Zhao Xu smiled slightly and said,"I am very comforted that you two have shared the country's worries. I have heard folk dramas that say that no official is greedy and no official is commercial. How about this? I will give you seven days. Within seven days, bring out 50 million strings of strings of coins from my treasury."””
Fifty million strings?
This…
The Emperor was going to scrape off three layers of skin.
Sima Guang and Wang Anshi looked at each other and were shirking when Zhao Xu walked down from the dragon throne and said kindly,"The two sirs are quite famous for their ability and incorruptness. This small matter is probably not a problem for the two sirs.”
This--
Wang Anshi and Sima Guang were suddenly choked. They immediately felt like they were in a difficult situation.
This little Emperor's political skills were too vicious. Sima Guang felt like he was being toyed with by the Emperor.
However, Wang Anshi was deeply impressed by Zhao Xu's tactics of playing hard to get. Anti-corruption was easy to offend people.
The Emperor asked the two of them to offend someone. When the national treasury was full, the Emperor would come out to appease those ministers who had been attacked. Why not? He could also occupy the highest level and control everything.
If the Emperor's father, Song Yingzong, had such a method, he would not have to worry about the conflict between Empress Dowager Cao and the officials.
"Alright, anti-corruption is a must. Those corrupt officials are also obstacles to the reform.”
Wang Anshi decisively convinced himself and decided to join forces with the conservative Sima Guang to fight corruption.
It was only 50 million strings. How many people would have to be raided to gather this amount?
A gentleman's word was a promise that could not be taken back. Sima Guang braced himself and agreed.
Zhao Xu saw that the two ministers had agreed, so he signaled Wang Yong to draft the imperial edict.
Sima Guang and Wang Anshi, who had received the imperial edict,"fled" out of Funing Palace in fear and trepidation.
Wang Yong bowed and said," Your Majesty is truly wise and mighty. I have never seen Prime Minister Sima in such a sorry state. Lord Wang is also panicking."”
"Wang Yong, don't act so arrogantly. It's your duty to assist Sima Guang and Wang Anshi. The Detective Department has a lot of information on court officials.”
" Yes, Your Majesty..." Wang Yong was shocked. He didn't expect that this matter could be related to him." Your Majesty, I do have some information, but I don't have the prestige to investigate corrupt officials. Officials are all high-ranking officials."
"Xu Feng will assist the two of them in capturing them. What you need to do is to provide information. Go and prepare, Sima Guang and the others should be looking for you soon.”
"I will obey."
After Wang Yong left Funing Palace, he immediately went to the Detective Department and began to sort out all the information about corrupt officials.
As expected, Sima Guang's Wang Anshi quickly came to find him.
50 million strings! What a spectacular number.
Since the Taizong Dynasty, there had been no anti-corruption in the past hundred years. If high salaries were high salaries to raise honesty, then the Song Dynasty had been high salaries to raise greed.
Cooperating with the two important officials to investigate corrupt officials was the emperor's will, Wang Yong did not dare to neglect, and soon took out some evidence of corruption.
After Sima Guang and Wang Anshi took the evidence, they immediately reached a consensus."These corrupt officials are indeed black-hearted. The number of corrupt officials is simply unimaginable. Then let's take action!"
Those who covet Mo Country's wealth are traitors!
On Wang Yong's corruption list, there were not only ordinary officials, but also some royal relatives.
Since Tian Zi said that no matter who he found, he would treat everyone equally, this was the greatest attitude.
The emperor's attitude didn't care if you were a relative of the imperial family, an elder of the three dynasties, or an important official.
His goal was to complete the 50 million strings.
Seizing, capturing, transporting-
After a busy night, the homes of six officials were raided. They had to pay 10 million strings of money, and these six families were just small fries.
The next day, all the officials in the capital were on tenterhooks.
Ever since the Taizong Dynasty, there had been no anti-corruption measures. The only ones to be punished were the generals. At most, civil officials would be demoted if they committed crimes.
This time, it seemed like he was serious.
Three days passed.
The G Storm was getting fiercer and fiercer, and the status of the arrested officials was getting higher and higher.
Wang Anshi captured the Prince of Donghai, Zhao Dong. He was a Prince and a first-grade official. He was of the same generation as Renzong. In terms of seniority, Zhao Xu had to call him grandfather.
This time, even Sima Guang did not dare to make the decision and pulled Wang Anshi to meet Zhao Xu.
Zhao Dong embezzled a large amount of money, reaching 30 million strings.
As long as he took him down, he would be able to gather 50 million strings immediately, and he would have a huge surplus.
In the Hall of Heroes, Zhao Xu sat on the dragon chair and listened to Sima Guang and Wang Anshi's report. He immediately issued an edict,"
"No matter who it is, even if it is my own brother who is corrupt, we must enforce the law impartially. The effect of killing one as a warning to the others is immediate.”
Sima Guang and Wang Anshi were very excited when they heard this. They wanted the emperor to say this.
After spending an entire afternoon, the Eastern Sea Commandery Prince Zhao Dong's mansion was raided.
Just the gold, copper, and silver were equivalent to 31,990,000 strings of Song money.
There were also a large number of rare antiques, famous paintings, and the most spectacular was a coral tree decorated with pearls.
The money went to the national treasury, and the other treasures were all pulled into Wende Palace, which was Zhao Xu's royal study.
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