Chapter 82

Hong Fugao was determined to uncover the dark secrets of Liaodong. Even Zhu Jinhai's madness could not stop him. After presenting the case of Zhang Feng's wrongful conviction, he sealed off three of the Zhu family's properties and found a large number of account books.

Hong Fugao thought he had made a significant discovery and could trace the connections to uncover more people. He led a group of accountants to work day and night for two days. When the old man, with red eyes, saw the results, he was almost frightened to his knees!

Indeed, he had caught a big fish, but this fish was so big that it had leaped over the dragon gate and become a true dragon emperor!

According to the account books, the Zhu family had to provide the imperial palace with five dou of pearls, two hundred pieces of sable fur, and twenty carts of other mountain delicacies and local products every year.

In previous years, the Zhu family could supply these items normally, but after the old slave's rebellion, the Ming government stopped trade. However, the palace's expenses did not decrease; on the contrary, many eunuchs even increased their demands!

The Zhu family did not dare to offend the people in the palace and had to find ways to smuggle goods. The old slave did not lack gold and silver but needed iron tools and medicine, which led to this smuggling operation.

If Zhang Ke were here, he would not be unfamiliar with this situation. Shen Qingyan had mentioned something similar before, though her family was responsible for medicine.

Zhang Ye looked at Hong Fugao's account books and immediately widened his eyes.

"This, this is what? Hasn't the Zhu family become a loyal minister serving the master?"

Hong Fugao immediately widened his eyes and said angrily, "Eunuch Zhang, you can't say it like that. The Zhu family's smuggling of iron tools is a betrayal of the Ming dynasty and deserves death!"

Zhang Ye smiled bitterly, "Lord Hong, I won't argue with you about the affairs of the state. I just want to know how the Emperor will view this?"

"This..."

Hong Fugao was not stupid and understood the problem. The Zhu family was serving the palace, which was a sign of loyalty, but they used the most inappropriate means. Severe punishment of the Zhu family was forced by the people in the palace, but not punishing them would be hard to explain to the people!

The mighty emperor was cornered, with no good options.

Hong Fugao couldn't help but sigh, "Eunuch Zhang, Yongzhen analyzed this possibility before. I thought they wouldn't dare to be so ruthless, to splash dirty water on the palace and involve the Emperor. It seems I was wrong. Eunuch Zhang, if the palace finds out and suppresses it, it will be very bad for us!"

Indeed, it would be more than just bad. If the palace handled it, the emperor's face would be the most important! Such a matter that damages the emperor's wisdom must be resolved quickly! What to do? Eliminate the involved personnel, transfer the implicated officials, and the truth would be completely buried.

But while the emperor's face would be saved, others would be in danger, including Zhang Ke and his brother, Hong Fugao, and Zhang Ye, who would all have trouble!

Hong Fugao understood the problem, and it felt like he had fallen into an ice hole in the coldest part of winter, cold from the inside out!

"Eunuch Zhang, the most urgent thing now is to inform the palace about the situation in Liaodong. We can't let a few merchants lead us by the nose. Once we can't continue the investigation, those people will counterattack even harder, and you, I, Yongzhen, and General He will all have trouble!"

Zhang Ye knew the severity of the situation but understood that if he followed Hong Fugao's advice, it wouldn't change the palace's policy and would only bring more trouble.

When people talk about interests, you talk about righteousness; they won't listen to you!

Zhang Ye walked around the room anxiously, then stopped in front of the desk. He suddenly saw a letter under the Diamond Sutra and felt like he had found a lifeline.

"Ha ha ha, Lord Hong, you don't need to worry. Yongzhen has already left a solution. This boy is truly a genius!"

Hong Fugao also widened his eyes and asked urgently, "Eunuch Zhang, what did Yongzhen give you?"

Zhang Ye held the envelope, ready to give it to Hong Fugao, but then pulled it back.

"Lord Hong, it's not that I don't want to show you, but this thing is too important. I was planning to study it thoroughly before sending it to the palace, but now there's no time. It must be sent immediately!"

Seeing Zhang Ye's treasured expression, Hong Fugao couldn't help but think, "What kind of monster did I teach!"

"Eunuch Zhang, will it work?"

"Ha ha ha, don't worry. I will personally arrange for someone to deliver it to the old ancestor. My godfather is good at everything, but he focuses on serving the master and doesn't care about other things. But once this thing is in his hands, he can't ignore it!"

Zhang Ye quickly called his subordinates and had the letter sealed and sent to the capital with the utmost urgency.

After the letter was sent, Zhang Ye smiled and said, "Lord Hong, Zhang Ke is your student. What did he learn from you?"

Hong Fugao was speechless, muttered for a while, and finally managed to say, "It's a gift from heaven!"

...

At the end of the year, every household in the capital was immersed in the joy of the New Year. The defeat in Liaodong was still too far from the common people, who were still focused on their own small lives. After sending off the Kitchen God, they cleaned their houses, steamed buns, and made frozen dumplings, busy and happy.

Occasional firecracker sounds and the innocent laughter of children could be heard on the streets.

