Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 336: Intimidate the military merits and fight back!
"You deserve to die, and I can't help but let you die."

"Anyone who wishes to harm my old friends and close ministers shall be punished with death!"

When Zhu Houcong said this, he also glanced at everyone present.

Everyone bowed their heads in awe, acknowledging that the emperor was right.

Because even though people like Zhang Tong are not prominent figures in the ruling party, they are the foundation of the emperor, the foundation of the basic base. If one dies, there will be one less, and if one less emperor is there, the emperor will be less courageous.

Historically, after Lu Bing left, Jiajing became much more compromising than before.

Back to the topic.

At this time, Zhu Houcong said to Xu Guangzuo: "But considering that you have honestly confessed and contributed to the enthronement, I will give you some dignity and allow you to commit suicide. Before you commit suicide, please submit a letter of confession. I may consider only demoting you but not removing your title based on this letter."

Xu Guangzuo was very surprised after hearing this, and he kowtowed to thank him: "Your Majesty, I can only repay you by teaching my descendants to sacrifice their lives and be loyal to you."

Zhu Houcong waved his hand and said, "Then go back and do as you are told!"

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty, I am bidding farewell!"

Xu Guangzuo kowtowed again, then stood up and left in tears.

Zhu Houcong then looked at Wang Bangqi and others and said, "You go home first. Someone will come to tell you what I want you to do."

Wang Bangqi and others were surprised, but they did not dare to ask more questions. They just bowed and said yes and left.

After Wang Bangqi and others left, Zhu Houcong looked at the ministers in the Imperial Study and said, "Duke Dingguo was allowed to commit suicide, and his hereditary title was demoted. This should be a deterrent to the military heroes."

"but!"

"The root cause of this incident is that someone in the outer court is taking revenge on my close ministers, and they are using despicable means and are breaking the rules."

"So, the people from the outer court cannot help but be intimidated. I still say the same thing. If they treat me in an unruly way, I will also treat them in an unruly way."

When Zhu Houcong said this, Fei Hong immediately realized that the emperor was going to do something terrible again, so he had to prostrate himself on the ground and bowed deeply, saying:
"I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and not resort to this tit-for-tat approach, because while this can certainly deter evildoers, it will also cause more upright but pedantic and old-fashioned wise men to misunderstand Your Majesty, and in turn damage Your Majesty's own reputation!"

"His Majesty!"

"As the Prime Minister said, I am worried that there will be another Guo Nan who dies to give advice. If the killing continues, the integrity of the scholars in the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed, and only those who cower and fawn will remain! Your Majesty, for the sake of preserving talents, please be merciful and forgiving!"

Wang Ao also reported this at this time.

Zhu Houcong sneered, "You all talk about being a saint, a benevolent person, but you just want me, the emperor, to be your vassal. So you would rather sit back and watch those people who cheat the world and steal the reputation harm the public and their own interests, kill the emperor and harm others, than to see me, the emperor, uncontrollable."

"Just now, Yuan Fu, you said that you are incompetent and without moral integrity. It is not that I should not have the ambition to revive the country, but that you are not worthy of being a minister of revival."

Zhu Houcong looked at Fei Hong and said, "But I think you are not really immoral and incompetent. You deliberately make yourself immoral and incompetent because you have never thought about saving the people of the world from danger or eliminating the country's major problems!"

After hearing this, Fei Hong couldn't help but close his eyes and pursed his lips and replied: "Your Majesty is right. I am deeply ashamed."

"As for Lord Zhenze."

Zhu Houcong then looked at Wang Ao again: "You also said that there is nothing wrong with my efforts to govern the country, but you are already old. However, I feel that it is not just your hair and blood that are aging, but your ambition is also declining!"

"He is so poor that he still comes up with such a high-sounding reason to protect the rights of scholars. When did the integrity of a man like Guo Nan disappear because of my sword?"

"There is no way they can stop speaking out! They are indestructible!"

Wang Ao started crying, sobbing, "Your Majesty's words make me feel ashamed, and every word hurts my heart, but I have to admit that I am indeed afraid that if I don't dissuade this matter in front of the emperor today, if I really support this matter openly, I may not be able to face the scholars of the world in the future! Even if I remain silent, it will be a sin in the future!"

