Chapter 236: Greedy for Money: 63 Tons of Pepper!

Emperor Tang Taizong, in a fit of rage, issued an edict:

He ordered Yuan Zai to commit suicide, and his wife, children, etc., were executed together, with all his property confiscated.

His two luxurious mansions in Chang'an, being exceedingly spacious and splendid, were later reclaimed by the court and allocated either to government offices for use or bestowed as residences to meritorious officials.

The garden he owned in Luoyang was converted into part of the royal palace grounds.

Yuan Zai spent his life plundering; in the end everything was confiscated, becoming a wedding dress for others.

In the final scene, in prison, Yuan Zai clutches the white silk bestowed by the emperor, his face ashen.

On the execution ground, his family wailed as they were put to death. His luxurious residence was sealed and given a new owner.

The 800 stone pepper was probably taken by the court as a gift, or bestowed upon ministers, or stocked in the imperial treasury.

【Corruption total assessment: Yuan Zai's wealth is difficult to estimate accurately.】

His mansions and gardens in Chang'an and Luoyang are priceless, with innumerable gold, silver, and jewels, and pepper worth the equivalent of 63 tons of gold!

The total amount of his embezzlement, when converted to silver, amounts to tens of millions of taels, truly Wealth Can Rival a Nation.

Moreover, his greed was not merely hoarding wealth but fully privatizing and commodifying state authority, further corrupting the already fragile bureaucracy of mid‑Tang; his crimes are gravely severe!

【Reason Yuan Zai appears on the list: rising from a humble background to Prime Minister, he could have been an inspirational model, yet he fell to become a historic great corruptor.】

The enormity of his embezzlement and the extravagance of his lifestyle reached a hair‑raising level, especially his hoarding of massive amounts of pepper, which became a legendary tale.

His actions accelerated the corruption and decline of the mid‑late Tang, placing him sixth among the ten greatest corrupt officials in history—justice duly served!

The reactions of the myriad observers, especially toward the 800 stone pepper, were filled with absurdity and anger.

Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time,

"Si… sixty‑three tons of pepper? Is Yuan Zai planning to open a spice shop, or to eat pepper as food? How much would that be worth?"

"If you had a warehouse of his pepper back then, why bother with rebellion? You'd have become the world's richest man instantly!"

Ying Zheng wore a face of disgust and murderous intent,

"Prime Minister? A traitor to the state! Wealth Can Rival a Nation? I think he's just seeking a noble death!"

"Sixty‑three tons of pepper… hm, perfect, take it to the Great Wall to season my soldiers' stew!"

"But before that, we must skin him, stuff him with straw, and place him at the entrance of his pepper storehouse!"

Tang Dynasty, Zhenguan era.

Li Shimin's face turned iron‑blue with anger, "My future descendants will eat plain rice, yet you let such a person become Prime Minister!"

"800 stone pepper! Does he serve as Prime Minister to manage my kitchen?"

Song Dynasty.

Zhao Kuangyin shook his head repeatedly, "Extreme extravagance and desire, this is the ultimate!"

"Pepper outweighs gold, hoarded like a mountain; this is not a minister but a great parasite of the state."

Ming Dynasty, Hongwu era.

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment, then erupted into a thunderous laugh, laughing so hard tears streamed, out of sheer anger.

"Ha ha! Hahaha! 800 stone pepper! Good! Really good!"

"When our old Zhu family was begging for food back then, not even pepper, the rice never filled our mouths! This Prime Minister could pile pepper into a mountain at home!"

Zhu Yuanzhang abruptly stopped laughing, his gaze turning fiercely cruel,

"How much civilian blood was drunk, how much land was seized, to amass so much pepper? Huh?"

"Issue an edict! Record what we've heard about Yuan Zai and the 800 stone pepper in the 'Brief Record of Awakening Corruption'! Distribute it to officials nationwide! Anyone who dares imitate him will be stuffed into a pepper bag and cured into bacon!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao and the entire court fell silent as cold cicadas.

Tang Dynasty, Dali era (when Yuan Zai served as Prime Minister).

Chang'an City, Yuan Zai's residence, outside the pepper storehouse.

Yuan Zai, accompanied by a few confidants, admired the dozens of stone premium pepper newly stored.

The steward flattered, "Sir Prime Minister, the pepper in our house now likely surpasses even the imperial palace's stores."

"The aroma invigorates the mind!"

Yuan Zai twirled his beard, proudly saying, "This is a rare treasure from Tianzhu, priceless. The more, the better, the more the merrier…"

Before he finished speaking, a celestial curtain unfolded, spilling every detail of his future, including the fate of the 800 stone pepper, in exhaustive detail!

