CHAPTER 732: CHAPTER 295: THE SWINDLER AGAIN (CONCLUSION)

"Your Majesty, we have investigated and found that an explosion occurred in a barren mountain on the outskirts of the Capital City!"

In the Imperial Palace, a eunuch rushed in, crawling on the green stone floor and respectfully reported.

"A barren mountain?"

The Saint’s brows furrowed slightly. Today was the Lantern Festival, and the entire Capital City was out playing and admiring the lanterns.

Even the usual night curfew was lifted tonight.

Because of the lantern fair, accidents happened every year during the Lantern Festival.

But they were mostly minor issues, such as water-related accidents, or stampedes due to large crowds, or explosions in a workshop or the like.

However, like today, the activity outside the city was so loud that even the city felt the tremors; it suggested a more serious situation.

"Yes, slaves have checked; a few months ago, this barren mountain was bought by Jia Zhen from Ningguo’s Mansion, reportedly for his father, Jia Jing, to use for Cultivation and recuperation," the eunuch reported in detail.

"Ningguo’s Mansion?"

The Saint’s expression turned unpleasant. As the new Sovereign, he did not favor the old ministers of the Supreme Emperor.

Especially parasites like the Four Kings and Eight Dukes who sucked the blood from the court; a huge family with no one knowledgeable or ambitious.

They were hedonistic day and night, indulging in luxury within their gates yet still in debt to the Ministry of Revenue.

After ascending the throne and seeing the empty treasury, the Saint was extremely indignant.

He had so many political ambitions, yet they failed on the matter of "money."

He wanted to recover the debts, but since the Supreme Emperor was still around, for the sake of filial piety and ultimately for the last military power, the Saint could not dissent.

And the Supreme Emperor had always been overly indulgent towards his old ministers. After abdicating, he even more so sought the reputation of a "benevolent ruler," and was even less willing to be harsh on the courtiers.

Therefore—

If the Saint remembered correctly, both Rong Mansion and Ningguo’s Mansion owed money to the Ministry of Revenue.

Altogether, they owed millions of taels.

Owing the court Silver Coins yet still lavishly building Provincial Villas.

Now, someone came back to report that Jia Zhen from Ningguo’s Mansion actually bought a mountain to build a Taoist Temple for his father.

The Saint himself wanted to build a hot springs villa but had no money!

"They say it’s Ningguo’s Mansion, but actually, it’s the third-class General. It’s just that the Grand Madam of Rong Mansion is still there, and the old Saint specially treats the old ministers favorably, so—" the eunuch explained quietly.

By strict legal standards, both the Rong Mansion and Ningguo’s Mansion had most certainly overstepped their bounds.

Jia Zhen was only a third-class General, and Jia She fared a bit better but was still only first-class.

However, both families’ main gates proudly displayed Duke Mansion plaques, and the inside of the Mansions, the furnishings, and so on, significantly exceeded their proper ranks.

Everyone had even gotten used to referring to them as Duke Mansion, but in fact, they were no longer truly Lord Dukes.

The Saint: ...Of course, I am aware of these things.

If not for the consideration of the Supreme Emperor, he would have long since cleared up these unruly matters according to the law.

"Jia Jing? I remember he was a Scholar of the Yi Mao class, but later went on to pursue Cultivation?"

The Saint did not wish to think about those undisciplined nobles and shifted the topic back to the proper course, continuing to ask about the explosion heard earlier.

"Replying to Your Majesty, indeed it is so. Slaves have heard that Jia Jing was fond of Alchemy—"

Before the eunuch could finish, the Saint seemed to think of something, "Lin Hai once mentioned that he had taken an Elixir refined by Jia Jing, is it true?"

The eunuch was stunned for a moment, and after a while, he hurriedly said, "It is indeed true, but the effects of that Elixir were too bizarre; Lord Lin developed a body full of pustules, and after the pustules subsided, there were almost scars left on his face."

"But he lived!" The Saint got straight to the heart of the issue.

He might not know how severe Lin Hai’s condition was at the time.

However, hearing that the Lin Family’s daughter, who was fostered at Duke Rong’s Mansion, had rushed all the way to Yangzhou, it was clear that Lin Hai’s condition was very critical.

The Saint had planted a spy by the Supreme Emperor’s side, who reported back about an incident: during Lin Hai’s serious illness, he had sent a confidential letter to the Supreme Emperor.

Only, after the Supreme Emperor read the confidential letter, he burned it, and the spy did not learn the details.

Nevertheless, the Saint had some guesses about what Lin Ruhai had written in the letter.

Presumably, this trusted salt inspector of the Supreme Emperor realized his days were numbered and wanted to ask a favor of the Supreme Emperor.

Yet, the Supreme Emperor was a man of true sentiment, but also truly held grudges.

Lin Ruhai was loyal to the Supreme Emperor and, by extension, placed great importance on the heir of the Abdicated Crown Prince.

For a long time, Lin Ruhai was the financial backer for the Abdicated Crown Prince.

After the Abdicated Crown Prince’s downfall, the Supreme Emperor was reluctant to see his own son as a rebel and traitor, so he believed that someone had led the Abdicated Crown Prince astray.