The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 737 Born from the same roots

In June of the seventh year of Guangde, Emperor Guangde issued an edict to restore the censor system that had been abolished by Liu Zhaosun. As the eyes and ears of the court, the censors were required to "promulgate virtues from above and convey feelings from below."

The censor is a collective name for the Jieshizhong and the Yushi, and its organizational structure is the Six Departments and the Censorate.

The highest official in the Censorate was the Chief Censor, under whom were other positions such as Deputy Chief Censor and Assistant Chief Censor.

When visiting the military and civilians, and on the reform and elimination of harm, and the damage caused by floods and droughts, they must report immediately, and must not "be lazy and neglect their duties"; if the censors do not recommend good deeds when they tour the local areas, or do not punish evil when they see it, they will be beaten with a stick 100 times and sent to a place with smog and miasma.

There were also fifteen censors in the Censorate, who were sent to various parts of the country.

Emperor Guangde divided the country into fifteen regions according to provinces and sent imperial censors to inspect each province.

Like the Chief Censor, the Supervisory Censor also has the duties of supervising officials. In addition, the Censor must supervise the money and grain cashier accounts of the Guanglu Temple and check whether there is any embezzlement.

Censors can be divided into special censors and regular censors. Special censors are specifically responsible for supervising local finances, while regular censors are responsible for supervising the implementation of financial policies on behalf of the emperor. This includes matters such as salt, tea, horse administration, grain transport, customs duties, and military farms.

The Six Departments of the Imperial Censorate consisted of a separate department under each of the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Military Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Works. The number of such officials varied, but usually numbered under ten. They were solely responsible to the emperor and had the right to participate in and discuss government affairs. For example, the Ministry of Revenue Imperial Censorate could inspect the collection of taxes and grain for the given season.

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The reason why Emperor Guangde chose to restore the censor system at this time was not only to build momentum for the new policy, but also to have an ulterior motive.

Liu Kan had long heard of the power of the censors, but unfortunately he was born at the wrong time and was unable to personally experience the combat effectiveness of this group. But now, the opportunity has come.

At dusk on June 18, the seventh year of Guangde, an assassin armed with a long sword broke into the Kunning Palace where the two Empress Dowagers lived, intending to assassinate them. The assassin injured the eunuch guarding the gate. The commander of the Imperial Guard, Jiang Liuer, rushed to the scene and arrested the assassin in the front hall.

Someone immediately reported the matter to Emperor Guangde, who immediately ordered someone to bring him to trial. Deng Shouchang, the commander of the Five Cities Military Division, interrogated him on the spot according to the law.

The assassin called himself Li Hao, from Jingeryu, Nanjing. After just a few words, he started talking incoherently like a madman.

Deng Shouchang questioned Li Hao again and again, but Li Hao kept talking nonsense, talking about vegetarianism, asking for a title, and getting married. After asking for a long time, he still didn't make any sense.

The judge was impatient and handed him over to the Ministry of Justice for a final verdict. After being handed over to the Ministry of Justice, Han Shixiang and other doctors re-examined him.

At this time, Li Hao seemed to be more sober and answered:
"I was bullied by my neighbors, Zhang Ziqiang, Ma Wancang, and others. They burned my firewood, beat me, and said I had no land and deserved to chop wood for the rest of my life! I was very angry, and I happened to hear in the "Record of the Great Loyal Awakener" that the emperor was a good emperor, filial to his parents, and kind to the people, so I decided to come to the capital to file a complaint. In late May, I arrived in the capital and walked in through the east gate. After begging for a few days, I met two gods who gave me a sword and told me that with this sword I could seek justice. I don't know what happened, but perhaps I was confused for a moment, and I walked to the palace gate, injured many people, and was eventually captured."

Han Shixiang still found it difficult to draw a conclusion. He thought Li Hao was a lunatic, so he reported the situation to Emperor Guangde.

Wang Zhicai, the head of the prison in the Ministry of Justice, noticed something was amiss. One day, while distributing food to the prisoners, Wang Zhicai felt that Li Hao was definitely not a madman. So he decided to interrogate Li Hao again. In order to get him to tell the truth, Wang Zhicai said to Li Hao:

"Tell the truth and I'll give you food, otherwise I'll starve you to death."

Li Hao lowered his head and said nothing. After a while, he said, "I dare not say."

