Chapter 33

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I, Huang Zicheng, have a memorial to present!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Huang Zicheng in puzzlement and said softly

"Speak!"

Huang Zicheng stepped forward, pointed at Su Qiao among the assembled ministers, and said loudly

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I impeach Eastern Pavilion Academician Su Qiao for accepting a bribe of two hundred thousand taels from the Hengtong Shipping House of Jin Ling!"

Su Qiao, standing among the crowd of officials, was first stunned.

Then a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his eyes.

The way he looked at Huang Zicheng could not help but grow warm and friendly.

What is called a noble benefactor!

This is what it means to meet a noble benefactor when you step out the door!

Isn't this just like someone bringing a pillow when you're dozing off?!

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze suddenly turned to Su Qiao as he asked

"Su Qiao, are Huang Zicheng's words true?"

Su Qiao stepped forward almost without the slightest hesitation.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang, he said loudly

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is true!"

"The two hundred thousand taels of silver from the Hengtong Shipping House are presently in my residence!"

Huang Zicheng cast a triumphant sidelong glance at Su Qiao.

"I knew you wouldn't confess, so this official has already prepared iron—hm? You confessed?!"

That is two hundred thousand taels of silver!

Sixty taels of silver is enough to have one flayed and stuffed with straw!

Two hundred thousand taels of silver is enough to flay you, Su Qiao, more than three thousand times over!

Flaying you three thousand layers of skin and tossing you straight into a hot pot wouldn't even need further processing!

You little brat actually confessed outright?!

The key point is that you little brat confessed outright.

Didn't I write that ten-thousand-word memorial last night for nothing!

But at this point Huang Zicheng could no longer spare a thought for any ten-thousand-word memorial.

He shot a glance at Watching Qi Tai beside him, and Watching Qi Tai immediately caught on.

"Your Majesty, according to the 'Great Ming Code,' any official who embezzles more than sixty taels shall be flayed and stuffed with straw. I beg Your Majesty to execute Su Qiao on the spot, to warn others by example!"

The civil and military officials, who had been thoroughly chilled by Su Qiao's scoldings these past few days, were hardly going to let this chance slip by.

They immediately rose up in a chorus of agreement.

"I second the motion to execute Su Qiao on the spot!"

"I also second the motion!"

"……"

Even Zhu Yunwen, his face flushed with anger, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said loudly

"Imperial Grandfather, Su Qiao has only just entered court and already dares to embezzle two hundred thousand taels. If this man is not killed, it will not suffice to pacify the hearts of the people under heaven!"

Only Zhu Yuanzhang turned his gaze toward Huang Zicheng beside him and asked with a smile

"Mr. Huang, don't be in such a hurry."

With fury bursting from his crown, he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said loudly

"Your Majesty, how can I not be anxious? If we indulge this boy's lawless behavior, the state will cease to be a state."

"I am anxious!"

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head slightly and clicked his tongue, saying

"That's not what I mean. I mean, yesterday the Hengtong Shipping House had just delivered two hundred thousand taels of silver to Su Qiao."

"How did you come to know of it?"

"Could it be that your, my lord Huang's, network of informants is already no worse than our Great Ming's Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Once these words were spoken.

The entire court of civil and military officials instantly fell into a deathly silence.

That was indeed a well-aimed question.

Zhu Yuanzhang drew a deep breath and said sternly

"I do hate corrupt officials!"

"But I have never seen a corrupt official who took silver only to store it at home for a single night!"

Zhu Yuanzhang abruptly stood up on his own, cast a glance at Su Qiao below the stone steps, and then said loudly

"I cannot abide grit in my eye, but neither will I wrongly accuse a loyal minister!"

"If Su Qiao took the silver and today came to court to explain clearly that he was going to turn this sum over to the national treasury, then what?!"

"With you, Mr. Huang, stirring things up in such a rush, hasn't Su Qiao been caught with mud in his trousers whether guilty or not?"

Once Zhu Yuanzhang said this.

Both Su Qiao and Huang Zicheng fell silent…..

32, Su Qiao: Could it be that I haven't been slapped enough?

Zhu Yuanzhang's view was actually very simple.

What sort of person is Su Qiao?

【Su Qiao, Zhu Yuanzhang, Huang Zicheng, Jin Ling, Zhu Yunwen, Watching Qi Tai, Embroidered Uniform Guard, Great Ming】

That is a minister who, despite being sidelined for ten years, never abandoned his original intention!

That is a loyal minister who, after being permanently barred from office, still committed suicide before our tomb to die for the nation!

Could such a person be greedy for money?!

Old Zhu would never believe it even if beaten to death!

Instead, Huang Zicheng's behavior appeared increasingly strange in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes!

Su Qiao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang excitedly and said,

"Your Majesty, I, I am truly ashamed to exist; please, Your Majesty, punish me!"

As soon as Su Qiao spoke these words,

Zhu Yuanzhang's face became even more moved.

"Enough! Su Qiao!"

"If every corrupt official in the world were like you, turning over the silver they embezzled to us overnight, how could we have been so harsh toward the corrupt officials and sycophants of the world!"

At this moment, Old Zhu had only one thought in his mind.

If only the civil and military officials under Chongzhen possessed Su Qiao's sincerity.

How could Great Ming have fallen?!

As soon as these words were spoken,

Huang Zicheng's entire body went numb.

Is this still Zhu the Butcher who killed people like mowing grass?!

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but turn his gaze toward Huang Zicheng standing nearby.

"Mr. Huang, you have not yet answered the question I asked you just now."

Huang Zicheng trembled all over, prostrated himself on the ground, and said in a low voice,

"I, I merely happened to see the carriage outside Su Qiao's residence when court was dismissed, and thus was momentarily incited to anger."

"But I believe that no matter what, if Su Qiao embezzled silver, he embezzled it; even if he only embezzled for one day, it is still corruption."

"If we do not punish him, officials throughout the land will vie to imitate him, and the nation will cease to be a nation..."

As soon as Huang Zicheng finished speaking, Su Qiao also stood up on his own, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, and said,

"Your Majesty, I know my crime deserves death; Your Majesty must not set such a precedent for me!"

Su Qiao might as well have carved the words "Kill me quickly" onto his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang merely sized up Su Qiao, then looked again at Huang Zicheng standing nearby.

Finally, Old Zhu took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and said in a low voice,

"Good!"