As he emerged from the palace, the newly bestowed flying fish robe he wore fluttered slightly in the night breeze. The warmth of the ambergris incense from the imperial study seemed to linger in the silk threads, but that warmth could not dispel the chill that rose from the depths of his bones!
Instead of returning to his own office, which was located in the main hall of the yamen and symbolized supreme power, he walked straight down a set of cold, hard stone steps through the heavily guarded courtyard and pushed open a heavy stone door that even an ordinary captain would not know was there.

Behind the door was a secret chamber entirely constructed of massive stones.

There are no windows here; the air is filled with the musty smell of old files, the smoke from tung oil lamps, and the coldness of secrets themselves.

This is the heart of the Northern Garrison Command, the true central hub of this most terrifying and violent machine of the Ming Dynasty.

He lit the oil lamp on the table, the tiny flame flickering and casting an intermittent glow on his somber face.

Tian Ergeng sat quietly for a moment, seemingly digesting the immense power hidden behind the emperor's seemingly calm words. Then, he signaled to his confidants to summon everyone to him.

A moment later, the stone door slid open silently, and three figures filed in, bowing respectfully.

"Commander."

Leading the group was Li Ruolian, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who was Tian Ergeng's most trusted right-hand man.

As the three entered, they sensed an unprecedented heaviness in the air.

Tian Ergeng's eyes slowly swept over them, and the pressure from his gaze made the temperature in the stone chamber seem to drop even further.

“There’s a case, personally appointed by His Majesty.” Tian Ergeng’s voice was low and hoarse, like two pieces of pig iron rubbing together.

Li Ruolian and the others felt a chill run down their spines. For the commander to speak of an imperial appointment in such a tone in this place was no ordinary matter.

“Target.” Tian Ergeng seemed to have exhausted all his strength as he squeezed out those two words, one by one, through gritted teeth:

"The Luo family."

The moment the words left his mouth, the stone chamber fell into a deathly silence.

Even the flame of the oil lamp seemed to freeze.

Li Ruolian suddenly raised his head, his face showing uncontrollable shock for the first time. He almost thought he had misheard. "Commander, are you talking about... which Luo family?"

Tian Ergeng did not answer, but just looked at him with cold eyes.

That look said it all.

A chill instantly gripped everyone present.

The Luo family!

Commander Luo Sigong, and Vice Commissioner of the Southern Garrison Luo Yangxing! That's the Luo family of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
From the time Emperor Chengzu established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Luo family served in it for generations. With three generations of loyalty and bravery, they can be said to be an unyielding banner within the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the embodiment of loyalty in the hearts of countless officers.

They didn't even blink when they investigated and confiscated the property of court officials and slaughtered eunuchs.

But turning the knife against their own people, especially their own family like the Luo family, left them momentarily blank.

Li Ruolian's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. He took a deep breath and couldn't help but speak, his voice dry: "Commander, the Luo family has been loyal and brave for three generations, making great contributions to the nation. They enjoy extremely high prestige within our Embroidered Uniform Guard... Is there some misunderstanding here? Or..."

As he finished speaking, his voice became barely audible, because a more terrifying thought, like a venomous snake, burrowed into his mind and into the hearts of the other two.

—Is this His Majesty's way of warning our entire Embroidered Uniform Guard that our achievements are too great and threaten his authority?
The late emperor has passed away, and the new emperor has ascended the throne. In the purge of the eunuch faction, Commander, you have made unparalleled contributions and your power is immense.

This may not be a good thing for a monarch.

Does His Majesty intend to use the Luo family, a banner revered by all the Embroidered Uniform Guards, as a warning and deterrent to all of us, by using the blood of the Luo family?

The thought sent chills down their spines.

"Misunderstanding?" Tian Ergeng suddenly laughed, but his laughter was filled with endless exhaustion and self-mockery. He slammed his hand on the hard table, making a dull thud that made the lights flicker wildly.

"This is not a discussion, it is an imperial edict!"

His gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife, instantly severing all hesitation and speculation in the stone chamber. The murderous aura honed from countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood burst forth without reservation, making it almost impossible for Li Ruolian and the other two to breathe.

"I don't care what the Luo family was before! I don't care if they were a family of loyal and brave men or three generations of meritorious officials!" Tian Ergeng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a bloodthirsty stench. "From this moment on, it will be His Majesty's biggest worry! A thorn stuck in His Majesty's heart! What you need to do is not question, but execute!"

He suddenly stood up, his tall figure casting a huge shadow under the flickering lamplight, completely enveloping his three trusted confidants.

Tian Ergeng looked down at them from his high vantage point.

