19: I never intended to plunder the people's money.

"Your Majesty, you must consider this matter carefully."

Inside the Imperial Study, Grand Secretary Ning respectfully said to The Emperor: "It is clear that Grand Chancellor Zhou hopes to smooth this matter over. On the surface, he hopes Your Majesty will appease the veteran official, but in reality, he is simply doing a favor for the Marquis of Anding."

"During the period of national mourning, for Xu Fengzhang to be so absurd—this is not an insult to me, but an insult to the late Emperor." The Emperor's right hand tightened involuntarily.

"The Xu Family's military achievements over these years have not been remarkable. Back when my six brothers were disrupting the court, the Shen Family sent troops to guard the border, slaughtering the jin man people who intended to covet the Daxing Dynasty's land, while simultaneously sending troops to help me successfully ascend the throne."

"Yet that Xu Family, just like Grand Chancellor Zhou, watched from the sidelines with their doors shut. Only when I had stabilized the court did they come out to make symbolic gestures. Back then, the Xu Family followed the Founding Emperor in the uprising, braving life and death to protect him, but now this Xu Family... hah, truly each generation is worse than the last."

Ning Wuya was nearly sixty, his hair and beard already gray. As a veteran official of two reigns, Ning Wuya was different from Grand Chancellor Zhou, whose Disciples were spread throughout the world. He was more like a pure official, or perhaps more like a lone official.

He cared only for the nation and the well-being of the common people, which is why the late Emperor trusted him, and The Emperor did as well.

"Although I should not say this, My late Father, alas..." The Emperor could not help but smile bitterly.

"My late Father's literary and military achievements were comparable to the Founding Emperor. It is just a pity that he was too shrewd. He knew better than anyone that Grand Chancellor Zhou was capable but greedy for power. Though he never thought of treason, he was still filled with ambition."

"Back then, My late Father was confident he could control him and confident that he would eventually find a way to check this Chancellor who had reached the pinnacle of power. However, he did not expect his illness to strike like a mountain collapsing. Man proposes, God disposes. Now, I am the one who has to clean up this mess."

Ning Wuya's lips moved, but in the end, he did not say any words of persuasion. It was normal for The Emperor to have complaints. Because the late Emperor had been named Crown Prince too early, he had often been schemed against by his own siblings. A person who had suffered losses would naturally not want his successor to suffer the same fate.

But good intentions do not always lead to good results. Not announcing the Crown Prince candidate ultimately led every prince to be restless, almost causing a tragedy. Although the late Emperor was shrewd and had arranged for The Emperor to marry Empress Shen in advance, gaining the Shen Family's military support and the assistance of Partridge Sky, the path to the throne was still not smooth, and it even ended in fratricide.

And the excessive reliance on Grand Chancellor Zhou ultimately led to the new Emperor having to be constrained by a veteran official upon his accession. Although most of the military power was in the hands of the Shen Family, and the Shen Family was deeply tied to the imperial family, there was still the Marquis of Anding. Not to mention that beyond military power, Grand Chancellor Zhou's Disciples and confidants had almost infiltrated the entire officialdom of the Daxing Dynasty.

"Actually, I do not wish to fight with veteran officials like this. It is detrimental to the court and even more detrimental to the common people of the world." The Emperor pondered for a moment, then said with some helplessness.

"But this Grand Chancellor Zhou has now crossed the line. When I implement new policies, he not only opposes them but also hinders me at every turn."

"Your Majesty, if I may speak frankly, you have indeed harmed the interests of many noble families." Although Ning Wuya said this, his eyes were full of approval.

"I completely agree with your ideas. For noble families and officials, the imperial court has to issue silver regularly every year. They have countless fields and Estates under their own names. On one hand, they exploit the common people, and on the other, they take silver from the imperial court and still seek hereditary titles for their descendants..."

"I could overlook these things. I merely mentioned that in the future, the tax proportion for noble families would be increased, and these people acted as if they were having their flesh cut off!" The Emperor slammed his hand on the imperial desk.

"That Grand Chancellor Zhou even said that this is the ancestral system, and that even the Founding Emperor, who came from humble beginnings, never changed these systems."

"Was it that the Founding Emperor did not want to? It was that he had absolutely no choice. The world had just been pacified, and everything was waiting to be rebuilt. The Founding Emperor had to quell internal strife and stabilize the borders. Since noble families and aristocrats enjoy privileges, they should likewise provide returns to the imperial court. Moreover, I am only increasing taxes; everything else remains as it was!"

