Chapter 200 Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

"Your Majesty! A thorough investigation into the embezzlement case involves too many people. It is better to proceed slowly than hastily. I earnestly hope that Your Majesty will reconsider and impose a lenient punishment!"

"Your Majesty, I second that opinion! These officials can at most be described as having failed to supervise properly and being mediocre and incompetent. If Your Majesty punishes them severely, it will inevitably lead to more and more vacancies, and then it will be even more difficult to handle."

In the imperial court, Yinzhen remained silent with a gloomy face, his eyes lowered as he watched people jump out one after another.

He initially set a limit of one thousand to five thousand taels, which was already a lenient approach. However, the more he investigated, the more he found that very few people could make up the difference for amounts under one thousand taels, and even those under five thousand taels accounted for less than half. As for the amounts that followed, he was shocked every time he saw them reported by his thirteenth brother.

These people actually had the nerve to say to him that he wasn't being properly supervised and that he was mediocre and incompetent.

He knew, of course, that this was already the mildest version of what these people were saying to him. He had heard all sorts of nasty rumors circulating about them behind his back, and that's what made him so angry.

"Incompetent? I don't think they're incompetent at all; they're quite capable." He gripped a stack of papers in his hand and swung them around vigorously, the papers rustling and flying as if they were about to break free and fly away. But Yinzhen restrained the urge to throw them in their faces.

"I had no idea I had raised such a group of parasites with insatiable appetites! They take my salary and embezzle my national treasury! What wouldn't they dare to do!"

Among those who know about it now, there are both Han and Manchu bannermen, as well as members of the Suochuoluo, Wang, and Ma'ertai clans. Even the Empress Dowager's maternal family, the Uya clan, is involved, and each one has an even bigger appetite than the last.

At first, the Fourteenth Prince might have found the raids on his home novel and impressive, but after several days of relentless visits, even he grew tired of it, let alone Yinzhen, who listened to their constant chatter.

Normally, if the emperor were to get angry, the people below might be perceptive enough to say less. But these past few days have been different. The people below are like ants on a hot pan. They are either accusing someone of being greedy, or accusing someone of being greedy. When it comes to their own interests or even their lives, they will naturally disregard everything else.

"Your Majesty! Even if Your Majesty disregards others, you cannot disregard the Empress Dowager!" The person speaking already had a sob in his voice, suggesting that his family had embezzled quite a bit, daring to directly touch the Emperor's sore spot.

"The Empress Dowager was also of bondservant origin, and Your Majesty and Prince Xun were also born of bondservant origin. Now, the Empress Dowager has been dead for less than a year, her body is not even cold! Aren't you afraid that the Empress Dowager in the afterlife will not rest in peace?"

Although everyone who has spoken out is anxious, none are as anxious as he is. He dares to say these words, but none of the officials dare to listen. Some even wish they could step forward and slap him hard to teach him to shut up. They are all begging the emperor for mercy, but he is begging the emperor to execute him.

This person... if I remember correctly, comes from the Uya clan, and is considered a cousin of the Empress Dowager. He might even call himself the Emperor's uncle when he's drunk in the house.

"How dare you mention the Empress Dowager to me?" Yinzhen rebuked her sternly. "If the Empress Dowager knew that you were embezzling the national treasury and falsifying accounts in her name, she would only regret not being able to deal with you all personally. How dare you even mention her?"

Yinzhen, his hand trembling, pointed directly at him with the paper in his hand and shouted through gritted teeth, "This man is insubordinate and disrespectful to the Empress Dowager. He is utterly presumptuous. From this day forward, he shall be dismissed from his post and punished with one hundred strokes of the cane. Bring the cane here immediately and drag him out to be beaten!"

"Yes, sir."

After a series of footsteps as the board was moved, the next sound was the man's shrill cry of pain, and the vibration of the board hitting flesh.

After several days of commotion, the main hall finally fell into a rare and complete silence. The place where the caning was to take place was right outside the hall, behind all the officials. Although they couldn't turn around to look, even just hearing the sound was chilling.

Yinzhen had been holding back for so many days and was eager to make an example of someone. Today, the atmosphere surrounding this person gave him the opportunity. Amidst the harsh words and pleas for mercy, Yinzhen sat up straight and scanned the crowd before speaking again: "Anyone who pleads for mercy again will be considered as guilty of embezzlement. Regardless of whether they are from a bondservant family or not, I will investigate them thoroughly."

"If there is anything else to report today, let's wait until the beating outside is over."

As he spoke, Yinzhen shoved the paper in his hand into Su Peisheng's arms, and visibly relaxed, propping himself up with one hand on his leg, carefully appreciating the complexions of everyone below, which resembled a palette of colors.

The Uya family truly lives up to its reputation as a bondservant family. Even without the Empress Dowager, they are still formidable. They can persuade people in the previous dynasty to speak to the Emperor, and they can also reconnect with the Shou Kang Palace in the harem.

Hongzhao looked at the imperial edict written by the Empress Dowager before her death, which was placed on the small table beside him. The interest in his eyes finally turned into seriousness and scrutiny.

He looked at Shushen, who still had her hands folded, head bowed, and chest hunched, and said, "You're quite quick. Aunt Zhuxi really didn't suspect anything and just handed it over to you like that?"

Shushen was still quite young at the time, and it was her first time doing such an "important" thing, so she was naturally nervous. Although she appeared calm, her wildly beating heart and flushed ears betrayed her emotions.

"To be honest, Your Highness, the bondservant members of the Wuya clan are now trying every possible way to get through Aunt Zhuxi's connections. She is currently overwhelmed with worries. Otherwise, she wouldn't have let this edict be released ahead of schedule, allowing Your Highness to catch her in the act."

Both of them knew in their hearts that the imperial edict should have appeared in the Golden Palace on the day Hongzhao chose the Crown Prince's consort. However, Zhuxi's restless actions these past few days might not have been without the intention of using Shushen to pull the Crown Prince into the bondservant camp as well.

“I always keep my word. Now you can tell me what you want.” Unlike his previous aloofness and politeness, when Hongzhao looked at the person in front of him again, a ripple appeared in his calm eyes.

"But let me remind you, you know perfectly well what's written in this will. Are you really not moved at all?"

Shushen sensed the probing in the Crown Prince's words. She lowered her eyes to avoid his gleaming gaze, clutching the handkerchief in her hand and swallowing hard.

"My entry into the palace is the Empress Dowager's decree, and it is also the expectation of my entire clan and the hope of my father and mother. Therefore, even though I know that the Crown Prince may not like me, I still want to stay."

"I know that it is easy to go with the flow in the palace, but difficult to remain virtuous. I have seen many such people in the past six months and I do not want to lose my true self like them. All I ask for is peace and stability."