All Heavens: From Joy of Life to The Great Feng Night Watchman

Page 182

Fan Xian suddenly put on a smiling face, "Eunuch Dai, you guys have it tough too."

"We're officials in the same court, so I can't be too arrogant; I should treat everyone kindly."

Old Eunuch Dai's face instantly broke into a smile. "Young Master Fan truly understands the ways of officialdom!"

Fan Xian said casually, "It seems there's nothing wrong with the Inspectorate's accounts. The misunderstanding is cleared up."

"Old Deng, Zong Zhui, let's evacuate our men!"

Fan Xian's actions stunned Yan Bingyun, Deng Ziyue, and all the officials in the department!

Openly soliciting bribes! Openly offering bribes! Openly accepting bribes!

Fan Xian said he wanted to crack down on corruption, so why is he openly accepting money to settle things?

However, given Fan Xian's status, these people dared not question him.

Fan Xian intends to use himself as bait to create the illusion of bribery, which will surely trigger a frenzy of impeachments from the Censorate.

After Fan Xian returned, he handed the silver notes to Chen Pingping and then left a record at the Supervisory Council. This meant that his actions were no longer considered soliciting bribes, but rather the Supervisory Council enforcing the law!

Then those crazy censors will thoroughly investigate Eunuch Dai and Fan Xian.

Fan Xian plans to use the power of the Censors of the Censorate to formally crack down on corruption in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

Fan Xian's plan was going smoothly, but as he stuffed the silver notes into his pocket, he suddenly heard the Second Prince's voice.

The Second Prince has been feeling uneasy lately, knowing that many of his important secrets have fallen into the hands of others.

"Master Xiao Fan, wait!"

Fan Xian turned around in surprise, wondering what Li Chengze was up to.

After all, by showing leniency this time, he had spared Eunuch Dai, a disciple of the Second Prince.

Could it be that the Second Prince has lost his mind and is trying to stop us?

Fan Xian guessed correctly; the Second Prince was indeed going to stop him.

Although Li Chengze couldn't fathom Fan Xian's thoughts, he knew that Fan Xian would never give up after taking the money.

Fan Xian looked at Li Chengze with a puzzled expression, "Second Prince, what advice do you have?"

Li Chengze put on his shoes, slowly walked down the steps, and grabbed the silver notes that Fan Xian had not yet fully put into his pocket.

"I didn't see the silver note that Eunuch Dai gave you clearly just now."

"I don't believe that old man would dare to openly offer bribes."

Fan Xian said with a smile, "Everyone saw it just now in front of everyone; it wasn't something I made up out of thin air."

As he spoke, he let go of Li Chengze's hand, letting him see the silver note.

Li Chengze held the banknote up to the sun and looked at it. "It's from Taiping Bank, they're reputable, it's genuine!"

The officials of the Censorate and the eunuchs of the Inspection Office were completely confused by these two gentlemen. What was the Second Prince up to this time?

Then, Fan Xian's eyes suddenly widened because Li Chengze had also done something astonishing.

The second prince revealed a look of madness and tore the silver note to shreds in the blink of an eye!

He roared, "Fan Xian, investigate if you want! If you're so capable, shut down the Inspection and Records Office!"

"I've stood up for Eunuch Dai. No matter how rich he is, he won't give it to those ruthless devils from the Overwatch Council!"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Li Chengze kicked the bewildered Eunuch Dai to the ground!

"You brainless, idiotic old killer!"

"You're offering bribes in front of so many people! What about me?!"

After falling to the ground, Eunuch Dai was kicked several more times by Li Chengze, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Your Highness, spare us! Who would have thought Fan Xian would dare to open the envelope so openly! He's not following the rules!"

Li Chengze's face showed a look of madness, and he turned to look at Fan Xian, who was also somewhat bewildered.

"Fan Xian, you accepted bribes from Eunuch Dai. If you want to investigate the Bureau of Investigation, you'd better find a way to clear your name first!"

"I don't know what you're planning, but I'm not afraid of you!"

"You mere corrupt inspector can't do anything to me!"

"Fan Xian, I am not afraid of death. If we're going to die, we'll all die together!"

Li Chengze was constantly worried about the charges of massive smuggling and colluding with enemy countries. The corruption in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics could not possibly deal a fatal blow to a prince like him.

However, the charge of openly soliciting bribes is enough to cause Fan Xian, who is known for his high-profile anti-corruption efforts, considerable trouble!

