Chapter 502: Nothing is clearer than effectiveness, nothing is more certain than proof

Wang Chonggu firmly believed that the Emperor's founding of the Royal Polytechnic Institute would not trigger any dire consequences; these usually arrogant and unrestrained scholar-officials would only clamor for a bit before dying down. Yet, facts proved that Wang Chonggu had overthought it.

When the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the Six Offices of Scrutiny discussed the matter together, the Emperor's imperial edict did not even provoke a wave of opposition.

No one in the Six Ministries opposed this matter, because the shortage of talent in the Great Ming deeply affected every single ministry.

The Ministry of Works bore the brunt of it; this was the talent shortage triggered by the group manufacturing in official factories and large-scale production. Only by cultivating talent could the Great Ming's industries flourish.

The Ministry of Revenue naturally wanted more commodities and more currency.

The Ministry of Justice was naturally happy to see the Great Ming's industries flourish; the more rapidly they developed, the more the poor and laborers could be settled—that is, the fewer "rogues" there would be—and the fewer major, difficult cases there would be to cause headaches.

The Ministry of War needed to select elite soldiers for the Capital Battalion from the engineer regiments, and also needed to settle retired elite soldiers and guest troops. The Ministry of Personnel hoped to break the scholar-officials' monopoly on the official selection hierarchy, thereby allowing the stagnant pool of the officialdom to regain vitality.

The Ministry of Rites, which should have been the most opposed to this, could not stir up any trouble with Wan Shihe, a man of flexible stance, in charge.

Moreover, the Ministry of Rites' departmental discussion on this matter was also of a favorable view.

Ritual and law held hostage by base scholars are not ritual and law. Ritual is civilization; ritual is about "renewing oneself daily, daily, and daily again." The affairs of the world are ever-changing. If ritual and law were truly to follow the Great Ming scholar-officials' desire to emulate the Three Dynasties, then the Great Ming would not have lasted two hundred years.

The Supervising Secretaries of the Six Offices of Scrutiny were busy with the Method of Evaluation, while the censors of the Censorate were busy fetching water, seemingly having no time to attend to this matter, or perhaps using the debate over fetching water to avoid potential dangers.

Liu Hanru had already been arrested and brought to justice by Luo Bingliang, the Commandant of the Southern Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and over a dozen officials involved had been sent to the capital for questioning.

After the Emperor inspected the navy, the Great Ming navy would set sail from Tianjin Guard, heading for Nagasaki and Ryukyu to wipe out the sea pirates that the two Viceroyalties had been unable to clear.

The song ended, but the lingering notes echoed in the rafters.

Wang Yaozhuo sat before Zhu Yijun and said indignantly, "Perfunctory. I'm returning to the palace today; I must go and take a look."

Wang Yaozhuo looked at the Emperor's resolute face, sighed, closed the lid of the 108-key zither, and said, "It is not because my husband is obsessed with state affairs? Consort Liu and Consort Li are about to give birth, yet my husband does not even go to see them. It has made the two of them somewhat resentful. Yesterday, they came to my palace and poured out their grievances."

Besides the memorials, Shen Shixing, Chen Lin, Zhang Cheng, and others each wrote a secret memorial to the court, the content of which concerned the mastermind behind the private markets in Sandu'ao Bay, Ningde.

"My lady's song is slightly mournful," Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

Wang Yaozhuo left the side hall of the Wenhua Palace, looking back every few steps with worry. Zhu Yijun held four memorials in his hands.

"Good, my lady has reminded me; I still have matters to attend to today," Zhu Yijun nodded again.

The powerful and influential families involved had already been identified; from Zhejiang to Fujian, there were several families, headed by the Xia family of Renhe. The local officials involved had also been identified; Provincial Administration Commissioner Shu Yinglong had no issues, but the problems of Surveillance Commissioner Liu Hanru were very serious.

On the last day of the eighth month, after the court session, Zhu Yijun did not return to the Tonghe Palace but came to the side hall of the Wenhua Palace.

The only problem now was which high official in the court was protecting Liu Hanru.

The government students of the Imperial Academy had to consider their own livelihoods. Knowing it was impossible to succeed, yet still clinging to their unremovable long gowns and their "zhihu-zheye" (classical jargon), they could only live in poverty for a lifetime. Poverty leads to thoughts of change, change leads to breakthroughs, and breakthroughs lead to success. For these old government students, seeking a new path—becoming professional talents in navigation, land surveying, banking, medicine, etc. —was not necessarily a bad way out.

