Li Shimin's sudden outburst caused everyone to shut their mouths.
Everyone who had knelt down to beg for their lives remained kneeling on the ground, trembling all over, unwilling to make a sound.
Li Shimin slowly walked down the Nine Steps Stairway to Heaven with a wave of his sleeve. When he arrived at the top of the hall, everyone hurriedly bowed, not daring to even breathe loudly.
When Cheng Yaojin lowered his head, he couldn't help but open his mouth.
This group of idiots, who else but the emperor could bypass the Ministry of Works and directly mobilize so much tax money from the Imperial Plantation?
Are your brains used to vent your anger?
This is such a simple question, even I can understand it. Are you all pretending to be stupid?
Just as Cheng Yaojin was calculating how many people would die in the end, the Minister of Works, Hou Can, stepped forward and knelt on the ground, saying, "Reporting to the emperor, this subject has something to report!"
"Oh?"
Li Shimin put his hands behind his back and walked to Hou Can's side. He looked at Hou Can with a smile that wasn't a smile and said, "Hou Can, we still remember that on the twelfth of last month, we gave you a document to report the tax situation of Chang 'an last month and the current state of the treasury. Now, have you found it?"
"Your — Your Majesty —"
Hou Can's forehead was covered in a layer of fine white sweat.
He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this matter is complicated, and there have been many outsiders recently, so … this subject still needs half a month …"
"Half a month … Good! Good! "
Li Shimin's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked down at Hou Can and asked, "We thought you would give us a list today, but we waited for another matter. Then we want to ask you, do you also want to report me?"
As he spoke, Li Shimin's expression suddenly became serious. He looked around and said, "Then, we want to ask, who else wants to report me?"
Li Shimin's shout instantly made Hou Can tremble.
He hastily knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, this subject … does not dare. The result of our investigation is that Zhangsun Wuji is Zhangsun Wuji. Taking advantage of his status as the Empress' older brother, he went to the Chang 'an Imperial Plantation alone the night before last … This subject has already interrogated the people in the Imperial Plantation. Everyone saw Zhangsun Wuji! I beg Your Majesty to punish Zhangsun! "
"Your Majesty, please punish Zhangsun Wuji!"
At this moment, all of the people kneeling on the ground began to make their reports.
However, some of the ministers felt that something was amiss.
When Zhangsun Wuji heard this, not only did he not lose his head out of fear, his expression remained the same.
What was going on?
Could it be …
Everyone seemed to think of something.
Hurriedly, he secretly observed Wei Zheng and the others.
As a straightforward minister, if he encountered such a situation on a normal day, he would definitely stand up immediately. Why was he still as calm as usual today?
Even Cheng Yaojin, that fool, was secretly laughing?
Why did Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the others still look the same?
Could it be that they were all involved in this matter?
Or …
In the end, all the ministers' gazes converged on Li Shimin.
Could it be that this was really the Emperor's doing?
That was right!
In the Imperial Plantation, the only person who could instruct the Imperial Plantation, other than the Ministry of Works who had the Emperor's personal document, was the Emperor himself. Could it be that Zhangsun Wuji went to the Imperial Plantation that night because he received the Emperor's secret decree?
The more they thought about it, the more they felt that it was possible.
At this moment, the Emperor was looking at Hou Can with a playful gaze.
"I once heard that the people in the marketplace said that the people in the imperial court were all good-for-nothings. Other than eating and waiting for death, they only know how to scheme against each other and fight for their own little interests."
"I didn't believe such rumors before. After all, they were false!"
"Previously, I gave you the document, Hou Can, and asked you to immediately send me the taxes of Chang 'an last month and the money in the treasury of Chang' an City. However, until today, I received the answer that this matter was complicated and that it would take another half a month!"
"However, I want to ask you, the hundreds of good people in the Ministry of Works reconciled the accounts word by word and came to a conclusion in three days!"
"Yesterday, such a big thing happened in Chang 'an City. But you have already investigated it clearly in less than a day's time! Then I want to ask you, Hou Can, do you admit to your crime? "
"Your Majesty … Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down! Lord Hou also did it for … "
"Shut up!"
Li Shimin waved his sleeve.
"Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"
"I want to ask you, is it wrong for me to want to see the money in my house? I want to know if all this is in the way of your interests, Hou Can. Or you, Hou Can, have embezzled the money in the treasury of Chang 'an City? I remember it clearly. Since last year, it was clearly recorded in the report that the treasury of Chang 'an City was more than 3,970 silver. "
"Why did I ask Zhangsun Wuji, the minister of the Ministry of Justice, to find only 31 million silver last night? And in the past few months, the taxes of Chang 'an City were basically postponed. Did the remaining taxes go into your pocket or someone else's? "
"Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
"I … I … I didn't leave my post without permission. I just secretly used some money for the birthday of the Retired Emperor!"
Li Shimin smiled playfully.
He waved his hand and said, "Zhangsun Wuji, tell me the result of the investigation of the Ministry of Justice!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Zhangsun Wuji stepped forward with a cold face and said loudly, "Since March this year, there should be about 60 million silver in the treasury of Chang 'an City!"
…
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