novelburst
Chapter 535 - 395 Decisive Killing
Chapter 535 - 395 Decisive Killing
Chapter 535: Chapter 395 Decisive Killing
Zhou Yi’s gaze shifted, and his face seemed somewhat tempted.
“How many taels in total?”
Eunuch Miao answered, “This servant is fond of antiques and calligraphy; it’s difficult to cash them in precisely, but there should be as much as 120,000 or 130,000 taels. My lord, if you prefer gold and silver, I can have someone pawn them right away!”
“Humph!”
Zhou Yi snorted coldly and bowed in the direction of the Qianqing Palace, speaking with stern righteousness.
“Being a mere eunuch without rank, I have been entrusted by His Majesty to manage a department. With such immense grace and trust, how could I stoop so low as to collude with the likes of you?”
...
Eunuch Miao was about to speak when he looked up and saw a gilded palm smashing down upon his head.
Red and white splattered everywhere, and the rich scent of blood permeated the hall.
Zhou Yi instructed, “Mr. Wen, you will replace Eunuch Miao as the monitor of the hall and take charge of the ledger. Investigate his illicit silver thoroughly, and I will personally deliver it to His Majesty!”
Eunuch Wen, looking at the headless corpse, knew well that Zhou Yi was establishing his authority. He stood up and bowed.
“As you command!”
Zhou Yi then turned to Eunuch Shen, smiling as he asked, “Senior Shen has been in the kitchen division for many years, surely familiar with its management. Would you be willing to take on this official post?”
Senior Shen rose and said, “It would be my wish.”
“Eunuch Meng, come in for a moment.”
Zhou Yi immediately called for the current supervisor and, observing Eunuch Meng crawling in, terrified, said with a smile, “Eunuch Meng, do you remember me?”
“Milord, I… I beg… pardon, I remember somewhat.”
Eunuch Meng, with his deep experience, had clearly heard everything that transpired just now in the hall, thinking he couldn’t escape death, he spoke tremblingly, hardly able to form coherent sentences.
Zhou Yi spoke slowly, “Back when I was on duty in the Imperial Garden, I was new and didn’t know my way around. I took the wrong path, but thanks to Eunuch Meng’s words, I avoided punishment.”
Eunuch Meng tried hard to recall, and it seemed there was such an incident, but as it was a minor and long past matter, he could no longer remember the specific details.
If the Supervisor says it happened, then it surely did!
Zhou Yi stated, “I am one to repay kindness; I promote you, Eunuch Meng, to Junior Supervisor, and the ledger duties will be taken over by Senior Shen.”
Eunuch Meng instantly breathed a sigh of relief. While a Junior Supervisor was of higher rank, its actual power was far less than that of a ledger manager. Yet, with the headless corpse before him, he dared not negotiate any terms and quickly bowed his head in gratitude.
“Thank you for your patronage, milord!”
“Please be seated.”
Zhou Yi waved his hand dismissively, turning to Eunuch Yu with a smile. This old eunuch had castrated who knows how many men: “Senior Yu, where would you like to be assigned?”
Eunuch Yu cackled strangely, “I only wish to be in the Castration Chamber; I only ask that in the future, milord brings more eunuchs into the palace.”
“Easily said.”
Zhou Yi continued, “Since the Castration Chamber falls under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Monitor, let’s call in Deputy Monitor Eunuch Ji to discuss how much silver he’s embezzled. Merely ten or so thousand taels won’t reflect my loyalty to His Majesty!”
“Milord is wise!”
The old eunuchs in the hall cheered in unison, emitting eerie, shrill laughter.
Eunuch Ji stumbled in, his legs weak, having lost control of his bladder and bowels, and a strong, foul smell spread around him.
“Bad luck!”
Zhou Yi gave a sign, and the newly appointed Junior Supervisor came forward to crush Eunuch Ji’s head.
If the Supervisor likes to do it this way, then his subordinates would follow suit!
After two people died in quick succession, the eunuchs at the door were shivering with fear, kneeling on the ground, and begging for mercy incessantly, some offering money, some offering to acknowledge Zhou Yi as their godfather, and others even proposing to offer women from their families to become Zhou Yi’s brides.
“Next!”
Zhou Yi’s smile remained, but his gaze was cold as he ignored the pleas for mercy.
