Chapter 8, Raiding a home is a technical task

Even though one is eager to the point of wanting to make a hole in the bed board, one still has to put on a show and act a bit pretentious on the surface

He has witnessed firsthand in recent days the kinds of punishments that those Wei rebels imprisoned in the imperial prison have suffered

Li Yunze thought of the Count of Jiading and wanted to send him to the imperial prison "The Empress Dowager is right, I will return once I finish my tasks"

It has been a common practice for royal relatives throughout the ages to engage in such activities

After a moment of contemplation, Li Yunze waved his hand and said, "Go to the queen's side"

Moreover, he also wishes to discuss matters concerning the Duke of Jiading with Empress Zhou

After the news spread, it became the talk of the town in the entire capital.

Empress Zhou excels in all aspects, but she is overly formal in her etiquette

At this point, Zhang Yan felt a sense of sadness, for the Emperor of the Apocalypse was not incapable of having children; rather, all the offspring he had sired had died young

There is no need for Lord Cao to do this

Emperor Zhou's father, Zhou Kui, was granted the title of Duke of Jiading.

If Li Yunze had not said that it was still not enough, what would have happened? However, Cao Huachun here was still so frightened that he trembled all over

During Zhu Youjian's time as the Prince of Xin, in addition to the princess, there were also two concubines, which were all part of the legacy left to Li Yunze

Li Yunze smiled faintly and said, "It is said that the Earl of Jiading abuses his power to harm others, forcibly demanding a share of the shop profits in the capital. The memorial contains a phrase that states, 'The officials of Shuntian Prefecture are like the household dogs of the Earl of Jiading.' I find it quite strange; how did the officials of Shuntian Prefecture become the lapdogs of the Earl of Jiading? In this realm under the imperial rule, is it not the surname Zhou that prevails?"

She gracefully declined the ideal pleasantries and expressed that etiquette should not be neglected

If satisfactory goods cannot be produced for Li Yunze within ten days, the subordinates may not face serious consequences, but those in charge, such as the supervisors and deputy commanders, will certainly not have a good outcome

Empress Zhou, with her gaze distant and perplexed, raised her head in confusion

Her personality is that of a good-natured person; if she were a true ruthless player in the palace intrigue, she would have long since eliminated the Ke family

It is something that others may tolerate, but it is not acceptable here with Li Yunze

Now, Li Yunze has left a way out for Ke Shi, which she considers to be a good deed

Those who are excessively kind cannot fathom how cruel true darkness can be

Find a time to return and inform that gentleman from Jiading. The servant who harmed others shall be sent to Shuntian Prefecture for punishment immediately, and the amount taken by force shall be returned in double. From now on, he must behave himself and is not allowed to go out without reason. Otherwise, a private room will be reserved for him in the imperial prison

Even more shamelessly, Empress Zhou, unable to bear it any longer, secretly gave her own private savings, totaling 5,000 taels of silver, to the Earl of Jiading, urging him to take the lead in making donations

Zhang Yan, with her gentle disposition, let out a sigh of relief upon hearing those words

Li Yunze picked it up and flipped through it; simply from the account book, one cannot tell whether there are any expenses recorded.

She hurriedly stood up and performed a grand bow, saying, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

He was truly desperate this time; for the sake of his future and his life, he acted with determination.

Li Yunze lifted the teacup and said, "Wei Ni and the others are insatiable in their greed, even transporting silver from the local treasury back to the capital. How can there be so little? Is it possible that some of you have been dishonest?"

It is now evident that Zhang Yan is standing up for her sister-in-law

Do you know what is said in the secret report

Li Yunze, after finishing his tea, nodded slowly and said "Hmm"

Looking at the girl shedding tears, Li Yunze sighed, "If I were not to pardon the crime, I would not say these things to you. I would have long since sent that Jia Ding Bo to the imperial prison."

