"What a perfect example of a slight move affecting the whole situation!"
"Shang Qitai, this move of yours has reached quite far!"
The thin rice paper hit the blue bricks.
Shang Qitai shivered all over, scrambled over, and picked up the piece of paper with both hands.
Black words on white paper, it was the lending list of Guanghui Bank.
The last bit of luck in his mind was smashed to pieces.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shang Qitai stuck up his buttocks and smashed his forehead heavily on the golden bricks. In a few strokes, his skin was broken and blood flowed down the bridge of his nose.
"Your Majesty! This old minister is wronged!"
"This was all done by that dog slave Shang Zhong behind my back!"
"This old minister works day and night on ministry affairs. I haven't even entered the accounting room of my mansion in the past few months. How would I know what kind of bank he opened outside!"
"It must be that this dog slave coveted the huge profits on the waterways and privately took the spare money of the mansion to lend out at usurious rates!"
Shang Qitai howled dryly, his face covered in tears and snot.
He couldn't care less about the dignity of a minister now.
As long as he could clear the First Prince's name and save his own head, what did a butler matter?
The hall was deathly silent.
The officials lowered their heads, and no one dared to speak up.
This excuse was too clumsy.
Could a butler take out thousands of taels of silver to lend out? Could he scheme against the lifeblood of the capital's waterways?
But no one dared to point it out.
Whoever pointed it out would be forcing the Emperor to investigate the First Prince.
The Emperor sat high on the dragon throne, looking coldly at the puddle of mud at his feet.
Of course he knew Shang Qitai was lying.
Guanghui Bank was the First Prince's money bag, and Shang Qitai was just a watchdog.
In recent years, the First Prince had privately raised death squads in Jiangnan and swallowed millions of taels of military rations from the northern border.
The Emperor was perfectly clear about this mess.
But he couldn't kill Shang Qitai yet.
If Shang Qitai was killed, the First Prince would definitely wipe his tracks clean. Who would fill the deficit of millions of taels?
The state treasury was so empty that rats could run in it.
He had to keep this fat pig and force him to squeeze out all the oil in his bones to fill the hole.
Xu Youde used this knife extremely well. He cut through all of Shang Qitai's disguise, but the direction of the blade stopped just right.
Next, it was time for someone to wrap things up.
If one were to ask who understood the Emperor's mind best in this Great Qian, it would undoubtedly be Xu Jie!
At the very front of the civil officials' ranks, Chief Grand Secretary Xu Jie slowly took half a step forward.
Xu Jie's old body leaned slightly forward, holding a tablet in his hand.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
"Since this matter originated from unclear bank lending, I believe it should be handed over to the Imperial City Division for a thorough investigation."
"Investigate the ins and outs of this ship-repairing silver and see exactly how much dirty money this Shang Zhong has embezzled."
Xu Jie paused, his peripheral vision sweeping over Shang Qitai, who was lying on the ground.
"As for Lord Minister, he was lax in managing his household and allowed a slave to commit crimes. He cannot escape blame."
"However, the period for the Ministry of Revenue to self-investigate the deficit has not yet expired, and the collection of military rations for the northern border is at a critical juncture."
"I make bold to ask Your Majesty to allow Lord Minister to continue reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors, and to raise money and grain as soon as possible to fill the state treasury."
Xu Jie's words directly offered a perfect way out.
He reduced the capital offense of treason to being lax in managing his household.
He pushed the black hand that cut off military rations onto a greedy butler.
Most importantly, he pointed out the Emperor's true intention: to keep Shang Qitai to get money.
The Emperor went along with the flow and gave a cold snort.
"Elder Xu is quite right."
"Shang Qitai, you're really doing a good job as Minister of Revenue, you can't even manage a house slave!"
Shang Qitai lay on the ground, shivering all over, and repeatedly thanked the Emperor for his grace.
"This old minister is guilty! I thank Your Majesty for your grace of not killing me!"
The Emperor ignored him, turned his gaze, and landed it on the end of the military officers' ranks.
"Shen Lian!"
The Commander of the Imperial City Division, Shen Lian, strode out, knelt on one knee, and the hem of his flying fish suit brought up a cold wind.
"I am here!"
"Pass on my decree, immediately seal up Guanghui Bank!"
The Emperor's voice was filled with a chilling murderous intent that echoed in the hall.
