Chapter 2076: Chapter 2073: The King’s Wrath

The officials outside grew increasingly anxious.

Some officials gathered to discuss the matter.

“Could it be that the memorial hasn’t been submitted?”

“How could that be? We personally delivered it; it must have reached the Emperor’s desk.”

“Since that’s the case, it’s been two days, and the Emperor hasn’t reacted. What should we do?”

“Let’s wait and see. How could such a matter be resolved easily? I don’t believe others will give up their interests.”

Some timid officials expressed, “What if the Emperor insists on this policy?”

“No way. As long as we persist in our opposition, the Emperor won’t force it,” an official incited others to say.

Ultimately, no consensus was reached.

However, some usually honest officials supported the matter, as it posed no harm to them and could also cause their political opponents some pain.

Soon.

At another grand court meeting.

Elder Zhong raised the matter proactively.

This time, more people stood by his side.

As the debate continued among everyone.

Suddenly, an aged Imperial Censor, stating the burden of supporting his elderly mother and young children and being unable to provide so much silver, attempted to commit suicide by ramming his head against a pillar.

However, Chu Heng, who was prepared, stopped him.

Even so, the elderly Imperial Censor, after failing, wept bitterly and expressed his despair on the grand hall, claiming he couldn’t provide the money and might as well not live.

This scene immediately incited the already impatient Emperor Xuanming to anger.

He immediately tasked someone to draft the relevant laws and included Chu Heng in the process.

Moreover, he ordered all officials to calculate all amounts meticulously within half a month and submit them to the Ministry of Revenue.

When Emperor Xuanming presented the records of the properties, major transactions, etc., arranged by the officials in the past five years, those officials, who were recently busy destroying evidence to reduce their monetary contributions, were rendered speechless.

Simultaneously, several officials and village gentry were executed and had their properties confiscated due to excessive embezzlement of taels of silver.

By then, who wouldn’t realize that Emperor Xuanming was evidently well-prepared? With such evidence at hand, what use was destroying more evidence? Who knew what other incriminating evidence the Emperor possessed!

At that time, he could bring out any evidence, with disobedience leading to execution and property confiscation.

Emperor Xuanming used resolute measures to demonstrate to the officials his stance: choose between your head and your silver.

Under such power, the bond among officials from gentry clans naturally grew stronger, yet despite the improvement, there were still gaps; solidifying truly into a cohesive whole was difficult.

In Chu Heng’s view, unless these gentry clans truly united, their previously dominant position was likely to gradually change from today onwards.

Unfortunately, most didn’t realize this at the time.

Currently, the attention of these gentry clans was directed towards some poor officials.

These officials came from wealthy families without official status or from farming families, with little foundation. The expenses to educate and promote them into officialdom were immense; even if they took advantage due to their positions, the amounts were not substantial.

After all, these poorly originating officials held relatively low ranks.

Now, among third-grade and above officials, Chu Heng was of the lowest origin.

These obscenely wealthy officials turned their attention to the likes of the old Imperial Censor who attempted suicide, thinking that if a death occurred, the Emperor would have no choice but to acknowledge it.

However, before they could even plan, Emperor Xuanming issued a new decree allowing impoverished officials to issue promissory notes.

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