Qin Yu's face paled even more, and he exclaimed in surprise, "That won't do! I haven't had enough of a good life yet, I haven't enjoyed all the beauties in the world, and I still want to pursue immortality..."
Qin Yu spoke slower and slower, until finally he was muttering to himself.
Upon seeing this, the officials all sighed, lamenting that this incompetent ruler was truly beyond redemption.
Qin Yu seemed genuinely frightened, and finally gritted his teeth, saying with a pained expression, "How about this, Prime Minister, you take one million taels of silver from the salt tax revenue and use it as disaster relief funds."
Sima Lie was overjoyed upon hearing this.
He could earn an extra million taels of silver.
More importantly, he could take this opportunity to openly seize control of the salt tax from Jia Renyi and squeeze out every last bit of value from him!
Thinking of this, Sima Lie became even more excited and shouted loudly!
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The court officials echoed in unison, "Your Majesty is wise."
"Um."
Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction and then announced, "I will be hunting at the new Lishan hunting grounds for the next few days. The fundraising is entirely in the hands of the Prime Minister."
Sima Lie quickly cupped his hands and said, "As you command."
After the court session ended and the officials left, Sima Lie's lips curled into a sinister smile.
Sima Lie looked up at Ma Shangtao beside him and ordered, "Immediately gather a troop of soldiers and accompany me to surround the Jia mansion!"
"Yes, Prime Minister!"
After a stick of incense had burned, Sima Lie led several hundred soldiers and marched in a grand procession to surround the Jia family mansion.
Before me stood a magnificent and luxurious mansion with vermilion gates, its exterior appearing extremely opulent and splendid.
Sima Lie narrowed his eyes, then suddenly waved his hand: "Surround them for me!"
At his command, hundreds of soldiers rushed forward and surrounded the entire Jia mansion.
"Who are you? Who are you people? This is the Jia family mansion! How dare you trespass? Don't you want to live?!"
As soon as the gatekeeper saw these strangers rushing in, he immediately ran out and scolded them.
Ma Shangtao didn't respond. He walked straight up and kicked the servant in the chest, shouting, "You dog of a servant, do you know Prime Minister Sima?!"
Ma Shangtao was tall and burly, and the powerful aura he exuded immediately caused the gatekeeper's legs to buckle and he collapsed to the ground.
"Prime Minister...?"
"Hmph, since you recognize me, why don't you quickly call out the person in charge of your household?"
Sima Lie glanced at the servant with disdain, then said indifferently.
"Yes, yes, I'll go right away, I'll go now."
The servant was so frightened that he ran into the mansion in a hurry.
Soon, the door opened wide, and Jia Renyi, with a full head of white hair, hurriedly walked out.
Seeing the scene outside, Old Man Jia felt a chill run down his spine. After his gaze fell on Sima Lie, he immediately went to meet him.
"Hehe! So it's Prime Minister Sima. Why have you gone to such lengths? I'm too old to be frightened!"
Although he was inwardly panicked, Jia Renyi forced himself to remain calm and said with a cold expression.
Since the last break, the Jia family has been secretly targeted by Sima Lie's lackeys, and its fortunes have declined. If it weren't for the salt tax, the huge Jia family would have really collapsed!
Thinking of this, Jia Renyi gritted his teeth and glared fiercely at Sima Lie.
"You have the salt tax official register, don't you?"
Sima Lie showed no disdain and asked arrogantly.
Upon hearing this, Jia Renyi was first slightly taken aback, then his heart sank, and he thought to himself that something bad had happened.
That old fox has actually started eyeing his salt tax!
"What? Don't tell me the things aren't here."
Sima Lie asked from his superior position.
Jia Renyi could only nod reluctantly, saying in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "The task of managing the salt administration was bestowed upon the Jia family by the Emperor Gaozu of the Great Xia Dynasty, so the official register of salt tax is naturally in my possession."
Sima Lie's smile gradually faded, and he said in a calm voice, "Since it's in your possession, quickly bring it here for me to see."
After saying that, he extended his right hand.
Seeing this, Jia Renyi frowned even more deeply, but out of respect for the Prime Minister's authority, he suppressed his confusion, took something out of his pocket, and handed it to Sima Lie.
This was a salt tax register, nothing shameful, so Jia Renyi took it out without hesitation and handed it to Sima Lie.
Sima Lie took the booklet, examined it carefully, and then a cold smile appeared on his face.
The item was indeed correct, but he knew very well that the Jia family also possessed a private register of salt taxes.
He knew that Jia Renyi kept two sets of accounts: one was an official account for the imperial court, and the other was his own private account.
Official accounts are two-thirds less than private accounts!
The only information about how many salt merchants and salt fields the Great Xia Dynasty had was in his private accounts!
Only by controlling the private accounts can one keep all those benefits in their own hands.
Seeing the cold smile on Sima Lie's face, Jia Renyi swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "What is it, Prime Minister? Is there something wrong with these account books?"
"It's not that it's inappropriate."
Sima Lie smiled and shook his head, saying, "But the items are incomplete. There's also a private ledger. Where is it now? Please bring it to me as well."
Jia Renyi's expression changed instantly.
Sima Lie isn't here to audit the accounts; he's here to take the Jia family's lives!
"I do not understand what the Prime Minister is saying."
Jia Renyi pretended to be calm and said.
"Is that so?" Sima Lie sneered, "Lord Jia, do you think you can escape this calamity by pretending to be stupid?"
He pointed at the soldiers behind him and said coldly, "Do you think that I, who came here in such a grand manner, am unaware of the Jia family's true strength?"
Jia Renyi's heart skipped a beat, and his forehead instantly broke out in a thick sweat, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Prime Minister, my Jia family has done a lot for you. Why is the Prime Minister suddenly turning his back on you after you've served your purpose?"
"snort!"
Sima Lie sneered and said sarcastically:
"Discarding a used tool after it has served its purpose? Lord Jia, if it weren't for our past relationship with the Jia family, I wouldn't have just surrounded the outside; I would have charged straight in!"
"you……"
Jia Renyi gritted his teeth and glared at Sima Lie with resentment.
He finally understood that Sima Lie was determined to deal with the Jia family today!
They're just coveting the Jia family's salt administration power and want to seize it openly!
Thinking of this, a look of hatred flashed across Jia Renyi's face. He gritted his teeth and argued fiercely, "Prime Minister, the power of salt administration was bestowed upon my Jia family by the late Emperor. Is there anything wrong with your actions today?"
"Is it inappropriate? I was forced to come here. If it weren't for the imperial decree, I wouldn't have been willing to come."
At this point, Sima Lie's smile deepened, and after waving his hand, Ma Shangtao immediately stepped forward and handed over the imperial edict.
"Lord Jia, the imperial edict is here. Would you like to take a look for yourself?"
"Imperial edict?"
Jia Renyi's pupils contracted sharply, and a strong sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
He took the imperial edict, unfolded it, and was immediately shocked.
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