In Sandu'ao Bay, there were a total of seven private markets, similar in scale to the original Shuangyu private market. If not for the indulgence of Great Ming officials and the support of powerful and influential families, it would have been impossible to form such a massive scale regardless.

"Easily said, easily said," Zhu Yijun agreed with his mouth while calculating matters in his heart.

Liu Hanru on one hand sidelined Shu Yinglong, and on the other actively cooperated with the court in land surveying and population census. Pang Shangpeng believed Liu Hanru was an efficient official and thus entrusted him with heavy responsibilities, until the private market affair broke out, and only then did Pang Shangpeng begin to investigate.

What Zhu Yijun did not expect was that quite a few government students of the Imperial Academy were also inquiring about the admission requirements for the Royal Polytechnic Institute.

In the past, the Emperor was young and imperial prestige was weak; any small matter had to be done to the extreme. The virtue was cool and the childhood was young—that was how it was.

Wang Yaozhuo played the zither by the window. Bright red is a color difficult to master, but on Wang Yaozhuo, it looked perfectly natural. A bright red cloak was spread out before the zither stand, and zither music like flowing water echoed in the side hall.

"Understood, my lady, rest assured. I have my own sense of proportion," Zhu Yijun revealed a reassuring smile.

"Hmm," Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "I am a bit worried that it is the ministers in the court, especially the Grand Secretaries, who are involved."

"Although they lack nothing in food and clothing, since they are near labor, it would be better for my husband to go and see them," Wang Yaozhuo was not complaining about the Emperor. His Majesty was busy with a thousand tasks, wise and martial, and the Great Ming was flourishing, but only the beauties in the harem suffered.

The expression on Wang Yaozhuo's face recovered from helplessness to seriousness. She asked softly, "Is it about the Fujian private market affair?"

Surveillance Commissioner Liu Hanru had in fact sidelined Shu Yinglong, while the gaze of Fujian Governor Pang Shangpeng was mainly focused on land surveying and population census; the crime of negligence could not be escaped.

The opening of the Royal Polytechnic Institute was much smoother than Zhu Yijun had imagined. The first phase of the project would open at the end of the year, the second phase would be completed within a year, and the third phase within three years. The Ministry of Works had already completed the planning for the entire Polytechnic Institute. This massive machine of the Great Ming began to turn slowly, jointly completing the completion of the Royal Polytechnic Institute.

The path of the imperial examination was too competitive; every three years there were only a little over a thousand Juren, and every three years only three hundred Jinshi.

Politics, military, economy, culture—these concepts are nothing more than concepts extracted from phenomena by the sages of past dynasties from the torrent of the nation's destiny. They are partial facts, not the whole. The concepts themselves are abstract, and people interpret them based on various stances, then summarize experience to form theories, and then use theories to guide reality.

That is to say, in terms of the total population of the Great Ming, only six out of every million people can stand out and become Juren, and of these six Juren, only two have the possibility of becoming Jinshi. For a Juren to become an official is extremely difficult. After reporting to the Ministry of Personnel, it is a long wait, because the Jinshi are also waiting.

"This is a state affair, and it is not convenient for me to say much. Your Majesty, please keep in mind that Heaven has the virtue of loving life. If the problem is not serious, it is better not to start a massive slaughter. After all, there is an imperial heir being born in the palace," Wang Yaozhuo hesitated again and again, but still said it.

As for the wealthy children who lack nothing, it doesn't matter whether they study or not. Even if they study nothing, they can still roam the mountains and rivers and live recklessly for a lifetime.

No abstract theory or concrete reality can exist independently. Other dimensions exist permanently and are often even more important. The Royal Polytechnic Institute appears to be abstract culture, but it is also the multiple influence of military, politics, and economy.

But now that His Majesty has grown up, with heads rolling like this at every turn, everything is a matter of human calculation, and the ministers will also consider their own situations.

Everything about the Royal Polytechnic Institute was very smooth; everything was so natural.

The path of the imperial examination is the only path from ancient times—infinite scenery is on the dangerous peak, fame on the golden list is known to the world, but there are nameless bones in the deep ravine.

The most important thing is that a child is being born, and seeing blood always feels a bit inappropriate.