"Remember, this is an imperial case, the most confidential case under heaven!" His voice was devoid of any emotion, only coldness and resolve remained. "After you return, immediately select your personnel. Remember my first rule: anyone with any connection to the Luo family, even if they've had an extra drink or uttered an extra word of flattery, is strictly forbidden from handling this case!!"

Li Ruolian and the others were shocked and instantly understood the commander's deeper meaning.

"Once the people are chosen, suspend all their current affairs!" Tian Ergeng spoke slowly, but every word was like a heavy hammer blow. "From now on, all the selected forces of the Northern Garrison Command will have only one goal—the Luo family!"

He paced back and forth, a cruel smile curving his lips, a smile more sinister than the imperial prison of the Northern Garrison.

"His Majesty has given me three days, but I can't wait that long. Two days at most! From now on, two days from now, I want to see something on my desk that will enrage the Luo family and His Majesty!"

He abruptly stopped, turned around, and his gaze, like a solid icicle, pierced fiercely towards the three of them.

"Finally, pass on my words verbatim to everyone involved in this case. Failure is incompetence; but if anyone loses control of their tongue and leaks even the slightest information..."

He paused deliberately, allowing the suffocating fear to ferment and spread in the stone chamber until cold sweat beaded on the foreheads of Li Ruolian and the others.

“I, Tian Ergeng, will personally oversee the execution and exterminate his entire family, leaving no one alive!”
"Did you all understand?"

Li Ruolian and the others trembled, no longer daring to have any other thoughts. They all lowered their heads even further, their voices becoming uniform:

"As ordered!"

Tian Ergeng waved his hand, and the three of them, as if granted a pardon, bowed and retreated, quickly disappearing outside the stone gate.

In the secret room, only Tian Ergeng remained.

He slowly sat down, looking at his slightly trembling hands under the lamplight. How could he not be shocked? How could he not be afraid?

But his fear did not stem from the thought of harming his colleagues, but from the unfathomable gaze of the young emperor on the throne.

That's not suspicion, that's not prejudice.

Rather, it was a calm that came from seeing through everything.

……

The Northern Garrison, a bloodthirsty behemoth that had been dormant for a moment, instantly began to operate at full capacity with a chilling efficiency under Tian Ergeng's will.

There was no noise, no rushing around; everything proceeded in a subdued, silent order.

Encrypted commands were transmitted from here through the most reliable channels, instantly covering every corner of the capital like a spider web.

The efficiency of the Embroidered Uniform Guard became apparent more than an hour later.

In a damp and dark torture chamber, no instruments of torture were laid out. Instead, fine incense was lit and exquisite tea and snacks were served.

Several wealthy businessmen who once held sway in Beijing's business world were now kneeling on the ground, disheveled and pale-faced.

The leader, Manager Wang, was in the restaurant just an hour ago, flattered and drunk by everyone, and was helped into his own sedan chair by his most trusted servant.

However, the servant's eyes were as cold as iron. The moment the sedan curtain fell, the sedan bearers changed direction and silently merged into a dark, narrow alley.

Another wealthy man, Li, who was obsessed with women, was carried away like a sack of goods while still asleep in the bed of his most beloved concubine. He was wrapped up in a quilt from head to toe and carried away without even a cry of alarm.

Such as
They fell from the clouds, but there wasn't even a sound when they hit the ground.

This is the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Tian Ergeng walked in slowly. He had changed out of his flying fish suit and put on an ordinary black outfit.

He ignored the trembling merchants and instead walked to a chair, sat down, took the white cloth handed to him by his confidant, and slowly wiped a drop of water that had somehow splashed onto his boot.

Inside the torture chamber, the only sounds were the rustling of cloth against leather and the heavy, suppressed breathing of the merchants.

"Gentlemen," Tian Ergeng finally spoke, his voice as calm as if he were having a casual conversation, "I had no choice but to invite you all here so late at night. I don't want to make things difficult for you."

He tossed the white cloth aside, raised his eyelids, and glanced lightly at the crowd.

"However, the Luo family father and son have angered the Emperor, and His Majesty... is unable to eat or sleep in peace."

His voice carried a perfectly timed sigh, as if he were worried about the emperor's troubles, or as if he were lamenting the fate of the people before him.

"If Your Majesty can't sleep, then naturally I, as your subject, can't sleep either. Since I can't sleep, I want to find someone to chat with. You are all intelligent people, and you should know that the person you should never offend in this world is Your Majesty."

He paused, picked up the embroidered spring knife on the table, and lightly flicked the blade with his finger.

"Tell me, are your bones harder, or... is my knife sharper?"

The merchants were terrified.

