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

Chapter 92 Anyone who is above this case will be beheaded!

Forbidden City.

In the eastern warm room of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youtang and Zhang Wan'er were having a meal.

Ever since he summoned Zhang Wan'er to sleep with him that night, Zhu Youtang had been calling Zhang Wan'er's name for several days in a row.

The relationship between the two quickly heated up, and Zhang Wan'er was no longer as reserved in front of Zhu Youtang as before.

"Your Majesty, this mutton soup was specially prepared by me at the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor's request. Please try it and see how it tastes."

Zhu Youtang took the bowl of soup handed to him by Zhang Wan'er and took a sip of the fragrant mutton soup.

"Not bad, very delicious." Zhu Youtang praised casually.

Zhang Wan'er smiled and said in a gentle tone: "Your Majesty, it's almost the beginning of winter. Mutton soup is warm in nature and tastes good. It warms the middle and dispels cold, strengthens the glands and replenishes qi, and warms the spleen and stomach."

"Drinking a bowl of this on a winter night is most beneficial to your health."

Zhu Youtang smiled and said, "Princess Kang is really thoughtful. I'll have another bowl."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhang Wan'er once again scooped a bowl of steaming mutton soup for Zhu Youtang.

Zhu Youtang thought it tasted indeed delicious and wanted to have another bowl, but was stopped by Zhang Wan'er.

"Your Majesty, you can't eat more than three times a day. If you drink this mutton soup again, I'm afraid the Shangshenjian won't dare to make mutton soup for half a month."

"That makes sense, but I have summoned you for many days in a row, and I have never seen you dare not come to my Qianqing Palace."

Zhu Youtang took Zhang Wan'er's hand with a smile on his face.

Zhang Wan'er lowered her head shyly and whispered, "Your Majesty is always making fun of me."

Zhu Youtang laughed and hugged Zhang Wan'er in his arms.

After eating and rinsing his mouth, Zhu Youtang took Zhang Wan'er and walked onto the dragon bed.

The eunuchs from the Imperial Kitchen automatically removed the remaining dishes, and the palace maids tactfully extinguished the two lanterns near the dragon bed.

After the clouds cleared and the rain stopped, Zhu Youtang was preparing to go to bed with Zhang Wan'er when suddenly a palace maid from the Shangqin Bureau reported.

"Your Majesty, the eunuch Wang Zhi, the seal holder of the Imperial Stables, requests to see you."

Wang Zhi?

Zhu Youtang opened his eyes and patted Zhang Wan'er beside him.

"Kangpin, go to another room and sleep."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhang Wan'er obediently got up and, under the guidance of the palace maid, went to other rooms in the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang ordered people to light candles and let Wang Zhi in.

"Your Majesty, I am humbled and I am here to ask for an audience late at night. Please forgive me."

"No problem, no need to be polite."

"Tell me what's going on."

Wang Zhi stood up and responded respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I have just received a secret letter from Ma Jinzhong, the head of the Western Factory, that the expeditionary army has arrived in Hami."

"Ahem Khan fled and withdrew from Hamiwei, but before leaving, he massacred all the thousands of people in the city."

"Finally, Ahama Khan set a fire and burned Hamiwei to ruins."

"Governor Xu Chang is now leading his army westward out of Hami and heading straight to Gaochang, the royal tent of the Turpan Khanate."

"boom!"

Zhu Youtang slammed the table hard, feeling extremely angry.

"How dare you massacre my people? I will never forgive you!"

"Send a message to Xu Chang, and tell him to resolutely eradicate the Turpan Khanate!"

"The Ming Dynasty will not accept any peace request from the Turpan Khanate, but only the head of the Turpan Khan!"

"Take all the young women of the Turpan Khanate back to the interior and divide them among the rewards!"

"The rest of you who are above this table will be beheaded!"

Zhu Youtang slammed the table in front of him with a sharp tone.

Wang Zhi looked at the table, which stood on the couch, about four feet off the ground.

