A Love Written In The Stars

The emperor was reviewing military expense reports when a suspicious ledger caught his eye.

He called the grand secretary forward and ordered him to read the troubling details aloud.

When the reading ended, the room fell silent. Everyone's eyes were on Zhang, who stood still, his confidence gone. The emperor stared at him with blazing anger.

"How dare you, Minister!" the emperor thundered. "Betray my trust and abuse your power?!"

Zhang, still in shock, felt cold sweat on his brows as he searched desperately for an excuse. But the evidence was undeniable. For the first time, genuine fear gripped him as he realized there was no way to escape the consequences of his actions. All hope of mercy evaporated under the emperor's unrelenting stare.

Unable to defend himself, he dropped to his knees before the emperor.

"Your Majesty, please..." he pleaded while trembling with fear. "Have mercy. I only served the empire as best as I could."

"How dare you speak of service after the horrible crimes you've committed against my people?" He roared.

"I....i beg you, Your Majesty, I am.... loyal to you," the minister stammered, breaking under the emperor's anger. "Strike me if you must, but I plead for your mercy."

Yet, he ignored his desperate pleas, disgusted to learn that funds meant to protect the people had been used for such a cruel and evil purpose.

"You have committed unspeakable crimes,"

"And there will be no mercy for someone who has betrayed the people's trust and caused such terrible suffering in my name."

"You are stripped of your title and position!!!"

Zhang's face drained of color as the guards seized him, "Please, Your Majesty!" he begged.

"You will be paraded through the streets in chains, your name and disgrace spread before all to see."

The emperor's voice was cold, as he continued.

"You will then be publicly executed, and your family will suffer the same fate for your crimes. Your soul will never know peace!!"

Zhang screamed in horror, pleading for mercy, but the emperor's decision was final and the guards hauled him away.

His cries grew more hysterical as the throne room doors swung shut, cutting off his pleas. Some court officials stepped forward to intercede on his behalf but the emperor silenced them with a warning.

"Any who dare plead for that traitor will face the same punishment"

The officials shrank back, chastened. Then the emperor spoke again. "I want the minister's sites of slaves located at once."

"Every illegal shipment and operation associated with him must be shut down immediately. No prisoner is to remain in captivity. See that it is done."

The guards bowed hastily and departed to carry out his command.

"Grand Secretary," the emperor called out. "There is more to this than Zhang alone. I want to see the other documents. Show me the transaction records—those that involve him and his collaborators."

The Grand Secretary nodded quietly, his face pale as he picked up a stack of documents and stepped forward to place them before the emperor.

"These, Your Majesty, are the detailed ledgers and correspondence that link Zhang to the others. They have been involved in siphoning royal funds for years, using false accounts and offshore investments."

The emperor slowly scanned through the scrolls, his sharp mind quickly connected the dots. Several other high-ranking ministers and officials were named, their signatures scattered across records of illicit transactions, hidden assets, and secret deals. It was far worse than he had imagined.

"Are these the full extent of their dealings?" He asked, his voice dangerously calm.

The Grand Secretary hesitated, his fingers trembling slightly as he sifted through more papers. "Your Majesty, there are still connections to foreign traders and even a few provinces. Their influence extends beyond the borders of our empire."

A quiet rumble went through the hall, but as the emperor's gaze hardened, everyone fell silent in an instant.

"Then it is not only within our walls that this rot festers," the emperor's voice grew more intense. "It appears that every corner of the empire has been tainted. Gather the names of all involved and have them brought to me. I will not tolerate traitors in my court."

One of the older ministers spoke up hesitantly. "Your Majesty, if I may, Zhang, having been an influential minister, I fear that some of those names... they may belong to powerful figures. Removing them could cause unrest, even rebellion. Perhaps we should proceed with caution."

"Caution? These people have betrayed the very foundation of this empire. The people have suffered because of their greed. If rebellion comes, so be it. I will not allow this cancer to spread further."

Another official, younger and more brash, spoke eagerly. "Your Majesty, if I may be bold, the sooner we act, the better. There are others in the court who are already planning to take advantage of the power vacuum. We cannot let this opportunity slip." And the emperor nodded approvingly at the official's suggestion.

As the officials scrambled to obey, the emperor leaned back in his throne, rubbing his temples, the grand secretary hesitated before speaking again. "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. The records indicate that Zhang had connections even within the military and the merchant guilds are extensive. We may need to involve the generals if we are to root out this corruption."

The emperor turned to face him with a grim expression. "We will call upon the generals when the time comes."

With the matter of zhang resolved, he signaled the end of the meeting. All present bowed as one before taking their leave.

Soon, news of what had happened spread quickly.

"Minister Zhang arrested for corruption?"

"What will happen to him now?"

"Life imprisonment?" "Beheading?"

The story of the corrupt minister reached every corner of the town. In the streets outside the palace, rumors spread from person to person. Even merchants stopped their work to talk about it. Everyone, from the rich to the poor, was talking about it.