Wang Chengen dared not be negligent and nodded, saying:
"That's absolutely true, I wouldn't dare utter a single lie."
Zhu Youjian didn't take it too seriously.
"Alright, since Master Gao says so, you can go and make the arrangements."
Just as he was about to give a few more instructions, he saw someone rushing in from outside the palace.
"Your Majesty, Wei Zhongxian requests an audience!"
Although Zhu Youjian released Wei Zhongxian a few days ago.
The court and the public were immediately shaken.
No one could figure out what Emperor Zhu Youjian was really up to.
How come they just dealt with this heinous Ninth Prince, and then released him again?
Even the guards and eunuchs in the palace were unsure.
Therefore, when referring to Wei Zhongxian now, one can only call him by his given name without any titles.
Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, signaling Wang Chengen to step aside.
Then he waved his hand and said, "Then let him in."
Soon, Wei Zhongxian trotted in and knelt heavily before Zhu Youjian.
He sincerely kowtowed several times.
"Your Majesty, this servant knows his crime!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian was taken aback for a moment.
"What crime have you committed?"
Wei Zhongxian raised his head, his face full of regret.
"After you released me, I returned home and carefully reflected on the past. Only then did I realize that I had committed heinous crimes before."
"Your Majesty, you still thought of treating and saving a wicked person like me, and instead of killing me directly, you let me atone for my crimes by performing meritorious service."
"Such kindness is something I could never repay, even if I died!" Your Majesty.
At this point, he broke down in tears.
Zhu Youjian was deeply moved when he saw him like this.
But the next moment, the words Gao Qingyun had once said to him came to mind.
Zhu Youjian regained consciousness.
He sneered inwardly, "This old lackey really knows how to act!"
"Luckily, Master Gao reminded me, otherwise I would have definitely fallen for your trick and really thought you were going to turn over a new leaf."
He said coldly, "I am comforted that you know these things."
"However, I do not want you to die, as long as you do your job well."
Although he said that aloud, Zhu Youjian added in his mind:
"After you finish your business, confiscate the property and exterminate the families of the Donglin Party and other treacherous officials, then it won't be too late for me to kill you."
Although he couldn't hear the emperor's thoughts, Wei Zhongxian was still startled.
"Why is this young emperor so indifferent! Could it be that he saw through my act and knows that I haven't repented at all?"
"No way, is he that cunning?"
Wei Zhongxian swallowed hard, determined to continue his performance.
He raised his head and said to Zhu Youjian, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will do his utmost."
"From this day forward, I, Wei Zhongxian, will be the most loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty!"
After saying this, he noticed that there was no excitement in Zhu Youjian's eyes.
So he quickly added:
"Your Majesty, I have been quite busy these past few days since my release from prison."
"I have already contacted my former subordinates and investigated the assets of many ministers."
"You wouldn't know unless you investigated, and what you found out was shocking."
"Many of the so-called loyal ministers are actually incredibly wealthy!"
As he spoke, Wei Zhongxian took out a memorial from his pocket and was about to hand it to Zhu Youjian.
Wang Chengen immediately went over, took the memorial, and carefully examined it to confirm that there were no problems.
Only then did he return to the emperor and begin reading the contents of the memorial.
He feared the memorial was poisoned, so he wouldn't let Zhu Youjian touch it at all.
However, even without seeing the text on the memorial with his own eyes, he only heard Wang Chengen's retelling of it.
Zhu Youjian was still furious.
"Yes, Master Gao was right after all."
"These high-ranking officials in the court all appear dignified and upright, seemingly loyal ministers."
"Behind the scenes, they're all thieves and prostitutes, sucking the blood out of my Great Ming!"
Zhu Youjian flew into a rage.
He was furious when he heard about the fate of the Ming Dynasty, but he held back his anger.
At this time, it also flares up at the same time.
However, this is not surprising.
Historically, Zhu Youjian was known for his unstable emotions.
Wei Zhongxian, kneeling on the ground, had a smile on his face.
"These past few days, I've finally made the most of my time."
"After producing these items, His Majesty will know my abilities and will trust me from now on."
Thinking of this, a hint of doubt appeared on his face again.
"But... who is this Master Gao that His Majesty mentioned?"
"I remember there were no civil officials with the surname Gao in the Prince Xin's mansion back then."
"No, I need to investigate this Master Gao more thoroughly later and find out who he is."
Just as he was pondering this, Zhu Youjian's anger subsided.
He waved his hand at Wei Zhongxian and said:
"You're not bad. I know all about what you've found out."
"But don't alert them yet!"
"After you have thoroughly investigated and proven the crimes of all the treacherous officials in the court, you will be able to do so."
"Deal with them one by one, understand?"
Wei Zhongxian nodded hurriedly, and began to flatter him again:
"Hehe, this servant understands now. You call this 'taking things slowly'."
After laughing, he didn't leave, but instead whispered:
"Your Majesty, in fact, during the few days I was away from the imperial prison, I wasn't just busy investigating the ministers."
"I've also prepared a few treasures for you."
Zhu Youjian said nonchalantly:
"Could it be gold or silver jewelry?"
"I don't care about those things."
Wei Zhongxian's smile, however, had a strange quality to it.
"Your Majesty possesses the wealth of the entire world. If all I could find were gold and silver treasures, how could I possibly bear to show them to Your Majesty?"
"What this servant is referring to is actually people."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands gently.
Several eunuchs peeked inside.
In the previous dynasty, if Wei Zhongxian had given the order, these eunuchs would have immediately brought the person in.
But now, without the emperor's order, they will not act recklessly.
Zhu Youjian was also somewhat curious.
"Bring the person in."
But as soon as he said it, he regretted it.
It turned out that the people Wei Zhongxian had brought were actually several young girls.
Wei Zhongxian grinned slyly.
"Your Majesty, I know that your harem is empty, so these past few days I have specially sent people to find them so that I may present them to Your Majesty."
"This is just a token of my filial piety."
Zhu Youjian's gaze swept across the faces of the girls.
Before he ascended the throne, he was the only younger brother of the Tianqi Emperor, so he had naturally seen many beautiful women.
But upon seeing these young girls, he couldn't help but be moved.
As for Wang Chengen, who was standing next to Zhu Youjian, he was even more furious.
"That old bastard Wei Zhongxian is really quite capable."
"He managed to gather these people in just a few days."
"If we really let them enter the palace and stay by His Majesty's side, they'll keep whispering sweet nothings in his ear."
"If this goes on for too long, won't Wei Zhongxian really be able to turn things around?"
Wang Chengen's lips moved as he was about to speak and offer his advice.
Then you see that Zhu Youjian's eyes instantly calmed down.
He muttered to himself, "Luckily, I have Master Gao's physique."
He had already guessed that this was another of Wei Zhongxian's schemes.
Zhu Youjian said calmly, "Alright, since this is your kind intention, then I will accept it."
Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed and kept kowtowing.
"As long as Your Majesty is pleased, then this servant is at ease!"
While Wei Zhongxian was kowtowing, Zhu Youjian turned his head and whispered to Wang Chengen:
"Didn't Master Gao say he wanted female students?"
"Take these girls to Master Gao's place later."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com