Chapter 0075: Red Face and White Face in Harmony, Corrupt Official Falls and People Thrive!
Wrong!
This is wrong!
He should have only admitted to the corruption in Yi Province, cleverly leveraging his colleagues to minimize the consequences. How did it suddenly turn into him admitting to long-term corruption and decay?
Where did it start going wrong?
Yang Qinghui’s mind raced, finally tracing the source in his memories—
It was when Xie Chengze crowned him with the grandiose label of “sacrificing himself to join the game.”
“Your Majesty!” He hastily knelt, anxiously explaining, “This old official only embezzled the disaster relief funds for Yi Province, and has committed no other crimes!”
Emperor Jian finally saw through this play.
Xie Chengze was coordinating with Shen Yuan—one playing the red face, the other the white face—to deceive Yang Qinghui!
Emperor Jian imperceptibly raised an eyebrow, then his expression darkened, his tone carrying undeniable authority. “Yang Qinghui! Earlier you claimed to have sacrificed yourself to join the game, hoarding silver for disaster relief needs. Now you say you only embezzled Yi Province’s relief funds. I allocated only three hundred thousand taels of silver to Yi Province. Are you suggesting that this meager sum alone could save the common people from suffering?”
“Are you truly foolish and incompetent, or are you deceiving your emperor to absolve yourself of guilt?” Emperor Jian roared angrily.
“This… this…”
Cold sweat poured down Yang Qinghui’s forehead as he stammered, “This old official… this old official…”
Damn it! Why had he admitted to that “sacrificing himself to join the game” earlier?
It was all because the Second Prince spoke so passionately and eloquently, twisting right and wrong, that he hadn’t reacted in time and inadvertently admitted to his corrupt deeds! And that Shen fellow took the opportunity to exaggerate the situation, leaving him unable to defend himself!
“This old official is foolish and incompetent. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy in consideration of my past hard work!” Yang Qinghui kowtowed repeatedly, his expression full of regret.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan stepped forward, cupping his hands respectfully. “Your Majesty, since Minister Yang’s statements are inconsistent, to restore clarity to the court, this matter must be thoroughly investigated. If Minister Yang is truly innocent, he should have nothing to fear and will face the investigation openly.”
Now that Yang Qinghui himself had broken the situation of “unfounded speculation should not be deeply pursued,” the Supervisory Council had sufficient justification to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the Ministry of Revenue.
Realizing this, Yang Qinghui glared furiously and gritted his teeth. “This official naturally does not fear investigation. However, as the Second Prince said, Lord Shen’s actions do raise suspicion of using colleagues as stepping stones to seek higher positions. I implore Your Majesty not to indulge this behavior!”
Shen Yuan calmly raised his eyes, his figure standing tall in deep purple court robes like an upright pine. “If the investigation confirms that Minister Yang has no faults beyond the Yi Province matter, I, Shen, am willing to personally draft a memorial, resign from my post, circle the city three times, and publicly announce to all that I am shallow in talent and virtue, having wrongly accused a loyal official.”
Hearing this, Yang Qinghui curled his lips into a cold smile. “Hmph, since that’s the case, then investigate until the truth is revealed!”
Having served as an official for decades, how could he not have contingency plans?
Shen Yuan, you’re still too young! Even if you investigate the Ministry of Revenue thoroughly, you won’t find any evidence!
“If Minister Yang is indeed guilty, according to the laws of Jian’an, the Minister of Revenue holds a crucial position overseeing the state’s finances. Should he be found embezzling or accepting bribes, his punishment shall be heightened—publicly denounced across the land and executed by beheading in the marketplace. Furthermore, all accomplices, subordinates, or relatives who colluded, shielded, or condoned his corruption must be thoroughly investigated. Depending on the severity of their involvement, they shall either be demoted and exiled as a warning or executed as a dire example.”
Shen Yuan’s deep, penetrating eyes narrowed slowly as he pressed forward step by step. “Minister Yang, do you acknowledge this law?”
Yang Qinghui gritted his teeth, his voice harsh. “The law is clear and just—it should be so!”
Shen Yuan clasped his hands and bowed to Emperor Jian. “In that case, Your Majesty, I have material evidence to present and humbly request your permission.”
Emperor Jian raised his hand slightly, granting approval.
Shen Yuan then slowly retrieved an item from his sleeve. Eunuch Zhao hurried forward to take the booklet and placed it before the imperial desk.
The moment Yang Qinghui’s eyes fell upon the writing in the booklet, his face turned deathly pale, his mind roiling with turmoil—
How could this have fallen into Shen Yuan’s hands?
