Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

The narrow corridor was filled with the stench of blood.

Xiao Jue glanced at Cui Yuan and coldly ordered:

"Put him in a prison van and bring him back to Kyoto alive."

Cui Ming, standing to the side, was terrified as he looked at Wu De's corpse.

Hearing that she wasn't mentioned, she struggled desperately and cried out:

"Brother! Brother, save me! I don't want to die!!"

Xiao Jue didn't even turn his head, but simply gave a wink to the Dragon Scale Guard beside him.

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning.

With a muffled "thud," Cui Ming's mournful screams came to an abrupt halt as a fine head rolled down the steps, splattering blood all over half of Cui Yuan's body.

Cui Yuan's eyes widened suddenly, and he collapsed to the ground.

But the Dragon Scale Guards dragged him mercilessly into the inky darkness of the night.

The powerful Cui family, which had stood for nearly a century, collapsed overnight in a way that caught everyone off guard.

That night, Xiao Jue couldn't sleep.

He sat by the window, letting the night wind make the candlelight on the table flicker.

Cui Yuan's words kept swirling in his mind.

The former dynasty's eldest princess's seven hundred million, a hidden treasure map, a mysterious son-in-law, and more...

Gu Debai!

This information was so shocking that if it were to get out, it would be enough to make the entire imperial court tremble.

What's worse is that my brother is getting too close to Gu Mingli now!

If Gu Debai's identity is truly as Cui Yuan claims, then Gu Mingli's desire to assassinate his elder brother is practically guaranteed, making it impossible to guard against.

Xiao Jue took a deep breath, not daring to delay for even the slightest moment.

He picked up his pen and wrote a secret letter under the dim light.

He then sealed it with the highest grade of crimson sealing wax used by the Dragon Scale Guards and handed it to the best scout among his men.

"An urgent dispatch, traveling 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers), changing horses but not riders, delivered directly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"

The scout took the letter tube with both hands, and in a flash, he disappeared into the boundless night.

……

Two days later.

Kyoto, the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

At 3:45 AM, the sky was still pitch black.

Xiao Ye was awakened from his dragon bed by the chief eunuch Liu An with utmost care.

"Your Majesty... His Highness Prince Qi sent a secret letter via express courier, saying it was extremely urgent."

Xiao Ye frowned slightly, put on a bright yellow outer robe, and walked straight to the desk to sit down.

Liu An deftly lit the palace lanterns and presented the letter tube with both hands.

The sealing wax was intact.

Xiao Ye crushed the sealing wax with his bare hands and poured out the two pages of letter paper inside.

The first page is a briefing on the Lingzhou operation: Cui Yuan was captured, Cui Ming and Wu De were executed on the spot, the Cui family's residence was raided, and all branches and shops are being searched.

Everything proceeded swiftly and decisively, all within his imperial calculations.

However, when Xiao Ye's gaze shifted to the second page, his finger suddenly stopped.

After reading the entire letter, he sat silently by the bed for a long time.

The huge sleeping chamber felt so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Before I knew it, a sliver of light slowly tore through the endless darkness outside the window.

In the distance, the dull sound of the palace gates opening and the heavy copper locks could be faintly heard, followed by the rustling sound of eunuchs sweeping the blue bricks.

Xiao Ye stood up and walked to the door.

Geng Zhi stood guard by the pillar outside the door. Upon hearing footsteps, he immediately turned around and bowed.

"His Majesty."

Xiao Ye gave the instructions in a low voice.

"Let the Control Yuan investigate Gu Debai's early career and the forces behind him."

"Where did he live before he entered officialdom? Who were his family members? The more details the better."

Geng Zhi lowered his head and responded with a sound of agreement.

Xiao Ye added another sentence.

"Don't alert anyone in the Gu family."

"yes!"

Geng Zhi summoned his guards and went to give them instructions.

Xiao Ye closed his eyes, concealing the emotions within them.

He grew up in this cannibalistic palace, where he was ruthless and decisive for over a decade.

The wisest approach to matters that could threaten imperial power is to conduct a surprise investigation and eliminate them completely!

But... what will happen to the Gu siblings if Gu Debai is really killed?

If we leave Gu Debai as a potential threat, and if the forces behind him rebel, we and... Mingli might be the ones killed in the future!

Xiao Ye glanced sideways at the guitar displayed on the rosewood shelf.

How should we plan to preserve the country and achieve the best of both worlds?

……

The raid on the powerful Cui family shocked the court and the public in the Great Yong Dynasty.

No one saw when the young emperor made his move, but the powerful and influential knew that the Cui family was secretly preparing to retaliate against the court, and it was almost time for them to reveal their true intentions.

Yet, this once-prosperous and deeply rooted family, with its centuries-old roots intertwined, was uprooted overnight, losing both its wealth and its people!

The speed at which it collapsed was terrifying.

In the city, one could hear people excitedly discussing and cheering everywhere.

The Da Yong People's Daily also extensively reported on the downfall of the Cui family, the dethronement of Consort Cui, and the return of grain prices to normal.

The tyrannical and powerful families that once swaggered around have finally been punished, which is truly gratifying.

After this battle, the public's trust in the content published in the newspapers and the credibility of the imperial court both soared to unprecedented heights.

Early morning, Pujitang Logistics Park.

Gu Mingyue sat in the armchair, flipping through the account pages while listening to Pei Yu and Master Lu report on their work.

"How much food is left in the stockpiles?"

Pei Yu pointed at the records in the summary column, swallowing hard with lingering fear.

"Master, there are 6,000 koku of grain remaining at the Kyoto Logistics Park."

"The main station in Lingzhou produces 6,800 shi (a unit of dry measure). The remaining branch stations in various places produce a total of 9,300 shi."

"Adding it all up... it's less than 22,000 koku!"

He cautiously raised his eyes, scrutinizing Gu Mingyue's expression.

"Boss, based on the amount we have to release at each station every day, our food reserves can only last for ten days at most!"

"If those nobles who joined the commodity city stop besieging the Cui family and demanding cash, our grain will be the first to run out."

Gu Mingyue casually tossed the account book onto the table and smiled faintly.

That's exactly the kind of cooperation she was aiming for in her scheme.

The truth and the falsehoods are mixed up, making it difficult to distinguish the main battlefield.

"Business warfare is all about psychological warfare. In this kind of situation, it's not about who has the most rice in their granary, but about who can break down mentally first."

Gu Mingyue leaned back in her chair, the semi-transparent ice-blue system panel in front of her was flashing a notification.

Current task balance: 50 million taels

Pei Yu.

"Here!" Pei Yu straightened his back abruptly.

"Go to the Ministry of Revenue and submit a merger and acquisition application. Pujitang will take over the Lingzhou Commodity City project in full for 50 million taels of silver!"

"What?!"

Pei Yu was completely stunned.

The money they just made from the Cui family, are they going to spend it all at a high price again?

Pei Yu was full of doubts, but looking at Gu Mingyue's confident eyes, she ultimately didn't dare to ask them.

After all, he had never understood the mastermind's mindset; he just had to do as he was told.

"Okay! I...I'll take care of it right away."

As soon as Pei Yu left, a system settlement notification popped up in Gu Mingyue's mind.

[Ding! Mission complete. Successfully spent 1 million in illicit funds within 3 months!]

[Congratulations, host, you have achieved the achievement and have received 1 Life-Saving Pill and 1 "Future Headlines"]

Gu Mingyue's eyes lit up, and she couldn't wait to open it.

When Gu Mingyue saw the blood-red, bold headline above the notification, her pupils constricted sharply.

"How could this happen?!"

"No... I have to go find my brother right now!!!"