Chapter 46
As happy as the emperor was when he ate the melon made by the Left Censor-in-Chief, his face is as dark now.
Before the morning court session began, the emperor ordered Lin You: "Tell the Lu family to return all the tribute money that Lu Zhengye collected under the banner of Concubine De and me."
"Those who stole from the national and private treasuries must be returned with interest, without a single cent!"
Lin You: "I obey your order."
Given the emperor's temper, he would at most ask the Lu family to return what they had stolen, but who made Lu Zhengye's actions bring shame to the emperor?
Let me ask you: Which man in the world doesn’t care about his reputation?
The emperor has been humiliated and all the civil and military officials, guards, and eunuchs know about it. Can't they find a way to vent their anger?
Lin You had already decided in his mind many punishments for Lu Zhengye.
We are all adults now, so we have to pay the price for our reckless behavior, right?
Otherwise, Lu Zhengye would never learn his lesson and would continue to cause trouble after being released from the imperial prison.
The emperor was willing to clean up the mess for Lu Zhengye again and again, but he was not happy about it. The Jinyiwei were busy and had no time to argue with a fool.
It was almost time, so the emperor straightened his clothes and went out to court.
The officials discussed state affairs as usual, but after a few words they started arguing because of differences in opinions and political positions.
Chu Huan was impatient to listen to these meaningless arguments: [Tong'er, the Lu family is in the timber business and has no shortage of money. Why would Lu Zhengye take such a big risk to steal?]
The emperor and his officials quietly paid some attention to it, as they also wanted to know.
What exactly led Lu Zhengye to this path? Well, could it be that the Lu family became too carefree because Concubine De gave birth to the Fourth Prince?
The emperor's eyes hidden behind the crown gradually became deeper. There were so many people eyeing the throne.
Soon, this conspiracy theory and the emotions that had just accumulated were cut off by the system.
System: [He likes gambling.]
A gambler, huh? Then it's no surprise what he did.
Chu Huan said decisively: [There's no hope.]
emperor:? ? ?
Officials: ???
No, you're judging after just three words. Isn't that a bit premature? At least listen a little longer.
The system strongly agrees: [Yes, nine out of ten people lose when gambling. Why does he have to get addicted to gambling?]
There are so many gambling houses in the capital, big and small. Why did he have to go to the one run by the Xirong spy?
There are so many gambling lovers in the capital, why would he be so close to anyone else? Why does he have to befriend the Xirong spy?
emperor:"……"
Officials: "..."
Well, there is really no hope, let’s pull it down and bury it :)
There are so many people who love gambling in the world, how come you are the only one involved with the Xirong spies?
Of course there's something wrong with you, kid!
Chu Huan heard something else: [How did Lu Zhengye get involved with the Xirong spies?]
System: [The Xirong had been targeting Dasheng officials and even wanted to insert people into the Dasheng emperor's harem. Now that Lü Zhengye had come to them, they were practically laughing their mouths off.]
Chu Huan: [Tell me in detail.]
The emperor and his officials listened attentively, and the two quarreling groups lowered their voices and calmed down.
Are you kidding? This is free intelligence from the Western Rong spies. How can internal quarrels be more important than external attacks?
System: [Lu Zhengye has been spoiled since childhood, getting whatever he wants. Over time, he's developed a spoiled temper.]
[The young master must get what he wants. If he's a little slow and makes him unhappy, his subordinates will be beaten severely at best, or even killed at worst.]
This personality and way of doing things has never been corrected. Once something goes wrong, the Lu family uses power and money to silence them and won't allow anyone to make a fuss.
Chu Huan sneered: [Excessive doting is equivalent to flattery.]
[It's not surprising to me that with such a family tradition like the Lu family, they could raise someone like Lu Zhengye.]
The system gave Chu Huan the same cold sneer: [Exactly, if the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked. There are few good people in the Lu family!]
The emperor who married the daughter of the Lu family: "..."
Many officials who married into the Lu family: "..."
Whose house collapsed?
