Chapter 88

Initially, Zhao Junchen felt a bit of subconscious pity for Wen Guanliang's situation, but after hearing the number Wen Guanliang mentioned, his perception of him was left only with disdain.

To be so greedy for money as to risk his life, and to end up in such a predicament, could only be attributed to his own doing.

"One million taels..." Zhao Junchen smiled lightly, but his gaze towards Wen Guanliang was quite cold: "How generous, Minister Wen."

Zhao Junchen's words were sarcastic, and Wen Guanliang naturally understood. His lips twitched slightly, and the pain on his face became more evident as he said, "Then let me add another five hundred thousand taels, making it one and a half million taels. How about that?"

Zhao Junchen did not speak, but only looked at Wen Guanliang, his brows slightly furrowed.

Seeing Zhao Junchen's reaction, Wen Guanliang gritted his teeth and said, "Two million taels, how about that?"

Zhao Junchen's frown deepened, and a hint of impatience flashed across his face.

"Two and a half million taels..."

This time, before Wen Guanliang could finish his sentence, Zhao Junchen interrupted him.

"Minister Wen, you seem to have not fully grasped your current situation." Zhao Junchen's voice was calm but carried a hint of coldness: "It's not that I want your silver, but the current emperor! This silver is not for any other purpose, but to buy the safety of your entire family! Is life more important, or silver more important? As an old minister, you should understand the emperor's methods and character better than I do. Think about it, can such a small amount of silver make the emperor spare you?"

Zhao Junchen's words were clear to Wen Guanliang, but his greed had clouded his judgment. Now, Zhao Junchen's words finally dispelled all his侥幸 (侥幸 means侥幸, but in this context, it means '侥幸' or '侥幸'). His face turned ashen.

Under Zhao Junchen's gaze, Wen Guanliang remained silent for a long time before finally speaking again.

"Five million taels!"

When he said this number, Wen Guanliang clenched his teeth tightly, his voice sharp and hoarse.

Doubling the amount seemed like a generous gesture, but Zhao Junchen was still unsatisfied.

"There is no wall that does not let the wind through. Since I can roughly estimate your wealth, the emperor must also be clear about it. Minister Wen, five million taels is not a small amount, but do you really think this sum can make the emperor spare you?" Zhao Junchen's voice was gentle but carried an unyielding tone: "I don't want to waste any more time. If you are still being stingy with your silver and challenging my patience and goodwill, then this conversation has no further meaning. I will find other ways to save Zuo Lanshan and Zhan Shanchang. Although it will be more troublesome, it is not unsolvable. But, Minister Wen, you must consider carefully. If this situation continues, the outcome of being stripped of your property and executed is inevitable. Not only will you lose your silver and your life, but also your reputation, and it will affect your descendants!"

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen's tone became increasingly heavy.

Wen Guanliang looked at Zhao Junchen for a long time, his breathing heavy, and then said again: "Seven million taels!"

Zhao Junchen nodded and suddenly stood up, saying to Wen Guanliang: "Minister Wen, I will leave first. When Shen and Huang come, please apologize to them on my behalf. Tell them I will invite them to a banquet another day and personally apologize to them."

With that, Zhao Junchen turned and walked towards the door.

"Wait." Seeing Zhao Junchen's actions, Wen Guanliang was startled and quickly stood up, saying: "How much exactly? Give me a number!"

"Nine million taels!" Zhao Junchen stopped, turned to look at Wen Guanliang, and said calmly: "Nine million taels is the minimum. If you want absolute safety, you need at least nine and a half million taels!"

Zhao Junchen's calmness was in stark contrast to the shock on Wen Guanliang's face. He subconsciously exclaimed, "That's impossible!"

"Yes, for you, it is indeed impossible." A hint of disdain flashed in Zhao Junchen's eyes: "I have already seen this. That's why I am leaving, because there is nothing left to discuss between us."

Pausing for a moment, Zhao Junchen added with a slight sneer: "However, as a senior, I will give you a sincere piece of advice. You should surrender to the emperor and confess your crimes over the years. If you can mitigate the severity, the emperor might, out of respect for your service, spare some of your family's lineage."

Zhao Junchen's words finally shattered Wen Guanliang's psychological defenses.

Wen Guanliang fell back into his chair, laughing bitterly: "Nine million taels, at least nine million taels... I spent my whole life accumulating a fortune of ten million taels, but it turns out to be like a flower in the mist or a moon in the water, just a temporary holding for others."

"It is the wealth you embezzled!" Zhao Junchen corrected him again. Seeing Wen Guanliang's state, he sighed softly: "Yes, ten million taels, just a temporary holding for others, indeed cruel. But if you didn't have this realization, why did you become a corrupt official in the first place? Money moves the heart, and even emperors are not immune. Minister Wen, did you really think the emperor tolerated your corruption and bribery over the years just for the sake of the bigger picture? In the eyes of the emperor, raising pigs and raising corrupt officials are not fundamentally different. When they are fat, they are slaughtered, and it is inevitable. Your wealth was always just a temporary holding for others."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Wen Guanliang looked up at him, dazed, and asked slowly: "Did you have this realization from the beginning?"

