Chapter 246

The scene comes to the core secret room of the confiscation.

When the searching Embroidered Uniform Guards pry open a hidden compartment, everyone is stunned.

In the compartment, there is a crystal-clear Imperial Seal carved with five dragons, and a bright yellow Dragon Robe embroidered with nine golden dragons!

Exactly the same as the one used by the Emperor!

【Finding the Imperial Seal and Dragon Robe means that Liu Jin not only coveted wealth but also had the ambition to usurp the throne!】

【This is the ironclad evidence that touched the Emperor's reverse scale and meant certain death!】

In the scene, the Imperial Seal and Dragon Robe are sent to the palace at high speed and presented to Emperor Wuzong of Ming, who is playing in the Leopard House.

Zhu Houzhao looks at these two things, the smile on his face disappears instantly, turning ashen, then flushing red, and finally turning into boundless rage and murderous intent!

He can tolerate eunuchs coveting money, and even tolerate them manipulating power, but he can never tolerate them coveting his dragon throne!

【In the fifth year of Zhengde, Emperor Wuzong of Ming, with the denunciation and assistance of another eunuch, Zhang Yong (one of the "Eight Tigers," but in conflict with Liu Jin), took lightning action, personally led the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Eastern Depot personnel to surround Liu Jin's residence, and arrested him.】

Late at night, outside the Leopard House, torches are bright, and Zhu Houzhao, rarely wearing armor, personally leads the army to rush directly to Liu Jin's outer residence.

Liu Jin wakes up from his sleep, and before he can react, he is pressed to the ground by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, who are fierce as wolves and tigers.

【After a joint trial, Liu Jin's crimes were confirmed, and he was sentenced to lingering death.】

The scene turns to the execution ground.

【On the day of the execution, the city of Beijing was empty.】

【The executioner was ordered to cut 3,357 cuts on Liu Jin, with the execution lasting three days.】

【Because he had committed too many evils and public anger was great, every time the executioner cut off a piece of flesh, a spectator would buy it with a copper coin, or take it home to pay tribute to relatives harmed by Liu Jin.】

【During the execution, Liu Jin's shrill screams continued incessantly, and finally, amidst endless pain and the curses of ten thousand people, he died.】

【His corpse was chopped into pieces and fed to dogs, and his family and party members were all executed or exiled.】

【His heaven-defying wealth was all confiscated, slightly filling the national treasury that had been emptied by him.】

The scene is cruel and satisfying:

On the execution ground, Liu Jin is stripped naked and tied to a wooden post.

The executioner has superb skills and precise blade work.

Every time a piece of flesh is cut off, someone hands over a copper coin, exchanging it for that bloody piece of flesh, crying out the names of their relatives.

Liu Jin's screams go from high-pitched to hoarse, and finally fade away...

His huge wealth is registered and put into the national treasury.

But the shocking figure of over 300 million taels of silver has become a joke and a scar that the Ming dynasty can never erase.

【Total corruption assessment: 310,000,000 taels of silver, equivalent to 150 years of Ming dynasty national treasury revenue!】

【This amount is huge, unprecedented, and only second to the one at the top of the list.】

【His corruption is built on the foundation of completely mastering the empire's highest power, wantonly trampling on national laws, and cruelly persecuting officials and commoners.】

【Every tael of his wealth is soaked in the fat and cream of the people and the blood of loyal ministers!】

【Reason for ranking: The pinnacle of eunuch interference in politics, the peak of corruption amount.】

【As a eunuch, he committed the act of stealing the country, with wealth rivaling a nation!】

【His existence is the product of the deformity of imperial power and the most vicious pus sore on the body of the empire.】

Viewers of all worlds, especially the monarchs and ministers of the Ming dynasty, felt dizzy and horrified upon seeing the words "310,000,000 taels," "150 years of national treasury revenue," and the scene of Liu Jin privately hiding the Imperial Seal and Dragon Robe!

Han Dynasty, Chang'an.

The wine bowl in Liu Bang's hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces this time.

He was completely unaware, just picked his ears, turned his head and asked Xiao He:

"Old Xiao, I... I didn't hear wrong, did I? 310... 10 million taels? And it's silver?"

"That... how much is our Great Han's annual national treasury revenue converted to silver roughly?"

Xiao He's face was pale, his fingers trembling as he calculated, and he said astringently:

"Your Majesty, our dynasty's current... annual revenue... converted to silver, I fear... I fear it is less than 10 million taels..."

He paused and added, "And our dynasty uses Wuzhu coins and physical goods..."

