"Prove the Ministry of Revenue's innocence!"
"Give an explanation to the people of the world!"
All the civil and military officials in the court lowered their heads.
A few imperial censors in the front row pressed their bodies down, terrified of being swept up by this demonic wind.
No one dared to make a sound at this moment.
The Ministry of Revenue controlled the world's money and grain, and the water transport routes involved the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people north and south of the Yangtze River.
That old scoundrel Xu Youde wanted to investigate the accounts of goods lost in transit.
This was yanking out the lifeblood of the civil official faction and smashing it right against the blade.
Shang Qitai was kneeling right beside Xu Youde, feeling a strange itch at his temple.
Large beads of sweat slid down his brow bone, hitting the golden bricks with a splat.
He quickly raised his wide sleeve and wiped hard at his forehead, pulling so hard that the crane embroidered on his rank badge was distorted.
The cuff was instantly soaked with moisture.
This old fox was crazy!
If the Three Judicial Offices and the Grand Secretariat were really allowed to join forces to dig through the years of transit loss accounts, the whereabouts of all that shady silver on the Jiangnan waterways would be exposed.
When that time came, let alone him, the Minister of Revenue, half the court would be lining up at the execution ground at Caishikou.
He absolutely could not let this fire start!
He forcefully suppressed the trembling in his voice.
"Your Majesty, please observe clearly!"
"The military grain transported to the northern borders over the years amounts to far more than tens of millions of shi, the quantity is massive."
"Storage losses in the prefectures along the way, storms and water disasters on the waterways, the various items are incredibly complex."
"Those rotten old accounts could easily fill several spacious rooms!"
Shang Qitai looked up at the dragon throne.
"If we follow what Count Xu said and hand it over to the Three Judicial Offices for verification."
"Not to mention how many officials would need to be reassigned for this, just the time spent auditing and calculating would take three to five years."
"Now the war on the northern front is critical, and a hundred thousand troops are waiting for grain to save their lives."
"If the Ministry of Revenue throws all its energy into investigating old accounts, the military grain supply to the front lines will definitely suffer a break!"
Shang Qitai swallowed hard.
"Xu Wuyou tyrannizing the docks is a solid fact that can be clearly investigated!"
"For Count Xu to use such baseless hearsay to confuse the public is truly absurd!"
He needed to pull the focus of the conflict back to Xu Wuyou.
As long as the charge of Xu Wuyou forming cliques for private gain was finalized, this family letter would be nothing but a frame-up by the Xu family to cover up their crimes.
The person on the dragon throne made no comment; Shang Qitai's hoarse voice echoed through the great hall.
Chief Grand Secretary Xu Jie stood at the very front of the civil officials, his half-closed eyelids twitching imperceptibly.
Shang Qitai, this idiot, was being too hasty.
The Emperor's delay in speaking was exactly to wait for the people below to panic and play the wrong card.
Shang Qitai bringing out the northern war to suppress the Xu family was too extreme and grandiose, making it very easy for the Emperor to catch a mistake.
If the Emperor took the opportunity to strike, sending the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the Ministry of Revenue to forcibly take over the dispatch of grain and fodder, then the Grand Secretariat's control over the Ministry of Revenue would be completely severed.
He could not let Shang Qitai spout any more nonsense.
Xu Jie cleared his throat.
Two coughs sounded in the oppressive hall, interrupting the words Shang Qitai had yet to say.
He pulled his hands out from his sleeves and slowly smoothed the wrinkles on his court attire.
The officials in the ranks automatically parted to the sides, leaving a wide path.
Xu Jie stepped out of the line, shook his wide sleeves with both hands, and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty."
"This old minister believes that Lord Shang's words are reasonable."
"The war in the north is a grand matter of the state. Before the army moves, the grain and fodder must go first."
"The Ministry of Revenue's primary duty right now is to ensure the unimpeded flow of military supplies to the north. We absolutely cannot cause trouble at this critical juncture and provoke turmoil in the court and the country."
"As for what is stated in the family letter submitted by Earl Chengyi..."
Xu Jie slightly turned his graying head and cast a glance at Xu Youde.
"Losses due to water disasters have happened in every dynasty; they are indeed unavoidable natural disasters."
"If we truly dispatch the Three Judicial Offices for a joint trial and massive investigation, the commotion will inevitably be too great. It will also cause panic among the local prefectural officials and delay the operation of the waterways."
He paused for a moment, leaving the officials a chance to breathe.
"How about this."
"Since Xu Wuyou gathered gang members to cause trouble at the docks, let us treat it as a common street brawl and hand it over to the Shuntian Prefecture to arrest and investigate him."
"There is no need to cross boundaries and involve the Ministry of Revenue."
"As for the matter of the transit loss accounts, it can be temporarily shelved."
"It will not be too late for the imperial court to calculate and settle it after the fires of war in the north have subsided."
Once the Chief Grand Secretary spoke and set the tone, he directly and forcefully separated the two matters into two different lines.
