Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

The moment Tang Jian, the Minister of Revenue, announced the end of the court session, he was ready to slip away.

He has no intention of getting involved in this matter.

In the end, you might find yourself pleasing neither side.

Just as he was about to leave, a hand gripped his shoulder tightly.

Tang Jian turned his head and saw Li Chengqian's ambiguous smile.

"Lord Tang, where are you running so fast?"

Li Chengqian slowly released his hand and asked.

Tang Jian, with a pained expression, bowed repeatedly:

"Your Highness, my Ministry of Revenue is still rife with unresolved debts. The national treasury is so bad that even a mouse that goes in will leave with tears in its eyes. I'm in a hurry to get back..."

"Why is Lord Tang in such a hurry?"

Li Chengqian patted the dust off Tang Jian's shoulder.

"I didn't ask you to offend any powerful families. I just want to borrow a few people from you."

Tang Jian quickly shook his head and said:

"Your Highness, the people in the Ministry of Revenue are all in their own positions, and it's really impossible to spare any more."

Besides, investigating cases is the job of the Court of Judicial Review and the Prefectural Government of Jingzhao. Why are you looking for this old minister?

Li Chengqian leaned close to Tang Jian's ear and said:

"One million strings of cash. I will ensure that at least one million strings of cash are added to the accounts of your Ministry of Revenue today."

Tang Jian was stunned.

"Your Highness, what...what did you say? One million strings of cash?"

Li Chengqian nodded:

"Don't you, Tang Jian, know how those established shops in the West Market have paid their taxes all these years?"

"Today I am here on imperial orders to investigate this case. You only need to transfer all the most skilled accountants from the Ministry of Revenue to me. I will not take a single penny of the tax revenue from this investigation; it will all go into your national treasury."

Tang Jian's eyes lit up instantly.

That's a million strings of cash.

Now, as long as he can get money for the Ministry of Revenue, he'd even dare to confiscate Li Shimin's private treasury.

You must understand that the Tang Dynasty has just finished the Liaodong War, and the national treasury is so empty that horses could run through it.

The money that Changsun Wuji received after his family's property was confiscated a while ago was used to fill the financial gaps in various places.

Money is needed everywhere now, and Li Shimin is pressuring him so much that he's almost ready to hang himself.

I dream about how to pry out copper coins every day.

"Is Your Highness truly speaking?"

Tang Jian looked at Li Chengqian with excitement.

A ruler's word is his bond.

Li Chengqian said with a smile.

"Done."

The old man, who had initially looked aggrieved, suddenly became extremely fanatical.

"Wherever Your Highness points, this old minister will follow. Anyone who dares to block the flow of money into the national treasury, this old minister will fight them to the death."

Tang Jian shouted at the top of his lungs.

This attracted the attention of several passing officials, who all looked over with suspicion.

Did this old guy take drugs yesterday? How come he's so energetic today?

Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

To deal with those old foxes from powerful families, you need to have a housekeeper like this who's willing to risk her life for money.

Li Chengqian turned to look at Xiao Shunzi, who had followed him out.

"Xiao Shunzi, go to the East Palace and convey my imperial edict to Qin Huaidao."

Li Chengqian gave the instructions.

"Make him bring out all the troops from the Eastern Palace Guard and immediately seal off the Western Market for me."

"Without my order, not even a fly is allowed to escape."

Xiao Shunzi accepted the order and left.

Tang Jian, seeing Li Chengqian's posture, came to his senses slightly:

"Your Highness, are you going to directly mobilize the Eastern Palace Guard? Isn't that making too much of a commotion?"

What if those powerful officials impeach you again in court tomorrow?

Li Chengqian sneered:

"Since Father has entrusted me with full authority, it's none of their business how I investigate. Old Tang, hurry back and get more people."

Tang Jian lifted the hem of his official robe and ran faster than a rabbit.

Half an hour later, in the West Market of Chang'an.

Qin Huaidao led five hundred Eastern Palace Guards to completely block the West Market.

The street vendors and pedestrians had long since been dispersed.

The shopkeepers of all the major families panicked and rushed to the street corner to check the situation.

"What's going on? What right do they have to close the street?"

Several stewards of the Cui family in Qinghe, relying on their family connections, pushed through the crowd to the front.

