We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1177 This Chang'an City is surnamed Wei?

The vendor selling flatbreads overturned his worktable, the fortune teller tore down his signboard, the peddler carrying his load threw down his carrying pole, the idlers leaning against the wall watching the commotion straightened their backs, and even a few ragged beggars on the street corner suddenly stood up.

They moved swiftly, tearing open their outer coarse cloth garments to reveal the flying fish suits underneath.

Reaching behind his waist, in his carrying pole, in a crack in the wall, or even into a pile of firewood, a series of narrow, sharp embroidered spring knives flashed in his hand.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of disguised Imperial Guards emerged from various corners and quickly lined up in front of the government office.

All the Imperial Guards knelt on one knee, their blades striking the ground.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The sound waves were synchronized, causing dust to rise from the ground.

Wei Li and the others' pupils shrank suddenly, and all the color drained from their faces, leaving only a deathly ashen complexion.

Embroidered Uniform Guard!

During the reign of the late emperor, this imperial guard was merely a den of dissolute sons of nobles who were just trying to gain seniority, and officials spoke of it with disdain.

However, since the current emperor ascended the throne, he has granted the Embroidered Uniform Guard the power of investigation, interrogation, and reporting directly to the emperor, and it has gradually become a legitimate personal guard of the emperor.

Over the years, countless deeply entrenched corruption cases and secretive treasonous plots have been uncovered by this sharp blade hanging over the heads of officials!

They were a force to be reckoned with by officials in Daqing, and no one dared to provoke these menacing figures anymore.

After all, nobody wants a member of the Imperial Guard to occasionally appear on their roof beam.

Unexpectedly, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already infiltrated Qin territory, and they, as local strongmen, were completely unaware.

Li Che nodded slightly to a cold-faced commander at the front of the Imperial Guard ranks and said:

"Go and find everyone on the list for me!"

"Here!"

The commander of the Imperial Guard clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, then stood up abruptly and waved his hand lightly.

The fierce and ruthless Imperial Guards pounced on them immediately.

First, they dragged the officials who were already kneeling on the ground out of the line like dead dogs and threw them to the open space to the side.

Most of these people were already defecating and urinating, and they didn't even have the strength to struggle when they were dragged away by the Imperial Guards.

Then, the commander took out a scroll from his bosom and cast a cold glance at the remaining officials who were still standing.

"Zhao Delu, Military Advisor of the Granary!"

"Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Personnel, Qian Liang!"

"Grain and Supplies Judge, Sun Jing!"

"Zhou Gui, clerk of the Transport Office!"

......

With each name called out, someone would collapse, while their colleagues would instinctively avoid them, only to be grabbed and dragged away by the Imperial Guards.

Those whose names weren't called either glanced curiously or cowered with their heads down, each with their own thoughts.

"Wei Li, Finance Commissioner of Qin Province!"

The moment the name was uttered, the entire room fell silent.

Immediately, almost all the remaining officials breathed a long sigh of relief.

Wei Li was the Finance Commissioner of Qin Province, a powerful figure in charge of the province's finances and expenditures, and was known as the "God of Wealth" of Qin Province.

Although his father had retired, he was a veteran of two dynasties and a leading figure in the literary world of Qin.

If he hadn't given his approval and hadn't worked on the Northwest military spending embezzlement case, how could those people below have accomplished anything?

He was the ringleader, and now that he's been singled out, the rest of the people are practically safe.

Wei Li's face was as pale as paper, and his lips trembled slightly.

But this guy still had some courage; compared to his limp accomplices, he managed to stand up.

He could even lift his own feet and slowly walk out of the queue, escorted by two Imperial Guards.

Li Che didn't look at them once from beginning to end; his gaze fell back on Li Yu, the Prince of Huai'an.

"Uncle Wang."

Li Yu's shoulders trembled slightly: "Your subject is here."

"The embezzlement of military funds in Qin Province has been going on for years, and the amount is enormous." Li Che's voice was devoid of emotion. "Are you aware of this?"

Li Yu closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your subject... knows a little."

Li Che's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Were you involved?"

Li Yu raised his head, his expression solemn: "Your Majesty! I swear to Heaven that I have not taken a single penny from this!"

“My family is of modest means, and we are also trusted by Your Majesty and ranked among the imperial relatives. How dare I do something that would sever my ties with Your Majesty and the imperial clan!”

Li Che looked at him quietly, as if trying to see through his heart.

After a few breaths, he slowly nodded.

This matches the secret report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Imperial Guards secretly investigated the accounts of the Prince of Huai'an's residence. Although there were some extravagant aspects, they were not related to the military deficit.

Li Yu was not a foolish person; his status as a member of the imperial clan was his lifeline, and he would never dare to touch such a level of embezzlement that would lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of an entire clan.

"Not participating..." Li Che's tone shifted sharply, "Does that mean you're innocent?!"

Li Yu was slightly taken aback.

“When the late emperor was alive, you did not manage the affairs of Qin Province. Even if you heard some rumors, you did not report them. That was understandable.”

Li Che's voice grew heavier with each sentence: "But after I ascend the throne, I will appoint you as the governor of Qin Province, giving you full control over the province's civil affairs, finances, and personnel!"

"I entrust the northwest gateway, and the lives of my soldiers, to you!"

"Since you knew even a little bit about it, why didn't you investigate? Why didn't you report it? Why did you allow these parasites to erode the border troops' supplies until I personally came here today to settle the score?!"