Nothing is clearer than effectiveness, nothing is more certain than proof.

The Great Ming nation is a whole, an inseparable whole that affects the whole body with one hair.

Wang Yaozhuo's position as Empress was as stable as Mount Tai, because these words were only something Wang Yaozhuo dared to say to the Emperor. Even the most favored Consort Ran was deeply wary of state affairs, fearing to provoke His Majesty's disgust.

The interrogation of captives and the continuous investigation into the flow of goods showed that this matter was supported by several powerful and influential families, deeply participated in and indulged by local officials in Fujian, and even protected by high officials in the court.

The first was: the memorial from Songjiang Governor Shen Shixing and Songjiang Naval Regional Commander Chen Lin. They represented the navy and reported a victory to the court. The navy stationed in the five major maritime customs offices in the hinterland of the Great Ming had completed the clearing of sea pirates along the Great Ming coastline. Now they were officially beginning to rest, repairing ships, personnel were beginning to rest, and they were adding maritime defense inspection offices, selecting "white strips in the waves" (expert swimmers), and then heading north on the 15th of the tenth month, requesting the Great Ming Emperor to go to Tianjin Guard to inspect the navy.

Consort Liu, Liu Mengshu, and Consort Li, Li Jin, were found to be pregnant at the end of the twelfth month of the ninth year of Wanli. Once pregnant, they no longer served in the bedchamber, and they couldn't even see His Majesty's face. They were full of sorrow and had nowhere to pour it out. The two consorts were also afraid of Empress Dowager Li and dared not speak, so they had to find Wang Yaozhuo to pour out their grievances.

Regarding this matter, the Songjiang Governor and the Fujian Governor very tacitly did not investigate, because it involved the capital officials, and both governors maintained silence.

The disposal of Pang Shangpeng had also ended in the court session. Pang Shangpeng used people improperly and investigated unclearly, was fined one year's salary, received a "lower-lower" evaluation, was promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and returned to the capital to await assignment. It looked like a promotion, but it was actually a secret demotion. Pang Shangpeng was old and sickly, so entering the capital was also for retirement.

"Have the officials of the three halls arrived?" Zhu Yijun put down the secret memorial and asked if the personnel for the joint trial of the three halls had arrived. Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu, Vice Ministers Yan Qing and Shu Hua, Censor-in-Chiefs Hence Hai Rui, Li Youzi, and Chen Kai, Grand Court of Revision Minister Lu Guangzu, Grand Court of Revision Vice Minister Yang Wei, and the chief judge this time, Commandant of the Left Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Zhao Mengyou.

"They have all arrived at the Left Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Does Your Majesty wish to go?" Feng Bao bowed and asked. If His Majesty did not go, Feng Bao would head to the Left Division. On His Majesty's side, having Zhang Hong serve him would be enough.

"Go, prepare the carriage for the Embroidered Uniform Guard," Zhu Yijun nodded and said.

The Left Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was right outside the Meridian Gate. Zhu Yijun arrived in two steps. After the crowd paid their respects, the Emperor entered the back hall.

"Go and call the Second Grand Secretary," Zhu Yijun said to Feng Bao.

Wang Chonggu walked into the back hall with a confused look. The joint trial of the three halls was about to begin; what did it mean for His Majesty to call him to the back alone?

"Second Grand Secretary Wang, since the second year of Wanli, you have handled so many tasks, big and small, and there hasn't been a single one that disappointed me. You are truly worthy of the title of 'managing the state and benefiting the nation.' Last time I asked in the Wenhua Palace, there were many people in the court. This time I ask in this back hall: if you protected Liu Hanru and the group of Fujian officials, I will not hold this joint trial of the three halls, and this matter will stop here," Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and said very calmly.

This was private forgiveness. If it really was Wang Chonggu, Zhu Yijun intended to let him have a good end. Merit and fault could never be offset, but after all, merit and nobility had to be discussed. Wang Chonggu and his son could be considered capable people before the monarch. The new policies could not have reached this point without Wang Chonggu.

"No," Wang Chonggu understood His Majesty's question and said with a smile, "If Your Majesty has nothing else, I will return to the front. Although I am a treacherous official and a sycophant, I still look down on that little bit of silver from private markets. Risking my head for something that can't even earn me 500,000 taels of silver a year, it's not worth earning this money that loses conscience."

