Things had taken a turn for the better, and Yu Xin was naturally getting anxious. Even if he wanted to retire and return to his hometown, to leave this den of intrigue, he absolutely did not want things to turn out this way, much less carry such a heavy burden of guilt.
Therefore, at this point, he will definitely have to defend himself. He can accept punishment, but it absolutely cannot be a serious crime.
Yu Xin tried to explain, which displeased Zhu Su. He glared angrily at Yu Xin, "Minister of Revenue, I've already inquired. The bank's accounts were transferred to the Ministry of Revenue long ago. The dividends from the Prince of Wu's residence and the imperial treasury have been paid out. Why is it that only the dividends for the imperial clan have been missed?!"
Hearing Zhu Su say this, many civil and military officials felt a jolt in their hearts; Yu Xin might be in trouble now.
Yu Xin tried to defend himself, but Zhu Su became even angrier. "When the bank was first established, His Majesty, out of compassion for the low salaries of the imperial clan, allowed them to invest in the bank and receive dividends. Yu Xin, your reckless behavior goes against His Majesty's compassion for the imperial clan!"
Before Yu Xin could speak, Zhu Yunying spoke up, "Fifth Imperial Uncle is too kind. When the bank was first established, the court allocated some silver, but the amount was insufficient. If it weren't for the generous donations from the imperial clan, the bank would not have been able to be established. I remember that many people questioned the bank at the time, and it was only with the strong support of the imperial clan that we were able to overcome the difficulties."
As he spoke, Zhu Yunying looked around and said, "Many military officers also contributed a lot by depositing their money in the bank, which helped the court when the bank was in trouble at its inception."
Chang Mao was clever; at this moment, he immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the bank benefits the country and its people. We, the military officers, are blessed by Your Majesty and should be loyal to the emperor and the country. Furthermore, Your Majesty's favor allows many military officers to obtain some shares in the bank. However, our dividends from the bank arrived a few days ago, and I thought they had all been paid out!"
As soon as Chang Mao finished speaking, some discussions arose in the court, and it could be said that the discussion was getting more and more noisy.
Things are getting complicated because Yu Xin may have encountered a major problem, and it will be difficult for him to extricate himself smoothly at this time.
The imperial treasury's share of profits was promptly disbursed by the Ministry of Revenue and the banks without delay. The smaller share of profits belonging to military meritorious officials was also disbursed in a timely manner. Even the profits from the Prince of Wu, whom they dared not offend, were disbursed promptly.
So here's the problem: the accounts have definitely been settled, and everything is clear. So why is it that the royal family's share of the profits hasn't arrived? If a reasonable explanation can't be given, Yu Xin will definitely be in big trouble.
Most importantly, no one has heard of any problems with the banks. They've only heard that the banks are doing better and better, that they seem to be making more and more money. So, the royal family's dividends haven't been paid out—that doesn't make sense.
Yu Xin was covered in sweat. At this moment, he could only kneel down and say, "Your subject knows his crime?"
Acknowledging guilt?
Yu Xin seemed to have realized something as well, and at this point, saying anything more would be pointless. Because many things are simply right or wrong, and he couldn't find any more reasons or excuses.
At this point, it would be best to just confess. Knowing the emperor as he did, the more excuses he made, the bigger the trouble he might get into!
Zhu Yunying glanced at Yu Xin, still seemingly very displeased. "Minister Yu, is what the Prince of Zhou said true?"
Yu Xin, trembling with fear, quickly prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I dare not delay the imperial clan's gains. However, there are many members of the imperial clan and numerous accounts to manage..."
"Insolent!" Zhu Yunying grabbed the memorial and slammed it down the steps of the palace. "Dare not delay? If you really dare not delay, I remember you should have allocated it to the imperial clan ten days ago, right? There are so many members of the imperial clan, and all those officials in the Ministry of Revenue are just sitting idly by!!"
Upon Zhu Yunying's outburst of rage, all the civil and military officials immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness. Even though many felt the matter had nothing to do with them, the emperor was enraged, and they all had to show their stance and admit their guilt.
Especially the officials of the Ministry of Revenue, led by Yu Xin, would naturally be very nervous at this time, as their troubles might be getting bigger.
Zhu Yunying stood up angrily, seemingly furious. "The imperial clan! Those are my relatives! My uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces! Yu Xin, are you trying to give me a reputation for mistreating the imperial clan and being cold-hearted and ungrateful?!"
Zhu Yunying had reason to be angry. Even if he was acting, many people knew that in such an era, it was very unpleasant for an emperor to be known for mistreating the imperial family.
Let alone members of the imperial clan, even ordinary gentry and officials who mistreat their clansmen will have a very bad reputation. Sometimes, this can cause problems for their children's marriages.
A more realistic point is that, under today's universal values, people are very intolerant of such reputations. Not only will it affect officials' promotions, but it could even lead to their loss of office.
Faced with Zhu Yunying's fury, the civil and military officials knelt even more respectfully, realizing that the emperor was truly enraged.
If the emperor had severely punished Yu Xin at this time, some people might have felt that Yu Xin was very wronged, but most people would probably have felt that Yu Xin had only himself to blame.
Zhu Yunying didn't waste any words and said directly and decisively, "Guards, imprison Yu Xin. The Three Judicial Offices shall handle this matter. Since it involves members of the imperial family, the Prince of Zhou, the Prince of Yin, and the Prince of Wu shall supervise the trial."
No one was surprised by Zhu Yunying's arrangement. Yu Xin was definitely going to jail at this point, and the matter would certainly be thoroughly investigated.
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