Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 220 The Emperor’s Wrath, Beheaded in Market!

"It's really getting more and more outrageous."

"The state system of this dynasty is that the emperor rules alone and then shares the world with the military households, not with the scholars!"

"So Taizu abolished the prime minister, dismissed the Secretariat, and established the Jinyiwei. Taizong reduced the power of the feudal lords and established the Dongchang. The cabinet was only allowed to take charge of the affairs of state, and all the guards were allowed to be hereditary, and they were exempted from military service and stationed to defend the country."

"Now you are telling me that the world should be ruled by scholars!"

"Who conquered this world?"

"It wasn't you scholars! It was taken by the Ming Dynasty's Taizu Gao Emperor and the rebels who fought against the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty!"

"What were the scholars doing at that time? When the Han people were being exploited by the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty and starving to death, you were begging for official positions from the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty, acting as the Yuan Dynasty's running dogs and helping to oppress the Han people!"

At this time, Zhu Houcong had completely disregarded the dignity of the literati.

Since he only exiled the gentry in Huguang who committed crimes, and Lu Qiong still said that he was mean, he decided to just say some really mean words and trample on the face of the scholar.

As soon as he said this, all the court officials remained silent.

There are those who feel ashamed.

Some people clenched their fists and breathed rapidly.

There are also those who sigh secretly.

"Only the Zhao Song dynasty, which bullied orphans and widows, and the Mongols, who needed to enslave the Han people, would beg scholars to rule the world with them!"

"My Ming Dynasty was not founded by bullying orphans and widows, nor did it take the Han people as slaves. Do I need to beg you scholars to rule the world for me?!"

Zhu Houcong then asked two more questions, which directly broke off the relationship.

Lu Qiong gritted his teeth again, but he really couldn't refute it because what Zhu Houcong said was true.

But Lu Qiong was unwilling to give up.

The Ming Dynasty was indeed different from the Song Dynasty. Because the country was founded so righteously, the Ming emperor had no need to compromise with the scholars in terms of legality. Therefore, if the scholars wanted to fight for their power, they had to pay a greater price, including their lives.

During the Ming Dynasty, many civil officials fought to the death in order to gain the power of scholars and to check the imperial power.

After Zhu Di successfully pacified the rebellion, he was not afraid of being exterminated, but later he took pride in being beaten to death.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, there were indeed many stubborn civil officials. Their spirit was admirable, but it was a severe challenge to the imperial power.

Bang!
Lu Qiong also decided to fight to the death at this time, so he knocked his head on the hard floor tiles and said: "Since your majesty has said so, I am willing to die!"

The court officials were greatly shocked.

Many court officials showed admiration for Lu Qiong's courage to force the emperor to compromise by threatening his own death. At the same time, they also hoped that the emperor would be frightened and willing to make concessions out of pity for such a strong-willed official, allowing the literati to freely criticize the government and control public opinion.

Zhu Houcong also frowned, walked down the steps, and came to Lu Qiong step by step.

"Don't think I dare not kill you!"

"I am not Emperor Renzong of Song. I will not accept blame and swallow it. I am a man of steel with the blood of Taizu, who stands tall and proud!"

"You can't scare me with your threat of death!"

Zhu Houcong said in a deep voice, then turned and walked away, leaving behind a few words in a very light tone: "I will grant your wish. Drag him out and behead him in public!"

Lu Qiong looked horrified.

Many court officials couldn't help but look up, with a look of surprise on their faces.

After returning to the throne, Zhu Houcong said: "If anyone wants to disrupt the state order again, he will be killed!"

"Your Highness Shufen, the Imperial Academy Scholar, is willing to face death if he continues to make remonstrances!"

"Your Majesty, please treat the scholars and officials well, dismiss the envoys for observing customs and rectifying social practices, and execute Yan Song!"

Shu Fen was the top scholar in the 12th year of Zhengde's reign and was known for his outspokenness and frank criticism.

During the dispute over Emperor Wuzong's southern tour, he was demoted to the deputy director of the Fujian Maritime Customs because he advised Emperor Wuzong against excessive tours and neglect of state affairs.

