Chapter 10 The Tyrant is Stupid and Stupid
The countdown has begun.
Yun Zhao was not so anxious anymore.
A cup of soothing tea was served, and Yun Zhao felt that the tyrant's breathing became much smoother after listening to it.
The court had just been dismissed when Xiao Jin called a few people to ask about the flood in the south of the Yangtze River.
The ambergris in the palace is expensive, but it cannot suppress the suffocating heaviness.
The aftermath of the disbanding of the court had not yet dissipated, so Xiao Jin summoned the Minister of Revenue Cui Jianan, the Minister of Works Qian Lu, and the shrewd Prime Minister Su.
Several people knelt at the foot of the imperial steps, their heads buried deep in their chests. The air was as stagnant as death.
"Bang!" Xiao Jin's face turned pale as he slammed a copy of an urgent memorial from Jiangnan, eight hundred miles away, onto the gold brick! "Where's the silver?!" the emperor's voice was icy. "I issued a decree to allocate 100,000 taels of silver for disaster relief, and the Yangzhou prefect says he hasn't seen a single copper! Explain this to me!"
Yun Zhao stood with his eyes lowered, a wave of emotion surging within him: [Fly? It's fallen into the pockets of you termites! After so much exploitation, how much is left for the victims?!]
Her fingertips were cold, as if she saw the people struggling in the Jiangnan marshland.
Xiao Jin's eyes were like those of a hawk, staring intently at the minister in charge of finances: "Cui Jianan! Where did the money go?!"
Cui Jianan trembled violently. "Your Majesty! The silver has been fully allocated and shipped to Jiangnan! I have received the reply letter and signed for it. It is absolutely true!"
"Absolutely true?" Xiao Jin laughed in anger, slamming the imperial desk! Turning to Qian Lu, he said, "Qian Lu! The money has arrived, but where are the dikes?! Why are the floods still happening, and the people are so angry?!"
Qian Lu practically fell to the ground, "Your Majesty, calm down! The Ministry of Works is working day and night to repair it! It will be fixed within five days! Please, Your Majesty, give me more time!"
Prime Minister Su spoke calmly, with a mixture of worry and loyalty. "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty's health is paramount. His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin is concerned for the victims and has dispatched personnel to Jiangnan to assist with flood control. He has also issued strict orders for the opening of granaries and the release of grain to address this urgent need."
[They're in cahoots! Singing the same tune!] Yun Zhao's alarm bells were ringing. [The Su thief is so carelessly taking the credit for this achievement at the hands of the King of Qin, implying that there's something wrong with the local officials! Stupid emperor! Are your good brother and the Su thief the masterminds behind this?!]
Xiao Jin's chest heaved as he suppressed his murderous intent: "What a great way to release the grain! Cui Jianan!"
"I am here!"
"I will allocate another 100,000 taels! You will escort them personally! One month! I want the water to recede and the embankment to be reinforced! Otherwise, bring your head before me!"
Cui Jianan suddenly looked up, his face pale as paper. He kowtowed heavily, his voice shrill, "Your Majesty, please understand! I'm not trying to shirk responsibility. It's simply that... the treasury is empty and there's no money to allocate, Your Majesty! I've done my best!"
[Go all out and embezzle!] Yun Zhao was anxious and furious. [The treasury has long been emptied! And this tyrant still thinks he has the whole world in his hands! The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works have become the Prince of Qin's harem!] She was filled with grief and indignation for her brother, who was far away at the border, paying for the military pay out of his own pocket: [My brother worked hard, but the military pay wasn't collected, and all the family property was used up! And this corrupt official still dared to accuse him of embezzlement?! Is this tyrant blind?!]
"No silver to transfer?!" Xiao Jin's voice suddenly rose in disbelief. "My million-dollar treasury is empty?! Has the country been consumed by years of war?!"
Cui Jianan burst into tears: "Your Majesty! The military expenditure is so huge that it has already drained our family's coffers! I... a good cook cannot cook without rice!"
"Is it just because I raise you guys that you're supposed to listen to me?!" Xiao Jin's venomous gaze swept across and stopped at Su Xiang's face. "Su Xiang! You're the head of all officials! Tell me! What should we do?!"
Prime Minister Su bowed. "Your Majesty, calm your wrath. Minister Cui's words may not be entirely accurate, but the treasury is in dire straits. Jiangnan's top priority is a thorough investigation! The Yangzhou prefect is undoubtedly scheming against his authority and enriching himself. Your Majesty, I implore you to dismiss him and investigate. With the arrival of the new prefect, we will surely see results in combating the floods. Your Majesty, please await good news."
[Divert the trouble eastward! Sacrifice the chariot to save the king!] Yun Zhao's alarm bells rang wildly, [We must replace all the tyrant emperor's people with the Qin Wang's dogs! Wait any longer? Wait until the refugees are starving and the people are resentful! It will be difficult for the tyrant emperor not to issue an edict of apology! This will pave the way for the Qin Wang! Su thief is so vicious!]
