Each task in the Six Ministries was recorded, including who was in charge and how the tasks were handled. Sheng Jingyu only needed to glance at the records to discover the problem.
The records about this matter are too brief, and the people involved are not fully documented.
The four people currently listed are the ones Lu Guanfeng pushed out to take the blame.
Sheng Jingyu took out a portion of the confession and handed it to the eunuch to pass on to the emperor.
"These testimonies come from people who, though not recorded in the records, were indeed involved in the matter. Someone has to distribute the funeral expenses, so I've invited them here. Father, let's see what they have to say."
According to Lu Guanfeng, the money was embezzled by Dong Qi, and very little was actually distributed.
However, Sheng Jingyu discovered the truth: Dong Qi only took a small portion, a very small portion; the rest was all with Lu Guanfeng.
Most of the people Dong Qi arranged to handle this matter were Lu Guanfeng's men.
Those people received the silver, but instead of distributing it, they sent it directly to the general's mansion.
Those who had nothing to do with Lu Guanfeng received their allowances normally, but there were also layers of deductions in between.
Lu Guanfeng swallowed hard, a bad feeling creeping over him.
Where did Sheng Jingyu find these people? They weren't even listed in the register.
The emperor only flipped through two pages before his expression turned extremely ugly.
"Lu Guanfeng!" the Emperor roared, throwing down several testimonies. "Take a look at these testimonies and see if there are any problems!"
Each person spoke with reason and evidence, and every detail was presented perfectly.
Sheng Jingyu also found out the relationship between those who helped with the embezzlement and Lu Guanfeng.
And what has he done for Lu Guanfeng over the years?
"What... what's going on?" Lu Guanfeng looked at the testimony in horror. "Your Majesty, this is all nonsense. I have never done such a thing!"
Sheng Jingyu said unhurriedly, "General Lu, don't be in a hurry, there's more!"
Under Lu Guanfeng's incredulous gaze, Sheng Jingyu produced another stack of testimonies.
“I’ve already said that some people embezzled military funds back then, which led to the defeat in several major battles. These testimonies are from those people who helped you embezzle funds.”
"And the soldiers in your army, those who participated in the battle thirteen years ago, some of them have returned to their hometowns, but I still found them."
Sheng Jingyu went through a lot of trouble to find these people.
After reading it, the emperor was furious and pointed at his nose, cursing him.
Lu Guanfeng's face was ashen, and he had no way to refute it.
Not only are there testimonies, but also witnesses. Those people are also in Sheng Jingyu's hands. He can find out what happened by questioning them face to face.
"You keep saying it's for the fallen soldiers, but you're the one who has wronged them the most!" The emperor felt heartbroken when he thought of those innocent people who died unjustly.
Sheng Jingyu spoke again: "Thirteen years have passed. General Lu thought this matter could be forgotten, but unexpectedly, those people filed a complaint with the government and even gathered to cause trouble. You couldn't suppress it anymore, so you brought it up again, trying to push the defeat onto Marquis Anle."
"By the way, find two people to help cover up your embezzlement back then. General Lu is quite capable; he has connections everywhere."
No one dared to speak, especially the Minister of Justice.
The matter was handed over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation, but only some false results were found.
Sheng Yuanhe's face turned ashen. He could no longer protect Lu Guanfeng, so what would happen to Lu Wanying?
"Your Majesty! I was just confused for a moment. I was short of money at the time..." Lu Guanfeng was still struggling.
The Emperor angrily questioned, "Just because you're confused, does that give you the right to embezzle military supplies? A general selling weapons on the front lines during a war? That would be a huge joke if word got out!"
No one dared to speak up for Lu Guanfeng; he deserved to die for what he did.
Taking the opportunity, Sheng Jingyu said, "Father, it was General Lu who brought up the news of Marquis Anle's treason. The real reason for the defeat could not possibly be those few letters. Your son requests a thorough investigation into the case of Marquis Anle's treason."
Lu Guanfeng is doomed; there's no need to dwell on his affairs.
The most important thing now is to thoroughly investigate the case from back then.
The crowd whispered among themselves, suddenly realizing why Sheng Jingyu was going to such lengths.
The emperor remained silent, lost in thought.
Officials who had been on good terms with Marquis Anle back then also began to mention the need to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Once someone takes the lead, more people will follow suit, including those who have received favors from the Marquis of Anle.
Sheng Jingyu secretly observed the Emperor's expression. He didn't seem to want to investigate thoroughly, as if Su Wenyuan had predicted everything.
Is this matter really related to the Emperor?
Su Wenyuan had suspected the Emperor from the beginning, but she didn't tell Sheng Jingyu directly, after all, they were father and son.
She hadn't known Sheng Jingyu for long, so it was fine to talk about other things, but she couldn't say much about the Emperor.
After a moment of silence, the Emperor slowly spoke: "This matter has been over for too long, we can discuss it later. The most important thing now is to thoroughly investigate this beast! And the several battles related to him."
"First, drag Lu Guanfeng away and detain him. His family members are detained in their residence. We'll make a decision after we've investigated thoroughly. We must investigate carefully. As for the embezzled funeral expenses..."
Funeral expenses will always be reimbursed. Fortunately, the real culprit is right in front of us, so we won't be left without any evidence or investigation.
Sheng Jingyu interrupted, saying, "The Princess Consort said that she can pay part of the funeral expenses on behalf of Marquis Anle, but it must not be done in the name of compensation."
If it's compensation, it's tantamount to admitting to treason. If you want money, you have to overturn the case against Marquis Anle first.
The Emperor looked at Sheng Jingyu with displeasure, thinking it would have been better if he hadn't said anything at all.
This Princess Consort Chen is quite cunning; she's not in court, yet she can influence many things.
The Emperor sighed and said, "I am tired. Just thinking about the soldiers who died gives me a splitting headache. We can talk about the funeral expenses and the Marquis of Anle later. Let's get Lu Guanfeng interrogated first!"
Sheng Yuan stepped forward, wanting to take on the task, but Sheng Jingyu rejected him.
"The Crown Prince has many affairs to attend to, and he also has an unclear relationship with Lu Guanfeng's daughter. It is probably not appropriate for you to investigate. Father, please entrust this matter to me. I have re-investigated the events of that year and discovered quite a few problems."
"But because the investigation is not thorough, I can't tell my father. I can only let him see these things. If there is enough time, there might be unexpected discoveries, and the whereabouts of the burial expenses can also be found out."
The Emperor is currently most concerned about money, and the matter of issuing supplementary payments cannot be delayed.
I didn't want to hand it over to Sheng Jingyu, fearing he would keep pressing the matter of Marquis Anle.
But then again, it wasn't Lu Guanfeng who ordered the accusation against Marquis Anle. How did Lu Guanfeng know that Marquis Anle had betrayed the country? This was indeed puzzling.
There's nothing wrong with letting Sheng Jingyu ask.
At worst, he could privately remind Sheng Jingyu to report any discoveries to him first.
Sheng Jingyu used to listen to him a lot.
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