The next day, Zhao Ji secretly met with the emperor before the emperor attended the morning court.
"These are all copied from the home of the Minister of Revenue. Please check the quantity, Your Majesty."
Zhao Ji didn't say much and just showed the accounts to the emperor. The emperor took a closer look and, as expected, became furious.
"Your Majesty, I think this booklet is a good thing..."
In the court, the officials reported only trivial matters, and the emperor himself felt drowsy after listening to them.
But at this moment, Zhao Ji suddenly jumped out and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
When the emperor heard this, he knew that something interesting was going to happen, and he immediately perked up and said, "Permission granted!"
Zhao Ji didn't say much. He just asked the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department to carry the things up. More than a hundred boxes were carried up, and the team of court officials was dispersed for a moment.
However, Zhao Ji did not order the box to be opened. Instead, he turned around and said, "Your Majesty, I heard that the refugees in Hua'an County have not been properly arranged so far, so I specially sent someone to investigate the reason."
The prime minister on the other side of the team felt an ominous premonition rising in his heart.
"My people are reporting that the disaster relief funds from Hua'an County have not arrived yet and the people are short of money!"
This was the first time that the disaster relief funds of Hua'an County were brought to the table. Apart from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Revenue, Zhao Ji was investigating the matter.
Most of the other ministers did not know about this matter, so when Zhao Ji said this, there was an uproar in the court.
"How is this possible? I remember that the money had already arrived in Hua'an County a month and a half ago, right?"
"I just heard about this matter, so is the sudden disappearance of the Minister of Revenue related to this matter?"
The court officials were whispering, and the emperor knew it a long time ago, but he still pretended to be furious. "Investigate, investigate thoroughly for me!" After saying this, he threw the cup next to him away!
"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Zhao Ji was acting there with the emperor.
"The most important thing now is to let the people of Hua'an County get the money first to stabilize themselves." Zhao Ji said.
Some of the fearful ministers also echoed his opinion.
The emperor followed Zhao Ji's suggestion and pretended to be distressed: "Now the treasury is empty, where can I get this batch of silver and money?"
Zhao Ji immediately stepped forward and said: "I think we are now sitting back and relaxing in the capital, which is really a shame. I suggest that I take the lead and donate 500 taels of silver to support Hua'an County!"
The emperor didn't even wait for the other ministers to react, he immediately bowed his head and praised: "My dear minister, you are truly a loyal minister! Let's do this!"
The emperor and Zhao Ji have already set up the stage, and those ministers are not fools. If they still can't see the emperor and Zhao Ji's intentions at this point, they have been officials for so long in vain!
Some ministers looked at the prime minister covertly. The prime minister's face was also very dark. He signaled the Minister of Revenue to come out and cry poor.
The Minister of Revenue loved money like his life, and he immediately knelt down and shouted, "I am not as wealthy as the one in charge of the Imperial Household Department. If I have to donate, I will definitely do my best. But I have elderly parents and young children at home, so I am willing to give away all my wealth and donate 100 taels of silver!"
Zhao Ji snorted coldly, really surprised by the shamelessness of the Minister of Revenue.
"One hundred taels, this is really not enough for you, Shangshu!" Zhao Ji snorted coldly.
The Minister of Revenue covered his face and cried on the ground: "My annual salary is only 800 taels of silver, and I have to support a whole government. I can't live any longer!"
Zhao Ji looked at the emperor, whose face was also livid. Zhao Ji cleared his throat and asked, "Apart from the Minister of Revenue, do other people think so?"
Wherever Zhao Ji looked, no one looked at him, and it was obvious that they were unwilling to donate money either.
"Very good, since my ministers are so clean, my country should be prosperous and peaceful! Zhao Ji, open the box and let these ministers see the prosperity and peace!"
At the emperor's command, a group of guards with swords rushed into the court, and the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department stepped forward to open the box.
Box after box of gold, silver and jewelry were exposed before the eyes of the ministers. There were even rare treasures found only in foreign countries. They were all displayed like stalls in a market, and caught the eyes of the ministers.
Even the shrewd prime minister took a deep breath. He finally understood what the emperor and Zhao Ji were planning.
Unfortunately, not everyone is as smart as the prime minister.
"Your Majesty, what is this going to show us?"
Some ministers have already begun whispering.
"Master Seal holder, please tell my good subjects what is going on!" The emperor's voice sounded, and Zhao Ji also received the emperor's signal.
Zhao Ji smiled slightly and took a step forward: "Although I was repairing the model yesterday, I was not idle. I took the time out of my busy schedule to rob a house!"
"This minister whose property was confiscated is also your colleague. What you see is what I copied from his house first!"
For a moment, all the ministers looked at each other and dared not speak.
"This minister is the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue—Zhong Lingyun!"
"They say that a clean county magistrate can earn 100,000 silver coins in ten years. I think I know how it came about!"
"This is just a small minister's family. I don't know if this is the case in your families as well!"
In the hall, only Zhao Ji's sonorous and powerful voice was heard, while everyone else was silent.
The emperor smiled and said, "What should I do? I don't know what is placed in their house. Do I have to search their house and take inventory?"
After he said this, all the court officials knelt down.
It was not only because of what the emperor meant, but also because of the sword-wielding guards who surrounded them in the hall.
A strong smell of urine came over, and it turned out that the Minister of Revenue had peed himself out of fright!
The emperor snorted coldly: "Useless thing, Zhao Ji, after the court session today, you go to the house of the Minister of Revenue to count and see if you can only take out 100 taels of silver."
The Minister of Revenue saw that the situation was not good and looked at the Prime Minister frequently.
The prime minister was the only minister who did not kneel down and beg for mercy. His face darkened. He did not expect that the emperor would use this trick so suddenly and caught him off guard.
The frightened look on the Minister of Revenue's face forced the Prime Minister to step in to protect him. If the old man didn't keep his word, it would be more than just a small matter of donation.
"The wife of the Minister of Revenue is the legitimate daughter of the richest family in Yangzhou. I think the country is in crisis, and the Minister of Revenue and his wife are one. This money should be available if they squeeze it out!"
The Minister of Revenue also knew that the situation was pressing and it would be bad if one lost his life for money.
He quickly crawled over and kowtowed to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is right. My wife has money, and I am willing to donate it!"
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, smiled and said, "How much do you plan to donate, my dear?"
"I am willing to donate 1,000 taels!"
The emperor snorted in dissatisfaction, and the Minister of Revenue trembled and immediately changed his words: "One thousand taels of gold, I am willing to let my wife take out the dowry, and I will donate 1,000 taels of gold to the country!"