Chapter 87: Submitting a Memorial Enumerating Three Great Crimes

It's just that they don't want to meddle in this matter.

First, this is an internal feud among the Jingnan Wuxun, and they are eager for it to become even more intense; as long as it doesn't affect the overall affairs of the court, they gladly watch the drama.

Second, they also know this is Jing Sheng Di scheming to seize military command, which also involves a power struggle with the Taishang Huang; they steer clear of it.

Although among them there may be those who hope Jing Sheng Di will succeed in grasping military command and then implement the New Policies.

But hope aside, it is impossible to have them risk their lives and fortunes by taking sides in it.

After the bow and summons, Jing Sheng Di, with a composed face, handed the dossier and memorial in his hand to the Grand Scholar of Baohu Hall, Gong Dingzi, and said coldly:

"This is presented by the Jingwu Marquis; read it aloud for everyone!"

Gong Dingzi took the dossier and memorial from Xia Shouzhong's hand, and first glanced at Jing Sheng Di's gloomy expression.

Then he lowered his head to look at the dossier and memorial, growing increasingly alarmed as he read, his complexion completely changing.

Seeing that everyone in the hall was waiting for him, he then read the memorial in a deep voice:

"I, by imperial order, serve as the Military Governor of Bashang Daying, using the Imperial Sword to straighten military affairs and audit illegalities."

"Unexpectedly, I discovered that the Deputy Military Governor, Linchuan Marquis Hu Mei, and Zhongqin Marquis Lu Ju and others, who have received the nation's grace and hold positions overseeing the prohibited troops, have broken laws, disrupted order, eroded the foundation of the state, and even colluded with foreign powers to endanger the realm."

"Given the gravity of the matter, I intended to use the Imperial Sword to seize them for interrogation, but they, in desperation, leapt the wall, acted arrogantly against superiors, offended heavenly authority, and gathered troops to resist."

"Having no choice, I acted decisively, exercising the authority granted by Your Majesty to act conveniently, and I have duly sentenced the Linchuan Marquis, as well as the Zhongqin Marquis and their associates, capturing them all! Here I present the concrete evidence of their crimes, listed and submitted."

As soon as Gong Dingzi finished speaking, Duke Cheng's expression changed, and he said coldly:

"If you wish to add crimes, why worry about lacking words!"

Jia Jing's report of colluding with foreign powers and endangering the realm made his heart sink, yet he did not believe Jia Jing could find concrete evidence in such a short time.

Such confidential matters could never be known by outsiders.

Jing Sheng Di said nothing, merely signaling Gong Dingzi to continue reading.

Beside them, Xia Shouzhong again presented a cup of tea to Jing Sheng Di to help cool his temper.

Gong Dingzi continued reading:

"The guilty Linchuan Marquis, Zhongqin Marquis and others are charged with three major crimes!"

"First crime: embezzling military provisions, inflating troop numbers to fill private pockets. Investigation shows that Bashang Daying's authorized strength is one hundred thousand soldiers, yet when I personally entered the camp, I saw only a little over forty thousand."

"Later, according to testimonies from the Zhongqin Marquis and others, there were actually forty‑nine thousand soldiers, while the reported strength was inflated by over fifty thousand. They ordered their confidants to forge military registers, falsely claim provisions, and over the years have embezzled more than eight hundred thousand taels of salary silver."

"Attached are the testimonies of Zhongqin Marquis Lu Ju, Middle‑rank General Huang Bin and others, along with account books and military registers as evidence."

At this moment, Duke Cheng, Nan Xiong Marquis, Yongjia Marquis and others already had cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

Jing Sheng Di asked in a cold voice:

"Inflating half the troop numbers and embezzling over eight hundred thousand taels—well! That's more than what's in my own treasury!"

"Now the court's treasury is empty; you all buy lands, build houses! Money comes like this! Truly a terrible mess!"

"You previously invoked the founding emperor, then the succeeding emperor; do you know how the founding emperor dealt with corrupt officials?"

Duke Cheng and the others remained silent.

Jing Sheng Di snorted coldly:

"Let me tell you! According to the Da Han Code established by the Founding Emperor, embezzlement up to one guan is punished with fifty lashes, eighty guan with hanging, and embezzlement exceeding one thousand taels incurs lingchi, clan extermination, skinning, and being turned into firewood!"

