Inside the secret room, a chilling aura of killing intent filled the air.
The emoji above Xiao Che's head, displaying the message "I will exterminate his entire clan.gif," was radiating a chilling crimson light.
Kneeling on the ground, Meng Wei was so overwhelmed by the emperor's almost tangible rage and murderous aura that he forgot to cry, leaving only a face full of shock and...pleasure!
He knew it!
His Majesty is not the kind of monarch who can tolerate injustice!
Qian Ming! Qian Dehai!
Your good days are over, you bunch of parasites on the nation!
At this moment, Xiao Che was blinded by boundless rage. His dignity as an emperor had been trampled upon like never before! The general he had personally promoted was suffering immense injustice right under his nose! The border soldiers he was so proud of were wearing reed-padded clothes, eating food made of sand, and using fake medicine, all while risking their lives for him!
This is practically like pressing Xiao Che's face to the ground and rubbing it repeatedly!
"Meng Wei!"
Xiao Che's voice was so cold it seemed to come from the deepest hell; every word carried a chilling edge.
"You, now, muster your personal guards!"
"Arrest that bastard Qian Ming!"
"Torture him severely! Confiscate his property! Dig out every single copper coin he embezzled!"
He suddenly waved his hand, displaying his dragon might!
"If anything happens, I will back you up!"
"This humble general... obeys the imperial decree!"
Upon hearing this, Meng Wei trembled with excitement! He had been waiting for this day for far too long!
He suddenly leaped to his feet, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, and turned to rush out of the secret room to carry out the order he had been dreaming of!
However, just as he was about to rush out of the secret room, a clear and calm voice suddenly rang out.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't."
Meng Wei's steps suddenly stopped.
He turned around and saw Lin Wanwan slowly walking out from behind Xiao Che.
She walked up to the furious Xiao Che, her clear eyes calmly gazing at him, showing no fear, only reason and composure.
"Wanwan?" Xiao Che frowned, his anger undiminished. "Why are you stopping me? Shouldn't this kind of parasite on the country be torn to pieces immediately?"
“Yes.” Lin Wanwan nodded, her tone still calm, “but not now, and certainly not in this way.”
She turned to Meng Wei and asked, "General Meng, I ask you, on what charge are you arresting Qian Ming now?"
Meng Wei was taken aback, and without thinking, he replied, "Embezzling military funds, using inferior goods, and disregarding human life!"
"Where's the evidence?" Lin Wanwan continued to press.
"Evidence?" Meng Wei was stumped. "The evidence is... the sand-covered rice the brothers ate, the reed-flecked clothes they wore! Isn't that enough?"
“Not enough.” Lin Wanwan shook her head. “These can only prove that there is a problem with the logistical supplies, but they cannot directly prove that Qian Ming did it all by himself. You just said that his account books are flawless. You don’t have any solid evidence now. Just based on His Majesty’s word, you’re aggressively arresting people and confiscating their property. What do you think people will think?”
She paused, her voice becoming even sharper.
"Others will only think that you, Meng Wei, are taking revenge for personal reasons and settling scores! But Your Majesty..." She turned to look at Xiao Che, "With just a word from you, the border generals were allowed to arbitrarily arrest officials of the court. Where does this place the law?"
Xiao Che's anger faltered slightly.
His anger-driven mind began to cool down rapidly under Lin Wanwan's series of calm questions.
He had to admit that Lin Wanwan was right.
He could use the emperor's authority to issue orders by force. But doing so would alert the enemy and give them ammunition to criticize him.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Lin Wanwan continued:
"Moreover, and most importantly, behind Qian Ming is Qian Dehai, the Vice Minister of Revenue in the capital. If you touch Qian Ming, that 'big fish' in the capital will immediately become alert. He will use all his connections to destroy evidence, and may even turn around and accuse you, Meng Wei, of being the real culprit who embezzled from his post!"
"At that time, you will be far away on the border, and the situation in the capital will be changing rapidly. Once you show your face, our identities will be completely exposed. We are here to conduct an incognito visit and understand the people's conditions, not to reveal our identities in public and carry out a large-scale purge on the border."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing the anger in Xiao Che and Meng Wei's hearts.
A look of lingering fear crossed Meng Wei's face. He then realized how impulsive he had been!
