Chapter 231

A sneer involuntarily curled the corners of Jiajing's lips.

Then he asked,

"Grand Preceptor Xu, I fear this is not merely about this matter?"

Fine beads of sweat seeped from Xu Jie's forehead.

He gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and said,

"Yes! My family recently received a letter. Lord Hai has launched a great purge of the Wang case in the Southeast."

"Many poor commoners are implicated."

"Your Majesty sees clearly; what crime have the commoners committed?"

"This old minister is willing to plead for the ten thousand people of the world, to pardon their death sentences, and to open the seas to show clemency to the ten thousand people of the Southeast!"

Had one not seen what came before,

and only witnessed this scene before one's eyes,

one would surely have taken Xu Jie for Xu Qingtian, a man who fears no death and pleads for the people.

Alas, Jiajing's heart was crystal clear.

Was the Xie clan of Dongshan poor?

Damn it, when the Xie clan of Dongshan shook the Southeast, the ancestors of the Zhu family were still playing with mud in the village!

Jiajing sized up Xu Jie and said with a sigh,

"The people's livelihood is hard; this is no fault of the people."

"It is My fault!"

"Of course, I will not blame the subjects of Great Ming for this matter."

Hearing this, Xu Jie finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet Jiajing's tone shifted.

Gazing at Xu Jie, he sneered,

"I wish to pardon their crimes, but I must first investigate this case thoroughly. Only after understanding exactly what crimes they committed can I pardon them!"

Crimes can be pardoned.

But to pardon a crime, one must first understand exactly what crime was committed, must one not?

One must first have a crime!

Hearing this, Xu Jie's heart immediately tightened.

They are investigating!

If they investigate further, even I will be dragged into it!

Xu Jie looked at Jiajing and said bitterly,

"Your Majesty, the hardship of the people's livelihood is coarse and vulgar; making do and getting by has been so since ancient times."

"I dare to suggest: rather than pinning crimes on the people, it would be better to cut off the root cause and open the seas swiftly, hoping to set things right at their source."

"I bow and beg Your Majesty to start anew with the people."

Although Xu Jie said this on the surface, the meaning in his bones was simple.

We surrender!

Let's turn the page!

You may open the seas as you please.

The supply channels of Great Ming,

the sales outlets abroad—we can hand them all over.

We only beg for a reprieve!

Can we not buy our lives with money?

Hearing Xu Jie's words,

Jiajing paid them no mind at all and said with a sigh,

"From the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing until now, how many tens of millions of taels of silver has the court spent in the Southeast alone!"

Xu Jie clasped his hands and said,

"I have already calculated: in the first year, when the people followed the dragon out to sea, the sea profits of that first year might offset the cost of military pay!"

Jiajing opened his mouth to speak, then smiled in confusion,

"By the way, Grand Preceptor Xu."

"Tens of millions of taels of silver; in the common folk's hands over these ten-plus years, how much interest would that have accumulated?"

Xu Jie lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and continued,

"I estimate that the profits from the sea far exceed the petty profits of the common folk!"

Jiajing gazed at Xu Jie, and the smile on his face gradually vanished.

"Grand Preceptor Xu, do not always speak of what comes after opening the seas."

"Since opening the seas has been decided, I naturally anticipated these matters."

"Those are not important."

"What I care about is: if I continue to investigate, what will the situation in the Southeast become?"

Jiajing's gaze fixed intently on Xu Jie.

Xu Jie's figure involuntarily swayed slightly; he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice,

"Your Majesty, the commoners of the Southeast already bear heavier taxes than elsewhere. If, if they are further punished with severe laws, I fear a popular uprising will arise!"

In an instant.

The entire Western Garden fell into a deathly silence.

Every emperor in the chat group couldn't help but stare fixedly at Xu Jie before them.

Zhu Youjian looked as though he had misheard.

"No, is this Xu Jie? How is this different from what the historical records say!"

"Grandpa, is he threatening you?"

Jiajing seemed to have long anticipated Xu Jie's words.

Gazing at Xu Jie with an indifferent expression, he laughed and said

"I understand."

Xu Jie raised his head in utter shock.

"Your Majesty..."

Jiajing gazed at the moonlight in the courtyard, clicked his tongue, and said

"The hour is late. Grand Secretary Xu must be tired as well. Chen Hong!"

"This servant is here."

"Escort Grand Secretary Xu out on my behalf."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hong immediately stepped forward to support Xu Jie.

Before Chen Hong could even touch Xu Jie—

Xu Jie at once said excitedly,

"Your Majesty... I am not tired!"

Jiajing cast a cold glance at Xu Jie.

"I am tired."

All the words Xu Jie had bottled up were instantly choked back.

Since Jiajing had already said as much,

Xu Jie could hardly keep brazenly lingering in the Western Garden.

Before Xu Jie could even collect himself—

Within the vast great hall, only Xu Jie remained.

After a long while—

Chen Hong stood outside the hall, gazing at Xu Jie, and chuckled uneasily,

"Grand Secretary Xu, the hour is late. You... shall depart?"

Only at this moment—

Did Xu Jie slowly come back to his senses, and walk at a leisurely pace toward the outside of the Western Garden.