"Wait for good news?!" Xiao Jin suddenly stood up, his black robe swirling in the wind. He pointed outside the palace, his voice hoarse with rage, "My people are drowning, waiting to die! You want me to wait?! Fine! You can't do anything! I'll go to Jiangnan myself! See where the money has gone! See why the dam can't be repaired!"
[Stupidity on top of stupidity! Sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth!] Yun Zhao was so anxious that he almost stamped his foot. [Giving them the opportunity to tamper with something on the way, or even kill the king! A cornered dog will jump over the wall!]
[Force them to donate! The entire court is filled with civil and military officials, noble families! Every single one of them in the capital! Who doesn't have tens of thousands of taels of silver? Daughters serving as empresses in the palace, sons serving as officials in the court, all hostages! Make them donate! Ten thousand taels per person, a million is within easy reach! Don't you understand this?! No wonder he was poisoned to death on the throne! He deserved it!]
The word "donate" was like thunder, instantly splitting Xiao Jin's chaotic mind! A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes!
Almost at the same time, Prime Minister Su's voice rang out with surprise and admiration: "Your Majesty is wise! This is a foolproof plan! Your Majesty cares deeply about the people and spares no effort. You are truly a model of a wise ruler! I, your humble servant, am willing to follow Your Majesty's lead to eradicate corruption in Jiangnan and appease the people!"
[How quick! This old thief is taking advantage of the situation! He wants to seize this opportunity to control His Majesty's schedule and hold the power of life and death! How ruthless!]
Xiao Jin stared at Su Xiang, his back teeth clattering as he felt the humiliation burn like a raging fire. He didn't believe Yun Zhao's words and turned to Cui Jianan, his voice icy: "Cui Jianan, do you also think that I should go myself?"
Cui Jianan grasped at straws, "Your Majesty's personal presence will surely deter the scoundrels and uncover the truth! I second the motion!"
Yun Zhao's heart was filled with cold sarcasm: "Ha! Eighty percent of the civil and military officials in the court are Qin Wang's dogs! Isn't it uncomfortable to sit on this dragon throne of yours?!"
"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!" Zhang Fuan, who had been silent until now, fell to his knees, his voice filled with tears and anxiety: "The floods in Jiangnan are still raging, the roads are dangerous, and there are villains everywhere! Your Majesty's body is worth millions, how can you lightly venture into such a dangerous place? I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!"
"Shut up!" Qian Lu shouted harshly, "You are just a eunuch, what do you know about military and national affairs? How dare you spread alarmist rhetoric and obstruct the emperor's will! Your Majesty, you must not listen to slanderous words!"
Yun Zhao looked at Zhang Fuan, helpless and bleeding from his forehead, and felt a complex sense of sadness: [In such a vast court, there is only this one old eunuch who truly cares about the safety of this tyrant...]
Xiao Jin suddenly stood up, pulled out the Qingyun Sword hanging behind him, and rushed towards Qian Lu! The cold and sharp sword blade instantly crossed his neck: "You deserve to die!"
Blood immediately seeped out, slid down the sword edge, and hit the gold brick with a "tick-tock" sound.
Yun Zhao was startled by the thunderous momentum: [No way! This is a third-rank official! Executing him without reason will only lead to the loss of more supporters!]
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely not possible!" Zhang Fuan was so frightened that he fell to his knees and hugged Xiao Jin's thighs tightly.
"Get out of here!" Xiao Jin shouted and kicked him away.
The entire Yanying Hall fell into deathly silence, the air seemed to freeze, leaving only the silent smell of blood in the air.
Yun Zhao was left with only despair: [Alas, a tyrant king is digging his own grave, and no one can stop him...]
However, at this critical moment, Xiao Jin suddenly shook his wrist and the sword was withdrawn like lightning!
He didn't even look at Qian Lu, who was pale, but took out a snow-white handkerchief, slowly wiped the blood off the sword, and walked back to the imperial desk step by step.
"Wang Fuan," he casually threw the blood-stained handkerchief onto the table, his cold eyes sweeping over the hushed ministers, "pass on my oral order: princes, dukes, and earls, each household must donate 100,000 taels of silver; officials of the third rank and above, 60,000 taels each; officials of the seventh rank and above, 20,000 taels; the rest can do as they please. In the harem, anyone who donates more than 10,000 taels will be promoted!"
He paused, his voice suddenly rising, carrying an unquestionable pressure: "If Su Xiangruo is willing to pay 100,000 taels... your legitimate daughter will be immediately canonized as a noble concubine, and can enter the palace before the evening of tomorrow!"
[Huh? Why did he suddenly come to his senses? He even thought of the harem... Not bad!] Yun Zhao's thoughts were instantly interrupted, and he was confused and puzzled. [But... there was no deadline? This money...]
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