Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

The following morning, the Zichen Hall was solemn and imposing; you could hear a pin drop. All the civil and military officials stood with their hands at their sides, their posture orderly yet each harboring their own thoughts, a turbulent undercurrent of tension.

Several neutral ministers stood with their hands hanging down in front of their abdomens, their posture upright and cautious, wanting only to serve their posts peacefully and not to get involved in factional struggles.

Most of the mid-level officials were Zhang Lin's protégés cultivated over many years, and they still harbored a glimmer of hope. They secretly felt that Lin Yanzhou's achievement in suppressing the grain rebellion alone was not enough to completely shake the foundation of the court. They believed that this show of force was mostly just a bluff, and that Zhang Lin would take back control of the court and settle scores with everyone.

Among them, Zhou Bing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Ge Yan, Director of the Ministry of Justice, and Ma Kui, Judge of the Censorate, were the most arrogant and domineering. The three stood close together, exchanging quick glances and nodding slightly from time to time. They had already secretly conspired and communicated with each other, confident that Lin Yanzhou had no evidence and could not do anything to them. They harbored rebellious intentions throughout the process, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate.

Lin Yanzhou stood in the hall, his expression indifferent, his tone disdainful, not even glancing at the assembled officials.

"Every one of you standing here is an outstanding individual among mortals, but in my eyes you're just idiots, a bunch of little idiots! Hahaha." Upon hearing this, the ministers were stunned. What did "idiot" mean?

As everyone exchanged bewildered glances, Lin Yanzhou continued, "Last night, I had a remote conversation with the late Emperor. He informed me of the crimes committed by everyone present and ordered me to begin settling accounts with you today. Of course, I understand that you all have your own grievances. Those who voluntarily confess can later write down their misdeeds in the side hall, and their past transgressions will be forgiven. I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to reflect on your actions. Don't let my good intentions go to waste!"

Upon hearing this, the courtiers were filled with trepidation. Almost every one of them had engaged in corrupt practices, which they absolutely could not reveal to outsiders. But could this immortal have truly uncovered something? They repeatedly pondered in their hearts whether others knew of their own affairs, and whether there were any oversights.

Taking advantage of this psychological state, Lin Yanzhou precisely activated his mind-reading technique three times a day, instantly penetrating the three men's feigned submissive facade and exposing their most hidden sins.

The first is Zhou Bing, the Vice Minister of Revenue, who was in charge of the national treasury's money and grain accounting. He appeared to be diligent in his duties, but in reality, he was corrupt by nature. In the past six months, under the guise of famine relief, he falsely reported 30,000 shi of relief grain and 80,000 taels of silver intended for disaster relief for displaced people. He also privately sold the relief grain and deposited all the ill-gotten gains into a secret compartment in his private residence outside the city. Furthermore, he secretly attached himself to Zhang Lin, sending him money and grain as tribute every month in exchange for special privileges and promotions. He was one of the masterminds behind the famine in the capital.

The second person is Ge Yan, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, who is in charge of criminal justice and law, yet he knowingly breaks the law. Half a month ago, he accepted a bribe of 20,000 taels of silver from a wealthy merchant, privately altered case files, and distorted the truth, releasing an unscrupulous merchant who hoarded and inflated grain prices without charge. Instead, he falsely accused a poor scholar who reported the grain merchant of causing trouble, had him flogged and exiled; at the same time, he has been suppressing dissidents for Zhang Lin for many years, fabricating charges to frame three honest minor officials, using ruthless methods.

The third was Ma Kui, a judge in the Censorate. Originally a censor in the court responsible for overseeing the conduct of officials, he became Zhang Lin's personal spy. He abused his power to secretly gather dirt on loyal officials, fabricate false rumors, and impeach four upright officials, resulting in the demotion of two and the dismissal of two. He also secretly raised twelve assassins from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), hiding them in a villa on the outskirts of the city, ready to be dispatched by Zhang Lin at any time, waiting for an opportunity to assassinate new officials in the court. His rebellious intentions were obvious.

The evidence the three men were pondering was laid bare by Lin Yanzhou's mind-reading ability. This divine skill was practically an unsolvable cheat in ancient officialdom; it required no interrogation, revealing all hidden incriminating evidence with mere thought, more accurate and detailed than a thorough investigation of three months' worth of case files.

