Chapter 638

The contraband funds found by the Chief of the Judicial Bureau, Chen Mo, were not silver, but gold.

The official exchange rate in Great Ming was one tael of gold equal to sixteen taels of silver, but gold had no market liquidity—not because there was no gold, but because there was no silver; silver had far greater circulation, so merchant ships bound for Manila refused to accept gold, which was used primarily as jewelry.

Gold, a precious metal with poor liquidity and difficult to liquidate on a large scale, could be safely entrusted to a concubine, who had absolutely no means to convert such a vast amount of gold into cash.

Chen Mo was puzzled—this sum of gold was far too large. Could a mere Prefectural Judge of Shuntian, Huang Chun, really have embezzled this much?

"Dig down three feet." After sensing something amiss, Chen Mo launched a thorough search of the concubine's residence, convinced there was a hidden agenda—that the suicide of Huang Chun was orchestrated by a large network.

Consider this: Former Provincial Governor of Sichuan, Luo Yao, strained himself to the bone in Sichuan and ended up pocketing only 340,000 taels of silver, which the court promptly confiscated. What merit did Huang Chun, a lowly Shuntian Prefectural Judge, possess?

Soon, the Embroidered Uniform Guard forced the concubine to speak. Learning Huang Chun was dead, she had no intention of denying anything—she was merely a concubine, privy to little, yet she knew some of Huang Chun's secrets. According to her testimony, Huang Chun had kept only her as his concubine, but others in Tianjin had concubines too.

Wang Qian had studied concubines extensively. He once said: if you find one concubine in a place, that place is a hub—dozens, even hundreds of concubines cluster there, forming a stable "one man's luxury sustains thousands of livelihoods" concubine economy.

Gold, silver, jewels, cosmetics, carriages, servants, matchmakers, swindlers, human traffickers—all would flock to such places, drawn by the scent of wealth.

During interrogation, Chen Mo realized Wang Qian was truly the Great Ming's supreme authority on concubine culture.

Indeed, this village, laid out in a ten-by-ten grid like a small town, was a concubine hub, housing over a hundred concubines. Tianjin was a major northern maritime trade center, with convenient transport and frequent commercial exchange; silver had accumulated there to a degree, subtly altering men's hearts through its invisible influence.

These concubines were not merely the mistresses of court officials—they also belonged to renowned scholars, wealthy merchants, and powerful aristocratic families. Their role was primarily social: not for exchanging lovers—that was secondary—but for providing venues and excuses for secret meetings and conspiracies.

During his investigation, Chen Mo confirmed his suspicion: the 720,000-tael fortune was not Huang Chun's alone, and the case's complexity far exceeded his authority as Chief of the Judicial Bureau.

Three days later, Chen Mo rode hard back to the capital, rushed straight to Commander Zhao Zhao Mengyou, gave a brief report, and was taken directly to Tonghemen Palace—without appointment—where he met the reigning emperor, still in his prime, reviewing memorials.

"No formalities. Sit." Zhu Zhu Yijun didn't look up, but wrote furiously, personally annotating a memorial from Guangzhou—about a hundred characters.

Chen Mo stole a glance at the emperor and felt genuine relief.

When handling documents, His Majesty was solemn and meticulous, radiating an aura of reliability. Of course, he only dared to glance a few times before sitting properly, awaiting the emperor's questions.

"What exactly happened?" Zhu Zhu Yijun finally finished annotating, laid down his vermilion brush, and asked.

"Here is a list. The 720,000 taels in silver-equivalent seized from Huang Chun's concubine were jointly held." Chen Mo handed a list and case files to Feng Bao.

Zhu Zhu Yijun skimmed the memorial, exhaled deeply, and said: "Huang Chun killed himself for a reason—Hence Hai Rui moved too fast. He hadn't yet laundered the gold. If investigated, when this gold was seized, Huang Chun could never survive the Five Tortures of the Northern Capital Security Bureau. So he died—ensuring everyone else's safety."

"Huang Chun refused to die with dignity—others will do it for him."

"Commander."

"Your servant is here!" Zhao Zhao Mengyou stood instantly, voice strong and clear. Having served the emperor for twelve years, he knew exactly what His Majesty intended—this case would shape Great Ming's future for ten, twenty, even fifty years.

