Reborn to Become A Queen: The Real Heiress's Comeback
Chapter 565: What You Wish For!

Chapter 565: Chapter 565: What You Wish For!

Zhan Lan listened as Prefect Zhao recounted in full detail the illicit profits he had obtained for the Chen Family through the abuse of his official position over the years, as well as the bribes he had accepted from various people.

Prefect Zhao was well aware of Zhan Lan’s methods; if Zhan Lan were to investigate personally, the findings would be far more damning than his confession. Hence, he chose to come clean, hoping it might spare him some of the severe torture.

Prefect Zhao removed his official cap, knelt on the ground, and said word by word, "Your Majesty, Empress, this guilty official has embezzled a total of five hundred thousand taels of silver, as well as several calligraphy pieces and antiques."

These were corrupt gains made during Emperor Xuanwu’s reign. At that time, there were many corrupt officials, and he too went with the tide, embezzling silver.

He never imagined that the former Regent King, Mu Yan, was embezzling falsely; the money was used to build Taoist monasteries for Emperor Xuanwu and to fill the national treasury deficit—a means of self-preservation.

But he was truly corrupt.

"Since His Majesty ascended the throne, this guilty official has not embezzled any silver. I am deeply aware of my grave sins and willingly remove my official cap, leaving my fate in Your Majesty, Empress’s hands."

Prefect Zhao knelt upright, knowing that today’s calamity was unavoidable. His initial embezzlement began with only a few hundred taels of silver, eventually becoming addicted, accumulating day by day, and with the amount growing larger, he had a vague fear of being discovered, living in constant anxiety.

Until today, when Zhan Lan arrived at the Chen Residence, he could no longer lie.

Zhan Lan looked coldly at Prefect Zhao, "Lord Zhao, your full name is Zhao Xianzheng, courtesy name Xin. Your parents must have put a lot of thought into choosing such upright and faithful names. What a pity, your parents would be deeply disappointed underground."

Prefect Zhao said tearfully, "Yes, Your Majesty, Empress, this guilty official is ashamed before His Majesty and the Empress, ashamed before my parents and the people." He bowed his head, filled with regret.

All along, he had clung to a fluke mentality. Unexpectedly, he had recently encountered the Empress frequently. After their last meeting, he suspected the Empress might have already noticed him.

He finally pieced it together when Chen You was brought to the Capital Government; it turned out the Empress was intentionally testing him.

And he failed the test!

Zhan Lan looked at the official cap of Prefect Zhao placed on the ground, "Leaving your cap on the ground like that, it seems you’ve indeed resigned to losing it. Don’t think that because you voluntarily confessed, I would spare you. I’ll grant your wish: remove your cap, along with the head beneath it!"

Prefect Zhao closed his eyes; he had foreseen this outcome. The more he embezzled, the more he had countless nightmares of losing his head.

Yet, in the early days of his corruption, all he felt was the joy the shiny silver brought him, with no sense of the ensuing terror when his crimes came to light.

Constables from the Ministry of Justice led Prefect Zhao away. From start to finish, he did not defend himself once. He had experienced the ups and downs of officialdom and knew well the Emperor and Empress’s character.

If he confessed and quietly met his end, perhaps his family might suffer less harm. If he vigorously defended himself, it would only bring disaster to his family.

Zhan Lan watched the seemingly aged-backed Prefect Zhao leave, filled with lament. Desire, like a demon, once entrapped, drags everyone into the abyss.

Thus, not everyone is fit to be a good official.

Chen Shijing knelt on the ground, shocked to his core. Even Prefect Zhao had been ordered by the Empress to be beheaded.

It turns out the rumors among the people were true; the Empress’s order was tantamount to the emperor’s decree.

Prefect Zhao confessed in full; if he didn’t tell the truth, he feared his end would be even worse. Trembling, he pleaded for mercy, "Your Majesty, Empress, this humble servant confesses, I will confess to everything!"

He detailed how he trafficked illegal salt, implicating several officials along the way.

The Empress ordered Prefect Zhao’s head to be removed; what was his life worth!

If another person was punished by the Empress, it would be better to drag those officials who had once helped him down with him.

If the Chen Family had a hard time, those officials who received benefits from his family should not expect an easy time either.

The clerks from the Ministry of Justice recorded Chen Shijing’s words continuously. Chen Jun’s face turned utterly grim, but he repeatedly reminded himself not to let his nerves get the best of him.

His father did not mention his affairs, and he had only just come into contact with Japan. Even if the Empress ordered a Ministry of Justice investigation, nothing substantial would be found.

Zhan Lan raised her eyes to Chen Jun, "Why don’t you tell us about your trade!"

Chen Jun was always cautious in conduct. All along, he had been the pillar of the Chen Family.

For years, he had been obsessed with academic success, but after repeated failures in the imperial examinations, he reluctantly followed his father’s path into business.

Later, he found that among southern merchants of Nanjin, only a handful made serious profits.

He heard from a friend about a quick way to earn silver, so he bribed the garrison of Wu’an City to secretly smuggle Nanjin’s tea leaves, silk, porcelain, famous paintings, and so forth.

Indeed, this method brought in silver quickly.

After Dayu lifted its maritime ban, he gained the right to sail, using business opportunities to engage in more significant trade with Japan.

Yet, these trades had to remain secret. Even his father only knew about his dealings with Japan, without understanding the details.

Chen Jun took a deep breath, respectfully kowtowing, "This humble one simply followed the family trade, selling tea and silk, as our family has done for generations. As for Chen You saying my trade was improper, I admit there were times of selling inferior products as superior, but aside from that, I have done nothing else."

Zhan Lan glanced at Xiao Chen, who had just checked around the residence and found nothing, shook his head.

The complexity in Zhan Lan’s eyes; it was no wonder that in a previous life, Chen Jun managed to escape to Japan and became a Japanese national, while his father and brother perished. He was indeed the most intelligent in the Chen Family.

It’s a shame his intelligence wasn’t used for the right path.

Chen You looked at Chen Jun, fearing his elder brother. Nonetheless, moments earlier, anger clouded his judgment, and he ended up revealing his brother’s shady business dealings.

In truth, he knew little about his brother’s trade activities, as Chen Jun was unwilling to divulge details.

Zhan Lan noticed the brothers’ change in expression; Chen Jun had clearly only recently initiated contact with Japan.

Without evidence, it’s hard to arrest him.

Zhan Lan surveyed Chen Jun, a sudden plan forming in her mind. Keeping him might turn out to be advantageous.

"Mr. Xiao, escort Chen Shijing and Chen You to the Ministry of Justice prison. Release the women and confiscate all assets of the Chen Residence into the national treasury!"

"As you command!"

As Xiao Chen looked at Zhan Lan, Huang Gun raised an eyebrow at Xiao Chen, who withdrew his gaze begrudgingly.

Huang Gun mused in his heart: Their commander is indeed the Emperor’s wise consort; the national treasury is in desperate need of silver, and it’s like a dung beetle encountering a dung cart; whatever they wish for, comes true!