As soon as the insane-looking Li Chengze stepped out of the gate of the Inspection Office, he saw Fan Wujiu rushing around.

"Your Highness! Something bad has happened!"

Fan Wujiu was always composed, but Li Chengze's heart suddenly began to pound. "When did he become so flustered!"

Then, upon hearing Fan Wujiu's words, Li Chengze nearly fainted.

"The second young master of the Cui family sought to surrender himself to Lai Mingcheng of the Censorate, demanding to confess all the facts of his smuggling activities with Northern Qi!"

"More than a dozen shopkeepers in Shijia Town, who have access to confidential accounts, have reported to the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, the Surveillance Bureau, and the Censorate, and are willing to confess to all their smuggling crimes!"

"Yuan Meng, the manager of Baoyue Tower, has once again stormed the palace gates to lodge a complaint with the emperor, causing a great uproar throughout the city!"

These things are all aimed at Li Chengze's Achilles' heel, and with such a large scale, they cannot be concealed at all.

"Yuan Meng... has gone to appeal to the emperor again, a second time!"

Fan Wujiu said worriedly, "This time it's still about accusing the prince, but it's about Your Highness!"

"She accused you of instructing your own brother, the prince, to violate the law and wreak havoc on the royal family, making you a cancer on the royal family!"

"I accuse you of forcing women into prostitution in order to fight against Fan Xian, and even... ordered Baoyue Tower to kill people!"

Chapter 131 Emperor Qing Wants to Change the Whetstone! Yuan Meng Er Files a Petition with the Emperor! (13)

The second son of the Cui family, along with more than a dozen shopkeepers involved in smuggling, left complete confessions under the control of the local police, and they have already signed and sealed them.

The members of the Luo Wang organization did not reveal their identities and took all the signed confessions with them for evidence.

They have already confessed, revealing the secrets of two important figures. Being killed to silence them would be the least of their worries; it's not impossible that their entire families would be killed in retaliation.

Therefore, if they cannot bring down Li Chengze and Li Yunrui, they will only face certain death.

Apart from the second young master Cui, the Luo Net had already agreed to protect the families of the other shopkeepers, so these people went to report them as planned.

As for the second young master Cui, he knew in his heart that the Cui family was doomed.

He must cooperate fully with the investigation; there might still be a chance for him to survive.

For these individuals, surrendering themselves, reporting others, or exposing wrongdoing can mitigate their criminal liability.

In Kyoto, the news of the smuggling of the Imperial Treasury caused a huge uproar, sparking heated discussions throughout the city.

All the Ichishi Izakaya restaurants in the capital closed their doors on this day.

Yishiju was owned by the Cui family, and it was the Cui family that carried out the smuggling operations with Northern Qi.

Angry citizens rushed into the streets and threw stones at the storefront of Yi Shi Ju.

"I never imagined that the Cui family would be the biggest parasite in Daqing!"

"While the soldiers on the front lines are fighting to the death against the Northern Qi, these important figures are smuggling goods behind the scenes!"

"The Cui family deserves to die! And the eldest princess and the second prince, they colluded with the enemy country, enriching themselves at the expense of the public; they are utterly depraved!"

The busiest teahouse in Kyoto is now in complete chaos, with everyone discussing the smuggling of internal funds.

"Several government offices have received reports and accusations, all against the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess!"

"Several million taels of silver every year! That's enough to destroy the Northern Qi countless times!"

"Yuan Meng, who filed a lawsuit against the emperor with Si Lili five years ago, has filed another lawsuit against the emperor!"

"In order to fight with Fan Xian in factional strife, the Second Prince actually instigated others to open brothels and force women into prostitution! It almost resulted in a death!"

……

East Palace.

Upon hearing this news, the Crown Prince couldn't help but beam with joy.

"The second son is finished!"

"Young Master Cui went directly to Lai Mingcheng to turn himself in. That guy is a tough nut to crack and will definitely get to the bottom of this!"

"The Censorate, the Supervisory Commission, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review all received reports and accusations at the same time. This matter simply cannot be suppressed!"

The Crown Prince was confident because he had people holding important positions in the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review.

Based on this calculation, the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review will all investigate thoroughly.

"Second brother, you've really messed up this time!"

"Father probably wouldn't lay a hand on Aunt, but Li Chengze will likely never be able to recover!"

The Censorate.