Chapter 188 - 129: Zeng Anmin: There Is Only One Truth

Chapter 188: Chapter 129: Zeng Anmin: There Is Only One Truth

"The Imperial City Department is on official business! Clear the streets!" Huang Shi, acting as Bai Ziqing’s adjutant, stood in the middle of the main avenue, his voice booming with unbridled authority.

Behind him walked a remarkably dashing figure. His long, cascading hair seemed woven with a silky resilience, falling over his shoulders like a dark waterfall. Bathed in the sunlight, it shimmered with a dazzling golden sheen. Bai Ziqing’s face radiated the vibrant energy of a man on top of the world.

Over the past two days, he had made a name for himself in the hunt for Eastern Sect spies. After engaging in a brutal death match with two sect members, he emerged "heavily wounded" but successfully stopped the spies from blowing up the Jishui Dam.

For this monumental achievement, which saved the lives of millions of commoners in the Liangjiang Commandery, the Court had officially appointed him as Commander of the North for the Imperial City Department. He was now the youngest Fourth Grade official in the empire! How could he not feel invincible?

At twenty-two and still unmarried, he had become the dream husband of countless young women in the Capital City. Thanks to him, the Bai Family—a formerly declining noble house—was now a rising star among the capital’s elites.

Today, their destination was simple. The Ministry of the Secretariat! The Ministry of Revenue! A thorough investigation!

"We are here on imperial orders!"

When the men from the Imperial City Department stormed into the Ministry of Revenue, a ruthless edge hardened their features. With hawk-like glares, they swept their gaze across the ministry courtyard. Every official who met their eyes quickly lowered their head in fear. Only one man stood tall with his chest puffed out—Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lou Yingqi.

"Commander Bai," Lou Yingqi greeted calmly, offering a slight bow. After all, Bai Ziqing had saved his son’s life.

"Vice Minister Lou." Bai Ziqing returned the gesture before waving his hand with a deadpan expression. "Search the premises!"

"Yes, sir!"

Without a second’s hesitation, Huang Shi led around twenty Imperial City Department operatives straight into the main hall. They immediately began ransacking the place, turning boxes and cabinets upside down. Yet, after an extensive sweep, they found nothing out of the ordinary.

"Minister Ren’s private office," Lou Yingqi offered, his "helpful" reminder cutting through the tension.

Bai Ziqing cast him an appreciative glance before leading two men toward Ren Weizhi’s office.

"Just as I expected!" Upon entering, Bai Ziqing conveniently "discovered" a crucial piece of evidence hidden in a cabinet. It detailed not only the relief silver embezzled in recent years but also documented "proof" of Ren Weizhi’s collusion with several other court officials!

Having secured his findings, Bai Ziqing’s expression turned frigid. "Change of plans. We head to Ren Weizhi’s estate!"

"Yes, sir!"

The group marched back out onto the streets, making a beeline for the Minister’s home. Once inside, the Imperial City Department operatives ignored the desperate protests of Ren Weizhi’s family and immediately began tearing the house apart. Their hard work soon paid off. Inside Ren Weizhi’s study, Bai Ziqing "found" several more secret letters!

Had Zeng Anmin been present, he would have found these secret letters incredibly familiar. He would have undoubtedly been shocked, thinking, "Aren’t these the secret letters I found in the ancestral hall of Prince Qi’s Mansion?! How are they being used here?!"

Soon after, Bai Ziqing called off his men and presented all the gathered evidence to Emperor Jianhong.

In the Imperial Study.

Emperor Jianhong didn’t say much when he saw the "evidence" seized from the Ministry of Revenue. However, upon reading the secret letters, his face twisted in utter fury! The letters revealed that Ren Weizhi had been colluding with Prince Qi—and even with a certain high-ranking woman in the court!

A woman...

The Eldest Princess had already been completely cleared of suspicion, thanks to the Liangyou Chamber of Commerce, Zeng Shilin’s testimony, and the undeniable success of the indestructible Jishui Dam standing tall in Jiangnan. So who was the remaining woman Ren Weizhi could have conspired with?

There was only one answer: the Imperial Harem!

Harem interference in state affairs!

The gravity of that accusation was just as severe as Ren Weizhi colluding with the Demon Race or harboring Eastern Sect spies! Though it remained unclear which specific member of the harem he had partnered with, there were no more than three women with enough power to be a viable ally. With these secret letters in hand, Ren Weizhi was doomed beyond salvation.

The eleventh day of the fourth month, the thirteenth year of Jianhong.

Ren Weizhi, the incumbent Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was thrown into the Imperial Prison by the Imperial City Department. He was charged with twelve distinct crimes, including colluding with the Demon Race, embezzling disaster relief silver, deceiving the throne, and perverting the law for bribes. With both physical evidence and witness testimonies locked in, it was only a matter of picking an auspicious day to send him and his immediate family to the execution grounds. Ren Weizhi had absolutely no way to deny the charges.

The twelfth day of the same month.

Ren Weizhi’s family was sentenced: the women were banished to the Imperial Music Bureau, and the men were exiled three thousand miles away. At the same time, the fallout implicated at least seven other officials within the Ministry of Revenue, dragging them into prison alongside their superior. However, their punishments weren’t nearly as severe as Ren Weizhi’s, as their crimes were pinned solely on them as individuals rather than damning their entire families.

All of this happened in merely the third month since Zeng Shilin and his son had arrived in the Capital City.

In less than three months, Prince Qi had been dethroned, and Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Ren Weizhi, had fallen from grace. The mid-to-low-tier officials who followed in their wake and subsequently met their ruin were too numerous to count. Overnight, Zeng Shilin’s reputation in the Court skyrocketed!

Because Prince Qi and Ren Weizhi were brought down for committing heinous acts against heaven and reason, the commoners cheered their demise. During this time, the people even bestowed upon Zeng Shilin the revered title of "Zeng Qingtian"—an uncorrupted judge of the highest order. Meanwhile, the scholars who had traveled from Jiangnan finally found their political leader.

In just ten days, the Minister’s Mansion was inundated. Petitions for patronage submitted by students, scholars, and lower officials piled up on his father’s study desk, blanketing it like a flurry of snowflakes.

These petitions, often written in the form of poetry or prose, served a very specific purpose. They were crafted by ambitious men seeking advancement, presenting their literary works to high-ranking nobles in order to subtly showcase their talent and aspirations in hopes of securing a recommendation. His father had received similar submissions back when he served as Governor in Jiangnan.