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

Chapter 184 Infernal Affairs

Zhu Youjian extended his finger again, that finger with distinct knuckles, the one that held the highest decision-making power in the empire, and gently drew a circle on the map.

An irregular yet shocking circle.

This circle starts in Shandong, between the sea and the mountains, and travels south, sweeping through the heart of the Central Plains in Henan, eventually encompassing the incredibly prosperous Jiangnan water towns.

Then, the emperor spoke again.

"Wei Zhongxian".

With his back to Wei Zhongxian, his gaze remained fixed on the map.

"If you are one of those salt merchants who harbor resentment over the unified tax collection and the Salt and Iron Bureau, and wish you could eat my flesh and sleep on my skin, or one of those gentry who own vast tracts of land and see me as a thorn in their side..."

His voice paused, and beneath that calm tone lay a chilling coldness that could freeze the air.

"If you want to unite your relatives and raise the banner of 'purging the emperor's corrupt advisors,' who will you choose as the most crucial piece to shake up the entire Ming Dynasty?"

This problem is like an invisible, swift knife, instantly severing all the complex appearances and reaching the most fatal weakness beneath the chaos.

Wei Zhongxian's hunched body tensed up almost imperceptibly when he heard the question.

But he did not hesitate for a moment.

This question has been swirling in his shrewd mind countless times these days.

"Your Majesty," his voice was exceptionally clear, "it must be Prince Lu!"

Wei Zhongxian did not hesitate for a moment, nor did he speculate at all; this was the only answer he came up with from a purely self-interested perspective.

He slightly raised his head, his cloudy eyes flashing with a shrewd and precise light, and began to analyze this extremely dangerous game for the emperor.

“Your Majesty, although Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, is richer than a country, he is just an empty shell, fattened up with gold and silver, nothing more than a giant money bag. Those people need him to give them money and fame, but they will never serve him as their master. He is greedy and cowardly, only fit to provide financial support behind the scenes, and cannot shoulder any important responsibilities.”

"As for the King of Chu in Huguang and the King of Shu in Sichuan, they are located in the remote southwest, far away by mountains and rivers. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't reach them and would hardly be able to make a difference. By the time their troops have crossed mountains and rivers to make their way out, it will be too late for the capital to catch up."

Wei Zhongxian's analysis was like a sharp peeling knife, stripping away the layers of those seemingly powerful vassal kings until only their most essential core remained.

Finally, his gaze, as if mirroring that of the emperor, fell upon that crucial location on the map—Yanzhou.

"Only Prince Lu, Zhu Shouhong."

Wei Zhongxian's voice deepened, carrying an almost tangible sense of solemnity.

"In terms of geographical advantage, his fiefdom of Yanzhou is precisely located at the throat of the Grand Canal! Once he raises his banner, the north-south water transport will be cut off immediately! The food supply for the millions of soldiers and civilians in the capital, as well as the provisions for the hundreds of thousands of troops in the nine border regions, will become a rope hanging in his hand, which he can tighten at any time, causing the capital to fall into chaos without a fight."

"In terms of human resources, the Lu King's lineage has been operating in Shandong for over two hundred years, establishing deep roots. More importantly..."

Wei Zhongxian lowered his voice even further, as if the name itself possessed some kind of magic.

"His fiefdom is very close to the Confucian family in Qufu. The Confucian family is the holy ancestor of all scholars in the world. Once the Prince of Lu joins forces with the Confucian family, he can easily raise the banner of defending the Way and respecting Confucianism, and gain the moral support of civil officials and scholars throughout the country. At that time, Your Majesty's 'unified tax payment' will be slandered by them as an oppressive policy that competes with the people for profit; your establishment of the Salt and Iron Bureau will be misinterpreted as an act of tyranny that shakes the foundation of the country!"

At this point, Wei Zhongxian took a deep breath, as if he were already terrified by the horrific scene he had described.

He delivered his final speech, his voice sounding particularly jarring in the quiet, warm chamber.

"Therefore, this old servant dares to assert that as long as those people persuade the Prince of Lu, the lifeline of the canal transport in the north can be cut off, and the hearts of the people in the south can be won over. This great undertaking of purging the court of corrupt officials seems to be half accomplished!"

After he finished speaking, the warm pavilion fell into an even deeper silence.

Wei Zhongxian knelt on the ground, awaiting the emperor's reaction. He had presented the most dangerous possibilities he could deduce without reservation.

This conclusion is enough to keep any emperor awake at night and restless.

However, to his surprise, he did not receive a thunderous outburst, nor did he receive any anxious inquiries.

Wei Zhongxian only heard the emperor let out a very soft, almost inaudible sneer.

