Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 506 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evils Before the Great Ming Palace
On the platform in front of the main hall of the Dadu Imperial Palace, the Daming Hall, Lu Jin, dressed in a bright red round-necked robe with dark dragon patterns, sat down casually on a chair. Below him in the square in front of the hall were thousands of captured Yuan officials, Tibetan monks, students of the Imperial Academy, Goryeo envoys and generals, with a circle of imperial guards standing guard around the perimeter.

Lu Jin glanced at the group of bastards below and immediately waved his hand, saying, "Bring Tuoguan, Hama, and the others up."

"Yes!"

"Bring in the criminals!"

The soldiers quickly relayed the message from one person to another, ensuring that everyone below could hear it clearly. Meanwhile, Toghon Temür, Prince Ayushiridara, Queen Qi, and the prime minister Hama, who had been captured for several days, were also pushed and shoved to the front of the platform.

Xiao Tieguo looked haggard, disheveled, and staggering. His robe was torn in several places. He was brought to the square and immediately looked at the young man sitting among a group of civil and military officials, who were being fawned over. The young man was staring at him with a look of contempt, as if he were livestock.

'Is this the person who destroyed my Great Yuan?' Little Iron Pot looked at Lu Jin, who was high above him, and felt that the red clothes were particularly dazzling, and the person wearing the red clothes was so young.

In fact, Xiao Tieguo himself is not very old. He is only 32 years old this year, which is the prime of his life. However, due to excessive indulgence and lack of restraint over the years, he has aged prematurely. In addition, he was disheartened by the fall of his country and the loss of his family. After being captured for only a few days, his temples have turned white and his eyes are bloodshot, revealing a very tired appearance.

Lu Jin, who was high above, was already 26 years old, but he looked energetic and vigorous, just like the Ming Dynasty, which had only been established for two months, a rising sun.

The little iron pot looked at Lu Jin on top, then at the officials behind him, and at Empress Qi and the Crown Prince beside him. Only then did it perk up a little and raise its head to meet Lu Jin's gaze.

Lu Jin looked at him and immediately asked, "Tuoguan Temur, do you know your crime?"

Little Iron Pot hadn't expected Lu Jin to ask him that. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The victor is king, the loser is villain. That's all there is to it. You've gone to great lengths to capture me. Now that I'm in your hands, I'm doomed. Dying in the capital of the Great Yuan is a fitting end. Let's do it."

Lu Jin smiled upon hearing this and took out the poem that Zhang Desheng had copied: "Snowy mountains and camel butter fill the greedy abyss, frost-covered streets and waxen railings; if there is a reincarnated moon in Bianjing, do not shine on the cold prison cell in Yanyun. This poem was written by you, wasn't it?"

"It seems you know what you've done, so why are you denying it now that you're here?"

Upon hearing this, Tuomen Temur immediately raised his head and stared at Lu Jin, saying, "I ascended the throne at the age of 13, and in my early twenties, I overthrew Bayan and took over the government. I have also worked hard to govern. If I have any mistakes, my biggest mistake was neglecting my duties and indulging in pleasure, and failing to consistently implement the Zhizheng New Policies. If I have any regrets, my biggest regret is not managing the Yellow River earlier, otherwise it would not have dragged on until later, causing the Red Turban Rebellion, and ultimately allowing Your Excellency to seize the Yuan Dynasty's throne."

Lu Jin nodded and commented, "You're quite sincere, but you're still a foolish ruler. What you've said is just the surface. You're actually a very capable and intelligent person. Your real mistake is that you haven't used your intelligence to govern the country, and you've practiced nepotism, failed to distinguish between rewards and punishments, and closed your eyes and ears. Even now, you're still kept in the dark. Do you admit what I've said?"

The little iron pot raised an eyebrow, puzzled, and asked, "What do you mean by this, sir?"

"What do you mean?" Lu Jin immediately said, "Since you ascended the throne, you have lived in the shadow of Bayan and have had enough of Bayan's arrogance. But after you and Tuotuo joined forces to drive Bayan away, you continued to indulge Tuotuo's arrogance."