"Get up."

"Since I have chosen to expose your old faces, I have no intention of doing anything to you. After all, you still have your bottom line and are still loyal."

Zhu Houcong spoke at this time.

The two men then stood up.

then.

Zhu Houcong looked at the ministers in the Imperial Study and said, "But I will let them do what I want to do, so you don't need to say anything more."

"Your Majesty, can you allow this old minister to do something like this?"

Wang Ao asked at this time. Zhu Houcong smiled with a touched face: "You reminded me of a poem."

talking.

Zhu Houcong looked at everyone and asked, "Tell me, which song is it?"

Wang Qiong wanted to speak, but after thinking it over, she pursed her lips and glanced at Zhang Cong.

Zhang Cong stepped forward and said, "This must be the heart of the old ministers of the two dynasties."

Zhu Houcong smiled and nodded, looking at Zhang Cong with extra respect.

"That's right!"

Wang Ao hurriedly bowed and said: "How dare this old minister compare himself with the Marquis of Wu? I am only willing to sacrifice my reputation for the sake of your virtue."

“It’s good to have this kind of heart.”

Zhu Houcong replied, "But it is not necessary for you to sacrifice your reputation for this. It is better to have power and authority from above. When someone like Guo Nan really appears, you can use your own reputation to save my virtue. Those villains are not worth you, Lord Zhenze, sacrificing your good reputation."

"Yes!"

Wang Ao replied.

After that, Zhu Houcong left the imperial study and went to the harem.

It is said that after returning home, Duke Dingguo Xu Guangzuo asked the literati he kept at home to write a memorial confessing his crimes, and he also explained it again to his children and grandchildren.

then.

On that day, Xu Guangzuo chose to commit suicide by taking poison at his bedside.

The next day.

Xu Guangzuo's memorial reached the emperor, and Zhu Houcong issued an edict in response to it, saying that since Xu Guangzuo had admitted his guilt and remembered the merits of his ancestors and his own contribution in welcoming him to the throne, he was only demoted to a marquis. He ordered the Ministry of Rites to decide on a new title for him, and ordered a grand funeral for him and a gift of 3,000 silver dollars.

Even so, the military heroes were quite shocked.

Because they did not expect that the loss of the musket would lead to Duke Dingguo's suicide, and the duke in his family would be demoted to marquis.

This frightened some military heroes who usually did not take the emperor's majesty seriously, and they knew that Guo Xun had indeed been controlled by the emperor and was very obedient.

Therefore, although they were very dissatisfied with Guo Xun's ruthlessness in their hearts, they had to be more respectful to Guo Xun and the emperor Zhu Houcong on the surface.

The censors Chen Zhen and Liang Shibiao, who were on their way to the Duke Dingguo's mansion to check on the situation in the name of condolences, were also quite saddened when they learned that the final outcome of Zhang Tong's assassination was that the Duke Dingguo committed suicide by taking poison and the hereditary duke was demoted.

"He, Guo Xun, actually chose to be a lone minister!"

Chen Zhen therefore said something.

Liang Shibiao sighed and said, "Yeah, I don't know what he's thinking. Logically, a man like him wouldn't be so loyal!"

"It's not surprising. The emperor is wise and will naturally force some loyal ministers to be loyal to him!"

Chen Zhen said.

Liang Shibiao's face immediately changed after hearing this: "That's really annoying! If this continues, I'm afraid there will be more and more loyal ministers!"

"That's right!"

"I really hope he dies soon. I would rather let a child be the emperor than let such a resolute and wise ruler appear!"

Chen Zhen couldn't help but utter a wild remark.

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw three people appear in front of him, also holding muskets, and the fuses on the muskets were burning.

Liang Shibiao also saw it at this time: "Where did this musket come from?"

boom!
boom!
boom!
Liang Shibiao was hit by a bullet before he could finish his question.

Chen Zhen was hit by two bullets.

Because they were inside the city and near the Duke's Mansion, the government troops reacted quickly and soon people from the Bingmasi and Jinyiwei captured the three men.

(End of this chapter)