The Demon Prince

Zhou Heng nodded:

"If Your Highness still has any concerns, please feel free to speak them out."

Xiao Xingyue looked at Shen Yan:

"Take the accounts to Vice Envoy Zhou for a look."

Zhou Heng's smile paused slightly.

Shen Yan pulled a booklet from under the table and placed it on the table:

"The excerpts from the old accounts of the Ministry of War are all confessions made by several people who have reformed themselves."

Zhou Heng's heart sank immediately.

The first line is his name:

The allowance for disabled veterans in the northern border region, after being signed off by Zhou Heng, was changed to cover the loss of military equipment.

The second page:

The three batches of compensation for the fallen soldiers were transferred to the Ministry of War for temporary allocation after being signed by Zhou Heng.

Page 3:

Cao Bi suppressed the list of former subordinates of the Prince of Zhen's Palace who were to enter the capital, and Zhou Heng personally reviewed and rejected them.

Page 4...

Zhou Heng's expression finally changed, turning grim in an instant.

He quickly closed the booklet and took a deep breath:

"Your Highness, is there anything absolutely clean in officialdom?"

I admit I was involved.

But if we really investigate further, everyone in the Ministry of War will be in danger. If you kill me today, the old faction in the Ministry of War will surely fall into chaos!

"At that time, your father's and brothers' funerals will probably be even more difficult to arrange..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the courtyard turned cold.

Xiao Xingyue raised an eyebrow:

"Are you threatening me with my father's and brothers' funeral expenses?"

Zhou Heng sensed the hostility in the tone and his heart tightened, but he still said coldly:

"I am not threatening you, but reminding Your Highness that the greater good is at stake."

Just then, the sound of armor clashing came from outside the courtyard gate; Li Shunhua had arrived.

After advocating for compensation for the entire army at the court meeting, her demeanor was different from the previous few days.

Sharp yet composed, its edge concealed within the armor.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, her gaze fell on Zhou Heng's face:

"It really was you."

As soon as Zhou Heng saw her, sweat broke out on his forehead.

Li Shunhua has already begun assisting the Ministry of War in its investigation. If she appears here, it means things are not as easy to fool as he thought.

Li Shunhua walked to the long table and threw a newly copied account book on it:

Zhou Heng.

Zhou Dashu, a wounded soldier from the West Camp, had a broken leg. His compensation was delayed for two years, but through your efforts, it was changed to inventory loss.

Huang Cheng'an, a veteran from the North, died of coughing up blood. The money for his medicine before he died should have been paid from his pension, but you were the one who withheld it.

"And the resettlement silver for the former subordinates of the Prince of Zhenguo's Mansion who came to the capital, you also personally handled that."

With each stroke of the pen, Zhou Heng's face paled a little more, until finally, his face turned ashen.

He never expected that those minor officials, who had just been given a way out, would turn around and betray him.

He never expected that Xiao Xingyue would act so quickly, accepting the gifts, tidying them up, and turning on him on the same day!

Zhou Heng finally panicked, and he subconsciously took a step back:

"Eighth Princess, I acted foolishly for a moment. I'm willing to make amends, I'm willing to make it up tenfold! What do you say?"

Li Shunhua did not answer, but looked at Xiao Xingyue instead.

At first, Zhou Heng thought that Li Shunhua was asking Xiao Xingyue for his opinion.

Unexpectedly, he still understood Li Shunhua's gaze.

Li Shunhua wasn't asking Xiao Xingyue whether he agreed to the replacement, or how to do it; she was asking whether to kill or not to kill!

Zhou Heng felt a chill run down his spine and abruptly looked at Xiao Xingyue:

"Your Highness, you did take our money!"

Xiao Xingyue tapped the 50,000 taels of silver note:

"What money? This is the money I'm confiscating from you."

Zhou Heng's breath hitched, and his vision went black:

"You, you're shameless!"

Xiao Xingyue instructed Zhao Yuanbao, saying calmly:

"Call those guys back."

