The atmosphere in the Rikjeong Hall was suffocating, as if shrouded in heavy, dark clouds.

The officials around them looked at each other, uneasy, as if even breathing had become difficult.

Upon seeing this, Song Yunyang felt a pang of anxiety, realizing that Chen Zhennan was on the verge of exploding with anger.

She walked forward slowly and gently, as if soothing a wild beast about to break free.

Song Yunyang picked up the teapot and poured Chen Zhennan another cup of tea.

"Your Majesty, you have just ascended the throne. It is not good to shed blood. Please calm down."

Her voice was like a gentle spring breeze, carrying a soft power, attempting to dispel the oppressive atmosphere.

After listening to Song Yunyang's advice, Chen Zhennan's anger subsided slightly, and his brows relaxed a little, but the anger in his heart was still burning.

He took a deep breath, as if trying to expel all the resentment he felt.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke slowly: "Yan Shiyu, send a message to Qingzhou by carrier pigeon, and transfer all the special forces personnel here to me."

These words immediately caused a stir in the hall, and almost all the officials showed expressions of fear.

Everyone knew that Chen Zhennan's special forces were invincible and could withstand hundreds of thousands of troops. People secretly wondered if the new emperor was about to start a massacre.

Chen Zhennan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I'll give you some time. Before the special forces arrive in Beijing, hand over all the embezzled funds. If anyone dares to conceal or hide the bribes, their property will be confiscated and they will be beheaded!"

Upon seeing this, all the officials knelt down and shouted, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Everyone, disperse!"

Following Chen Zhennan's words, all the civil and military officials withdrew, and the Lizheng Hall returned to tranquility.

Chen Zhennan sighed, turned around and lay down on the dragon throne, his chest heaving.

Song Yunyang gave a wry smile, with a hint of helplessness, and walked to Chen Zhennan's side.

Chen Zhennan took her hand and gently pulled her to sit next to him.

Song Yunyang shook her head slightly: "Your Majesty, no one else is allowed to sit in this position. Even if I were the Empress, I would not have the right to sit on this dragon throne. Besides, I am not the Empress yet."

Chen Zhennan clicked his tongue, his eyes filled with a hint of mischief and disdain, and pulled Song Yunyang to sit down.

"It's just a broken chair. If you're offered a seat, sit down. What are you afraid of?"

Song Yunyang smiled faintly, her eyes sparkling with understanding and tenderness. She said nothing more and slowly sat down.

After a few seconds, Chen Zhennan changed the subject and said in a low voice, "Yunyang, there was a palace coup last night. Wang Lei's army looted the palace's money and gold and silver artifacts. We can forget about the money and silver, but we have to retrieve the gold and silver artifacts from the palace. They are all very valuable. We still need to maintain the proper grandeur."

Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang was taken aback, her brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of urgency instantly welled up in her heart.

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will make arrangements immediately to have them hand over all the loot."

Song Yunyang's tone was gentle, but it carried a hint of determination. Chen Zhennan could detect the subtle change in her tone.

“Yunyang, don’t overthink it. It’s only natural to be tempted by money. They came here with me from Da Yan, leaving their homes behind. There’s no need to punish them.”

Song Yunyang gave a soft "hmm," her voice like gentle raindrops, soft yet firm: "I know what to do, Your Majesty. You should rest now. I'll go and make the arrangements."

After saying that, Song Yunyang got up and left. Her movements were calm and elegant, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

But watching her departing figure, Chen Zhennan vaguely sensed some changes, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what they were.

...

Chen Zhennan's imperial edict was like a thunderclap in the sky above the capital. No one dared to openly disobey it. Officials in the capital rushed home and began to nervously calculate the value of their assets.

Many of them were trying to change their assets and transfer the proceeds of their embezzlement and bribery to other people in order to evade Chen Zhennan's prosecution.

The atmosphere in the capital became extremely tense. Every official's residence was like a small battlefield, and officials racked their brains day and night to plan how to protect their property.

However, there were also some cowardly officials who followed Chen Zhennan's orders to liquidate their assets and hand over all their embezzled and bribed gains to the national treasury in the hope of securing their own safety.

Three days later, Chen Zhennan sat on the throne above the dragon throne, with piles of accounts submitted by officials from the capital piled up in front of him.

He calculated carefully, his brow furrowed. The total was three million taels of silver. This amount was an astronomical figure for ordinary people, but it was probably less than one-tenth of what they had embezzled and accepted as bribes.

Setting down the ledger, Chen Zhennan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, turned to Yan Shiyu, and asked with a slight smile, "Three million taels? Are you kidding me? Shiyu, how much evidence do you have?"

Chen Zhennan's voice carried a hint of playfulness, as well as an undeniable seriousness.

Yan Shiyu clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, pondering as he replied, "Your Majesty, we have gathered more than four hundred pieces of evidence in the past three days, and there will probably be even more today. The team members are arriving soon, and these officials are trying every means to transfer their assets."

Chen Zhennan hummed in agreement, his face suddenly turning gloomy, his eyes revealing a resolute determination.

"Keep an eye on them, and settle accounts with them once the special forces brothers arrive."

Yan Shiyu nodded emphatically: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Chen Zhennan clicked his tongue, his tone revealing a hint of awkwardness: "Could you please stop calling me Emperor? It sounds much better to call me Commander-in-Chief."

He frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the title, as if it created distance between him and others.

Upon hearing this, Yan Shiyu hurriedly shook his head and replied with a serious expression, "Today is different from the past. The commander-in-chief is the commander-in-chief, and the emperor is the emperor. Your Majesty, you should get used to this title gradually."

Chen Zhennan sighed helplessly, slowly got up, and went to the national treasury with Yan Shiyu's help.

Upon arriving at the gates of the national treasury, Yan Shiyu gave an order, and the heavy gates were slowly opened.

Standing outside the door, Chen Zhennan's helplessness almost overflowed from his eyes. He rolled his eyes, his expression saying, "Could this world be any more absurd?"

There were only thirty lonely boxes inside. This was the national treasury, and there was only so little money.

Seeing that his expression was not right, Yan Shiyu hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, the capital has been besieged for a long time, and the national treasury has long been empty. This three million taels of silver was sent into the national treasury in the last three days."

Chen Zhennan took a deep breath, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, but then he curled up the corners of his mouth and laughed loudly, "My money! These bastards will all have to spit it out!"

The atmosphere became both tense and somewhat comical at this moment. Chen Zhennan's laughter echoed in the empty treasury, carrying a unique sense of humor.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, once the special forces arrive, I will immediately begin operations to confiscate all the money from those corrupt officials."