My daily cultivation progress is calculated.

Chapter 99 Ding Anzhi's Escape Method! Hundreds of millions of taels of silver, shocking Empero

Chapter 100 Ding Anzhi's Escape Method! Hundreds of millions of taels of silver, shocking Emperor Xuanwu!

They arrived outside Ding Anzhi's cell.

Shen Yan saw him sitting blankly in the corner, his eyes vacant, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Yan had seen this scene far too many times.

When convicted officials are first imprisoned, they all act like this. Once they accept reality, they start to cry foul and try to pull strings.

"Lord Ding, are you comfortable living in this cell?"

Hearing Shen Yan's voice, he came back to his senses.

He said coldly, "Did Yang Wanli send you to watch this humiliation?"

"It was not entrusted by Lord Yang. You were once my superior, so it is only natural for me to express my gratitude."

Ding Anzhi said calmly, "No need, I'm perfectly fine now."

Shen Yan laughed and said, "Is it really that good? How is it good when you're involved with the Yan faction, sir?"

His expression changed slightly upon hearing Shen Yan's words.

"Yan Party?!"

Seeing Ding Anzhi's reaction, Shen Yan thought to himself, "Does he not know?!"

Ding Anzhi's expression suddenly darkened, realizing the seriousness of the problem.

The mobilization of the Imperial Guards that night was indeed his doing, and afterwards he sent men to silence all those who knew about it.

Unexpectedly, they were still discovered.

"Lord Ding has always been a pillar of the Qingliu faction, why did he switch sides at this crucial moment?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Anzhi gritted his teeth and said, "Heh! A pillar of integrity?! A mainstay of society?!"

"He's nothing but a dog in Zeng Shihong's eyes! He keeps saying he'll help me become the Minister of Justice, but five years ago Feng Xiu had the idea of ​​stepping down. I've waited and hoped for him year after year, and I've treated Zeng Shihong better than my own father."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan suddenly thought of an old friend, Xu Shaogong, who had treated Ding Anzhi in the same way when he was sent to work outside the prison in order to leave the prison.

It turns out he was a disciple of Prime Minister Zeng.

"As expected, karma is cyclical, and retribution is inevitable."

Ding Anzhi's face flushed red, and his words became increasingly radical.

"Five years! Do you know how I survived those five years?!"

"So you switched your allegiance to Yan Fan?"

"I only need to exert a little effort to gain wealth and status, so why can't I?"

Shen Yan smiled.

"So you're in the Heavenly Prison now?"

Ding Anzhi sneered, "It's nothing more than a matter of misjudging people and trusting that scoundrel Fang Jingxing. If he hadn't reported me, how could I have ended up like this?"

How did you find out that he was the one who reported you?

Ding Anzhi said with a disdainful look, "Who else could it be but him? It's a pity that even if he denounces me, Fang Jingxing will not be able to take the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

Shen Yan was somewhat surprised. Colluding with Yan Fan was a serious crime of treason. Could it be that he had a backup plan?

Seeing Shen Yan's surprised expression, Ding Anzhi said calmly, "Having served as an official for decades, how could I not have some means of self-protection?"

"If Lord Ding possessed such abilities, why would he be imprisoned in the imperial jail?"

At this point, Ding Anzhi became somewhat agitated.

"That damned Yang Wanli tricked me into believing I had important business to discuss, and when I arrived at the Ministry of Justice, he immediately ordered my arrest."

Shen Yan then understood, thinking to himself, "Indeed, invitations made in the middle of the night are not to be trusted."

Ding Anzhi seemed to have regained his former confidence and had grasped the key to the matter.

Yang Wanli arrested him partly out of personal grudge, and partly because he was in the way of the Ministry of Justice.

Yang Wanli would certainly not let go of the opportunity to get rid of him.

With evidence delivered to his doorstep, Yang Wanli was naturally happy to oblige.

In officialdom, there is no right or wrong; it all comes down to self-interest. It's a pity he can't stay in office.

Ding Anzhi sighed inwardly, "Every hurdle is difficult, but I will overcome them all. I must first get through the current difficulties before thinking about the future."

