Chapter 350: Just treat it as a loyalty test

Bian Liang, the Menxia Province's office.

Wang Ru sat upright in the chief seat, her expression solemn.

On the long table before her lay several confidential reports jointly submitted by the Jing'an Bureau and the Censorate.

Outside the window the sky was somewhat overcast, just like her mood at the moment.

The influence of Shadow Erosion has not been completely eliminated despite the initial spread of the Heart-Guarding Talisman.

That kind of dark-energy whisper originating from the Iron Crow Army, like a bone-deep ulcer, continues to seek out those with weak will or resolve, silently eroding them.

Moreover, a recent case that occurred in the Ministry of Works has laid this threat starkly before us.

"Bring the prisoner, Zheng Yuan, chief officer of the Ministry of Works' Yu Heng Qing Li Si," Wang Ru said in a steady voice, yet with undeniable authority.

Two Jing'an Bureau guards escorted in a middle-aged official wearing a blue-green robe, his complexion ashen.

Zheng Yuan, a jinshi graduate, had served in the Ministry of Works for eight years, known for his diligence; though lacking great talent, he was nonetheless conscientious.

Yet at this moment his hat was askew, his robes wrinkled, his eyes darting, not daring to meet Wang Ru's gaze.

"Zheng Yuan." Wang Ru picked up a file from the table, "According to investigation, on the twenty-third and twenty-seventh of last month and the fifth of this month, you three times, taking advantage of your role supervising the procurement of materials for the repair of the Jing-Xi official road, falsely reported the amount of stone purchased, embezzling a total of one hundred seventy taels of official silver."

"Both personal and material evidence and the accounts are complete; do you plead guilty?"

Zheng Yuan's body shuddered, and with a thump he fell to his knees, tears and snot streaming: "Minister Wang! I… I was momentarily muddle-headed! Bewitched and confused! Please, Minister Wang, show mercy! Please, Minister Wang, show mercy!"

"Just a moment of muddle-headedness?"

Wang Ru set down the file, her gaze like a torch, sweeping over Zheng Yuan's fear-distorted face.

"According to your colleagues, you are not normally extravagant, and your household has no urgent needs."

"One hundred seventy taels of silver is not a small sum for you."

"After embezzling it, you neither squandered it nor used it to supplement your household, but instead hid it secretly beneath the floor tiles of your residence."

"This conduct is truly puzzling."

Zheng Yuan lay prostrate on the ground, continually kowtowing, repeating words like "muddle-headed" and "mercy."

Wang Ru ignored his pleas and continued: "The Jing'an Bureau has investigated your recent movements."

"Last month, on official business, you went to Xing Prefecture for several days, precisely when Bone Corrosion first appeared and people were panic-stricken."

"After returning to Bian Liang, you frequently felt dazed and unable to sleep at night."

"Is this true?"

Zheng Yuan abruptly lifted his head, a flicker of bewilderment and dread in his eyes: "Yes… there is some… but that's merely travel fatigue."

"Is that so?"

Wang Ru picked up another thin booklet—a diagnostic opinion issued by several physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau skilled in mental affairs, whom she had requested to secretly observe Zheng Yuan.

"The physicians judged that your mind and spirit are disturbed, showing signs of external influence."

"Combined with the many irrational aspects of your embezzlement…"

She paused, her voice growing a few degrees colder.

"Zheng Yuan, tell me honestly: while in Xing Prefecture or on your return, did you ever encounter anything abnormal? Did you ever hear… something you shouldn't have heard?"

Zheng Yuan's complexion instantly turned ashen as paper.

His lips trembled, his eyes filled with struggle and fear.

That vague and terrifying memory fragment surged again—at the cold night in the Xing Prefecture posthouse, half-asleep, half-awake.

It seemed as if countless tiny whispers, full of temptation and malice, twined around his ears, stirring the deepest greed and luck-seeking within him…

"I… I…" he opened his mouth, but could not utter a complete sound.

Seeing his reaction, Wang Ru already understood in her heart.

She waved her hand, signaling the guards to take the nearly limp Zheng Yuan away.

"Imprison him in the Ministry of Punishments' great jail, to be dealt with according to law."