"The shopkeeper, the accountant, and the head butler of the Shang mansion, Shang Zhong, throw them all into the Imperial Prison!"
"The account books, title deeds, and ready silver in the bank, not a single coin is allowed to be missed. Move them all into the Imperial City Division for me!"
Shen Lian cupped his fists and received the order: "I obey the decree!"
As soon as this imperial decree came out, the little bit of luck that Shang Qitai had just raised was instantly smashed to pieces.
He completely collapsed on the blue bricks, and even his breathing stopped for half a beat.
Guanghui Bank was confiscated!
That was all his source of wealth!
It was his dark pool for laundering embezzled silver, and his trump card for secretly controlling the waterways!
Once the bank was sealed, what would he use to fill the millions of taels of deficit in the Ministry of Revenue?
Without silver, what would he use to steady the First Prince?
This move of the Emperor's to pull the firewood from under the cauldron directly cut off his hands and feet and drained his blood!
He was really only half a step away from having his entire family executed.
Xu Youde stood to the side and secretly let out a huge sigh of relief in his heart.
It worked.
He won the bet.
The Emperor indeed didn't kill Shang Qitai directly.
This was the most ruthless imperial mind game.
Not killing you, but forcing you to a dead end.
By sealing up Guanghui Bank, Shang Qitai became a toothless dog.
To survive, he could only go beg the First Prince.
But would the First Prince care about the life or death of a useless piece of trash?
When the time came, dogs would bite dogs, and there would be a mouthful of hair.
Even if the First Prince had to smash pots and sell iron, he would have to spit out that deficit of millions of taels.
The hand Xu Youde used to hold the tablet tightened slightly.
In this game of chess, not only did the Xu family survive, but they also completely dragged the First Prince and Shang Qitai down into the water.
After disposing of the bank, the Emperor's gaze crossed the officials and looked at the dazzling sunlight outside the hall.
"There's also the matter of the Tongjin Lock."
The Emperor's voice was freezing cold.
"Pass a direct decree to the Capital Patrol Division."
"Tell those water people of the Tongji Water Transport Association that I don't care what bullshit rules they have!"
"Within one day, the Tongjin Lock must be cleared for me!"
"If another military ration ship stops sailing for no reason, the entire Tongji Water Transport Association will be punished for treason!"
"All the water tablets will be sunk into the river, and no one will be left alive!"
The officials' hearts trembled violently.
Punished for treason!
This was a capital crime involving the execution of nine generations!
The Emperor had completely torn off all face and wasn't giving the water transport gang any room to negotiate at all.
Didn't you want to make trouble?
Didn't you want to use military rations to threaten the imperial court?
Then I will directly send a large army to suppress you!
Let's see whose neck is harder, or my knife is faster!
Shang Qitai lay on the ground, listening to this decree, and completely despaired.
The Tongji Water Transport Association was his last reliance.
Now, the Emperor had completely crushed even this last reliance with a single foot.
If that old fox Lei Zhen heard the words 'punished for treason', he would definitely make way immediately, and might even bite Shang Qitai back.
It was all over!
This carefully planned big game of chess had been smashed to pieces by a light piece of paper from Xu Youde.
"Retire from court!"
The sharp voice of the eunuch on duty pierced the silence of the hall.
The Emperor stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left.
The officials let out a long sigh of relief.
No one dared to go help the paralyzed Shang Qitai on the ground, and didn't even dare to take another look. They all quickened their pace and walked out.
Xu Youde slowly put the tablet into his sleeve, turned around, and followed the flow of people out.
The moment he stepped out of the Jingyun Gate, a gust of wind blew by.
Xu Youde then realized that his back had long been soaked in cold sweat.
Accompanying a monarch is like accompanying a tiger.
In today's situation, if he had made even half a misstep, or even mentioned half a sentence about the First Prince.
The one lying on the floor of the Golden Throne Room waiting to die right now would have been him, Xu Youde.
A burst of steady footsteps came from his side.
Shen Lian, wearing his Flying Fish robe and with an Embroidered Spring sword at his waist, brushed past Xu Youde.
Neither of them turned their heads, nor did they even change the pace of their footsteps.
At the exact moment they passed each other, Shen Lian's extremely low voice drifted into Xu Youde's ear along the wind.
Beautifully done.
Just those words.
Shen Lian walked away briskly, disappearing around the corner of the palace wall.
Xu Youde did not make a sound, continuing to walk toward the outside of the palace with steady steps.