"Are you trying to fool me, or the people of Qin Province, or the soldiers who are starving, freezing, and bleeding on the plateau?!"

Every sentence is piercing to the heart, every word is like a knife.

Li Yu was speechless, cold sweat pouring down her forehead.

He could only bow down again, his voice trembling, and say, "Your Majesty, I know my crime! I failed in my duty! I have let Your Majesty down!"

"Of course you are guilty!" Li Che said mercilessly. "I have cleaned up most of the aristocratic families in Chang'an, but the Wei family is the only one whose roots are in Qin and whose industries and connections are so intricate that I have not had time to investigate them thoroughly."

He glanced at Wei Li beside him, then turned back to Li Yu:

"And what was the result? Because of this one fish that slipped through the net, you, the dignified governor of Qin Province, actually let Wei Li control the financial lifeline of Qin Province!"

"They colluded and conspired together!"

Li Che pointed at Li Yu, his voice shaking the entire audience:

"This Chang'an city belongs to the Wei family?!"

Upon hearing these scathing words, Li Yu trembled violently, his face drained of all color, and his eyes were filled with horror.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; in the end, he simply slumped down, exhausted.

"Your subject... deserves to die ten thousand times! Your subject deserves to die ten thousand times!!"

The streets were eerily silent, and the officials were growing increasingly desperate.

His Majesty said such harsh words to his own uncle, yet he merely kept quiet about it.

What about those who offered help?

Bitter!

Li Che stopped looking at him and turned to Wei Li beside him.

Although this god of wealth from Qin Province was pale at the moment, his back was straight, and he still retained some of his official authority.

"Wei Li," Li Che began, "do you know your crime?"

Wei Li took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm, and even cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Li Che: "Things have come to this point, I confess my guilt and accept my fate."

He raised his head, his eyes showing no remorse, only a calm acceptance of defeat.

Li Che looked at him like this and suddenly laughed in anger.

"What? Judging from your tone, you think you're unlucky and have run into my trap?"

"Are you also going to say, 'My plan failed because of fate?'"

Wei Li's lips twitched, and he actually replied, "Your subject dares not, but I also have something to say that I must say."

"Oh?" Li Che raised an eyebrow. "Speak, I'd like to hear what kind of ivory you, a thief who has hollowed out the border troops, can still spit out!"

Wei Li's gaze was fixed on Li Che on horseback, and he said in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty! Since ancient times, monarchs and aristocratic families have jointly governed the world! Aristocratic families assist monarchs in governing the people and managing the affairs of state. The monarch is the common ruler of the world, and is also elected by aristocratic families!"

"Even when the Li family gained power, it was inseparable from the strong support of the various families in Guanzhong!"

He caught his breath, ignoring the horrified stares around him, and continued his hissing:

"But since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been ruthlessly targeting powerful families, consolidating power, and making arbitrary decisions, treating all the officials in the court as servants!"

"The world is so vast, and the affairs of state are so numerous; how can all power be placed in the hands of one person?"

"This is not the right way to govern a country; it is the behavior of a tyrant! If this continues, the country will cease to exist!"

These words nearly sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Even Li Che was stunned for a moment, looking at Wei Li's distorted face, almost doubting that he had heard correctly.

Goodness...

A ruthless parasite who feeds on soldiers' blood, facing imminent death, instead of reflecting on his own sins, he spouts these grand principles, accusing himself of being a tyrant?!

So, according to his logic, if the emperor wants to rule together with the powerful families, he has to just watch them leech off the empire?

absurd!

Shameless!

The anger in Li Che's heart was somewhat diluted by the extreme sense of absurdity.

He laughed in anger, a cold smile curving his lips: "Good! Well said! As expected of Finance Commissioner Wei, you have indeed read the classics and possess extraordinary insight!"

He suddenly raised his hand, pointed at Wei Li who was holding his head high, and said loudly to the generals and officials beside him:

"You all see that, don't you? To achieve great things, one must have the same spirit as Minister Wei!"

"The nine generations of one's family are all external possessions; you can discard them just like that! You should all learn from this!"

This hellish joke sent chills down everyone's spine, yet no one dared to respond.

Everyone lowered their heads and repeatedly said they dared not.

“Wei Li,” Li Che’s smile vanished, his gaze sharpening like a knife:

"Today, I will tell you clearly, and also tell the people of the world."

"I have no intention of killing all the powerful families in the world. I am willing to coexist with those families that have contributed to the country and benefited the people, and I will also give them honor."

His next words were chilling:

"But a villain and traitor like you, who for personal gain colludes with cronies, embezzles border troops' supplies, and devours the flesh and blood of 100,000 soldiers guarding the border..."

"If I see one, I will kill it!"

"Not only will we kill you, but we will also confiscate your property and purge your associates! Your family members will be executed or exiled as appropriate!"

"I will use your blood, the fate of your nine generations, to erect a monument and inscribe a line of words!"

He pulled on the reins, and Black Wind reared up.

With a long, drawn-out neigh, Li Che's roar reverberated in all directions:

"The army is the backbone of the empire! It is the bottom line of the laws of Daqing! It is my Achilles' heel!"

"Whoever dares to embezzle from the army, whoever dares to exploit soldiers, receive salaries without working, and undermine the foundation of the nation..."

"Be prepared to lose your head and be removed from the family genealogy!"