Chapter 12: Making Money

ir families, but in the end they are exploited by you one after another, unable even to guarantee basic necessities. Do you have the audacity to plead for mercy""Manipulating grain prices, illegally s...Chapter 12: Making Money

Chen Jingchuan, lying on the ground, was terrified. He gritted his teeth and replied: "Your Highness, I am a humble..."

“According to the Great Qin code, merchants are the lowest class. Their houses must not exceed three meters in height, stairs can only have four steps, and the maximum number of nails on the door is thirty-six. They are not allowed to own land in the capital. Chen Jingchuan, don't you think you are trampling upon the Great Qin code”

Li Chen directly interrupted Chen Jingchuan's words, saying calmly.

Though his words were spoken with indifference, they carried a chilling undercurrent of lethal intent.

Under a cloud of impending doom, dozens of elite guards in crimson uniforms surrounded the Chen family members, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent. It seemed that with just a word from the Crown Prince, these people would be reduced to a bloody pulp.

Chen Jingchuan was terrified. He had followed the advice of a wise person and refused to attend the prince's banquet, but he didn't want to be caught in the middle of the power struggle between the prince and the court, becoming a victim of the conflict between imperial authority and ministerial power.

Although nobody dared to overstep the rules when the dynasty was first established, now that it has been over two hundred years, the imperial court has become increasingly corrupt and decayed. Ordinary people no longer care about these matters. However, if the Crown Prince were to get hold of any evidence, it would be a serious crime.

It's all about power.

He trembled as he explained, "Your Honor, I am innocent. This house is rented, not bought. I am willing to vacate immediately..."

"To trample on the rules set by our ancestors, and to think that a mere statement of eviction will suffice"

Li Chen let out a cold laugh, fixing his gaze on Chen Jingchuan. He said calmly: "I don't want to hear your explanation, nor do I intend to know who gave you the courage to defy me. I want to use your Chen family as an example, to show those people what happens when they offend me."

Chen Jingchuan's heart trembled upon hearing this.

Looking at the menacing Dongchang Jinyiwei surrounding him, he knew that the Crown Prince wasn't joking.

At this moment, deeply regretting his involvement, he hastily pleaded: "Please, Your Highness, show mercy! Please, Prince, have mercy!"

Behind Chen Jingchuan, the woman cried out in fright. A young man saw this and immediately stood up, pointing at Li Chen and shouting: "Although you are a prince, our Chen family is also a law-abiding businessman. You want to beat and kill people without reason. How can people in the world accept this Don't forget, the people of Beijing are watching you!"

Chen Jingchuan was utterly shocked and furious when his son blurted out those words. He slapped his son across the face and roared, "Shut your mouth, you traitor! Do you want our entire Chen family to be wiped out!"

After finishing his words, Chen Jingchuan knelt down before Li Chen and cried out, "Your Highness, the prince, I am a failure as a father, please show mercy to my son."

Li Chen looked at the youth who had been slapped and was becoming even more defiant, and said faintly, "Not bad, you have guts."

“Your Chen family, as one of the largest grain merchants in the capital region, today, with widespread disasters across the country and countless famine victims resorting to selling their children for food, even ordinary people within the capital, under the very roof of the emperor, are struggling just to get three meals a day. What have they earned from their labor It is you grain merchants who hoard your grain, preferring to let it rot rather than sell it at a reasonable price. Now, the market price of a pound of white rice has increased tenfold. Who is to blame for this It is the fault of you grain merchants!”

"Since ancient times, merchants have prioritized profit over morality. You amassed wealth during national hardship, squeezing the lifeblood of the people. Didn't you know they were watching Now that retribution has arrived, you use the people as a shield Do you think the people are fools!"

Li Chen's words were powerful and resounding. Countless onlookers watching the commotion felt their blood boil.

The grain merchants have both money and grain, but when they sell their assets, they can only exchange them for a small amount of food. As a result, the people's grievances have long been boiling over, but there is no outlet for them to vent.

