Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Xia Shouzhong bowed and said:

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Jingsheng raised his eyes and continued to ask:

"What about Lai Shangrong's matter?"

Xia Shouzhong said:

"The Marquis of Jingwu instructed his servants to have the Imperial City Guard investigate Lai Shangrong, saying that he violated the regulations on donations under the Great Han Law, that the source of his funds for donating official positions was unclear, and that he was of low birth and had obtained his position through fraudulent donations."

"Please have the Imperial City Guard thoroughly investigate his crimes and rid the court of this scourge. He says he will submit a memorial to His Majesty requesting permission. What do you think of this?"

After a moment of silence, Emperor Jingsheng chuckled softly.

"He did indeed say in his memorial that he was good at saving trouble. He managed the household affairs and won people's hearts. I was just watching the show and didn't get any benefits. I even had to help out."

Xia Shouzhong said cautiously:

"If Your Majesty finds this inappropriate, this servant will have someone report it to him..."

Emperor Jingsheng waved his hand and said:

"No need! Do as instructed."

Emperor Jingsheng stood up, walked to the map hanging on the wall, and stood with his back to Dai Quan:

"How did Lai Shangrong, that seventh-rank county magistrate, obtain his position through bribery? What has his reputation been like over the years?"

Xia Shouzhong looked cautious and said:

"Your Majesty! It was in the third year of Jingsheng that the Lai family, through Jia Zhen, a third-rank general of Ningguo Prefecture, used Dai Quan's connections at Longshou Palace to donate seven thousand taels of silver and obtain the position of magistrate in Jiangnan..."

Emperor Jingsheng's gaze sharpened.

Xia Shouzhong dared not say anything more.

In the third year of Jingsheng, Emperor Jingsheng had only been on the throne for a short time and lacked control over the court, which is why a lot of power was taken away from the retired emperor.

After a long silence, Emperor Jingsheng slowly said:

"A mere grandson of a lackey can become a county magistrate for a few thousand taels of silver. My imperial titles and ranks have been sold off for worthless value! Very well..."

Emperor Jingsheng turned around, his gaze sharp, and said in a deep voice:

"Investigate Lai Shangrong's case swiftly and thoroughly. Also, thoroughly investigate all the officials who bought their positions through Longshou Palace over the years."

"Those who are corrupt, incompetent, and lawless should be executed, arrested, or exiled. My court will not tolerate such filth."

Xia Shouzhong bowed:

"Your servant obeys!"

Emperor Jingsheng walked back to his desk but did not sit down.

He picked up Jia Jing's memorial and read the last few sentences again:

"...The corruption within the household is not a recent phenomenon. People like Lai Da, relying on their seniority, act lawlessly and disregard the law and the household's authority. I govern my household with military discipline, though harsh, without regret. For how can one govern the world if one cannot even sweep one's own house? How can one govern a country if one cannot even govern one's own family?"

Emperor Jingsheng murmured to himself:

"If you can't sweep a room, how can you sweep the world? This is not only referring to his management of his family, but also to my management of the country."

"In recent years, I have been implementing new policies in the court, purging corruption and eliminating long-standing problems. Isn't this also a way of governing the country with military law?"

"What's the difference between those corrupt officials and the likes of Lai Da? They're just wearing official hats."

Xia Shouzhong dared not respond.

Emperor Jingsheng muttered to himself again:

"Lai Da, a mere servant, embezzled hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. In my court, which of the governors, viceroys, and nobles isn't far more corrupt than Lai Da?"

"I would love to drag them out one by one and execute them if they deserve it, but I do not have the prestige of the Taizu and Chengzu emperors, so I have to take it one step at a time."

Emperor Jingsheng walked with his hands behind his back to the carved window frame, looked at the vast night sky, and said in a low voice:

"Since I ascended the throne, the deficit of the Ministry of Revenue has only increased. Nine out of ten places in the country suffer from disasters, and military campaigns in Liaodong, the Northwest, and the Southwest also require money."

"The Ministry of Revenue's finances have become increasingly strained in recent years. If it weren't for the confiscation of the spoils from the Marquis of Linchuan, the Duke of Cheng, and others, and the handover of some of the spoils after the great victory in Liaodong, we probably wouldn't have been able to celebrate the New Year properly."

