With a sense of nostalgia, the horizon seems to stretch farther.
The evening sail is as light as an arrow, the setting sun as large as a winnowing basket.
The wind is tired, the banners and flags are walking, the horses and carriages are rushing.
The great dream returns to the river, leaping out of the golden scales pond.
The 16th year of Tianji, the 22nd day of the first month.
If future historians record this, today will be a day etched in the annals of Danning history.
But for Wei Changtian at this moment, today might be a little different, but only just.
As the sun sets, Li Huizhong slowly walks out of the Wei residence alone.
Wei Changtian stands by the window, watching him leave, his fingers tapping the windowsill slowly, his expression thoughtful.
Everything is going smoothly……or maybe too smoothly.
Li Huizhong has already revealed the Liu family’s conspiracy without reserve, and the way he spoke made it sound like the truth.
Is this old eunuch desperate for a way to make up for his past mistakes?
Or does he have another purpose?
Wei Changtian is not quite clear, and he glances through the window lattice again at Xu Qingwan and You Jia, who are chatting in the front courtyard.
As if they sensed his gaze, the two women quickly turned their heads back, their faces wearing faint smiles.
One smile is simple, while the other seems to hold a deeper meaning.
……
……
Danning Imperial Palace, Ziluan Hall.
“Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!”
In the empty and spacious hall, the man wearing a purple robe with embroidered cranes bows respectfully to Ning Yongnian.
He is the master of the Danning Xu family, the Minister of Revenue, Xu Shixing.
“Hmm, Minister Xu, take a look at this first, and let me finish reviewing these memorials before speaking with you.”
Ning Yongnian tosses a small booklet onto the desk, continuing to flip through the long and tedious memorials, his expression seemingly displeased.
“……”
Xu Shixing dares not speak, hurries to step forward, and takes the booklet in his hand.
But after he flips open the first page and reads a few lines……it’s as if cold water is poured over his head, and a chill runs from his head to his toes.
“Your Majesty! This……”
“I said wait!”
Ning Yongnian doesn’t lift his head, but his words carry an invisible pressure.
“Yes, yes……”
Xu Shixing’s body trembles violently, and he takes a long time to regain his composure, his gaze fixed on the small booklet in his hand, already soaked with sweat.
One by one, each item, all are the Xu family’s hidden wrongdoings.
The Xu family is the wealthiest in Danning, with countless business dealings, and it’s inevitable that some are not clean.
Some of these things Xu Shixing knows, while others, even as the master of the family, he has never heard of.
But what he knew was only a part of it. If one were to strictly investigate, it would already be enough to severely wound the Permit family.
Having served as the Minister of Revenue for over ten years, Permit Shi Xing was not just a merchant who only knew how to make money.
He was also well-versed in the ways of the imperial court.
So, what truly frightened him was not the content written on the booklet, but why Ning Yong Nian would show it to him…
“Yu, Wei, Xu, the people of Da Ning all know these three surnames, and there’s even a saying in the streets that the power of these three families surpasses that of the Emperor…”
Suddenly, Ning Yong Nian spoke up.
“Minister Xu, what do you think?”
“Plop!”
Permit Shi Xing didn’t think twice before directly kowtowing on the ground with a thud.
“Your Majesty, your humble servant’s loyalty to you is as clear as day! The matters written on this booklet…”
“I didn’t ask you that!” Ning Yong Nian slapped the memorial on the table, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Answer my previous question! Are the three families of Yu, Wei, and Xu truly as powerful as they say?”
“Your Majesty…”
Permit Shi Xing suddenly looked up, tears streaming down his face: “As for the Yu and Wei families, I dare not speak, but the Permit family is definitely not like that!”
“Is that so?” Ning Yong Nian stared at Permit Shi Xing, asking suddenly, “Minister Xu, as the Minister of Revenue, you should be clear about how much silver is currently stored in the national treasury of Da Ning.”
“Replying to Your Majesty…”
Permit Shi Xing felt a sense of foreboding, but still forced himself to answer: “Around five million taels.”
“Good, then subtracting the salaries of officials, military expenses, and disaster relief, how much money can I still allocate?”
“Around one million taels.”
“One million taels…”
From noble mtl dot come
Ning Yong Nian slowly stood up, walked around the table, and approached Permit Shi Xing.
He leaned down slightly, a hint of a smile on his face, and asked again in a soft voice: “Minister Xu, how much silver is stored in the Permit family’s treasury?”
……
How much money did his own family really have?
Permit Shi Xing might know the answer, or maybe he really wasn’t clear about the exact figure.
But regardless of whether he knew or not, this question was impossible to answer.
“…”
The Purple Phoenix Hall fell silent, with Ning Yong Nian gazing at the trembling Permit Shi Xing. He didn’t ask again, only silently reached out to take back the booklet.