Speaking of this, Wang Chonggu's confidence was too strong! The second richest man in the Great Ming, are you kidding me?

Leaving aside the bright and upright silver not to earn, and going to earn dirty money like trafficking Great Ming people, communicating with Japanese pirates, and trafficking opium?

His Majesty does things with rules. Once, twice, but not a third time. Since His Majesty summoned him to the back hall to see him, it was aimed at private forgiveness. This was imperial favor. Wang Chonggu was not the kind of person who couldn't distinguish right from wrong; he could still understand good and bad words.

"Since the Second Grand Secretary says so, it is indeed reasonable," Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "It really is."

"I take my leave." Wang Chonggu returned to the front hall with his hands cupped, the smile on his face never fading. Zhang Juzheng, that iron-hearted man, had seen Wang Chonggu do so many things since the second year of Wanli, and in Zhang Juzheng's heart, he was still a person who deserved to die, but the result was not bad after all. His Majesty was willing to protect him.

Yan Song did things unscrupulously back then, but once he lost imperial favor, he fell in a muddled way as soon as it was said he would fall.

Feng Bao walked out of the back hall, flicked his horsetail whisk, and said loudly, "By His Majesty's oral edict, begin."

"Liu Hanru, became a Juren in the 37th year of Jiajing, 59th place in the third rank of Jinshi in the 38th year of Jiajing. First served as County Magistrate of Hua County and Jun County in Henan, with quite a few political achievements. Since the first year of Wanli, led the Yunzhong military inspectorate, reorganized the military preparedness of Xuanfu and Datong, assisted the Xuan-Da Viceroy Wang Chonggu in the construction of the Great Wall. After two years, the great work of construction was completed. In the fourth year of Wanli, promoted to Surveillance Commissioner of Zhejiang due to merit. In the seventh year of Wanli, transferred to Fujian together with Shu Yinglong," Zhao Mengyou looked at the case file in his hand. This was Liu Hanru's resume.

Liu Hanru was not of the Jin Party. Going to Datong in the first year of Wanli was to supervise Wang Chonggu in plugging the holes in the Great Wall.

The Great Ming Emperor suspected that Wang Chonggu was the "someone in the court" behind the scenes, and it wasn't without reason. At that time, Wang Chonggu was still a sycophant, and the thing he liked to do most was to corrupt his colleagues. At that time, they walked together, which was also understandable.

"Exactly," Liu Hanru did not wear shackles or cangues, nor did he need to kneel, after all, he still had official status and merit. He answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"The private market in Sandu'ao Bay, Fujian, was it set up by wealthy households like the Xia family of Renhe in Zhejiang?" Zhao Mengyou flipped through the case file. The written evidence, physical evidence, and witness evidence were all there. Luo Bingliang, the Commandant of the Southern Division, handled the case very carefully, without any omissions.

Liu Hanru frowned, but still opened his mouth and said, "Yes."

"Was it under your protection?" Zhao Mengyou asked again.

"Yes!" Liu Hanru's voice this time was extremely certain. His emotions were very stable. He looked directly at Zhao Mengyou and said, "If it happened again, I would still do it."

"Audacious!" Wang Chonggu was furious as soon as he heard this. As Minister of Justice, he had seen many criminals over the years. It was rare to see someone so arrogant when it reached the point of a joint trial of the three halls.

"Second Grand Secretary Wang, long time no see." Liu Hanru even had the energy to greet him. He looked at Wang Chonggu and said, "I have no shame before the monarch and father, no shame before the court, and even less shame before the nation. Below, I have no shame before the local officials and wealthy gentry of Fujian, only shame before the common people. I deserve to die ten thousand deaths, a capital crime that cannot be pardoned, but if it happened again, I could only do this."

Wang Chonggu said with a bitter smile, "You still have reason?"

"It's not having reason. If I had reason, I wouldn't say I deserve to die," Liu Hanru shook his head and said, "The court opens the sea on one hand, and wants to survey land and census the population on the other. The governor urges it urgently, while Shu Yinglong closes his eyes and pretends to be ignorant. What can I do? I can only do this, using private markets to exchange for land deeds and identity certificates. The court decides with a pat on the head, and we local officials can only try every possible way to execute it."