"Arrest everyone on this list. Imprison them in the Heavenly Prison for interrogation. Do not let them kill themselves." Zhu Zhu Yijun emphasized—Huang Chun's suicide must not be repeated.

Zhu Zhu Yijun pulled out a second blank imperial warrant—the ten discretionary warrants granted by Wang Wang Chonggu. He had used them all on Wang Wang Chonggu's assassination case.

Those who dared assassinate Wang Wang Chonggu next would dare assassinate the emperor, the crown prince, the empress.

Zhu Zhu Yijun would net them all and execute them publicly.

"Your servant obeys!" Zhao Zhao Mengyou bowed and departed. He had confidence: the Northern Capital Security Bureau was a place where life was unbearable and death a luxury—without the emperor's permission, even dying was forbidden.

Zhao Zhao Mengyou left, leaving Chen Mo alone. Chen Mo was bewildered—his superior had just left him alone before the throne?!

"Chen Mo, I remember you. Five years as a distant outpost guard—you saved Lin Fu's life a thousand times over." Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled. "Don't be nervous. You have insight and method in your investigations, balanced and measured. You've done great service. I won't make you a scapegoat."

The Great Ming Embroidered Uniform Guard faced a humiliating dilemma: how to avoid becoming Ji Gang, and become Lu Bing instead.

Ji Gang killed Xie Jin for the Yongle Emperor, then was later executed for treason.

Lu Bing saved court officials repeatedly, yet remained deeply trusted by the Emperor Jiajing Emperor.

Zhu Zhu Yijun gave a direct guarantee: the arrests were ordered by the commander under the emperor's direct command—this case was the emperor's own. Let anyone dare petition at the palace gates!

Li Kaifang petitioned—and suffered nothing.

"Tell me your thoughts on this case," Zhu Zhu Yijun signaled Chen Mo to share his insights.

"Thoughts? I… have some immature ideas." Chen Mo wasn't particularly nervous. The emperor didn't eat men. On several occasions, His Majesty had been kind—not the capricious demon-king of folk tales.

"The death squad Li Li Sanhu, former owner Xu Xu Zhaode of Meishikou, Inspector Zhao Zhao Chengfan, Judge Huang Chun—they dared assassinate Wang Wang Cifu because they fell into a delusion: they thought if Wang Wang Cifu died, the imperial factories would be theirs. But in my view, the imperial factory system isn't Wang Wang Cifu's—it's Great Ming's. It's Your Majesty's." Chen Mo began with their motive.

From the start, they were wrong. Killing Wang Wang Chonggu would only trigger the emperor's thunderous rage, sparking a bloodbath as massive as the Four Great Cases to avenge him. The imperial factory system would continue. Their dreams of shipyards, coal bureaus, wool factories, plantations—all would vanish like mirages.

"They underestimated Your Majesty," Chen Mo said with a strange expression. "I sensed this clearly during the investigation."

"In the minds of these villains…"

Chen Mo couldn't find the right word—he dared not commit an offense before the throne.

"A statue in a temple?" Zhu Zhu Yijun paused, then asked.

"Yes." Chen Mo immediately bowed—this was the emperor's words, not his own.

During the investigation, these traitors treated the emperor as nothing—a mere boy of twenty, unworthy of fear. Kill Wang Wang Chonggu, they thought, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng would purge his rivals, letting them seize the long-sought spoils.

"In short, they coveted Your Majesty's worthless copper and iron. They all pretended to despise them, yet their greed revealed the true value of the imperial factories." Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded. This wasn't about killing Wang Wang Chonggu—it was about seizing the emperor's half-owned factories.

They were stealing from Zhu Zhu Yijun's purse. This could not be tolerated.

"As for the gold, I've realized its purpose. How to put it? Your Majesty, these gold bars belong to Huang Chun and the traitors—but they don't belong to them." Chen Mo's words were muddled—he hurried to clarify.

The gold's function was as a medium of exchange to evade the state's high profit tax.

Huang Chun embezzled 30,000 taels of silver to send overseas to his family. To cross the border, he'd pay a 50% profit tax. Worse—he, a mere judge, couldn't explain where such silver came from. That's when he needed a broker.

