kvmb Chapter 362 Beheading
Chapter 362 Beheading
The list showed several customers who borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates, how much silver they had borrowed from the Lin family and the shopkeeper, and what the monthly interest rate was.
According to the laws of the Northern Qi Dynasty, interest could not exceed the principal, and monthly interest could not exceed three percent. Anyone who violated this rule would be punished with forty strokes of the cane, and any profits obtained would be considered stolen; serious offenses would result in one hundred strokes of the cane.
The interest they charged was several times higher than the principal; that would have been fatal if they had been given a hundred strokes of the cane.
Madam Lin's face turned ashen. Even if the Emperor of Northern Qi wanted to protect them, he would still have to punish them to some extent, and this punishment would most likely be the confiscation of their family property.
All the money lent out at exorbitant interest rates will be classified as illicit gains.
If it were just selling smuggled tea, the Northern Qi emperor might have protected the Lin family.
As long as the Northern Qi emperor said he had privately approved their tea permits, no one dared to question it.
Now that it involves usury, even if the Northern Qi emperor wanted to resolve the issue, he couldn't.
Madam Lin was frightened and unsure of the Northern Qi Emperor's attitude.
"Your Highness, Consort Shu and Prince Xian have received imperial favor. As relatives of the emperor, the Lin family is extremely cautious. How could we dare to openly lend money at exorbitant interest rates?"
With tears streaming down her face, Old Madam Lin said, "The Lin family has never offended His Highness. Why would His Highness drive us to such a desperate situation?"
Upon hearing Madam Lin's words, King Qi sneered inwardly.
Her mention of Consort Shu and Prince Xian at this time was simply to tell the Emperor of Northern Qi that he was jealous of the favor shown to Consort Shu and her son, and that was why he deliberately framed the Lin family to remove them as obstacles.
The emperor had always turned a blind eye to the princes' struggle for the throne, and was most afraid of bringing it into the open.
Even if the Emperor knew that the evidence against the Lin family was conclusive, he would not punish the Lin family, but would suspect his motives for exposing the Lin family.
As expected, the Northern Qi emperor's expression changed.
"It seems this evidence is insufficient." Before the Northern Qi Emperor could speak, the King of Qi produced another list: "Then what about these?"
He unfolded the list and handed it to Madam Lin.
Faced with Prince Qi's relentless pressure, Old Madam Lin was already finding it difficult to cope. When she saw the list, her pupils contracted, and the composed expression on her face crumbled.
Because everyone on this list borrowed money from the Lin family at exorbitant interest rates and was ultimately driven to their deaths by the Lin family.
They started with ten taels of silver, and eventually, like a snowball rolling downhill with interest, it grew to tens or even hundreds of taels of silver.
To repay the interest, they were forced by the Lin family to sell their wives and daughters into slavery.
Even so, the debt still cannot be paid off...
The fact that the King of Qi was able to trace this far means he has evidence.
Madam Lin was afraid, fearing that Prince Qi had more and more fatal evidence that would implicate Consort Shu and Prince Xian in the palace.
She knew very well that the Northern Qi Emperor would protect her only if it involved illicit tea. But if it involved the common people, the Northern Qi Emperor would not dare to protect them even if he wanted to.
Because the Northern Qi emperor wanted to be a wise ruler who would be remembered in history, and he understood the principle that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it, he abandoned the Lin family.
The next moment, the Prince of Qi said to the Emperor of Northern Qi: "Father, before Consort Shu entered the palace, the Lin family was upright and honest, and was a model for all officials. You praised the Lin family highly and hoped that the court officials would follow their example. It was precisely because you valued the Lin family's virtue that you appointed Consort Shu to enter the palace to assist the Empress Dowager in managing the affairs of the six palaces."
"The Lin family has committed numerous crimes, all of which are capital offenses."
"You previously praised the Lin family in front of all the officials, and all the civil and military officials followed suit, each of them being honest, upright and incorruptible."
"If the Lin family's actions were exposed, it would likely disrupt the court, and officials would disregard the law just like the Lin family."
"Therefore, I did not disclose today's events to the outside world, but only invited the old lady of the Lin family to confront me."
"Whether this matter is handled according to the law, or whether we should make an exception online for the sake of the Empress, is entirely up to Father Emperor."
King Qi's words put the Northern Qi emperor in a very difficult position.
The Northern Qi emperor looked at the evidence laid out before him with a somber expression.
The Lin family dares to be so arrogant because they rely on the emperor's favor.
Previously, in order to maintain balance, he had given the Lin family a break.
Little did anyone know that the Lin family not only sold their illicit tea to foreign lands, but also lent money at exorbitant interest rates, and their hands were stained with blood.
He was able to suppress the matter and save the Lin family.
But there are no secrets that stay hidden forever.
If it were ever revealed, it would cause upheaval in the imperial court.
The Northern Qi emperor was unaware of how many secrets the Lin family had hidden, and feared that further investigation would implicate the virtuous prince.
Even after losing the Lin family, the wise prince still had other court officials to support him.
Thinking of this, the Northern Qi Emperor said in a deep voice, "Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. The crimes committed by the Lin family are irrefutable, and they should naturally be punished according to the law."
Upon hearing the words of the Northern Qi Emperor, Madam Lin's cloudy eyes turned lifeless, and she lay sprawled on the ground like a lump of mud.
King Qi loosened his tightly clenched fist, his palm becoming damp.
He lowered his head, concealing the smug look in his eyes.
He won this tough battle.
-
Zhaohua Palace.
Consort Shu instructed her maids to prepare several dishes that the Northern Qi Emperor liked in the imperial kitchen. She planned to have the Northern Qi Emperor stay in her palace tonight and take the opportunity to sound out his opinion on whether she could arrange a job for her nephew and then promote him after things calmed down.
At this moment, Hongqiao rushed in, her face ashen: "Your Majesty, the entire Lin family has been imprisoned and is awaiting execution."
Consort Shu's head was buzzing, her mind completely blank. Her body instinctively ran out of the palace, wanting to plead with the Emperor of Northern Qi to show leniency to the Lin family.