The head steward, Cui, pointed at Qin Huaidao and shouted:

"This is the Cui family's property. Who do you think you are? How dare you lead troops here and cause trouble? Do you have no respect for the laws of the Tang Dynasty?"

The manager of the Wang family in Taiyuan also chimed in:

"Exactly! No one from the Jingzhao Prefecture has come, so what right do you soldiers have to shut down the shop? Can you afford to compensate for the lost business?"

Qin Huaidao had no intention of explaining to them at all; he simply kicked the steward of the Cui family of Qinghe to the ground.

"By order of the Crown Prince, investigate and prosecute the tax evasion case in the West Market."

Qin Huaidao looked around, then drew the horizontal sword from his waist.

"All shops must cease operations on the spot. Everyone must remain inside their shops and is not allowed to move. Anyone who dares to transfer account books or resist inspection will be executed on the spot and treated as a treasoner!"

The moment the word "slay" was uttered, most of the shopkeepers immediately knelt down in fear.

Soon, Li Chengqian walked over, surrounded by a group of people.

Beside him was the smiling Tang Jian, along with his deputies Cheng Yaojin and Cui Minyuan.

Li Chengqian had a grand master's chair brought over and sat in the very center of the West Market street.

"Lord Tang, let's begin."

Tang Jian turned around and waved his hand.

Dozens of the Ministry of Revenue's top accounting experts, carrying thick ledgers and abacuses, rushed into the major shops of prominent families like the Cui family of Qinghe like wolves and tigers.

Choi Min-won was so angry at the sight of this scene that he trembled all over.

This is hardly a case investigation.

This is clearly a case of ransacking someone's home.

"Your Highness, what are you doing?"

"Investigating the case without bringing in anyone from the Court of Judicial Review, but instead bringing in someone from the Ministry of Revenue—are they trying to uproot our aristocratic family?"

Cui Minyuan rushed up to Li Chengqian and questioned him.

Before Li Chengqian could speak, Cheng Yaojin jumped out from the side, grabbed Cui Minyuan by the collar, and dragged him aside.

"Old man, who are you yelling at?"

"Your Highness, this is called decisive action. Since you say there was no adulteration and no tax evasion, what's wrong with checking the accounts? Are you feeling guilty?"

"This is an insult to scholarship! Cheng Zhijie, let go!"

Choi Min-won struggled desperately, trying to rush in and signal to the shop manager.

"I won't let go."

Cheng Yaojin not only refused to let go, but also deliberately pulled Cui Minyuan in the opposite direction.

"Come on, come on, there's a brothel over there. I'll take you in to supervise and see if they're good at settling accounts."

Choi Min-won was so angry that he rolled his eyes. He could only watch helplessly as the officials from the Ministry of Revenue rummaged through the cellars and hidden compartments of various shops, pulling out box after box of secret accounts.

It's an open secret that established families keep two sets of books in their shops.

As long as you bribe the officials at all levels, the people in the capital city will not be able to find anything.

But who could have imagined that Li Chengqian would act unpredictably, directly leading troops to block off the streets, not even giving them time to destroy the evidence.

Time passes little by little.

Until sunset.

The lanterns in the West Market lit up one by one.

Tang Jian carried a thick booklet of compiled information in both hands as he jogged down the street.

"Your Highness! I've figured it out. I've figured it all out."

An investigation by 63 officials from the Ministry of Revenue revealed that 37 shops in the West Market, managed by prominent families, had evaded commercial taxes for more than eleven years.

The total amount of taxes owed to the national treasury was 1.7 million strings of cash.

When this number was announced, everyone around was stunned and gaped in disbelief.

Choi Min-won's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

This is it.

How am I going to explain this to my older brother?

He's barely left and he's already caused such a huge mess...

"Lord Cui, 1.7 million strings of cash. How does your aristocratic family intend to repay this debt?"

Li Chengqian walked up to Cui Minyuan and patted his cheek.

Then he turned to look at Tang Jian and said:

"Old Tang, hold onto the ledger tightly." Li Chengqian waved his hand.

Tang Jian was taken aback: "Your Highness, where are we going?"

"Go to Ganlu Palace."

Li Chengqian smiled.

"My father ordered me to investigate the case, and now the case has been solved."

"I want to see who will dare to protect these parasites when this hole of 1.7 million strings of cash is right in front of them."