The junior official who had already paid the money was about to leave when he heard this and his legs went weak. He thought he would be implicated and knelt back down outside the mourning hall.

Manager Xu's face turned completely pale:

"Your Highness, I have handed it over. I have not run away."

Xiao Xingyue gestured for them to shut up, pointed at these people, and then pointed at Zhou Heng:

"You lot have been embezzled, but it was only a small amount of money. I'm willing to give you a chance to make amends and atone for your sins."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Zhou Heng, his voice gradually turning cold:

"But you're different; what you crave are the lives of the living!"

The courtyard was eerily quiet.

Zhou Heng finally felt fear; he realized that Xiao Xingyue was serious!

He slammed his fist on the table and roared furiously:

"Xiao Xingyue, how dare you kill an official appointed by the imperial court?"

Xiao Xingyue took out the investigation warrant:

"An investigation was ordered, the evidence is conclusive, the suspects resisted arrest, made threats, and are suspected of embezzling military funds and pensions."

"Act first, report later!"

Zhou Heng's eyes were red; he knew that if he didn't fight today, he would surely die.

The next moment, he suddenly flipped the table and stood up!

The Vice Minister of War was no mere figurehead; his attack was swift and ruthless, his right hand reaching for the waist knife of the guard beside him, while his left hand grabbed directly at Shen Yan's throat.

He wanted to hold someone hostage first, and then carve out a way to survive!

Shen Yan's face turned pale, and he raised the account book in his hand, enduring half of the blow.

But Zhou Heng was too strong, and he was about to grab him when Xiao Xingyue moved at the right moment. He took a step forward, and the corner of the table was shaken an inch by the force of his aura.

With his right hand pressing down on Zhou Heng's wrist, he struck him in the chest with his left elbow. With a dull thud, Zhou Heng flew backward and crashed into a stone pillar outside the mourning hall!

Zhou Heng spat out a mouthful of blood, and then remembered that Li Shunhua had already drawn her sword. With a flash of light, a deep gash was cleaved open from Zhou Heng's right shoulder to his chest!

He screamed and knelt down. Before he could shout again, Xiao Xingyue had already rushed in front of him.

Zhou Heng looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot:

You can't kill me!

The old guard in the Ministry of War won't let you off the hook, and neither will the court!

Xiao Xingyue's voice was soft, but it left no room for argument:

"I have no intention of letting them off the hook either."

After saying that, he took the knife from Li Shunhua.

Zhou Heng's pupils contracted violently as he struggled in his death throes:

"Xiao Xingyue, you've gone mad!"

next moment!

With a swift stroke, blood splattered on the blue bricks. Zhou Heng was completely bewildered. The body was severed from its head, and the skull rolled halfway out, stopping at the edge of the steps outside the mourning hall.

The entire courtyard was utterly silent.

Those petty corrupt officials were kneeling on the ground, their faces already drained of color.

They had initially accepted it, thinking that Xiao Xingyue was taking money while they were paying to save their lives, and that everyone had a tacit understanding.

That's just how officialdom is, isn't it? It's always been this way.

But they never expected that Xiao Xingyue wasn't just bluffing; he really dared to kill!

With a single stroke, even the Vice Minister of War was killed!

Manager Xu was the first to break down, bursting into tears on the spot:

"Your Highness, actually... actually, my family still has three thousand taels of private savings. I'll hand it all over, I'll hand it all over!"

"I'll sell my house, I'll sell my car, I beg you to spare my life."

The others nearby also went crazy:

"I'll make some too. I'll have my family send them over right away. I have two shops; you can take them both, Your Highness."

You absolutely must take it!

Xiao Xingyue handed the knife back, his hands stained with blood, but he didn't wipe them. He glanced back at the mourning hall, his cold eyes churning with emotion.

"Those who have paid, get to work. I need to see at least one batch of real accounts by tomorrow."

Anyone who tries anything funny will end up like this.

The crowd trembled even more violently, and no one dared to utter a word. No one was foolish enough to think that Xiao Xingyue was joking.

After all... Zhou Heng's death taught them that even jokes need an end...

……