Chapter 206: The

"Hmph, the Ministry of Rites this year, apart from the grand review ceremony, only the Qingming memorial sacrifice can expend a large sum of silver. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong, the expenditure on these two items was five hundred thousand taels, already the highest of any dynasty, yet now it has actually reached a staggering one million two hundred thousand taels — this is something your minister truly cannot comprehend!

Moreover, in his early years Emperor Shizong was already dissatisfied with the enormous expenditure and cumbersome procedures of the Qingming memorial sacrifice and instituted reforms. Yet now, your memorial sacrifice expenditures actually exceed those of the Tianqi reign — may I ask where the silver has gone? It must have gone into your own pockets!

Hearing Feng Quan's sinister words, Wang Duo, Zhang Guowei, and the other ministers all broke out in cold sweat on their foreheads, and Wang Duo even pointed at him and cursed:

"You old eunuch dog, Feng, you're spitting blood and slandering me!"

Wang Duo's words just spoken meant little to the ears of the Chongzhen Emperor, but to the other members of the Emperor's Faction who understood the rituals and various stale old regulations, they were riddled with errors and loopholes, and instantly became ammunition for the Emperor's Faction in their war of words.

Before the Minister of Rites Wang Duo had even finished speaking, Jiang Dejing, the Second Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, stepped forward with a cold laugh and memorialized:

"As the Book of Rites says, 'When the rain and dew have moistened the earth, the gentleman who treads upon it feels a sense of awe and trepidation.' The Frost Descent ritual is performed in the autumn season, as it is said, 'When the frost and dew have descended, the gentleman who treads upon it feels a sense of sorrow and grief.'

Minister Feng of the Ministry of Works speaks correctly — Emperor Shizong did indeed issue an edict, saying, 'Moving the ancestral temple sacrifice of early winter to the Beginning of Winter is unavoidably troublesome and profane.' Hence the dynasty's simplified system of four great and three minor sacrifices. You, as Minister of Rites, do not understand this principle, and instead use it to deceive His Majesty's ears, and further slander the Grand Secretaries — what crime do you deserve?"

"This... Your Majesty, your minister is wronged! Feng Quan and this Jiang Dejing are colluding together to defame me. Minister Zhang of the Ministry of War and Censor Fang can both bear witness for me." Jiang Dejing cited the example of Emperor Jiajing's reform of the sacrificial system, and for a moment, Wang Duo's sophistry appeared increasingly pale and feeble.

"Silence!" At this moment, the Chongzhen Emperor stood up after the Emperor's Faction members had finished speaking, and pointed at Wang Duo and the others, raging: "I have endured you all again and again, but I never imagined that after three hundred years of this dynasty nurturing its scholars, it would have raised such a pack of beasts who eat from the inside and betray their own!"

"Wang Cheng'en, read it out!"

The moment the words fell, Wang Cheng'en, the Director of the Eastern Depot and brush-holding eunuch, stepped forward before everyone's eyes and said: "Your servant obeys the edict:

Through secret investigation by the Eastern Depot's twelve Earthly Branches network in Nanjing, it has been confirmed that the Ministry of War did indeed have transactions with the Shen clan of Nanjing — only, these seventeen leased ships were not cargo vessels for transporting military equipment and supplies, but pleasure boats used by Vice Minister of War Wang Ke and others to tour about.

Wang Ke and his associates successively lodged at the Yuewen Tower and Qinghua Pavilion in Nanjing, where they summoned one hundred and twenty-four singing and dancing courtesans including Li Chunhua. Wang Ke and the others also each purchased farmland in their hometowns, renovated their mansions, and bought famous landscape paintings — thereby creating dozens of newly homeless refugee households. Of the one million seven hundred thousand taels embezzled, the greater part was spent on these matters.

The Ministry of Rites' expenditures for the Qingming sacrifices of various scales and the dynasty's grand review ceremony total six hundred and forty thousand taels. Through the Eastern Depot's secret investigation, the remaining five hundred and sixty thousand taels were all divided up among officials at various levels — the ironclad evidence is as solid as a mountain. The name list, along with the embezzled amounts and quantities, your servant has already organized overnight, and respectfully presents it for His Majesty's perusal."

As he spoke, Wang Cheng'en presented the name list with both hands, his face revealing not the slightest trace of the wild joy in his heart.

The assembled ministers watched the Chongzhen Emperor pick up the name list, and his already gloomy, watery expression turned even more expressionless. In an instant, all fell silent as death, and beneath that silence, each was harboring different thoughts.

The Donglin Faction thought this time they were surely finished — some trembled in fear, while others thought that if they could preserve their righteous reputation they would die without regret. The Emperor's Faction members secretly gloated, all thinking about how to beat the drowning dog.

Especially Feng Quan, Grand Secretary of the Jianji Hall — his face was full of smug self-satisfaction.

