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

Chapter 119 They think they are shepherds. But I am the sheep. The people of the world are the grass!

In the dead of night, the Qianqing Palace is so quiet that it seems as if you can hear the slow movement of the stars in the universe above the dome.

Unlike the oppressive stillness of Qian Qianyi's mansion, which was filled with desire and intrigue, the stillness here is a completely different realm. It is the heart-pounding tranquility in the eye of the storm, the hunter's last patience before closing the net, and the master's deep gaze before placing his piece!

Zhu Youjian sat alone behind the imperial desk that had once belonged to the emperors of the Ming Dynasty.

There were no memorials piled up on the table, only three secret reports neatly arranged.

Three secret reports, from three different places.
The three eunuchs—Wei Zhongxian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and Director of the Eastern Depot; Tian Ergeng, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; and Zhou Quan, the Director of the Western Depot—were like three ferocious beasts kept in the shadows by the emperor. Each had their own independent trough and territory, and most of the time, they were not subordinate to each other and were even wary of one another.

Zhu Youjian pressed his finger lightly on the first sealed wax, and the hard wax block cracked in response. He did not rush to read the contents, but instead opened all three secret reports and laid them out side by side in front of him.

This was a habit he had gradually developed over the past few months: the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Western Depot were separate entities that monitored each other.

He never fully trusted any of them, but he believed that when three reports on the same matter were presented to him, the truth would emerge on its own from the subtle differences, the shifts in emphasis, and the striking consistency.

On matters of life and death, none of the three parties dared to falsify confidential information.

They knew better than anyone the cost of deceiving the emperor.

Being an incompetent and mediocre official might allow one to survive; but being a self-righteous and rebellious official will only lead to a worse fate than Zhou Yanru!
Zhu Youjian's gaze swept over the characters written in small regular script, inch by inch.

Three secret reports, from three completely different perspectives and with three very different writing styles, recorded the same events.

This intelligence was so detailed it was outrageous.

The feeling was incredibly strange, as if he himself were sitting in the elegant study of Qian Qianyi's mansion, enjoying the self-righteous conspiracy; or as if his soul was floating on the beam of the South City Guild Hall, coldly observing the carefully orchestrated public outrage.

The entire chessboard was laid out clearly in front of him, and he had complete control over the position of every piece, every move, and even their possible next moves.

Zhu Youjian liked this feeling.

Wang Chengen stood by, not daring to look at the contents of the secret reports, but just from the shocking names and the unfathomable expression on the emperor's face, he could already guess the earth-shattering storm contained within.

His palms were already soaked with cold sweat.

As the person closest to the emperor, he knew better than anyone the tireless work the young emperor had put in since his ascension to the throne.

Countless sleepless nights he spent with the Emperor reviewing the countless memorials from the nine border regions and disaster-stricken areas.

He felt distressed.

He felt genuinely sorry for his master, who bore the weight of the entire empire on his shoulders.

And now, those ministers who should have shared the emperor's burdens, those scholars who should have become pillars of the nation, are instead weaving the most insidious web behind his back!
Wang Chengen finally couldn't hold back any longer and took half a step forward, his voice trembling slightly with fear and anger:
"Your Majesty... Rumors are rampant in the capital, like dry tinder piled up to ignite a raging fire." Zhu Youjian slowly raised his head. In his deep eyes, there was no anxiety or anger that Wang Chengen had expected. He just quietly looked at his loyal eunuch, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Instead of answering Wang Chengen's question, he asked a completely unrelated one.

"Cheng'en, tell me, what should a good whetstone be like?"

Wang Chengen was stunned.

He couldn't keep up with the emperor's train of thought at all.

Whetstone?
At this critical juncture, why would His Highness suddenly ask this question?
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word; he could only stare blankly at the emperor.

Zhu Youjian did not seem to expect his answer. He stood up on his own, left the imperial desk, and slowly walked to the window. His figure was set off by the night outside the window, making him look somewhat lonely and majestic.

He gazed at the profound darkness that seemed capable of swallowing everything, and in a calm, almost cold tone, asked and answered himself:
"These nobles throughout the court," Zhu Youjian's voice was completely calm, as if he were commenting on a game of chess that had nothing to do with him, "are descendants of the meritorious officials of the Taizu and Chengzu Emperors. But the blessings of their ancestors have not become armor for them to defend the country, but rather fertile ground to feed their laziness and greed, crippling their martial prowess while amplifying their desire for land and wealth a hundredfold."

"They control the grain transport routes around the capital, embezzle the military farmland that should be used to feed the border troops, and even collude with the Shanxi merchants whom I have uprooted."

"They're like a swarm of plump, oily leeches, clinging desperately to the heart of this empire," he paused, a chilling glint in his voice, "they won't give up until they've drained this land of its blood."
Wang Chengen was terrified, but dared not interrupt.

He knew that what the emperor needed at that moment was not a servant to interrupt, but simply an ear to listen.

"And then there are these civil officials," Zhu Youjian's tone grew increasingly sarcastic, "They pride themselves on being upright and consider themselves the embodiment of 'scholar-official spirit.' They look down on the vulgarity of the nobles and despise the greed of merchants, yet they are equally unwilling to let the state touch their interests in the slightest. They control the government, forming an impenetrable net. Any decree that attempts to reform or to cut flesh from their bodies will be rendered meaningless by them in the name of ancestral laws and public opinion."

Zhu Youjian slowly turned around, the night seemed to submit to him, and his gaze fell back on Wang Chengen's face, the smile becoming more and more obvious, and also more and more cold.

"You only saw the dry wood and the raging fire. But you didn't consider who piled up the wood, or why I should let the fire burn."

Wang Chengen suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"The nobles are stupid; their fear is written all over their faces. If you cut their flesh, they will only cry out in pain, but they dare not resist. But these civil officials are different; they think they are clever."

"What they are best at is stirring up trouble, using so-called moral tradition and public opinion as their weapons. They think that as long as they make a big fuss, I will be hesitant to act and will back down."

Zhu Youjian's smile blossomed completely, a smile that carried a hint of anticipation, and a hint of amusement, as if watching a clown about to take the stage.

"I was just worried about not finding a compelling reason to cleanse this deeply entrenched bureaucracy."

He walked to the imperial desk, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the surface.

"Then I will give them a grand stage, and I hope they... won't disappoint me."

(End of this chapter)