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

Chapter 351 He who does not show his emotions has a universe within his heart.
The murderous aura of the northern frontier seemed to linger in the air of the warm pavilion, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

The enormous map, illuminated by candlelight, seemed to still depict thousands of galloping troops and the neighing of clashing swords.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly retreated from Liaodong and Mobei, which were about to be stained with blood. The sharpness and cruelty in his eyes receded into his unfathomable pupils like the receding tide.

Heaven and earth are the chessboard, and he has already laid out a trap to crush the insects.

Zhu Youjian's gaze finally fell on the corner of the imperial desk, on the last stack of memorials that had not yet been reviewed.

Unlike the memorials on the other side, this stack was neatly arranged. The top one had the words "Jointly signed by the Guangdong Provincial Inspector, the Provincial Administration Commissioner, the Prefect of Guangzhou, and others" written in tiny characters on its cover.

The words "joint signature" were deliberately bolded and emphasized, conveying a sense of oppressive power that the law does not punish the masses.

"Guangdong……"

Zhu Youjian uttered these two words softly, a faint, cold smile appearing on his lips.

He stretched out his long, slender fingers and picked up the first memorial as if picking up a withered leaf.

Zhu Youjian did not rush to read it, but placed the memorial under the candlelight and carefully examined the official titles and names of the signatories on the cover.

Behind each name lies a deeply entrenched family in Guangdong, a vast network encompassing farmland, salt, iron, and maritime trade.

They were parasites on the Ming Dynasty, and also the "sky" of the local area.

Now, these "skys" have joined forces, wanting to break through another sky!
Zhu Youjian slowly opened the memorial. What came into view was the familiar official script, with neat handwriting, brilliant writing, and numerous allusions, expressing deep sorrow and indignation.

"...Your Majesty, we risk our lives to humbly beseech you for peace. We have heard that the way to govern a country lies in following the will of Heaven and responding to the needs of the people, allowing them to rest and recuperate. However, since assuming office, the newly appointed Governor of Guangdong, Lu Xiang-sheng, has disregarded the teachings of the sages, acted perversely and erratically, and is truly the cruelest official Guangdong has ever seen in a century..."

Zhu Youjian's gaze swept quickly over the so-called "crimes," each one meticulously crafted and ornately worded, making Lu Xiang-sheng seem like an utterly wicked villain.

The first charge was: "Unauthorized killing of gentry and persecution of local worthies." The memorial, written in tears, described how Chen, a renowned philanthropist and retired official from Guangzhou Prefecture, was executed along with his entire family and confiscated for merely expressing slight dissent regarding a land survey. Lu Xiang-sheng, using the pretext of "colluding with Japanese pirates," seized the opportunity to execute Chen and his family without a joint trial by the three judicial authorities. This act "chilled the hearts of scholars throughout the province and instilled fear in the gentry," truly an "unprecedented tyranny in the two hundred years of the dynasty."

The second charge was: "His troops harassed the people, oppressing the local populace." The memorial stated that Lu Xiang-sheng's "Tianxiong Army," composed of ruthless thugs from the north, had been arrogant and domineering since entering Guangdong, engaging in extortionate buying and selling, bullying men and women, behaving like bandits. The people "welcomed the royal army with food and drink," only to be met with "closing their doors and windows to avoid the ravages of war." If this continued, "the hearts of the people of Guangdong would be lost, and internal strife might ensue."

The third charge was: "Excessive imposition of commercial taxes, depleting resources like fish in a pond." The impeachment accused Lu Xiang-sheng of disregarding the imperial court's ancestral rule of a "one-thirtieth tax" and forcibly establishing tax checkpoints at the Thirteen Factories of Guangzhou, imposing heavy taxes on merchant ships sailing to sea, a policy dubbed the "New Maritime Trade Policy." This led to "soaring prices for goods, the collapse of trade routes," and countless people who relied on this livelihood being displaced. The memorial even tearfully questioned, "How is Your Excellency's action any different from that of the great pirates at sea?"

The fourth charge is: "Destroying ancestral rules and shaking the foundation of the nation." This is the most insidious. The memorial cites classical texts, claiming that Lu Xiang-sheng's land survey and unified tax collection were "competing with the gentry for profit," violating the original intention of Emperor Taizu Gao to treat scholars favorably. The gentry are the pillars of the nation and the cornerstone of the court's efforts to appease local communities. Lu Xiang-sheng's actions are tantamount to destroying the Great Wall and shaking the foundation of the nation.

……

One by one, in various categories, there were no fewer than a dozen major crimes.

Each charge was accompanied by detailed witness testimonies and physical evidence, and even a heartfelt letter from several officials who signed the petition, expressing their sincere apologies and making it seem as if Lu Xiang-sheng was a heinous villain who had brought disaster to the country and the people and was intolerable to the laws of heaven.

The lineup of collaborators is even more impressive.

Leading the group were several retired officials from the previous dynasty who were highly respected in Guangdong.

Following them were the wealthy merchants of Guangzhou Prefecture, those powerful families who controlled the overseas trade of silk, porcelain, and spices.

Even several high-ranking officials who were still in office, such as the Left and Right Councilors of the Guangdong Provincial Administration Commission, the Prefect of Guangzhou, and the Assistant Surveillance Commissioner, were prominently listed.