Zhang Yan sighed helplessly, set down the tea bowl, and spoke again, "Your Majesty's diligence in state affairs is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty. However, amidst your busy schedule, you must also pay attention to matters concerning your offspring"

Upon hearing Li Yunze's words, the smiles on Cao Hua and Tu Shuchun's faces quickly vanished, replaced by expressions of terror

I would like to believe you

In the evening, after finishing the memorial documents sent by the Court of Rites, Li Yunze reached out to pick up a government kiln teacup worth several tens of thousands in the modern world

One must not wrongfully accuse good people

Yes. Cao Huachun respectfully responded, "In response to the Emperor's words, we have confiscated a total of 4,730,520 taels of silver from the homes of Wei Ni and others. Additionally, there are 6,816 taels of gold. Furthermore, there are numerous residences, shops, fields, estates, antiques, paintings, and so on.

According to the traditions of the Ming Dynasty, empresses were typically chosen from humble families, in order to prevent interference from powerful relatives in government affairs

During previous raids, it was always the Eastern Depot's agents who took action, while the Jinyiwei were unable to secure this favorable task and had often expressed their grievances.

If you want something less dignified, there is plenty of that in the palace

In the ancient world, it was entirely different, especially in the case of the emperor, who was deeply connected to the hearts of countless people

With so many talents in the eunuch faction, this is quite unusual

He repeatedly bowed his head, the gold bricks beneath his feet making a dull sound. "This servant is utterly loyal to Your Majesty and would never dare to..."

Empress Zhou was instantly as if she had fallen into an ice cave

However, this wealthy gentleman from Jiading, who values money above all else, greedily took his daughter's two thousand taels of silver, yet only handed over three thousand taels.

The ship of the Ming Dynasty is on the verge of sinking, yet the Earl of Jiading is still drilling holes in the bottom of the ship

Now, with a single sentence, Li Yunze has tied the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang together like grasshoppers on the same string

Wang Cheng'en stepped forward to take the account book and turned to place it on the desk

If it were not for his daughter's beauty, he would have long been accused of being a member of the eunuch party and sent to the imperial prison.

Upon arriving at the Queen's Palace, the Queen, who had already received the news and made preparations, welcomed the guests with the palace staff.

Upon her saying this, Li Yunze immediately understood what it meant

It was precisely Luo Yangxing, who was enjoying the spring breeze, yet also felt a sense of dread in his heart. He hurriedly turned to look at his father, who was sitting and drinking tea.

The entire Ming Dynasty, under the bizarre actions of these noble families, moved towards its ultimate grave

If the emperor has no son to serve as heir, it will lead to unrest among the people

Having finished discussing the matters concerning the Ke family, Zhang Yan let out a sigh of relief and took a sip of tea

As for how the Ke family, having lost everything, would survive after being expelled from the palace, and how they would protect themselves against the enemies of Wei Zhongxian, this is beyond what Zhang Yan could contemplate

Perceiving the heated gaze of Li Yunze, Empress Zhou shyly lowered her eyelids

This is indeed the demeanor of a queen

I do not know

It is not only Zhang Yan; many people are concerned about this matter.

In addition, previously, Wei Zhongxian had also presented three delicate beauties.

Wang Cheng'en quickly dispatched someone to the Empress's palace to provide advance notice and make preparations for the reception

When the time comes to raise the issue, it will be like a mountain and sea of memorials rushing in, urging the emperor to have children

The choked Empress Zhou immediately bowed again and said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace"

Li Yunze stepped forward to help the fair-skinned and beautiful girl, "Zitong, there is no need for such formalities between us as husband and wife"

Historically, this Duke of Jiading, during the final days of the Ming Dynasty, when faced with Emperor Chongzhen's request for the nobility and officials to contribute money, resolutely refused to part with even a single coin, trampling on his son-in-law's dignity and even stamping on it a few times.

However, since it is a matter of marrying a daughter-in-law, the benefits that should be given must still be provided. Typically, a noble title is conferred upon the in-laws.

"Commander Luo." After arriving at the Northern Town Pacification Office and meeting Luo Yangxing, Cao Huachun wasted no time, stating, "The Emperor has decreed that if we cannot present satisfactory stolen goods within ten days, our family will surely be doomed. However, before our downfall, we will definitely take a fierce bite out of your Jinyiwei!"

The problem is that she has a shameless father who only cares about money

Historically, when Li Zicheng entered the capital, he extorted a sum amounting to several tens of millions of taels.

