The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 147 Deliberately Playing Tricks
The twelfth lunar month had just arrived, and the capital was already covered in heavy snow, with freezing cold weather.

Wanli, as if deliberately playing a trick on someone, ordered someone to convey his decree and hold a court meeting in the morning!

That morning, before the hour of Yin, the streets were still pitch black, but all the civil and military officials had to carry lanterns and rush to the palace in the heavy snow.

To be honest, attending the morning court in this kind of weather is really torture.

The ice and snow on the streets haven't melted yet, so there's no way anyone would clean it up so early in the morning.

That guy, walking on the street is like walking on ice, he will slip if he is not careful.

More importantly, morning is the coldest time of the year, and no one wants to leave their warm bed. Once they leave, they will be frozen and feel pain all over their body.

It really hurt, it hurt so much, even more than falling down.

However, no one dared not to go, let alone be late.

Being late for the morning court session would also be recorded by the Censorate. If the young emperor really wanted to punish them, he could use this as an excuse to dismiss them from their posts and investigate them.

There was no other way, they had to get up before dawn, put on enough warm clothes, and rush to the palace.

There were countless lanterns floating in the streets and alleys of the capital. The tiny lights flickered in the wind and snow, just like fireflies flying all over the sky.

At this time, the palace was brightly lit.

Wanli also got up early. He was sitting in the warm imperial study, carefully looking over a list.

These are the young men who caused trouble at the execution ground.

Today he wanted to use these mentally ill young people as an example to scare others.

There are more than one hundred officials on this list, accounting for nearly 10% of the total number of officials in all government offices in the capital.

Perhaps, all the civil and military officials in the court thought that he would not dare to start such a war.

This is also the reason why these young people dare to cause trouble.

After all, the law does not hold everyone responsible, and the vast Ming Dynasty still relies on civil officials to govern. Killing so many people at once is really a bit absurd.

If the civil servants continue to make trouble using this as an excuse, will he kill them all?
This is naturally impossible.

At least, he couldn't kill all the civil servants in the court at once, otherwise the entire Ming Dynasty would be in chaos.

In fact, most civil servants are not mentally ill. As long as he behaves rebelliously enough, civil servants with brains will not dare to step forward.

As long as he acts like a crazy person and is willing to deal with anyone who opposes him, he will be able to suppress the civil servants one day.

In fact, this cleanup does not only involve killing, there are many other methods.

He used to only think about killing, so he was a little out of control.

This time he plans to try something new.

He was staring at the list, pondering it, when Li Xuancheng suddenly rushed in and whispered, "Your Majesty, Duke Cheng and Lord Yu are up. Do you want to see them?"

Lord Yu is naturally Yu Youcai.

He only wanted to deal with the civil servants who opposed him, and naturally he would not deal with his own confidants.

It was such a cold day, with ice and snow all over the place outside, so he certainly wouldn't let his trusted followers get up in the dark and rush to the palace.

Therefore, he arranged for Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen and his group of dukes and nobles, Cabinet Grand Secretary Yu Youcai and his disciples, as well as Minister of Personnel Yang Zhao, Minister of War Liang Menglong and others to stay in Wanshou Palace last night.

There is no problem accommodating hundreds or thousands of people there, let alone such a small number of people.

Now that these confidants have stood up, let’s take them to see something good.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Well, then let them go with me to try the loudspeaker."

The speaker thing is really interesting.

Li Xuancheng nodded repeatedly and walked out quickly.

After a while, dozens of his trusted subordinates were taken to a side hall.

There is a huge loudspeaker in this side hall.

The principle of loudspeaker sound amplification has actually been used in many things at this time, such as suona, bronze bells, etc., which all use the principle of loudspeaker sound amplification.

However, no one has ever tried to make a huge speaker like he did to amplify the sound of speech.

When everyone walked in and saw it, they were all stunned.

Because there is a copper frame taller than a person facing the gate!

The copper frame seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, with no bottom in sight.

Everyone looked at the bronze frame curiously, and Li Tingji even stuck his head in to take a closer look.

Seeing this, Wanli put his mouth close to the other side of the small trumpet with a bit of evil amusement and whispered: "Er Zhang, don't stick your head in, or you'll be deafened."

This trumpet is hundreds of times larger than the trumpet in front of the suona. Even with such a small trumpet mouth of the suona, the small chirping sound can be made so loud. With such a large trumpet, even a whisper can sound like the roar of a dragon or a tiger.

Li Tingji couldn't help but shrink his neck in fear.

It was only then that everyone realized that Wanli was already sitting in the warm room of the side hall, just like he was sitting on the steps in front of the Huangji Hall.

Everyone bowed quickly.