Huang Chun gave silver to the broker. The broker, in turn, mortgaged hard-to-liquidate gold to Huang Chun. Once the silver reached his family overseas, the broker reclaimed the gold.

The broker charged a 30% commission.

"This bypasses the Maritime Customs Office's inspections. Bai Yin appears not to have left Great Ming—but the illicit funds have. They become goods, exported abroad." Chen Mo didn't understand currency or economics—he was just a clerk who read official gazettes. This was his shallow understanding.

To Chen Mo, currency was just goods. Bai Yin was the sweat of all Great Ming's people. So if goods vanished, silver vanished too.

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought, pulled out a sheet of paper, wrote a few lines, and asked: "Is this what you mean?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Chen Mo bowed instantly. The emperor was so sharp—he himself had struggled to grasp the gold's purpose, but His Majesty understood it instantly.

Because letters were too slow, these equivalent gold bars needed a secure place to be stored—over time, this stable chain of profit formed.

"Your Majesty, I don't believe this is accidental," Chen Mo said gravely. "There are likely many such concubine hubs in Great Ming."

Coincidence? Chen Mo didn't think so. Finding one meant a pattern existed—and it was widespread.

"You speak wisely." Zhu Zhu Yijun tapped his fingers on the table. "Feng Bao, send for Wang Wang Cifu and Wang Qian."

Wang Qian was a crucial tool in Hence Hai Rui's anti-corruption campaign—he had repeatedly provided concrete leads that enabled Hence Hai Rui to root out corruption so deeply. Without him, a rigid official like Hence Hai Rui could never have achieved such results.

Wang Wang Chonggu arrived soon. Wang Qian came later. As soon as Wang Qian entered the imperial study, Wang Wang Chonggu nearly kicked him out—his clothes reeked of cosmetics, as if he'd just left some woman's arms.

"Your servant bows to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!" Wang Qian knew he was improperly dressed, but the emperor summoned him urgently—he had no time to bathe and change.

"Your servant is guilty." Wang Qian didn't hesitate—he was merely a Fourth-Rank Assistant Censor, overseeing Yixinglou. The emperor rarely summoned him, so he dared to roam freely by day.

"Stand. Sit and speak." Zhu Zhu Yijun gestured for Wang Qian to rise—no more false remorse.

"Your Majesty, I went to Taibai Pavilion for renovation matters, not to carouse! As soon as I arrived, the girls rushed me—I couldn't stop them! I'm guilty!" Wang Qian insisted again—he went for renovation, but the girls attacked him.

"If you didn't spend money like a country squire, would those girls throw themselves at you? Have some silver, and you forget your own name! Cut your monthly allowance for a month!" Wang Wang Chonggu fumed. Last time the emperor visited Taibai Pavilion, Wang Qian had thrown down 11,000 taels in front of him.

Zhu Zhu Yijun watched Wang Wang Chonggu scold his son—thirty-something, long set in his ways. Too late to correct him now.

Zhu Zhu Yijun signaled Feng Bao to detail the case, then asked solemnly: "Wang Cifu, is this an isolated case—or widespread?"

"I believe it is widespread. This business is highly refined," Wang Wang Chonggu said, peering through his reading glasses after carefully reviewing the files.

Wang Qian was more direct: "Your Majesty, I've always said concubines cluster! Why?"

"Because they hold so much silver—they must show off. Otherwise, their hearts itch like a cat's claws. And concubines are emotionally volatile—like firecrackers, one spark ignites them. If they have no place to vent, they'll suffocate."

"Who do they show off to? Their sisters. Who do they complain to? Their sisters. They help each other, huddle for warmth, find young lovers together, and introduce each other."

Wang Wang Chonggu stared at his son, suspicious: "Wang Qian! Have you taken a concubine? Bring her home while you're before His Majesty—don't stir up trouble outside!"

"No!" Wang Qian's lip twitched. "You don't even have one—why should I?"

"Then how do you know so much?!" Wang Wang Chonggu snapped.

"Knowing doesn't mean I have one! Father! You're Minister of Justice—speak with evidence!" Wang Qian's face flushed red. He studied concubines for anti-corruption—for the state! His own father doubted him first!

"Who'd willingly wear green? Am I a pimp reincarnated? I swear by heaven—if I took a concubine, may thunder strike me down!"

