A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

Wei Zhao placed the Sacred Fire Sect's military report on the imperial desk and suddenly smiled.

Several former officials who had not yet completely retired shrank back when they heard this laughter.

They would rather Wei Zhao be angry.

An outburst of anger is at least foreshadowed.

But when the new Emperor Wu smiled, they were reminded of the day Lu Song was dragged off the imperial carriage.

Wei Zhao raised his eyes.

"The Flower-Passing Spell, Nie Yinniang, Su Qingyun".

The young eunuch outside the hall scrambled away.

Wei Zhao lowered his head again, looking at the military reports on the table.

The ten rebel kings, the Holy Fire Sect, twenty days' worth of grain from the capital granary, the grain route to Jiangnan has not yet arrived, and the four major families of the capital are still observing.

It looks like a dead end.

If it were a different emperor, he would probably have already started writing an edict of self-reproach, or begging those powerful and wealthy families to open their granaries.

But Wei Zhao's heart slowly grew cold.

wrong.

The game is not over.

Some people thought that since he had just sat on the throne, he would not dare to use force again.

Zhou Laodao thought he was short of money, Han Dashan thought he was short of food, the Holy Fire Sect thought he dared not kill refugees, the aristocratic families in the capital thought he needed them to maintain his image, and the old officials of the court thought that since the new dynasty had just been established, they had to be appeased to work for him first.

it is good.

If everyone thinks this way, it will save you a lot of trouble.

What I'm afraid of isn't them making a move.

What I fear is that they are hiding too well.

Now that they're all showing their true colors, it's as if God has turned the ledger upside down in front of them.

Su Qingyun was the first to enter.

She was still holding account books in her hands, and her hair was a little loose, obviously she had just come from the storeroom.

"Zhao'er".

She glanced at the military report on the table, her brow furrowing slightly.

"More bad news?"

"There's so much bad news that it's hardly bad anymore."

Wei Zhao pushed the military report aside.

"How's the investigation into the four major families of the capital going?"

Su Qingyun paused for a moment, then placed the account book on the table.

"Are you going to attack them now?"

Wei Zhao looked at her.

"If we don't act now, are we going to wait until they deliver the grain to Han Dashan?"

Su Qingyun didn't speak immediately.

This is what she both loves and fears most about Wei Zhao.

He usually appears gentle and easygoing, as if anything can be discussed.

But when it came down to it, he was faster than anyone else.

The advantage is that you won't be dragged down by others.

The downside is that many people will be afraid.

But being afraid now might not be a bad thing.

Su Qingyun opened the first account book.

"From the day you carried the coffin into the city, I had the old Su family clerks investigate the backgrounds of the four major families."

Wei Zhao tapped his fingertip lightly on the imperial desk.

really.

He didn't say it, but she was already doing it.

This is what makes Su Qingyun so terrifying.

She's not the type to wait for orders; she'll sharpen the knife in advance, just waiting for you to ask.

"Wang, Zheng, Cui, and Lu, the four families of the capital."

Su Qingyun's voice was gentle, but each sentence grew harsher than the last.

"On the surface, they are still a wealthy family. Their status, their mansion, and their family genealogy are so thick they could kill someone. But in recent years, Lu Song has squeezed them dry in order to support his private army, win over the Imperial Guard, and prepare for his usurpation."

Wei Zhao's brows twitched slightly.

"Did you get everything you wanted?"

"almost."

Su Qingyun pushed a page of the account book over.

"Lu Song took 70% of the Wang family's salt permits, and although there were 300,000 taels of silver on the books, less than 80,000 could actually be withdrawn immediately. The Zheng family relied on the Grand Canal; their ships were still there, but most of their manpower had been lost. They had granaries, but they were not full. The Cui family had a lot of land, but last year there was a famine, and a group of tenants fled. Lu Song also requisitioned their grain, so their granaries were mostly filled with stale grain. The Lu family was the worst off; they had Lu Song mint coins, but the copper was siphoned off, leaving them with a mountain of debt."

Wei Zhao listened without showing any expression.

But he cursed inwardly.

That old dog Lu Song really ripped off a lot before he died.

He originally thought the four major families could squeeze out a hefty sum, but now it seems that the golden shell is still shiny, but the inside has already been pierced through.

It's unrealistic to expect them to replenish the army's food supplies all at once.

"Can it still be pressed?"

Su Qingyun glanced at him.

That's a very direct question.

But she likes this kind of straightforwardness.

"able."

She closed the ledger.

"The key is to distinguish between extracting oil and killing the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Wei Zhao smiled.

Speak like a human.

"They also hid money to save their lives."

Su Qingyun said:

"It's not just the assets on the books; it's gold, silver, valuables, land deeds, hidden storage, out-of-town businesses, and grain held under the names of relatives by marriage. If we really wanted to confiscate it, we could find a lot. But if we squeezed it all out at once, the trade routes in the capital would be cut off, and even merchants in Jiangnan would feel a chill."

Wei Zhao nodded.

This is the problem.

He's short of money.

But one cannot undergo bone-scraping surgery like Lu Song did.

If we fight too ruthlessly, we might defeat Han Dashan today, but tomorrow all trade routes will be destroyed, and the day after tomorrow the people will starve.

This is what annoys the emperor the most.

