The revitalization of the Tang Dynasty began with the Ganlu Incident.

Looking at Xue Jiling's appearance below, Li Ang also sighed, his expression somewhat complicated.

To be honest, he was shocked when he saw the secret report.

The soldier's act of beating and killing someone in the street was just the beginning.

Through this incident, the Eastern Depot investigated further and discovered that hidden behind the case was a huge gray industry.

Private lending within the military!

During the late Tang Dynasty, eunuchs controlled the Shence Army, thus wielding immense power unmatched by other dynasties.

This is common sense that couldn't be simpler.

However, few people continue to delve deeper to see what kind of development an army under the control of eunuchs would actually undergo.

As we all know, the military is a place that values ​​strength. A scholar who is weak and unable to fight might be able to serve as an advisor and strategist, but if he wants to become a general, even a civilian general in charge of logistics, he must have outstanding personal qualities.

Otherwise, it would be virtually impossible to subdue those arrogant and fierce soldiers.

However, the Shence Army was an exception. Apart from positions like the Shence Grand General that required military officers, a large number of key positions from the top to the middle levels were controlled by eunuchs.

Some of them might be quite skilled in martial arts, but overall, due to physical reasons, eunuchs were not strong enough in martial arts.

So how do they manage to get their subordinates to obey their orders?

The answer is simple: profit!

People at the bottom of society are less likely to talk about grand principles; they only care about immediate and tangible benefits.

The reason these eunuchs were able to maintain their positions as military commanders was fundamentally because they were generous and willing to share the spoils.

Such practices include relaxing military discipline, not forcing soldiers to train, and even protecting soldiers after they have oppressed civilians. These are all basic operations.

Most importantly, the eunuchs could afford to pay!

So where does the money come from? The answer is lending!

In the Shence Army, from the lieutenant of the guard to ordinary mid-level officers, almost everyone was involved in lending.

In the past, whenever the imperial court allocated military funds, the generals would first keep a portion as capital and then send their trusted confidants out to make profits through usury.

The interest rates range from as low as 10% per month to as high as 30%.

With such high interest rates, naturally not many people will take out loans, but whether or not to take out a loan is often not a decision one can make alone.

For families who refuse to lend money, the Shence Army often first destroys their homes and businesses, and then forces them to buy or sell.

If they can't repay the debt, it's even simpler: the men are taken as slaves, and the women are sold into brothels. Anyway, if trouble arises, the Jingzhao Prefecture has no jurisdiction and can only let the Shence Army handle it themselves.

In the military, there is a special name for them: "Huiyi".

Zhang Chongwen, the commander in this incident, was specifically in charge of this matter.

It was precisely for this reason that Xue Jiling insisted on protecting him.

But what Xue Jiling didn't expect was that this matter was far more serious than he had imagined.

The number of people killed by those soldiers was just the tip of the iceberg.

Upon closer examination, it was found that at least a hundred families of soldiers who died in battle were being harassed by loan sharks, some were beaten to death, and others had their wives and daughters sold into brothels and tortured to death.

If all these things were exposed, it could be fatal!

Those soldiers didn't think that the reward money they received came from lending money; they only felt that these generals were committing heinous crimes by not even sparing the families of their comrades.

At this moment, Xue Jiling finally understood completely.

This matter is far too big to be resolved by simply killing a few soldiers.

If we're not careful, it could easily lead to a mutiny among the lower-ranking soldiers... No wonder Liu Hongyi is so eager to avoid it.

After sitting slumped on the ground for a long time, Xue Jiling felt as if all his strength had been drained. After a long while, he finally managed to straighten up and kowtow.

"This old servant is guilty and is willing to accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate."

At this point, Xue Jiling couldn't quite describe his feelings.

Regret? Resentment?

Both, but neither.

When he first saw these messages, he cursed Zhang Chongwen in his heart, thinking that he didn't even pick and choose his lenders and was willing to make money from anything.

But then he thought about it again and understood.

The total amount of money and food consumed by the entire Shence Army was enormous, and the number of trusted confidants sent out by generals at all levels to lend money was also countless.

This kind of thing is done in private, so how could we possibly investigate each person's background?

Normally, if you offend someone with connections, someone will step in to smooth things over. If no one steps in, it's assumed that the person doesn't have any connections.

In this way, little by little, it's inevitable that such things will happen.

Seeing the other person's despondent expression, Li Ang shook his head and said.

"If I wanted to kill you, you should be in the inner prison right now, not in front of me."

Upon hearing this, Xue Jiling's eyes flickered, as if a glimmer of hope had been rekindled.

But he was also a smart man and soon realized that none of this was without reason.

After a brief moment of internal deliberation, Xue Jiling bowed his head and said.

"If you have any questions, this old servant will answer them truthfully."

…………

Half an hour later, Xue Jiling was led out of the inner hall.

Li Ang looked at the confession before him, pondered for a long time, and finally sighed deeply. He ordered it to be sealed completely and then said...

"Pass down the order: Xue Jiling has mobilized troops without authorization, which violates military law. Considering his past merit in saving the emperor, he is demoted to Inner Attendant and assigned to the Eastern Capital Palace. He is to leave the capital immediately without fail."

Upon hearing this, Qi Baozhen first bowed and accepted the order.

Immediately, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and he said.

"Everyone, this person knows too much. Should I send someone on the way...?"

Li Ang glanced at him, his gaze scrutinizing him.

Seeing this, Qi Baozhen quickly lowered his head and did not continue speaking.

Li Ang felt somewhat melancholy. He sighed and shook his head, saying, "I don't like killing people. No matter how big Xue Jiling's mistakes were, he still deserves credit for eliminating Qiu Shiliang. We should be lenient when possible and not do something so ruthless. Let him go to Luoyang and live out his old age in peace."

This time, Qi Baozhen didn't say anything more, but simply bowed deeply and said...

"Everyone's kindness and compassion are a blessing for Xue Jiling."

Li Ang nodded, carefully placed the sealed confession close to his body, and then gathered his scattered thoughts, focusing back on the situation before him.

Now that Xue Jiling has fallen from power, Liu Hongyi has basically won over the country, and Yang Qinyi has Li Deyu as his guarantor. Of the four powerful figures, only one remains: Song Shukang, who was recommended by Xue Jiling.

However, this person was cowardly and usually acted honestly. In addition, with the downfall of his backer Xue Jiling, he posed even less of a threat.

In this light, the threat posed by the eunuchs that had been weighing on his mind all this time could be considered temporarily relieved.

Of course, that alone is far from enough.

Between the outer court and the inner palace, various forces were intertwined, and he still had many problems to solve one by one.

The most pressing issue is how to handle the case that brought down Xue Jiling.

Putting everything else aside, judging from Xue Yuanshang's behavior outside the Jingzhao government office today, it's clear that simply bringing down Xue Jiling is not enough to satisfy them.

So, should I give them a push?

Li Ang leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then quickly made a decision.

"Issue an imperial decree to summon Chancellor Li Deyu and Prefect of Jingzhao Xue Yuanshang to the Yanying Hall for an audience."