Before leaving the Cold Palace,
Old Lu told Zhou Yi that controlling the hall monitor position was crucial to the safety of the palace and that no matter how many people had to be killed, it had to be done swiftly. Any delay might breed suspicion in His Majesty’s mind.
Zhou Yi asked how he could take control quickly.
“Kill a batch, replace a batch, keep a batch!”
Old Deer’s method was simple and brutal, which was to take the lives of hundreds of people to forge the authority of the new admiral.
Zhou Yi did not hesitate in the slightest, following Old Deer’s instructions to the letter. The safety of His Majesty could not be measured against a few hundred lives, even a few thousand would not suffice.
In this world, the gap between people is even greater than that between humans and dogs!
A third of the over thirty official positions of the Palace Watch died within the palace, a third were transferred, and the remaining third were replaced by old eunuchs.
The dozens of corpses in the Palace Watch were just the prelude to a great cleansing!
For instance, when Eunuch Miao died, his godson and subordinates would all be implicated, adding up to dozens of lives.
Zhou Yi sat in the Taishi Chair, casting a cold eye over everyone in the hall, and suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
“Heh, heh, heh!”
After being confined in the palace for a long time and witnessing fathers and sons, mothers and sons, husbands and wives slaughtering one another, human nature inevitably became dark and twisted. Today, smashing a living person’s skull brought no fear or discomfort, but a sense of exhilaration from deep within.
The thrill of holding power over life and death!
…
Several days later.
The great cleansing of the Palace Watch ended.
More than four hundred were beaten to death, and another three hundred were thrown into wells.
No one in the palace dared to use the well water, fearing that they might find a hard object in their mouths while drinking, only to spit out a piece of finger bone.
That day.
The Palace Watch.
Dozens of chests lined up in a row, filled with gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and calligraphy paintings.
“The gold, silver, and antiques that were found amount to two million taels!”
Zhou Yi’s eyes sparkled with greed. He wanted to claim it all for himself, flee the palace, and purchase thousands of acres outside to become the large landowner he had once dreamt of being.
Wen Dianbu held the account book and said, “This is just the stolen property from within the palace. Additionally, there are twenty mansions in the capital and more than forty shops, which, if converted into gold and silver, amount to another million taels.”
Zhou Yi grabbed a handful of jewels, then a handful of gold and silver, and suddenly asked.
“Mr. Wen, how much are the national taxes in a year?”
Wen Dianbu replied, “The National Dynasty’s taxes are mainly comprised of rice and silk; the exact amount is difficult to estimate. Speaking only of the gold and silver that goes to the Ministry of Revenue, last year there were five million taels!”
“The National Dynasty collects five million in taxes per year, yet a few eunuchs embezzled three million, tsk, tsk, tsk…”
Zhou Yi threw the gold and jewels back into the chests, instructing the palace servants beside him, “Seal everything up. We must report to His Majesty and have all the stolen goods returned to the imperial treasury!”
“How others embezzle, I couldn’t care less, but the Palace Watch must be pure and clean!”
“My lord is wise.”
The servants in the hall flattered him profusely, having survived the great cleansing, none dared to contradict Zhou Yi.
The next day.
The news of the three million taels in stolen funds reached the ears of the Orthodox Emperor.
Zhou Yi didn’t need to make a report, as Eunuch Yuan came with a royal decree, leading Zhou Yi to the Qianqing Palace for an audience.
——Please wait a moment for a refresh, a thousand apologies.
“The National Dynasty collects five million in taxes per year, yet a few eunuchs embezzled three million, tsk, tsk, tsk…”
Zhou Yi threw the gold and jewels back into the chests, instructing the palace servants beside him, “Seal everything up. We must report to His Majesty and have all the stolen goods returned to the imperial treasury!”
“How others embezzle, I couldn’t care less, but the Palace Watch must be pure and clean!”
“My lord is wise.”
The servants in the hall flattered him profusely, having survived the great cleansing, none dared to contradict Zhou Yi.
The next day.
The news of the three million taels in stolen funds reached the ears of the Orthodox Emperor.
Zhou Yi didn’t need to make a report, as Eunuch Yuan came with a royal decree, leading Zhou Yi to the Qianqing Palace for an audience.