You little bastards, didn't expect this, did you? Even though your Donglin Faction sent me home packing, His Majesty is divinely brilliant and brought me back into the Grand Secretariat. This time I've caught you all in one net!

The Chongzhen Emperor was reading when, all of a sudden, a Donglin remonstrance official standing with lowered head in the hall pulled a short wooden club from his sleeve, shouted something like "Kill the tyrant emperor!" and charged straight at the Chongzhen Emperor.

"Protect His Majesty!"

What was Fang Zhenghua standing nearby for? The lad had long been on guard against the Donglin Faction turning desperate and biting back. The civil official hadn't charged more than a few steps, still eight zhang away from the Chongzhen Emperor, when Fang Zhenghua moved like an arrow loosed from its bow. He flew forward with a kick, sending the remonstrance official sprawling flat on his back.

Immediately after, Fang Zhenghua rushed forward, snatched the short wooden club from the civil official's hand, and shouted: "Guards! Take this traitor who dares to rebel and throw him in for harsh interrogation!"

"Your Majesty was alarmed — this is your servants' fault!" Seeing that the Chongzhen Emperor hadn't lost so much as a single hair, the assembled ministers kowtowed and shouted in unison.

Though it had been a false alarm, Fang Zhenghua and the rest of the Emperor's Faction were still badly frightened. The current Emperor was their own provider of food and clothing — if he were lost, all of them would be purged just like Zhang Juzheng was purged during the Wanli years.

"This is utterly outrageous! Execute this man's ten clans, throw him into the Imperial Prison — Fang Zhenghua, you do it personally with harsh interrogation. If he's still alive after the interrogation, flay him and stuff him with straw!" The Chongzhen Emperor threw the name list to the ground and said with fury: "My money — you people took several million under the pretext of official business, and not one thing did you miss when it came to touring mountains and waters, yet not one proper thing did you accomplish. And after spending it all, you still dare to ask me for more?

Especially that Vice Minister of War named Wang Ke, who in his memorial said something about 'daring to toil without complaint to relieve the sovereign's worries,' and also said he'd discussed it with your Minister Zhang of the Ministry of War — what does that mean? They took several million of my money to purchase estates, and still have the nerve to beg me for rewards?"

As he spoke, the Chongzhen Emperor calmed his emotions, and only after a long while continued: "Minister of War Zhang Guowei — I take into account that you still possess some sense of loyalty and righteousness. You are dismissed from office and sent home to retire, never to be employed again, and eighty percent of your family property must be surrendered to the state as punishment."

Zhang Guowei had been ashen with despair, but hearing these words, he suddenly felt like one who finds life at death's door, or a village hidden beyond the willows — he was moved to tears on the spot, knelt on the ground and cried out: "Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace—"

Paying no attention to Zhang Guowei's blubbering cries of snot and tears, the Chongzhen Emperor continued on his own: "The Directorate of Ceremonial shall draft the edict: Minister of Rites Wang Duo, for embezzling and misappropriating enormous sums, is hereby dismissed from office and investigated, with his nine clans implicated!

Censor Fang Kezhuang of the Censorate, for reckless wild talk, his nine clans implicated!

Bureau Secretary Wang Ke of the Ministry of War — this scoundrel is the most shameless of all — all ten of his clans shall be wiped out!

As for the rest of the people on this list, not one shall be spared.

Those who embezzled less than three thousand taels shall be dismissed and investigated; those exceeding eight thousand taels shall be taken to Caishikou and beheaded together; those exceeding thirty thousand taels shall be taken to Caishikou and executed by slow slicing; and those whose embezzled amounts exceed one hundred thousand taels — their nine clans shall be executed to the last person!!"

"Also, from this day forward, all Donglin Academies and Donglin Study Societies throughout the realm shall be forcibly shut down. Gatherings of scholars like the Donglin Assembly are prohibited, Donglin scholars are forbidden from discussing state affairs, and all heretical doctrines unfavorable to the court shall be burned.

If anyone is found writing such books again, they shall be arrested and prosecuted as well!

Transmit my oral edict: have Mou Wenshou, the Regional Commander of Shandong, send capable subordinates to Qufu in Shandong to take over city defense. Even if members of the Kong family go out to buy rice or flour, they must be closely followed until they return to the mansion.

Have the Eastern Depot's twelve Earthly Branches monitor the Northern Lineage Kong Mansion, and the Western Depot's various offices monitor the Southern Lineage Kong Mansion. Whatever they say, I want to hear every single word without omission.

Furthermore, if anyone in the localities resists or organizes protests, the principal culprits shall have their three clans executed, and the accomplices shall all be beheaded! Those who were deceived shall also be locked up in prison to reflect for a month before being released!" 【This chapter first published on Love·Has·Sound·Novel Website, please remember the URL】