nycdaug Chapter 271 Yan Danyang Steps Down
Chapter 271 Yan Danyang Steps Down
The War King has many businesses in Yunming Prefecture, including dye houses, casinos, tea shops, and money exchanges...
His main business was concentrated in Yunming Prefecture.
These businesses were not under his name and were operated in a very secretive manner. If the Crown Prince hadn't told Zhou Yonglu, he would never have guessed that these businesses belonged to the War King.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince assigned many people to investigate simultaneously, catching the other party off guard; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to investigate them all.
In addition to tax evasion, the case also involved crimes such as murder, human trafficking, buying and selling contraband, smuggling, and monopolistic practices.
It's unbelievable that this War King, in his business dealings, could commit so many heinous acts.
He's back, but Wei Hongwen isn't; he's still investigating over there.
These industries have all been shut down and are now surrounded by the military. It is estimated that the people in charge will be replaced in the future.
The confiscated illegal gains, contraband, and smuggled goods included 50 million taels of silver, 5 million taels of gold, 20,000 bolts of cloth, 5,000 catties of tea, 100 boxes of jewelry, 5,000 horses, 5,000 catties of salt, and so on.
Qin Wanying was also stunned.
No wonder they had the confidence to rebel; it turns out the War King is so rich!
Compared to the King of War, Yu Pengze is not that rich.
Just when we were worried about the empty treasury, now we have money!
Box after box of treasure was sent into the national treasury.
There was still one position missing for the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. After Zhou Yonglu returned, he was directly promoted to Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
When Wei Hongwen returns, he will be promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
If the previous attack on Yu Pengze only scratched the surface of the War King's defenses, this operation can be said to have damaged the War King's very foundation.
With the money gone, the War King had no way to prolong the battle.
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Outside the tent of the King of War in the Eastern Frontier Army camp.
The War King's deputy general, Fei Haotian, stood outside the tent, not daring to go in for a long time, because the sound of porcelain being smashed kept coming from inside.
It's clear that His Highness is extremely angry.
Sigh, all the businesses I've built up over so many years have been shut down. How can I not be angry?
They're probably all about to collapse.
After a while, when the noise inside gradually subsided, Fei Haotian went in.
Looking at the mess, the War King slumped into a chair, pressing his hand to his temples.
"Why is Father treating me like this! That's the business I've painstakingly built up over the years!" the War King exclaimed.
He wasn't unaware of this step.
However, the other party acted too quickly. Just as he was about to transfer his assets, Zhou Yonglu immediately led people to investigate and had the army surround his assets, not even letting a fly out.
It's a pity his army isn't in Yunming Prefecture, otherwise I would have sent troops there and killed them all!
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The next person to be dealt with is Yan Danyang, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.
A Liang provided letters exchanged between Yan Danyang and the War King, in which they plotted a rebellion.
These were originally kept by the War King to control the Minister of State, but they were stolen and hidden by A Liang, and now they have become their weapons against the Minister of State.
The discovery of Ah Liang was kept very secret; no one discovered that Ah Liang had been found.
Only two days after Zhu Jin's assassination attempt, guards were stationed outside Cining Palace, and all the people inside were replaced by the Emperor's people, who were responsible for watching over the Empress Dowager. If anyone tried to enter, they were told that the Empress Dowager was unwell and would not see anyone.
Thus, the news of the Empress Dowager being placed under house arrest was not leaked.
The day after Zhou Yonglu returned, in the imperial court...
The emperor sat on the high dragon throne, watching his ministers kneel and pay their respects.
The Emperor glanced at Yan Danyang, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.
After the officials rose, the hall fell silent.
The Emperor spoke directly: "It is said that it is difficult to guard against traitors within one's own household, but it is even more difficult to guard against traitors to the state!"
The ministers, upon hearing this, felt their hair stand on end.
Such an opening remark at court is likely to get someone in trouble.
"My trusted minister is having an affair with my son and is trying to steal my throne!" the emperor shouted, his voice filled with anger.
The hall was completely silent, except for the Emperor's voice echoing throughout.
The members of the War King's faction clenched their fingers.
Yan Danyang swallowed hard, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Minister Yan Danyang, do you know your crime?!" the Emperor questioned directly.
All eyes were on Yan Danyang.
Yan Danyang felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, and hurriedly knelt down, looking completely innocent. "Your Majesty, my loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon. Please do not listen to the slander of petty people!"
"Are you saying that I am unable to distinguish right from wrong and have wronged you?" The emperor glared, exuding an imposing aura, and all the ministers lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
"Your Majesty, I dare not, Your Majesty, I just..." Yan Danyang had never felt so flustered before. He never expected the Emperor to take action against him so quickly!
"Shut up! Look for yourself!" The emperor threw a stack of papers at him, which flew everywhere. Yan Danyang picked up one of them and looked at it.
As Yan Danyang read, his hands trembled. These were actually letters he exchanged with the War King!
Shouldn't this thing be with the War King? How did it end up in His Majesty's hands?
Yan Danyang picked up another piece of paper and discovered that it contained letters exchanged between him and the War King!
"My beloved ministers, take a look! What are the Grand Secretary and the Prince of War plotting?" The Emperor was furious.
Marquis Dingbei was the first to pick up a piece of paper, followed by Duke Wei.
"These are letters exchanged between the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Prince of War. The two of them are actually plotting a rebellion!" Qin Yezhong said.
"Your Majesty, this matter must be thoroughly investigated! The Great Yao will never allow such a parasite to exist!" The Duke of Wei said indignantly.
Other ministers also picked up the letters and passed them around, creating a murmur of emotion throughout the hall.
"Could it be a forged letter, deliberately framed as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?" Yan Danyang's father-in-law, the Imperial Censor, asked.
"This man was originally a confidant of the War King, but later offended him and left his master with evidence of the War King's crimes," the Emperor said. "Besides, by comparing the handwriting, we can tell whether it was written by them or not."
Since the Emperor had said so, the Imperial Censor shut his mouth and said no more.
The former supporters of the War King in the court, seeing that the situation had changed, knew that if they spoke up for Yan Danyang, they might be implicated, so they remained silent.
"Chen Ning, this matter is entrusted to you. Investigate it thoroughly," the Emperor ordered.
"Your subject obeys," Chen Ning, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, replied respectfully.
"Take Yan Danyang away immediately!" the Emperor ordered.
The two guards standing in front of the hall immediately stepped forward, grabbed Yan Danyang's hands on either side, and led him away.
Yan Danyang's face was deathly pale, but he remained silent.
He had imagined many possible endings for himself, and this was the worst one. Unexpectedly, it actually happened.
Yan Danyang's official hat fell off in the chaos and was left on the main hall.
After Yan Danyang was taken away, the officials were still in shock. They never expected that the powerful and influential Minister of the Imperial Secretariat would step down like this.
"I have one more thing to announce," the Emperor continued.