If we actually follow His Majesty's orders, not only will we fail to eradicate Qian Ming's faction, but we will also find ourselves and His Majesty in an extremely passive situation.
"Then... what should we do?" Meng Wei's tone was filled with anxiety and helplessness. "Are we just going to stand by and watch him continue to bully others?"
Xiao Che frowned and looked at Lin Wanwan.
He knew that since Lin Wanwan had stopped him, she must already have a better way to break the deadlock.
Lin Wanwan looked at the two men in front of her, one in charge of the army and the other guarding a border region, yet both of them looked at her man like helpless children. She couldn't help but find it a little funny.
She slowly walked to the huge border map, stretched out her slender finger, and gently touched the location of "Zhenbeiguan".
Then, she turned around, a confident yet sly smile curving her lips.
"To deal with this kind of greedy person, naturally, you have to use the method of 'greed'."
Her voice, though not loud, was like a ray of light, instantly illuminating the somber atmosphere of the secret room.
"Qian Ming dared to act so recklessly simply because he relied on two things. First, his uncle's power. Second, the flawless false accounts he had created."
"So what we need to do is not to confront his false accounts head-on, but... make him willingly hand over the real account book that records all the evidence of his crimes to us."
"Make him hand it over himself?" Meng Wei was completely bewildered. "This...how is that possible? He'd have to be crazy to do that!"
“He won’t go crazy.” Lin Wanwan’s eyes gleamed with wisdom. “But when he sees a deal that is ten or even a hundred times more profitable than what he gets from embezzling military pay and reselling supplies, he will lose his mind.”
Xiao Che's eyes lit up instantly!
He understood!
"you mean……"
“That’s right.” Lin Wanwan smiled and picked up where he left off. Then, she turned to Meng Wei, who still looked completely bewildered, and said in a half-joking tone:
"General Meng, have you forgotten what your 'cousin' does for a living?"
Meng Wei was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously replied, "My uncle... isn't he... a merchant from the capital?"
"No, no, no." Lin Wanwan shook her finger, her smile becoming increasingly mysterious. "He's not an ordinary merchant."
She paused deliberately, and then slowly dropped a bombshell that would shake the entire Zhenbeiguan!
"Your 'cousin' Xiao, the great official, is actually a super-rich merchant in Jiangnan who deals in salt and iron!"
"The salt and iron business!"
These four words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Meng Wei's ears!
Salt and iron have been state monopolies since ancient times, making them the most profitable and also the most murky businesses! The strength and background of those who could conduct such business in a wealthy region like Jiangnan are simply unimaginable!
Meng Wei was stunned for a moment, and then his face, which had been gloomy, was instantly replaced by ecstasy!
He understood! He understood completely!
The Empress is... setting a trap!
"Brilliant! Brilliant!" Meng Wei slapped his thigh excitedly. "If that greedy Qian Ming knew that such a 'God of Wealth' had come to our mansion, he... he would definitely pounce on him like a shark smelling blood!"
Looking at Lin Wanwan's composed and strategic demeanor, Xiao Che's eyes were filled with admiration and doting affection.
His empress always managed to bring him the biggest surprises at the most crucial moments.
Violent means to break the deadlock are the methods of emperors.
But a clever scheme is a more sophisticated form of open warfare.
Seeing the two of them suddenly realize what was happening, Lin Wanwan's smile grew even brighter.
She slowly walked to Xiao Che's side, gently leaned on his shoulder, and whispered with a smile in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Hasn't Qian Canjun always been looking for connections, wanting us to 'mentor' him?"
“We’ll give him a way to make a fortune.”
"Why did he embezzle military pay and resell supplies? Wasn't it all for money?"
"If right now, a bigger, safer, and more profitable business opportunity were presented to him..."
She raised her head, and a cunning glint flashed in her bright eyes.
Do you think he might be tempted?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che lowered his head, looked at his shrewd and resourceful empress, and could no longer help but laugh.
He gently flicked her nose, his eyes full of doting affection.
The murderous image above his head, "I will exterminate his entire clan.gif," had long since disappeared.
Instead, there's a pixelated figure facing another pixelated figure, giving a thumbs-up, with a big heart floating on its face.
Beside it, a line of small print appeared clearly—
[My wife is so smart.gif]
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