Now that the Crown Prince has arrived in person, his words have touched their hearts.

"His Royal Highness is kind, His Royal Highness is kind!"

In the crowd, several elderly people immediately knelt down and shouted excitedly.

Immediately following, the common people crowded together and knelt down in a sea of heads, all shouting "The Prince is compassionate!"

Seeing that Li Chen had gained the moral high ground and the people's hearts with just a few words, Chen Jingchuan was deeply troubled. He felt as if a great disaster was about to befall him.

Such a way of playing with people's hearts, how could he possibly cope with it

"Attendants, Chen Jingchuan, head of the Chen family from Shangji, has disregarded imperial etiquette and crossed the line. During this time of national crisis, he has shown no compassion for the blood and sweat of the people, nor has he understood the difficulties faced by the court. He has recklessly squandered state funds during a national emergency, his crimes are heinous! His son further insulted the Crown Prince acting as Regent, showing extreme disrespect."

"By order of this Palace's Prince, the Chen family lineage is to be exterminated, with every last member put on display. Their possessions are to be confiscated entirely and added to the national treasury to be used for disaster relief."

At Li Chen's command, a tide of heads rolled.

Chen Jingchuan only felt his eyes darken, he was terrified beyond measure, and rushed forward to plead for mercy, but was stopped by two Jin Yiwei guards who held their swords against his neck.

"Your Highness, please spare my life! I was merely driven to this by desperation. I am willing to donate all my wealth and possessions, just to beg for mercy. Please show me leniency, Your Highness!"

Li Chen pretended not to hear, turned his horse's head, and rode towards the next shop.

The people spontaneously made way and lined the streets to welcome them.

Chen Jingchuan's screams gradually faded away. As they neared the second Hu family, Li Chen glanced at Xu Changqing, whose face was as white as paper, and said lightly: "Are you afraid Or do you think I'm too cruel"

Xu Changqing dared not speak the truth, and could only sigh with bitterness: "Your humble servant merely feels that these three grain merchants are nothing to be concerned about. However, the reason they dare to unite and refuse His Highness the Crown Prince's invitation must be because someone is stirring the pot. While Your Highness might feel satisfied killing them, this could very well play into the hands of our enemies."

"Good, I see you're thinking from my perspective now." Li Chen said with satisfaction.

Xu Changqing smiled wryly.

The Crown Prince came out in such a grand manner, isn't it just to let everyone see his skills And he even brought himself along, which clearly shows that he is already the Crown Prince's person. This mark can't be washed away, meaning Xu Changqing now has no choice but to follow the Crown Prince down this dark path.

Whether they expected this or not, it matters little to me now. What concerns me is wielding the sharpest blade and unraveling this tangled mess in the capital with utmost speed and efficiency.

“Those treacherous schemers, the power struggles within the court, this palace has no time or energy to waste on them. Whoever stands in my way, I will eliminate them. By force, I will pave my path. This palace is the rightful heir to this world, now even acting as regent. To not utilize this unique advantage would be foolish. Should I let old Zhao Xuanji die of exhaustion”

“Judging by his spirit, he could live for at least another decade. By then, I'll be in my thirties or forties. Even if I can hold on that long, the empire wouldn't. I'm not patient enough to wait it out, and I'm too lazy to play these power games. Just kill them all – clean and swift.”

After Li Chen finished speaking, he lightly squeezed his horse's belly. The horse was very intelligent and immediately increased its speed, leaving Xu Changqing behind.

Xu Changqing stared blankly at the prince's retreating figure, feeling that the prince had oversimplified things. If it were truly as simple as a single word of "kill" to solve everything, the emperor would have long since resolved all his troubles.

Regardless of Xu Changqing's thoughts, Li Chen had already arrived at the Hu family's doorstep. act seriously!"“Although you and he are father and son, sharing the same bloodline, and I can sense a great change in you, it does not diminish the fundamental differences between you. Both of you a...