Chapter 1934: The Blameless Imperial Uncle Li

Inside the hall, a bloated figure sat beside the low table, his fat belly nearly pressing against the table's edge. Uncle Li Ye displayed such a greasy image "openly and honestly" before Emperor Liu.

Over the years, Li Ye's family property had multiplied severalfold, and so had his weight. One should know that in the past, even if Li Ye wasn't considered handsome, he still possessed an extraordinary bearing—with a bit of grooming, he could appear dignified and respectable.

But now, with his fat head and big ears, aged and greasy, he was repulsive to behold. Emperor Liu felt even more disgusted at the sight, for in his eyes, this was evidence of indulgence and moral decay.

Pacing slowly before Li Ye, Emperor Liu kept a cold face, but seeing that calm, composed demeanor of his, anger surged in his heart—an anger that demanded to be voiced.

"Uncle, how long has it been since you last came to Chuigong Hall?" Restraining his temper, Emperor Liu asked as evenly as he could.

At the question, Li Ye replied with some reserve: "Your Majesty toils over state affairs, rising early and retiring late, eating before dawn and dressing after dark. This old minister is but a man of leisure, and it would be inconvenient to disturb."

Li Ye's flattery clearly carried a strange undertone, which made Emperor Liu frown. Stepping closer, he looked down at him from above: "Uncle still holds a grudge in his heart?"

"I would not dare!" Li Ye blurted out. But Emperor Liu's gaze was still full of pressure, so he guiltily averted his eyes and said: "This old minister is of shallow talent and meager virtue—what grievance could I possibly have?"

Clearly, Li Ye had never forgotten the matter of "the difficult-to-approach Imperial Uncle" from years past. Emperor Liu was naturally displeased to see this. However, he still had to show some tolerance toward Li Ye, after all, this was Empress Dowager Li's most beloved younger brother. While the Empress Dowager was still alive, she had repeatedly cautioned Emperor Liu, saying that as long as this younger brother didn't commit any particularly serious offense, he should forgive him as much as possible...

Moreover, in recent years, the older generation of the Li clan's maternal relatives had passed away one after another, their political influence steadily weakening. Uncle was now reduced to Li Ye as the sole remaining branch. Due to various reasons, as long as Li Ye didn't go too far, Emperor Liu would turn a blind eye.

Suppressing the anger in his heart, Emperor Liu waved his hand and said: "Let's set aside past matters for now! I summoned you today because there is a matter on which I hope you can enlighten me! I have heard that in recent years, Uncle's family has been managing industries and reaping considerable gains, with family property exceeding a million. Why then would you still borrow money from others?"

At the question, Li Ye was momentarily stunned. He looked up at Emperor Liu with surprise, pondered briefly, then cupped his hands and said: "To whom and to what matter does Your Majesty refer?"

"Kang Ning!"

"That indeed happened!" Li Ye suddenly understood. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked in return: "May I ask what is so significant about this matter that it warrants Your Majesty's personal inquiry!"

"I have already ordered people to detain Kang Ning for interrogation!" Emperor Liu stared straight at Li Ye, watching for any change in his expression.

Li Ye's reaction was somewhat unexpected to Emperor Liu—he was very calm. After visibly thinking for a moment, he cupped his hands and said: "This old minister somewhat understands Your Majesty's intention! However, this old minister assures Your Majesty that whatever crime Kang Ning has committed, it has nothing to do with me! Kang Ning is a famous great merchant of the Great Han, with a wide range of business operations. My household also has some industries and some produce from our lands, and the two sides have some trade cooperation, using the Kang family's caravans for transport. My dealings with that Kang Ning are purely normal business transactions, nothing more!"

"Is that so?"

Li Ye pondered for a moment, then asked slowly: "May I ask Your Majesty, does the Great Han's Penal Code have any provision forbidding private lending among the people?"

"Are you questioning me?" Emperor Liu's face stiffened, and he said fiercely.

Li Ye was slightly startled inwardly, but his face showed no ripple as he said softly: "This old minister would not dare."

The conversation with Li Ye not only failed to dispel Emperor Liu's suspicions but intensified the anger in his heart. Especially Li Ye's "half-dead" demeanor and his attitude of utter indifference made Emperor Liu even more furious.

Luoyang's spring sunshine remained warm and pleasant, casting its light upon the palace halls and adding a touch more splendor. Li Ye dragged his obese frame, leaning on a walking stick, slowly making his way within the palace walls. His deeply furrowed old face was filled with deep contemplation.

Unlike his "easy and carefree" demeanor before Emperor Liu, Li Ye now appeared far more serious. His mind was racing, silently pondering: "What exactly has this Kang Ning done? To actually provoke His Majesty's personal inquiry—judging by the situation, it seems quite serious."