Historically, he was also beaten with a stick in the court during the Zuo Shunmen Incident because he and Yang Shen called on all officials to kneel outside Zuo Shunmen for a long time and cry out for advice. He has always been known as the "No. 1 Scholar in Loyalty and Filial Piety."

And at this time.

He chose to stand up resolutely, obviously ready to fight to the death once again.

Many court officials could not help but secretly praise him again, thinking: "The imperial court has never killed a number one scholar. If the emperor kills a loyal and upright number one scholar like Shu Fen, then there is naturally no hope for the Jiajing Dynasty."

"I haven't finished talking yet!"

"If anyone wants to disrupt the state again, not only will he be killed, but he will also be punished severely for knowing that I have warned him in advance, but still disobeying the emperor and father, and undermining the righteousness between the emperor and his subjects, and sentenced to beheading!"

"So Shu Hua will be beheaded in the market!"

When Zhu Houcong said this, the ministers burst into an uproar.

But no one dared to speak anymore.

There was silence under the red steps.

After all, the emperor even said beheading.

The determination is already evident.

A censor's death could not scare him.

The top scholar's death-defying remonstrance would not scare him, but would only further anger him.

Shu Fen, who was kneeling on the ground, did not say a word, but her body trembled slightly.

Zhu Houcong did not intend to be so harsh.

Just like he didn't mean to say these harsh words.

But some ministers wanted to challenge him and force him to back down by threatening their own lives, as if they thought the emperor would be afraid of their death and would therefore back down.

But how could Zhu Houcong give in?
He knew that if he gave in one step today, he would have to give in two steps tomorrow, and so on and so forth, until in the end he would be able to accomplish nothing.

As the Son of Heaven, if he wants to hold on to the power in his hands, he can make concessions, but he cannot give in. Even if he has done something wrong, he cannot just admit it directly, because once he admits it or gives in, he will lose his authority.

Therefore, no matter whether Lu Qiong and Shu Fen are stupid or bad, he must treat them in this way. Combining leniency and severity, and using both kindness and severity are necessary skills for those in power.

Zhu Houcong then directly announced the adjournment of the court. After all, things had come to this point, and both the emperor and his subjects needed to calm down.

After being forced into this by Lu Qiong, Zhu Houcong truly expressed his philosophy of governing the country, which was to completely place military personnel above scholars.

This had a profound impact on many ministers who were not from the military.

But it was just a touch.

As Zhu Houcong himself said, the Ming Empire was not established by the scholars themselves in collaboration with the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, so the scholars did not have the original qualifications to participate in dividing the cake, and they cannot be considered the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

Because of this, the Ming Dynasty in history did not perish at the hands of the literati, but at the hands of its own military households.

Because whether it was the original Ming Dynasty's nine border military households who formed Li Zicheng's elite and followed him into Beijing, or the original nine border military households who later surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and headed south, or even the Liaodong military households who defected to the Later Jin Dynasty at the end of the Wanli period because of Gao Yi's excessive exploitation of the military households, they were all the real reason for the demise of the Ming Dynasty, and they were the real foundation of the Ming Empire.

The expansion of scholars' power today is nothing more than the result of many Ming Dynasty emperors since Yongle voluntarily giving up their power so that they have the qualification to share the cake. But strictly speaking, it can only be regarded as a qualification awarded by the emperor, not earned by themselves. Since it is not a qualification earned by themselves, it will be easy to lose, and the emperor can take it back at any time.

Therefore, unless the scholars rebelled to earn this qualification, they could not righteously demand that the emperor must give them this qualification.

When Lu Qiong and Shu Fen were taken to the West Market Archway by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, many court officials did not go home but gathered outside the palace gate. They were still holding on to the last glimmer of hope, hoping that the emperor would suddenly issue an order to show mercy.

Because the emperor was so severe this time, they were really frightened and disappointed.

Some threatened to resign if the emperor did not show mercy, some said that if this continued there would be no hope for the Ming Dynasty at all, and some were even more indignant saying that since propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame no longer existed, they might as well just let it go, be greedy if they should, and oppress the people if they should, because the emperor did not like loyal ministers but liked jesters.

