After being read, she became an empress by eating melons

In the main hall, all officials stood in silence, and Emperor Rentong sat upright on the dragon throne.

Zhang Hong stepped forward, clasped his hands, and spoke in a sonorous and powerful voice: "Your Majesty, after my inspection, I found major problems in the Zhijiang dam project. The local government dared to use raw soil instead of cooked soil for construction. This behavior is disloyal to the court and unjust to the people. I have arrested the relevant persons involved in the case, and the main culprit is Li Ming, a profiteer from Tangping County!"

Emperor Rentong frowned. The name Li Ming seemed to stir up some ripples in his mind, but it was so vague that he couldn't remember it completely for a while.

Murong Qing also frowned at this moment, as if he was recalling the past about Li Ming. He thought for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I remember that this Li Ming is the County Magistrate Li who was arrested for taking bribes a few years ago. This man was greedy and used his position to plunder the people's wealth. He was later investigated by the court. Counting the days, he has only been released for a few years!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Rentong's face darkened, and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. He knew very well the harm of official corruption, and he had always had zero tolerance for such corrupt officials. He said coldly: "Li Ming dared to challenge the court's laws again. His crime is unforgivable! Zhang Hong, you must escort this man to the capital immediately. I want to interrogate him personally to see if he has anything else to say!"

Zhang Hong cupped his hands and said, "As you wish!"

However, Emperor Rentong and all the officials were curious: how could such a corrupt official, who was arrested, suddenly become a businessman?

Nan Rongxi took a nap yesterday and felt much more energetic today. This was the first time she listened to the reports from the officials so seriously. She immediately realized that something was up!

Nan Rongxi: [Tongzi, I want to eat this Li Ming melon. It's incredible that he can turn from a prisoner into a famous businessman! ]

Emperor Rentong: I just want to hear this story!

All the officials were also curious about this matter. They lowered their voices, pricked up their ears, and pretended to discuss it.

System: [Come, listen to me carefully. When Li Ming first entered the officialdom, he was full of ambition and wanted to seek welfare for the people. However, as he gradually came into contact with the core of power, temptations around him began to emerge.

At first, Li Ming was able to stick to his bottom line and refuse those ill-gotten gains. However, as time went on, his mentality began to change. He began to envy those wealthy officials, who lived a luxurious life and enjoyed endless glory and respect. Although he himself had a minor official position, he lived a poor and simple life.

This unbalanced mentality made Li Ming start to waver. He began to accept small bribes, initially just to satisfy his vanity, but gradually, he found that he could no longer extricate himself. His greed was like a bottomless pit, the more it filled up, the more he wanted.

Li Ming began to take advantage of his position to plunder the people. He no longer cared about the suffering of the people, but only thought about how to fill his own pockets. His behavior became more and more outrageous, and he even sacrificed the interests of the people to satisfy his own selfish desires.

Emperor Rentong: The atmosphere of the entire Great Zhou was indeed bad at that time. I have been investigating it strictly since I ascended the throne. It should be better now, right?

Murong Qing: Is the Censorate going to take action again?

Nan Rongxi: [Why does this routine seem so familiar? How come every corrupt official seems to have gone through this process? Tongzi, what happened next? How was he caught?]

System: [He was so greedy that many people went to file a complaint with the emperor!

So, on a stormy night, the ministers of the Imperial Censorate led a team of elite soldiers and quietly surrounded Li Ming's mansion. The mansion was brightly lit, but there was an unusual silence.

Li Ming was drinking alone in his study at the time, feeling irritable and uneasy. In recent days, he felt that the court's investigation was becoming more and more intense, and he felt a little uneasy. However, greed and luck made him still hold a glimmer of hope that he could escape punishment.

Suddenly, a rapid knock on the door broke the silence of the study. Li Ming's heart tightened, and he quickly put down his wine glass and walked to the door. Just as he was about to ask, the door was suddenly pushed open and a group of soldiers rushed in.

Li Ming's face turned pale, and he knew that his crime had been exposed. He tried to struggle, but the officers and soldiers were well-trained and quickly subdued him. Li Ming was escorted out of the study and all the way to the lobby of the mansion.

The hall was brightly lit, and the Minister of the Censorate sat in the main seat, looking at Li Ming sternly. The surrounding area was full of officers and soldiers, and the atmosphere was tense and solemn.

The Minister of the Censorate spoke up, his voice deep and powerful: "Li Ming, do you admit your guilt?"

Li Ming lowered his head and remained silent. He knew that it was meaningless to deny or quibble at this moment.

Seeing this, the Minister of the Censorate sneered and continued, "You have taken advantage of your position to commit corruption and bribery, and have plundered the people's wealth. Your crimes are too numerous to list! Today, the court has specially ordered me to investigate and bring you to justice!"

As the imperial envoy finished speaking, the soldiers came forward and tied up Li Ming. However, Li Ming was calm because he had already hidden the stolen money, and even his wife didn't know about it!

Therefore, in the end, because the amount of stolen money seized was relatively small, Li Ming was only sentenced to 5 years in prison! 】

Emperor Rentong: It seems that I let him escape at the beginning, this bastard.

Murong Qing: Now that you mention it, it reminds me that I was the one who led the team to arrest people. It was truly magical at the time. The difference between the money we seized and the money the people confessed was quite large!

When all the officials heard this, they also remembered what happened that year.

Nan Rongxi: [Tongzi, what happened next? How did this bastard become a businessman?]

System: [After arriving at the prison, Li Ming was thrown into a dark and damp cell. The cell was filled with a foul smell, and was surrounded by cold stone walls and iron bars. Li Ming curled up in a corner every day, but he did not feel regret or self-blame, but instead felt that he was greedy for too little. He just endured it silently. As long as he was released, the money he hid would be enough for him to spend for the rest of his life! The reason why he didn't even tell his wife was that he was afraid that his wife would take the money and run away with someone while he was in prison, which would be a big deal! ]

Emperor Rentong: That's fine. It seems the laws of the Great Zhou need to be changed...

Murong Qing: This bastard, I really couldn't find the stolen money no matter how hard I tried. Where on earth did I hide it?

Nan Rongxi was also puzzled: [Tongzi, where did this bastard hide the stolen money? ]

System: [He hid the money in several places. Some were in his ancestral home thousands of miles away, some were hidden in his ancestral graves, and some were hidden in a house he bought in his father's name! ]

Nan Rongxi: [This guy is really cunning, no wonder he can't be found! Tongzi, continue, how does he do business? ]