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

Chapter 156 Dignity? With my life hanging by a thread, what do I need dignity for!
Capital.

As the eastern horizon began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, steam rose from the douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) stalls at the base of the thick city walls, carrying a unique sour aroma.

Several gray pigeons fluttered their wings and flew over the majestic Zhengyang Gate Tower, landing on the green-tiled eaves of an official's residence, tilting their heads to examine the heart of the empire on the verge of slumber and awakening.

On the main street, rows of small blue sedan chairs swayed leisurely.

The sedan bearers' footsteps followed the same rhythm that had remained unchanged for hundreds of years, so steady that the officials inside the sedan chairs could hardly feel any bumps.

Lord Wang of the Ministry of Rites was leaning back on a soft cushion, resting with his eyes closed, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He had a drink with some colleagues last night, and the consensus reached during the meal made everyone feel at ease—the longer the young emperor caused trouble in Shaanxi, the better.

Ideally, there should be several more "great victories" to teach those disobedient vassal kings and unruly border troops a lesson and exhaust his energy.

In this way, the capital city, the very foundation of the Ming Dynasty, could continue to operate according to its rules that made everyone comfortable.

An emperor should be a deity residing high in the imperial court.

While he was slaughtering countless people outside, the gentry and officials in the capital found it amusing to watch from afar and discuss the matter.

“When His Majesty returns to court, he will probably need to recuperate for a year or two. At that time…” Minister Wang was smugly planning how to arrange for his prized student to be placed in the Hanlin Academy.

However, his leisurely plan, along with the entire illusion of tranquility in the capital, was shattered in the next instant by a thunderbolt from afar!
"drive!"

A hoarse, yet incredibly powerful roar, fueled by all its strength, came from the direction of Deshengmen!

A fast horse!
A black horse, almost bursting into flames, galloped through the wide-open city gate like an arrow released from a bow!

The rider's figure had become one with the horse's back. His once bright and beautiful flying fish robe had been worn away by the wind and sand, and the edges were full of tattered and frayed edges, as if it had been dug out of the sand.

The only striking feature was the small, dark military flag behind him, fluttering in the morning breeze.

The knight's face was covered in a thick layer of dust, except for his eyes, which were bloodshot and frighteningly bright due to extreme fatigue and excitement.

He disregarded all rules, ignored the panicked crowds and sedan chairs scrambling to get out of the way, and with his last ounce of strength squeezed out a shout from his throat that could shake the entire street:
"A great victory in the Northwest!"

"Your Majesty—has pacified—Shaanxi! Has—stabilized—the—Southern—Mongolia!"

"I will return to court soon!"

These three sentences, like rolling thunderclaps, resounded continuously over the capital.

"Squeak-"

Wang Shilang's sedan chair came to an abrupt stop, and due to inertia, he slammed hard against the front wall of the sedan chair. His official hat was askew. Ignoring the pain, he flung open the curtain and looked at the source of the sound, his face ashen.

"Bang!"

Not far away, an official in a sedan chair seemed to be trying to stand up, but he missed a step, and the Ru kiln teacup in his hand flew out and shattered on the bluestone slab. The splashed tea seemed to be the turbulent waves that rose in the master's heart.

After a moment of silence, the entire street erupted in cheers.

Comfort was shattered.

Leisurely stroll, trampled to pieces!
That composure of watching from the sidelines, that self-righteous sense of control, became as fragile as a joke in the face of the earth-shattering roar of "Returning to court in no time."

The shouts of the young flag bearer continued tirelessly, imprinting those deadly words into everyone's minds again and again. Like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil, the entire capital city erupted in chaos.

The illusion of languid leisure was completely shattered, and everyone clearly felt that a cold, heavy, blood-stained shadow was rapidly and irresistibly enveloping them from the distant northwest.

That young emperor, that emperor who slaughtered vassal kings like dogs, is coming back!
……

British government.

The mansion, which used to be the most particular about pomp and ceremony, now had an atmosphere as oppressive as a tomb.

The mansion was home to most of the top nobles in the capital, whose ancestors had followed Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu in conquering this land.

At this moment, however, their faces showed no trace of the glory of sharing the fate of the nation, only a deep-seated fear.

Inside the main hall of the mansion, a table made of rosewood was set with fine Biluochun tea, but no one touched it, letting the tea cool down from hot to cold.

"The head of the King of Qin..." An old marquis with gray hair trembled like a leaf falling in the autumn wind, "He was the son and grandson of Emperor Gaozu!"

These words were like a cold awl, piercing the hearts of everyone present.

In the more than two hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there have been instances of princes being deposed, imprisoned, or even killed. However, to execute a prince so decisively and cleanly is an unprecedented act of atrocity!
The old marquis looked around, his cloudy eyes filled with despair: "Even the sons and grandsons of the emperor are killed without a second thought! What are we? The merits of our ancestors, the imperial edicts and certificates, are they enough to exchange for our own heads?"

No one answered.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sounds were the heavy, suppressed breathing of the people inside.

"I'm the youngest here, so let me say the unpleasant things."

A younger earl tried to break the silence, but his voice was dry and weak, "Didn't we agree before... that His Majesty needed money, so we'd donate? We'd donate half our fortune to buy peace..."

"Half?" The old marquis slammed his hand on the table, his usually composed face now contorted with fear and rage. He glared at the earl as if he wanted to devour him: "You want us all to go and accompany the King of Qin! Don't you understand yet?!"

He was panting heavily, pointing westward, and roared, "His Majesty is setting up 'Emperor's Settlements' in Shaanxi! What are 'Emperor's Settlements'? It means taking all the land of the vassal kings and those local tyrants and gentry into the 'Imperial Treasury'! He doesn't want the little bit of wealth you donated; he wants the land! Our roots! Our lifeline!"

"Take away the firewood from under the cauldron!"

Upon hearing these four words, the faces of all the nobles present turned from deathly pale to ashen.

They finally awoke from their illusion that losing money would avert disaster.

This young emperor didn't want a piece of cake at all; he wanted to overturn the whole table, smash everyone's bowls, and then use the fragments to forge a new golden bowl for himself!

"Then...what should we do?"

"What else can we do? He wants the land, so should we just give it to him?"

"How much should we give them? After giving them the land, how will we support this large family? How will we maintain the dignity of our household?"

"Decent? I'm about to lose my life, what do I need to be decent about!"

The hall instantly descended into chaos.

The focus of the discussion has long since shifted from the proactive issue of "how much to donate" to the passive and desperate question of "how to cut off a piece of flesh to survive".

These imperial nobles, born with silver spoons in their mouths, truly felt the terrifying pressure emanating from the imperial power—a pressure so unreasonable it could uproot them entirely!
The nobles were like a group of fat pigs kept in a luxurious pigsty. They had been happily snorting and grunting before, but now they suddenly heard the sound of knives being sharpened outside!
(End of this chapter)