Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

The court did not hide the news of Zhu Qizhen's renewed visit to the capital, and perhaps it was impossible to hide it anyway, as the capital was now a loudspeaker, and any slight movement could be spread.

If Zhu Qizhen continues to cause trouble like this, the council advocating for the southward relocation will likely reignite, as those who support the relocation are still determined to cause trouble.

The threat posed by the emperor leading the Oirat forces to attack the capital was several times greater than if the Oirat had attacked the capital directly.

If any one of the passes—Xuanfu, Datong, Zijing Pass, or Juyong Pass—falls, the capital will be in grave danger.

Unsurprisingly, this news reignited the anger of the court officials, and even the people of the capital showed unusual disrespect to their emperor, with some even cursing in their hearts that they would rather die in the north.

People are selfish. After finally seeing a large amount of grain and the army that came to the aid of the emperor enter the capital, the people of the capital had hope of surviving. However, the emperor they had served for fourteen years was putting his own people to death one after another.

It's impossible for the people not to harbor resentment. An emperor may be incompetent, but he cannot betray his country!

Just as the anger of officials and common people in the capital was about to erupt, the imperial court finally announced the punishment for Wang Zhen's case: confiscation of property and extermination of his family, execution of some officials involved in serious cases, and enslavement of their relatives.

The moment this news was announced, the people, who rarely found joy amidst their hardship, were practically bursting with excitement.

On this day, the people of the capital city disregarded the ban and gathered around the residences of those officials who had committed crimes, as well as on the main street of the west.

The haggard faces of the common people held a hint of anger and resentment.

As the prison cart carrying Wang Zhen's relatives came out, a furious shout suddenly rang out from the angry crowd.

"Kill these treacherous officials!"

It's unclear who threw the stone directly at the prison van, but it hit a prisoner precisely, and the scream made the onlookers pause for a moment.

Then, as if their bloodlust had been aroused, they disregarded the presence of officials and began throwing miscellaneous items at the prison cart, raining down like a storm, while screams echoed continuously from inside.

It seemed that the louder the screams, the more excited the people became, and the more ferocious their attacks.

The guards escorting the prisoners were so frightened that they had to abandon the prison cart and move aside to avoid accidentally injuring anyone. They hurriedly sent someone to report the situation.

Upon hearing the report that a civil uprising had occurred, Yu Shiyue and Ding Zi were so frightened that they hurriedly led a large number of yamen runners and notified the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five City Garrison to the scene.

Upon seeing this spectacle, the people, out of natural awe, instantly became docile and ceased their frenzied actions.

The prison van was in complete disarray, with only prisoners wailing incessantly. Some prisoners, no longer needing to be killed, committed suicide amidst the attacks and terror of the crowd.

Yu Shiyue ordered martial law and personally led the guards before bringing the group of criminals to the West Market.

In the western market of the capital, the crowd of onlookers stretched out in countless layers.

"The time has come, execute!"

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere!

"good!"

With each head falling, the people showed no pity, but cheers erupted in response.

The people seem to be venting their fear and discontent through this. Heaven knows if they will even survive the year. With these treacherous officials who bring disaster to the country dying in front of them, perhaps it will all be worth it.

"good……"

The cheers continued for a long time, until the last head fell to the ground.

The people gazed at the land stained red with blood, then left in a daze. Looking towards the imperial city, they couldn't help but pray that now that the treacherous officials had been executed, the sky over the imperial city should be clear again.

On the other side, the Prince of Cheng's Mansion.

In the imperial city, Zhu Qiyu was listening to reports from Yu Shiyue and others.

"Your Highness, everything has been dealt with. The people are in an uproar, which we did not anticipate. We beg Your Highness to punish us."

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand, took a deep breath, and said, "Enough, the people's hearts are at our disposal! You all arrived in time and controlled the public sentiment. Since no major mistakes were made, your merits and demerits cancel each other out, and there is no need to punish you further."

Zhu Qiyu was not afraid of the people's fierce spirit, but he was most afraid that they would become numb to evil, then the capital would be beyond saving.

"Your Highness, we thank you!"