The height of four feet is not low, and many children are even shorter than four feet.

Your Majesty, you are still kind-hearted!

Just as Wang Zhi was marveling in his heart that Zhu Youtang could be so kind, Zhu Youtang suddenly overturned the table with his palm.

The table fell to the ground and rolled over, with its four legs facing upwards, and the ground and the table surface in close contact.

Now, the distance between the ground and the table is not even an inch!

Wang Zhi's pupils trembled, and he immediately understood Zhu Youtang's meaning. His expression changed, and he quickly lowered his head to accept the order.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter that is of great importance. I have no choice but to come and report it immediately."

"explain."

"Your Majesty was right. The death of the late emperor is indeed inextricably linked to the harem."

"Hmm?" Zhu Youtang's eyes became extremely sharp.

Wang Zhi took a deep breath and told everything he had found out exactly as it was.

"According to the confession of Liu Wentai's groom, when Liu Wentai was still the director of the Imperial Hospital, he often had secret meetings with a palace maid."

"And according to the groom's description, the maid should have worked in Ciqing Palace before."

"But the maid had already been purged by the East Factory during the previous purge of the imperial palace, so the clues are temporarily cut off here."

Zhu Youtang frowned, his face gloomy.

"You mean... this matter is related to Queen Mother Wang?"

Wang Zhi quickly clarified his attitude: "The West Factory has not yet found any decisive evidence."

"I dare not make any rash decisions. Your Majesty will make the final decision."

Zhu Youtang hesitated for a moment and asked, "What about the East Factory?"

"Your Majesty, since taking over the Eastern Depot, Eunuch Huai has always performed his duties conscientiously and wholeheartedly."

"I have not discovered that Eunuch Huai has done anything disloyal."

"As for why the Eastern Depot didn't investigate the harem... I don't know."

Zhu Youtang breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand a little irritably.

"I understand. Before the matter is thoroughly investigated, remember not to alert the enemy."

"It doesn't matter if the harem is checked slowly, but it must be checked thoroughly and no one should be let off." "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, there is one more matter, which is about the survey of the land."

"What's the matter?"

"According to the report of Qin Lu, the second in command of the Western Factory, the land survey team was bribed by Zhang Hai, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, and Liu Zong, the deputy director of the Ministry of Works, during the land survey in Jinghai County, Shuntian Prefecture."

"Fortunately, Yang Jizong and Wang Yan both refused the bribe, and Qin Lu immediately arrested Zhang Hai and Liu Zong and put them in jail."

"During interrogation, Zhang Hai and Liu Zong both confessed that it was Wang Yuan, the Earl of Ryan, who instructed them to do so."

"The hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land under Liu Zong's name also belong to Wang Yuan, the Earl of Rui'an, and Wang Yuan, the Earl of Rui'an, is the younger brother of Queen Mother Wang."

"Your Majesty, how should we deal with the Wang brothers and Zhang Hai?"

"Catch him."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."

After paying his respects, Wang Zhi bowed and left the Qianqing Palace.

……

Shuntian Mansion.

Jinghai County.

Qin Lu arrested Mr. Liu Zongwai. There was a large secret room in the study of his house.

At this moment, there were three people sitting in the secret room.

"Brother, there is still no news about Liu Zong."

"It has been more than ten days since he was taken away by the Western Factory. Will he betray us?"

Wang Qing, the Duke of Chongshan, looked at his brother anxiously. He had been so worried and anxious these days that his lips were chapped.

Wang Yuan, the Earl of Ryan, was sitting in the main seat, also with a frown on his face.

"Are you sure your men didn't kill Liu Zong?"

When talking about this incident, Wang Qing pounded his thigh in regret.

"No! My men took action as soon as Liu Zong was captured by the West Factory."

"But those soldiers from the Western Factory were very skilled in martial arts and managed to save Liu Zong. When Liu Zong was led out of the gate, he was still alive and kicking!"

