I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 723 When the water is clear, there will be no fish

Chapter 723 Water that is too clear has no fish

"Reverse the verdict?" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Little pig, you're such a pig-brain! Don't you ever think that when Old Wei was alive, the Ming Dynasty's treasury was never short of silver!"

Zhu Youjian's expression immediately changed; the truth was indeed as Wang Wenzhou had said.

"Sigh..." Wang Wenzhou sighed and said with a wry smile, "Actually, I'm quite similar to Lao Wei. He does the dirty and tiring work for your brother, and I do the dirty and tiring work for you. In fact, you both fear us and you both trick us!"

“Bo Xin, if you were the emperor, would you allow ministers to hold military power and establish their own rule?” Zhu Youjian asked Wang Wenzhou.

Wang Wenzhou said with a wry smile, "Wasn't I driven to this by you? Not only did you steal my money, but you're also constantly on guard against me! 'A ruler who suspects his subjects will die, and a subject who suspects his ruler will betray him.' You must know that saying, right? I have so many beautiful babies, and my life is happy and fulfilling. Why would I want to die?"

“Hmm…” Zhu Youjian was at a loss for words.

Wang Wenzhou, with his arm around Da Yu'er, took a sip of wine and continued, "Let's continue talking about Old Wei. Poor Old Wei! He really suffered because he was uneducated! He could barely read or write, and he never received a formal education. I doubt he could even understand history books!"

Zhu Youjian nodded. Wang Wenzhou was right; Wei Zhongxian's education level was indeed not high.

Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Old Wei, after rising from humble beginnings to become rich, doesn't know how to keep a low profile. Those who flatter him call him 'Nine Thousand Years,' and he actually accepts it with a smile. I say, Brother Zhu, do you really think such a fool could usurp the throne?"

Zhu Youjian blushed. In fact, he had wanted to get rid of Wei Zhongxian because he thought Wei Zhongxian was too arrogant. He even called himself the Ninth Prince. You don't even have the surname Zhu, and you're a eunuch. Aren't you just asking for death?

"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou said with a laugh, "Those hypocrites of the Donglin Party, they keep talking about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. Little pig, let me ask you, do you really think they are loyal to the emperor and patriotism?"

Zhu Youjian thought for a moment and then said, "Many court officials are holding their positions without doing their jobs, which is a tragedy for our Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Wrong!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Little pig, the reason you've governed the Ming Dynasty like this is because you haven't received proper imperial education!"

"Hmm?" Zhu Youjian frowned, not understanding what Wang Wenzhou wanted to say. He knew he was not an illiterate like Wei Zhongxian.

Wang Wenzhou continued, "To be an emperor, one must possess the art of rulership. I don't know if your family's knowledge was passed down orally or learned through reading and observation, but you certainly haven't mastered it!"

"What do you mean?" Zhu Youjian was somewhat unconvinced. What nonsense about imperial arts! It was all just ramblings from storytellers in the streets and taverns.

Wang Wenzhou put his arm around Da Yu'er, took a sip of wine, and said slowly, "Governing a country is actually about governing its officials."

“That’s true!” Zhu Youjian nodded.

Wang Wenzhou continued, "But you don't understand the tricks of the trade at all! Take your taking down of Wei Zhongxian, for example, you're too stupid! Who are these so-called eunuch factions? Aren't they just the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction, who were defeated by the Donglin Party? They only united under Wei Zhongxian's banner after their defeat."

"The eunuch faction has committed countless evils and deserves to be killed!" Zhu Youjian said viciously.

Wang Wenzhou hugged Da Yu'er and kissed her, then pointed at Zhu Youjian and laughed, "Baby, look, Zhu Youjian is such an idiot! Tell me, is the barbarian Huang Taiji as stupid as him?"

Da Yu'er blushed and smiled bitterly to herself. "My darling, don't do this. You're hugging and kissing me, and you keep bringing up Huang Taiji. Is that really meaningful?"

"Foolish?" Zhu Youjian said coldly, "How am I foolish? The eunuch faction has committed countless evil deeds. Is it wrong for me to kill them?"

"Of course you're wrong!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Little pig, water that's too clear has no fish! You can't be that ignorant, can you? Why do people want to be officials? Of course, it's to make a lot of money and sleep with beautiful women! That's human nature! You're going against human nature, isn't that your fault?"

"Haha!" Zhu Youjian laughed and scolded, "Boxin, you are truly shameless! Don't judge others by your own standards. How can our great Ming Dynasty, with its bright and clear sky, allow corrupt officials to run rampant?"

Wang Wenzhou sneered, "Corrupt official? Yes! Old Wei is corrupt, but why don't you think about it? When he was around, did your national treasury ever lack silver? After you killed him, you were dirt poor. If it weren't for him stealing my silver, the Ming Dynasty would have perished long ago!"

But then again, think about it. You forced me out, but what about the national treasury? Tens of millions of taels of silver! Half of that money could crush the Tartars! But were the Tartars wiped out? Or were the banditry quelled?

Zhu Youjian said with a wry smile, "Although the Tartars have not been eliminated, the banditry within the country has been gradually quelled!"

"Haha!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Little pig, you're such an idiot! You know I went to Sichuan to form an alliance with Zhang Xianzhong. That guy was actually feigning surrender. To tell you the truth, once he hears that I've besieged the capital, he'll definitely rebel again."

"You..." Zhu Youjian pointed angrily. Wang Wenzhou, that mad dog, was too outrageous!

"Don't say that!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "You need to understand, we are enemies! No longer ruler and subject!"

"Hoo..." Zhu Youjian took a deep breath. Wang Wenzhou's words, though harsh, were true.

Wang Wenzhou thought for a moment and then said, "Little Pig, we've been brothers, so I'll teach you a lesson. What is humanity! I don't deny that there are idiots like you in this world. Idiots think that to be a person, you have to have a conscience and morals..."

However, most people can't do it! For example, I like to sleep with pretty girls, and I just can't control myself. This is the state of most people.

The Donglin Party, those hypocrites, outwardly profess loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. But they're loyal to the emperor my ass, and love the country my ass! Use your pig-brain to think about it—if their hands were clean, could they even support their families on those meager salaries from the court?

"Ah!" Zhu Youjian's expression changed. He had never thought of that before, but after Wang Wenzhou reminded him, he realized that it was indeed the case!

"Corrupt officials should all be killed!" Zhu Youjian said viciously.

"Don't be silly!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Your ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang thought so too, and he did indeed practice what he preached. In the end, what happened? Didn't he back down? He killed so many people that there were no officials left to use, but in the end, no matter who it was, as long as they became officials, they would still be corrupt!"

"Throughout history, the so-called anti-corruption campaign was just a pretext to strike at opponents! You idiot, you actually took anti-corruption seriously! And then you foolishly became a pawn of the Donglin Party, causing the eunuch faction to fall apart!" Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Little pig, are you stupid or not?"

Zhu Youjian said with a wry smile, "I know that we shouldn't let the Donglin Party dominate! Wen Tiren and others are not members of the Donglin Party!"

Wang Wenzhou laughed and scolded, "Little pig, stop comforting yourself! Old Wen is a complete idiot. As the current Grand Secretary, he can't even manage a trivial matter. He's been completely sidelined by the Donglin Party! Not only him, but you are too!"