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

Chapter 287 Some accounts are only worth four ounces when weighed.
Everyone was waiting, waiting for that thunderous next sentence.

Should we order a thorough investigation? Arrest people on the spot? Or should we launch a massive crackdown that sweeps across all aspects of the canal transport industry?

However, the emperor fell silent once again.

His gaze slowly moved away from the three documents, swept over the trembling court officials below the steps, and finally landed on the figure who had been kneeling on the ground the whole time, as unmoving as a stubborn rock.

Li Chaoqin.

His flying fish robe appeared dark and deep in the dim light of the hall. Sweat had soaked the back of his clothes, but he remained kneeling upright, his spine like a javelin, as if no pressure could bend it even slightly.

Li Chaoqin was well aware that what he was presenting today was a great achievement, but it was also a double-edged sword.

He tore a hole in a vast, intricate network that covered almost half the country, which certainly eliminated a major threat to the emperor. However, every thread in this network was connected to a prominent family and a powerful group of officials and gentry.

If handled properly, it would be an unparalleled achievement; if handled carelessly, Li Chaoqin, along with the Eastern Depot behind him, would become the first target of the frenzied counterattack of those behemoths whose interests had been touched.

Success or failure, life or death, all depend on the single thought of the person on the dragon throne.

Time flowed slowly in the oppressive silence, and the dripping sound of melting ice seemed like a death knell, striking the hearts of everyone with each beat.

Just when the suffocating atmosphere was driving people crazy, the emperor finally spoke again.

But the question he asked startled everyone in the hall, who thought they were hallucinating due to excessive tension.

"Li Chaoqin".

The emperor's voice remained calm. He did not mention the canal transport or the three case files. His gaze was fixed on Li Chaoqin, as if he had temporarily forgotten the earth-shattering case that could shake the foundations of the country, and instead asked about an unrelated old matter.

"I remember you. Back in the capital, when you ascended into the sky in that 'Kongming lantern,' what did you see in the heavens?"

When these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was shocked.

At such a crucial juncture, which determines the lives of countless people and concerns the direction of national policy, the emperor would suddenly inquire about this old matter.

In an instant, countless guesses flashed through the minds of the two ministers, but none of them could stand up to scrutiny. The emperor's mind was unfathomable, and in front of this excessively young emperor, their proud experience in officialdom always seemed insufficient.

Zheng Zhilong was completely baffled. What Kongming lantern? What flying? He had no idea what riddles the emperor and his minister were talking about. He felt that the conversation in the Wenhua Hall was more incomprehensible than the most bizarre sea legends he had ever heard.

Li Chaoqin, the one being asked the question, was indeed stunned the moment he heard it.

He didn't have much time to think about those words and techniques.

The scene from that day flashed through his mind instantly—the bamboo basket beneath his feet swaying precariously, the howling wind in his ears, and the massive sphere overhead roaring with heat. He looked down and saw the vast capital city unfolding beneath him, its streets laid out like a chessboard, its crowds like ants, and its majestic palaces like an exquisite sand table model… The dizzying feeling of being detached from the earth, and the sense of control over the entire world beneath his feet, remained vivid in his memory to this day.

But what he remembers most clearly is not the scenery, but a feeling, a thought.

Li Chaoqin took a deep breath, suppressing all his distracting thoughts and speculations. He raised his head, meeting the emperor's unfathomable gaze, and answered in a heartfelt tone:
"Return to Your Majesty..."

His voice was slightly hoarse from kneeling for so long, but it was unusually firm.

"Looking down from the heavens, I feel that although the capital is vast, it is entirely under Your Majesty's control."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, or perhaps reliving his feelings from that moment.

"What I was thinking at the time was... whatever Your Majesty wants to see, we will go to heaven and earth to make sure Your Majesty sees it! whatever Your Majesty wants to do, we will do it even if it means our lives are shattered to pieces!"

The words were sonorous and powerful!
This answer lacks any literary merit, let alone any cleverness.

It is simple and rough, even carrying a kind of fierce and valiant spirit like a rough and unruly man.

Ascending to Heaven is to fulfill the Emperor's will.

A thorough investigation of the Grand Canal was also to fulfill the emperor's will.

These two seemingly unrelated things are actually completely the same at their core!

That means absolute, unconditional, and costless execution!

Li Chaoqin did not explain how he outwitted his opponents or devised the plan, nor did he boast about how many men he lost or how much effort he had put in.

He simply told the emperor one thing in the most straightforward way: the only value of Li Chaoqin and the Eastern Depot he represented was to serve as the emperor's eyes, ears, hands, and feet. The emperor's will was their blade's path, regardless of whether it led to an abyss or a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire.