Oh, it’s ours, then it’s okay...bullshit!
A few days ago, the house of the Min family, a family of three dynasties, collapsed. Today, the house of the Lu family, a family of a hundred years, collapsed again. Are there not many good aristocratic families?!
The system didn't give them any time to calm down, and continued to expose the news: [Lü Zhengye beat a servant to death because the servant looked at his concubine for a second.]
The servant cried and begged for mercy, saying he would never do it again. Lu Zhengye grinned and continued to beat her until her skin was torn and blood was dripping. The concubine was so frightened that she fainted on the spot.
Chu Huan hates it most when men use women as a shield, saying that bad things are caused by women, letting women take the blame when something goes wrong, and then adding: Beauty is a disaster.
He just found a random excuse to beat the servant. If he really liked his concubine, why would he do it in front of her?
[That's right!] The system wouldn't cover up for Lu Zhengye, revealing his true identity clearly. [At the time, he had a crush on the daughter of the Minister of Justice, the same Miss Jiang who later married Yu Jiayan.]
The Minister of Justice suddenly looked up and asked, "Why is my daughter involved in this?"
System: [Miss Jiang rejected him, so he took a concubine who looked a bit like the one I just mentioned. He made her kneel and serve him every day. How humble she could be.]
The Minister of Justice was immediately disgusted.
If you really like a girl, you must pursue her wholeheartedly, right? But finding a replacement after being rejected once and deliberately tormenting her is disgusting, isn't it?
System: [That day was the wedding of Miss Jiang and Yu Jiayan. He deliberately killed someone, causing bloodshed, and he did so brutally.]
The Minister of Justice's face was distorted.
Although the possibility is small, he can't help but think: If this hadn't happened, would his daughter and son-in-law have ended up like this?
The emperor and his officials felt very uncomfortable whenever they thought about such a thing happening on such a grand wedding day.
Chu Hua: [If he finds out that Yu Jiayan is a prostitute and gets fucked, won't he die of laughter?]
System: [No, he gets bored quickly.]
[The concubine went a little crazy after seeing the bloody scene. He was tired of watching it and sent her away.]
Seeing Jiang, who had gained dozens of pounds after giving birth, Lü Zhengye was frightened and said to his friends, "Thank her for not marrying me back then."
emperor:"……"
Officials: "..."
Good guy, really a good guy.
They looked at the Minister of Justice vaguely, and indeed saw the terrifying expression on his face that seemed to want to kill someone.
It's you who is the substitute, it's you who is despised, and you are also the one who is ruining his daughter's reputation behind her back.
If I don’t kill you, I’d be unworthy of being a father!
When the emperor discovered the murderous intention of the Minister of Justice, he held his forehead with a headache. Now, Lu Zhengye’s life was in danger.
Chu Hua: [Miss Jiang avoided one scumbag, only to fall into the trap of another.]
[I'll have to have a good chat with her when I see her someday.]
The Minister of Justice paused in anger. What were they talking about? How did they lose their husband?
System: [What are you talking about?]
Chu Hua: [We'll talk about it later. Let's continue.]
The system said "oh" twice and didn't ask any more questions, but it made the Minister of Justice and others curious.
[Back to the topic, the servant who was tortured and killed had a younger brother.]
The younger brother was still young at the time, and seeing his brother's body being tortured and murdered left a deep psychological trauma.
The two brothers, both parents dead, depended on each other for survival and had a deep bond. The younger brother vowed to avenge his older brother, and after growing up, he gradually worked his way up to become a servant for Lu Zhengye.
[Originally, the younger brother wanted to lead Lu Zhengye to prostitution, hoping that he would contract syphilis and die. This disease is difficult to treat and will show symptoms. If he dies, he will be infamous and very satisfying.]
But Lü Zhengye looked down on the women of the red-light district, so his younger brother had no choice but to try to get Lü Zhengye involved in gambling.
