Chapter 201

Good heavens.

The script wasn't written like this!

Shouldn't Wang Bengu have been demoted three ranks and kept on probation, at the very least with his salary cut for years?

How did it turn around to having Wang Bengu investigate Wang Zhi?

Is that a ledger you can just investigate? Disturbance!

One Wang Bengu is already troublesome enough.

Now you're adding Hearing Hai Rui?!

128, bewildered Hearing Hai Rui!

Only after leaving the West Garden and climbing into his own carriage did Xu Jie slowly regain his composure.

His expression gradually shifted from initial fear to clarity.

Finally, Xu Jie pulled out a memorial from within his robes.

He casually tossed it into the brazier before him.

Watching the flames ignite within the brazier.

Xu Jie's tense heart finally eased slightly.

Before meeting the Son of Heaven.

Xu Jie had already anticipated it was about Wang Bengu.

And this time, upon entering the palace, Xu Jie had prepared thoroughly.

One of those preparations was to petition for the opening of Yuegang.

In the original history.

Jiajing had not made a big fuss over Wang Zhi's case.

Clearly, the scholar-officials of the southeast had compromised with Jiajing to some degree.

They were prepared to trade partial opening of the seas in exchange for Jiajing downplaying the matter.

That is, the later Longqing opening.

But this time.

Jiajing, having regained his wits, had fully understood.

To deal with these southeastern great clans, no breathing room must be given.

Either open the seas.

Or ban them entirely.

Thinking the court would keep the seas closed so you could keep raking in silver from the ocean.

Dream on!

Accompanied by the ringing bells of the West Garden.

A squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard raced southward, carrying the Grand Secretariat's draft edicts and the Directorate of Ceremonial's approved red annotations.

History has proven countless times: pride invites loss, humility brings gain.

Under Dinghai, Wang Zhi had clearly gained all the upper hand.

At that time, all trade networks across the East Sea had been brought under Wang Zhi's control.

Even the so-called "lords" of the eastern barbarians treated Wang Zhi with courtesy.

And Wang Zhi's arrival.

Had given Jiajing absolute superiority over the southeastern great clans in court.

As long as Wang Zhi lived well.

Lived until the next round of court infighting.

Lived until Yan Song completed this final task for Jiajing.

Wang Zhi's lifelong wish would be fully realized.

Unfortunately.

Wang Zhi was wrong.

And Wang Zhi's mistake was believing that the Son of Heaven in the capital could decide all matters by a single word.

So Wang Zhi, like Sun Wukong granted the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, took refuge in the peach orchard of Yu Hang and lived in blissful ease.

But reality is reality—Wang Zhi lacked Sun Wukong's indestructible body.

Wang Bengu, the Zhejiang Inspector stationed in Yu Hang, was a blunt man.

Perhaps at some banquet, an unknown local gentry had tearfully told Wang Bengu how many of his fellow villagers had died at Wang Zhi's hands.

Igniting Wang Bengu like a powder keg.

At Wang's lord's command, Wang Zhi—who had once ruled the East Sea with chaos—was beheaded and displayed at Guanxiangkou.

Wang Zhi was dead.

The knife that killed Wang Zhi was named Wang Bengu.

Jiajing walked to Wang Zhi's corpse, picked up that knife, and sharpened it further on a whetstone named Hearing Hai Rui!

……

……

Jiajing to the Zongduya of Yu Hang.

The newly appointed Wang Bengu and Hearing Hai Rui met at the Zongduya.

When Hu Zongxian, already thrown into disarray by Wang Zhi's death, saw the two before him.

In an instant, he understood Jiajing's intent.

That was to use the hands of these two upright officials to completely uproot the several great families of the southeast that had entrenched themselves beneath the surface.

And what was interesting was this.

At this time in the southeast, almost everyone knew what Wang Bengu and Hai Rui had come to do.

Only Wang Bengu and Hai Rui themselves did not know what their mission was.

They only knew.

A Japanese pirate named Wang Zhi had been beheaded.

The Son of Heaven was very pleased upon hearing this.

He then granted them authority, signaling them to uproot this case completely and give the people of the southeast an explanation.

As soon as Hai Rui and Wang Bengu arrived at their posts.

With almost no hesitation, they immediately summoned for interrogation Wang Zhen, the eldest son of Wang Zhi, who had been strongly protected by Hu Zongxian.

Wang Zhen, clad in prison garb, knelt before the courtroom.

Wang Bengu, the presiding judge, struck the gavel, and a crisp "Bang!" rang out.

"Criminal Wang Zhen, your father has plagued the southeast for over twenty years; do the ledgers of his transactions truly exist..."

Wang Zhen, kneeling below the hall, originally held not a shred of goodwill toward Wang Bengu, this "enemy who killed his father."

But today, Hu Zongxian was utterly different from his usual self.

Just as Wang Bengu posed his question.

Hu Zongxian quietly made a gesture to Wang Zhen.

Wang Zhen's brows immediately furrowed tightly.

Because ultimately.

Wang Zhen's life had been saved by Hu Zongxian.

Not only that, but over a hundred women and children of the Wang family owed their survival to Hu Zongxian's presence.

If Hu Zongxian had wanted to harm him, he would not have needed to wait until today.

After hesitating for a long time, Wang Zhen finally chose to trust Hu Zongxian.

Gazing at Wang Bengu seated in the center of the hall, he spoke with a hint of hesitation.

"My father left behind twenty chests of ledgers; five of those chests are in my father's Yu Hang villa."

Hearing this, whether it was Wang Bengu or Hai Rui.

In an instant, both of their eyes lit up.

The two of them would never have imagined, even if beaten to death, that everything would proceed so smoothly.

Hai Rui was so excited he was nearly about to rise.