The common people were lively, but in the heart of this great city, the Forbidden City, there was a heavy atmosphere of sorrow. Eunuchs and palace maids only dared to laugh in private, fearing they would offend someone. In the past month, five or six young eunuchs had been beaten to death.

The Wanli Emperor, who had been on the throne for forty-seven years, was ill. When the news of the defeat at Sarhu arrived, the old emperor barely held it together in front of his ministers, but once he returned to his bedroom, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

His already weak body was further weakened, and since winter, Wanli often fell into a coma. Everyone had a bad feeling, but no one dared to say it...

In the intricately carved and painted bedroom, an old eunuch with white hair held a warm towel and turned to walk towards the dragon bed.

On the dragon bed lay an old man with a broad face and large ears, his beard and temples gray, his face covered in age spots, and his pale, plump face lacking luster, with loose skin hanging down.

The old eunuch had just reached the dragon bed and was about to change the towel when the person on the bed silently opened his eyes.

"Chen Ju, is it New Year's Eve?"

The old eunuch, hearing the voice, was first stunned, then tears streamed down his face.

"Unworthy, you're so old, why are you crying!"

The old eunuch quickly wiped his tears and smiled, "Old slave isn't crying, old slave is happy! Master, today is the twenty-seventh of the twelfth month. You've been sleeping for two days, which isn't long!"

"Ha ha ha." The Wanli Emperor lightly laughed.

"The emperor is a lonely man. What's the point of looking forward to the New Year? It just means I'm one step closer to the coffin!"

Chen Ju hurriedly knelt down and said, "Master, you should live a hundred years. You mustn't say such unlucky things!"

"Ah, throughout history, which emperor has lived a long life!" The Wanli Emperor smiled bitterly. "Let's not talk about these troublesome things. Let them all come in. We need to clear up some official business before the New Year!"

Chen Ju quickly nodded, and a young eunuch went to deliver the order. Soon, a series of footsteps could be heard, and several people quickly walked in.

The first to enter was the Chief Minister Fang Congzhe, followed by the Minister of Personnel Zhou Jiemo, the Left Minister of Revenue Li Ruhua. The leader of the other group was the Chief Eunuch of the Office of Ceremonial Wang Hailin, followed by two hall eunuchs.

These people entered the bedroom with trepidation and knelt down in front of the dragon bed.

"Your Majesty, we, the old ministers (slaves), pay our respects to the Emperor, may you live ten thousand years, ten thousand, ten thousand years!"

After a long silence, the Wanli Emperor's voice came, "All rise!"

Everyone got up, and a young eunuch quickly brought a chair for Fang Congzhe, allowing the Chief Minister to sit down.

"I have been in a daze these days. The affairs of the state are complex and numerous. You have all worked hard!"

Chief Minister Fang Congzhe, hearing the emperor's weak voice, felt a bitter taste in his heart.

"Your Majesty, we are merely doing our duty. The burden of the empire rests on your shoulders, and we all hope for your quick recovery!"

The Wanli Emperor shook his head slightly, "Ha ha ha, Chief Minister, you are comforting me! Speak up, what important matters are there?"

Fang Congzhe glanced at the serving Chen Ju, wondering if the emperor could handle it. Seeing Chen Ju blink slightly, Fang Congzhe felt more confident.

"Your Majesty, since Xiong Tingbi arrived in Liaodong, he has reorganized the army and achieved some success, but the military expenses have reached three million taels. The Ministry of Revenue has a shortfall of 1.2 million taels. Please allow us to increase the Liaodong military funds!"

After Fang Congzhe spoke, the Wanli Emperor was silent for a while, "Increase it, increase it. Let the people suffer a bit, but we can't let the soldiers suffer!"

Fang Congzhe continued, "Your Majesty, since winter, no less than thirty thousand famine-stricken people have gathered in the capital, and the number is increasing daily. Immediate relief is needed. There are also disasters in Shandong, Henan, and Shanxi that need relief. In Liaodong, the newly recruited soldiers in Zhenjiang and Kuandian have scattered and fled. In Zhejiang, the Japanese pirates have caused chaos, looting over twenty merchant ships and killing over a hundred people..."

These people presented their reports one after another, but they all boiled down to the same thing: the empire was in ruins, and the people were suffering.

After more than an hour of reports, the Wanli Emperor was too tired to speak, and the veins on his temples throbbed.

"Enough, does the mighty Ming dynasty have no good news?"

Everyone looked at each other, none of them speaking.

The Wanli Emperor waved his hand in disgust and said weakly, "All of you, go!"

Just as everyone was about to kneel and take their leave, Chen Ju, who had been watching by the bed, suddenly smiled, "Your Majesty, there is some good news. I just heard that a victory was won in Yizhou, and over a hundred heads were cut off!"

"Over a hundred, not from the common people, right?"

Chen Ju hurriedly knelt down, "Your Majesty, absolutely not. The one who achieved this great feat is a young scholar named Zhang Ke. He led the people to fight the invading Tartars and cut off over ninety heads!"

The Wanli Emperor, who had been lying on the dragon bed, suddenly struggled to sit up, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Ha ha ha, our great Ming is not without capable people. They must be heavily rewarded!"