Chapter 261: Jing Sheng Di: His Heart Is Worth Condemnation!

To the right, past the Shun Gate, lies the hall.

Sun Jiacheng's impeachment of Nian Gengyao left the ministers in the hall with varied expressions after listening, and they began to argue.

Especially some officials hearing of this for the first time were shocked by Nian Gengyao's unrestrained extravagance.

To think he spends twenty thousand taels of silver a day? That would be six hundred thousand taels a month, and several million taels a year?

Is that permissible?

One must know that many of their officials' annual salary plus the filial gifts they receive still don't match Nian Gengyao's daily expenses!

Jing Sheng Di was startled by the words.

Although he had heard that Nian Gengyao lived somewhat lavishly, he did not expect it to reach this level.

Of course, he also knew that there might be some falsehoods involved.

For example, discarding all vegetables because they aren't fresh is clearly unlikely.

If he doesn't eat them, can the many soldiers below not eat them?

Moreover, the court only allocates a few million taels of military salary to Liaodong each year; could it all be spent by Nian Gengyao alone?

Nian Gengyao may have been a bit wasteful and indulgent, but not as exaggerated as the civil officials claim!

However,

Nian Gengyao's temperament is indeed far worse than Zi Jie's; he still needs to be reprimanded.

Make him curb his arrogance and impatience, cultivate a calmer mind, and work earnestly for the court.

Thinking this, Jing Sheng Di pretended to frown and asked the ministers in the hall:

"Is there truly such a matter as Master Sun described?"

Minister Fang Congzhe of the inner cabinet had been silent throughout this regular audience, but now, seeing Jing Sheng Di seem displeased with Nian Gengyao's actions,

his heart leapt with joy, like a shark sensing blood, and before Chen Tingjing could report, he stepped forward first:

"Your Majesty! According to the inner cabinet's calculation of the ledger copies of Nian Gengyao's expenses, it is indeed true!"

"Every expenditure of the Liaodong army is clear. The records of purchasing Dingzhou vegetables, from September last year to May this year, exist for each month."

"I have also heard that during daily banquets in Liaodong, Nian Gengyao would casually have a hundred attendants, with delicacies and fine wine flowing daily, his residence more luxurious than ordinary princely mansions, with many excessive rites."

"Moreover, in the northwest, Jia Zi Jie, though not as extravagant as Nian Gengyao, has seized countless spoils, yet only turns over a small portion to the court."

"The majority are distributed to his subordinate soldiers, and the compensation silver for wounded or fallen troops exceeds the usual court standard by more than threefold."

"It seems to be buying the army's loyalty! I request a thorough investigation of these two men's faults!"

Fang Congzhe's impeachment not only involves Nian Gengyao, but also uses Nian Gengyao's case to direct fire onto Jia Jing.

Since Jia Jing was ennobled as First Rank Duke of Jing State, the civil officials' wariness of military generals has risen unprecedentedly.

These days they have privately found many faults of Jia Jing and other martial heroes.

But Jia Jing has always been upright; aside from being "excessively" protective of his soldiers, there is truly no evidence!

On the contrary, Nian Gengyao knows no restraint, his whole being riddled with flaws, especially his unbridled extravagance, which is easily noticed!

Thus, today's scene of Sun Jiacheng impeaching Nian Gengyao occurred!

In that sense, Nian Gengyao has been caught like a fish in a net by Jia Jing.

Otherwise, he might not have "blown up" so quickly!

Just as Fang Congzhe finished speaking, Censorate Left Deputy Imperial Censor Xu Zhuo promptly stepped forward to report:

"Your Majesty! Lord Sun's impeachment of Nian Gengyao is well‑founded. I think officials should be sent to verify."

"As for Jia Zi Jie, who concurrently holds the positions of Military Governor of Bashang Daying, Governor of the Three Frontiers, and Champion Grand General, his military authority is too great."

"The safety of the state hinges on a single person; I think he should be balanced, promptly recalled to the capital, and a capable minister sent to the northwest to command troops against False Qing and the chaotic evils…"

Xu Zhuo is a clan brother of Xu Qianxue and also a member of the old civil faction.

These days, privately, he has often harshly criticized Jia Jing with Xu Qianxue, being very hostile toward Jia Jing.

Seeing Minister Fang Congzhe lead the impeachment this time, he hurriedly followed with counsel!

Deputy Director Kong Ying of the Ministry of War flashed a glance and loudly declared:

"I concur! Vice Minister of War Wang Ziteng's reorganization of Jingying has shown considerable results; his talent is impressive and he is quite knowledgeable about military affairs."

"Since the Grand Marshal Qiao Gong of the Ministry of War fell ill again and has been unable to attend to affairs, the position of Minister of War has remained vacant for a long time."

"I think Wang the Vice Minister should take charge of the Ministry of War, go to the northwest to patrol the borders, confront the frontier wars, and surely achieve victory and early triumph…"

This is to showcase Wang Ziteng's merit, aiming to promote him to Minister of War, and then serve as a military‑knowledgeable exemplar among civil officials to counterbalance Jia Jing and other martial heroes.

Officials of the Ministry of War are among the six ministries most eager to suppress the rise of Jia Jing and other martial heroes.

Because the rise of Jia Jing and other martial heroes has the greatest negative impact on the authority of Ministry of War officials.

Since the Taishang Emperor's defeat in Liaodong, the Da Han Empire's martial heroes suffered heavy casualties and their power waned.

Originally, the Ministry of War had been using this opportunity to gradually sideline the Five Military Governor's Office, forming a pattern of "Ministry of War governing, Five Military Governor's Office holding empty titles."

The Five Military Governor's Office, from initially being the real command of troops, gradually transformed into a nominal post only responsible for daily management of Guard Posts.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of War slowly began to seize core powers of officer appointments, military orders, deployments, and strategic decisions.

But before Ministry of War officials could taste success, Nian Gengyao, Yue Zhongqi, Jia Jing and other martial heroes began to rise again, each with stronger momentum.

The Ministry of War's newly acquired, still‑warm power was quickly snatched back by the Five Military Governor's Office.

Even now Jia Jing concurrently serves as Vice Minister of War, overseeing the nine border armies, and in many matters the Ministry of War must obey Jia Jing's arrangements and deployments.

What was once a civil‑over‑military arrangement has become a military‑over‑civil one, leaving the Ministry of War's civil officials far from content!

But before he could finish speaking, Jing Sheng Di cut him off with a cold shout:

"Enough!"

If it were only Sun Jiacheng's impeachment of Nian Gengyao, with evidence, Jing Sheng Di would still intend to send people to investigate and give a reprimand!

After all, although he trusts Nian Gengyao, the waste of tens to hundreds of millions of silver a year is indeed a bit excessive!

Jing Sheng Di can turn a blind eye to some minor matters, but there must be a limit.

But Fang Congzhe stubbornly dragged Jia Jing into it, using some absurdly over‑protective excuse.

Then Xu Zhuo and Kong Ying quickly followed up, claiming that the military authority was excessive, demanding a transfer back to Shenjing, and that civil officials should patrol the borders!

Isn't this just the old routine of civil officials forming factions against military generals, eliminating dissent?

These veteran civil officials obstruct the New Policies; it's one thing that they do nothing practical for the court all day, but they also constantly eye their own so‑called "Yingmeng Virtuous Minister"!

His heart is truly condemnable!

Jing Sheng Di knit his thin, hard brows, his face darkened, and felt the calm he had previously held was instantly shattered.