“Minister Xu, I am not a person who forgets past favors.”
“I was able to ascend to the throne, and the Permit family has contributed to it. Therefore, I have been lenient towards the Permit family’s actions…”
“But this time, I really don’t know what to do… Why don’t you tell me?”
“…”
The setting sun’s rays shone into the great hall, casting a bloody hue on Ning Yong Nian’s robes, as if adding a layer of blood to the golden dragon’s scales.
After a brief moment of panic, Permit Shi Xing’s eyes still held a fearful expression, but his mind was no longer frozen.
It was clear that Ning Yong Nian was testing his limits.
The Permit family had been rooted in Da Ning for hundreds of years, with over a hundred years of prosperity. Such a complex and deeply entrenched power was not something that could be easily toppled by a few words or a piece of evidence.
Ning Yong Nian was aware of this, and Permit Shi Xing was even more so.
So the key lies in how much price the Xu family is willing to pay to satisfy Ning Yongnian’s appetite.
“My lord, my clan has committed such a heinous crime, and I know I cannot escape responsibility.”
“I have no face to continue serving as the Minister of Revenue… I wish to resign and return to my hometown!”
“I beg your mercy, my lord!”
“Thud!”
Xu Shixing heavily kowtowed, deciding to surrender first and talk later.
According to his judgment, the national treasury was currently abundant and not lacking in funds, so Ning Yongnian’s demands must be about controlling the financial power.
If it were a normal situation, this idea wouldn’t be wrong.
However, what Ning Yongnian wanted to do this time was far from simple.
“Resign and return to your hometown?”
Ning Yongnian let out a soft sigh, his tone calm: “Minister Xu, do you really think the official hat on your head is something you can wear or remove at will? Do you think this capital city is a place you can come and go as you please?”
“If you really want to resign, it’s not impossible…”
“You’re from Jizhou, so I’ll grant you a mansion in Jizhou Prefecture. You can take your wife and children there to live out your days.”
“As for the rest… you can leave them in the capital.”
“What… what?”
Hearing these words, Xu Shixing suddenly lifted his head, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He never thought Ning Yongnian’s appetite was so huge, wanting to take away the entire Xu family’s accumulated wealth over the centuries!
“My lord, even if the Xu family has erred, it’s unlikely they deserve such punishment!”
“If my lord feels that my resignation is still not enough, I’m willing to die to atone for my sins!”
“But if it means surrendering the entire Xu family… I’m afraid I cannot comply!”
At this moment, Xu Shixing was very clear that he couldn’t retreat anymore.
He could lose his official position, but he could cultivate new talent later.
He could lose his wealth, but he could earn it back.
But if the Xu family’s centuries-old foundation was destroyed by his own hands, he wouldn’t be able to face the ancestors even in death!
“Thud!”
As he spoke, he kowtowed again.
However, Xu Shixing’s action this time showed no signs of fear, even hinting at a desire to confront Ning Yongnian head-on.
He was betting that Ning Yongnian wouldn’t dare to risk plunging the empire into chaos by completely severing ties with the Xu family.
And with the Xu family’s backing, Xu Shixing was confident in his stance.
Only…
“Minister Xu, I underestimated you.”
Ning Yongnian shook his head, seemingly unbothered by Xu Shixing’s “impudent” behavior earlier.
“I previously thought that compared to the Liu and Wei families, you should be the most loyal to me…”
“I, your humble minister, am indeed loyal to your majesty!”
Xu Shixing directly interrupted: “But I am also a member of the Xu family!”
“Hahaha! A true member of the Xu family!”
Ning Yongnian laughed loudly: “So you think I don’t dare to touch your Xu family, right?”
“I have no such intention!”
Xu Shixing said “no such intention,” but his tone was firm.
Compared to the Liu family, the Xu family may have slightly weaker power, but their influence extended far and wide across the officialdom.
Compared to the Wei family, the Xu family may be slightly inferior in terms of martial prowess, but they also have a large group of skilled experts under their command.
More crucially, the Xu family has money.
At any time, money can be the panacea that makes up for all differences.
So…… how can you be the emperor?
……
In an instant, the atmosphere in the Ziluan Hall had already reached a boiling point.
If Wei Changtian were here now, he would likely be greatly shocked.
Before crossing over, his understanding of feudal imperial societies mostly came from TV dramas and novels.
In those works, the emperor seemed to possess absolute and supreme authority, and it was unimaginable for a subject to dare challenge him like this.
However, in real history, there were many cases where emperors were not taken seriously.
From Cao Cao to Zhao Gao, to Zhang Juzheng, and then to Ao Bai…… each of them was a master who didn’t take the emperor seriously.
To put it bluntly, “emperor” was just a title, and who actually held the power of the emperor depended on their respective strengths.