Zhu Qiyu nodded, signaling the others to step back, because there was another matter he needed to focus on.

After Yu Shiyue and the others left, Chen Yi, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, Chen Xun, the Minister of Revenue, Lu Zhong, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Xing An, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, entered.

This was the main force for the raid. Zhu Qiyu was worried that someone might embezzle the money, so he simply sent four groups to supervise each other. No one was allowed to touch a single penny of it, because it was his money and the national treasury's money.

Anyone who dares to reach out will be chopped off!

Zhu Qiyu suppressed his excitement and said with a calm expression, "Imperial Censor Chen, briefly recount the gains from this trip."

Chen Yi opened the account book and said, "Your Highness, the following property of Wang Zhen has been confiscated: three mansions in the capital, one private property in Zhihua Temple, unauthorized items including dragon-patterned brocade, twelve pieces of royal-style pearl and jade utensils, sixty-four large treasuries of gold and silver, one hundred one-foot-long jade plates, twenty-six giant coral trees six to eight feet tall; more than ten thousand fine horses in his private stable; and numerous other gemstones, jadeite, rhinoceros horns, and antiques, which still need further verification."

"In addition, his ancestral home in Weizhou occupies half of the state, with three mansions, seven water town estates, and an unknown amount of gold and silver. He also owns more than twenty shops in five border towns. This still needs to be verified. Official documents have been issued and imperial censors and imperial guards have been dispatched to the area. News will be sent back soon."

"Your Highness, the above represents Wang Zhen's assets, and Ma Shun..."

"Wang Shan..."

"Peng Deqing..."

Chen Yi spoke at length, reporting for an hour already.

Zhu Qiyu showed no impatience whatsoever, and even thoughtfully had someone refill Chen Yi's tea several times to soothe his throat, while he himself wrote down the total figures.

What others might see as dry data, Zhu Qiyu saw as money, pure and simple money—he could make a fortune just by copying!

Based on the data reported so far, the silver alone is comparable to the national treasury's annual silver revenue (Note 1). There are also many rare treasures, real estate, land, and shops, the value of which is unknown. In addition, the hometowns of these officials will also be confiscated.

Zhu Qiyu dared not think about it too much; the moment he did, he felt that wonderful days were about to arrive.

Zhu Qiyu finally witnessed firsthand how wealthy the corrupt officials of the Ming Dynasty were. He had heard that the South was even wealthier, and if they were to raid the homes of corrupt officials from time to time, their lives would be incredibly prosperous. However, this was just wishful thinking.

"Your Highness, these are the confiscated items so far!"

Chen Yi finally finished reporting, but he felt dizzy and lightheaded due to lack of oxygen.

"Chen Qing, you've worked hard. Please sit down and have some tea." Zhu Qiyu wanted to loosen Chen Yi's shoulders and massage his muscles, so he even addressed him more intimately.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Perhaps sensing that Chen Yi was tired enough, Chen Xun hurriedly asked after Chen Yi finished reading, "Your Highness, what should be done with the confiscated property?"

According to past practice, these funds would be put into the national treasury, with a portion going into the emperor's pocket.

However, Chen Xun does not have the courage to make decisions on his own. This time, Zhu Qiyu sent people from all directions to confiscate the property, which shows how much he values ​​this matter.

Chen Xun was not an arrogant magistrate, and he dared not offend this future emperor at this moment.

Zhu Qiyu pondered for a moment, but he already had a plan in mind.

He immediately said, "The horses and provisions will all be used for military purposes. In addition, some money should be allocated to compensate the families of the soldiers who died in the Northern Expedition. The fault of this defeat does not lie with the soldiers. This should be implemented immediately."

"I will allocate additional funds as an incentive for the defense of the capital. Those who participate in the battle will be rewarded, and those who die in the battle will also be rewarded and given compensation. As for the mansions in the capital that have been captured, I will remove the extravagant items and use them as rewards for the generals after the war."

"The rest will be dealt with according to precedent, and a decision will be made after we win this battle against the Oirats."

"Here you go!"

Chen Xun breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the Prince of Cheng didn't say anything and simply moved it to his residence!