"When Liu Futong started his rebellion in the Central Plains, Tuotuo's brother was in charge of leading the army. Not only did he do nothing, but he also caused the annihilation of the entire army of 300,000. After returning, he was not punished, but was instead protected by Tuotuo, who punished all those who dared to impeach him."

"If you ignore this, isn't that a lack of fairness in rewards and punishments? Those who make mistakes go unpunished, while those who dare to expose the truth are slandered and punished. In such a situation, who in the world would dare to serve the Yuan court? Isn't this destroying your own foundation?"

After thinking it over carefully, Xiao Tieguo had to admit that Lu Jin was right, so he nodded and said, "Your Excellency is right, it was indeed my fault."

Seeing him nod, Lu Jin pointed to Empress Qi, Ayushiridara, and Hama beside him, "This Goryeo maid, relying on your favor, wants to make her own son the crown prince, but Toqto'a disagrees because of her Goryeo blood, and therefore harbors resentment towards Toqto'a."

"This Hama, as a member of the Kheshig army, not only recommended the sorcery of the foreign monks to you and encouraged you to engage in debauchery in the harem in order to gain favor and a high position, but also, in order to prevent Toqto'a from returning from the front lines and competing with him for power, he joined forces with this Goryeo maid to offer you slanderous advice."

"At that time, Tuotuo was leading the army to conquer Xuzhou. Even if Tuotuo had many faults, you should not have listened to the slander of these two people and demoted Tuotuo. Once the imperial edict was issued, the army's morale was lost. How could we win this battle?"
"What's more, this traitor forged an imperial edict and ordered the 200,000 troops on the Huaibei front to disband on the spot. Anyone who disobeyed would have their entire family wiped out. As a result, the 200,000 troops rebelled in one day and were all taken into my hands. If it weren't for the 200,000 troops that the Yuan court handed over to me, I'm afraid it would have taken me two more years to get here."

"Moreover, I have also heard that in order to eliminate future troubles, this thief forged an imperial edict and ordered someone to kill Tuotuojiu on the way. I don't know if it's true or not."

Little Iron Pot's eyebrows shot up upon hearing this, his face filled with disbelief. "Are you sure what you're saying is true?"

Lu Jin gestured with his chin toward Hama, "Don't believe me? Ask him."

Upon seeing this, Hama immediately knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed to the small iron pot, saying, "Your Majesty, I was bewitched! I have harmed Your Majesty and the Great Yuan! Waaaaah!"

Upon hearing this, the little iron pot suddenly turned red-hot, and it was instantly enraged. It began punching and kicking Hama, cursing as it did so, "So it was you, you beast, who ruined Prime Minister Tuotuo, destroyed the foundation of the court, and destroyed the 200,000-strong army in Huaibei! You bastard, I'll beat you to death! Aaaaaah!"

Lu Jin, watching from above, felt unsatisfied and said to Zhang Desheng beside him, "This beating is so weak and ineffective, it's boring. Do you have a whip? Give him one."

Zhang Desheng immediately untied the horsewhip from his waist and threw it down. Xiao Tieguo was just worried about not finding a suitable weapon, so he picked up the whip and started lashing Hama. With one lash, he struck with hatred, and Hama's skin was torn and bleeding.

"Ah~ Your Majesty, spare me! Ah, I know I was wrong! Ah~"

"You beast, what are you talking about? Give me back my Prime Minister Tuotuo, give me back my 200,000 troops, give me back my kingdom! Ahhh, I'll beat you to death, you wicked beast!"

The small iron pot was swung around and whipped repeatedly until Hama was turned into a spinning top, rolling back and forth in the square in front of the palace. The captured Yuan officials, as well as the Goryeo generals and envoys, watched this absurd scene and began to discuss it among themselves.

They beat him for almost a quarter of an hour. Hama's clothes were torn to shreds, and he was covered in blood. Xiao Tieguo was almost out of strength, but he was still whipping him intermittently, cursing "traitor," "beast," and "give me back my country."

As Lu Jin watched the farce unfold, he said to the people around him, "A foolish emperor beating up a treacherous minister who brought ruin to the country—this is far more exciting than any theatrical play or storybook. It's a once-in-a-century spectacle! What do you all think?"