The oldest merchant could no longer hold on and kowtowed violently, wailing, "My lord, spare us! My lord, spare us! We...we were forced into this situation! Lord Luo is powerful, we dare not disobey!" Tian Ergeng revealed a satisfied smile, sheathed his sword, and softened his voice: "That's right. If you had said so earlier, we wouldn't have had to endure this musty smell. I, Tian, ​​have always been fair. As long as you all cooperate, you will simply be witnesses in this case."

Half an hour later, boxes of hidden ledgers and private letters were revealed, detailing all the transactions related to how the "Hunan Guild Hall" operated, how it provided benefits to officials, and how the Luo family profited from it.

Two hours later, another location of the Northern Garrison Command was brightly lit.

A dozen or so top accountants, "invited" from various banks, were rapidly working on their abacuses at rows of long tables, with piles of account books in front of them, which they had just confiscated from the merchants.

Behind each accountant stood a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) officer, his hand on the hilt of his sword, as silent as a stone statue.

The crisp clinking of the abacus beads echoed in unison, like rapid raindrops striking everyone's heart.

They were tasked with checking not only the Hunan Guild Hall, but all accounts that had even the slightest financial dealings with the Luo family.

Every single flow of silver was circled heavily in glaring vermilion ink.

……

As the sun set, Tian Ergeng's eyes were bloodshot, but he was unusually excited.

Before him, files were piled up like a mountain.

The sheer volume of evidence is shocking.

From Luo Sigong's vast political and business network built through the "Hunan Guild Hall" to his son Luo Yangxing's even bolder power-money transactions—selling the core secrets of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to businessmen, enabling them to precisely swallow up their rivals; and even directly interfering in cases, arbitrarily pinning the blame on those unfortunate souls who didn't know how to be filial.

Each charge is enough to uproot the Luo family.

However, when Tian Ergeng turned to the last few pages of the case file, he truly understood that the shocking corruption he had seen before might have just been a smokescreen.

What truly drove the emperor to murder was something far more terrifying than greed itself.

The ironclad rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were also strict regulations personally set by the Taizu Emperor: henchmen must never have private dealings with court officials; lackeys must never form factions with civil officials!
But Luo Yangxing trampled this ironclad rule, forged with countless lives, underfoot.

These files clearly record his close interactions with several incumbent court officials, their communication, and even the exchange of benefits, suggesting a possible alliance.

He used intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to eliminate political enemies for these civil officials, while those civil officials, in turn, "protected" the Luo family in the court and helped the Luo family members settle down and establish themselves in the local areas.

What sent chills down Tian Ergeng's spine and made his palms sweat even more was the evidence showing that Luo Yangxing also had secret dealings with some so-called Donglin Party members in Jiangnan!
The Luo family has placed multiple bets!

They are not satisfied with immediate gains; they are making long-term political investments!
If they had their eye on those upright scholars, they would start supporting them in advance, thus establishing goodwill and hoping that if these people held high positions in ten or twenty years, they would remember the kindness shown to them by the Luo family today!
This is no longer greed, this is usurpation, this is ambition!
They were trying to turn the emperor's sharpest blade into a tool for the Luo family to cultivate their own power! A mere member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard actually dared to lay his own pieces both inside and outside the court, in the present and in the future!
For an emperor, this was an absolutely intolerable act of disobedience and betrayal!

Tian Ergeng let out a long breath, the pent-up frustration in his chest vanishing.

As he looked at the last few pages of paper, which recorded political schemes a hundred times worse than corruption, he felt completely at peace.

Greed, and the even more deadly ambition built upon it.

This was a crime he could understand, and one he could absolutely kill with a single blow.

In his view, this was undoubtedly the root of the emperor's true rage.

In less than twelve hours, he had uncovered the true face of this thief who had stolen the country.

This answer sheet was not only a testament to his ability and loyalty to His Majesty, but also a death knell for the Luo family.

Just as he was about to get up and order his sedan chair to be prepared to enter the palace to report, the heavy rosewood door of the office was suddenly pushed open from the outside with all his might!

A loud crash shattered the silence of the room.

A captain in charge of perimeter surveillance stumbled in, his expression one of extreme terror, as if he had just witnessed a vengeful ghost crawling out of hell.

He clutched a thin strip of paper tightly in his hand, which was already mostly soaked with cold sweat from his palms.

"Commander!"

Tian Ergeng's pupils suddenly contracted. This captain was the confidant he had personally assigned to be the one who turned the Luo family's inside agent against them.

His brows furrowed deeply, and he shouted sternly, "What's with all this panic? What kind of behavior is this!"

The captain fell to his knees with a thud, his body trembling violently with fear.

He held the sweat-soaked note high above his head, his voice trembling and almost incoherent, as if he were crying:
"The little steward who was serving outside the study of the Luo family... just... just risked his life to deliver this."