"They even said that if the imperial court lacks money, it can simply increase taxes on the common people. Bullshit! Let alone that the national treasury is currently full, even if it were lacking money, I have never thought of fleecing the common people. Who would ignore the wealthy and fleece the common people instead? Am I a fool?"

Hearing this, Ning Wuya also smiled helplessly. These noble families and aristocrats did not care how they squandered their wealth, but if it came to paying taxes or having them provide relief to the common people, it was truly as painful as killing them.

"Many things, as long as Grand Chancellor Zhou is here, I cannot do. I am not in a rush for this matter, but if this Grand Chancellor is not brought to heel, I fear that in the future, when I sit in the court, I will truly be like a three-year-old child." The Emperor sighed.

"Folk tales and songs often say that The Emperor possesses the world and can kill whoever he wants, but only after truly sitting on this dragon throne do I realize... it is lonely at the top."

In fact, The Emperor could have used military power to have the Shen Family enter the capital and, in coordination with the Pacification Bureau, carry out a direct purge. But if he did that... the Daxing Dynasty's stability would truly be shaken.

"Forget it. I fear I must continue playing this game of power struggles." The Emperor rubbed his brow.

"Fortunately, regarding the marriage of my two daughters, the Censorate has finally stopped talking. These Censor Officials... they are strict with others but lenient with themselves. If you don't poke them where it hurts, they will keep spouting about sages and rules of propriety."

"Your Majesty could actually take this opportunity to promote Fang Bowen and the Imperial Son-in-Law." Ning Wuya thought for a moment.

"Fang Bowen has been in the Pacification Bureau for many years and is Eunuch Fang's nephew, loyal and devoted. As for the Imperial Son-in-Law, although he is young, I have heard a little about the cases he has handled this year. Although he is somewhat overbearing and cruel, there have never been any wrong or unjust cases handled by the Imperial Son-in-Law, and his ability is obvious to all."

"Better not. As for my son-in-law, I don't even know how to handle him..."

Thinking of his two crazy daughters, The Emperor couldn't help but feel a chill all over. They were two rakshasa women whom even he found ruthless. When he could not bring himself to kill a brother with whom he once had deep feelings but who eventually turned against him because of the throne, Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning actually went to the celestial prison themselves and killed their uncle with their own hands.

It is said that it was a brutal killing, and the jailers were said to have vomited when they saw the... corpse. Of course, The Emperor was not a fool; it was highly likely that these two grand-aunts were overcome with longing for Mo Yingqi, and then their madness flared up, so they went to kill someone to vent their anger.

Their tenderness was likely all reserved for that Mo Yingqi, whom they missed so dearly. As for their father, mother, or two brothers... those were just... other people with close blood ties. At most, they wouldn't take their anger out on them when they were having a fit of madness.

Oh, that's not right; his two sons were almost driven crazy by them. But he didn't care; as long as they didn't torture him, it was fine.

"There has been no movement from the Xu Family yet. I will order the Pacification Bureau to keep watching. Fortunately, most people in the Pacification Bureau are loyal to the imperial court and to me, except for that Pacification Commissioner." The Emperor stopped thinking about this problem.

"If that Marquis of Anding really uses the iron certificate of immunity to protect his good-for-nothing son, I don't care, but he must relinquish some of his military power."

"I fear it won't be that easy, will it?" Ning Wuya frowned.

"Also, Your Majesty, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, Zhang Jiayan, has submitted a memorial inquiring about the Imperial Son-in-Law, and in the memorial, he asks about the Imperial Son-in-Law's grand wedding... whether he, as the father, can attend!"

"Hah, his son has become the Imperial Son-in-Law, and now he remembers to ask?" The Emperor sneered coldly.

"Send his memorial back to him as it is. My son-in-law is my son; what does it have to do with him?"

"I understand... but does nothing need to be said?" Ning Wuya nodded, then asked another question.

"The Zhang Family has also served for three reigns and is also the son-in-law of Grand Chancellor Zhou. Although he married a second wife later, he is capable and relied upon by Grand Chancellor Zhou. If the Imperial Son-in-Law could repair his relationship with their family..."

"Grand Chancellor, say no more. You do not know, but my son-in-law probably hates nothing more than not having killed that beast with his own hands." The Emperor waved his hand.

"Now, what I must do is to clench my five fingers together and find the best opportunity..."

"To throw a punch and leave Grand Chancellor Zhou with no power to fight back!"