Silence fell once again inside the main hall.

But this time, the oppressive atmosphere has quietly changed.

The emperor's tense lips slowly turned upwards.

Then, he slowly nodded.

It was just a nod.

There was not a single word of praise, not a single promise, not even a glance exchanged.

However, for Li Chaoqin, this nod was worth more than a thousand words!

He was about to kowtow again, transforming his unwavering loyalty into an even stronger oath, when Zhu Youjian, seated on the dragon throne, gently waved his hand. "Minister Bi, Minister Wen, Minister Zheng," the emperor's voice clearly echoed in every corner of the hall, "Let's conclude our discussion here today. My mind has made up regarding the three-pronged approach; the specific strategy will be discussed another day. You may all leave."

Upon hearing this, Bi Ziyan and Wen Tiren felt as if they had been granted a pardon, yet their hearts tightened.

They exchanged a glance, both seeing the same meaning in each other's eyes: the emperor had sent them away, leaving Li Chaoqin alone, to deal with the mess that was causing the Grand Canal!
A massive purge is about to begin, spearheaded by the Eastern Depot in the silent Wenhua Hall.

Zheng Zhilong felt a chill run through him. He knew that every word the emperor spoke to Li Chaoqin afterward could determine the fate of countless heads in Jiangnan.

In this level of strategic maneuvering, a pirate who had just landed didn't even have the right to listen in.

The three of them dared not delay in the slightest, bowed respectfully, and left the Wenhua Hall with unsteady steps.

As the heavy palace doors slowly closed behind them, they completely shut out the suffocating imperial majesty and murderous intent within.

Inside the hall, silence returned.

Li Chaoqin's heart was pounding like a drum; he knew the decisive moment had arrived.

However, the emperor slowly rose from the dragon throne, walked down the imperial steps, and step by step, walked to Li Chaoqin, who was still kneeling on the ground.

Li Chaoqin lowered his head even further, almost touching the gold bricks.

"Get up," the emperor said softly. "Don't kneel."

Li Chaoqin was startled and looked up somewhat at a loss, only to see that the emperor's face had lost its previous icy indifference and his eyes had become much gentler.

He hesitated for a moment, but still stood up as instructed, bowing respectfully and not daring to overstep his bounds in the slightest.

"I know about the canal transport," the emperor said calmly. "You handled it very well."

That was all there was to it, and that was the end of it.

Li Chaoqin's heart was in his throat, but he dared not ask any further questions.

Zhu Youjian then changed the subject and asked a question that Li Chaoqin had never expected.

"I entrusted you with the care of Wei Banban... How has her health been since you arrived in Songjiang Prefecture?"

Li Chaoqin paused for a moment before stammering, "Your Majesty, the Grand Eunuch... he's doing well. It's just that the heat has affected his health, and he's not feeling too well."

"Hmm." Zhu Youjian nodded, his gaze seemingly piercing through the palace, carrying a hint of reminiscence. "When I saw him a few days ago, he was in good spirits and looked quite robust. But he is getting old after all, and with this sweltering heat, you must not be careless. Find several good doctors to take care of him. The matter is important, but people are the foundation of getting things done."

Li Chaoqin's eyes welled up with tears, and he almost shed a tear. He instantly understood the profound meaning behind those words.

The emperor acknowledged that Wei Zhongxian, this pawn, still held considerable influence, but even more so, he acknowledged the dirty deeds Li Chaoqin had performed for him during this period.

This recognition is more precious than any reward or promise!

Because it means that as long as they are still useful, as long as they can continue to pave the way for the emperor, then they still have a reason to exist, and their loyalty has a place to rest.

He and his adoptive father made the right choice!

Upon thinking of this, all of Li Chaoqin's anxiety, doubts, and unease vanished.

His mind suddenly cleared, and the direction for the future became crystal clear.

He bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Your subject... obeys the decree! On behalf of the Grand Eunuch, I thank Your Majesty for your divine grace!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, a faint smile on his face.

"Go."

Just those two words.

Li Chaoqin was stunned again.

Is this... over?
Are you not going to explain the case involving the Grand Canal? Are you not going to arrest the people on that list?

But Li Chaoqin did not ask.

He knew he shouldn't ask.

The emperor told him to leave, so he left.

"My lord, please retire."

Li Chaoqin bowed respectfully, and then calmly and steadily withdrew from the Wenhua Hall.

The moment he turned and stepped out of the palace gate, the light from the sky illuminated his face, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Li Chaoqin was satisfied.

The emperor did not hand over the authority to handle the Grand Canal transport issue to the Eastern Depot, but he had already obtained what he wanted most.

(End of this chapter)