In her previous life, Chu Huan lived in the modern world with a well-developed internet. She had seen many people who lost everything due to gambling, lost their wives and children, and even committed suicide by jumping off buildings. She kept her distance from the word "gambling".
There is also foreign exchange speculation, stock speculation, cryptocurrency speculation, etc., which are no different from gambling.
Chu Hua: [If he gets syphilis, Lu Zhengye and his woman might die. And if he can't control his gambling, the consequences will be huge. He hates the entire Lu family.]
The Lu family doted on Lu Zhengye too much. They didn't teach or correct him, but only indulged him and then cleaned up the mess afterwards. Won't they hold a grudge against him?
System: [Yes, it is exactly as this person thinks.]
Lü Zhengye had never lacked money since childhood. If he lost, he would take more. If he had no money, he would pawn it. He would steal from home. When Concubine De found him a job at the Ministry of Works, he was so bold as to steal from the national treasury and the emperor's private treasury.
Is this something he can do? Even the royal family has to pay a price for this, it's just a matter of whether it's bigger or smaller.
Chu Hua said with a hint of meaning: [Royal relatives can do whatever they want.]
Many officials agreed with this.
The system also agreed: [Even the royal family is like this, let alone the princes and princesses.]
The second prince: “…” Look at this pot, it’s big and round.
System: [Even if they killed the minister, I'm afraid the emperor would quietly suppress it.]
[The previous emperor just killed someone, but the current Emperor of Dasheng is trying to conceal the truth after killing someone. This is much more despicable than the previous emperor.]
emperor:! ! !
Officials:!!!
You can't say this casually.
The emperor really wanted to protest his innocence, but then he thought...
If the eldest prince and the second prince killed an official, would he punish them according to the law, or would he try to cover it up?
I'm afraid it's the latter.
After all, there are many excellent officials, but there are only two excellent sons. If they are killed, who will inherit the throne in the future? What will happen to Dasheng?
All the officials also thought of it.
The reason why the Third Prince's case was handled so quickly was mainly because of the rebellion and the fact that he was not of the emperor's bloodline.
If it were the eldest prince and the second prince, the result would definitely not be the same. One reason is that they are good enough as heirs to the throne. Another reason is: which emperor does not have blood on his hands?
They appreciate an emperor who is decisive and ruthless more than an emperor who is too indecisive.
Chu Huan, however, spoke well of the emperor at this time: [It depends on the circumstances.]
System: [Hmm?]
Chu Hua: [From the perspective of the common people, the more honest and good officials there are, the better. However, corrupt and evil officials must be executed. In an emergency, there's nothing wrong with executing them first and reporting to the emperor later. Isn't the Imperial Sword just that?]
From the perspective of securing the throne, officials who failed in their bid for the throne were usually killed. Before they succeeded, officials on the other side were considered enemies. Does being merciful to an enemy mean you don't want to live?
From the perspective of the Great Sheng's rule, the emperor who was a holy father who would not kill anyone and would even let a rebellion go was weak internally and could not be strong externally. Weakness and backwardness would lead to being beaten.
These three points really hit the heart of the emperor and his officials. That's it! If you can speak well, speak more!
Chu Huan: [Tong'er, the emperor is also a human being, and as a human being he has his own selfish desires. You can't possibly make him choose an outsider without hesitation between his own son and another.]
[Perhaps after the child made mistakes again and again, the emperor would be disappointed and would kill his own son for the sake of justice. However, when the child made a mistake for the first time, he would definitely think: He is not a bad child. I will teach him well and he will change.]
[If you were in my shoes, you would definitely want to protect your child and give him a chance to correct his mistakes, right?]
System: [I am a melon-eating system, just a string of code, no children.]
"But I kind of understand what you mean. If you killed someone, I definitely wouldn't expose you. Instead, I'd try to cover it up for you. Is this what a loving father looks like?"
Chu Huan choked. […Not necessarily.] It was hard for her to accept a system with a baby voice as her father.
The emperor and all the officials lowered their heads and suppressed their laughter. Hehe, this day will come for you too.