Wang Zhicai immediately ordered the other jailers to leave the prison, leaving only two jailers to interrogate him personally.

Under coercion, Li Hao told the truth, which revealed a shocking conspiracy.

According to Li Hao, his real name is Zhang Cha. He lived in Jingeryu, Nanjing, and made a living by chopping wood and hunting. A month ago, after selling goods in Jinshan Temple, he lost money in gambling and was about to have his hands chopped off. He happened to meet a eunuch.

The eunuch said that as long as he did what he asked, he would give him three hundred acres of land, five hundred taels of silver, and find him a wife.

Zhang Cha followed the eunuch into the capital and arrived at a large house where an old eunuch also came and provided them with wine and meat.

A few days later, the old eunuch took him into the Forbidden City in Nanjing, handed the sword to Zhang Cha, and gave him some wine to drink.

He was led through Houzai Gate to the Cining Palace, and was instructed:
"Go in and kill whoever you come across. Especially if you see one wearing a yellow robe, chop him down and you will be rewarded handsomely. If you are caught, we will rescue you."

Wang Zhicai did not dare to continue the trial and reported the situation to the emperor.

Emperor Guangde, together with officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Suoyi Guards, brought him to trial.

He asked the old eunuch about his appearance several times, but Li Hao just said that it was dark and he couldn't see clearly.

Liu Xingzuo fetched a red-hot iron rod from somewhere, pressed it against the prisoner's throat, and said expressionlessly:
"What do you look like? Tall, short, fat, thin? Tell me! If you say one wrong word, the stick will move forward an inch."

"I said, I said!"

Li Hao revealed the old eunuch's appearance.

"He's fat and dark, with a Liaodong accent."

"There are so many fat eunuchs in the palace, and half of them speak with a Liaodong accent!"

There were screams, and the smell of burning human flesh filled the air.

Emperor Guangde was about to stop him when the prisoner said in a trembling voice:
"He was eating soybeans while he was talking."

Liu Xingzuo's eyes lit up and he retracted the iron rod:
"Eating soybeans means you are the Princess's personal eunuch, Pang Bao."

Emperor Guangde saw that the case was very serious and immediately suspended the interrogation.

The news quickly spread throughout Nanjing. The ministers suspected that the eldest princess's followers were behind the plot to murder the emperor, and the assassins just got lost and ended up in Kunning Palace.

Two days later, Li Hao died suddenly in prison.

There was an uproar in the government and the public, and everyone was speculating.

At this time, the six departments of the Censorate had just been established, and the words on the plaque of the department had not yet completely dried when such a major event happened.

As a result, the censors and secretaries who had been suppressed for decades suddenly broke out.

Memorials impeaching the eldest princess flew onto Emperor Guangde's desk like snowflakes, piling up into a small mountain.

The contents of the memorials were similar, all exposing the unforgivable crimes committed by the eldest princess and her followers.

The main charges brought against the princess by the imperial censors were:
She did not observe the virtues of a woman, refused to marry, and disobeyed the late emperor; she used the late emperor's power to collude with military generals and persecute ministers; she harbored evil intentions and incited the various military groups to rebel; she completely abandoned human ethics, and while the deceased emperor's body was still warm, she dominated the palace and forced Concubine Liu (Liu Rushi) and Concubine De (Bumbutai) to be buried alive with him; she returned to the capital without reason without being summoned, and gathered her friends and gangs to assassinate the emperor...
There are a total of 108 crimes, big and small.

At this time, the rebellion in the southwest had not yet been quelled, and there were many alarms in Huguang. The censors, regardless of their own safety, directly advised Emperor Guangde, requesting that the emperor put the interests of justice above personal responsibility and execute the eldest princess according to the law to eliminate the rebellious intentions of the rebels. After reading the memorial, Emperor Guangde covered his face with his hands and wept uncontrollably:
"Years ago in Shenyang, when my father personally led the army, the eldest princess took care of me, clothed me and fed me. This scene is still vivid in my mind. How could I treat her like this?"

The Grand Chamberlain also wept bitterly:
"Your Majesty, an emperor has no family to worry about. The eldest princess is extremely cruel, obstructing the new policies, persecuting officials, and assassinating the emperor. If it weren't for your Majesty's divine power and divine protection, she would have met with an unforeseen disaster! Now the Sichuan chieftain is openly rebelling under the banner of the eldest princess. If you don't make a decisive move, you will suffer the consequences! Your Majesty! As long as Liu Yufei is not dead, the world will not be at peace!"

