Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 31 Officials Weeping at the Palace
March 18th of the lunar calendar, the 3th year of Chongzhen.

According to the trajectory of historical development, the outer city should have been declared lost yesterday, and the people in the inner city would have been demoralized.

The bell was rung three times, but no one came into the court.

Knowing that there was no hope, Chongzhen gave up completely and hanged himself on Coal Hill at night.

At noon the next day, Li Zicheng officially captured the capital and the Ming Dynasty was destroyed.

Fortunately, Zhu Youjian’s efforts in the past few days have not been in vain.

History is very different from its previous life.

The outer city was not lost, and the Ming army was even able to send people to attack the Chuang army camp at night.

The people in the inner city were not demoralized, and the major political parties in the court were still thinking about how to seize power and fight for influence.

Even before the Yongle Bell was rung in the morning, all the officials had already gathered outside Chongwenmen.

But they didn't come to attend court, but to cry at the palace gate!

Led by Grand Secretary Fan Jingwen, a total of 224 Donglin Party officials in Beijing and 987 students from the Imperial College and other institutions in Beijing prostrated themselves outside Chongwenmen and cried loudly.

Zhu Youjian, who had finally had a good night's sleep, was not surprised at all when he was woken up by Wang Chengen.

Li Ruolian reported Fan Jingwen's plan to him last night.

There is not even the slightest difference in the number of people.

And even if there were no Jinyiwei, Zhu Youjian would have known about this.

The effect of the tactics used the night before yesterday to divide and win over officials has already become apparent.

Just yesterday, when Zuo Zhongyun Li Mingrui went to the Imperial College to incite the students, an official from the Ministry of Works submitted a memorial to the cabinet.

If Zhu Youjian hadn't been planning to use this incident to punish all officials, Fan Jingwen wouldn't even be able to enter the imperial city!
After putting on the patched uniform, Zhu Youjian casually drank a few mouthfuls of porridge and rushed to Chongwenmen with Wang Chengen.

Li Ruolian had already brought people to hide near the residences of these officials.

As long as he gives the order, the offal silver will be transferred into the private treasury within two hours!
I hope these officials will not let me down.

……

In front of Chongwenmen, where the morning mist had not yet dissipated, the bluestone road was shining with dew.

More than 1,200 officials in scarlet robes and students in white scarves knelt on the ground, looking like a mottled tide from afar.

The black-armored cavalrymen serving as the imperial guards were stationed on both sides of the imperial road, with white mist seeping out from under their jet-black visors.

Fan Jingwen was kneeling at the front, and when he caught a glimpse of Xu Feng in a bright yellow Feiyu suit walking through the ceremonial gate with an embroidered spring sword slung over his shoulder, his crying became even louder.

He didn't want to do this, because forcing the king as a minister was a great act of treason.

But later he learned that Ni Yuanlu had become the prime minister, and he recruited the defeated general Wu Xiang to defend the city, regardless of the emperor's body, as if he was determined to fight Li Zicheng to the death.

Only then did he agree to lead all the officials to cry at the palace gate.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that the capital cannot be defended and should not be defended!
The only option now is to retreat to Nanjing and plan a northern expedition.

"The Holy One has arrived."

Wang Chengen's shrill voice pierced through the mournful sound, and Fan Jingwen quietly raised his head.

But I saw a man in a patched bright yellow uniform coming out from the city wall, leaning against the battlement and looking down at the ministers. Because the distance was too far, I couldn't see his expression clearly.

"Your Majesty, we beg you with tears and blood!" Fan Jingwen kowtowed heavily with red and swollen eyes, and his forehead hit the blue bricks with a dull sound.

"Since Ni Yuanlu entered the cabinet, half of the six ministries have changed hands, and the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Rectification Office has even exiled all of the top three Jinshi scholars! They have abandoned Your Majesty's health and disregarded the depleted treasury, insisting on opposing the rebellion. Such treacherous sycophants..."

He was interrupted by Zhu Youjian halfway through his words.

"So Lord Fan wants to purge the emperor's court?"

"Ah? Your Majesty... no... this..."

This one sentence made Fan Jingwen feel a little at a loss.

That's the slogan of rebellion!
Didn't I come here to mourn the passing of the emperor? How did it become a purge of the imperial court?
The officials and students around were also a little confused.

They clearly heard Lord Fan say last night that he wanted to "clean up the government and welcome back Lord Chen."

But how come it became a rebellion just after arriving here?

Some officials could no longer kneel and the crowd became agitated.

Before Fan Jingwen recovered from the emperor's questioning, he saw teams of cavalry pouring out from all corners of the imperial city, with their lances flashing with cold light pointing directly at the crowd.

Xu Feng shouted at the right moment, "The emperor is here. Anyone who acts rashly will be charged with treason!"

The commotion froze instantly, and the officials dared not even breathe. "Your Majesty, please understand!"

Whether he was frightened or confident, Fan Jingwen roared with tears streaming down his face, "If this old minister has any other intentions, I will strike you with thunder from heaven!"

