Chapter 74 Yinzhen Receives His Orders
The court officials all believed they had gained some understanding of Irali Asan's recklessness. But they never expected that this previously unknown Governor-General of Liangjiang had absolutely no idea what it meant to know when to stop.
A farce he instigated uncovered the biggest corruption case of the 41st year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign—
Another grand assembly was held, and the crowd, who mistakenly thought the turmoil had subsided, saw Irali Asan step forward again.
“Your subject, Irali Asan, has something to report.”
Dressed in court attire, Irali Asan stepped out of the ranks of court officials, stood in the center of the main hall, and solemnly bowed to Emperor Kangxi to report.
Upon receiving Kangxi's signal, Liang Jiugong quickly stepped down, took the memorial from Ashan's hand, and handed it to Kangxi.
Kangxi silently flipped through the memorials, while the crowd below exchanged uneasy glances, wondering what Irali Ashan was up to now.
"Smack!"
Kangxi abruptly slammed the memorial shut, his gaze turning cold as he looked at Irali Asan. "Irali Asan, is what you reported true?"
"Your Majesty, I am incompetent but I dare not deceive you. Everything is true." Irali Asan knelt on the ground, his words earnest, leaving everyone bewildered. Their eyes involuntarily glanced at Crown Prince Yinreng.
Yinreng frowned, not understanding what Irali Ashan was doing. Soetu had warned him not to talk nonsense before, so what was he up to now?
For some reason, a bad premonition gradually welled up in Yinreng's heart.
Perhaps sensing the doubts of his courtiers, Kangxi said, "In that case, let's say it in front of all the officials, so that they may know as well."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I hereby impeach you. The Han officials in the Jiangnan region are in cahoots, engaging in embezzlement and bribery, illegally selling salt, and embezzling salt tax by as much as one million taels. I am incompetent, and the Governor-General of Liangjiang is a figurehead with no real power, and his administration is ineffective."
Ah Shan's words struck everyone like a thunderbolt. If Ah Shan's previous lawsuit was a farce about the "Manchu-Han conflict," then this was a genuine impeachment.
After all, unless Ah Shan had no desire to live, if he made such a statement without concrete evidence, none of the Han officials in the court would let him off the hook.
Perhaps it wasn't just the Han officials; the Jiangnan region was wealthy and rife with factions, so it naturally couldn't be controlled by just the Han officials. At this moment, some well-informed people secretly glanced at the Crown Prince, seeing that his expression was normal, unaware of the unease in Yinreng's heart.
Jiangnan... a region that had almost become his money bag, was suddenly singled out by Ashan, which inevitably made Yinreng somewhat uneasy.
"What evidence does Lord Irali have?" Minister of Revenue Suk was the first to step forward and inquire. The national treasury was empty, and upon hearing about the million taels of tax revenue, Suk's eyes practically turned green. He was just waiting for Ashan to present conclusive evidence so he could confiscate their property. As for the unrest in Jiangnan, that was none of his concern as a neutral party.
"Your Majesty, I have collected nearly ten years' worth of tax ledgers and compared the records of salt releases with the sales volume of official salt in the Jiangnan region..." Irali Ashan spoke eloquently, presenting the evidence he had prepared one by one. After Kangxi finished reading it, he handed it over to several Grand Secretaries and Ministers of the Six Ministries for review.
Suhe, who was skilled in arithmetic, pulled two vice ministers of the Ministry of Revenue to examine the account books on the spot. When they were short-handed, they even boldly brought in Yinzhen.
The Ministry of Revenue was busy reconciling accounts, while high-ranking officials from other departments gathered to examine other evidence. The remaining officials huddled together, whispering among themselves, and everyone sensed the impending storm.
"how?"
"Your Majesty, according to a rough count, there are indeed problems with the taxation in the Jiangnan region, but we cannot determine who is responsible."
Suhe, the Minister of Revenue who was keen on replenishing the national treasury, was pushed forward by his colleagues to report the news. So he told the truth, since all he could confirm was that the amount of money was short.