The Xu family’s power might not be enough to ignore Ning Yongnian, but it was still sufficient to support Xu Shixing in saying a few bold words.
“Your Majesty! I, your humble servant, dare to speak a few more words!”
“When Minister Liu was alive, the Liu family’s power was almost unparalleled in the imperial court, from the various states and prefectures to the imperial court, from the county magistrates of the eighth rank to the three ministerial officials of the third rank. The appointment and promotion of most officials, big or small, required the Liu family’s approval!”
“Has Your Majesty seen such a grave crime of forming cliques and seeking private gains?”
“The Wei family has controlled the Xuanjing Agency for hundreds of years, and the three guards and three places almost monopolized all military affairs in the Great Ning! You can kill any official at will, and with a wave of your hand, you can destroy a family or a clan, even Wei Changtian dared to bring thousands of people to kill the Prime Minister!”
“Has Your Majesty seen such lawless behavior?”
“Even if the Xu family has committed thousands of mistakes, it’s still incomparable to the crimes committed by the Liu and Wei families. Why does Your Majesty insist on targeting me, the Xu family?”
“Your Majesty!”
“I, your humble servant, don’t understand!!”
The high-pitched questioning voice echoed in the great hall, and Xu Shixing’s eyes were filled with a sorrowful and indignant expression.
His words were actually quite reasonable.
The Liu and Wei families posed a greater threat to you than I do, and I’ve always been low-key. Why do you insist on targeting me?
Do you think the Xu family is a soft persimmon?
It was both a venting of emotions and a form of pressure.
After Xu Shixing finished speaking, he stared fixedly at Ning Yongnian, who remained silent for a while before slowly speaking again.
However, he seemed to be talking to himself rather than responding to Xu Shixing.
“It seems I was right not to wait any longer……”
“Can’t tolerate the Xu family?”
“Heh heh……”
He chuckled lightly, looking at Xu Shixing’s furrowed brow.
“You’re wrong, Minister Xu.”
“I’m not intolerant of the Xu family, but rather……”
“Whoosh!”
The wide sleeves of his robe suddenly rustled without any wind, making a soft sound.
Xu Shixing felt a sudden sense of unease, but he still didn’t believe that Ning Yongnian would really dare to throw the Great Ning into chaos.
He raised his head high, puffed out his chest, and prepared to take out his determination to die to once again express his attitude.
As long as he could get through this, the Xu family would be safe!
However……
A palm exuding an overwhelming aura of dominance drew closer and closer.
Until it finally landed on the chest of the celestial crane, only then did Xu Shixing finally understand—
He had been wrong all along.
But… why?
“Boom!!”
A muffled sound, and the official hat adorned with long feathers flew into the air, spinning and falling back down, with a puzzled expression still lingering in Xu’s eyes.
“……”
“Ah, Lord Xu, you didn’t have to die……”
At his feet, Xu Shixing’s lifeless body slowly slumped to the ground, while Ning Yongnian seemed to be slightly regretful.
However, this regret only lasted for an instant.
Turning around, he continued the unfinished sentence from earlier.
“I am not unable to tolerate the Xu family, but rather……”
“No one can be tolerated.”
……
Half an hour later.
The Purple Phoenix Hall had returned to normal, with Ning Yongnian still sitting behind the desk, reviewing memorials, and another man in a purple robe standing before him.
“Your Majesty, I don’t know why you have summoned me?”
Wei Xianzhi stood upright, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
“Hahaha, Lord Wei, sit down. I have two matters to discuss with you.”
Compared to earlier, Ning Yongnian’s attitude was now almost “amicable”.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat.”
Wei Xianzhi didn’t stand on ceremony, sitting down with a thud and waiting for the next words.
As Ning Yongnian spoke, his expression grew increasingly complex.
There was anger, shock, doubt, and hesitation.
Fortunately, he at least managed to walk out of the Purple Phoenix Hall alive… though his footsteps were somewhat heavy.
Another half an hour passed.
“Your Majesty……”
“Lord Liu, sit down. I have a matter to discuss with you!”
From noble mtl dot come
“Yes, Your Majesty, please proceed……”
“……”
From dusk till night.
As Liu Yuan, the current head of the Liu family and also the Minister of Personnel, walked out of the Purple Phoenix Hall with a thoughtful expression, it signified that Ning Yongnian’s initial plan to consolidate domestic power was about to unfold.
Pacify the internal before expanding outward.
Liu, Wei, Xu, and also the Buddhist sect.
Who to start with?
After days of contemplation, Ning Yongnian finally made his choice—everyone.
One arrow, four targets.
“Let the chaos begin……”
Standing at the grand hall’s entrance, looking up at the yellow dragon of destiny in the night sky that only he could see, Ning Yongnian whispered a faint smile:
“Chaos, the better.”