"If it weren't for the private market being caught this time, within three years, Fujian could have completed the return of land. Some people die, some people live. Alas, Heaven did not grant time, and it was discovered after all. If it were later, the land return would be finished, and I would have no regrets even if I died. It's a pity the work wasn't finished."

Liu Hanru said the two words "land return." He knew exactly what the court wanted to do.

Some people die, naturally the coastal fishing villages looted by sea pirates;

Some people live, naturally the poor and laborers who got rid of their base status, plus the people who lived after the land return was implemented. Liu Hanru knew this was a question of choice, and he had no regrets.

"I don't quite understand, I ask the Second Grand Secretary to enlighten me," Liu Hanru looked at Wang Chonggu and asked instead.

Wang Chonggu nodded: "Speak."

"Are the Great Ming's ministers all lacking a string in their brains?" Liu Hanru asked with a giggle.

"Arrogant!" Wang Chonggu was so angry he laughed. This guy really didn't know how to repent even when he was about to die, and he even scolded all the Great Ming court officials.

The giggle on Liu Hanru's face disappeared, and instead, he became serious. He looked at Wang Chonggu and said, "Do the ministers of the court think that any political order is without cost? The theory of contradictions explains it very clearly. One drink and one peck, cause and effect cycle. To accomplish certain things, one must pay some price. Each place is different, but who is bearing these costs?"

"Take land surveying as an example. With this surveying, the Great Ming's cultivated land went from 4 million qing to 8 million qing, and the court's tax revenue increased. So who pays these taxes? The local gentry always like to apportion downwards. Fortunately, opening the sea supplemented a mouthful, so the faces of these local gentry were not so ugly, and no major disaster was brewed."

"There is no political order without cost. You are all high-ranking ministers. When formulating political orders, didn't you explain this to His Majesty? Just surveying without returning land, leaving the land barren—isn't that harming the common people?"

"I am ashamed before the common people. Sitting in rows in the Wenhua Palace, who is not ashamed before the common people!"

Liu Hanru was the actual executor of the political order. He knew very well that the reason why the land surveying in the southeast coastal area went smoothly was entirely because maritime trade supplemented a large mouthful. Otherwise, the rice, grain, and silver that the court collected more than in the past would all have to be borne by the common people. This was something explained very clearly in the theory of contradictions.

"I know my own sins, so I have always been worried and uneasy. I have been using the private market affair to vigorously push for land surveying, population census, and the abolition of base status. If I had three more years, it would be fine." Liu Hanru didn't care about Wang Chonggu's reaction. He explained clearly why he protected the powerful and influential families in setting up private markets, describing the Sandu'ao private market in Fujian as a product of compromise under contradictions.

Wang Chonggu could not tell Liu Hanru clearly that the court was working hard to push for land return. Things had to be done step by step.

Zhu Yijun heard it clearly in the back hall. This Liu Hanru looked like a ruthless person, even ruthless to himself. It was just: I am wrong, but I am also not wrong. This is very contradictory.

"I was almost led around by you," Wang Chonggu listened for a long time, sneered and mocked, "It's just sophistry for taking a shortcut. You made it sound so righteous. If no one in the court was protecting you, I would have believed these words. It is clearly just for the sake of promotion that you took a dangerous path."

"Land surveying, population census, abolition of base status—do you really have to exchange them with private markets? Who should have borne the cost originally? After your exchange, who did it become? Any political order has a cost. In the current situation where you can't have both, who bears the cost is self-evident."

"Looking at your statement, are the powerful and influential families and local gentry of our Great Ming all great benefactors? Because of the thick profits of opening the sea, they temporarily let go of the poor and laborers. Is it really like this?"

"Your words look fine, but if you think about it carefully, they are full of loopholes. As long as they can squeeze a tiny bit, they won't let go! Not squeezing isn't because they don't want to, but because they can't, because if they squeeze and cause a civil riot, the first to bear the brunt will be the local gentry!"

Wang Chonggu was old and was almost shaken by Liu Hanru's iron-boned appearance. If it weren't for the fact that there was a He family in Gaoyang recently whose family was wiped out because they didn't reduce rent during a disaster, Wang Chonggu wouldn't have been able to turn this corner for a while.

"So, confess honestly, under whose gate did you seek protection, and what promises did you get? If you confess honestly, it might not be impossible to leave you a whole corpse." Wang Chonggu waved his hand, sat down calmly, and looked at Liu Hanru with a bit more disdain. He was not an efficient official; efficient officials are not like this. Efficient officials first follow reason.

