To his dying day, Liang Quanbin never understood why he was killed!
The informant, however, met his death with great calm.
General Meng was currently unable to fathom Emperor Qi's actions. He was fully aware of the Duke of Wei's transgressions.
Why then did he personally execute the only two witnesses?
Was it to suppress the matter and allow the Wei family to pass through safely?
This thought made him anxious. He had heard of the Duke of Wei's methods. The feud was already established, and there would be no more peaceful days ahead.
There is no sorrow greater than that of a dead heart.
A moment later, Emperor Qi's voice was heard giving an order.
"Summon Prime Minister Bai to the palace!"
"Yes!"
Although General Meng was Emperor Qi's confidant, there were matters he was not privy to. Thus, Emperor Qi and Prime Minister Bai held a private discussion in the study.
What the two discussed remained unknown to outsiders.
When Prime Minister Bai left, Eunuch Wang personally escorted him to the palace gates. Although the palace gates were already locked for the night, Eunuch Wang, holding a token, saw him out.
The Wei family's spies had been waiting outside for a long time. As soon as Prime Minister Bai's carriage emerged, they intended to intercept it.
Unfortunately, before they could make a move, they all fell to the ground, dead.
Xu Lin, his face covered by a black scarf, looked at the dead bodies on the ground without batting an eyelid. He then escorted Prime Minister Bai back to his residence under the cover of darkness.
The night was silent, save for the creaking of the Wei family's carriage wheels and the clip-clop of horse hooves, which sounded exceptionally clear.
Having waited all night, Wei Dalang had still received no news. He paced back and forth, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
In contrast, the Duke of Wei, lying with his eyes closed and resting, remained composed.
If not for the slightly bulging veins on his forehead, one might have thought he was truly calm and unafraid.
"Father, what should we do? What will Prime Minister Bai say when summoned to the palace so late at night?"
In his opinion, they should have intercepted Feng Jinlin's carriage from the beginning. Not only would it have destroyed the evidence, but they could also have used Feng Jinlin's life to threaten Prime Minister Bai. He didn't believe Prime Minister Bai would disregard his own grandson.
As soon as he finished speaking, he was harshly reprimanded by the Duke of Wei.
"Just a few days ago, I said you had improved, yet your mind has become muddled again these past few days."
The intimidating glare from his one good eye made Wei Dalang even more fearful.
What little pretense of kindness the Duke of Wei might have once had was replaced by a sinister aura after losing an eye.
Therefore, Wei Dalang, already terrified, could only lower his head in shame and offer no rebuttal after being scolded.
Seeing his son's uselessness, he was even more determined to find a way to contact his grandson.
As long as his grandson returned after completing his studies, the Wei family would have nothing to worry about.
"The solution to this predicament does not lie with Prime Minister Bai, but with General Meng."
"General Meng?"
Wei Dalang was confused. The Duke of Wei, too lazy to elaborate, ordered him to find the Ninth Prince immediately.
Compared to his son's foolishness, his grandson was quite bold.
In the current situation, a bold move might turn the tide.
Therefore, he needed to discuss matters thoroughly with the Ninth Prince.
As the sky began to show the first light of dawn, Feng Jinlin left his home, draped in mourning white, and prepared to attend court.
Although they had already learned that Feng Jinxu was alive, they still had to maintain appearances.
Thus, the Feng family had been receiving no visitors for days, observing a period of mourning for Feng Jinxu.
Feng Hai and his wife had both fallen ill, and Madam Wen was utterly dejected. The household was entirely supported by Feng Jinlin alone. Moreover, he now held the complete records of the corruption case involving the Grand Canal Administration in Jinling City. Therefore, he walked into court today with resolute steps.
Wei Dalang, on the other hand, had intended to feign illness and stay home today. However, he was still forced out by the Duke of Wei.
Others might not have noticed much amiss, but he himself was filled with guilt.
Although most of the evidence had been destroyed, if Emperor Qi was determined to deal with the Wei family, he would be the first to be punished.
Thus, compared to Feng Jinlin's righteous demeanor, he was utterly trembling.
The first order of business after Emperor Qi ascended the throne was Feng Jinlin's memorial regarding the corruption case of the Grand Canal Administration.
This matter should have been reported by Liang Quanbin, the supervisor of the Grand Canal Administration. However, since Emperor Qi had already had him executed, most people assumed Liang Quanbin was involved in the case and thus did not appear. This, in turn, had inadvertently enhanced Feng Jinlin's prestige.
A mere seventh-rank county assistant, not only was he allowed to address the court, but he was also reporting on such a significant matter.
Seeing Feng Jinlin's path to prominence being paved, many officials were not thinking about how to punish the corrupt, but rather how to arrange marriages between their daughters and members of the Feng family.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Bai has already led the cleared four million dan of official grain towards the southwest. As for those who embezzled the official grain, all have been apprehended. A total of one hundred and ninety-four individuals, including four supervisory envoys who resisted, have been executed on the spot. Prime Minister Bai has already written a detailed report, which will be presented along with this one."
Feng Jinlin showed no fear. People often said that a newborn calf fears no tiger; he was likely an example of this.
One hundred and ninety-four people; the Grand Canal Administration was teeming with vermin.
Bai Chao'an's report was extremely clear. It meticulously recorded how much each person participated and how much they had plundered from their homes.
This memorial was perhaps the thickest Emperor Qi had ever received, and he read it with great care.
No one in the court dared to utter a sound, all waiting for Emperor Qi's judgment.
After about half an hour, Emperor Qi finished reading the memorial. The shock he felt internally was far greater than what Liang Quanbin had revealed the previous night.
Liang Quanbin, targeting the Wei family, naturally spoke of matters related to them.
However, he had not mentioned much about the Grand Canal Administration, perhaps due to his short tenure there and insufficient understanding.
As Emperor Qi read the memorial, he felt a sense of defeat regarding his own governance.
He was aware that the Wei family had been extorting money through the Grand Canal Administration.
Or rather, any royal family member, including himself, had extorted a considerable amount of wealth from the common people.
To him, the empire was his, the people were his, and thus the money in the people's hands was also his, so he did not care much.
The Ninth Prince and the First Prince were vying for power, and they could not support their subordinates with mere stipends.
Therefore, the two of them sought personal gain under the guise of official positions, which was not entirely unacceptable.
However, he had not expected the scale of corruption within the Grand Canal Administration to be so immense when it was laid bare.
Every person, every instance of participation, seemed to speak of his failure as emperor.
Therefore, the greater his sense of defeat, the stronger his dislike for these individuals.
Prime Minister Bai's few words, though seemingly simple, had left a deep impression on his heart.
Thus, this time he acted ruthlessly, showing no mercy to the Grand Canal Administration.
"All those on the list shall be judged according to their crimes, and their families shall also be held accountable. the empire and its people of the Great Jin were not meant to be squandered in such a manner!"