"What? Just now you kept preaching laws and regulations, and now you can't recall the Da Han Code! Ridiculous!"

Jing Sheng Di laughed coldly and said:

"Continue reading!"

Gong Dingzi turned a page and continued reading:

"Second crime: illicitly selling military grain and weapons, undermining the foundation of the three armies, supplying the enemy to harm ourselves.

They used their authority to steal grain from the Changping granary and sell it to unscrupulous merchants in the capital; records show a cumulative resale of over one hundred thousand shi of transport rice, wheat, beans, etc."

"This has left Bashang Daying's supplies depleted; should an emergency war arise, the capital would be in danger!"

"Furthermore, newly forged armor, bows, and fire‑arms from the armory were, under the pretense of scrapping, sold in batches to merchants of the Nine Borders."

"The obtained invoices show that over five hundred sets of armor, a dozen bows and crossbows, more than three hundred fire‑arms, three cannons, and five thousand jin of gunpowder ultimately fell into False Qing's hands—this is a grave crime of aiding the enemy! Attached are the account books, invoices, and testimonies."

At this point, the Jingnan Wuxun's faces were turning pale; how could the youngster Jia Jing uncover such a secret matter in so much detail, with evidence, in such a short time?

What they didn't know is that Jia Jing had long ordered covert investigations for many days, and once the Zhongqin Marquis's testimonies arrived, he could immediately obtain the key evidence and solidify the charges.

Jing Sheng Di sneered again and said:

"Duke Cheng, didn't you just say the Linchuan Marquis had rendered service to the court? The Founding Emperor strictly forbade the private sale of bows, crossbows, firearms and other military implements to False Qing; violators are to be beheaded without mercy!"

"You Jingnan Wuxun nobles claim to serve the court and be loyal to Emperor Cheng this way? I think you should stop invoking Emperor Cheng; I am ashamed for him!"

Zhang Tingyu and the others exchanged glances; today Jing Sheng Di's scolding demeanor felt reminiscent of the day the youngster Jia Jing rebuked Duke Zhao.

His words were sharp, each character like a blade, leaving no mercy!

Jing Sheng Di, ignoring what the others thought, said again:

"Continue reading!"

Gong Dingzi turned another page, but a quick glance revealed his astonished expression could not be concealed; his eyes were filled with shocked anger.

"How... how dare they?"

The first two accusations seem serious, yet in truth, which Nine‑Border generals and local Guard Post nobles have not done the same?

Especially the embezzlement of provisions; Gong Dingzi could say nine out of ten have done it.

But if the next charge is proven, the Linchuan Marquis and others would truly deserve ten thousand deaths!

Because this is a death penalty that even the iron‑clad guarantees cannot exempt; it is a crime of the ten evils.

No wonder the emperor's complexion is so grim and his fury so great; this is sheer impudence, covertly undermining imperial authority!

Gong Dingzi glanced at the Jingnan Wuxun, exhaled slowly, and read word by word:

"Third crime: colluding with foreign powers, selling military intelligence for illicit purposes. This is a crime for which ten thousand deaths are insufficient to atone."

Betrayed frontier troop deployments; when the court was using troops in Liaodong a few years earlier, he secretly reported the Liaodong army's partial troop deployment maps and dates, and drafted Liaodong defense maps and detailed garrison maps for each unit, causing our army to suffer successive defeats, losing troops and generals, causing countless civilian deaths, and further damaging the emperor's prestige upon his accession.

Zhongqin Marquis stated that there were seven secret letters exchanged with the False Qing; the handwriting and seals on the letters were indeed his own, and the servant who delivered them was also captured and confessed without reservation.

Moreover, a box of Eastern Pearls gifted by the False Qing serves as ironclad evidence; this crime already constitutes 'plotting rebellion,' truly a traitor to the nation.

Absolutely impossible! Yongjia Marquis heard this, his face changed drastically, and he loudly interrupted Gong Dingzi's voice.

In the hall, all of the Jingnan Lineage's military achievers looked fearful, unable to believe it.

Who dares to admit to this crime?

Colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation—this crime is such that even confiscating property and exterminating the clan would not suffice to atone for it.