Chapter 38: This Move Shows Emperor Zhu is Playing on a Whole Other Level!

Qin Feng sat down unceremoniously on the chair brought over by Wang Jinghong.

He had founded the newspaper entirely for the benefit of the common people of the Great Ming, never expecting it to arouse the suspicion of old Zhu.

Although ancient emperors were naturally suspicious by nature, why did he have to seal off the newspaper precisely at the critical moment when he was raising funds for the imperial court?

He was genuinely furious inside!

Qin Feng said sarcastically, "Does Your Majesty also know that I have been wronged? Then why did you collude with them to frame me?"

"Every single bit of treasury silver I earned was handed over directly by the Crown Prince himself into the imperial treasury? That Minister of Revenue must have water in his brain to accuse me of embezzling treasury funds!"

"Your Majesty, did you really believe their slanders and actually think I am someone greedy for wealth and luxury?"

Old Zhu blinked, thinking inwardly: Aren't you?

When you first exposed yourself as a time-traveler, wasn't it because you were unwilling to live an ordinary life and wanted to become wealthy and powerful?

However, knowing he was in the wrong, Old Zhu forced a smile and said, "Sir has been wronged these past few days. I have already thrown those who framed you into the grand prison."

Qin Feng smiled bitterly, "What about the losses of the newspaper? The newspaper needs to make a profit, and the river waterways are waiting for those several million taels of silver."

Old Zhu chuckled, "I have already issued an imperial edict for the newspaper to reopen."

"Rest assured, Sir, I guarantee that I will get back ten times the grievance you have suffered."

"Right now, Li Tai is on trial at the Dali Temple, and I will definitely clear your name."

Just as Old Zhu finished making his promise to Qin Feng, Zhu Biao rushed into the Qianqing Palace in a frantic panic.

"Father! This is bad!"

Old Zhu stood up impatiently and said, "Eldest, you are becoming increasingly lacking in decorum lately. Why didn't you announce your entry into the palace?"

"The situation is critical! Li Tai committed suicide in prison out of fear of crime."

"What!?" Old Zhu was stunned.

Committed suicide out of fear of crime?

Li Tai was dead?

Qin Feng said, "The Minister of Revenue just died like that? Won't my matter become even harder to clear up?"

With a gloomy face, Old Zhu said, "I'm afraid someone did this intentionally. Even Wang Hu, the Minister of Works, accidentally drowned. The truth is becoming harder and harder to surface."

Qin Feng said, "These people are truly despicable! To actually murder imperial officials? Your Majesty, this must be the work of that old scoundrel Hu Weiyong, but we don't have conclusive evidence yet!"

Old Zhu took a deep breath and sighed, "Behind Hu Weiyong, I'm afraid even more people are involved."

"Father is referring to the Huaixi nobles?"

"Aside from these old fellows, I can't think of anyone else."

Zhu Biao said solemnly, "Father, this matter must be deliberated at length. If too many people are implicated, it will only panic the ministers in the court."

Old Zhu sneered, "I have tolerated these old fellows for a long time; it's about time to settle accounts with them. Qin Feng, you have plenty of clever ideas. What do you think we should do now?"

Qin Feng curled his lips and said sarcastically, "Your Majesty doesn't need to ask me, right? Are my opinions really that important? Haven't I already lost Your Majesty's trust?"

Old Zhu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, never expecting this kid Qin Feng to hold such a grudge.

Zhu Biao persuaded, "Master Qin, when His Majesty previously sent Minister of Revenue Li Tai to seal the newspaper, it wasn't out of distrust, but to protect you."

"Protect me?" Qin Feng looked at Old Zhu in disbelief.

Could an autocratic monarch like Old Zhu possibly be so kind-hearted?

Whenever the executioner's blade in his hand fell, he wouldn't even blink; in his eyes, it was better to execute a hundred innocents than to let a single guilty person escape.

How could he possibly be so kind-hearted as to protect him?

