No one expected that the emperor would suddenly come up with such a harmful method.
The ministers seemed much more relaxed, leaving only a few princes with pale faces.
"This...should I tell you or not? If I tell you, I can save my life."
"Can……"
The people below looked at each other, feeling extremely conflicted.
Finally, someone closed his eyes and made up his mind, "I have something to report."
"Speak." The emperor had a smile on his face and interest in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, if you want to know who took the most money, it's naturally the princes. The Second Prince, in particular, has been in Jiangnan for years. All our transactions with officials were done under his nose."
The second prince turned around in shock, his eyes sharp.
"Yes! It's the Second Prince who gets the most money. In the past, when we did business, he always took a cut, and it was quite a large one. The Second Prince's Mansion is now richer than the national treasury."
"Your Majesty, please understand. If you want to manage these trivial matters, you shouldn't start with ordinary officials like us. You should start with the Second Prince."
When one person starts, countless people will follow suit.
The second prince knelt on the ground without saying a word. He really couldn't wash away his hatred even if he jumped into the Yellow River. His hatred for Sheng Mingyu increased even more.
If it weren't for his memorial, his crime wouldn't have been exposed.
"Second Prince? You are truly audacious! As my son, I give you a generous salary and rewards every year. I thought that would satisfy your greedy stomach, but you end up deducting money from the people. I am truly disappointed!"
The emperor's expression remained unchanged.
When he asked the questions, he was already prepared mentally. No matter who was to be confessed, he was mentally prepared.
"Your Majesty, I am innocent! It's all their fault. They're so obsessed with exploiting the people, and they couldn't resist the temptation to attack them. I've helped the people a lot over the years, so please understand."
The second prince had no way to shirk responsibility and could only make excuses elsewhere.
He wished that an advisor would suddenly appear and the problem could be solved in time.
"We'll talk about your matter later. Who else received the most money? I advise you to tell me the truth. Since the memorial has been handed to me, I will investigate it sooner or later. By the time I find out, it will be too late!"
The emperor raised his hand, suppressed the noise, and continued to work hard.
As long as he is fast enough, the court corrupt officials can be dealt with in one day.
"Third Prince..."
"Former Crown Prince..."
The people below seemed to have had a switch pressed, and they kept giving away the people behind them.
The emperor smiled happily, while the prime minister closed his eyes tightly, his heart full of disappointment.
This is all His Majesty's conspiracy, how come these idiots can't see it?
Sheng Mingyu and Gu Yunni sat below, watching the dog-eat-dog drama with amusement on their faces, curling their lips in sarcasm.
Finally, the princes whose names were called all knelt on the ground, not daring to look up or look directly into the emperor's eyes.
The emperor's expression changed unpredictably. Although he did not have high hopes for his sons, he was very disappointed to see their disgusting behavior.
"Is there anything else you guys want to explain? If it's just the court officials who made a big mistake, it's because they don't know the rules. But as members of the royal family, you are all so greedy, won't you lead the ministers astray?" His voice was calm, hitting everyone's heart.
There was a small pool of water under the foreheads of several princes, and they were very nervous.
The Second Prince raised his head first and spoke haltingly, "Father, I have nothing to refute. I only beg for your forgiveness. I already know I was wrong! I will never do such things again. Please give me one more chance!"
"Your son was also bewildered at that time, and since the ministers handed the silver to me, it was difficult for me to refuse. If this kind of thing happens again in the future, your son will definitely hand it all over to your father!" The third prince followed the second prince's footsteps and immediately admitted his mistake.
He didn't care whether he would be punished later, but at least he couldn't leave Kyoto.
Otherwise everything will be in vain.
The other princes followed suit and admitted their mistakes.
The ministers were relieved. The emperor was busy dealing with family affairs and probably couldn't take care of them.
This stage is probably over.
"Don't! Don't tell me this. How do I know if you can do it? I've already sent you out, and you still dare to disobey me. How audacious!"
The emperor spoke in a sarcastic tone, but he was not as angry as he was just now.
Sheng Mingyu sighed, feeling a little disappointed.
I'm afraid this matter will have to be handled lightly again.
"Alright, this is a family matter and will be dealt with later. However, the ministers still need to deal with what they should deal with. At least it will serve as a warning to others. I don't want the Jiangnan incident to happen again."
The emperor took a stance, and everyone felt uneasy, but they did not dare to refute him.
They all knelt on the ground resigned to their fate, and no one knew who would be given the responsibility.
About an hour passed before the emperor finished dealing with the corrupt officials and turned to Sheng Mingyu.
"Mingyu, we have to solve Jiangnan's problems ourselves. Let's talk about your injury first. Are you seriously injured? Are you feeling unwell anywhere else? Have you found any clues?"
When saying this, the emperor was extremely serious. No matter who made the move this time, he would not let it go easily.
"I haven't found out who did it. I just arrested several waves of secret guards. Some said it was the second prince, some said it was the third prince, and some said it was the former crown prince. My mind is extremely confused, and I need Your Majesty to make the decision for me." Sheng Mingyu calmed himself down and reported again.
He came up with one plan after another and didn't want to let these people have an easy time. The Eighth Prince stood below with admiration in his eyes.
He had secretly overheard conversations between his father and mother, and knew Sheng Mingyu's identity. He thought that such a person was worthy of sitting on the throne.
"It is indeed my responsibility to make the final decision, but this matter still needs to be investigated. I cannot rely on just a few secret guards to determine the mastermind behind this. Don't worry, I will seek justice for you and will not let you suffer in vain."
The emperor nodded. He wanted to find substantial evidence, at least to have a legitimate reason.
Sheng Mingyu was extremely disappointed, thinking that the emperor was going to protect these sons and exclude himself.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Gu Yunni quietly held Sheng Mingyu's hand, with implicit comfort.
"Alright, that's it for today. You can leave now! Those ministers, please hurry and deal with them. Behead them, confiscate their property, and replenish the treasury. No one should come before me to plead for mercy, or you will suffer the same fate."
Seeing that the matter was almost resolved, the emperor felt a little tired and asked everyone to leave.
He also had to think about the assassination, which was the highlight. He had already prepared for Jiangnan, but only Sheng Mingyu's matter was beyond his expectations.
Sheng Mingyu hasn't said a word since he came out of the palace. His face is extremely ugly and his aura has dropped to freezing point. Even the imperial teacher doesn't dare to approach him.
Only Gu Yunni stood firmly by his side.
"Why are you so angry? Is it because of what His Majesty said? Perhaps you misunderstood."
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