Pingding, the commander of the 109th Division who usually had no say in Lu Jin's affairs, was unusually brought to Lu Jin's side this time because he was escorting Ayushiridara and Empress Qi. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "Your Majesty is right, it is indeed brilliant. However, this Hama has actually helped us a lot. If it weren't for this fellow causing trouble for the Yuan court, we wouldn't have been able to launch the Northern Expedition and reclaim Yanyun so quickly. But what he did is worth killing him. It's just a pity that Tuoguan seems to be running out of strength."

"Hahaha, we really should thank him properly. Don't worry, I have a plan." Lu Jin laughed and immediately stood up, leaning on the white marble railing as he spoke to the small iron pot below.

"I wasn't finished yet. This scoundrel didn't just conspire with that Goryeo maid to kill Toqto'a and bury 200,000 troops. As far as I know, he also wants to conspire with that Goryeo maid to force the emperor to abdicate, depose the emperor, and install that Goryeo bastard as the new emperor. Ask him again if it's true." Upon hearing this, Little Iron Pot was immediately filled with question marks. Then he turned to look at Empress Qi and the Crown Prince with a fierce expression. His narrowed eyes revealed a murderous glint as he asked incredulously, "You're colluding with this beast to plot for power? Is it true? Speak!"

Empress Naqi, who was trembling with fear, became even more angry upon hearing this. She immediately said, "You, as the emperor, spend your days indulging in debauchery with a group of wicked monks in the palace, causing the government to fall into disarray and rebels to occupy most of the country. If you want to save the Great Yuan, you need a wise ruler. If I don't count on the crown prince, how can I count on you?"

Snapped--

"Ah~"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tieguo flew into a rage and lashed out with his whip, knocking Empress Qi to the ground. "You vile wench, you vixen! I was blind to have trusted you! How dare you collude with foreign officials to frame the Prime Minister and usurp the throne! It's all your fault, all of you, that I lost the empire! Ahhh, you vile wench, I'll kill you!"

Spurred on by Lu Jin, the little iron pot regained its energy and, seemingly tireless, began to whip Empress Qi again. However, before it could whip her a few more times, someone grabbed its arm.

The little iron pot immediately turned its head and saw that it was the crown prince, Ayushiridara, whom it had personally appointed. "Father, please stop hitting Mother. These are all slanders by that villain. How can you blame Mother because of one person's words?"

Xiao Tieguo waved his hand, knocking the fifteen-year-old Ayushiridara to the ground. He pointed at him with his whip and cursed, "You beast, this lowly servant girl admitted it herself, and you still dare to defend her?"

Ayushiridara looked at Queen Qi and quickly said, "Mother, please say something!"

Empress Qi immediately covered her wound and sneered, "My son, there's no need to argue with him. The Great Yuan Dynasty is already dead. What's the point of saying anything now?"

After saying that, she looked at the small iron pot and said sarcastically, "You are a foolish and incompetent ruler who has brought about the downfall of your country. You are nothing but a coward. The enemy who destroyed the Great Yuan Dynasty is sitting right there, yet you only dare to vent your anger on me, a woman. What kind of man are you? I only regret that I was able to help my son ascend the throne sooner, otherwise I would not have to suffer this humiliation of the downfall of my country."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tieguo was filled with shame and rage. He was furious on the spot. The fact that Empress Qi said he was not a man was even more unacceptable to him than being captured after the fall of his country. He immediately lashed out with his whip again, saying, "You lowly servant, how dare you speak so arrogantly! I'll beat you to death!"

"Father, stop hitting him! Ah~" Ayushiridara couldn't bear to watch any longer and immediately threw himself on Empress Qi to shield her from the whip. However, Xiao Tieguo was still furious, and besides, this son wanted to usurp his throne, so he was a damned beast. He simply decided to beat them both together, and the mother and son screamed in agony.

"You vile wench, you wicked beast! How could I have given birth to such a thing? If you hadn't colluded with foreign officials and wreaked havoc on the court, how could the Great Yuan have fallen to this state? You still dare to make excuses and try to shirk responsibility? I'll strangle you!"