He said to Shen Yan, "I know you are Yang Wanli's man. I need to see him; I have something important to tell him."

Shen Yan said calmly, "Why should I relay your message?"

Ding Anzhi cursed Shen Yan in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged.

Recalling the new prison regulations he'd overheard his officials discussing, he then said, "Don't worry, I won't let you make a wasted trip. How about five hundred taels of silver for delivering the message?"

Shen Yan cursed inwardly how rich these officials really were.

In my previous life, my salary was only six thousand, and one gram of silver cost thirty, so my salary was only two taels of silver.

These corrupt officials spend hundreds of taels of silver at a time; they really don't value money.

He cursed the corrupt official in his heart for being so rich, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Since you are so generous, sir, I will make the trip for you. If you, Lord Yang, are unwilling to come, don't blame me."

Ding Anzhi seemed quite confident that Yang Wanli would come.

He said with absolute certainty, "He will definitely come back. If he doesn't, he'll be the one who regrets it."

Ding Anzhi knew that at this moment, his only option was to save himself, as Zeng Shihong would not come to his aid.

After his downfall, Zeng Shihong will definitely arrange for someone to enter the Ministry of Justice, and he is confident that he can prevent Zeng Shihong from interfering.

This is naturally what Yang Wanli most wanted to see.

He thought to himself, "I hope Yang Wanli will come!"

As Ding Anzhi expected, Yang Wanli immediately agreed to meet him in the prison when he heard Shen Yan's message.

The two talked for a long time, for two or three hours.

When Shen Yan returned from his outing, he saw Ding Anzhi lying leisurely in the prison cell, in a good mood.

He knew in his heart that the two had reached an agreement.

He didn't ask Ding Anzhi, but Ding Anzhi smiled at him as he passed by.

The Imperial Palace, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Nine golden pillars supporting the main hall are adorned with coiled dragons. The floor is paved with golden bricks, and a thick, brocade carpet is laid on top, embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons coiling within it.

A golden dragon throne sits atop nine steps in the center of the main hall, upon which sits a figure—Emperor Xuanwu.

This hall had been abandoned for thirty years, and the morning court sessions were only resumed after Emperor Xuanwu awoke.

Zheng Jun compiled the Yan Fan case into a book and submitted it to Emperor Xuanwu.

-

Zheng Jun had already reported many of these reports, but he was still deeply alarmed when he looked through the memorials.

It wasn't because it involved too many people, but rather because of the money seized from Yan Fan's family.

Even Emperor Xuanwu, the supreme ruler of the land, was astonished.

The total value of gold and silver jewelry, antiques, paintings and calligraphy, estates and various other properties belonging to Yan Fan's family alone exceeded 100 million taels of silver.

The annual tax revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty was only seventy million taels, while Yan Fan's family could have hundreds of millions of taels of silver. How could he not be surprised?

"Does the Great Zhou Dynasty lack money?! It seems not!"

Emperor Xuanwu gazed at the civil and military officials below, lost in thought.

He handed the memorial to Wang Xi.

Emperor Xuanwu said calmly, "Read it aloud! Let everyone hear what good deeds my good prime minister has accomplished!"

Although his voice was calm, the officials below broke out in a cold sweat after hearing it.

Emperor Xuanwu's words had a hidden meaning, and seemed to be giving them a hint.

When Wang Xin announced that "30 million taels of silver, countless gold and silver jewelry, and more than 10,000 hectares of farmland and real estate have been seized," everyone was shocked.

However, only Ning Zhiyuan, the Minister of Revenue, had his eyes light up. With such a large sum of money coming in, the court would not have to worry about its expenses next year.

Emperor Xuanwu sneered, "I wear no more than eight sets of clothes throughout the four seasons, changing between dry and wet garments. I am always mindful of the hardships the nation faces and the suffering of the people. Yet, all the wealth of the empire is swallowed up by the mouths of you corrupt officials."

For a moment, no one in the hall dared to respond, and all the officials bowed their heads in repentance.