Wang Qian had said: no concubine avoids infidelity. Taking a concubine is inviting a green hat. When they gather, they show off, complain, and introduce each other.

Zhu Zhu Yijun and Chen Mo exchanged glances, both amused—but neither laughed. Chen Mo had been trained.

"Then find these concubine hubs and crush this network," Zhu Zhu Yijun stated the purpose of summoning Wang Wang Chonggu and Wang Qian: find the concubines, their clusters, the brokers, the underground banks—and with this case, send them all to meet the High Emperor Taizu.

"Your servants obey." Wang Wang Chonggu agreed—it was essential. The Ministry of Justice and the Censorate must act together.

Bai Yin flowed overseas because it was unsafe in Great Ming—Hence Hai Rui, Hai Hai Gangfeng, showed zero mercy in anti-corruption.

Huang Chun died, smashing his head against the Censorate's pillar—but his death was meaningless. The emperor still traced the chain, uncovered why he killed himself—he had protectors. He had to die for them to be safe.

Zhu Zhu Yijun told Wang Wang Chonggu he'd used another blank warrant—to expedite the case. Wang Wang Chonggu confirmed: the procedure was flawless.

Zhao Zhao Mengyou returned to the Northern Capital Security Bureau, summoned all Chief Judicial Officers and nearly two thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards. Only when all had arrived did he assign tasks.

"This list is the emperor's direct order. By sunrise tomorrow, everyone must be apprehended—including their families. Begin assignment!" Zhao Zhao Mengyou placed the list on the table and divided tasks among ten Chief Judicial Officers.

"Whoever allows an escapee to flee shares guilt as an accomplice!" Zhao Zhao Mengyou reiterated the rules—any escape meant equal punishment.

"Now—move out!"

Zhao Zhao Mengyou ordered the guards into action. One Chief Judicial Officer presented the warrant to the Five City Military Command. The nine gates of the capital slowly closed amid curses. Then came the neighborhood gates—Embroidered Uniform Guards took control, Chief Judicial Officers entered neighborhoods to arrest.

Another unit headed straight for the great mansion at the foot of Baiwang Mountain—another target.

The arrests weren't limited to corrupt officials—they included merchants, all identified as owners of underground banks. They had long profited from this trade, becoming the " Changgui "—the spirit that lures victims for the tiger. The tiger must be killed—and so must the Changgui.

It was an unnerving night. Few knew what happened. Embroidered Uniform Guards surged through the streets—marching in unison, approaching, then vanishing. Doors shattered, cries of violence rose and vanished into the night.

At dawn, the sun rose as usual. Neighborhood gates opened slowly. Everything seemed normal—even the places where screams had echoed showed no trace. Only a few heartless gambling dens and shops remained closed. A few powerful families kept their gates shut.

As all of the capital speculated, notices were posted outside Donghuamen: yesterday's arrests were the emperor's decisive strike against corrupt officials and their henchmen. News spread like wings through alleys and lanes.

Zhu Zhu Yijun appeared as usual in the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

"Master, I arrested fifty-six court officials and one hundred twenty-four merchants and brokers yesterday," Zhu Zhu Yijun told Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

"Your Majesty is wise," Zhang Zhang Juzheng replied indifferently. "Of yesterday's arrested officials, none were my disciples. Only seven merchants were from Chu."

"Indeed, Master's teaching is exemplary," Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled. Zhang Zhang Juzheng's disciples were openly corrupt—like him, they didn't hide.

"But the Jin Faction—twenty-three court officials arrested, nearly half! Of the one hundred twenty-four merchants, eighty-three are from Shanxi." Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at Wang Wang Chonggu with undisguised glee—the Jin Faction had suffered the worst.

After this incident, the Jin Party suffered another devastating blow.

"Sigh, they're useless, and I have no good solution—let them be," Wang Wang Chonggu waved his hand dismissively. "Of the fifty-six court officials arrested yesterday, not one came from the Official Factory. That's enough."

The Jin Party? I'm not familiar with them.

Wang Wang Chonggu is now the leader of the Gong Party!

This nascent Gong Party has not a single member on the list—not even merchants. The Gong Party itself is not a regional faction, nor do merchants join it. The Gong Party advocates greater production, focusing on manufacturing; who buys the goods or what they're used for is none of its concern.