Standing beside, Wang Cheng'en wore a blank expression, yet inside, he was bursting with laughter. "Our Emperor is quite perceptive; the little tricks you are playing cannot escape his notice. Old Cao, oh Old Cao, do not become the next Old Wei."

There were at least a hundred or so people involved in guiding, carrying lanterns, providing security, and lifting the sedan chair.

Imperial Study

After instructing his subordinates, Luo Sigong smiled and explained, "Master Cao, these two are renowned experts in torture, passed down through generations in my Jinyiwei. Under their hands, not only will the criminals reveal any hidden wealth, but even the trivial matter of who they spied on while bathing in their childhood will have to be disclosed"

The attendant Wang Cheng'en, displaying great perceptiveness, stepped forward to bow and said, "Your Majesty, the night is already deep; shall we retire for the evening?"

In the Ming Dynasty, the imperial harem was not allowed to interfere in politics. She was very puzzled as to why Li Yunze would discuss the matters of the Jinyiwei with her

Empress Zhou had not received affection for a long time, and after going to bed, she gradually opened her heart, welcoming Li Yunze with open arms.

It is simply because Li Yunze is still young and it is not yet the time for anyone to take the initiative to come forward.

The queen is a wife, a mother who serves the world. Dignity is essential.

The promised girl soon took her leave.

Men, as everyone understands, are just being pretentious

Over there, Cao Huachun is still taking credit, saying, "I have already dispatched someone out of the capital to apprehend and investigate the various Wei traitors. Additionally, those who previously worked in the inner treasury are also being thoroughly investigated and interrogated."

In a state of wisdom, Li Yunze gently caressed Empress Zhou's hair and said, "The Jinyiwei sent a secret report the day before yesterday."

The fair-skinned and beautiful Empress Zhou, with her gentle and home-oriented personality, simply struck at Li Yunze's soft spot

With a beaming smile, Cao Huachun held a thick stack of various account books and greeted, "Your Majesty, this servant has fulfilled Your Majesty's instructions and has already conducted searches and interrogations of the Wei rebels in the capital. Here are the records of the searches conducted at the homes of the Wei rebels."

The poem "Song of the Chongzhen Palace" records: "The empress, with a beauty like jade, does not concern herself with cosmetics, possessing the grace of a national beauty"

As his gaze gradually ignited with flames, he looked at Empress Zhou, and Li Yunze's heart began to burn with passion

From the perspective of modern individuals, matters between spouses are private issues that can be resolved personally

The young lady is undoubtedly a good sister, managing the palace with great skill and organization

As the Son of Heaven, even moving within the imperial palace entails a considerable scale

"Shouting for the cow, He Shouyi went to the imperial prison."

There is not much gold and silver

Li Yunze, after taking a sip of tea, said lightly, "But this amount of money is insufficient; there must be an explanation. How about this: you go find Luo Yangxing and have him bring the Jinyiwei to assist you in collecting the debt. I will give you ten days' time; come back to report in ten days. If it is still not enough, hmph."

Li Yunze casually set down the ledger and said, "Please provide a total amount."

Luo Sigong, who was once again appointed as the Chief Commander of the Jinyiwei, calmly set down his teacup and said, "Previously, it was the Eastern Depot personnel conducting the interrogations. To be honest, their methods were rather crude. Since we have reached this point in our discussion, allow me to demonstrate the methods of the Jinyiwei to you, Your Excellency!"

Empress Zhou's beauty is also remarkable, especially her skin, which is as white as jade

At that moment, her former fiancé, the current Empress Zhou, could not help but gently tug at her.

He lifted the blanket and said, "You come over first to atone for your sins."

There is only one Golden Cudgel, and how to choose it is also a dilemma

It is— the weeping pear blossoms, the tearful Empress Zhou, who choked back her emotions while expressing her gratitude during the grand ceremony

Wang Cheng'en hurriedly followed up with the question, "May I ask, Your Majesty, where are we heading?"

Upon realizing that he might end up in such a predicament, Cao Huachun, trembling all over, repeatedly bowed his head. After exiting the imperial study, he hurriedly made his way to the imperial prison, his legs shaking.

At this moment, Li Yunze finally regarded Empress Zhou with a serious gaze