The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 224

"One hundred thousand taels?" Xu Wan exchanged a glance with the Old Marchioness.

The amount was staggering. If even this sum didn't sway them, it meant this wasn't a matter that could be resolved with money. It seemed Tongya was merely a tool they used to exchange for power.

That night, while the outside world was bustling with activity, the Marquis Manor remained eerily quiet.

After He Zheng's incident, Madam He had come to visit. She mentioned that Minister He was also aware of the situation but was too preoccupied with self-investigations to deal with He Zheng. She advised him to lay low and not get involved in this matter.

Upon hearing that his father wasn't planning to break his legs, He Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. What a good father!

Early the next morning, the Crown Prince summoned Jin Cheng again.

Even the Old Marchioness began to sense something was amiss. She turned to Xu Wan and asked, "At such a critical moment, why does His Highness keep calling for Jin Cheng? He's not exactly a key witness."

Xu Wan thought to herself that it probably wasn't that simple.

The Crown Prince and Jin Cheng seemed to have a mysterious connection, and the boy was tight-lipped, so she couldn't get any answers from him.

After a full day and night of interrogation, the authorities managed to identify over a hundred young girls who had been involved. Given the large number of implicated officials, summoning them all for identification would have caused a major uproar. Thus, the Crown Prince ordered their portraits to be drawn.

When the little troublemaker entered, he overheard an official saying, "Another high-ranking official has been identified. Seven girls have pointed him out, all questioned separately."

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍list of portraits before the Crown Prince grew longer and longer, expanding from the dozen or so names Tongya had initially mentioned to several dozen.

With thousands of officials in the court, along with those holding noble titles, the numbers were vast. Yet, those implicated through the dance troupe were almost all individuals of significant status, revealing the tangled web of interests involved.

Zong Jincheng muttered in astonishment, "So many corrupt officials..."

The Crown Prince, who had barely slept that night, let out a few coughs that seemed to drain him of energy. He chuckled softly, "Are you scared?"

Zong Jincheng shook his head. "No, I'm just angry. They feed off the Emperor's bounty, yet instead of serving the people, they lead the way in wrongdoing. It's despicable."

The Crown Prince nodded. "They exploit young girls from underground circles as tools to trade for power. They've lost all humanity, treating the law as if it doesn't exist. Truly despicable."

With no one else in the room, the little troublemaker walked up to the Crown Prince and asked, "Your Highness, what will happen to these people? I looked through the legal codes yesterday. It says that those who harm children under ten, whether willingly or not, are to be executed. For those between ten and twelve, they are to receive two hundred lashes, which would either kill them or leave them crippled. Since these are officials, should they all lose their positions?"

The Crown Prince replied, "Yes, they should. Those with official posts will be dismissed, and those with noble titles will be stripped of them."

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Zong Jincheng's first reaction was one of satisfaction. "These scoundrels, all of them must be brought down!"

The Crown Prince chuckled, reaching out to pat the boy's head. But the words in his throat remained stuck, as if he wanted to say more but held back.

However, Zong Jincheng soon realized something was off. He quickly looked up and asked, "Will they all be dealt with at once? Your Highness, you once told me that handling too many people at once could backfire, like what happened with Chancellor Yan."

The Crown Prince said, "The masterminds and those with the most severe crimes will definitely be executed. As for the others, I haven't decided yet. The political situation in the court is complicated, and the foundation of imperial power is unstable. Acting rashly would indeed carry significant risks."

"Ah... so will the investigation continue?" Zong Jincheng wanted these corrupt officials to face justice, but he didn't want to see the Crown Prince harmed.

"It will," the Crown Prince replied. "We must first know who these evildoers are."

After three days, the final list was compiled.

Fifty-five individuals were implicated, including seventeen from noble families and the rest being court officials. The crimes of these fifty-five ranged from stripping them of their titles and positions, executing twelve of them, and sentencing twenty-five to two hundred lashes.

The Crown Prince reported the progress of the case to the Emperor, who ordered the execution of the mastermind, Zhai Li. The rest were to remain untouched for the time being.

As the supreme ruler, the Emperor feared that such a shocking scandal would cause the people to lose trust in the court, potentially sparking rebellions. Thus, even Zhai Li was to be dealt with secretly, without public disclosure.

That night, the Crown Prince brought poisoned wine to Zhai Li, with Jin Cheng in tow.

The little troublemaker placed the tray of poisoned wine heavily on the ground. "Drink it yourself. Don't make us force you."

This scoundrel was the one who had orchestrated the whole scheme, causing so much harm.

Zhai Li, who had been in the cell for three days, had messy hair but still carried an air of confidence. He looked up at the young boy and sneered, "So the Crown Prince isn't even trying to hide it anymore? Parading around with a bastard child every day. Why not just bring him into the Eastern Palace? Are you afraid of your powerful Crown Princess?"

The little troublemaker instinctively retorted, "A scoundrel sees everyone as scoundrels. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are doing just fine, no need for your concern. Drink up, or I'll start pouring it down your throat."

Though Zhai Li was shackled, he was still an adult, and the little troublemaker would have a hard time forcing him.

Zhai Li leaned leisurely against the wall, smirking. "Want to execute me in secret... is that the Emperor's idea? Your Highness, aren't you furious that someone like me won't be publicly executed?"

The Crown Prince coldly replied, "No matter how you die, I will find it satisfying."

"Ha ha ha... very well, what a fine Crown Prince. You and your father want to kill me, but you underestimate my ability to protect myself." Zhai Li laughed maniacally. "Let me tell you this: if I die here tonight, the imperial power you're trying to maintain will crumble—completely."

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, his voice dangerous. "What have you done?"

"What have I done?" Zhai Li sneered. "I've simply helped you, Your Highness, by exposing all our wrongdoings to the public. Everyone, every official you've identified, every transaction record from the underground circles—all of it will be made public."

The imperial power of Great Chu was already unstable. If the scandals of so many officials were exposed, the people would see the court as a den of corruption and worms. Resentment and dissatisfaction would skyrocket overnight, leading to unrest across the land. Someone might even seize the opportunity to incite rebellion... This was the last thing the Emperor wanted, and it wasn't the outcome the Crown Prince desired either.

The Crown Prince's voice was low and tense. "You prepared for this long ago?"

Zhai Li grinned triumphantly. "Of course. As an official of Great Chu, I knew your methods. I knew today would be the day you'd deal with me. So, long ago, I arranged an escape plan. If I were imprisoned here for more than three days, all the scandals of the underground circles would be exposed. By now, half the capital must know. If I die tonight, it will confirm the scandals are true. Do you think the Chu family's throne will remain secure?"

The Crown Prince clenched his fists.

Zhai Li continued to laugh mockingly. "Either let me go and publicly declare all these scandals false, so everyone can move on. Or we all die together. I'll take the entire royal family with me—it's not a bad deal. I wonder, Your Highness, the so-called people-loving Crown Prince, do you dare to step into this game and kill us all?"