Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 331 The emperor’s terrible way of playing tricks on people!
Guo Xun had to pace around the room and think.

He knew that the emperor's sudden report to him from the Pacification Office must have some deeper meaning.

Although Guo Xun had already guessed in his heart that this matter must be related to the investigation of the matchlock gun appearing in the hands of the assassin, the emperor was reminding him not to do anything to let him down.

However, Guo Xun still invited Zhang Cong, the new Minister of Works and Minister of the Imperial Study, who had always been on good terms with him, and informed Zhang Cong of the matter to ask for Zhang Cong's opinion.

"I wonder what Da Sikong thinks?"

Guo Xun asked Zhang Cong.

Zhang Cong hesitated for a moment and then asked Guo Xun, "I wonder if any military hero has come to visit you recently?"

Guo Xun nodded: "Of course there is."

"That's it."

"Your Majesty is a wise and benevolent monarch. He will not easily do anything ruthless unless it is absolutely necessary. So let's report this to Marquis Wu Ding first. Then we'll see whether Marquis Wu Ding will continue to be loyal to Your Majesty or do something that will let Your Majesty down for the sake of peace and military honor!"

"If it is the latter, then it is naturally not about loyalty and righteousness. In this case, Your Majesty will naturally follow suit and not talk about benevolence and forgiveness. First, you will use these two censors as a case, then dig out the people behind them, and then implicate you, Marquis Wuding."

"Anyway!"

"Whether your majesty will deal with those who don't follow the rules like you did with Liu Jing and Jia Yong before, now it depends on whether you, Marquis Wuding, follow the rules."

"Unless it is absolutely necessary, he does not want to break off relations with the military heroes. However, if he must, Your Majesty is not afraid of it, because the Ming Dynasty's personal guards have many new generals waiting to be promoted. There are many guards in Your Majesty's former prince's palace who are waiting to enter the Five Military Governor's Office, not to mention the hereditary officers who are in charge of the guards in the world."

"As for how much of this is deserved and how much is groundless, it all depends on the will of the Holy One!"

Zhang Cong looked at Guo Xun and said.

Guo Xun couldn't help but think of the scene where a large number of people suddenly appeared in front of the homes of Liu Jing, Jia Yong and others to recognize their relatives, and he suddenly felt a chill on his back.

"Your Majesty has been very kind to me, Guo Xun!"

then.

Guo Xun sighed and said:
"How dare I disrespect the emperor? I should be loyal to him and do my job well. I would rather follow in Zhang Tong's footsteps than let the Guo family end up with nothing but a reputation of loyalty and bravery."

After that.

Guo Xun summoned his trusted military generals home and ordered them to conduct a thorough investigation.

Zhu Houcong sent this report from the Pacification Office to Guo Xun in order to warn him.

This was an opportunity Zhu Houcong gave to Guo Xun.

It depends on whether Guo Xun can catch it.

Next, not long after, it was time for the noon court to begin at Zuoshunmen.

What is different about this noon court meeting is that officials suspected of disobedience and unfilial behavior, such as Liu Jing and Jia Yong, will be tried by the emperor himself at the noon court meeting today.

Because the crimes committed by these people were so serious that they were suspected of such heinous acts as abandoning their parents and even beating their parents.

Confucian society has always valued filial piety, and even governed the world with filial piety.

In addition, many important officials were implicated.

Therefore, considering that such a major case involving the social customs of the world was beyond the ability of the three judicial departments to make a judgment, they requested that the emperor personally try the case.

Zhu Houcong knew that the bureaucratic group was unwilling to join him in overturning the table, so he decided to interrogate these people in court.

At this time, inside the magnificent hall.

Zhu Houcong was sitting on the throne, looking at Liu Jing, Jia Yong and others kneeling on the ground: "You guys tell me first, are you really unfilial?"

Liu Jing started crying, "Your Majesty, please understand me. I entered the palace very early and I don't even know who my parents are. How can I be considered unfilial?"

"Nonsense! You don't know who your parents are. Did they appear out of the stone? Or have you never looked for your biological parents?"

Zhu Houcong asked.

Liu Jing was quite aggrieved, and continued to cry, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I know that I am being treated like this now because of the disappearance of the heir to the throne. The traitor Tao Xie framed me and made you suspect me, so you used this as a reason to punish me. But you must know that even if I have a hundred guts, I would not dare to disrespect the heir to the throne, or you, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

"You are very observant!"

