Inside the Lizheng Hall, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The remaining officials, less than half of them, looked at each other nervously.

As they listened to the shouts of the officials being dragged away, they were filled with fear and unease, trembling as if they might become the next to be judged at any moment.

Chen Zhennan sat on the dragon throne with a solemn expression, clearly indicating that the matter was not yet over.

Chen Zhennan slowly reached out, picked up an envelope, and gently stroked the edge of the letter with his fingertips, as if he was thinking about something.

"Of the rest, some handed over some of the dirty money, while others didn't account for their own transactions. I'm giving you a chance; step forward yourselves, don't wait for me to call your names."

As soon as the words were spoken, the air in the Lizheng Hall seemed to be sucked out instantly. Everyone held their breath, and their heartbeats sounded exceptionally clear at that moment.

Of the remaining officials, nearly half knelt on the ground, their faces filled with terror.

Their movements appeared hurried and flustered, as if they were scrambling to assert their positions.

Chen Zhennan glanced around and saw that most of the officials still standing were military officers. Including the dozen or so civil officials who hadn't knelt down, there were only a little over thirty people in total.

Chen Zhennan sighed helplessly, his heart filled with disappointment.

Although he had been mentally prepared, the current situation still made him feel extremely frustrated.

Wu Yunyin's incompetence and Zhou Xiang's inaction in governing the country led to officials in the capital making a fortune from the national crisis and exploiting the people to the bone.

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the officials standing there. He noticed that most of them were officials of the fourth rank or below, and there were only three officials of the third rank. There were almost no important officials present.

Although Chen Zhennan didn't know the abilities of these people, it was enough that they could remain honest and upright in such an environment.

As the ancients said, in times of chaos, when employing people, talent is the deciding factor, not virtue.

But now that the three kingdoms have been unified, ministers who govern the country must possess both virtue and talent. The virtue of an honest official does not need to be examined; his abilities can be cultivated.

Chen Zhennan's gaze was as cold as ice as he turned to the officials kneeling on the ground and said in a cold voice, "I'll give you one more day to hand over all the embezzled money, or you'll face certain death!"

With a sigh, Chen Zhennan continued, "Any business in the city will be auctioned off. I'll say it again: officials of the Great Yan Dynasty are not allowed to engage in business while in office. Just do your jobs well, and the court will not treat you unfairly!"

As Chen Zhennan finished speaking, the officials kneeling on the ground shouted "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Chen Zhennan's eyes revealed deep anger and disappointment. He wished he could kill these officials, but there was no one else in the court who could be of use, so he could only give them a chance to repent.

"The honest and upright officials will be promoted three ranks in succession, while the rest will be demoted three ranks to atone for their crimes. All of you, rise up!"

As soon as Chen Zhennan finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall eased slightly, and the officials breathed a sigh of relief, their actions revealing a sense of relief.

Wang He also stood up, thinking that the matter was over, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

At this moment, the gate of Lizheng Hall was opened, and two special forces soldiers helped an elderly woman in her sixties into the hall.

"Your Majesty, this is Wang He's mother, Lady Liu."

Chen Zhennan nodded slightly, a hint of sympathy in his eyes: "The old man's complexion is indeed not good. It seems that he has been ill for a long time without medical treatment. We should send him to the Imperial Hospital for careful recuperation and settle him in the palace to live out his old age."

Upon hearing this, Wang He knelt down again, tears streaming down his face, and shouted, "Thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty!"

His face was filled with gratitude, as if he was truly moved by Chen Zhennan's kindness.

After the two team members helped the old woman out, Chen Zhennan gave Wang He a cold smile and asked, "Lord Wang, do you think you can get away with this?"

Chen Zhennan's voice was filled with intense killing intent, causing Wang He's recently relaxed mood to tighten again.

The atmosphere became extremely tense at this moment. Chen Zhennan's words were undoubtedly telling everyone that his eyes were sharp and no one could escape his discerning gaze.

Wang He's face turned pale instantly, and he looked at Chen Zhennan with feigned incomprehension.

"Your Majesty, what do you mean by that? You have witnessed my mother's illness with your own eyes, and what I have said is not a single word of falsehood."

"Not a single word of falsehood?" Chen Zhennan couldn't help but sneer. "Lord Wang must have read quite a few books, so he naturally understands what it means to find wealth and beauty in books. Moreover, you yourself are the embodiment of these two sayings."

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire Lizheng Hall seemed to be muted, instantly falling into a deathly silence.

Then, a team member strode in from outside the hall, clutching a gold bar covered in dust tightly in his hand.

As soon as he finished speaking, another special forces member walked in from outside the hall. He walked steadily and held a gold bar covered in dust in his hand.

The gold bars gleamed brilliantly under the lights of the main hall, a stark contrast to the dust on their surfaces.

"Your Majesty, a large amount of silver and gold bars have been found in Lord Wang's house. The walls of each room have hidden layers, and one room was built entirely of silver, then painted and reinforced with wood on the outside."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Lizheng Hall was stunned; their expressions shifted from initial shock to disbelief.

No one expected Wang He to be so discreet, and his methods of embezzlement were so sophisticated.

Among the officials in the capital, although some corrupt officials could pretend to be honest and live a frugal life, no one was like Wang He, who always appeared extremely poor, whether he was out or at home.

The upright officials standing there looked at each other, their eyes revealing a deep shock and anger.

None of them expected that such a corrupt official was hiding so deeply among them.

Wang He's face turned pale instantly, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hands trembled slightly, revealing his inner fear and unease.

Chen Zhennan's gaze was as cold as ice in winter, staring at the silent Wang He.

He reached out and found more than a dozen envelopes and a scroll of imperial edict on the desk.

"In the second year after Wu Yunyin restored the country, you, Wang He, stood out from all the candidates with the first place score. You are truly a talent among talents."

Chen Zhennan shook his head, his face full of disappointment and sarcasm.

"Among the officials in the capital, you are arguably the most knowledgeable. I am truly curious, how did you rise to your current position?"

Upon hearing this, Wang He's eyes lost their luster, and a desperate, bitter smile appeared on his face.

"I have no choice in the matter."

Upon hearing those four words, Chen Zhennan couldn't help but laugh and scoffed, "Unable to control your own destiny? It's true what they say, knowledge changes destiny, for better or for worse. So, what do you have to say now?"