Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Although Qin Zhongxun and Wen Zonghan were dissatisfied, they dared not disobey Zhang Shi'an. They could only glare at each other hatefully and restrain their arrogance.

Once the room had calmed down, Zhang Shi'an spoke slowly, his tone softening: "I understand Vice Minister Wen's intentions. The national treasury is empty and urgently needs replenishment, and cracking down on unscrupulous wealthy merchants is only right. However, what Lord Qin said also makes sense. We should not be too extreme in our actions and must consider the overall situation."

He paused, looked around at everyone, and slowly stated his plan for reconciliation:

"Firstly, regarding the wealthy merchants of the South. The Wan family's crimes were proven beyond redemption, their property was confiscated and their clan exterminated, the male members were exiled three thousand li away, and the female members were sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district) as a warning to others."

"As for other wealthy merchants in the south, only those who have indeed violated the law, colluded with officials, or resisted or withheld taxes should be strictly investigated and punished according to the law. Their illegal gains should be confiscated and deposited into the national treasury. The scope of the crackdown should not be expanded to avoid disrupting local order."

"Secondly, regarding the Xue family. Xue Pan's crimes are heinous and have aroused public outrage. He is sentenced to beheading immediately and the execution will be carried out to appease Lord Zhou and appease public resentment. As for the Xue family's status as imperial merchants... it will be reserved for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Wen Zonghan immediately frowned: "Your Excellency, this is absolutely unacceptable! With such a scandal involving the Xue family, retaining their status as imperial merchants would hardly convince the public!"

"Minister Wen, please calm down."

Zhang Shi'an raised his hand to silence him and continued, "Retaining the imperial merchant status is not to condone the Xue family, but to stabilize the imperial treasury's procurement. But the Xue family will have to pay a price—"

A fine of two million taels of silver was imposed, and the right to procure salt and iron was revoked. The right to procure daily necessities such as silk and porcelain was retained, and officials were required to be stationed at the Xue family residence to supervise their accounts and prevent embezzlement.

"Aunt Xue has failed in her duty to raise her son, so she has been stripped of her title of Lady of the Imperial Decree and ordered to reflect on her mistakes in seclusion for three years. Xue Baochai has not committed any wrongdoing for the time being, and has been placed under the care of Lady Wang, who is not allowed to interfere in the Xue family's business affairs."

This arrangement not only severely punished the ringleaders and suppressed illegal forces, but also preserved necessary order and took into account the interests of all parties, demonstrating a good balance between action and restraint.

Qin Zhongxun nodded first: "Your Excellency's considerations are thorough, and I have no objection." He had always opposed excessive suppression of the Xue family, and this outcome was exactly what he wanted. He also took the opportunity to put Wen Zonghan in a better position, and he was secretly pleased with himself.

Although Wen Zonghan's expression was still unpleasant, he knew that this was the best solution—if he insisted on his own opinion, he would appear to be out of touch with the bigger picture.

He snorted coldly and turned his face away: "Since the Grand Secretary has made the decision, I have nothing to say. I only hope that the Xue family will not cause any more trouble in the future; otherwise, I will impeach them again!"

Seeing the two locked in a tense standoff, Zhang Shi'an sighed inwardly, feeling powerless to reconcile their conflict. He could only say in a deep voice:

"In that case, draft an edict accordingly and submit it to His Majesty for approval immediately. Lord Qin, you will be in charge of the subsequent investigation and supervision. You must enforce the law impartially, without favoritism or abuse of power."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Qin Zhongxun bowed and accepted the order, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Wen Zonghan with a hint of provocation.

Seeing this, Wen Zonghan's lips curled into a cold smile, and he began to make his plans—

Qin Zhongxun is in charge of this matter, and he will definitely take the opportunity to place his own people in the line of duty. All I need to do is keep an eye on him secretly. Once Qin Zhongxun makes the slightest mistake, I will immediately seize the opportunity to impeach him severely and make him suffer a great loss!

The atmosphere in the Cabinet Office remained heavy. Although a solution had been devised, new hidden dangers had also been sown.

The conflict between Qin Zhongxun and Wen Zonghan did not subside with this meeting; on the contrary, it would escalate further with subsequent supervision and confiscation.

Meanwhile, in the Jinyiwei prison, Xue Pan was still huddled in a cold corner, completely unaware of his impending execution. He kept crying and begging his family to rescue him.

The snow in the capital was still falling softly, and the cold wind swirled the snowflakes against the windowpanes of the duty room, making a howling sound, as if foreshadowing that the turmoil in the court was only just beginning.

Prince Zhongshun, Zhang Shixun, stood before the gate of Shuiyue Nunnery. His scarlet cloak, soaked by snowflakes, hung heavily on his shoulders, but it was nothing compared to the weight on his heart.

The flickering candlelight inside the nunnery illuminated rows of huddled figures in the courtyard.

Those were hundreds of young boys and girls who had been found. The youngest was only three or four years old, and the oldest was just over ten. They were all thin and pale, with eyes full of fear. Like a group of frightened little animals, they huddled on the cold bluestone slab, not daring to make a sound.

"Your Highness, the count is complete. There are 317 boys and 288 girls, all without identification, as if they have been imprisoned here for a long time."

The chief executioner of the Eastern Depot bowed and reported, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "In addition, these documents and account books were found in the secret compartment of the nunnery, as well as... and quite a few letters and seals."

