I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

After successfully cleaning up a group of corrupt officials, Chen Jue and the prince did not relax at all. They knew that the country's problems were far more than that.

At this time, a more difficult problem was placed before them - how to deal with those princes who refused to repay the money.

Chen Jue and the prince sat in the study with serious expressions.

Chen Jue frowned slightly and said, "Your Highness, the princes' failure to pay back their debts is indeed a problem. They have special identities, so we must be extremely cautious when dealing with them."

The prince nodded, a worried look on his face: "Master Chen is right. These princes usually live in luxury, and it may not be easy to ask them to pay back the money now."

The two of them fell into deep thought and could not think of a proper solution for a while. Finally, they decided to go and ask the emperor for his advice.

The emperor was reviewing memorials in the imperial study. After hearing the reports from Chen Jue and the prince, he fell into deep thought.

He knew very well that the problem of the princes' unpaid debts must be resolved, otherwise the country's financial crisis would not be alleviated.

"It's not a big deal if the princes don't pay back their debts. I've been thinking about this issue. Do you have any good suggestions?"

The prince hesitated for a moment and said, "Father, I think we can use the method of paying off the loan with fines, and let the princes use their salaries to repay the debt."

The emperor nodded slightly, as if thinking about the feasibility of this suggestion.

However, Chen Jue expressed a different opinion: "Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince's suggestion makes sense, I think this move may make other ministers dissatisfied. After all, the princes have special status, and if we only use the method of punishing them to repay the loan, it may be difficult to convince the public."

The emperor frowned after hearing what Chen Jue said. He understood that Chen Jue's worries were not unreasonable, but the problem of the princes' debts must also be solved.

"This is indeed a difficult matter. The princes are my descendants, and I do not want to punish them too harshly. But the interests of the country are above all else, and they must be held accountable for their actions."

After thinking for a moment, the emperor said, "I have decided to punish a few princes to serve as a warning to others."

Chen Jue and the prince looked at each other, knowing that the emperor's decision was difficult. But they also knew that this was the only way to solve the problem at the moment. The emperor decided to announce the decision on the treatment of the princes in the court.

The next day, the atmosphere in the court was tense and solemn. The emperor sat high on the dragon throne with a serious face. The ministers were full of doubts, wondering why the emperor was so serious today.

The emperor glanced at his ministers and said slowly: "Today, I have to deal with an important matter concerning the national interest." The ministers all pricked up their ears, waiting for the emperor's next words.

The emperor's eyes fell on the princes, his eyes full of disappointment and anger. "As princes, you should set an example and work for the welfare of the country and the people. However, you borrowed money from the treasury and have not returned it yet. Your behavior makes me deeply saddened."

The emperor's voice echoed in the court, and several princes lowered their heads, not daring to look the emperor in the eye.

One of the princes bravely said, "Father, I didn't mean to not return it, I just had difficulties."

The emperor glared at him and said sternly, "Are you in trouble? When the country is in trouble, have you ever thought about sharing the country's worries? You only know how to pursue pleasure and ignore the safety of the country. What is the difference between your behavior and those corrupt officials?"

Another prince said quickly, "Father, please calm down. I know I was wrong. I am willing to pay back the money I owe you. Please forgive me."

The emperor sneered and said, "You know you are wrong now? What did you do before? Do you think you can borrow the country's money at will and not pay it back? As princes, you don't think about making progress, but only know how to squander. Have you ever thought about the suffering of the people? Have you ever thought about the future of the country?"

The emperor became more and more angry and continued to rebuke: "You enjoy the honor of the royal family, but you do not fulfill your responsibilities. How can I face the people of the world with your behavior? I have high hopes for you, but you have disappointed me time and time again."

The princes knelt on the ground and said tremblingly: "Father, we know we were wrong. Please give us a chance to correct our mistakes."

The emperor looked at them, feeling angry and helpless. "I have decided to lock you up in the Honglu Temple and ask you to reflect on your actions. You can come out when you have thought clearly." The emperor's words were so powerful that they shocked the ministers.

The ministers looked at each other, all of them were shocked by the emperor's decision. They knew that the emperor was determined to rectify the bad habits in the royal family.

After dealing with the debts of the princes, the emperor felt that the corruption in the country must be eradicated. So he made up his mind to clean up the government and ordered the crown prince to further investigate corrupt officials.

After receiving the order, the prince immediately called Chen Jue to discuss it. The two sat opposite each other in the study, looking solemn.

The crown prince spoke first, "Sir Chen, my father has ordered me to investigate corrupt officials. This is a heavy responsibility. How should you and I proceed?"

Chen Jue frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, we need to be cautious in this matter. We must first determine the direction and focus of the investigation. Those officials who have committed serious corruption and bribery and caused great public outrage should be our primary focus."

The prince nodded and said, "That makes sense. So where do we start our investigation?"

Chen Jue said: "We can start with reports from the people. Those who have been harmed by corrupt officials can often provide the most direct clues. We can send people to collect reports from the public and select valuable clues for in-depth investigation."

The prince agreed, "Good idea. What else should we pay attention to?"

Chen Jue continued, "Your Highness, we must keep our investigation confidential. These corrupt officials will definitely try their best to cover up their crimes. Once they become aware of our actions, they may use various means to obstruct our investigation."

The prince said seriously, "I understand. We must be careful and not let them take advantage of us."

After the discussion, the prince and Chen Jue immediately led people to investigate. They sent some smart and capable men to go deep into the people to collect information from the people. At the same time, they also secretly monitored some suspicious officials to find evidence of their corruption and bribery.

During the investigation, the prince and Chen Jue kept communicating on the progress.

"Sir Chen, what are the main areas of people's complaints at the moment?" asked the prince.

Chen Jue replied, "Your Highness, the people's complaints are mainly about officials embezzling public funds during construction projects, pocketing taxes, and abusing their power to oppress the people."

The prince frowned and said, "These issues must be investigated thoroughly. We must find solid evidence as soon as possible and bring these corrupt officials to justice."

Chen Jue said: "Don't worry, Your Highness. Our people are stepping up the investigation. Once we have evidence, we will not show any mercy."

As the investigation deepened, the prince and Chen Jue discovered that some officials had colluded with each other and committed corruption together. They realized that the fight against corruption was far more complicated and difficult than they had imagined.

"Your Highness, these officials have colluded with each other and formed a huge force. If we want to completely eradicate them, we must have sufficient evidence and firm determination." Chen Jue said.

The prince said firmly: "Master Chen, we cannot retreat. For the prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people, we must fight this anti-corruption struggle to the end."

With the efforts of the prince and Chen Jue, the investigation gradually made progress. They collected more and more evidence, laying a solid foundation for the next step.