"I am a rootless person who has always regarded the palace as my home. How dare I do anything to let you down? Woo woo!"

Liu Jing is really scared now.

Therefore, he relied on the fact that the emperor could not provide conclusive evidence to prove that he was involved in threatening the emperor with the heir, and that the eunuchs were theoretically more closely related to the emperor in terms of interests, and he made excuses at this time. Zhu Houcong knew that the eunuchs were indeed more closely related to the emperor in terms of interests.

But since ancient times, there have been eunuchs who were disloyal, and there were quite a few of them.

Not to mention previous dynasties, there have been cases of eunuchs directly rebelling in this dynasty alone.

So, in theory it is in theory, but when it comes to a specific eunuch, no one can say for sure whether this eunuch will be blinded by greed and eventually become evil-minded, and eventually defy the rules and the imperial authority.

Now that Zhu Houcong had decided to retaliate against the attempt to take over the crown prince by overturning the table, he naturally decided to rather kill three thousand people by mistake than let one go.

"What are you talking about?"

"Now I am asking about your unfilial behavior. What is the imperial heir? Did I say imperial heir? Could it be that you have really done something to let down the imperial heir?"

Zhu Houcong asked this question at this time.

Liu Jing suddenly realized at this time that what he said was indeed a cover-up, so he became even more aggrieved and began to kowtow and beg for mercy.

Xiong Yiqi knew that it was meaningless to bring up the disappearance of the royal heir now. After all, His Majesty did not use this matter to interrogate them. If he brought it up, it would be tantamount to inviting involvement, which would make the emperor more certain that they were involved.

Therefore, after Xiong Yiqi glanced at Liu Jing, he simply denied it:

"Your Majesty, I have not abandoned my parents, nor have I abandoned my children. Your Majesty can ask my relatives and friends. My parents have passed away a long time ago, and my children are all listed in the family tree!"

"I have asked someone to call your relatives and friends here."

Zhu Houcong smiled coldly at this time, and then ordered: "Tell Xiong Yi's relatives and friends."

Soon.

Xiong Yichun’s relatives and friends came over.

Xiong Yiqi looked at the people coming in with a look of shock, then quickly turned back to look at Zhu Houcong: "Your Majesty, I don't even know them!"

"Qing Mule, how can you suddenly say you don't know us? I'm your cousin!"

At this time, an old man with half white hair came to the hall and said something.

Zhu Houcong then asked the half-white old man: "Old man, how can you prove that you are Xiong Yichun's cousin?"

"Your Majesty, I know his birth date and I also know that he has a scar on his butt. It was caused when he and my child were playing together when they were young."

The old man replied.

Zhu Houcong asked the old man to tell Xiong Yiqi's birth date and asked someone to check whether Xiong Yiqi had any scars on his body.

After hearing what the old man said, Xiong Yiqi's face turned pale. When the Jinyiwei came to take off his pants, he quickly knelt down and protected his buttocks with his hands.

"His Majesty!"

"Although I don't know why he knows my birth date so well and knows that I have scars on my body, I really don't know him. He is really not my cousin!"

Xiong Yiqi started to cry and defend himself.

He felt so wronged and very desperate.

He didn't expect that the emperor would be so cruel to him. Not only did he force him to give birth to a pair of parents, but he also gave birth to a cousin for him.

Xiong Yiqing knew that this was because the emperor had a lot of information about him, which allowed him to create so many relatives.

After all, it was easy for the emperor to know all these things about him.

As a result, he now truly understood how terrifying the emperor was.

Zhu Houcong simply said at this time: "It seems that he is really your cousin."

Zhu Houcong looked at the old man and said, "Old man, do you think Xiong Yiqi has abandoned his parents? Is the old woman who came to recognize him his mother?"

The old woman who claimed to be Xiong Yiqi's mother was also brought to the hall at this time.

"Your Majesty, yes. He disliked his mother's strict discipline of him, so he knocked her out and sold her to someone else as a slave, and then lied and said that his mother was dead!"

"I just checked, this person is indeed his biological mother."

The old man replied.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong immediately stood up and looked at Xiong Yiqing coldly:
"What else do you have to say?"

(End of this chapter)