A junior officer, carrying a sandalwood box in both hands, quickly stepped forward. The box lid was opened, revealing neatly stacked piles of yellowed paper inside.

Zhang Shixun took a deep breath of the cold air, his fingertips trembling slightly as they touched the paper. He casually pulled out a letter, his gaze sweeping over the signature, his pupils suddenly contracting—it was the three characters "Wen Ziyu".

He knew Wen Ziyu, of course; he was the second son of the current Vice Grand Secretary Wen Zonghan.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and turned the pages one by one.

The contents of the document are chilling:

Shuiyue Nunnery turned out to be a secret stronghold where young boys and girls were abducted and brought there. Some were used to make elixirs, others were used as playthings by powerful officials, and still others were used as "living sacrifices."

In addition to Wen Ziyu, the correspondence also included the names of several officials from the Six Ministries and local princes. They either donated money to the temple or demanded children. The filth in their letters was enough to enrage any member of the imperial family.

"Your Highness, regarding this matter..."

The commander of the Western Depot hesitated, his eyes filled with anxiety.

The Eastern and Western Depots are directly under the Emperor's authority and are only responsible to His Majesty. Today's events have far-reaching implications, and the slightest misstep could lead to a catastrophic disaster.

These people were present the whole time, and everything they saw and heard was an earth-shattering secret. If the prince wanted to hide it, they would be the first to object—but no one dared to say it outright.

Zhang Shixun closed his eyes, his mind a complete mess.

He was originally acting on the Emperor's secret orders to investigate the Shuiyue Nunnery's collusion with corrupt officials and smuggling of contraband, and was also cooperating with Qin Zhongxun in searching for missing children, but unexpectedly he uncovered such a shocking scandal.

The lives of hundreds of children and the involvement of several high-ranking officials were beyond the scope of what the cabinet could handle.

As the second-in-command, Wen Zonghan held a high position and great power. He had been fighting with Qin Zhongxun for a long time. If this matter were to be exposed, it would surely cause a bloodbath in the court.

But if this is concealed, how can the injustices of these children be redressed? The people from the East and West Depots witnessed it firsthand, and His Majesty will find out sooner or later. When that happens, the entire Prince Zhongshun's family will be executed.

A cold wind blew in through the cracks in the temple gate, making him shiver.

He abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze now devoid of any hesitation. "This matter concerns the very foundation of the nation, and His Majesty's wisdom; who would dare conceal it?"

He said in a deep voice, his tone resolute amidst the wind and snow, "Prepare the sedan chair; proceed to the palace immediately to meet the Emperor!"

He held the sandalwood box tightly in his arms, as if he were holding a ball of burning hot coals.

The carriage sped through the snowstorm, its wheels crunching over the snow, each sound like a hammer blow to Zhang Shixun's heart.

He knew that his trip would shatter the surface tranquility of the capital, and that the filth hidden in the shadows would eventually be washed away by this heavy snow. However, no one could predict what kind of turbulent waves would be stirred up during this process.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the candlelight was bright, yet a sense of oppressive silence permeated the space.

Zhu Yiheng sat upright on the dragon throne and accepted the document presented by Zhang Shixun. At first, he remained calm, but the more he read, the more gloomy his face became. His usually gentle eyes were now like ice, exuding a chilling aura.

"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!"

A furious shout suddenly rang out, and the emperor slammed the document to the ground, scattering the Xuan paper everywhere. The writing on it was particularly glaring in the candlelight.

"I kept these officials to assist in governing the country and ensuring peace and prosperity! But what have they done? They colluded with treacherous officials, kidnapped children, and committed such heinous acts! Wen Zonghan! I was blind to allow such a scoundrel to hold such a high position!"

The emperor was so angry that he trembled all over, his face turned ashen, his chest heaved violently, and he almost collapsed on his dragon throne because he couldn't catch his breath.

The head eunuch beside him was terrified and rushed forward to help him up, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your health is paramount!"

"Calm down? How can I calm down?"

The emperor pushed aside the eunuch, his eyes bloodshot. "Hundreds of children, all flesh and blood of the people, have been wantonly trampled upon! My court has become such a filthy place!"

After cursing for a while, the anger in his chest subsided slightly, but his eyes became even more sharp. He swept over Zhang Shixun, who was bowing and standing at attention, and said in a deep voice, "Prince Zhongshun, you stay."

He then pointed to a guard outside the hall: "Go immediately and convey my decree—summon the heads of the eight great noble families in the capital, the princes residing in the capital, and all members of the cabinet to the palace for a meeting! Tell them they must come; if any refuse to come, I will personally 'invite' them!"

The guard bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left. His footsteps faded into the distance outside the empty palace and disappeared into the wind and snow.

Zhang Shixun lowered his head, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that an unprecedented storm was about to unfold on this snowy night.

"Sehun,"

The emperor's voice softened slightly, but still carried an undeniable authority: "Take another careful look through these documents and see if... anyone from your Prince Zhongshun's Mansion is among them."

Zhang Shixun's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree." He picked up the document from the ground, his fingertips trembling slightly, and began to read it word by word.

Inside the hall, only the rustling of paper turning and the mournful sound of wind and snow pounding against the windowpanes remained, intertwining together as if playing the prelude to the impending bloodshed.

Meanwhile, in the Cabinet Office, Qin Zhongxun and Wen Zonghan were arguing about the follow-up seizure matters. Neither of them realized that a storm that could overturn their fates was quietly approaching amidst the snow.