"And in Jiangnan, the Zhen family also owes the court a considerable amount of debt because they once welcomed the late emperor and the retired emperor."

"Their family manages the Jiangning Textile Bureau, and who knows how much silver they have embezzled from the imperial court to support their extravagant lifestyle."

"The imperial court is constantly in deficit, yet the wealth of these officials is increasing day by day. I am merely implementing new policies, and those officials are already clamoring that I am 'competing with the people for profit' and that my policies are 'oppressive.' It's utterly shameless."

"This is all my money! But I cannot get it back!"

As Emperor Jingsheng finished speaking, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Jia Jing only investigated a few servants in the Jia family, but the proceeds from the confiscation of their property were probably no less than three or four hundred thousand taels of silver.

If he could confiscate the wealth of these corrupt officials in the imperial court, how much silver would that bring?

With this money, the imperial court will no longer have to worry about funding for disaster relief or military operations!

Xia Shouzhong's expression changed slightly, and he said:

"Your Majesty! The other officials are fine, but the Zhen family not only has a past relationship with the Emperor Emeritus, but the Zhen matriarch also served the Empress Dowager. It's really not advisable to act rashly..."

"She's just another 'Old Lady Lai'! The world will never lack such sycophantic and wicked lackeys!"

"I want to see how long they can stay carefree. Once I have the time, none of the salt merchants, the Zhen family, or the powerful clans of Jiangnan will be able to cause any trouble."

Emperor Jingsheng snorted coldly, his voice chilling.

The Jiangnan region has always been a thorn in the side of the imperial court, with powerful and influential families deeply entrenched in their power.

They had been secretly resisting the implementation of the court's new policies, and taxes had been decreasing year after year. Emperor Jingsheng had long wanted to rectify the situation, but the time was not yet ripe.

Emperor Jingsheng looked at Xia Shouzhong and said:

"Jia Qing did a good job! He practiced at home on my behalf first."

Xia Shouzhong said:

"It is Your Majesty's wisdom that has enabled you to appoint such a hero as Marquis Jingwu. Now that the army at Baling is nearing completion, Your Majesty will soon be able to implement sweeping reforms to the court!"

Emperor Jingsheng shook his head and said:

"The Northwest is in turmoil, it's truly distressing!"

After a moment of silence, Emperor Jingsheng suddenly said:

"Did you know he wrote another poem today?"

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly replied:

"I heard that it was the younger sisters of Marquis Jingwu who invited him to a poetry gathering, and he couldn't refuse, so he wrote a poem."

"Even I, a man of little learning, find it excellent."

"In particular, the line 'If I could receive the Emperor's favor, which is as deep as the sea, my heart would forever be devoted to the Emperor's grace' perfectly captures the heart of this servant, demonstrating the Marquis of Jingwu's unwavering loyalty to His Majesty."

Emperor Jingsheng smiled upon hearing this and said:

"You really don't understand poetry. The essence of this poem is 'If it benefits the country, I will risk my life; how can I avoid it because of personal fortune or misfortune?' It means that for the sake of the country's interests, one should not avoid personal fortune or misfortune."

"For Jia Qing to be able to write this line is a testament to the effectiveness of my teachings over the past few days."

Xia Shouzhong gave a forced, awkward smile and remained silent.

Emperor Jingsheng, however, gave the following instructions:

"Tomorrow, frame this poem and hang it in my West Warm Pavilion. Let all the ministers who come here to discuss matters in the future see this poem and see what it means to be loyal to the country and its people."

"When I'm tired from reviewing memorials every day, I can take a look and see that there are still loyal ministers and capable generals in this world, and that I am not fighting alone."

Xia Shouzhong's eyes welled up slightly, and he sighed inwardly that Jia Jing's favor with the emperor was truly enviable. This was the first time that Emperor Jingsheng had ever hung a minister's poem on the West Warm Pavilion.

What does it mean to be favored by the emperor? What does it mean to enjoy the emperor's favor?

Marquis Jingwu is the best example!