"I've noticed a common trait among these fifty-six arrested court officials," Zhu Zhu Yijun said with deep reflection. "They all insulted Wang Ci."

A universal alliance of civil officials does not exist; the court is riddled with cliques. If civil officials truly united as one, they could simply overthrow the dynasty.

"Huh? This…" Wang Wang Chonggu fell silent for a moment. "It seems my actions struck them right in the lungs."

"Indeed," Zhu Zhu Yijun agreed. "The seizure of the Xizhimen Coal Market was the starting point. But now that the corrupt elements have been purged, I can rest easy before my southern tour."

The southern tour has been under tense preparation for three months—every level, from inside to outside, top to bottom, is working furiously.

"I have a memorial to submit," Zhang Zhang Juzheng presented a petition, reporting on the preparations for the southern tour. Everything is ready; if nothing arises next spring, we depart in February and reach Yangzhou in the misty third month.

Zhu Zhu Yijun carefully read Zhang Zhang Juzheng's memorial and said: "This is too complicated."

"Not at all," Zhang Zhang Juzheng shook his head. "If we had more time, we could prepare even better."

"We don't need to build so many imperial lodges. I won't stay in them—cutting this item saves one and a half million taels."

"Your Majesty, this money cannot be cut. In the second month of Emperor Jiajing Eighteen, the Shizong Emperor toured the south and stopped at the Zhaozhou Imperial Lodge, which caught fire—small flames, quickly extinguished. On the twenty-sixth, he lodged at Linming Imperial Lodge; at midnight, it burned again. On the twenty-eighth, he arrived at Weihui Imperial Lodge; at the fourth watch, it was instantly engulfed in flames." Zhang Zhang Juzheng spoke solemnly. "This money cannot be cut."

"One and a half million taels could build two hundred li of express roads."

"Your Majesty, this money cannot be cut. I have full confidence in Wang Ci's imperial lodges." Zhang Zhang Juzheng again defied the emperor's will, refusing to cut the budget.

"Your Majesty, I second that," Wang Wang Chonggu said bluntly. "If they dare kill me, they'll dare assassinate you. This money must be spent, no matter what."

"This Great Carriage Jade Chariot costs seventy thousand taels? I sold a five-masted ocean-going ship for only fifty thousand! Is this chariot made of gold or silver, why so expensive?"

"Made of gold," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said firmly. "Steel-reinforced wood—even gunpowder explosions can only blast it into the air without disassembling it. The Ministry of Works tested it."

"I used seven thousand jin of gunpowder from the arsenal just for this vehicle," Wang Daoqun quickly explained. The cost isn't just the carriage—it's the R&D.

"We need to build a special imperial vessel just to cross the Yangtze?" Zhu Zhu Yijun stared at another item on the list—fifteen thousand taels—and asked blankly.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng spoke solemnly: "This is the utmost priority. The imperial vessel's cost cannot be cut—if you cut this, don't go on the southern tour at all."

Waterproofing matters more than fireproofing. The Ming is of the Fire Element; we fear not fire, but water.

"This can't be cut, that can't be cut? What can be cut?" Zhu Zhu Yijun stared at the long memorial—it wasn't a memorial, it was a bill. A southern tour costing over three million taels!

"Your Majesty, I've cut everything that could be cut. What remains cannot be cut. This southern tour's value cannot be measured in silver," Zhang Zhang Juzheng told the emperor plainly: no savings possible.

Some things have a price; others are priceless. The emperor's southern tour strengthens the southern bureaucracy's loyalty. Under the tide of opening the seas, this trip must happen—and may become a permanent institution.

How do you put a price on loyalty?

Zhu Zhu Yijun sighed, picked up the imperial seal, and stamped it. "Then leave it as is. Execute it in full. Perhaps this is why the court has grown rigid."

The reason for the court's rigidity is simple: the system had many flaws from the start. To patch them, we kept adding layers—each repair deepened the rigidity until the Ming became as brittle as rotting timber.

The Daoist Lord's southern tour lasted days, caught fire three times, and returned in defeat. To prevent this, we patched and patched until we ended up with this labyrinth of rules.