"That means, the money this dead eunuch embezzled alone is more than all the taxes our Great Han has collected in 30... no, 50 years?!"

Liu Bang's voice changed pitch, and he jumped up, pointing at the Heavenly Screen.

"Is this a corrupt official? This is moving the national treasury to his home! And moving the national treasury of over a hundred years!"

"Is this Emperor named Zhu Houzhao blind? Letting him embezzle so much?!"

Xiao He was speechless, leaving only shock.

Ying Zheng laughed out of extreme anger, his laughter filled with murderous intent.

"Good! What a eunuch! What a Director of Ceremonial Eunuchs!"

"300 million taels of silver... My building of the Great Wall, construction of the mausoleum, and attacks on the Xiongnu cost no more than this!"

"This villain could actually hide such huge wealth, showing how muddle-headed the Ming Emperor at that time was!"

"Eunuchs can hold the power of red-brushing? And can privately hide the Imperial Seal and Dragon Robe?"

Great Tang, Zhenguan era.

Li Shimin could no longer speak; he clutched his chest, feeling a bit stifled.

300 million taels... his Great Tang's current annual revenue, converted to silver, was only a little over 10 million taels at its peak...

This Liu Jin alone embezzled nearly 20 years of his Great Tang's total revenue?!

"Eunuchs... eunuchs can actually reach this point..."

Li Shimin muttered, then looked abruptly at the head eunuch standing to the side.

"You all... did you hear clearly?"

The old eunuch was scared out of his wits, falling to his knees and kowtowing like pounding garlic.

"Your Majesty, please see clearly, this servant would never dare! If this servant has even half a thought of misconduct, may Heaven strike me down!"

Fang Xuanling was heartbroken: "The disaster of eunuchs in the previous dynasty (Eastern Han) is still before our eyes."

"This dynasty must never allow eunuchs to hold key positions or military power!"

"Your Majesty, take this as a warning, strictly set the eunuch system, and cut off their path to interfering in politics!"

Great Song, Taizu era.

Zhao Kuangyin's expression was so gloomy that water could drip from it.

He himself came to power through a military mutiny and was extremely strict in guarding against internal powerful officials, especially those close to the Emperor.

Seeing that this eunuch Liu Jin could actually embezzle 300 million taels and privately hide the Imperial Seal, he only felt a chill rising from the bottom of his heart.

"The disaster of eunuchs is worse than that of consort-kin and powerful officials!"

Zhao Kuangyin said coldly, "Because they serve before the Emperor day and night, they are best at bewitching the imperial heart."

"Zhao Pu, record this for Me: From Me, the eunuchs of Zhao Song can only manage cleaning and chores in the palace, and must never interfere in government affairs, let alone be granted external positions or military power! Violators, master and servant will be punished together, and executed immediately without pardon!"

Zhao Pu agreed solemnly: "This subject obeys the decree! I will ensure this instruction is carved on the stone tablet in the palace and followed for generations!"

Great Ming, Hongwu era.

Nanjing Forbidden City.

No roar, no throwing things.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat quietly on the dragon throne, one hand supporting his forehead.

The other hand was gripping the armrest of the dragon throne tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, his knuckles turning white from the force, making a slight "clucking" sound.

310,000,000 taels... 150 years of annual revenue... Ceremonial Eunuchs red-brushing... Imperial Seal and Dragon Robe...

These words were like red-hot branding irons, burning his brain one by one.

His Zhu family, the country he had worked so hard to build, had been usurped to such a degree by a eunuch without eggs by the time it reached his future descendants?!

Embezzled money equivalent to 150 years of court tax revenue?!

And hid a Dragon Robe and Imperial Seal to rebel?!

Shame! A great shame! A shame even worse than being bullied by the Yuan Tartars?!

"Heh... hehehe..."

Zhu Yuanzhang let out that chilling low laugh again; he slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, scanning the hall below.

This time, his gaze fell heavily on those eunuchs.

The eunuchs on duty in the palace were already scared out of their wits, defecating and urinating, collapsing on the ground like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

"Biao'er! Lao Si! Did you all hear? Did you remember?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was hoarse, but like a wounded tiger roaring.

"My Zhu family's country can be lost to foreign enemies, can be lost to natural disasters, but it must never be lost to these eunuch dogs!"

"From today on, any eunuch in the Great Ming who dares to read, kill!"

"Whoever dares to interfere in politics, kill! Whoever dares to associate with external officials, skin them! Cut them into a thousand pieces!"

These words of Zhu Yuanzhang made the eunuchs who heard them faint directly.