I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 355 The Only One Who Can Save You Is You

Between Xianyifang and Fucaifang in Xicheng District, opposite the City God Temple in Jinchengfang to the west, are the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Censorate. This area is also known as Fasifang.

To the south of Fasifang, next to Xuanwu Gate, there is an elephant house. During the Jiajing period, it was converted into a confinement place. All the important ministers and nobles who were under imperial edict to await trial were detained here, awaiting the joint trial by the three judicial officials.

The walls here are high, the courtyards are deep, the forests are dense, and the living conditions are secluded. The conditions are a thousand times better than those in the Imperial Prison and Shuntian Prefecture Prison.

On this morning, just as the light of the rising sun passed over the Chaoyang Gate Tower and shone onto the capital, an official in a scarlet robe, accompanied by a dozen followers, quietly came to the confinement place.

The guards in charge of the place checked the badges and documents one by one before letting them in.

Entering the second gate, it was guarded by the Wing Guard Division, and after checking the badges and documents, only four people were allowed in, and four military academies from the Wing Guard Division were sent to accompany them.

The third gate was where the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate sent people to assist in the investigation. When they saw the visitor, they immediately saluted and said, "I greet Zhao Zhongcheng."

The visitor was Zhao Zhenji, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

"No need to be polite. Please check the card and the documents quickly. I have official business to attend to."

"Yes."

After entering the third gate, an official from the Ministry of Justice led the way. After several turns, we arrived at a small courtyard with strict security.

Zhao Zhenji entered the courtyard with two followers and two military officers from the Wing Guard Division, and the rest of the people were waiting at the door.

There was a man sitting in the yard, wearing a straight-cut gown, in his forties, with gray hair and a jade hairpin stuck in his bun. He was sitting cross-legged in a small pavilion in the yard, meditating with his eyes closed.

When several servants saw a group of people rushing in, they were so scared that they immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to look up.

The attendant was about to go forward to wake up the people in the pavilion, but was stopped by Zhao Zhenji. He looked around, waved his hand and asked the attendants to move two chairs and a coffee table out of the house and place them under a bare tree.

He asked the servant to make a pot of tea and put it on the coffee table.

He then waved his hand to signal the military academy followers to take the servants out of the small courtyard as well.

Zhao Zhenji sat on the chair, picked up the teacup, and drank the hot tea in small sips.

"The tea here is coarse and hard to swallow. Can Lord Dazhou drink it?" The man in the pavilion slowly opened his eyes and asked.

"I'm not picky about taste, as long as I have tea to drink, that's fine. Your Highness the Prince of Liao, have you completed a full cycle of qi circulation while meditating?" Zhao Zhenji asked in return.

Sitting in the pavilion was the eighth generation Liao prince Zhu Xian.

In December of the 14th year of the Jiajing reign, he was conferred the title of Jurong King, and in the 19th year of the Jiajing reign, he was promoted to Liao King. In the middle of last year, Zhang Juzheng impeached him, and the Jinyiwei Zhenfu Division was ordered to escort him to Beijing, where he has been awaiting trial ever since.

Zhu Xian slowly stood up, walked out of the pavilion, and sat down on the chair opposite. "Now it's different from the past. It's no longer possible to practice Xuan Xiu and respect heaven, or to practice meditation and forgetfulness. It's just like the Qingci learning of the officials in the court, which has been abandoned for a long time."

"Your Highness is a sensible man and sees things more clearly than many people." Zhao Zhenji smiled faintly.

Zhu Xian sighed, "I don't understand. The Prince of Xiyuan is also a man who cherishes the old times. Lu Donghu (Lu Bing) died early, and his son Yan'en inherited the title of Loyalty Earl for another generation. When Huang Gong retired, he was named Loyalty Earl for his disabled body and was listed in history.

Why? The two have served the late emperor for their entire lives. The crown prince is the late emperor's good grandson, and he loves the whole family. Why can't the crown prince extend a little of his grace to the Liao vassal state?"

Zhao Zhenji laughed, his face changed, and his tone was a little grim: "Your Highness, you only know one side of the story. There was another favorite of the late emperor, who was once the most powerful official in the country, but was forced to send his son to be executed, retire and return to his hometown, and give away all his property. Now he only lives on the ancestral hall and the graveyard.

Your Highness the Prince of Liao, do you know who it is?"

Zhu Xian's face turned pale and blue, and after a moment's hesitation, he replied, "I know, it's Yan Song, the elder Yan, from Fenyi, Jiangxi."

Zhao Zhenji stroked his beard and said, "Lord Yan, a notorious traitor. Although his only son was thrown into the streets, his four generations of the family were saved. I heard that he is over 80 years old and is enjoying his old age, enjoying the company of his grandchildren. It is not in vain that he served the late emperor all his life. He did not end up like some people say, "The cunning rabbit is used up and the running dog is cooked."

Zhu Xian stared at Zhao Zhenji and said angrily, "I am a vassal king and a descendant of Emperor Taizu. I was locked up and brought to the capital for no reason. I have been imprisoned in this courtyard for half a year without trial or questioning. What is the meaning of Xiyuan?"

"The cabinet minister Zhang Shuda has impeached His Highness for 13 serious crimes including 'falsely requesting a title, committing adultery with his aunt, beating the imperial concubine to death, imprisoning the county lady, and extorting clan members.'