It turned out that the group of assassins who attacked the Western Factory that day had no intention of saving Liu Zong, but wanted to kill Liu Zong to silence him.

"Hmph! You did a good job!"

Wang Jun, who was sitting below, snorted coldly, with great dissatisfaction in his tone.

"I told you that the guys in the West Factory were stubborn, but you insisted on trying to bribe them. Now you've brought trouble upon yourself, haven't you?"

Wang Qing also felt aggrieved: "How could I have known that the people from the West Factory were so stubborn!"

"I really think you are working for that little emperor wholeheartedly. It's really unbelievable."

"Didn't we also use silver to bribe the Dongchang and Jinyiwei in the past?"

Wang Jun was so angry that he stood up and slammed the table: "This is one situation, that is another situation!"

"What is His Majesty's attitude now? What is the current situation in the capital?"

"Have you ever thought about it?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, Wang Yuan, who was sitting at the top, shouted impatiently.

"What are you arguing about? Isn't it chaotic enough?!"

"My second brother also did it for our family's fields. At least his starting point is good."

"Is the starting point good?"

"Brother! Did you know that he let Liu Zong bribe the Western Factory without authorization? If there is any mistake, it will be a disaster for the Wang family!"

It would have been fine if Wang Yuan didn't say anything, but as soon as he said it, Wang Jun felt upset again.

He had already made preparations to give up his family's land.

He has also persuaded his eldest brother Wang Yuan to voluntarily return the land to the nearby people.

As a result, Wang Qing hid it from him and secretly asked Liu Zong to bribe the Western Factory!
The Western Factory is killing officials now, and actively bribing the Western Factory, is this something a human being can do? !

Bribery is bad enough, but the matter was handled so ugly that the Western Factory actually captured Liu Zong alive!

Thinking of this, Wang Jun wished he could take the knife and skin Wang Qing alive!

Wang Jun looked at Wang Qing angrily, and Wang Qing lowered his head and did not look at Wang Jun.

"Okay, it has happened. The most important thing now is how to get the Wang family out of this vortex."

Wang Yuan asked, "Third brother, do you have any ideas?"

Wang Jun sighed: "Don't worry about Liu Zong."

"As long as Liu Zong still cares about his wife, children and elders, he will know what to say and what to keep to himself."

"Then we returned the occupied land to the people around us and said that Liu Zong had maliciously occupied the land. When our Wang family found out, we took the initiative to ask for the land back on behalf of the people."

"Putting all the responsibility on Liu Zong is the only way to have a chance of survival."

"But Liu Zong can hold back from saying it, can Zhang Hai hold back from saying it?"

"On the day Liu Zong was captured, Zhang Hai also disappeared. I think he was also captured by the Western Factory."

Wang Yuan's words exploded in Wang Jun's ears like thunder.

Wang Jun looked dazed, with a bad feeling in his mind.

"Zhang Hai? The governor of Shuntian Prefecture? What does this have to do with him?"

Wang Yuan looked up at Wang Jun and said slowly, "I asked Zhang Hai to come forward and win over Wang Yan and Yang Jizong."

"what?!"

Wang Jun was so frightened that he almost jumped up, as if someone had poured a basin of cold water on him, and he suddenly felt cold from head to toe.

"Confused!"

"You are so confused!"

Wang Jun was so angry that he slammed the table and wanted to die.

If only Liu Zong fell into the hands of the Western Factory, it would be easy to deal with, because they knew all about Liu Zong.

As long as they plan ahead, they can push all the blame onto Liu Zong and clear the Wang family of all responsibility.

But Zhang Hai himself was a third-rank official, and he was greedy and timid. He was afraid that if the Western Factory tortured him, he would confess everything.

Wang Yuan looked at Wang Jun with dissatisfaction: "Third brother, watch your attitude when you speak! It's not your turn to be so presumptuous in the Wang family!"

Wang Qing said angrily, "That's right. The Wang family is now headed by the eldest brother. How can you be so disrespectful?!"

(End of this chapter)