Tian Ergeng's heart stirred.

They had gone to great lengths to bribe that steward, promising him a reward of three thousand taels of silver if the job was done.

Of course, if he doesn't comply, his whole family might have to go to Lingnan to see the scenery.

Under heavy investment and pressure, this line became incredibly reliable.

Tian Ergeng took the paper and unfolded it.

The above is a dialogue copied in an extremely messy handwriting. Judging from the flustered state of the handwriting, one can tell how terrified the recorder was at the time.

The note read:

Yangxing: "Father, I feel uneasy about His Majesty's summons of Tian Ergeng. Lately, we've become too involved with those people in the south. Is it... too conspicuous?"

Tian Ergeng's gaze sharpened.

Immediately following was another person's words, where the handwriting clearly paused, as if the person copying the words was also quite startled by them.

Si Gong (sneered): "Yang Xing, you're still too young. You must remember, the reason our Luo family has enjoyed three generations of wealth and prosperity is not because of blind loyalty to any particular Zhu emperor, but because of our loyalty to the identity of the 'Imperial Guard'!"

Tian Ergeng's breath caught in his throat for a moment when he saw those words.

He continued to look down.

"Your Majesty is the heavens, the dragon boat, and of course we must sit on it. But water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it! The gentry of the court and the wealthy merchants of the land are the water, the power! They are the sampans we have prepared!"

"As long as the dragon boat is stable, we will remain loyal on board; if the dragon boat is in danger of capsizing, we can safely leave on these sampans, and even in the new dynasty, we will still be people of high status!"

"It doesn't matter who becomes emperor. What matters is that our Luo family must never be dragged into the abyss because of the sinking of a ship!"

……

"Snapped!"

With a sharp crack, the fine wolf-hair brush in Tian Ergeng's hand was snapped in two!

An indescribable, bone-chilling cold, as if solidified into a tangible ice spike, pierced his skull from his tailbone upwards!

Tian Ergeng's mind went blank for a moment, as if a "buzz" had gone through his head.

The few words on that thin piece of paper now felt like a poisoned branding iron, searing out hideous words in his mind.

He finally understood.

He finally understood the terrifying murderous intent hidden behind the emperor's calm gaze!
Corruption? Clique formation?
All those mountains of gold and silver, all those intricate networks of vested interests, seemed so ridiculous and insignificant at this moment!
The notes continued to be recorded on that piece of paper.
"...His Majesty is still young, and capricious, not much better than that carpenter..."

"...What talk of the empire and its people? Our Luo family is the foundation, while the Zhu family's empire is merely a temporary inn for us..."

"...This Ming Dynasty ship looks big, but it's actually riddled with holes. When it really sinks, we'll not only be the first to jump ship, but we'll also take advantage of the chaos to salvage as many valuable planks as possible..."

This is not just disrespect, it's contempt! It's utter contempt for the emperor!

This deep-seated selfishness and contempt, when combined with their years of forming cliques, selling secrets, and accumulating wealth, is no different from treason!
In the eyes of the father and son, the emperor was just a young host who could be fooled, and the Ming Dynasty was just a broken ship that could be abandoned at any time!
Their loyalty was never to the emperor, nor to the Ming Dynasty, but to their own family!

So-called loyalty and bravery are nothing more than a performance used to gain more leverage from the emperor when the dragon boat is stable.

And once the storm hits, they will be the first to jump onto the prepared sampans and escape, or even the executioners who will dig a few more holes in the bottom of the dragon boat so that it sinks even faster!
At that moment, Tian Ergeng felt an unprecedented fear.

The fear came crashing down on him, overwhelming his anger at the Luo family's crimes and his anxiety about his future, leaving only a deep-seated awe of the emperor.

He vividly recalled every detail of his audience with the emperor.

That's right, the moment I mentioned Luo Yangxing!

In that instant, His Majesty's expression suddenly changed, revealing a cold look that was a mixture of disgust, anger, and "I wish I could stab him myself!"

It was as if someone had just whispered in His Majesty's ear, in his mind, the most meticulous evidence to confirm the most rebellious conjecture.

This was absolutely not intelligence that Wei Zhongxian or Zhou Quanneng had provided in advance, and Tian Ergeng was absolutely certain of this.

If Your Majesty had known all along that the Luo family harbored such intentions and had done such things, the Luo family would have faced a devastating massacre long ago, and would not have had to wait until Your Majesty mentioned Luo Yangxing's name to finally erupt in anger!

So, here's the question...

A question that made Tian Ergeng's blood almost freeze:
Before he received this news, before he presented all the evidence... how did Your Majesty find out?

(End of this chapter)