Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Li Shanchang is really going all out today!
Before coming, Li Shanchang had made full mental preparations. Today, he was determined to secure enough benefits for the nobles of Huaixi!
Even if it's worse than what Ouyang Lun proposed, it has to be better, because only in this way can he turn defeat into victory and keep everything he has now.

Of course, Li Shanchang had considered what the consequences of failure might be, but he no longer cared about the consequences of failure!

Seeing Li Shanchang roaring, Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned cold, and he immediately said in a deep voice, "Li Shanchang, Li Shanchang, did you not remember anything Ouyang Lun said just now?"

"This land of the Ming Dynasty belongs to us and the common people, and most of it already has owners. Do you expect us to take it from the people and give it to you?!"

"If we really do this, the people of the world will be terrified of us. Do you think we should choose the people or just a few of you?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's words plunged Li Shanchang and the others into an icy abyss.

This was somewhat beyond Li Shanchang's expectations. He had only wanted the retired Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to make some concessions, but unexpectedly, Zhu Yuanzhang directly placed them on the opposite side of the people.

On one side were the people and the Ming Dynasty, and on the other side were these old ministers who were over fifty years old.

It's obvious which is more important!
More importantly, Zhu Yuanzhang made his stance clear.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind to us!"

"How can we compare with the people of the world and the Ming Dynasty? We only want some better conditions."

"We humbly request the Emperor Emeritus or His Majesty's permission!"

Li Shanchang had prepared a whole speech, but he couldn't utter a word. With tears in his eyes, he prostrated himself on the ground once more.

Li Shanchang had always believed that these veteran officials still held a high position in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

Even though the noble families of Huaixi have made many mistakes over the years, they still cannot compare to Ouyang Lun's status in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

But, since he's about to retire and return to his hometown, surely he'll receive good treatment!

Moreover, even though he tried to apologize by carrying thorns on his back and pleading, he still couldn't sway Zhu Yuanzhang in the slightest.

Disappointment, loneliness, despair and other complex emotions welled up in my heart.

“Li Shanchang, we know what you really want! If it's just a few pieces of land, we can still find a way to give it to you!”

"But ask yourself, is it really just those few pieces of land that you want?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was deep and his gaze profound. "Let me put it more clearly: the imperial court has already promulgated relevant regulations for the retired nobles of Huaixi to return to their hometowns, and has even established a special department for retired cadres to handle these matters!"

"And yet you have repeatedly obstructed and resisted, even using the pretense of apologizing with thorns on your back. You are threatening us and the emperor!"

"What I hate most in my life is being coerced. Li Shanchang, you haven't gotten so old that you've forgotten that, have you?!"

"And another thing, think carefully about how long it has been since you contributed to the construction and development of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Every day you're either marrying young and beautiful concubines and enjoying yourself in your Han Guo Gong mansion, how much have you and the Huai Xi nobles contributed to the rapid development of the Ming Dynasty in recent years!"

“We see it all, the Emperor sees it all, and the millions of people of the Ming Dynasty see it all!”

"What else do you have to say now?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's outburst left Li Shanchang completely dumbfounded.

But the anger in my heart also erupted at this moment!

Li Shanchang stood up from the ground and then put down the thorns behind him.

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with grief and indignation.

“The Emperor!!”

"Do you think we nobles of Huaixi are even inferior to ordinary people?!"

"Yes—the people's hearts are more important to the Ming Dynasty now, but don't forget, if it weren't for us risking our lives to follow you, it's questionable whether this country would even belong to the Zhu family!"

"The common people are the most heartless. If they are slightly dissatisfied, they will turn their backs on the court and eventually support those who rebel. Isn't that how all dynasties have perished?"

"If the Emperor Emeritus thinks that the Ming Dynasty can be protected by these ordinary people, he is sorely mistaken! In the end, it is still those of us who are tied to the Ming Dynasty who will succeed!"

"You will abandon us today, and you will surely regret it later!!"

Li Shanchang is just like a resentful woman who has been abandoned.

"Your Majesty, since ancient times, the way to lasting rule has always been for the emperor and the powerful families to share the empire!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Finally, we've gotten to the point!
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Lun sighed inwardly.

Despite all the talk Li Shanchang and Zhu Yuanzhang had, their core concept was whether the emperor should share the empire with powerful families and scholar-officials, or with the millions of ordinary people!
The two models of "the emperor sharing the world with aristocratic families and scholar-officials" and "the emperor sharing the world with the common people" are two representative political models, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

The emperor sharing power with aristocratic families and scholar-officials had many advantages, such as political stability. These families and scholar-officials typically possessed rich political experience and resources, enabling them to assist the emperor in maintaining the stability of the regime.

