The ministers hastily begged for forgiveness: "Your Majesty, forgive us!"
The Crown Prince and Prince Dai: "Father Emperor, forgive us!"
Seeing the ministers had stopped bickering, the emperor’s face showed a hint of regret. He smiled and said to the quivering ministers kneeling on the ground, "I was quite entertained by your bickering, why have you stopped?"
"We deserve death, we beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!"
"I haven’t had enough yet, continue arguing." The emperor’s tone was very gentle, yet it struck great fear in the hearts of the ministers kneeling below. "I haven’t heard you argue in a while, today your interest is so high, I’ll let you argue to your heart’s content."
"We dare not, we beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness."
"Dare not?" The emperor’s tone suddenly changed, and the majesty emanating from him made the ministers trembling on the ground shake even more violently. "I think you are quite daring, treating my court like a marketplace, arguing whenever you please. Perhaps you should have another fight?"
Many timid ministers were so frightened they nearly wet their pants. They dared not. If they urinated in court, it would be a capital offense.
"We deserve death, we beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!"
The fiercer they argued before, the more scared they were now.
"Crown Prince, Prince Dai."
Upon hearing the emperor call them, both the Crown Prince and Prince Dai felt their hearts leap sharply. The brothers, rarely in sync, were both stricken with fear and unease.
"Father Emperor, your sons are guilty, we beg Father Emperor to punish us!"
"One is the Crown Prince, and the other a prince, yet you argue in court. You truly are my good sons."
"Father Emperor..."
The emperor interrupted the Crown Prince and Prince Dai, turning his gaze towards a certain minister.
"Present your evidence to Grandmaster Liu."
The certain minister replied tremblingly: "Yes, Your Majesty."
The emperor called out: "Grandmaster Liu."
Grandmaster Liu responded respectfully: "I am here, Your Majesty."
The emperor ordered: "The corruption case of Minister Zhang Nan of Agriculture will be investigated and adjudicated by you."
"I shall obey the decree."
Zhang Nan almost fainted with fright upon hearing the emperor assign the investigation to Grandmaster Liu.
It’s over, with Grandmaster Liu investigating, neither the Crown Prince nor Duke Zhen can save him, he is doomed!
The emperor’s tone was very calm: "Minister of Agriculture."
But the Minister of Agriculture felt his doomsday had arrived. He responded, trembling: "I... I am here."
The emperor asked: "Did you know your subordinate was corrupt?"
The Minister of Agriculture, with a face ashen with fear, shook all over and said: "I did not know..." He really didn’t know.
The emperor chuckled lightly: "Quite a claim of ignorance."
The Minister of Agriculture, looking as if he had lost all color in his face, said: "I deserve death, I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
"Did you collude with Zhang Nan?"
"Your Majesty, I did not, I dare not, even if I had a thousand guts, I wouldn’t dare be corrupt..." The Minister of Agriculture trembled violently but spoke with clarity, "I beg Your Majesty to see clearly, I did not mit corruption." As the Minister of Agriculture, in charge of Great Zhou’s finances, even given ten thousand guts, he wouldn’t dare embezzle under the emperor’s eye, unless he had a death wish.
"Zhang Nan is not only your subordinate, but he is also your student, correct?" The emperor’s tone remained indifferent, "I remember you once praised him before me, saying he was exceptionally capable."
The Minister of Agriculture immediately raised his hand and slapped himself hard a dozen times. His face instantly swelled red, and he trembled as he apologized to the emperor: "I failed in judgment, I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The emperor lightly tapped the armrest of the dragon throne with his index finger, making a thumping sound.
The sound of "thump thump" in the silent court was particularly loud. The ministers kneeling on the ground felt as if the emperor was not tapping the armrest, but their very hearts.
In front of the ministers lay pools of sweat. Cold sweat dripped from their foreheads, faces, and necks onto the ground. Many were so frightened they silently cried.
"Zhang Nan is your student, you say you’re not corrupt, do you think anyone will believe you?"
"Your Majesty, I truly am not corrupt..." the Minister of Agriculture cried, "I... I beg Your Majesty to let Grandmaster Liu investigate me to clear my name."
"Since you request it so earnestly, I’ll grant your wish."
"I thank you, Long En."
"Grandmaster Liu, everyone under the Minister of Agriculture is under your investigation."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The emperor suddenly smiled coldly: "I don’t care what means you use, I want to know how much they have embezzled and taken in bribes over the years, and I also want to know how many people are involved."
Grandmaster Liu replied solemnly: "Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will spare no effort to thoroughly investigate this matter."
The ministers kneeling on the ground almost collapsed upon hearing the emperor say by any means necessary for the investigation.
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