"So, the evidence is insufficient? My esteemed ministers, what do you think should be done about this?" Kangxi's words were calm and unperturbed, as if he were not surprised at all, and he pushed the problem to his court officials.
"Your humble servant believes this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated." As the representative of the Han officials, Minister of Personnel Chen Tingjing had no choice but to step forward at this moment.
"I second that opinion." Zhang Tingyu, a young talent who had only been in the court for a few years but had already gained the trust of Emperor Kangxi and entered the Southern Study, also stood up to agree.
Following suit, a large number of court officials stepped forward, including not only Han Chinese officials but also many Manchu officials. After all, the evidence did prove the existence of corruption in the Jiangnan region, but it lacked specific targets. Jiangnan was a lucrative place, and it wasn't just Han Chinese officials involved.
Seeing that most of the court officials demanded a thorough investigation, Kangxi nodded and continued, "Then who do you all think is capable of undertaking this important task?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Anyone with a discerning eye knew this was no easy task. The Jiangnan region was far too complex; even if they uncovered anything, the risks were undoubtedly high, and it could easily create enemies.
"Hmm?" Kangxi questioned, "Is there not a single civil or military official in the entire court who can share my burdens?"
"Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. The situation in the Jiangnan region is complex and cannot be handled by ordinary officials."
Of the three key figures, two have fallen: Songgotu retired, and Tong Guowei was demoted. Now, Mingzhu, standing alone in the court, appears to have won. But in reality, he walks on thin ice, constantly needing to demonstrate his value to avoid being abandoned by the emperor.
"Oh, then Mingzhu, what suggestions do you have?"
"In my humble opinion, a prince must be stationed here to deter the villains," Mingzhu suggested earnestly, appearing every inch the loyal subject. Since the eldest prince was still recovering from his injuries, this mess wouldn't fall on his shoulders, so Mingzhu naturally seemed to have no ulterior motives.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to go." Before Kangxi could speak, Yinreng stepped forward with an air of righteous indignation.
"No, Your Highness is of noble birth; how can you risk your life?"
"The Crown Prince is of noble status and it is not appropriate for him to leave the capital."
...
As soon as Yinreng finished speaking, many court officials stood up to refuse and strongly opposed the Crown Prince taking such a dangerous step.
"Your subject is willing to share the burdens of Your Majesty."
The Crown Prince has stepped forward; how could the other princes remain unmoved? Regardless of their true feelings, from Yinzhi to Yindu, they all stepped forward.
Seeing this, the other ministers selected princes to praise. Those who followed the Third Prince praised the Fourth Prince for his uprightness and the Eighth Prince for his meticulousness; those who followed the Eighth Prince praised the Third Prince for his literary and martial talents and the Fourth Prince for his keen insight; and those who followed the Fourth Prince… there was no one in the court who dared to follow the Fourth Prince…
Only his colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue were worried for Yinzhen, but since their superior hadn't spoken, they dared not say anything. As for Suhe, he remained calm and showed no intention of interrupting, not because he had a bad relationship with Yinzhen, but simply because, in his heart, Prince Yong was indeed the best candidate.
Besides... it's not necessarily true that Prince Yong wouldn't be happy about it.
"Alright," Kangxi waved his hand to stop the argument, then glanced at his sons below. "Baocheng, it's good that you have this intention, but you don't need to go yet."
"Yinzhen".
"Your subject is here."
"I entrust this matter to you, appointing you as Imperial Commissioner with full authority. Are you willing?"
"Your subject is willing."
"Very well, then I hereby bestow upon you a gold medal. Seeing this gold medal is as if seeing me. I grant you the power to dismiss from office and the power of life and death."
"Thank you, Father Emperor. I, Yinzhen, will certainly live up to your expectations, arrest corrupt officials, and pacify Jiangnan."
"Very well! Then I will await your good news in the capital!"
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