The system's fatherly attitude came into play, and the child's voice became much kinder: [Huan'er.]
Chu Hua's tone was chilly and threatening: "Tong'er." I'll give you a look and let you experience it yourself.
The system immediately returned to normal: [Ahem, back to the topic.]
[That gambling house was run by the Xirong people. It was a station for gathering intelligence and also a base for spies.]
The Xirong spies discovered where Lü Zhengye had gone. Isn't that like someone being killed offering their neck to someone? First, let Lü Zhengye get a taste of the sweetness, and then keep him hanging.
Their original plan was to wait until Lü Zhengye lost all his money and then ask the gambling house for a loan, so they could then take advantage of him. Who could have imagined that Lü Zhengye still had money after losing a million taels?
emperor:! ! !
Officials:!!!
How can this guy be so rich? ! ! !
That’s one million taels, not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands!
It's a huge sum of money that can build one hundred star-picking towers and twenty thousand brick and tile houses!
The emperor couldn't help but have an idea: How about copying one?
All the officials looked at the emperor eagerly: They have already found the spy's nest and sent millions of taels to the Western Rong. We have to seize one of them, right?
The Minister of Revenue was trembling with joy. He didn't expect that Chu Huan would be transferred to the Ministry of Works and could bring income to the national treasury.
There's no doubt that Chu Huan is a member of the Ministry of Revenue at heart! Even if her brother Chu Qin comes back, he'll have to find a way to keep Chu Huan in the Ministry of Revenue!
The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court were so envious that their eyes turned red.
The Ministry of Revenue, the Pacification Office, the Imperial Hospital, and the Ministry of Works have all benefited from Chu Huan and the system. When will it be the turn of the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple?
Just as the officials were excited about the one million taels, Chu Huan raised an objection: [The number is not right.]
emperor:?
Officials:?
Chu Hua: [One million taels is not a small amount. I just did a rough calculation.]
[Those who stole from the government and private treasuries had to do so during inspections. This wasn't a lot, and the most they did was get caught. Someone was responsible for both the theft and the sale of the stolen goods, and the profits were shared with the others who contributed. He was lucky to get 100,000 yuan.]
The timber business belongs to the Lu family. He has pocket money, but it can't be too much. He can't have stolen things from the house and sold them too often. It's impossible for him to have collected hundreds of thousands of taels just for filial piety, right? That Concubine De is too valuable!
[Besides, one million taels of silver is his outgoing money. Given his extravagant lifestyle and high daily expenses, his income must be much higher than one million. He must have other sources of income.]
The system said softly: [Let me take a look.]
[Oh, I see! His biggest source of income is the cinnabar mine.]
The Lu family ran a timber business, sending workers to plant and harvest trees in the mountains. Lu Zhengye was assigned to work there and stumbled upon a cinnabar mine. While he should have reported it to the local authorities, he concealed the matter and continued mining and trading privately.
Chu Huan: [Oh wow.]
This is really a good way to end it.
The emperor and all the officials' faces turned pale.
Cinnabar can calm the mind, be used as medicine, and is also a good colorant. It can be made into ink and used for exorcism, drawing talismans, funerals, etc. It has many uses, but there are not many cinnabar mines in Dasheng, especially high-quality cinnabar mines.
The last emperor of the previous dynasty loved the color red and liked to use cinnabar to paint on beauties. He ordered people to vigorously mine cinnabar mines, so that many veins were quickly exhausted during the previous dynasty, and the number of existing cinnabar mines is even smaller.
Cinnabar mines, like gold, silver, copper and iron mines, are all under the control of the imperial court. Neither buying nor selling is prohibited, nor is civilian use prohibited, but private mining is strictly prohibited. I didn't expect Lu Zhengye to be so bold!
Minister of Revenue: "Copy!"
All the civil and military officials nodded in unison: "It must be copied!"
The emperor tapped the dragon throne lightly with his finger, his face cold.
You are just about to shit on my head in broad daylight. If I don't do anything to you, I will become a laughing stock in the world!
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