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

Chapter 83 The poisoning case of the late emperor!
More than 500 officials cried and sobbed, it was so miserable.

It really makes those who hear it sad and those who listen to it cry.

Even people like Wang Shu, Xie Qian and Li Dongyang felt a little bit reluctant.

After all, although pretending to be sick and taking leave is a bad crime, it is not a capital crime!
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts.

Zhu Youtang was indeed tired of hearing these officials' wailing and crying.

"Shut up, everyone!"

"Jinyiwei obeys the order!"

Immediately, the Jinyiwei behind these officials who were pretending to be sick knelt down to listen to the order.

Waiting for Zhu Youtang's decision on the punishment of these officials!

Zhu Youtang looked at the more than 500 officials kneeling in front of the Meridian Gate and spoke coldly.

"Anyone who pretends to be sick and does not attend court today will be caned 20 times and fined half a year's salary."

"Order the Royal Guards to execute the sentence immediately."

When the more than 500 officials heard about Zhu Youtang's punishment, they instantly felt half dead in their hearts.

Although twenty strokes of the cane may not sound like a small number, if it is really dealt with, the victim may suffer hemiplegia at best, or instant death at worst!

The Ming Dynasty was extremely particular about caning in court. No matter how many times a person was caned, it could determine his life or death.

Since most of the executioners were factory guards, some experienced factory guards had already mastered the skills of beating with a stick.

If the emperor wanted to live, then after the beating in court, the officials would be beaten to a state of torn flesh and blood, and their appearance would be extremely miserable.

But they were only flesh wounds. I'll be fine after lying in bed for a few days.

If the emperor was about to die, he would be hit with a stick, hitting the spine, bones and nerves.

After the beating, not even a drop of blood will flow out, but all the bones and nerves in the body will be necrotic, and the official will be disabled if not dead.

Whether an official lives or dies depends entirely on the emperor's will.

Mou Bin was unsure of Zhu Youtang's thoughts, so he dared to ask a question.

"Your Majesty, is this court caning a real beating or a beating with heart?"

"Hit hard" and "Hit with all your heart" were the code words among the factory guards.

Fight hard to live, fight hard to die.

Zhu Youtang's ultimate goal today was not to deal with those officials who claimed to be sick and did not attend court, so he did not intend to take their lives.

"Don't beat him to death."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Mou Bin took the order and left, walked out of the Meridian Gate and stood in front of the officials.

More than 500 officials were beaten with sticks in the court at the same time, which was quite a scene.

The Jinyiwei who were in charge of the execution also brought the court stick specially used for execution.

This kind of court stick is made of hard chestnut wood, and the end that hits people is sharpened into a hammer shape, which hurts people.

Mou Bin spread his legs, toes pointed outward, and ordered loudly: "Twenty strokes of the cane in court, execution immediately!"

"Yes!"

After receiving the order, the Jinyiwei immediately prepared to carry out the execution.

At the same time, the Jinyiwei also noticed the posture of Mou Bin.

He stood with his legs apart and toes pointing outwards, which showed that His Majesty was going to beat them hard and spare their lives.

If he stands with his feet together and toes pointed inward, then Your Majesty must beat him with all his heart and prepare for his funeral that night.

The Jinyiwei pressed these officials to the ground, then raised the court stick high and hit the officials on the buttocks.

Suddenly, screams rang out one after another in the Meridian Gate Square.

"Ahhhh!!!"

"Have mercy! Your Majesty, have mercy!!!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty! I will never dare to do it again! Never again!"

"Please spare me, Your Majesty!!!"

"..."

The tragic cries were so loud that the civil and military officials in the court could not bear to hear them.

After a few blows, many officials' buttocks were torn and bleeding.

Wang Shu, Liu Jian, Liu Daxia and others closed their eyes and sighed deeply.

The officials pretended to be sick and did not attend court, and His Majesty punished them with reasons and evidence, so even they could not say anything.

The officials who were being tortured were regretting their actions to the core.

If they had known this, they would have crawled to court this morning even if they had to crawl!

The physical pain, coupled with the regret in their hearts and the fear of death, made these officials completely collapse!
They cried and wailed incessantly, making all the officials in the court feel frightened and weak in the knees. They took a few steps back, wanting to get as far away from the execution ground as possible.

Twenty strokes of the cane in court is not too much, but not too little either.

When the last Jinyiwei put away the court stick, the punishment of more than 500 officials by beating in the court came to an end.

The officials who were lying on the ground wailing were shocked to find that they did not die after being beaten with the cane twenty times!

Not only were they shocked, but even the civil and military officials behind them widened their eyes in shock when they saw these officials still breathing after being tortured.

He is actually not dead!

Your Majesty actually spared their lives? !

The impression that Zhu Youtang had previously executed entire families of officials at will had been deeply engraved in the hearts of all civil and military officials in the court.

At this time, Zhu Youtang suddenly spared the lives of these officials, which made them ecstatic and they praised Zhu Youtang as the most benevolent monarch of all time!

