The emperor remained silent, but the politically astute ministers sensed that this was the calm before the storm.
On May 20th, the gate of Tang Weilin, the prefect of Jiangling Prefecture, was kicked open by the Imperial Guards. One of the servants who tried to obstruct the Imperial Guards was crippled on the spot, and more than a dozen iron-faced Imperial Guards dressed in black brocade robes barged into Tang Weilin's house.
Tang Weilin was in the backyard engaging in shameless acts with his concubines when he heard the noise outside. Enraged, he was about to lash out when his steward's head was thrown into the backyard, blood splattering everywhere. The concubines, with their voluptuous figures and revealing clothes, turned deathly pale.
Aside from being obsequious in front of the emperor, Xie Dahai's expression was as cold as ice in front of everyone else; calling him Xie Hanbing (meaning "Xie the Ice-Cold") would be more fitting.
"We are the Emperor's personal guards, acting on imperial orders. May I ask where Prefect Tang Weilin is located?"
Tang Weilin's face had already turned deathly pale with fright. Upon hearing that the emperor's personal guards had arrived, he immediately knelt down. Unlike officials in later dynasties with queues, Song Dynasty officials did not kneel upon hearing the emperor's orders. In informal settings, Song Dynasty officials did not kneel, but they still performed a grand ceremony.
Tang Weilin knelt down at this moment, completely terrified.
"Your humble servant, Tang Weilin!"
"Very good, take him away!"
Several Imperial Guards immediately came and took Tang Weilin into custody.
"Your humble servant knows not what crime I have committed!"
"What crime have you committed? You'll find out when you go to the capital's prison."
Upon hearing that he was to be taken to the imperial prison, Tang Weilin was so terrified that he wet himself. He cried out that he was innocent, but a guard from the Imperial City Guard punched him, knocking out his front tooth and knocking him unconscious.
"take away!"
Zhao Huan had just finished breakfast. Today he planned to discuss matters with the prime ministers of the two prefectures. Just as he went out, Xie Dahai came to request an audience.
"Your Majesty, this is the list of officials and their ranks that Tang Weilin confessed to."
Zhao Huan took the list and frowned slightly: "The highest-ranking official on this list is himself?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive us, we have tried every possible method, but we can only learn about these people from him!"
Zhao Huan pursed his lips; it seemed that Tang Weilin was a tough nut to crack.
"Take me to see him."
Zhao Huan arrived at the imperial prison, where Tang Weilin was lying limp in the cell, beaten and covered in bruises. Upon seeing the emperor, he quickly got up and said, "This sinful subject pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
Zhao Huan crumpled the list into a ball and threw it at Tang Weilin's face.
"Tell me the truth!"
"Your Majesty, I know my sins are unforgivable. I have written down the names of all the officials involved in this matter of the salary. I do not ask for Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
His righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor made Zhao Huan think that these scholars were truly shameless.
"You think I can't do anything to you if you don't tell? You, a prefect, are so audacious as to embezzle my salary! If you don't honestly confess to me today, I will exterminate your entire family!"
Tang Weilin's expression immediately changed upon hearing the mention of executing nine generations of a family.
The reason he didn't speak out was because he knew that if he did, his entire family would die. But now the emperor was even more ruthless, ordering the extermination of nine generations of his family right off the bat, making him even more cruel than those other people.
"Your Majesty, I know my sins are heinous, but I have kept quiet for Your Majesty's sake!"
Zhao Huan kicked Tang Weilin, knocking him to the ground: "For me? You fucking talk like you're a loyal minister, you embezzled my money and said it was for me! Can you be any more shameless!"
"Your Majesty, do you know how many officials are involved in this incident?"
How many?
“From the silver approving order to the lowest-ranking officials, a total of a thousand officials are involved! If Your Majesty wants to investigate further, are you going to punish all of these thousand people? Your Majesty, please listen to this sinful subject. I will take responsibility for this matter and beg Your Majesty to let it go.”
The young emperor was furious: "Are you my subject or theirs?!"
"Your Majesty, killing a few ministers in court will not have any impact; at worst, you can replace them. However, if you investigate this matter thoroughly, it will not be as simple as dealing with a few ministers. Which official in the Song Dynasty has a clean record? If the Emperor investigates this matter to the end, it will surely cause great chaos!"
Are you warning me?
Tang Weilin, looking like he was ready to die no matter what, said: "This humble subject dares not. This humble subject was only trying to share Your Majesty's burdens and remind Your Majesty to know when to stop. Your Majesty simply wants an explanation. This humble subject is willing to bear the blame this time. Please, Your Majesty, do not investigate further!"
Zhao Huan laughed and said, "What if I didn't just want an explanation?"
Tang Weilin suddenly raised his head, looked at the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty is going to make an enemy of the world."
"The world! Whose world truly belongs to this world?"
"It is His Majesty's empire, the empire of the scholar-officials, and the empire ruled by the sage!"
Zhao Huan chuckled coldly. It seemed that until the sword was drawn, they wouldn't know who truly ruled the world.
Scholars and officials ruled the country together with the emperor!
What an enlightened statement! But it's full of rubbish!
It's time to make them realize that we've spoiled them too much!
"Tang Weilin, as long as you tell me, I will be lenient with your family."
Tang Weilin shook his head, his tone much calmer, as if he had seen through it all and come to terms with it: "It's no use, Your Majesty. If I were to confess, my family would still suffer a terrible death."
If those people were exposed, not only would their entire clan be wiped out, but their ancestral graves would also be dug up. Since it was going to be a matter of exterminating nine generations anyway, he didn't care. He just didn't want his ancestral graves to be dug up.
"What if I send a large force to protect them?"
Tang Weilin's previously despairing eyes suddenly lit up: "Your Majesty, is it true?"
If the emperor were to send the Imperial Guards to protect his family, the situation would be completely different. At least the danger would be greatly reduced, since after the emperor had fought a battle, the Imperial Guards would undoubtedly be filled with the emperor's men.
A ruler's word is his bond.
"As long as Your Majesty can protect my family, I am willing to confess. However, Your Majesty should be prepared."
Zhao Huan was so angry that he laughed instead. This was outrageous! The emperor was interrogating his ministers, and he was being warned by them instead.
Looking at the list that Tang Weilin confessed to, there were not a thousand people, but there were more than three hundred.
"This humble subject only knows these people; he knows nothing of the rest."
"It's alright, this is enough."
The emperor smiled with satisfaction. Protecting Tang Weilin's family? When Tang Weilin embezzled frontline military funds and supplies, did he ever think of the families of the soldiers at the front? Did Tang Weilin's family know about his actions?
Ignorance is no excuse, but what if one knew?
I refuse to believe that Tang Weilin's wives and concubines were unaware that their husbands were accepting bribes!
With this extended list, the Imperial City Guard can arrest even more people.
Tang Weilin asked, "May I ask how Your Majesty intends to deal with these people?"
"Of course they should all be executed. They embezzled my money, are you suggesting we keep them around?"
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