Killing someone is easy.

To crack down on a network, one must first calculate how many people's livelihoods are tied up behind it.

The footsteps outside the palace gate were very light.

When Hua Jieyu came in, she was holding a thin stack of papers.

Nie Yinniang followed behind her, her black clothes silent, standing in the shadows like a sheathed short blade.

Hua Jieyu smiled when she saw the account book in front of Su Qingyun.

"It seems that Second Sister has already investigated all four families."

Su Qingyun also smiled.

"You're exposing people, I'm exposing accounts; there's no conflict."

Looking at the two of them, Wei Zhao felt a strange sense of relief.

The situation outside is in complete chaos, yet these two can still talk like this, which means things haven't gotten to the worst yet.

At least he didn't only have a knife in his hand.

There are also ledgers and hidden threads.

"Have the three of you been investigating ever since you entered Beijing?"

Hua Jieyu blinked.

"Didn't His Majesty already give these instructions?"

Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"When did I give the order?"

The flowers seem to speak, their smiles even deeper.

"When you helped the old lady's coffin into the city, you saw the three-eyed stone lions at the Wang family's gate."

Wei Zhao: "..."

Is this considered an order?

Hua Jieyu said slowly:

"You first glanced at the door, then at the incense table, and then at the gold thread on the old Wang family member's sleeve. Knowing your temperament, the fact that you didn't react on the spot means you want us to investigate."

Wei Zhao remained silent for a moment.

He did think that way at the time.

But he didn't expect that Hua Jieyu could actually read his thoughts from his three eyes.

This woman is sometimes too clever, so clever that you want to drag her to the Ministry of Rites to interrogate those old foxes.

No.

Those goods from the Ministry of Rites are not worthy.

"Speak."

Wei Zhao leaned back in his chair.

"How is he?"

Hua Jieyu placed the paper on the table.

"The four major families of the capital city appeared to be kneeling quickly, but they were not idle behind the scenes."

She tapped the first one.

"Last night, the Wang family sent someone to Chenqiao to try and contact Zhou Laodao. They made very polite promises, saying they were just visiting an old friend, but in reality, they brought three cartloads of gold and silver."

Wei Zhao's eyelid twitched.

"Zhou Laodao accepted it?"

"Not there yet."

Nie Yinniang suddenly spoke.

"I've detained him."

Wei Zhao looked at her.

Nie Yinniang's face remained expressionless.

"Not killed. He's being held at the old Seven Kill Tower location."

it is good.

Nie Yinniang is much less troublesome.

They don't ask too many questions, they don't waste time talking, and they're quick to act in a way that makes you feel good.

Wei Zhao nodded.

"continue."

Hua Jieyu then ordered a second one.

"The Zheng family sent people to the grain transport guild, saying that if the Xinwu Dynasty forcibly requisitioned grain, they would stop the fleet. It's not an open rebellion, but an attempt to force you to submit."

Wei Zhao smiled.

"Should I beg them to transport grain?"

"almost."

The flower, as it speaks, says:

"The Cui family is even more interesting. They've hidden grain in several villages on the outskirts of Beijing, under the guise of temples. The Lu family hasn't touched it yet; they're genuinely poor and genuinely afraid."

Su Qingyun added a sentence.

"We can keep the Lu family here for now. They have many craftsmen, and their copper and iron workshops are a mess, but they are useful people."

Wei Zhao hummed in agreement.

He had already mentally ranked all four companies.

The Wang family rebelled against the Wang, the Zheng family controlled the grain route, the Cui family hid grain, and the Lu family had access to it.

well.

This isn't a matter of lacking money or food.

This is like hiding money and grain under someone else's bed, thinking the emperor wouldn't dare lift the covers.

"Where are the court officials?"

After asking his question, Wei Zhao looked at Hua Jieyu, then at Nie Yinniang.

This part is the truly disgusting place.

The four major families are like meat on the outside, while the old officials are like worms around them.

It is unclear; imperial edicts cannot leave the palace.

If things are done too quickly, government affairs will be disrupted.

The most difficult part is getting the heat just right.

Hua Jieyu's smile faded slightly.

"None are usable."

As the four words were spoken, a soft clinking sound came from the cups and goblets in the hall.

Hua Jieyu pushed aside a stack of names.

"The Minister of Rites accepted 30,000 taels of silver from Lu Song and helped Lu Song usurp the throne by changing the system of rites. The Left Vice Minister of Revenue embezzled 40% of the disaster relief funds for Qingzhou. The Right Vice Minister of Works sold iron materials from the Ordnance Bureau to private merchants."

Wei Zhao's expression gradually turned cold.

The flower, which speaks its own language, continues to recite.

"Of the three high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Justice, two have overturned wrongful convictions for the Lu faction, and the other sold prison positions. The Ministry of War is no cleaner either; 30% of the Imperial Guards' pay goes into their pockets. Those censors in the Censorate can write beautifully insulting memorials, but they've actually acquired their own land through illicit means."

As Wei Zhao listened, he suddenly smiled.

"No wonder they made me issue an edict of self-reproach."

Su Qingyun looked up.

Wei Zhao tapped the list with his fingertips.

"They don't think I'm guilty; they're afraid I'll investigate."

Nie Yinniang's voice was very soft.

"All of them may have their homes confiscated."