Yuan Zai's smug expression froze instantly, turning pallid.

He stared at the mountain‑high pepper on the curtain, and at the scenes of his house being seized, his forced death, and his family's beheading.

In an instant he felt the world spin, his legs went weak, nearly collapsing beside the pepper pile.

"No… impossible! The curtain… the curtain's false words!"

Yuan Zai's voice cracked, his heart feeling a bit hollow.

The surrounding confidants, steward, and servants all looked at him with terror, doubt, and even schadenfreude.

"800 stone pepper… this secret cannot be hidden!"

"Quick! Quickly disperse and hide these… these pepper! No, transport them! Sell them!" Yuan Zai shouted incoherently.

But it was already too late.

The entire Chang'an City was thrown into an uproar.

The common folk might not know exactly how much money the corrupt official siphoned, but the ultra‑specific "800 stone pepper" ignited everyone's fury and absurdity in an instant.

"800 stone pepper? My heavens! How many rooms would that fill?"

"Is Yuan Zai planning to cure the entire Chang'an City?"

"Corrupt official! Dog official! Sucking our blood just to hoard this damn pepper?"

"Go! To the imperial city to file a petition! Let the emperor see his 'good' Prime Minister!"

Even more deadly was the reaction within the imperial palace.

Emperor Tang Daizong Li Yun's complexion at this moment could no longer be described as merely unsightly.

He had long been dissatisfied with Yuan Zai, but constrained by his faction and power, he had endured in silence.

Now the Heavenly Curtain has exposed his bottom line, especially the 800 shi of pepper, which is tantamount to carving the words "great glutton" onto Yuan Zai's forehead.

If it is not dealt with, where is the imperial family's authority? Where is the people's hearts of the realm?

"Transmit the edict!"

Li Yun's voice was icy: "Yuan Zai has deceived the sovereign, indulged in boundless greed, squandered extravagantly, ruined the state; hence, strip him of all offices immediately, seize him and bring him to the capital, and hand him over to the Three Ministries for trial!"

"His assets, have me inventory them meticulously, especially that pepper; not a single grain may be omitted, bring it to the palace exactly as it is! I want to see it with my own eyes!"

"Obey the edict!"

The warriors, censor, and Ministry of Justice officials before the hall thundered their assent and set out at once.

At the same time, the Heavenly Curtain's punishment, though delayed, arrived.

【Considering Yuan Zai's boundless greed, Wealth Can Rival a Nation, especially hoarding massive amounts of pepper to flaunt extravagance, corrupting state policy, bringing disaster to the nation and its people, his crimes are immeasurable!】

【Now the Heavenly Way imposes punishment: reduce his yang lifespan by twenty‑four years! Effective immediately!】

A gray pillar of light, imbued with desolation and decay, fell from the Heavenly Curtain, precisely enveloping the panicked Yuan Zai still standing before the pepper storeroom.

"Ehh—ah!"

Yuan Zai let out a short, mournful wail.

He felt as if all his vital blood had been instantly drained; his body, once slightly plump, slumped at a visibly rapid pace, his hair turned white, his eyes grew cloudy and dim, and even standing required a servant's support.

Having twenty‑four years of yang lifespan taken away, for Yuan Zai, already over sixty, was tantamount to thrusting him straight into the twilight of his life, on the brink of death!

"Prime Minister!" the servants shouted in alarm.

Yuan Zai collapsed to the ground, gazing at his hands instantly covered with age spots and gaunt as firewood, his heart flooded with endless fear, remorse, and despair.

He struggled to speak, but could only emit a hoarse breath.

At that moment, outside the residence came the rapid clatter of horse hooves and clanking armor, along with a mid‑level official's sharp proclamation:

"The imperial edict has arrived! Criminal official Yuan Zai, receive the edict—!"

Yuan Zai's face turned ashen, utterly limp.

He knew everything was over.

The Heavenly Curtain reduced his lifespan, the emperor demanded accountability, and he no longer even had the strength to struggle.

A few days later, the results of the confiscation spread: the 800 shi of pepper were loaded onto carts and taken to the imperial palace, becoming the biggest joke among Chang'an City's populace after meals and a symbol of corrupt officials.

In prison, Yuan Zai, following the "Historical Trajectory," ended his sinful and ridiculous life amidst despair and illness with a strip of white silk.

His assets were confiscated, and his family was sentenced to execution.

Those two mansions and the Luoyang gardens, indeed as the Heavenly Curtain foretold, changed owners.

(Everyone can look forward a bit: who is the fifth among the top ten historic corrupt officials?)✌︎˶╹ꇴ╹˶✌︎