After saying this, as if to confirm his words, he took off his official uniform, revealing his white inner garment.

It's a pity that these words that sounded so sincere were only met with a sneer.

Zhu Youjian leaned forward, leaning against the arrow embrasure, his patched uniform rustling in the morning breeze. "Lord Fan, this performance of 'Fengbo Pavilion' is brilliant!"

As he spoke, he took a stack of documents from the Jinyiwei. "In the 48th year of the Wanli reign, you measured the farmland for Prince Fu and reported 3,000 acres less of good farmland. In the first year of the Taichang reign, you supervised the military rations in Baoding Prefecture. When the market price was 3 cents per stone, you reported 5 cents to the Ministry of Revenue. In the third year of the Tianqi reign..."

"Lord Fan is truly worthy of being a veteran of three dynasties, but he is capable of greed."

As soon as Fan Jingwen said this, before he could say anything, Zhou Liangcai, the director of the Imperial College, suddenly came out on his knees, knocking his forehead against the bricks and leaving a bloody mark. "Mr. Fan is a veteran of three dynasties, and he has a good reputation among the people. He would never do such a thing!"

The officials and students, who had just been frightened by the terrifying remarks made by the Black Armor Cavalry and Zhu Youjian, were also in an uproar.

Fan Jingwen was a non-Donglin Party representative specially created by the Donglin Party in order to avoid Chongzhen's purge.

His reputation for integrity among the people is comparable to that of Qian Qianyi of Nanjing.

The Donglin Party presented itself as an honest and upright gentleman.

If they believed what was said, the Donglin Party would be completely finished.

"quiet!"

Xu Feng's roar suppressed the uproar.

Zhu Youjian looked at the ministers in front of the door, shook his head and sighed.

In fact, Fan Jingwen was not really that greedy. The assets found in the Fan family were less than 10,000 taels.

You have to know that this is the family fortune of ministers of three dynasties. Ten thousand taels is already very little.

Most of those accounts were the result of covering up for the royal family.

Moreover, in his impression, Fan Jingwen was also a loyal minister who committed suicide for his country in his previous life.

He has real grassroots experience, so it would be a pity to cut him down.

As long as he is pulled out of the already deformed court of the late Ming Dynasty, he can still be of some use.

Including Li Banghua and Li Mingrui, who made the plan with him, they were all loyal ministers.

It’s a pity that there was no loyalty or treachery in the late Ming Dynasty, only interests.

He waved his hand, signaling Xu Feng to reread the secret letter that Li Ruolian presented to him yesterday.

"The Northern Pacification Office has verified that of the 224 gentlemen kneeling here today," he paused deliberately, "83 have received private letters from Li Banghua, stating that they would persuade His Majesty to relocate south, even if it meant forcing the emperor to abdicate."

Like boiling oil poured into water, the kneeling crowd suddenly exploded.

Several minor officials in green robes tried to escape by tumbling and crawling, but were blocked by black-armored cavalrymen with their horse lances.

Fan Jingwen was even more confused. Didn't he just say he wanted to purge the court? Why was Li Banghua involved again?
He also wants to force the emperor to abdicate, which is no less a crime than purging the imperial court.

Didn't we say that we should cry at the palace and ask His Majesty to reinstate Chen Yan as the Prime Minister and formulate a plan for the migration to the south?
What's the purpose of forcing the emperor to abdicate?
Zhu Youjian looked at Fan Jingwen, who looked confused, and waved his hand casually.

"All those involved in the conspiracy will be apprehended and executed along with Chen Yan, Zhou Kui, and the others. All property of those involved will be confiscated, and those who disobey orders will be executed!"

"As the Emperor orders!" Xu Feng would not hesitate.

He was escorted forward by the fierce and ferocious Jinyiwei.

The officials who were originally crying and forcing the emperor to abdicate were now like chickens and ducks waiting to be slaughtered, howling and jumping around.

"Your Majesty!" Fan Jingwen was filled with grief and anger when he saw this scene.

He pointed his skinny finger at the top of the city wall and said, "Are you going to follow the example of Emperor Jiajing and have all his ministers executed with a stick?"

"Aren't you afraid that history books will record that on March 18, the 17th year of Chongzhen's reign, the emperor massacred loyal officials at Chongwenmen?!"

First, all the officials forced the emperor to abdicate and cried in front of the palace, and then they were arrested in court.

What happened to this court?
He just wants His Majesty to take a step back and return to defend Nanjing!
A cold light suddenly appeared.

Xu Feng held his embroidered spring knife to Fan Jingwen's neck, the blade drawing a line of blood. "You have lost your manners in front of the king, you must be executed!"

"Wait a minute."

Zhu Youjian raised his hand to stop him, a smile on his face. "Didn't Lord Fan say that Prime Minister Ni was a heinous criminal who was only doing his job and doing nothing? I will grant your wish."

Zhu Youjian suddenly turned around and said, "Call Ni Yuanlu."

(End of this chapter)