Soon, Zhang Ci was brought in.
Looking at the crowd kneeling on the ground, Zhang Ci couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
After he came back to his senses, Zhang Ci saluted Emperor Zhou.
"Rise."
Emperor Zhou raised his hand and asked knowingly, "Are you also here to impeach Shen Jing?"
"No... no!"
Zhang Ci shook his head repeatedly and bowed, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Dali Temple recently discovered that a brothel in the capital was somewhat suspicious. Your subject ordered a secret investigation and found that this brothel was a Yong Country intelligence station!"
"Dali Temple followed the clues and found that Zheng Duan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was colluding with the enemy!"
"Two days before the Yong Country Delegation arrived in the capital, Zheng Duan used a secret letter to inform the Yong Country Delegation of all our dynasty's confidential matters!"
"These are some of the confessions from the Yong Country spies..."
As he spoke, Zhang Ci presented the confessions.
Listening to Zhang Ci's words, everyone looked up in shock.
Yao Jian, who was already uneasy, became even more so.
He also held the position of Minister of Revenue!
Zheng Duan was his direct subordinate!
Even if he didn't know about Zheng Duan's collusion with the enemy, he was still responsible for the oversight.
Moreover, Zheng Duan was the Vice Minister of Revenue!
Zheng Duan knew many things about the Ministry of Revenue.
Now that Zheng Duan was found to be colluding with the enemy, he would certainly be interrogated.
This interrogation, who knew what else it would reveal.
It was possible that he and the entire Ministry of Revenue would be implicated.
Emperor Zhou quickly scanned the confessions and immediately became furious, "Besides Zheng Duan, are there any others who colluded with the enemy?"
Zhang Ci shook his head and said, "Currently, we haven't found any. Your subject specifically came to request an imperial decree to detain Zheng Duan for interrogation, which might reveal others!"
"Immediately detain Zheng Duan and interrogate him strictly!"
Emperor Zhou roared.
"Yes!"
Zhang Ci took the order and then asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, what's going on with all these officials?"
Emperor Zhou panted and said angrily, "They are impeaching Shen Jing, saying that Shen Jing colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, causing our dynasty to lose at least five or six million taels of silver!"
"Ah?"
Zhang Ci was stunned for a moment, then indignantly said, "How could Marquis Shen collude with the enemy and betray the country? Marquis Shen clearly rendered great service to our dynasty!"
"What great service? What great service?" Emperor Zhou looked up at Zhang Ci, "You didn't accept bribes from Shen Jing, did you?"
"No, absolutely not!"
Zhang Ci shook his head and quickly explained, "Your subject was previously ordered to investigate Prince Ji's rebellion case, and accidentally learned from Zhao Jianzhi that Marquis Shen can make white sugar, basically producing one catty of white sugar at a cost of twenty taels of silver!"
"Our dynasty offered Yong Country forty thousand catties of white sugar. Including all expenses, it would at most be considered giving Yong Country one million taels of silver!"
"This is much less than what Yong Country demanded as tribute!"
Listening to Zhang Ci calculating the detailed accounts, the hearts of the kneeling crowd trembled violently, and their faces turned completely pale.
Using white sugar to replace other tributes was a plan that Emperor Zhou and Shen Jing had discussed long ago!
It was precisely because Shen Jing could make white sugar that Emperor Zhou appointed Shen Jing as Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial to receive the Yong Country Delegation!
And all of them were kept in the dark, foolishly coming to impeach Shen Jing and remonstrate with their lives!
Emperor Zhou had Zhang Ci come precisely to reveal this matter through Zhang Ci's mouth!
When this matter was revealed, it would be time for Emperor Zhou to settle accounts with them!
"Shen Jing, is what Zhang Ci said true?"
Emperor Zhou looked up at Shen Jing.
"It is!"
Shen Jing understood Emperor Zhou's meaning and smiled apologetically, "The reason your subject confined the Yong Country Delegation was to tempt them with white sugar! Your subject was afraid of a leak, so I never dared to tell Your Majesty! Your subject originally planned to report it at tomorrow's court assembly to give Your Majesty a surprise, but I didn't expect to encounter this..."
"Can you really produce white sugar at such a low cost?"
Emperor Zhou confirmed again, "Don't deceive me in front of me!"
