Chapter Nine: You Scoundrel, How Dare You Deceive Me?
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It was here that Zhu Cilang finally suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, then spoke with a calm expression:
“Luo Yangxing, tonight the emperor suddenly fell ill and summoned me to the palace, then issued an edict stating that from today onward, I shall oversee the affairs of the court. Do you understand?”
Overseeing the court? That’s just a euphemism for rebellion, a plot to usurp the throne!
Luo Yangxing inwardly scoffed but quickly responded:
“I understand, Your Highness. I know what to do. Please rest assured!”
As if there was anything unclear at this point!
Zhu Cilang knew he was clever and didn’t bother wasting words, directly asking:
“Tell me, how many actual members does the Embroidered Uniform Guard have now?”
“Your Highness, approximately seventy-five thousand,” Luo Yangxing answered respectfully.
Seventy-five thousand?
A cold sneer formed in Zhu Cilang’s heart. He suddenly stood up, like an enraged tiger, and charged at Luo Yangxing.
“Bring me a blade!”
Without hesitation, Li Hu handed over a bloodstained knife.
Before Luo Yangxing could react, the blade was pressed against his neck.
“You scoundrel, how dare you lie to me!”
“You’ve fooled the emperor before, but you dare to fool me?”
“Looks like you really don’t want to live!”
“If that’s the case, then I shall personally send you to your death!”
What kind of joke was this? At a time like this, to say the Ming’s Embroidered Uniform Guard numbered seventy-five thousand—was he treating him like a fool?
Previously, since Li Guozhen controlled the capital garrison, Zhu Cilang had tolerated his deceptions, intending to deal with him later.
But how could Luo Yangxing dare to deceive him like this?
He had already learned from the battalion commander Wang Qinian about the real numbers.
The actual capable members were far fewer than twenty thousand, let alone seventy-five thousand!
This bastard was claiming seventy-five thousand when there weren’t even twenty thousand, pocketing the salaries of fifty thousand phantom men!
Unbearable. Absolutely unbearable!
He must be killed!
In the next moment, the blade sliced dangerously close to Luo Yangxing’s neck, ready to take his life at any instant.
“Your Highness, spare me!”
Sweat broke out all over Luo Yangxing’s body in fright.
He never imagined that the seemingly gentle and harmless crown prince could become so terrifying in an instant.
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There was no doubt in his mind that if he uttered one more unnecessary word, the crown prince would decapitate him on the spot!
Was this really the demeanor of a thirteen-year-old boy?
At the same time, he cursed himself for being a fool.
Since the crown prince had the authority to summon battalion commander Wang Qinian to him, it meant Wang had already been bought over.
Therefore, the crown prince must already know all about the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s situation.
And yet he still dared to deceive him? That was pure suicide!
Luo Yangxing felt as if his ancestors were beckoning him from the afterlife...
In a flash of clarity, Luo Yangxing regained his composure and shouted:
“Your Highness, I was wrong! Please grant me another chance!”
“The actual number of active Embroidered Uniform Guard members is less than twenty thousand, but I can assure Your Highness that every single one is loyal to you!”
The last sentence clearly implied one thing:
He was still useful.
Hearing this, Zhu Cilang withdrew the blade slightly and tossed it back to Li Hu.
Then he turned and strode toward the dragon throne, speaking as he went:
“The actual number is only twenty thousand, but you have been reporting seventy-five thousand and drawing salaries for all of them.”
“So you’ve been pocketing the salaries of fifty thousand phantom men?”
“Luo Yangxing, your appetite is enormous. Aren’t you afraid you’ll choke yourself to death?”
“Touch your neck. Let’s see how long your head will stay attached.”
“How long can your nine clans survive?”
Zhu Cilang returned to the dragon throne, a fierce murderous aura radiating from him as if he were ready to leap down and cut Luo Yangxing to pieces at any moment.
Li Hu’s face darkened ominously. He knew these people were probably drawing phantom salaries, but he had no idea they dared to do so on such a scale!
No wonder he had never received full military pay during his time as a common soldier—most of it must have been embezzled by scoundrels like this!
Thinking of this, Li Hu gripped his blade tighter.
At a single command from the crown prince, he would mince this wretch into paste on the spot!
Meanwhile, Luo Yangxing was nearly so frightened he would soil himself...
He had lived through the reigns of Wanli, Tianqi, and Chongzhen, witnessing the anger of three emperors, but honestly, none of them had ever made him feel such crushing pressure.
It was as if the figure seated on the dragon throne was no longer a Ming crown prince but a true dragon emperor—
A celestial dragon looking down on the world, seeing him as nothing but an ant.
And yet he was only thirteen years old...
Without a moment’s hesitation, Luo Yangxing slammed his head heavily against the ground.
“Your Highness, I do not wish to do this. I was forced by others!”
“If I refused, they would ensure that neither I nor my family would have a burial place!”
“I am willing to surrender all my family’s property, begging Your Highness for mercy, to continue serving you as a penitent!”
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Luo Yangxing had completely thrown caution to the wind.
If only he himself died, he could still try to resist and those people would look after his family.
But now, with the crown prince clearly threatening his entire nine clans, what was there left to consider?
After all, he had only taken a small piece of this cake!
He could not bear this burden alone!
“Speak. Who else was involved in this?”
Zhu Cilang asked coldly.
Luo Yangxing no longer dared to conceal anything and hurriedly replied:
“Duke of Dingguo, Xu Yunzhen; Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chuncheng; Duke of Ying, Zhang Zhiji; Marquis of Dingxi, Jiang Bingzhong; Marquis of Huaiyuan, Chang Yanling, and dozens of other nobles were involved!”
“I will write down all their names at once!”
Zhu Cilang gave a signal to Ma Bao nearby, who immediately understood and brought the calligraphy tools from the imperial desk to Luo Yangxing.
Still lying on the ground, Luo Yangxing dared not rise and began to write down the names of all the major players behind him...
Soon, a scroll filled with names was presented to Zhu Cilang.
A glance was enough to stir turbulent waves in his heart.
Nearly half the noble families in Beijing were listed.
He truly did not expect this group of nobles to be so brazen—after embezzling salaries from the capital garrison and the Five Armies commander’s office, they still weren’t satisfied and even dared to siphon funds from the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
The Embroidered Uniform Guard represented imperial authority!
How dare these reckless scoundrels covet royal power?
How could they?
Had the late Ming nobles really decayed to such a degree?
And Emperor Chongzhen remained completely unaware?
It was utterly unbelievable.
With this list in hand, wiping them out one by one would be the least severe punishment...
Eradicating their nine clans would be no problem at all.
Zhu Cilang folded the scroll and continued in a cold voice:
“So the Embroidered Uniform Guard has been infiltrated by the nobles? When did this happen?”
Luo Yangxing kowtowed again and hastily replied:
“Your Highness, the nobles have only been embezzling the Guard’s phantom salaries, not actually meddling with the Guard itself. I can guarantee this with my nine clans!”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard still only follows the emperor’s orders.”
Being forced to share the phantom salaries with the nobles was corruption, yes, but if the nobles had truly taken control of the Guard, that would be outright rebellion...
Luo Yangxing lacked such boldness, so he only told the truth.