Her order was concise and icy.

Embezzling state funds, the evidence is solid, leaving no room for leniency.

Regardless of whether Shadow Erosion lies behind it, the dignity of the law must be upheld.

The office fell silent again, but the atmosphere grew even more solemn.

Several officials who had participated in the interrogation glanced at each other, each seeing worry in the other's eyes.

Zheng Yuan was by no means a great villain; indeed, he was ordinarily considered a capable official.

Even someone like him has been affected, showing that Shadow Erosion is omnipresent and impossible to guard against.

"This matter is certainly not an isolated case."

Wang Ru rose, walked to the window, and gazed at the overcast sky: "Shadow Erosion and Bone Corrosion—one attacks the mind and spirit, the other destroys the foundation; they complement each other."

"The Iron Crow Army's desire to destroy us is not dead."

She turned, her gaze sweeping over those present: "Convey my orders!"

"First, report the details of the Zheng Yuan case to the Three Departments and Six Ministries and all agencies, ordering all officials to take it as a warning, strengthen their own will cultivation, constantly wear the Heart-Guarding Talisman, and not be lax!"

"Second, order the Jing'an Bureau and the Censorate to increase covert surveillance, especially monitoring officials who recently went to disaster-stricken areas or whose emotions and behavior are abnormal."

"Third, officials at all levels must regularly visit the consultation points of the Imperial Medical Bureau for examination, where physicians skilled in mental affairs will assess their state of mind, to nip problems in the bud!"

"Fourth, reaffirm the Great Chen Official Code, clarify discipline: anyone who embezzles, neglects duty, or undermines the state foundation, regardless of reason, shall be severely punished without mercy!"

"Yes!" The officials responded solemnly.

Wang Ru sat back at her desk, picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and began drafting a memorial on further strengthening official management and loyalty education.

She knew this was not merely to root out a few corrupted officials, but also to preserve the clarity and combat effectiveness of the Great Chen court in this invisible war.

The line of defense in people's hearts is just as important as the frontier defenses.

Meanwhile, within the imperial palace.

Chen Wen also received a detailed report about the Zheng Yuan case.

He set down the memorial, his fingertips lightly tapping the imperial desk.

The vigorous fortune momentum vortex within his body also seemed to sense this subtle "noise" from within, its circulation speed increasing slightly.

"Shadow Erosion…… Bone Corrosion……"

He muttered to himself.

Zheng Yuan's decline is a typical example of the influence of Shadow Erosion.

Moreover, its inducing factor, to some extent, is related to the chaos in the disaster zones caused by Bone Corrosion.

The Iron Crow Army's two methods indeed formed a linkage.

"It seems that relying solely on the Heart-Guarding Talisman and regular surveillance is still insufficient to fully resist."

Chen Wen pondered for a moment, then summoned an attendant.

"Convey my oral decree to Wang Ru."

"Besides strengthening surveillance and discipline, one could consider having the Imperial Court organize regular lectures for officials, the content not limited to classics and law, but also including methods for concentrating the spirit, calming the qi, and firming the resolve."

"Order the Imperial Medical Bureau to expedite research, to see if they can prepare some medicinal decoctions to aid in calming the mind and soothing the spirit, for use by officials in need."

"The required silver shall be drawn from the Inner Treasury."

The attendant received the order and departed.

Chen Wen walked to the outer corridor of the hall, sensing the faint withered aura drifting in the air from afar, as well as the strange, whispered erosion lurking beneath the prosperity, silently corroding people's hearts.

"Outside, Bone Corrosion devastates the land; inside, Shadow Erosion confounds the heart."

This war is more complex than he had anticipated.

But he did not feel anxious; instead, a tranquil fighting spirit ignited in his chest.

"Then let this frost and snow come even more fiercely."

"This is the perfect opportunity to sweep away the dross, temper true loyal ministers and capable officials, and forge for my Great Chen an indestructible backbone."

He believed that loyalty tempered by such fiery trials would become purer and stronger.

The Zheng Yuan case, like a warning bell, rang out above the officialdom of Bian Liang.

A deep overhaul concerning loyalty and discipline, under Wang Ru's direction, quietly unfolded.

And this trial has only just begun.