This was almost a joint attack by the entire Guangdong official, gentry, and merchant class.

This power is enough to ruin the reputation of any high-ranking official, and even the cabinet ministers in the capital might have to be wary of it.

However, there was not a trace of anger on Zhu Youjian's face.

He simply read quietly, his deep eyes like an ancient well.

When he read the words "the people are displaced" and "the scholars are disheartened," the sneer at the corner of his mouth became even more pronounced.

"A bunch of rats..."

Zhu Youjian gently closed the memorial, making a barely audible crisp sound. He muttered to himself, his voice low, yet colder than the autumn wind outside the window:
"Even on the verge of death, you're still making a racket!"

How could he not know what Lu Xiang-sheng had done in Guangdong?
Arbitrarily killing gentry? The letters found in the home of that so-called "Master Chen" that corresponded with Japanese pirates and other pirates were enough to warrant the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his entire clan ten times over! The amount of farmland he secretly owned was as high as 100,000 mu!
The so-called disturbance of the people was nothing more than some fighting during the investigation and confiscation of the property of a few so-called big households who colluded with the government to protect smugglers.

Forcibly imposing commercial taxes? For decades, those so-called tycoons have colluded with the Maritime Trade Office to conceal and underreport the goods shipped overseas, evading taxes amounting to more than a million taels! Now that Lu Xiang-sheng is merely making them spit out what they've already taken, they're already blaming it on exhausting resources?
ridiculous!

As for violating ancestral rules.

Zhu Youjian sneered inwardly.

I am the embodiment of ancestral authority!
This is hardly a memorial impeaching Lu Xiang-sheng; it is clearly a plea for mercy from these parasites, their lamentations, and even their...last will and testament!
They believed that the law could not punish the masses. They believed that with such deep-rooted connections, no one could touch them.

They thought that since the emperor was so far away, he was helpless!
Zhu Youjian slowly stood up and walked to the imperial desk.

He picked up his brush again, dipped it in thick ink, and the vermilion at the tip shimmered with an almost eerie, blood-red light under the candlelight.

The brushstrokes flowed like dragons and snakes, powerful and elegant.

It is neither parallel prose nor regulated verse, nor is it any kind of ornate language.

Just a few words, a seemingly ordinary sentence, yet containing boundless thunder—

"You are in Nanyue, yet the situation remains unsettled?"

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, penetrating the paper!
Every stroke seems to carry an undeniable sense of authority.

The last "乎" character, with its extended stroke, is like a battle blade slicing through, carrying a chilling killing intent, as if one could hear the sound of metal and stone cracking!
After writing, Zhu Youjian slammed the red brush heavily into the brush washer.

He raised his voice and said, "Comprehensive."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark figure flashed past the palace door, and Zhou Quan strode into the palace, kneeling on one knee.

"The minister is here."

Zhu Youjian didn't even look at him. He simply used his finger to slowly push the letter with the imperial annotations, along with the neatly stacked impeachment memorials, to the edge of the table.

"These things," the emperor's voice was calm and even, yet Zhou Quan felt a murderous intent spreading throughout the hall, "send them immediately through the Eastern Depot's six-hundred-mile express courier channel, and deliver them intact to Lu Xiang-sheng."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Quan felt a sudden chill run down his spine!
He cautiously raised his head and glanced at the letter and the melody out of the corner of his eye!
The emperor's meaning couldn't be clearer.

"I...obey the order!"

Zhou Quan held his hands above his head, respectfully holding the letter that would determine the fate of Southern Guangdong and the stack of memorials in his hands, as if holding a death warrant from the King of Hell.

"Within ten days, Lord Lu will surely receive the Emperor's reprimand!"

"Go." Zhu Youjian waved his hand and didn't look at him again.

"My lord, please retire."

Zhou Quan slowly rose and backed away, disappearing silently into the deep night like a wisp of smoke.

Silence returned to the warm pavilion.

Only the candlelight remained, flickering gently in the occasional breeze, making a "crackling" sound.

Zhu Youjian slowly walked to the window and gently pushed open a crack in the carved window frame with his finger.

It was late autumn, and the night wind, carrying a bone-chilling cold, suddenly rushed in.

The wind dispersed the warm fragrance inside the pavilion, and also dispelled the last trace of annoyance in his heart caused by reviewing memorials.

The cool air rushed into his lungs, invigorating him and making his mind clearer.

Zhu Youjian raised his head and looked up at the deep, boundless night sky.

A clear, cold moon hung high in the sky, its bright light like mercury spilling onto the ground, coating the glazed tiles of the entire Forbidden City with a layer of frost-like silver radiance.

"Heaven shows no favoritism, but always sides with the virtuous."

He murmured this line from the Tao Te Ching, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

A good person? What is good? What is evil? To him, and to this land, what makes the Ming Dynasty strong is good! What erodes the foundation of the nation is evil!
Mercy to evildoers is the greatest cruelty to the common people!

Zhu Youjian's gaze pierced through the deep night, as if he were seeing that huge map once again, and at the northernmost point of the map, the Jurchen people between the white mountains and black waters.

"Huang Taiji..."

His voice was so soft in the cold night wind that it was almost inaudible, yet it was like the crisp sound of a chess piece falling onto a jade chessboard, announcing the end of an epic game of chess.

"Enjoy your last peaceful winter!"

(End of this chapter)