Xu Wuyou's treasonous crime of monopolizing money and grain was suppressed into a mere gang brawl, preserving the Xu family's lifeblood.
And the shocking thunder of the Ministry of Revenue's transit loss accounts was stuffed back into a deep pit, protecting the deeply entrenched interests of the civil official faction.
Hearing these words, Shang Qitai's stiff and tense back immediately relaxed.
The Chief Grand Secretary had finally stepped in to control the situation.
As long as they passed this immediate hurdle safely, they could just find an opportunity on the waterways to eliminate Xu Wuyou in the future.
Xu Youde had been keeping his body bowed low, listening to Xu Jie's rhetoric of mediation and deflection.
His mind rapidly deduced the ensuing situation.
With Xu Jie coming forward to smooth things over and set the tone, it meant that the bottom line of the civil official faction was fully laid out in the open.
If he himself recklessly insisted on forcing a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices.
The entire Grand Secretariat would completely turn their spears and stand on the opposing side.
By then, the memorials from the Censorate would drown the gates of the Earl Chengyi's mansion.
Being able to force the Chief Grand Secretary to personally step in and wrangle to protect them meant that this first move to startle the snake had been completely successful.
It was time to conveniently draw in the net.
Xu Youde placed his hands flat and firm against the surface of the golden bricks. Without making any sound of rebuttal, he simply knocked his forehead heavily on the ground.
"This minister submits to Your Majesty's judgment!"
Above, on the dragon throne.
The pads of the Emperor's fingers rhythmically tapped against the hardwood edge of the imperial desk.
With these few words, Xu Jie had completely blocked off all aggressive avenues of accountability with a wall of dirt.
The war was paramount.
This was equivalent to placing the blade of national righteousness against the necks of all the civil and military officials in the court.
Whoever dared to mention auditing the accounts again would be ignoring the life and death of the hundred thousand troops in the north.
The Emperor looked down at the dense sea of official hats prostrating on the ground.
His lips parted and twitched twice.
"Chief Grand Secretary Xu is experienced and plans for the nation."
"The soldiers in the north are fighting bloody battles; it is truly inappropriate for the imperial court to stir up a massive mess at this critical juncture."
The Emperor's steady and powerful voice poured down from the heights of the great hall.
"The matter of the Three Judicial Offices holding a joint trial regarding the transit loss accounts is rejected."
Hearing the verdict, Shang Qitai's chest collapsed heavily as he let out a long breath of stale air.
The head on his neck was saved for now.
But before he could completely catch his breath.
The Emperor's turning words smashed down like a giant boulder.
"However, what is stated in the family letter submitted by Xu Youde cannot be entirely baseless."
"The loss of military grain and water transit depletion concerns the century-long grand plan of the state; there must be a clear account and explanation."
The Emperor straightened his back.
His gaze locked onto Shang Qitai, who was kneeling in the front row.
"Shang Qitai, hear the decree."
"This minister is here." Shang Qitai quickly pressed his waist down to the lowest point.
"As the Minister of Revenue of the second rank, you control the money bags of all the officials in the world."
"Since it is inconvenient for others to investigate you now, you must investigate yourself thoroughly."
"I will grant you a grace period of one month."
"Starting from today, the Ministry of Revenue will close its doors for self-inspection!"
"Take the accounts of scrapped military grain, water depletion, and transit losses on the northern route over the years, and calculate the details clearly for Me, item by item!"
"A month from today, I want to see a clear and clean file on this imperial desk."
The Emperor's speaking pace suddenly accelerated, his words filled with an intense, undeniable pressure that allowed no room for argument.
"Do you understand?"
Shang Qitai's legs went completely numb and weak.
The piercing cold from the golden floor tiles seeped through his kneecaps and drilled into every bone and limb in his body.
A self-investigation!
Having the Ministry of Revenue investigate the funds and grain embezzled and extorted by the Jiangnan salt merchants and waterway officials.
Those massive amounts of silver had long since entered the secret chamber in the backyard of the Shang residence, while another portion had been distributed to bribe officials high and low.
Where was he even supposed to start?
If he exposed the massive deficit in the actual accounts, it would prove that he, Shang Qitai, had bent the law for bribes and lined his own pockets.
If he reported no deficit and presented doctored fake accounts to fool the Emperor, it would be the ultimate crime of deceiving the sovereign, punishable by the execution of his entire extended family!
This was not an audit at all.
This was forcing him to take a knife and cut the flesh from his own thighs to fill the deficit.
The Emperor had directly shoved the executioner's blade into his hands, forcing him to carry out his own execution!
The atmosphere in the grand hall was so oppressive it was nauseating.
All the officials in their red and green robes were secretly weighing the hidden lethal intent in the Emperor's words.
Xu Jie kept his head lowered, the wrinkles on his face unmoving.
Xu Youde straightened up from the ground, crossing his hands and tucking them in front of his chest.
Shang Qitai's mouth was wide open, his throat completely dry, and his tongue felt like it was tied in a dead knot.
"I..."