For a time, it seemed that if Zhu Houcong insisted on killing people to establish his authority, the moral standards of the scholars would decline sharply.

The cabinet ministers and the nine officials have submitted petitions requesting an audience with the emperor.

Naturally, these important officials also came to see the emperor to plead for Lu Qiong and Shu Fen.

They were naturally more mature and rational than Lu Qiong and Shu Fen, and knew that they could not break with the emperor directly at the court meeting. If they did so, in the end, the scholars would be the only ones who would suffer.

Zhu Houcong still met them.

Because although he was strict, he didn't really want to break with the scholar-official group and only use military men.

"Your Majesty, although Lu Qiong and Shu Fen are rebellious and rebellious, they are loyal to the country and can be considered as loyal ministers. Therefore, I ask Your Majesty to show some mercy and spare their lives, but exile them instead."

Prime Minister Mao Ji spoke first.

At this time, the Minister of Personnel Wang Yangming also said: "Your Majesty, Lu Qiong is quite capable. In the past, when the salt administration was rectified, he was responsible for rectifying the Changlu Salt Field, and he made great contributions. He is considered a capable minister. Please be lenient to him!"

Shi Yao also said: "Your Majesty, Shu Fen is a famous chaste champion, and Lu Yushi is also known for his ability. If you kill them, I'm afraid the people will be disappointed!"

Zhu Houcong looked at the ministers and said, "I only want to ask you one question. Do you think it is more important that the people's hearts are chilled, or that the emperor's heart is chilled?"

"Your Majesty is so cold?"

The faces of the nine ministers in the cabinet changed drastically.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

At this time.

clap clap!

Zhang Cong suddenly kowtowed to the ground with his ivory tablet in hand, and then stood up and clapped his hands with his tablet:

"I believe that the Imperial Ming Ancestor Instructions states that the Yuan dynasty lost the world because of its leniency, so Taizu helped it with severity, and Taizong gradually returned to leniency. It can be said that the current evils are all caused by leniency. Your Majesty corrected it with severity, which is the move of a wise monarch!"

"This is how the great etiquette is corrected, and now the relationship between the monarch and his subjects is also corrected. Killing Lu Qiong and Shu Fen is a necessity of the times!"

"So, you came here today not to plead for them?"

Zhu Houcong asked about Zhang Cong with a smile.

Zhang Cong held up his hu tablet and said yes, adding: "I am afraid that Your Majesty will follow the sentiments of the other ministers and show a woman's kindness, so I followed him to stop it!"

Zhu Houcong nodded.

then.

Zhu Houcong looked at the other nine ministers in the cabinet and said, "All of you please leave. Lu Qiong asked me to reflect on myself, but I think that you, as ministers, should reflect on yourself. So, when you go back, reflect on what kind of emperor you want to be. If you think that I am not qualified to be your king and father, and you really don't want to recognize the relationship between king and minister set by the saints, then just raise an army and attack me!"

"If you think we should still respect the rites of the saints, then think carefully about how to balance yin and yang."

"Yes!"

The nine ministers of the cabinet also retreated.

The court officials waiting outside the palace gate naturally did not receive the decree to pardon Lu Qiong and Shu Fen, but only a drizzling cold rain.

Lu Qiong and Shu Fen, who were kneeling in the cold rain, were beheaded in the market not long after that. One was beheaded and the other was beheaded. The blood was quickly washed away by the rain.

Lu Qiong's colleague Yu Cai from the Censorate and Shu Fen's colleague Xu Chengming from the Imperial Academy came with people in the rain to collect the bodies of the two.

"Resign!"

Yu Cai said something angrily at this time, and then he took off the black hat on his head and threw it to the ground angrily.

"You should resign! The Ming Dynasty is over!"

Xu Chengming also gritted his teeth, took off his black hat, then knelt in the winter rain and began to cry.

"It's over!"

……

……

"The Ming Dynasty is not over yet, a new era of glory has just begun!"

The next day.

Forbidden City, above the Meridian Gate.

Zhu Houcong, who was standing here and watching the rising sun, complained in his heart after hearing from the East Factory that some ministers sighed that the Ming Dynasty was over because of yesterday's events.

(End of this chapter)