Fourteen people including Gao Guangxian, the Imperial Censor, also submitted a petition to support the impeachment. Your Highness, do you know about this? "

"A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. When the late emperor was alive, our domain was highly valued and was granted the title of Qingwei Zhongjiao Zhenren, as well as a golden seal and Taoist scriptures. Our palaces, gardens, music, performances, dogs and horses were the best among all the domains, and some people are jealous of our domain.

Furthermore, the Liao vassal states were in conflict, and each family fought for the throne, deceiving each other, slandering and defaming each other, and using every possible means. "

"The Liao vassal states are fighting against each other? The late emperor passed away and sent an imperial edict to Jingzhou. You are not sad or depressed. Is this true?"

Zhao Zhenji suddenly asked.

Zhu Xian was shocked and quickly explained, "Slander, pure slander! The imperial edict was sent to Jingzhou late in the morning, and the Jingzhou government received it and sent it to the palace the next morning. This vassal knew nothing about it and drank all night. When we received the imperial edict the next morning, we immediately wore mourning clothes, set up a mourning hall to worship, and the whole government wore white mourning, not daring to be disrespectful."

Zhu Xian didn't dare to bear this crime.

Zhu Yijun killed a group of people because of the death of Emperor Jiajing, including royal family nobles and ministers.

For example, Zhu Xianhuai, the King of Wugang of the Chu vassal state, took a prostitute on a boat trip on the river during the national mourning period. He was impeached and immediately arrested and brought to the capital. He was hanged after trial.

The rest of the royal family and nobles were beheaded or hanged, and forty-one people were killed. Once the report was verified, they would be dead.

So what if they are from the royal family?
Treat an intact corpse with courtesy.

"The Jinyiwei Zhenfu Division was ordered to go to Jingzhou to take you to the capital. Before the Zhenfu Division entered the city, someone set up a large white flag in the city with the words 'Banner of Litigation for Injustice' written on it. The local authorities were shocked and quickly mobilized 500 soldiers to surround the palace.

Your Highness, Prince of Liao, is this true?"

Zhu Xian sighed, "Zhao Zhongcheng, I am a humble man. No matter how stupid I am, I would never do such a clumsy and suicidal thing."

Yes, after the Yongle reign, local princes were gradually stripped of their military power and were not allowed to interfere in local government affairs. It was like being kept in captivity, with nothing to do but eat, drink and sleep.

At this delicate moment when an imperial edict has been issued to arrest someone, you still dare to raise the banner and cry out for injustice. If you really want to die, it would be faster to jump into the Yangtze River!

"There is infighting among the Liao vassal states, and some people in the vassal state want me dead."

"Does your highness know who it is?"

"I know it was Prince Guangyuan Zhu Xianhe, but I have no evidence."

The sixth Liao king Zhu Chongqi had two sons. Later, the Liao vassal was passed on to the second legitimate son Zhu Zhige, and then to Zhu Xian. The third legitimate son Zhu Zhizhen was named Guangyuan King, and passed on the title to Zhu Xianhe.

If Zhu Xian was killed, according to the imperial edict and ancestral system of enfeoffment of royal family members, the Liao vassal state should be inherited by Zhu Xianhe.

"No evidence? Your Highness the Crown Prince values ​​evidence the most. You have no evidence, so how can you say that someone else framed you?"

"That's why our clan is so troubled."

“No matter how much trouble you have, it’s good to have a cure.”

Zhao Zhenji's words made Zhu Xian's eyes light up.

Why would the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate come over here so dryly and drink a cup of crude and unpalatable tea with me?
"Please teach me, Mr. Ozu?" Zhu Xian said pitifully, "Our whole family will be grateful."

Zhao Zhenji glanced at Zhu Xian.

Is this guy a good person?

Definitely not a good person.

This man was cruel and murderous, and had taken human lives in Jingzhou City. He was also lewd and lustful, and had sex with both men and women, committing numerous crimes.

But compared with other vassal kings, he is really nothing.

These vassal kings lacked control in the local areas, were lawless, and could do anything evil. So we had to think of a way to reform the old system of enfeoffment of the royal family, which was already stinking.

Zhao Zhenji replied: "I have nothing to teach Your Highness the King of Liao. The three judicial departments will hold a joint trial soon. The King of Liao should take care of himself."

Zhu Xian's eyes flickered. "The trial is finally going to take place?"

"Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince handed the Liao Fan case over to Hai Gangfeng for trial. He made a special trip to Jingzhou last year to personally investigate the Liao Fan, and will be back soon.

As soon as Lord Gangfeng returns to the capital, the Liao vassal case will naturally be tried."

Zhu Xian was locked up in this yard and had no access to any information. When he heard Zhao Zhenji say these words, his face changed drastically, turning purple.

Hai Rui and Hai Gangfeng personally judged the case!
After the panic, Zhu Xian became more convinced that Zhao Zhenji would not come to the temple without a reason.

He stood up and knelt down in front of Zhao Zhenji, begging desperately: "Zhao Zhongcheng, please save Zhu's life!"

Zhao Zhenji quickly helped him up and said in a serious tone: "Your Highness, the King of Liao, there is no one who can save you but you!"

(End of this chapter)