Trembling all over, Yang Qinghui looked at Emperor Jian in terror, only to hear Shen Yuan’s icy voice, cold as a blade aimed straight at his neck:
“Your Majesty, this booklet records, in the form of a storybook, all the hidden locations of Minister Yang’s embezzled official silver, famous paintings, and jewels. Due to the sheer volume, much of the stolen silver still bears official seals that were never removed, making it easily traceable to its origins…”
Emperor Jian flipped through the “storybook,” his expression shifting abruptly as he read the marked contents. Enraged, he hurled the ledger down the hall. “Yang Qinghui! How do you explain this?!”
Yang Qinghui scrambled forward on his knees, lunging for the object. Upon seeing the handwriting and annotations, his mind went blank, feeling as though his head had been severed from his body, his entire being turning cold.
It was true—it was actually true!
How did Shen Yuan find this? He had hidden it so carefully—how could Shen Yuan have discovered it?
Seated in his chair, Xie Chengze covered his stunning, flower-like face with his hands, a crimson-lipped grin slowly spreading across his features. As the smile widened, it twisted into an exaggerated, ferocious expression.
Aha!
Stunned, aren’t you, you old scoundrel!
This is the thrill of a powerful minister reborn, holding the cheat sheet to victory!
Yang Qinghui trembled as he clutched the booklet, at a loss for words. “I… I…”
He instinctively wanted to glance at someone but forcibly restrained himself, pinning his last hope on Xie Chengze. “Second Prince…”
Xie Chengze’s exaggerated smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of pity. “Minister Yang, alas, in this court, only I understand you. You entered the game, challenging fate itself, using your life as a pawn to secure a narrow victory…”
“How many such narrow victories exist? How few they are! Yet with this one move, the fate of millions is sealed!”
He brushed his sleeve, tears streaming down his face, his grief appearing utterly genuine. “The law is clear, and there is no escaping retribution. Minister Yang sacrificed himself for the sake of Jian’an. I am deeply sorrowful and heartbroken, but I shall uphold your aspirations. On the anniversary of your passing, I will proclaim your dedication to the people!”
“Minister Yang—! In the underworld, I shall share wine and chess with you, rejoicing in the prosperity of future generations!” Xie Chengze cried out with wrenching emotion.
Beside him, Xie Zimiao finally lost her composure, covering her mouth as a burst of laughter escaped.
Yang Qinghui: …
Goddammit—
Don’t anyone dare stop me from killing this idiot Second Prince!
He actually fell for his deceit, thinking he was truly a master of sophistry!
Yang Qinghui knew he was doomed to die, but he didn’t want to perish in vain. So he lunged toward Xie Chengze, crying out, “Second Prince! Second Prince! You can’t abandon your old servant! I acted entirely under your instructions! Didn’t that ten thousand taels of silver you donated to Yi Province all return to your hands? Considering my years of loyal service, I beg you to plead with His Majesty to spare my life!”
As these words rang out, the entire court erupted in an uproar, all eyes turning toward the Second Prince in astonishment.
That ten thousand taels of silver had actually made its way back to the Second Prince’s possession?
No wonder the Second Prince had been speaking in Yang Qinghui’s defense earlier—were they accomplices after all?
Seeing Yang Qinghui lunging toward him, Xie Chengze immediately tensed up and instinctively glanced toward Shen Yuan. Just as Shen Yuan was about to move, Crown Prince Xie Jinyu suddenly stepped forward and delivered a swift kick to Yang Qinghui’s abdomen, sending him flying over three meters away.
Yang Qinghui collapsed to the ground in agony.
Xie Chengze let out a slight sigh of relief, peeking out from behind Xie Jinyu with an innocent expression. “What ten thousand taels of silver? Minister Yang, what are you talking about?”
“It was in Zhuolu County! I sent someone to meet with you, Second Prince, and returned all ten thousand taels of silver to you! The magistrate of Zhuolu County is also aware of this!” Yang Qinghui shouted.
Xie Chengze couldn’t help but frown. “Minister Yang, stop spouting nonsense. The magistrate of Zhuolu County is known for his integrity and excellent governance. Out of compassion for the disaster-stricken people of Yi Province, he even donated his entire family savings—this is well known throughout the county government.”
“Wasn’t my ten thousand taels of silver stored in Minister Yang’s private treasury, reserved for next year’s disaster relief funds?” Xie Chengze shook his head. “I hope Censor Chen will not forget to record this in the official registers. I wouldn’t want my silver to vanish without a trace.”
Never expecting Xie Chengze to have the audacity to demand the Ministry of Revenue compensate for the ten thousand taels of silver, Yang Qinghui was so enraged that he spat blood and fainted on the spot!