Especially in the early stages of a dynasty, their support was crucial for consolidating imperial power.

They were efficient and professional. The scions of aristocratic families and the scholar-official class were usually well-educated, familiar with laws and regulations, and able to effectively manage the state apparatus and improve administrative efficiency.

It also had many drawbacks, such as the dispersion of power and the weakening of imperial power. Powerful families could form local or national power groups, threatening the centralization of imperial power.

The scholar-official class could form interest groups through the bureaucratic system, and even engage in factional struggles, such as the struggle between the Donglin Party and the eunuch party at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Another factor is social stratification and reduced mobility. Powerful families monopolize political resources, making it difficult for children from poor families to advance in their careers, thus reducing social mobility.

The most significant drawback was its detachment from the people. The interests of aristocratic families and scholar-officials might become disconnected from the interests of the lower classes, leading to policies that favored the elite and neglected people's livelihoods.

As for the emperor sharing power with the common people, the advantage is that it enhances the legitimacy of the regime.

Directly declaring "sharing the world with the people" can strengthen the regime's people-oriented character and gain broader social support.

It can also curb the privileged class. When the imperial power relies directly on the support of the people, it may weaken the power of aristocratic families or scholar-officials and prevent local powerful families from becoming too powerful.

To promote social equity, policies such as the equal-field system and tax reductions directly benefit the people and alleviate social conflicts.

The downsides are high governance costs and the risk of populism.

Of course, as a time traveler, Zhu Yuanzhang's choice was undoubtedly to share the world with the common people!

So when Li Shanchang uttered his last words, Ouyang Lun understood that Li Shanchang had lost completely, or rather, Li Shanchang's defeat was already destined!
Even without Ouyang Lun, Li Shanchang's fate would have been the same.

While Ouyang Lun was pondering these things, Zhu Yuanzhang spoke up, "Li Shanchang, you're wrong. We don't need to share the world with aristocratic families and scholar-officials at all!"

"What we want is to share the world with all the people! Put the people first, and the people are more important than the ruler!"

"If you understand this, it seems you really are getting old!"

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Li Shanchang trembled all over, then suddenly pointed a finger at Zhu Yuanzhang and cried, "You tyrant!"

"We, the brothers of Huaixi, supported your rise to power, but in the end, we were ruthlessly abandoned by you!"

"You tyrant! You will regret your actions sooner or later!"

When Li Shanchang pointed at Zhu Yuanzhang's nose and cursed him, the surrounding officials were all shocked! No one expected that Li Shanchang would dare to curse Zhu Yuanzhang!
Ouyang Lun shook his head inwardly.

This time, Li Shanchang is truly gone, beyond saving even if he wanted to.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was somewhat unpleasant. This was the first time he had ever been called a tyrant in front of so many people.

"Ji Gang!"

"Your subordinate is here." Ji Gang stepped out from the corner.

“I remember you handed me a memorial a while ago, which listed Li Shanchang’s many crimes!”

"I can't quite remember some of it, why don't you read it aloud for everyone to hear?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice.

Ji Gang was taken aback at first, then his expression returned to normal, and he immediately spoke loudly: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has received reports that the Duke of Han and Grand Secretary Li Shanchang have committed two major crimes over the years!"

"The first major crime is forming cliques for personal gain, abusing power and disrupting the government, being arrogant and conceited due to merits, cultivating a large number of followers, colluding with internal and external forces, and plotting treason."

"Li Shanchang had previously been in secret dealings with Hu Weiyong, Lu Zhongheng, Fei Ju and other former officials of Huaixi, forming a faction and controlling the government."

“All matters submitted by the six ministries must first pass through his hands. If they do not meet his expectations, he will obstruct them, causing the government to fail and the court to be in disarray.”

“He placed his cronies in key positions, and his son Li Qi and nephew Li You were among those who held important posts. His relatives and friends were everywhere in the court, and he controlled the selection of officials in the Ministry of Personnel, which prevented virtuous and capable people from advancing, while mediocre people filled the government offices.”

"The Princes of the State: Your Majesty, I have discovered that Li Shanchang has secretly sent his confidants to communicate with the princes, presenting them with precious gifts in an attempt to gain their support. His intentions are unfathomable."

"The second major crime was corruption and bribery, exploiting the people, insatiable greed, embezzling state funds, and harming the common people."

"Occupying farmland: He forcibly seized tens of thousands of acres of farmland in Fengyang, Jiangnan and other places, and allowed his servants to oppress the people, causing good people to be displaced and resentful."

