MLMD -Chapter 257 Dumbstruck

“I… I… I—I…”

Huang Dafu and Little Pan stammered for a long time without managing to say anything coherent. The two of them wilted like eggplants struck by frost. In the end, they could only exchange a glance, then force bitter smiles and nod. By now, they were already on the pirate ship—getting off was no longer possible. The only thing they could do was obey this lord’s orders.

As they were speaking, a burst of cheers suddenly came from outside. Very soon, a soldier ran in to report, “My lord, we’ve found the silver vault and the granary. They’re hidden in buildings in the front courtyard and the rear courtyard respectively.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Yue Yang’s face as he barked, “Then what are you waiting for? Tell Wu Chengfeng to move everything out at once!”

The soldier swallowed hard and asked hesitantly, “Uh… my lord… it seems there’s more than fifty thousand taels of silver in there. Are we… are we taking it all?”

“Of course,” Yue Yang replied coldly. “Who told that fat man to be so ungrateful? I already showed them mercy just now, but he didn’t cherish it. That means he has no one to blame but himself. Move all the silver and grain out—don’t leave them even a single grain!”

Looking at Yue Yang’s icy expression, everyone present—including He Kegang—felt the same thought surge up in their hearts: this time, the heavens were truly being torn open…

…

What Yue Yang did in the Inner City naturally couldn’t be hidden from the network of spies spread throughout Beijing. Very soon, the Jinyiwei reported the matter upward.

“Bang—what?! Yue Yang has already confiscated the property of more than ten wealthy households in the Inner City?!”

Inside the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, Chongzhen—wearing a light-yellow dragon robe—shot to his feet, staring ahead in disbelief. The tall stack of memorials that had been piled high on the dragon desk scattered all over the floor. In front of him, Jinyiwei Commander Luo Yangxing was kneeling, not daring to breathe loudly. His flying-fish uniform was crumpled, clearly showing that the highest spymaster of the Great Ming had come in great haste. On both sides of him stood Wen Tiren, Chen Xinjia, Yang Sichang, and a group of ministers—like Luo Yangxing, none of them properly dressed.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Luo Yangxing replied. “The Jinyiwei have just reported that Yue Yang is holding Your Majesty’s imperial edict and is wantonly seizing silver and grain around Lion Alley in the Inner City. He even brought several hundred large carts and is continuously transporting the seized silver and grain to the main camp outside the city. The entire Inner City already knows about it!”

Furious, Chongzhen cursed, “Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! Where are the men of the Five-City Military Commission? Where are the troops of the Imperial Stables and the Capital Garrison? Why didn’t they go to stop this? What are they all doing—eating air?!”

One question after another poured out like bolts from a repeating crossbow. Spittle even flew onto Luo Yangxing’s face, yet he didn’t dare wipe it off, remaining respectfully kneeling.

After Chongzhen finished venting his anger, Luo Yangxing finally replied in a voice tinged with tears, “Your Majesty, Yue Yang went to requisition grain carrying Your Majesty’s imperial edict. How would this humble servant dare to obstruct him? Wu Mengming, commander of the Five-City Military Commission, led several hundred constables and patrol officers to stop him, but they were blocked by Yue Yang’s soldiers. They… they even said that anyone who dared obstruct the army’s grain requisition would be treated as colluding with the enemy—killed on the spot!”

“And the wealthy merchants?” Chongzhen asked in disbelief. “Did they really just obediently let Yue Yang strip them of their silver and grain?”

No one understood better than Chongzhen how difficult it was to make those wealthy households part with their silver—it was like carving flesh from their bodies!

“Your Majesty, they had no choice!” Luo Yangxing panted. “One wealthy household gathered its retainers and guards to resist, but Yue Yang ordered his soldiers to open fire, killing dozens of them. Even the merchant himself was wounded by a musket shot. After that, Yue Yang looted their silver vault and granary completely. Now no one dares resist—everyone can only obediently hand over their silver and grain to save their lives!”

“Buzz—”

Chongzhen felt his vision go dark, his body swaying as he nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Wang Chengen behind him reacted quickly, stepping forward to support him and help him sit down on the chair.

After resting for a moment and taking several deep breaths, Chongzhen finally roared hoarsely, “Bastard… bastard! I must—must have him arrested! Yes… arrest him! Luo Yangxing, immediately transmit an edict to Duke Mu and have him bring troops to surround Yue Yang and his men. I want his head!”

Shaking with rage, Chongzhen had already lost much of his reason. In broad daylight, openly leading troops to storm wealthy households and seize silver and grain—this was something unprecedented in more than two hundred years of the Great Ming. The nature of the act was simply too vile. He didn’t even need to think to know that by tomorrow, impeachment memorials against Yue Yang would pile up on his dragon desk like snowflakes.

“Your Majesty, this…” Luo Yangxing froze, glanced at Chongzhen, hesitated for a moment, and did not immediately rise.

“Luo Yangxing, didn’t you hear my words?!” Chongzhen glared at him like a beast ready to devour its prey, furious that he hadn’t acted at once.

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!” Seeing Chongzhen’s terrifying gaze, Wen Tiren, standing below and to Chongzhen’s left, could no longer sit still. He hurriedly signaled Yang Sichang with his eyes.

Yang Sichang sighed helplessly and stepped forward, bowing. “Your Majesty, this cannot be done!”

“Why can’t it be done?!” Chongzhen roared, already close to losing control.

Yang Sichang replied helplessly, “Your Majesty, think about it—Yue Yang is requisitioning grain under Your Majesty’s direct edict. If you now order his arrest, what will the troops outside the city think? The court doesn’t issue them pay or provisions, and now it even arrests the man carrying out an imperial command to gather supplies. If this goes wrong, the army outside the city could mutiny at once!”

“Exactly, Your Majesty!” Luo Yangxing, still kneeling, added resignedly. “Moreover, Yue Yang has already begun transporting grain and silver out of the capital. After that wealthy household resisted, he even mobilized another three thousand troops into the city to assist with requisitioning. If we forcibly arrest Yue Yang, this servant fears… fears it will trigger a mutiny!”

“Clatter—”

Chongzhen’s hand trembled, knocking the teacup from the dragon desk onto the floor. The hand resting on the desk shook as well. For the first time, he felt as though he had made a disastrously foolish move.

At that thought, he wished he could slap himself across the face. How could he have been so muddle-headed as to listen to Chen Xinjia’s idiotic suggestion and summon that evil star, Yue Yang, into the city? Wasn’t that the same as letting a weasel into a chicken coop? How could he have been so stupid?

Yes… it was all Chen Xinjia. All this trouble was caused by that fool!

With that thought, Chongzhen fixed a murderous gaze on the true culprit…