Chapter 27: Efficient Eastern Depot

Imperial Prison.

Seeing Yue Shufeng being escorted in, the Pure Stream party members who were struggling to persist revealed expressions of despair one after another.

The imprisonment of the leading brother of this round of party struggle marks the comprehensive failure of the Pure Stream party members in the imperial court struggle.

Even if the Pure Stream party still has two Grand Secretaries in the imperial court and countless gentry officials supporting them in the local areas, they cannot change the outcome of failure.

Especially that group of students who were fooled; they jumped in themselves at the last moment.

They thought they could defeat the Eunuch faction, set things right, and win the official career of the next twenty years, but they didn't expect to be wiped out at the start.

Losing their own lives is small; the terrible thing is implicating the whole family to suffer.

The torture of the heart is more terrifying than the pain of the flesh.

If it weren't for their bodies being bound, I guess it would be another night of suicide in the imperial prison.

As a second-rank official, Yue Shufeng's treatment was obviously much higher.

Living in a spacious single room, possessing a clean quilt, and there was a square table in the room.

Shackles and such would not be added to his body.

This is the thousand-year tradition left by the ancestors—generals and ministers should not be humiliated.

Enjoying privileges, Yue Shufeng's heart was not a taste.

Thinking of how he passed the Jinshi examination at the age of twenty, he was so high-spirited.

After entering officialdom, he also worried about the country and the people, taking saving the world as his own responsibility.

He did not hesitate to be an enemy of the powerful, tore through the shadow covering the canal—the Canal Gang, and opened a new situation for canal transport.

Trusted by two generations of monarchs, he became the Left Censor-in-Chief in his prime.

Fate seemed to play a joke on him.

After tasting the taste of power, the young man who was once high-spirited and dared to open peace for the world died.

Only Yue Shufeng, the slave of power, remained.

Busy with fighting for power and profit all day, the moral bottom line was repeatedly broken, and the road was also running more and more crooked.

A slight carelessness, and he fell on the road of charging toward power.

"Lord Yue, is it comfortable to live here?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Yue Shufeng forced himself to calm down and maintained his last dignity as much as possible.

"Thanks to Eunuch Zuo's blessing, I haven't died yet!"

As he spoke, Yue Shufeng dragged his exhausted body and stood up, looking at Zuo Guangen.

"If you haven't died, that's good!

Everyone is a decent person, so this Prime Minister won't talk nonsense.

These are the criminal evidence collected by the Eastern Depot; see which places need to be modified and supplemented."

After listening to Zuo Guangen's words, Yue Shufeng smiled disdainfully, as if everything was within expectation.

According to the law, to convict a second-rank official, it needs to go through the joint trial of the three judicial offices.

The party struggle made a big stir, and the Eunuch faction now needs to close the case as soon as possible; it is impossible to follow the procedure step by step.

The heavy responsibility of interrogation can only be completed by Zuo Guangen himself; others are not qualified.

"Your Majesty, let you come?"

Yue Shufeng asked bitterly.

Although he knew the answer would be disappointing, he still held a glimmer of fantasy.

"This Prime Minister came here this time, not only representing His Majesty but also representing the Cabinet.

The imperial edict is here, and it is affixed with the Cabinet's seal; Lord Yue can choose to view it yourself.

His Majesty remembers the old friendship.

According to His Majesty's meaning, if Lord Yue is willing to confess honestly, then this imperial edict does not need to be taken out."

Yue Shufeng ignored Zuo Guangen's words.

After tidying up his clothes, he respectfully took the imperial edict and opened it carefully.

After half a cup of tea, he closed the imperial edict bitterly, as if his whole person had been drained of energy.

"His Majesty's meaning, I understand.

Trouble Eunuch Zuo to plead guilty to His Majesty on my behalf; it is I, Yue Shufeng, who let him down!

As for other things, Eunuch, you can handle it!"

It is not that Yue Shufeng is cowardly, but that he has to bow his head under the eaves.

In handling his problem, the Cabinet and the Emperor reached a consensus, and there was no possibility of a comeback at all.

Actively cooperate, then convict him according to the charges found.

Continue to toss, and he will become a traitor.

The former is his own bad luck, which may implicate his family.

The latter is directly the nine-clan elimination; this multiple-choice question is very easy to do.

"Lord Yue's move is of great merit; many people in this imperial prison will survive because of your decision, and everyone will be grateful to you!"

Zuo Guangen said with a smile.

Saving countless people is true, and gratitude is definitely not to be thought of.

When the final processing result comes out, I guess everyone wishes they could eat him alive.

Not forming a treason case is because Emperor Tianyuan is worried that the political influence is too bad and hopes to handle it low-key.

Zuo Guangen, who is good at guessing the holy will, will definitely not go against the Emperor.

Just take this opportunity to let the hundred officials in the court know that he, Zuo, also follows the rules.

Flipping the table before was because someone didn't follow the rules first.

Early the next morning, just after arriving at the Thousand-Household Office yamen, Li Mu received a ransom price list.

Just this efficiency proves that the Eastern Depot is by no means comparable to ordinary yamen.

The list gave different quotes according to the official's position, background, and tenure.

However, this money is limited to buying lives; crimes still have to be punished, and the Eastern Depot guarantees that people can arrive at the exile location alive after receiving the money.

Except for some officials whose exile locations were designated by the above, other criminal officials can choose their own exile locations as long as they are willing to spend money.

"Eunuch Mai, your efficiency is really high; it shouldn't be that you made it in advance!"

Li Mu teased with a smile.

The Eastern Depot's active performance and the low price were completely beyond his expectations.

Theoretically, as long as the money is in place, the criminal officials arrested and imprisoned can be sentenced to exile.

This is not scientific at all; it is completely not the party struggle he is familiar with.

"Lord Li, don't be so curious.

The opportunity to make a fortune was sent to you; how much you can earn is your own ability.

The Left Prime Minister is kind-hearted and can't bear to kill wantonly, so he gave such an opportunity.

By the way, the verdict will come out in three days.

If you want to operate, hurry up; don't wait until the results are publicized, then want to find connections, it will be too late!"

Mai Qinghu said impatiently.

Suddenly deciding not to kill and changing to exile, the Eastern Depot was startled.

Originally, everyone wanted to persuade the Left Prime Minister, but after learning it was the Emperor's meaning, everyone instantly dispelled the idea of killing to establish prestige.

Since they are not killing people, the ransom is equivalent to picking it up for nothing; not earning it is not earning it.

In order to avoid long nights and dreams, the Eastern Depot worked overnight to produce a price list.

"Eunuch, since the exile location can be chosen, then it shouldn't be difficult for a few people in the family to die of illness by accident, right?"

Li Mu asked tentatively.

Intuition told him that the Eastern Depot's weird performance must have a problem.

"That's another price; if you want a new identity, you have to continue to add money.

If it is a distant branch that is implicated, it is not impossible to discuss directly removing it from the list!"

Seeming to realize he had made a slip of the tongue, Mai Qinghu glared at Li Mu fiercely, as if warning him not to cause trouble.

"Thank you, Eunuch, for your guidance; I don't know anything!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 28 =====

(End of Chapter)