Ming Dynasty: A mere unruly commoner is rebelling against the heaven?

Chapter 37: All executed!

Zhu Youtang looked at Ma Wensheng coldly as he cried out for injustice. That cold look made Ma Wensheng feel chilled to the bone.

After howling twice, Ma Wensheng stopped talking timidly.

Zhu Youtang stared at Ma Wensheng and asked, "You said I wronged you, but do you know how serious a crime you committed?!"

Ma Wensheng was in a state of confusion and tentatively replied: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty concealed military intelligence and left Beijing without permission..."

"For these crimes alone, I can chop off your head!"

Zhu Youtang interrupted Ma Wensheng, still feeling angry.

"Besides, your sins are more than just these!"

"Wai En, read!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Huai En understood what Zhu Youtang meant, turned around and looked at Ma Wensheng with hatred.

"The Minister of War Ma Wensheng concealed military intelligence, left the capital without permission, and appointed treacherous officials. His entire clan will be exterminated!"

"Qiu Yue, the general of Datong, was a traitor to his country. He bribed the little Tatar prince with 260,000 taels of silver, allowed the little Tatar prince to enter the pass, slaughtered thousands of people in Xuanfu, and executed all nine clans!"

"what?!"

Ma Wensheng was shocked, as he knew nothing about this news.

Suddenly, Ma Wensheng looked at Qiu Yue beside him.

"Qiu Yue! What on earth is going on?!"

"Didn't you say that the little Tatar prince accepted your bribe and agreed to withdraw his troops back to the grassland?"

"How could the Tartars enter the country?!"

Qiu Yue moved his lips, his face was pale, his eyes were wandering, and he didn't dare to look at Ma Wensheng.

Huai En sneered: "In addition to silver, the conditions that General Qiu offered to the little Tatar prince also included opening Datong Prefecture and letting the Tatars enter the pass."

Ma Wensheng had really not known that Qiu Yue had allowed the Tartars to enter the pass.

Otherwise, he would definitely not let Qiu Yue guard Datong Prefecture.

The plan that Qiu Yue first told him was to use silver to bribe the little Tatar prince to make him agree to withdraw his troops.

Ma Wensheng also always thought that Qiu Yue's words were successful and the Tartars agreed to withdraw their troops back to the grassland.

Who knew that the success Qiu Yue was talking about was actually the successful preservation of Datong Prefecture, but at the same time it also allowed the Tartars to successfully enter the pass and lose Xuanfu!

After hearing this, Ma Wensheng's eyes widened, his heart beat faster, and he became furious.

"Qiu Yue!!!"

"You've made me infamous for eternity!!!"

"Qiu Yue, I'm going to eat you alive!!!"

Ma Wensheng pounced on Qiu Yue and opened his mouth to bite him on the face!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

Qiu Yue let out a miserable scream and tried desperately to break free from Ma Wensheng's bite.

Because both of their legs were broken and their hands were shackled, they fought like two twisting maggots and neither could break free.

Zhu Youtang waved his hand in disgust, and immediately two Jinyiwei came forward and forcefully separated Ma Wensheng and Qiu Yue.

After they separated, Ma Wensheng's mouth was full of blood and he spat out a piece of meat.

Qiu Yue's face was covered in blood, and half of his skin was missing.

Zhu Youtang no longer paid attention to the two men who were biting each other, but looked at the other officials.

He pointed at these corrupt officials, and every word he said was filled with anger!

"The remaining 169 officials are all those who submitted a petition to retire when I was about to reopen the Western Factory."

"You want to retire, I approve it!"

"But you committed all kinds of crimes while in office, embezzling a lot of money and land, and now that you're in trouble, you want to retire and leave."

"Humph, how can we let you off so easily?!" "I'll let the Western Factory investigate you. Great! Once we investigate, everything will be over!"

"One hundred and sixty-nine officials, none of them were innocent, all of them were corrupt officials!"

"No wonder they tried so hard to stop me from reopening the Western Factory. The reasons they gave were so high-sounding, saying that the Western Factory was brutal and that they were investigating murders without a warrant!"

"So you're afraid that the Western Factory will find out all your secrets and let the people know that my court is full of corrupt officials, right?!"

Faced with Zhu Youtang's angry curses, no official, big or small, dared to say a word.

Zhu Youtang glanced at the ministers and stood with his hands behind his back: "My court is not a place where you can come and go as you please."

"From now on, any official who threatens to retire in order to force me to abdicate will be approved by me!"

"But I want to check your property. If it can withstand the inspection, you can go home and live out your life in peace."

"If they can't stand up to scrutiny, I will confiscate their property and behead them, no questions asked."

"Understand?!"

The civil and military officials below the steps immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Your humble servant understands, your emperor is wise!"

Although they kept shouting that the emperor was wise, all the civil and military officials looked pale, as if they had lost their parents.

How many people in this court are not afraid of being investigated by the Western Factory?
Zhu Youtang's move was simply a grasp on their vital points.

Seeing that no one objected, Zhu Youtang nodded with satisfaction and pronounced the fate of the 169 corrupt officials.

"All these 179 officials shall be executed!"

Although the civil and military officials present were mentally prepared.

However, when he heard that Zhu Youtang really executed 179 officials in one breath, he couldn't help but be shocked.

In addition, there was Ma Wensheng, whose three clans were exterminated, and Qiu Yue, whose nine clans were executed...

That means executing one hundred and eighty-one officials in one go!
There was a sound of inhalation in the Fengtian Palace Square, and all the officials unconsciously increased their breathing.

The officials kneeling on the steps were so frightened that they were shaking all over and could not utter a word.

Some of the timid ones were so frightened that they became limp all over and collapsed on the spot.

Or they would be so scared that they would roll their eyes and faint.

At this moment, an old voice suddenly sounded in the quiet Fengtian Temple Square.

"Your Majesty! You can't kill him!"

"Your Majesty, please have mercy! These are 181 officials, we can't kill them all!"

"Civil and military officials are the main force in governing the Ming Dynasty. If so many officials are killed, it will hurt the foundation of the Ming Dynasty!"

All the civil and military officials present were shocked and secretly sighed at the man's courage.

Many people bravely turned around, wanting to see which official had the courage to openly advise Zhu Youtang not to kill officials.

After seeing the man's appearance, I suddenly understood.

It turned out to be him. No wonder he had such extraordinary courage.

Liu Jian was also delighted. He turned around secretly and saw the person he had been thinking about day and night.

Liu Jian was excited. He had finally waited for one of his most important colleagues in the court.

Zhu Youtang stood on the steps, looking calmly at the old figure in crimson official robes running towards him.

Huai En leaned close to Zhu Youtang's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is the new Minister of Personnel, Wang Shu."

"He had been serving in Nanzhili before, and His Majesty just transferred him back to Beijing."

After hearing this, Zhu Youtang smiled coldly.

OK!

The Minister of Personnel, whom I promoted, wanted to stop my order the first time he attended court.

Is this the style of the three gentlemen of the Hongzhi period?

Ma Wensheng, one of the three gentlemen of the Hongzhi period, is now kneeling at the foot of the stairs. I have ordered the extermination of his entire clan.

How long can you, Wang Shu, one of the three gentlemen of the Hongzhi period, hold on?
(End of this chapter)