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life! Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life! Your Majesty's reputation for mercy is better than that of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty is truly a benevolent monarch throughout history. Your reputation for kindness should be passed down from generation to generation! It should be praised for all eternity!"

"Your Majesty has the methods of a diamond and the heart of a bodhisattva. The Ming Dynasty is fortunate to have such a benevolent ruler!"

"..."

The officials who survived the disaster ignored the pain in their bodies and sang praises to Zhu Youtang.

Those nice words came out as if they were free of charge, and they poured out without hesitation, almost making Zhu Youtang the greatest emperor of all time.

Song Renzong Zhao Zhen treated people with caution and worked diligently all his life. He endured humiliation and was a good person all his life, which earned him the title of a benevolent monarch.

But when it came to Zhu Youtang, he only beat the officials who pretended to be sick and did not attend court with twenty strokes of the cane, and did not kill them, so he was called a benevolent monarch throughout history.

This may be the legendary one who puts down the butcher knife and becomes a Buddha instantly.

Zhao Zhen had to be a benevolent monarch all his life to be called a benevolent monarch.

Zhu Youtang was called a benevolent monarch just because he refrained from massacring officials on that occasion.

It seems that it doesn't matter who the pen is or who the mouthpiece is.

As long as people feel that saying the wrong thing will really lead to death, then naturally there will be great scholars who will argue the scriptures for me.

These officials felt that they were really going to die, so they threw away all their dignity and just wanted to save their lives.

After all, they are timid by nature and are not intellectuals with backbone at all.

Those nice words made all the civil and military officials in the court blush.

Wang Shu was so angry that his lips trembled, and he cursed inwardly: "Shame on you!"

Li Dongyang and Xie Qian turned around with disgust on their faces: "What a treacherous villain, it's a shame to be associated with him."

"You have no pride, no integrity, you are unworthy of being a minister!"

Liu Jian was also quite speechless. He regretted that he had sympathized with them before. It was too early to sympathize with them, which was a waste of his feelings.

Huai En was secretly shocked when he heard this, and felt that he still needed to read more.

Look at these civil servants, when they praise the emperor, their words are really nice.

The factory guards couldn't even catch up with their flattery skills.

Zhu Youtang waved his hand in annoyance, and the officials under the Meridian Gate stopped talking.

"Okay, the foreplay is over, and now it's time to move on to the main show." Zhu Youtang's words startled all the civil and military officials present.

Beating more than 500 officials in public in court could only be called foreplay by Zhu Youtang?
So how far would it go for Zhu Youtang to call it a serious drama?

Would it be like the last time outside the city, where 191 corrupt officials were trampled into pulp in public, to be considered the real show?
Thinking about the changes in the capital last night, and the dark mass of trap camps outside Chengtian Gate.

The heartbeats of all the civil and military officials quickened involuntarily, cold sweats began to break out on their backs and foreheads, and their faces gradually lost color.

really!

really!

Your Majesty suddenly changed the court meeting to the Meridian Gate today, and there is a deep meaning behind it!

Zhu Youtang stood up from the dragon throne, put his hands behind his back, took two steps forward, and stood in front of the railing on the top of the Meridian Gate.

He glanced at the civil and military officials in front of the Meridian Gate and frowned slightly.

The more than 500 officials who had just been beaten with a stick in the court and were lying in front of the Meridian Gate occupied the best positions.

"Pull them all aside!"

"Bring up to me those who were involved in the poisoning of the previous emperor!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The Jinyiwei and Dongchang guards received the order at the same time and then took quick action!
The Jinyiwei and the Dongchang men acted independently without delaying for a moment.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards dragged all the tortured officials who were still lying in front of the Meridian Gate Square, unable to move, to the six departments' direct rooms on both sides of the Meridian Gate.

These officials had just been tortured, and after being tormented like this, the wounds they had just received began to hurt severely again.

But this time, no one dared to shout.

The punished official covered his mouth tightly and stared at Zhu Youtang on the Meridian Gate in horror.

At the same time, the Dongchang guards who had been waiting in the Taimiao rushed forward and grabbed the officials kneeling outside the Taimiao, and came to the Wumen Square from the right gate of the temple.

Afterwards, all the officials suspected of being involved in the poisoning of the previous emperor were brought before Zhu Youtang.

At this moment, all the officials in the Meridian Gate Square were so shocked that their eyes widened and they were in a daze.

What case was your Majesty talking about just now?

The poisoning case of the late emperor? !

The late emperor was poisoned?!

At this moment, all the civil and military officials in the court felt their scalps tingling, cold sweats pouring down their faces, and a huge fear arose in their hearts.

If this case is true, given Zhu Youtang's temper, I wonder how many people in the entire capital city will be buried with the late emperor!

Cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of all the officials, but no one bothered to wipe it off.

Everyone held the tablet tightly in their hands, forcing themselves to stand up straight and not fall down in the middle of the process.