Unable to figure it out no matter how he thought, Li Ye couldn't help but feel troubled. But soon, a slight smile gradually appeared on that fat and ugly face. Li Ye's assurance before Emperor Liu was not entirely truthful. Other powerful figures had various financial dealings with Kang Ning, but Li Ye was the most special one of all.

Back then, upon hearing that Kang Ning had newly opened a "lending business," many powerful figures had borrowed money from him. Li Ye also grew interested and sent someone to drop a hint at his door. Thus, twenty thousand strings of cash smoothly entered Li Ye's household under the guise of a "loan"—and Li Ye had never once intended to repay that money.

If Emperor Liu were to find that there had been interest transfers between Li Ye and Kang Ning, and that this had led to any illegal activities, Li Ye would have to cry injustice. Because Li Ye truly had never used his power and influence to help Kang Ning with anything from start to finish, nor had Kang Ning ever proactively asked. Between the two, it had always been Li Ye taking whatever he wanted from Kang Ning—even when it came to helping transport goods, he only charged a cost price.

In matters of profiting from interest, Uncle Li was perfectly "clean." He was indeed greedy, but he was greedy "openly and aboveboard." As for whether other powerful figures had any interest exchanges with Kang Ning or engaged in illegal activities—that had nothing to do with him, Uncle Li.

Perhaps because he had been buried in money matters for years and accustomed to scheming, although Li Ye was now old and decrepit, his mind remained clear, and his instincts were even sharper than when he was in court.

The specifics of Kang Ning's situation were still unclear, but Li Ye keenly sensed that this hurdle would not be easy to cross—it might even be a matter of life and death. After all, if it could draw the old Emperor's attention and personal inquiry, the severity of the problem needed no further elaboration.

And once Kang Ning failed to clear this hurdle, things would get interesting... At the very least, the wealth Kang Ning possessed was something even "millionaire" Uncle Li envied. And the industries, lands, pastures, mines, and trade routes under the Kang family's banner—Li Ye had coveted them for a long time.

On ordinary days, the Kang family had wide connections and too many entanglements, and they always flattered him, so it wasn't convenient to act rashly. But now that the old Emperor had stepped in, seizing the opportunity to move with the tide was a godsend.

Once his line of thinking shifted direction, Uncle Li grew somewhat excited. It had probably been over a decade since he'd last felt such a surge of inspiration. By the time he left the palace and returned to his residence, a clear plan had already formed in Li Ye's mind. Kang Ning had been arrested—since it had begun, it must not be allowed to stop.

Never mind that Kang Ning himself wasn't clean—even if he were innocent, Li Ye would have to manufacture some problems for him. Moreover, he couldn't afford to wait and watch for too long. When it was time to take the initiative, he absolutely must not show weakness. He could also contact some people—surely there was no shortage of those coveting the Kang family's fat piece of meat.

"Your Majesty, Kang Ning has been apprehended and is currently held in the imperial prison!" At Chuigong Hall, Wang Ji'en came once again to report with great enthusiasm. Seeing Emperor Liu sitting in contemplation, his excitement subsided somewhat. His eyes rolled, and he spoke with indignation:

"Your Majesty may not know, but today this servant's eyes were truly opened. In the past, I had only heard of the Kang family's immense wealth; now I have finally witnessed it with my own eyes. The extravagance of their residence surpasses all imagination. In the rear garden of the Kang estate, there is a Buddhist hall with pillars of gold and silver, adorned with jade. A Buddha statue a full zhang tall is carved from pure gold—truly breathtaking..."

Speaking of what he had seen at the Kang residence, Wang Ji'en's face shone with radiance. However, Emperor Liu's reaction was unusually calm. He glanced at him sideways and said: "I sent you to arrest a man—did you ransack his house instead?"

At these words, Wang Ji'en quickly calmed down. He cupped his hands and said: "Startled by the sight of the Kang family's wealth, I looked a little too long and got carried away. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

"What was Kang Ning's reaction?" Withdrawing his gaze, Emperor Liu asked.

Wang Ji'en said: "There were some guards at the Kang residence who actually wanted to resist arrest with weapons. As for Kang Ning himself, though he protested his innocence, he still stopped his retainers and submitted to arrest obediently. Ridiculously, that Kang Ning even tried to bribe this servant with money and asked me about the situation."

"So you weren't tempted?" Emperor Liu glanced at Wang Ji'en.

Wang Ji'en was slightly startled inwardly, then immediately put on a righteous air: "This servant carries out his duties by imperial decree—how could I be swayed by mere gold and silver and betray Your Majesty's trust? That Kang Ning miscalculated!"

Emperor Liu smiled and instructed calmly: "Go, bring Kang Ning out of the imperial prison and hand him over to the Court of Judicial Review. Order them to conduct the trial!"