Wanli nodded slightly, then said loudly into the small trumpet: "How about it, what do you feel when you see this thing?" My God, what a loud voice.

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but ponder. Yu Youcai's disciples all acted as if they were racking their brains, as if they were pondering the questions for the palace examination.

What answer does His Majesty need?

This is really hard to guess.

Wanli saw that they had been pondering for a while, and then he said solemnly: "I want you to think more about useful things, and not be like those civil servants outside, who think about messy things all day long."

Oh, that’s what it meant.

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but nodded thoughtfully.

Immediately afterwards, Wanli took them to the steps in front of the Huangji Palace and watched the imperial guards install the loudspeakers.

What are those civil servants outside thinking about?

At this moment, the civil servants outside were so cold that they secretly cursed the little emperor for being sick!

The little emperor is really sick. He doesn't hold a court meeting earlier or later, but chooses such a cold day to hold a court meeting.

They were so cold that their hands and feet felt like they were being pricked by needles.

The problem is, they can't breathe out or stamp their feet.

The train for the morning court is not allowed to be moved, whether it is lined up outside the Meridian Gate or in front of the Huangji Hall Square, it is not allowed to be moved.

Anyone who dares to move will be recorded by the Inspectorate Censor.

This really froze them.

They were frozen like popsicles in the heavy snow for nearly half an hour!

This little emperor is really mentally ill.

When they lay down and shouted "Long live the emperor", they were almost cursing the little emperor in their hearts.

Unexpectedly, Wanli did not let them stand up, nor did he let the ritual officer of the Honglu Temple speak.

They lay on the cold snow for a long time before Wanli said coldly, "Many of you should know why we had a court meeting this morning. You should also know why I made you suffer this."

Why is the sound so loud?
When the civil and military officials heard this, they were all surprised.

However, no one dared to look up.

Wanli suddenly raised his voice and shouted angrily: "Many of you clearly know that the three great families of Puzhou are collaborating with the enemy and selling out the country, but you pretend not to know.

Not only do you pretend not to know, but you also try to trick those officials who really don't know into opposing me.

The court bulletin has been published for a few days now, and you should have all read it. Does anyone among you have the slightest intention of repenting?

Many of you know what the relationship between Yang Bo and Wang Chonggu is with the Wuding Marquisate, and many of you also know what the relationship between Zhang Siwei and Zhang Cheng is.

The three great families of Puzhou not only colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, but also participated in the rebellion of Wuding Houfu and Zhang Cheng. Are you pretending not to know anything about this?"

Indeed, many people are pretending not to know this.

They were speechless that the little emperor actually bullied them because of this matter.

Wanli paused for a moment, then suddenly shouted angrily, "Many officials are actually speaking out for the three great families of Puzhou and even going to the execution ground to cause trouble. Do you want to join the three great families of Puzhou in rebellion?
Let me see if anyone else wants to rebel. If you have the guts, please stand up and continue to speak out for the three great families of Puzhou."

What you said is, do you think we are crazy? Are we looking for death by standing up at this time?

No one with a mental illness would stand up at this moment.

Wanli waited for a long time, and when no one dared to move, he took out the list and said loudly: "You should all know where the execution ground is, including those officials who caused trouble. They should know it very well.

Those who were beheaded on the execution ground were all guilty of capital crimes, especially the three powerful families of Puzhou, who not only collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country, but also plotted rebellion, and they deserved to be put to death.

You still make trouble, cry out for justice, and want to save them. You are committing a crime knowingly and willfully, which is an even more serious crime.

All officials who went to the execution ground to cause trouble that day were dismissed from their posts, investigated and punished, and handed over to the three judicial departments for trial.

If there are no other bad deeds, then they will be dismissed from office and stripped of their official title; if there are other bad deeds, then their property will be confiscated and they will be exiled.”

Then he slowly read out the names on the list one by one.

He was deliberately making fun of people. There were more than a hundred officials, and if he read out their titles slowly, he wouldn't be able to finish reading them in an hour.

This time, the court officials were really badly treated by him. Freezing in the snow and ice for an hour was nothing, it would pass if they just endured it.

Those young men who caused trouble were the most miserable. Being dismissed from office and stripped of their official title was the lightest punishment. Some even had their property confiscated and were exiled.

The problem is, no one dares to stand up and shout.

Whoever stands up wants to rebel!
Do they dare to bet that the little emperor won’t deal with them?

The little emperor is now dealing with the officials who are causing trouble.

These officials were just causing trouble, so they were all dismissed from office, stripped of their official titles, and even had their property confiscated and exiled.

If you are charged with treason, your entire family will be punished.

Do they dare to bet?
Who would dare to bet on the little emperor's extremely rebellious temperament?
(End of this chapter)