At this moment, the entire Meridian Gate Square, where thousands of people gathered, suddenly became dead silent.

There was only the sound of footsteps of the Eastern Depot guards escorting officials passing by.

One after another, officials suspected of being involved in the poisoning of the previous emperor were taken to the Meridian Gate.

Min Gui, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Wang Ji, the Minister of the Supreme Court, and Yang Qiao, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate...

The heads of the three judicial departments are all here!
In addition to the three judicial offices, there are also those from the six ministries, the Imperial Hospital, the Five Cities Military Department, the Six Departments of the Imperial Censorate, and the Guanglu Temple...

This case involves a large number of people, a wide range of departments, and high-ranking officials, which is rare.

Soon, there was no more room in front of the Meridian Gate Square.

The court officials, led by Xu Pu and Wang Shu, had to step back several steps again to make enough space.

Zhu Youtang looked at the officials kneeling densely at the Meridian Gate, and the anger that had gradually subsided rose in his heart again.

Zhu Youtang really couldn't understand why the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty were so unscrupulous that they even dared to poison the emperor.

If he didn't have 130,000 loyal guards and soldiers under his command, would he be the next emperor to die "suddenly"?
"Since I ascended the throne, every time I think of the days before and after the death of the previous emperor, I find it very strange."

"But I never thought that you civil servants would be so bold as to poison the late emperor!"

“Bold!!!”

Zhu Youtang roared at the court officials, and all the civil and military officials in the court were terrified and pale.

Xu Pu, Liu Jian, Wang Shu, Liu Daxia and others were shocked and immediately led all the officials to kneel down and kowtow.

"I am terrified! I dare not!"

"You dare to kill even the emperor, what else would you not dare to do?!"

"Three judges!"

Zhu Youtang shouted angrily, and all the officials below were frightened and trembled all over.

As the chief and deputy officers of the Three Judicial Departments, Min Gui, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Wang Ji, the Minister of the Supreme Court, and Yang Qiao, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, all had fear on their faces.

"I am here to see your majesty!"

Among these three people, Wang Ji is the highest official in Dali Temple and is in charge of the entire Dali Temple.

Min Gui and Yang Qiao were both adjutants of the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, respectively in charge of criminal trial affairs of the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate.

After the death of the previous emperor, the three judicial officials not only did not get to the bottom of the matter, but they also closed the case on their own, released all the officials in the Imperial Medical Bureau, and did not hold anyone accountable.

Just for this reason, the three judicial officials are unforgivable!

"I want to ask you, after the death of the previous emperor, why didn't you investigate thoroughly, but instead released the Imperial Physician Liu Wentai and did not hold him accountable?"

Wang Ji, the Minister of the Dali Temple, kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, I am also following your orders!"

"Cabinet Grand Secretary Liu Ji told us that the death of the previous emperor was completely an accident and had nothing to do with the Imperial Hospital. He told us not to harm innocent people!"

"I wanted to get to the bottom of this, but the cabinet has given an order and I have no choice but to obey!"

"How dare you!" Zhu Youtang roared, "Does this world belong to the cabinet, or to the Zhu emperor?!"

"Are you officials of the Ming Emperor or officials of the Cabinet?!"

"The cabinet told you not to investigate, but you didn't. Since when did the cabinet's words become more effective than the emperor's?!"

"This……"

Wang Ji was terrified and speechless, and could only kowtow.

"Your Majesty! I was confused for a moment! I am guilty! I am guilty!"

Min Kyu also hurriedly spoke up to clear himself of responsibility.

"Your Majesty, I am only the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. It was the then Minister of Justice Zhang Ying who ordered that the Ministry of Justice not be allowed to intervene."

"I am powerless, this is none of my business!"

Zhu Youtang was still furious: "I will punish the old villain Zhang Ying. Don't think that we can let this matter go just because he's dead!"

"And you, the chief judge, failed to fulfill your duties and you are also guilty!"

Finally, Zhu Youtang looked at Yang Qiao again: "The Censorate supervises all officials and has the responsibility to supervise the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple."

"If they don't investigate, will your Censorate also not investigate?"

Yang Qiao was terrified and didn't argue, he just kept kowtowing.

"I am terrified! I am terrified!"

The three of them truly regretted their actions to the extreme. If they had known this would happen, they would never have acted this way!

Afterwards, Zhu Youtang looked at the Wucheng Bingmasi again and asked: "What was the Wucheng Bingmasi doing on the night when the late emperor passed away?"

“Not taking anyone, not arresting anyone, and even letting Liu Wentai sleep peacefully in his own home for a night?!”

Geng Wenxin, the commander of the Zhongcheng Bingmasi, opened his mouth and stammered, unable to utter a word.

"And you!"

Zhu Youtang turned his gaze and looked at the civil and military officials behind him.

"The late emperor's death was so strange, and no one in the court dared to speak out!"

"Is this how you behave as subjects?!"

　Chapter 4 is now available!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)