Following the instructions of the Imperial Advisor, Emperor Jinghe then said, "My beloved ministers, the Imperial Advisor is absolutely right. You may all go to the side hall alone to write this down. Apart from me and the Imperial Advisor, no third person will be allowed to see it."

The ministers remained silent, determined to resist to the end and see what the new imperial advisor would do.

Lin Yanzhou laughed heartily: "You won't plead guilty, huh? Fine. I'll call you all out one by one. This doesn't count as you voluntarily confessing; it's more like an on-the-spot investigation!"

"Zhou Bing, Ge Yan, and Ma Kui, step forward."

Lin Yanzhou's voice was clear and cold, without the slightest ripple, yet it resounded throughout the entire Zichen Palace, causing all the civil and military officials to hold their breath instantly.

The three felt a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts, a strong sense of unease rising within them. However, they forced themselves to remain calm and stepped out of the line, feigning confusion.

Zhou Bing raised his hand and lightly touched the hem of his official robe, standing ramrod straight, deliberately putting on an air of openness and selflessness. In his mind, he quickly calculated: the secret compartment where he embezzled money and grain and hid stolen silver was extremely well hidden and had never been leaked to outsiders. Only his steward knew a little about it. This steward's family had been in his household for three generations, and their lives were in his hands. He would never dare to do so, and there was absolutely no possibility that outsiders would find out. It must be Lin Yanzhou bluffing.

Ge Yan put his hands behind his back, his fingertips clenching quietly. He was convinced that his actions of tampering with the case files and protecting the grain merchant were extremely meticulous and had long since erased all traces, so that no one could verify them.

Ma Kui stood tall and proud, holding his ceremonial tablet slightly higher, displaying an upright and unyielding demeanor. Deep down, he harbored a sliver of hope; the matter of secretly raising assassins was extremely secretive, and as long as he remained steadfast in his denial, the enemy would be powerless to stop him. The three men, with a "what's the worst that can happen?" attitude, were determined to remain silent until the very end.

Zhou Bing, the Vice Minister of Revenue, bowed first, feigning sincerity: "Your Excellency, I have diligently performed my duties, wholeheartedly serving the country and its people, and have never overstepped my bounds. I wonder why Your Excellency has singled us out? If you have believed the rumors, you have truly wronged me!"

Following closely behind was Ge Yan, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, who stood firm in confrontation, deliberately raising his voice: "The law demands evidence. Your Excellency, without any proof, you have questioned an official appointed by the court in court. This is far too hasty! As the head of criminal justice, I have always been impartial in judging cases, incorruptible, and worthy of the court's trust!"

Censor Ma Kui, even more righteous and indignant, turned the tables and said, "As a censor, I have always been upright and incorruptible, hating evil as if it were my enemy. I spend my days investigating officials and upholding the order of the court! Your Excellency has unjustly convicted me today. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and restore my innocence!"

The three of them, working in unison and with a unified story, insisted on their own incorruptibility and accused Lin Yanzhou of fabricating charges and believing rumors. They were arrogant and defiant, acting as if they had nothing to lose.

The entire court fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the four people facing off in the hall. Everyone tensed slightly, unconsciously slowing their breathing, their minds filled with speculation and turmoil.

A group of Zhang Lin's old cronies secretly raised their eyes and peered out, secretly pleased that they hadn't been called out. They all bet that Lin Yanzhou was just putting on an act, and that as long as he couldn't produce concrete evidence today, he would lose all his prestige and have no place to stand. At that time, they could take the opportunity to launch an attack and welcome Zhang Lin back to power.

Several mid-level officials who were loyal to Zhang Lin exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows slightly, their eyes revealing a secret delight and certainty. They muttered to themselves, "The Imperial Advisor's unfounded criticism of the court officials is baseless and baseless. He will surely bring shame upon himself today!"

The group of neutral and incorruptible senior officials all frowned, filled with worry. They feared that Lin Yanzhou's unfounded accusations would undermine the court's order, and that treacherous officials would slip through the cracks and continue to disrupt the government. Their hearts were in their throats, and they dared not even breathe. The white-haired Grand Tutor at the head of the group slowly stroked his old court beads, sighing softly to himself, "The court's order is based on evidence to determine right and wrong. Unfounded accusations will likely disrupt the court's order."

There were also many opportunistic officials who had been observing the situation for years and taking sides. They stood with their feet slightly apart, their minds churning, quietly waiting for the situation to become clear, ready to bow down and take sides at any time. No one dared to speak out easily.