Zhao Junchen nodded and said calmly: "From the day I realized I was a corrupt official, I had this realization."

Wen Guanliang laughed bitterly and said: "No wonder I lost to you."

After another moment of silence, Wen Guanliang spoke again: "Nine million taels, I don't have that much silver. I only have about eight million three hundred thousand taels."

"Then sell your assets." Zhao Junchen said decisively: "All the properties, lands, pawnshops, and silver shops in the Northern Zhili, all the family treasures, sell them all. Since you are retiring and returning home, it will be difficult to manage these assets in the Northern Zhili. The silver you get should all be given to the emperor, the more the better. The assets you have set up in your hometown will be enough for you to live on."

When the knife is the butcher and you are the fish, hearing Zhao Junchen's words, Wen Guanliang's expression became numb, and he finally gave up all useless resistance, nodding silently without any further objections.

Seeing that the matter was finally settled, Zhao Junchen also stayed, returning to his seat and continuing to play with the wine glass in his hand.

The two sat in silence, the atmosphere strange and awkward, but Wen Guanliang was numb, and Zhao Junchen was at ease, neither feeling anything amiss.

... After another moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, breaking the silence in the room.

Then, Xu Qingyan's voice came from outside the room.

"Sir, Ministers Shen and Huang have arrived."

Zhao Junchen nodded to Wen Guanliang and walked towards the door first.

Opening the door, Zhao Junchen asked Xu Qingyan: "Did they come together?"

Xu Qingyan nodded: "They came together."

Zhao Junchen nodded and smiled lightly: "I see."

Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong had been clashing over the power of the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office, but seeing Zhao Junchen's involvement, they quickly united. In the political arena, who is an enemy and who is a friend is indeed the most ambiguous thing.

Their joint arrival was also a statement of their stance.

As Zhao Junchen pondered, Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao were already making their way up the stairs towards him, surrounded by a crowd.

In a certain sense, the contrast between Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao was quite amusing.

Huang Yourong had a gentle demeanor, a scholarly appearance, fair skin, and a plump figure. He always wore a kind smile, making people feel close, but Zhao Junchen knew that this was just a facade. Among the high-ranking officials, if one were to talk about the ability to harm others and the depth of their malice, Huang Yourong would likely be the top. In short, he was a smiling tiger.

In contrast, Shen Changmao had a rugged appearance, a serious expression, cold eyes, and a tall, thin figure. He inspired fear in people, and in the court, he was known for his ruthless and vengeful nature, like a hothead. But Zhao Junchen also knew that this was a facade. If Shen Changmao were truly a hothead, he would never have reached his current position. In the political arena, where intrigue was rampant and deceit was common, his strong and decisive stance, "If you provoke me, I will retaliate with all my might," made people hesitant to cross him.

Seeing Shen and Huang, Wen Guanliang, standing beside Zhao Junchen, subconsciously snorted. His downfall was certainly due to his defeat by Zhao Junchen, but the relentless attacks by Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong had also played a significant role. Thinking about the silver he would lose, his hatred for Shen and Huang grew, but the situation was against him. With his power greatly diminished, he could only show his dissatisfaction on his face and dare not take any further action.

Zhao Junchen ignored Wen Guanliang's hatred and dissatisfaction, instead bowing to Shen and Huang with a respectful demeanor and a loud voice: "It is truly an honor to have both of you join us!"

"Where, where." Huang Yourong, already in front of Zhao Junchen, returned the bow: "If you invite me, how can I not come? In recent days, you have been so prominent, and I have been wanting to get closer to you. Even if you hadn't invited me today, I would have invited you to a gathering in a few days."

On the other side, although Shen Changmao did not say much, he also nodded to Zhao Junchen.

However, with Wen Guanliang, a fellow cabinet minister, standing beside Zhao Junchen, Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao acted as if they did not see him, completely ignoring him.

As the saying goes, "A fallen phoenix is not even as good as a chicken." In the eyes of Huang Yourong and Shen Changmao, the original Wen Guanliang might not have been a phoenix, but the current Wen Guanliang was not much better than a chicken or a duck. In the political arena, once you lose power, being despised, being attacked, and being trampled upon are all to be expected.

Wen Guanliang understood this well. After snorting again, he did not pay attention to Shen Changmao and Huang Yourong, but only said to Zhao Junchen: "Since Ministers Shen and Huang have arrived, I have some matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."

Understanding that Wen Guanliang did not want to stay and suffer, and that he needed to prepare the silver, Zhao Junchen nodded and smiled: "If that's the case, Minister Wen, please take your time. I won't see you off."

The negotiations between Zhao Junchen and Shen and Huang, though primarily about Wen Guanliang's affairs, were now, in a certain sense, no longer related to him.