A few breaths later, that eerily calm voice rang out again.

"Wei Zhongxian, your analysis is correct."

Zhu Youjian slowly turned around, his unfathomable eyes quietly gazing at Wei Zhongxian kneeling on the ground.

"so……"

He deliberately dragged out his words, "Back when I personally led a large army to Shaanxi to quell the rebellion..."

The salt merchants, led by the Wang family of Yangzhou, had already dispatched trusted aides with lavish gifts to secretly travel north to Yanzhou. There, they met with Prince Lu.

These words were like an invisible needle piercing Wei Zhongxian's very marrow. His deeply lined old face lost all color and turned as white as paper.

He suddenly raised his head, his voice distorted with extreme horror.

“Then…that King Lu…?!” He didn’t even dare to utter that most terrifying guess.

He thought he had heard devastating news that could bring down the Ming Dynasty, and that his sand table simulation had just become a bloody reality.

Wei Zhongxian even began to believe that the emperor had kept him in order to discuss how to deal with the raging fire that had already been ignited and was now capable of spreading like wildfire!

Zhu Youjian smiled as he looked at Wei Zhongxian's terrified expression and slowly revealed the truth that was enough to overturn everything.

That very night, the Prince of Lu personally wrote a secret memorial.

"That secret memorial was delivered to the capital by the Embroidered Uniform Guard's elite cavalry, traveling 600 li by express courier day and night."

"Then Tian Ergeng personally sent someone to transfer it to Xi'an, to my temporary residence."

Wei Zhongxian's pupils dilated to their maximum size in an instant. He opened his mouth, making a "hoarse" sound in his throat, like a fish out of water, but he couldn't utter a single word.

His mind went blank.

Zhu Youjian seemed quite satisfied with his reaction at that moment, and leisurely delivered the final blow.

"Li Ruolian, the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has been comfortably staying as a guest in a villa behind the Prince of Lu's residence for half a month."

The warm pavilion fell silent.

Wei Zhongxian's entire expression froze on his face; the extreme shock, the extreme fear, the extreme disbelief all ultimately turned into a blank, bewildered expression.

He had assumed the emperor was facing an impending storm and was troubled about how to reinforce the dikes.

They even thought they were sharing the emperor's burdens, pointing out the most dangerous anthill.

For a fleeting moment, he even felt a sense of pride in his ability to see through all of this.

But he never expected...

While he was still pointing at the most ferocious fish in the water from the shore, exclaiming in alarm about the danger, this young emperor had already planted a nail in the heart of that fish, making it obey his commands!
The emperor was actively orchestrating this grand drama from behind the scenes!

A chill, a hundred times stronger than when he first heard that Prince Lu might be plotting a rebellion, surged from Wei Zhongxian's heart.

It took him a long time to regain his voice from the shock that had almost suffocated him.

"This old servant... understands."

That was all he could utter, because any words seemed so pale and ridiculous after understanding this astonishing scheme.

Zhu Youjian looked at Wei Zhongxian, who was completely intimidated by him, and remained calm.

“The line that Prince Lu is using is a good line. But relying on it alone is not thick enough to catch all the real big fish.”

Wei Zhongxian's tense body relaxed slightly upon hearing these words.

What the emperor wanted was a purge that would sweep across the entire south, one that he would personally launch!
“Therefore,” Zhu Youjian’s voice rang out again, with an undeniable determination, “I have decided to personally travel south.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian's heart, which had just become feverish after understanding the emperor's intentions, suddenly skipped a beat!
This time, he didn't ask any more questions, but instead voiced his guess in a trembling voice.

"Your Majesty..."

He raised his head, his eyes flashing with a complex light of fervent excitement.

"You...you're not going to investigate a case, nor are you going to arrest someone..."

"You, you're going to...be the...biggest 'bait' yourself?!"

"Are you going to use your own precious body to force all the most cunning and largest fish hiding in the deepest depths to come out and bite the hook?!"

This problem represents the wildest and most daring limit he could imagine.

To enter a land of tigers and wolves as bait to lure out traitors!
What courage! What danger!
However, the emperor did not answer his almost mute question directly.

He turned around and gazed again at the map, at the prosperous and dazzling Jiangnan region, which also harbored turbulent undercurrents.

The night light shone through the window lattice onto his profile, making the cold smile on his lips all the more vivid.

Zhu Youjian spoke softly, his voice so light it seemed like a dream, yet it was clearly imprinted in Wei Zhongxian's ears.

"Do not."

"I am going to deliver a knife to them."

“A sword…so fast that they all felt it could cut me, the emperor, down with a single stroke.”

(End of this chapter)