Zhu Biao perceived the doubt in Qin Feng's heart, because Qin Feng was just like he himself had been initially, feeling extremely puzzled by Old Zhu's maneuvers.

"At the time, Father was merely putting on a show in the imperial court for those people to see. In truth, Father trusted you implicitly and never believed for a second that you would embezzle funds."

"Both inside and outside the court, countless pairs of eyes are watching Father, and sometimes the decisions Father makes are beyond his control."

"If Father had openly fallen out with Hu's faction at that time just to protect you, I'm afraid their backers would have turned on you. Li Tai and Wang Hu are prime examples."

Hearing this, Qin Feng drew a sharp breath. Through Zhu Biao's analysis, everything suddenly fell into place.

So he had been targeted by the Huaixi nobles all along!

And to protect him, Old Zhu had openly repaired the plank road while secretly crossing Chencang!

On the surface, he sent the Ministry of Revenue to thoroughly investigate the newspaper, but in secret, he dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to provide covert protection while gathering the true financial records of the newspaper to launch a counter-attack against Hu's faction.

Qin Feng couldn't help but admire Old Zhu's brilliant imperial tactics!

This stroke of drawing the firewood from under the cauldron dealt a vicious blow to Hu's faction, forcing them to abandon the chariot to save the general and collapse from within the court.

Qin Feng inwardly gave Old Zhu a thumbs-up.

Old Zhu was truly deserving of being the Emperor Through the Ages!

This tactical move by Old Zhu was on a completely different dimensional plane!

This thunderous method must have left those Huaixi nobles completely bewildered, right?

Qin Feng immediately bowed respectfully to Old Zhu and said, "Your Majesty, I was so rude to you just now! Thank you, Your Majesty, for protecting me in secret!"

Old Zhu smiled, helped Qin Feng up, and said, "Qin Feng, you finally understand my intentions toward you. If I didn't even have this bit of trust in you, then I would have lived in vain as an emperor."

"Your Majesty, it was I who was too shallow. My reverence for Your Majesty right now is like the rolling waters of a river, endless and continuous, like the flooding of the Yellow River, completely out of control."

"Qin Feng, tell me your thoughts. How should we deal with these old fellows now? What clever tricks do you have?"

Qin Feng rolled his eyes, smiled, and said, "Why don't we put on a play of sowing discord among these old fellows? We can pretend that the relationship between us monarch and subject has completely ruptured."

"Then, I will pretend to defect to these old fellows, infiltrate their ranks, gather more evidence, and ultimately wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"What does Your Majesty think of this idea?"

Old Zhu and Zhu Biao looked at each other, their expressions turning exceptionally solemn.

"Those old foxes are scheming, insidious, and cunning. Do you really intend to take such a risk?"

Zhu Biao immediately objected, "No! Father, we cannot let Master Qin take such a massive risk."

Qin Feng patted Zhu Biao's shoulder and smiled, "Rest assured, with Renjiu protecting me now, those old fellows can't do anything to me."

Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, "Sir! You saw the fates of Li Tai and Wang Hu. Those old fellows are all cunning villains."

"You are far too important to the Great Ming; I do not wish for you to put yourself in such peril."

"Father, Master Qin's suggestion must not be accepted."

Qin Feng was quite moved by Zhu Biao's genuine desire to protect him.

He never expected that after time-traveling to the Great Ming, he would gain such a profound friendship with Zhu Biao.

It was just a pity that Zhu Biao was destined to die young!

Otherwise, once Old Zhu passed away, he would have wholeheartedly assisted Zhu Biao and created a completely different golden age for the Great Ming!

With a majestic expression, Old Zhu looked at Qin Feng and asked, "Qin Feng, how confident are you? If you're not sure, forget it."

Qin Feng replied, "Sixty percent confidence."

"I appreciate Your Majesty's and Crown Prince's kind intentions, but until these parasites of the Great Ming are eradicated, they will ultimately be a scourge to the common people."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to risk my life and try this once!"

Zhu Biao was stunned and cried out, "Master Qin!!!"