The capital's waterways, Tongjin Wharf.
Under the scorching sun, the river was densely packed with vessels of all sizes.
The Tongjin Sluice Gate was completely blocked by three dilapidated large cargo ships; nothing could get in or out.
The boatmen squatted on their decks, sighing heavily, but no one dared to touch those three ships.
Inside the main hall of the Tongji Water Transport Guild, the atmosphere was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.
The Chief Guild Master, Lei Zhen, sat in a grand armchair, rolling a pair of smooth, glossy century-old walnuts in his hand.
Although he was already in his early sixties, his body was still tough. Sitting there with an imposing posture, he naturally exuded a commanding presence without needing to show anger.
Guild Master! Something terrible has happened!
A trusted subordinate stumbled into the hall, practically crawling as he threw himself in front of Lei Zhen.
An urgent message from the imperial court!
The subordinate held up a slip of paper, his hands trembling like a leaf.
Lei Zhen furrowed his brow and snatched the paper.
With just one glance, the movement of his hands abruptly froze.
Crack!
Those two century-old walnuts he had been rolling for over a decade were forcefully crushed in his grip!
Splinters pierced his flesh, oozing a few drops of blood, but he did not even flinch.
The Imperial City Bureau has raided the Guanghui Bank...
Lei Zhen gritted his teeth, reading the contents of the note word by word, his voice trembling.
Shang Zhong, the chief steward of the Minister's Estate, has been thrown into the imperial prison...
His Majesty has issued a direct decree: if the Tongjin Sluice Gate is not cleared within three days, the Tongji Water Transport Guild will be punished for treason...
Upon hearing this, the several incense masters in the hall were all so frightened that they sprang up from their chairs.
Treason?!
How did this become treason! We merely let the ships run aground, we didn't kill anyone or set any fires!
Didn't the Minister say it was foolproof! Didn't he say that as long as the waterway was cut off, the court would bow its head!
Damn it! Shang Qitai used us as his pawns!
The main hall descended into total chaos.
Lei Zhen slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump.
All of you, shut up!
The hall instantly fell silent.
Lei Zhen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the completely jammed fleet on the river, his chest heaving violently.
Shang Qitai was finished.
The raiding of Guanghui Bank meant that Shang Qitai's trump cards had all been overturned by the court.
Punished for treason!
The Emperor was truly furious this time, aiming to make an example out of the Tongji Water Transport Guild!
What a Xu family, what a Xu Youde!
Lei Zhen slammed a fist against the window lattice, cracking the hardwood frame.
He originally thought this was just a political battle among civil officials in the court.
The water transport gang only needed to go with the flow and do the Minister a favor to reap immense benefits.
Who could have imagined that Xu Youde would not play by the rules at all.
He did not investigate the river bandits, nor did he check the shipping schedules; instead, he followed the trail of silver straight to the Guanghui Bank!
He struck right at Shang Qitai's vital point, and conveniently forced the Tongji Water Transport Guild into a dead end!
Guild Master, what do we do now? the subordinate swallowed hard and asked cautiously.
Lei Zhen forcefully exhaled a foul breath and turned around, his face so gloomy it looked as if water could drip from it.
What else can we do?
The imperial decree has already reached the Patrol Office! If the route isn't cleared in three days, the great army will come to wipe us out!
Pass down my orders: immediately mobilize all available hands in the guild!
Tow those three broken ships away! If they can't be towed, sink them directly!
Before nightfall, the Tongjin Sluice Gate must be navigable!
The incense masters looked at each other in dismay, and someone muttered unwillingly, What about the Minister's side...
To hell with Shang Qitai!
Lei Zhen cursed loudly, spit flying from his mouth.
He courted death himself, and he wants to drag tens of thousands of our brothers on the water down with him!
The Xu family is trying to cut off our livelihood!
Hurry up and get to work! Whoever dares to delay the navigation, I will personally hack them to pieces!
The Tongji Water Transport Guild was thrown into a complete panic.
A shocking conspiracy that originally attempted to blackmail the imperial court, under the absolute crushing weight of imperial power, was declared bankrupt before it could even make a splash.
Xu Youde's single kneel in the Golden Throne Room not only overturned the Minister's Estate but also changed the sky over the entire capital's waterways.
Was the rotten mud at the bottom of these waters finally going to be completely dredged up...?