After hitting the small iron pot for a long time, he finally ran out of strength and simply kicked the crown prince over, climbed on top of Empress Qi, grabbed her neck with both hands and choked her hard until Empress Qi's eyes rolled back and she struggled incessantly.

Seeing this, Ayushiridara rushed over to pull her away, trying to save his mother.

Seeing that the men had fought enough, Lu Jin waved his hand and said, "Pull them apart. It's too easy for them to die like this."

"Yes!"

Immediately, guards stepped forward and pulled the group apart. Little Iron Pot, panting heavily, glared at the mother and child, as well as Hama, who was lying on the ground pretending to be dead.

Upon seeing this, Lu Jin immediately asked Li Shanchang beside him, "Mr. Baishi, what crime should be punished for plotting to usurp the throne?"

Li Shanchang immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, he should be judged as the ringleader of treason, one of the ten unpardonable crimes, and should be executed by slow slicing, with his nine clans exterminated and his family property confiscated."

Lu Jin nodded as if he suddenly understood, and then said, "Then what are you waiting for? Cut this traitorous Goryeo maid and the traitor Hama to pieces right here."

"Yes!"

Immediately, guards were about to drag Empress Qi and Hama away. Upon hearing this, Hama stopped pretending to be dead, quickly rolled to his feet, and kowtowed repeatedly to Lu Jin, begging for mercy, "Your Majesty, spare my life! I am willing to surrender to the new dynasty. Although I made mistakes in the Yuan court, I have rendered meritorious service to the new dynasty. I beg Your Majesty to spare my life. I am willing to serve Your Majesty by holding your horse's stirrups. Please, Your Majesty, spare me!"

Lu Jin waved his hand and said, "Cut out his tongue first. What kind of person dares to come and claim credit from me? Do you think that without your scourge on the Yuan court, I wouldn't have been able to conquer this world? Drag him away!"

"Woooooooo~"

Hama tried to beg for mercy, but the guards beside him didn't give him the chance. They pried open his mouth, pulled out his tongue, and cut it off with a scalpel. Blood gushed from Hama's mouth, and the intense pain mixed with the gushing blood blocked his throat, preventing him from uttering another word.

When Ayushiridara saw his mother about to be dragged away and executed by slow slicing, he immediately struggled and shouted, "Traitor, release my mother! Release my mother!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin glanced at the child and immediately said, "Gag him and take him to witness the execution!"

"Yes!"

Those around Lu Jin felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this, secretly swallowing hard. Forcing their son to watch his own mother being subjected to slow slicing—their emperor was far too cruel today!
Lu Jin, however, didn't take it seriously. This was far from the fate of Zhu Yuanzhang, who had his skinned alive and stuffed with straw. He thought the kid was too sharp-tongued and still couldn't see the situation clearly. Then he asked Li Shanchang, "Master Baishi, what crime should be punished for committing adultery in the palace?"

Li Shanchang replied again, "He should be convicted of treason, the second most heinous crime, and should be executed by slow slicing, with his entire family exterminated and his property confiscated."

Lu Jin nodded and gestured towards the crowd below, "Then let's not wait any longer, let's all attack together to save time. Today, I will slay demons and monsters in front of the Great Ming Palace to restore order to the nation!"

"Yes!"

Immediately, guards went down to arrest people, including Hama's brother-in-law Tulu Temur, the person who bewitched Emperor Yuan Shundi to learn Tantric dual cultivation, as well as ten others who had been partying with Emperor Yuan Shundi, including the old man Sha, Balang, Dalamaji, and Bodiwaerma, the demon monk Galinzhen who taught him the Sixteen-Day Demon Dance, and hundreds of Tantric lamas. They were all dragged to the front of the palace and executed one by one!
The captured Yuan officials present, listening to the screams of those being tortured, all fell silent, fearing that Lu Jin, this living devil, would call their names next time.

However, what you fear most is what happens. The next moment, Lu Jin's cold and intimidating gaze fell upon the Goryeo people.

(End of this chapter)