Although Eunuch Li was a eunuch, he also knew that the emperor was ruthless. He advised the emperor to follow the advice of his ministers and not go against the will of the people.

Emperor Guangde sighed:
"Alas, the censor impeached the princess, the cabinet advised to execute Liu Yufei, and even you eunuchs want to kill her. It is outrageous to both humans and gods. Does she really deserve to die?"

"Liu Yufei is my closest relative. If I want to kill her, I have to... I have to think carefully."

~~~~~
On July 14, the seventh year of Guangde, the elders, soldiers and civilians of Nanjing jointly wrote a letter in blood, imploring the court to severely punish the princess and her followers to uphold justice.

Under pressure from all sides, Emperor Guangde finally agreed to put Liu Yifei on trial.

On the 15th, the emperor issued an edict to the Minister of Justice Mao Wendou and the commander of the Suoyi Guard Liu Xingzuo:
"The trial must be carried out as soon as possible. If it is not held now, some foolish men and women among the people may think that the eldest princess and her accomplices are not guilty of serious crimes, or that they have been deceived by the traitors!"

Although the trial of the princess was led by Mao Wendou and Liu Xingzuo, Emperor Guangde always had a clear plan for the specific sentencing. In particular, Liu Kan rejected the opposition and demanded that all the military and civilians in Nanjing must know about Liu Yufei's crimes.

The public trial demonstrated the serious attitude of the Emperor of Da Qi. In addition, during the reign of the retired emperor, he changed his orders every day and slaughtered officials at will, plunging Da Qi into chaos and turmoil for ten (or even twenty) years.

At this time of rectifying the wrongs and establishing the new, this trial can be used to declare to billions of people that the laws of the Great Qi are fair and strict. It is also an excellent opportunity to reshape the image of the Celestial Empire.

~~~~
The trial was held in the Fengtian Hall.

On July 18, the seventh year of Guangde, the trial of the eldest princess was presided over by Emperor Guangde, assisted by the Ministry of Justice and the Suoyi Guard, and the elders, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans of Nanjing, who held a lengthy trial in the Fengtian Palace Square.

The interrogation lasted until the second day of August, a full fourteen days, with nearly a hundred interrogations and confessions. The difficulty of the interrogation was shocking, but Emperor Guangde's selfless and non-partisan spirit was also recognized by civil and military officials and the people of Nanjing.

This trial marks the end of decades of turmoil.

Liu Yufei and her followers will all be destroyed and will receive the punishment they deserve. The new policy will continue to move forward in strides, and the empire will open a new chapter.

On the third day of August, Emperor Guangde issued a public decree, announcing the abolition of the title of Princess Chang, exiling her to Yunyang, and executing all her followers.

On the fourth day, Emperor Guangde privately summoned Kang Jingxiu, Kang Guangxu, Mao Wendou and other close ministers to the Fengtian Hall.

All the visitors were Liu Kan's most trusted confidants, and there was no scruples between the monarch and his subjects.

Kang Guangxu said murderously, "The people of Jingxiang are fierce and sturdy. It's probably not appropriate to place them in Yunyang. Besides, Qin Jianxun's attitude towards the court is unclear. If the Fourth Corps also follows the example of Liaodong... we'd better act quickly."

The cabinet chief, Kang Jingxiu, had always been quite dissatisfied with his cousin and immediately retorted:
"Lin Zhenyu is a fortunate general, both loyal and brave, and capable of great use. Even if there are changes in Huguang in the future, with him in Yunyang, he can be a constraint. Suppressing the Fourth Corps will be a piece of cake, no more difficult than in Liaodong... Right now, the southwest is not pacified. If the princess dies in Nanjing, how will the world discuss the Great Qi? How will they discuss our emperor?"

Mao Wendou echoed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Your Majesty is a sage emperor of all ages, pure and filial. How could you jeopardize your virtue for a dying man? Liu Yufei is an unforgivable criminal. As the saying goes, those who commit evil shall not live; the gods will punish them!"