“Accepting bribes: Li Shanchang would demand gold and silver for the promotion of local officials and for criminal cases, often amounting to tens of thousands of yuan.”

"For example, Zhang Chang, the prefect of Suzhou, once offered five thousand taels of silver in exchange for a transfer, and this is all evidence that I have verified."

"The major cases such as the Zhu Liangzu case and the Hu Weiyong case have now been found to be related to Li Shanchang!"

"Please, Your Majesty, see the truth!"

When Ji Gang said these words, the temperature around him noticeably dropped.

Ouyang Lun gave Ji Gang a thumbs up!
Awesome! Old Ji!

Li Shanchang’s accusations came out fluently and without any hesitation.

This guy must have memorized a lot of stuff in private!

I wonder if this guy has been punished by us. If Zhu Yuanzhang needs him, Ji Gang can probably immediately point out Ouyang Lun's crimes.

However, Ouyang Lun had already spent one million taels to read Zhu Yuanzhang's little notebook, and in short, the more debts one has, the better!
"Slander! This is a frame-up by the Embroidered Uniform Guard against this old minister!"

Li Shanchang quickly spoke up.

"Slander!?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding officials. "My lords, who agrees with what Ji Gang just said? Who disagrees?!"

Hey!
Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, the surrounding officials all shuddered.

This is a call for everyone's teams to make their stance clear!
I wish I hadn't come to watch the spectacle.

However, now that the retired emperor has inquired, none of the current officials dare to run away.

Before long, an official stepped forward.

"Your subject agrees with Commander Ji's statement!"

"I also second the proposal!"

With one official taking the lead, other officials followed suit and expressed their opinions.

Without any suspense, all the officials agreed with the charges against Li Shanchang listed by Ji Gang.

Several of them were originally officials of the Huaixi Party.

At this moment, none of the officials dared to look at Li Shanchang; the situation was now crystal clear.

Li Shanchang is nothing more than a cornered beast fighting desperately; he's doomed sooner or later. Standing on Li Shanchang's side at this point is no different from sending yourself to your death.

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's lips curled up slightly. "Li Shanchang, you see that now!"

"It's not just us who see it this way, it's everyone!"

"You've done so much, and we originally wanted to give you a chance to reform, considering your contributions to the Ming Dynasty. But instead of cherishing that opportunity, you've only made things worse!"

"You take our tolerance for granted? Do you really think we don't know?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice grew increasingly sinister, and a murderous intent emanated from him.

"Here comes someone!"

"Put Li Shanchang and his accomplices in jail!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard will handle this case and expose all the treacherous officials of the Ming Dynasty!"

"We will not let a single one escape!"

"Yes!" Ji Gang accepted the order and immediately waved his hand. Several Imperial Guards rushed out from the shadows and captured Li Shanchang and several veteran officials from Huaixi.

Li Shanchang did not resist; he was completely dazed, as if he had lost his soul. He never expected that Zhu Yuanzhang would actually take action against him.

Li Shanchang followed Zhu Yuanzhang from the very beginning, offering him advice and strategies, even though later he gained top strategists like Liu Bowen.

However, Li Shanchang's position as chief strategist never wavered. At his peak, as the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty and the leader of the Huaixi Party, he truly achieved a position second only to the emperor!
But now the prime minister is a thing of the past, the Huaixi Party cannot be preserved, and even he himself is afraid that he will not have a good end!

As soon as Li Shanchang was ordered to be arrested by Zhu Yuanzhang, the news spread quickly, immediately causing a major upheaval in the capital!
That very day, the Embroidered Uniform Guard began a massive arrest of members of the Huaixi Party, with the remaining Huaixi nobles who had not chosen to retire voluntarily becoming the first to be dealt with.

Seeing this, even a fool would know that the end of the Huai-Xi Party is coming!

The first day they arrested people. The second day they started raiding homes!

This time, the efficiency of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was exceptionally high. One by one, the henchmen of the Huaixi Party were arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard from their residences and brought to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Such big news was naturally reported by major newspapers. By the third day, many people outside the capital also learned that Li Shanchang and the Huaixi Party were about to fall!
Beiping.

The news reached us through the newspapers.

Local officials and residents were very excited. Ouyang Lun had been operating in Beiping for many years, so the people and officials of Beiping were very supportive of him.

Moreover, the people of Beiping were extremely disgusted with the Huaixi Party!
After all, when the Huaixi Party was in power a long time ago, they did a lot of things to suppress Ouyang Lun in Beiping.

Now I've finally gotten my revenge! (End of Chapter)