It was true that Pang Shangpeng was deceived by this guy. This guy's hypocritical appearance was indeed difficult to see through, but as the saying goes, if you want people not to know, you shouldn't do it yourself. The Sandu'ao private market affair was exposed after all.

The biggest loophole in Liu Hanru's words was land return. He said that private markets could be used to exchange for land return in three years. This was fake. Wang Chonggu used ship permits to exchange for land, and only exchanged 3 million mu, 30,000 qing of official land. The entire Fujian area had 430,000 qing. In these years, he hadn't exchanged a single mu of official land. His saying he wanted to complete the return of 430,000 qing in three years was simply nonsense. To what scale would this private market have to develop?

Liu Hanru was looking down on the resistance of the powerful and influential families and local gentry to the redistribution of means of production. Liu Hanru, who had colluded with the local gentry, could never have succeeded.

Some panic appeared in Liu Hanru's expression. His carefully prepared rhetoric, which he prided himself on being seamless, was exposed by Wang Chonggu in one word.

Zhu Yijun revealed a smile in the back hall. This Liu Hanru no longer sophistically arguing was the best answer. If land return were really as simple as he said, Zhu Yijun wouldn't be here for a joint trial of the three halls, but would be roaming freely in the harem.

Anyone can talk big and empty words, but doing things is difficult.

"Liu Hanru, under whom did you seek protection? Confess honestly." Zhao Mengyou saw Wang Chonggu sit down and continued the interrogation.

Liu Hanru's face was ashen, and he said disheartenedly, "Why bother? Confessing is death, not confessing is also death. It's better not to confess."

Zhao Mengyou shook his head and said, "That's not the same. If you confess, you die yourself. If you don't confess, does your family know you intend to resist to the end? I think they wouldn't agree with you resisting to the end."

"You are threatening me! Just a lackey, and you dare to threaten a court official?!" Liu Hanru was suddenly enraged. He was not a lonely ghost; he had family, relatives, and ancestral graves. If he held on like this, his family would definitely not agree.

Zhao Mengyou looked at the case file and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't say it. The Embroidered Uniform Guard handles cases, and they will even find out how many earthworms are in your house. There is no need to make it bloody and make this Embroidered Uniform Guard office gloomy. The five poisons torture won't be needed."

Do cases not get handled without a confession? In the two hundred years of the Great Ming, how many cases without confessions have been handled? A person is the sum of social relations. As long as Liu Hanru's social relations are investigated clearly and a profile is made for each person, his life can be outlined, and who is protecting him will be clear at a glance.

Interrogating Liu Hanru was because the case was serious and needed to go through the process of the joint trial of the three halls.

Wang Chonggu looked at Liu Hanru's expression and laughed directly. He said to Hence Hai Rui beside him, "Back then, I was afraid of people like him. A Great Ming official, a truly decent person in the world, how indecent it is to become a prisoner! I thought about it back then, and finally returned to Xuanfu and Datong to plug the holes in the Great Wall. Silver, you can't bring it when you are born and you can't take it when you die. If your family is gone and exiled, that is truly having nothing left."

"The Second Grand Secretary is worldly-wise and thinks clearly. Pulling back from the brink is already extremely rare," Hence Hai Rui said with a smile. This was breaking Liu Hanru's psychological defense. Singing in harmony to set up a stage, it was best to break through from Liu Hanru. Otherwise, if the Embroidered Uniform Guard handled the case, the time would be at least several months, or even calculated in years. Most importantly, it would implicate many people and make people panic.

The more serious the case, the faster it should be handled, in order to minimize the influence of the matter.

"Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Chen Jingbang." After repeated hesitation, Liu Hanru finally closed his eyes and said, "He promised to recommend me as Fujian Governor. That Pang Shangpeng is old and sickly and will leave his post soon. So, that's why I did this."

"Chen Jingbang is a Fujianese. The silver for building his big house in his hometown came from the private market."

Liu Hanru confessed. Between his family and his backer, he chose his family. In the Great Ming, there is no such thing as not confessing and being able to preserve one's family, because in the joint trial of the three halls, His Majesty will personally inquire. The court already has clear clues, and as long as His Majesty wants to, he will investigate to the end.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 503 =====