He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, forcing the word out through the sharp pain.
His entire shoulders trembled uncontrollably as he spoke.
"I obey the decree."
The sound of bells and chimes rang out.
The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial stood straight and loudly announced the end of the court session.
The ministers kowtowed and knelt to see the Emperor off as he left his throne.
The officials stood up one after another as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and the sound of footsteps in the hall became chaotic.
Not a single person stepped forward to greet or speak to Shang Qitai.
A few imperial censors who had been shouting the fiercest earlier walked extremely fast, disappearing out the door in just a few strides.
Xu Youde slowly patted the dust off his knees and smoothed out the hem of his scarlet court attire.
He sized up Shang Qitai, who had yet to recover, and stepped forward.
"Lord Shang."
"The Emperor has generously given you a month to sort out the old accounts."
"You must take care of your health and not overwork yourself."
"The hundred thousand brothers at the northern border are all counting on those winter rations you'll calculate."
Xu Youde sharply flicked his wide sleeves and swaggered out the doors of the Golden Throne Hall with a self-satisfied stride.
Supported by a subordinate, Shang Qitai forced his legs to stand straight, his kneecaps trembling from weakness.
He roughly shook off the subordinate's outstretched hand and looked toward the jade steps ahead.
Chief Grand Secretary Xu Jie was surrounded by several Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat, walking slowly toward the palace gates.
Shang Qitai gritted his back teeth until they ground together, quickening his pace to a frantic run to catch up.
"Chief Grand Secretary, please wait!"
Shang Qitai called out urgently, no longer caring about his dignity.
The other Grand Secretaries glanced back and tactfully dispersed to make room.
Xu Jie stopped at the highest level of the jade steps, his hands still tucked into his sleeves.
He turned and looked coldly at the breathless Shang Qitai.
"Elder, save me!"
Shang Qitai lowered his heavy, raspy voice.
Other courtiers passed by occasionally, and he tried desperately to keep his facial muscles from twitching.
"The Emperor ordered the Ministry of Revenue to conduct a closed-door self-investigation into the missing funds. Isn't this just a decree to execute my entire family?"
"The amount of treasury silver involved in the Jiangnan waterways is horrifyingly massive. The bribes for officials high and low are all hidden in these messy accounts!"
"If I hand over the real details, the sky will fall on the Ministry of Revenue, and countless people will die!"
"But if I submit fake registers and cannot balance the books, the charge of deceiving the sovereign will be cemented!"
"I beg you, Elder, have mercy and show me clearly: which path should I take?"
Shang Qitai stomped his feet in absolute panic.
This one-month deadline was a guillotine resting directly on his neck.
Xu Jie just stared at him quietly, the old skin on his face sagging loosely.
"You have managed the Ministry of Revenue for so many years, and you can't balance this little bit of accounts?"
Shang Qitai froze on the spot.
"Do you mean to advise me to find a way to balance the deficit on both ends?"
Xu Jie let out a long, heavy sigh.
A shriveled, bony finger emerged from his sleeve and pointed straight up at the sky above.
"What the Emperor wants is not the old accounts at all."
Xu Jie withdrew his hand.
"What the Emperor wants is a solid account of the actual money and grain."
"There will likely be a major war at the northern border this winter, and the state treasury doesn't have the surplus grain to support it."
"That old fox Xu Youde came up and flipped the table, exposing all the dirty secrets of the Jiangnan waterways."
"The Emperor knows you've made the hole so big that you can't possibly fill it."
"With this imperial decree setting a deadline for a self-investigation, there are only two ways to break out of this dead end."
Xu Jie leaned forward slightly toward Shang Qitai, but the words he spat out were bone-chillingly cold.
"The first path: you go everywhere to raise and gather the actual military rations, completely filling the deficit in the Ministry of Revenue's main granaries, so the Emperor can use the grain to pacify the border army."
"The second path..."
Xu Jie turned crisply, stepping right down the jade stairs, throwing his remaining words coldly over his shoulder.
"Borrow the heads of your entire Shang family, young and old, to serve as the scapegoats and answer to the common people and the soldiers at the border!"
Shang Qitai stood all alone at the edge of the white marble steps.
The midday sun beat down directly upon him.
He felt not the slightest bit of warmth; his internal organs felt as if they were soaked in ice water, radiating cold.
He watched Xu Jie's retreating back. Fill the deficit with actual goods.
How much real gold and silver would he have to empty out!
Even if he sold off the Shang family's ancestral home along with all their fields and estates, he still wouldn't be able to scrape together the amount the Emperor wanted.
But if he delayed and didn't fill it.
Then he could only stick his neck out and die to pay for the corruption of the waterways.
Both sides were dead ends.
There was no retreat!
A bitter, howling wind swept past the palace walls.
Shang Qitai inhaled a large gulp of the cold wind, his ten fingers digging hard into his palms.
Xu Youde!
Xu Wuyou!
Since you rely on your power to bully others and force this official into a corner!
Then let's drag each other down and perish together!