"Your subject wouldn't dare!"
Shen Jing vowed, "If your subject speaks half a word of falsehood, Your Majesty may execute your subject immediately!"
Damn it!
This dog emperor is also an actor!
Look at this acting, so natural.
"Good, very good! You truly gave me a huge surprise!"
Emperor Zhou's face revealed a smile again, "Are you willing to offer the method of making sugar to the imperial court?"
Shen Jing grinned, "Your subject was originally going to offer it to the imperial court!"
Listening to Shen Jing's words, Zhang Ci said opportunely, "Marquis Shen is indeed worthy of the name Marquis of Loyalty! Having loyal and righteous individuals like Marquis Shen is a blessing for His Majesty, and also a blessing for our Great Zhou!"
"Indeed! Having such loyal and righteous individuals is a blessing for me and Great Zhou!"
Emperor Zhou sighed repeatedly, then slowly stood up, his gaze stern as he swept over the kneeling crowd, "But there are some who cannot tolerate these loyal and righteous individuals!"
Here it comes!
Everyone's hearts pounded.
They had impeached, and they had played the card of remonstrating with their lives.
Now, it was time for Emperor Zhou to settle accounts with them!
Thinking of this, everyone buried their heads like ostriches, afraid of being seen by Emperor Zhou.
"Fu Yan!"
Emperor Zhou began to call names.
"Your subject... is here!"
Fu Yan looked up in fear.
Emperor Zhou looked coldly at Fu Yan, "I want to know, Gao Yin clearly offered me thirty thousand taels of gold, so why did you only submit so little? Who gave the people of the Ministry of Justice the audacity to even dare to lay hands on things offered to me?"
"Your subject... your subject..."
Fu Yan stammered, sweating profusely, "Your subject will definitely order a thorough investigation, and if anyone is found to have embezzled or hoarded, they will not be tolerated!"
"Good, I'll give you a chance to investigate!"
Emperor Zhou narrowed his eyes, "However, no matter who the culprit is, you, the Minister of Justice, cannot escape responsibility!"
Fu Yan knew that this ordeal was unavoidable, so he could only prostrate himself even lower, "Your subject is guilty! Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Zhou pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Fu Yan, Marquis Rongchang, was lax in supervising his subordinates and slandered loyal officials! Effective immediately, he is demoted to Earl of Xing'an and temporarily relieved of his position as Minister of Justice! Until the whereabouts of the lost gold are clarified, the affairs of the Ministry of Justice will temporarily be taken over by Zhang Ci!"
Fu Yan's face changed, and he said miserably, "Your subject... obeys the decree!"
"Yao Jian!"
Emperor Zhou then looked at Yao Jian.
"Your subject is here."
Yao Jian knew it would eventually be his turn, so he was much calmer than Fu Yan.
"As the head of all officials, you have repeatedly slandered and targeted Shen Jing out of personal resentment! Today, you even led so many people to remonstrate with their lives, attempting to force me to harm loyal officials! Yet, someone under the very nose of the Ministry of Revenue colluded with the enemy, and you were completely unaware! If I do not punish you, it will only discourage loyal officials!"
Emperor Zhou looked coldly at Yao Jian, "Since you cannot be a good head of all officials, then don't be one! Effective immediately, your position as Left Prime Minister is revoked, but your position as Minister of Revenue is retained! The position of Left Prime Minister will temporarily remain vacant!"
Yao Jian's heart ached fiercely, and he prostrated himself in grief and indignation, "Your subject... obeys the decree!"
He knew Emperor Zhou would severely punish him, but he didn't expect Emperor Zhou to directly revoke his prime ministership.
This blow truly hurt him!
After announcing Yao Jian's punishment, Emperor Zhou coldly looked at Ye Qing, who had his head buried low, "Second Son!"
"Your son is here."
Ye Qing's voice trembled.
"I'm too lazy to list your crimes!"
Emperor Zhou stared at Ye Qing with a face full of disappointment, "Effective immediately, Prince Jing, Ye Qing, is demoted to Prince of Changping Commandery!"
Boom!
Ye Qing seemed to have been struck by lightning, staring blankly at Emperor Zhou.
Demoted from a Prince to a Prince of Commandery!
It was almost equivalent to declaring that he had lost the qualification to compete for the throne...