……

Liu Kan was very pleased and ordered:

"In that case, let the Suoyi Guards escort the eldest princess to Yunyang as soon as possible. My sister has been blessed with good fortune since she was young. She escaped death in Wendeng and survived the explosion in the first year of Wuding. I hope she can hold on this time and make it to Yunyang alive to atone for her sins..."

Mao Wendou understood what he meant and immediately went to find Jiang Liuer and Li Juying to discuss the details of how to let the princess "hold on".

The next day, Emperor Guangde paid a visit to the two Empress Dowagers.

Empress Dowager Cisheng angrily rebuked Liu Kan:

"Why don't you let your sister go?"

"Your Majesty, you have misunderstood. Don't listen to outsiders' nonsense. The other day, Liu Yufei's old illness relapsed, and the imperial physician was helpless. I heard from Imperial Physician Zhang that there is a red-haired missionary in Suzhou who can cure this disease, but the missionary is old and cannot travel by boat. I think it would be better to send the eldest princess back to Dongzhuang. She has lived in Dongzhuang for three years. I believe the food and accommodation are more comfortable than in the palace. Once she recovers, it won't be too late to return to Beijing to reunite with your mother."

Jin Yuji sighed and shook her head:
"When beans are cooked and the pods are burned, the beans cry in the pot. Kan'er, you and Liu Yufei are from the same roots, why are you killing us all?"

Liu Kan looked around and said something else:
"Don't worry, mother. Liu Yufei took the airship at Longsheng Pass and must have arrived in Suzhou by now. Mother, you are tired. Rest early."

……

Half a month ago, Duke Yansheng Zhu Youren left Qufu to meet Emperor Guangde, and today he has arrived at the gates of the Forbidden City.
"His Majesty."

Kang Guangxu stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! Duke Yansheng has promoted the teachings of the Kingly Way and carried forward the new policies of the imperial court. Last year, Qufu County ranked first in tax payments among all counties in Shandong. His hard work and contributions are great, and he should be rewarded."

"Reward those who have made contributions!"

Emperor Guangde clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "When my father was on the throne, he treated Duke Yansheng harshly, even having the Confucius Forest cut down. In the end, he only got a few hundred thousand taels of silver, offending the scholars of the world. The loss outweighed the gain. Now I treat the Kong family well, and Duke Yansheng behaves as a model for scholars and officials. The benefits he has gained are far more than a million. Hahaha!"

Deng Shouchang echoed:

"Those who fail to consider the overall situation are unfit to plan for a specific region. Our emperor is wise and powerful, masterminding strategic planning. The people are fortunate to be able to be influenced by the teachings of the holy dynasty and learn about loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and shame. May Heaven bless the Great Qi. Here are the auspicious signs presented by various provinces this year..."

When Emperor Guangde heard about the auspicious sign, he said with displeasure:

"Our dynasty governs the world with filial piety. I heard that Commander Deng and his father are separated and he is avoiding them as much as possible. Duke Cheng has made great military achievements and rendered great service to our dynasty. Although he no longer leads troops in battle, he is still full of ambition. If war breaks out, I will consult him. I hope Lord Deng will treat Duke Cheng well and allow the old general to live a few more years."

Deng Shouchang's face turned pale and he knelt down and kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! My father is old and has tinnitus. He only wants quiet and quiet, so you let me live elsewhere. I will move back to Dagongfang tomorrow to take care of him."

Emperor Guangde waved his hand and said, "I didn't let Duke Cheng lead the troops, not because I don't trust him, but because I want him to be free from worries and return home to live out his days. As children, we cannot go against our parents' wishes. In a few days, I will marry your sister as my concubine, and we will be family from now on. Although I am not a virtuous person, I value filial piety the most. I hope your uncle will take note of this."

Deng Shouchang burst into tears:
"Your Majesty, there is no wiser man than you! I will faithfully follow your Majesty's instructions!"

Yuan Shu, the editor of the Hanlin Academy, stepped forward and said to the emperor:
"The first volume of the 'Taizu Shilu' compiled by the Hanlin Academy has been completed. It begins in the 28th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty and ends in the 47th year of the Wanli reign, when the Battle of Sarhu ended. I beg your Majesty to revise it."

Emperor Guangde sighed deeply and said solemnly:
"Now that the new policy has been implemented and Liu Yufei has been brought to justice, the world is at peace and the seas and rivers are tranquil. It is time to finally judge my father's life's merits and demerits."

(End of this chapter)