Huangming

Chapter 117 The Backlash of Corruption, the Collapse of Powerful Clans
Zhu Chunchen looked at the officer in charge of the central army camp, his face as gloomy as a black pot.

"Zhao Jiu, tell me, how can I forgive you? Tell me, who has taken all these vacancies?"

Thump~
Battalion Commander Zhao Jiu knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Excellency, this has been the rule of the Beijing Garrison for many years, and this matter cannot be discussed."

rule?

Can't it be said?
No matter how many rules there are, if His Majesty wants to break them, they must be broken!
snort!
Zhu Chunchen snorted coldly and said, "Don't call me Grand Chancellor anymore. I don't have a subordinate like you."

After distancing himself from the situation, Zhu Chunchen said coldly, "If you confess honestly, you may have a chance to live. If you remain stubborn, you will be sent to the imperial prison and will vomit up what you should have vomited. But at that time, how much of your life will still be usable?"

After a barrage of threats, Zhao Jiu, the battalion commander in the central army, trembled all over.

Did not say?

It's death.

Speaking out will only lead to death!

He even targeted the families of those he implicated.

why!
Why are you taking away my livelihood?

He sold his ancestral home and gave it to the Duke of Cheng's mansion to get this business, originally wanting a stable income.

In the hope of reviving the family business.

How can we get our ancestral home back if we don't accept a salary without working?
Now you, Zhu Chunchen, have taken my bribes and now you want to kick me aside, even take my life, and ruin my family.

are you human?

Zhu Chunchen, you deserve to die!
Battalion Commander Zhao Jiu lay prone on the ground, his fists clenched, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent.

So be it, I shall die!

但死
I'll drag someone down with me!
Zhao Jiu slowly climbed up and said, "My lord, my lord, I've confessed everything, I've confessed everything, please spare my life."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and hugged Zhu Chunchen's leg.

Duke Zhu Chunchen looked at Zhao Jiu with disgust and said with a sneer, "You're quite sensible. It's good that you confess, so you'll avoid physical pain. Speak quickly!"

Say?
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Zhao Jiu's eyes.

"I'll get your mother's head!"

Battalion Commander Zhao Jiu suddenly sprang up, his arms clamping around Zhu Chunchen's legs like iron clamps, using the force to leap up!

His face was contorted with rage, veins bulging, and a beast-like roar erupted from his throat: "Zhu Chunchen! You old dog who will die without a son!"

Zhao Jiu roared, his right hand forming a claw, carrying the ruthlessness honed over years of battlefield experience, as he viciously shoved it towards Zhu Chunchen's crotch!

"presumptuous!"

Qi Jin's pupils contracted sharply, and his backhand arrow-drawing motion was so fast that it left afterimages.

The moment the bowstring trembled, the three-edged arrowhead tore through the cold wind and pierced straight into the back of Zhao Jiu's head.

The dull thud of an arrow piercing flesh and the sound of bones shattering exploded almost simultaneously, and blood and brain matter splattered onto the hem of Zhu Chunchen's python robe.

"Ugh!"

Zhu Chunchen's scream suddenly rose in pitch, and his entire face instantly lost all color.

He hunched over and fell to the ground, his hands tightly covering his bloodied groin, thick blood seeping from between his fingers, and the gold-embroidered hem of his robe was instantly soaked in dark purple.

Zhao Jiu's body remained in a fighting posture, and when it was knocked to the ground by the arrow, its angry eyes were facing Zhu Chunchen's distorted face, and a crazy smile was frozen on its lips.

Ahahahaha~
You dog Zhu! Even if I die, you won't get away with it!
A eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs stepped forward to help Zhu Chunchen up and asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Zhu Chunchen covered his genitals, arching his back like a shrimp, his face contorted in pain—a sight that would make any man ache.

"Quickly call the imperial physician!"

To prevent any unrest and conflict, imperial physicians also accompanied the imperial guards to reorganize the Beijing garrison.

Soon, the imperial physician, with a full head of white hair and a goatee, hurried over.

"Give way, give way."

The imperial physician bowed, and the apprentice behind him immediately opened the medicine box.

The old imperial physician's fingers recoiled as soon as they touched Zhu Chunchen's blood-stained silk trousers, as if he had been electrocuted.

He glanced at the Duke of Cheng's pale face, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times before he said in a very embarrassed low voice, "Your Excellency's injury... I'm afraid..."

But the words lingered on his tongue for a moment, then he dared not speak them aloud, and instead let out a sigh.

"Hey~"

His hesitant expression sent a chill down Zhu Chunchen's spine.

"Say!"

Zhu Chunchen grabbed the front of the imperial physician's robe, the gold thread of the python robe scraping against the medicine box with a crackling sound.

"I've already covered up a deficit of 140,000 in unpaid wages, why would I be afraid to hear the truth?"

The imperial physician's beard trembled like autumn leaves in the wind as he asked, "Does the Duke truly want me to speak plainly?"

Zhu Chunchen's face was contorted with rage from the pain in his groin.

He roared, "Speak!"

Seeing this, the old imperial physician had no choice but to honestly reply, "Your Highness, while external injuries can be treated with medicine to stop the bleeding, that punch damaged the kidney meridian, and there's also the ruptured testicle..."

Looking at Zhu Chunchen's ferocious expression, he suddenly closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and said, "I'm afraid that even with the most potent medicine, it will be difficult to restore humanity."

It means...
Am I just like those eunuchs in the palace? Zhu Chunchen's face turned pale and purple, looking extremely ugly.

"You fart!"

Zhu Chunchen slammed the imperial physician to the ground, but the movement aggravated his groin wound, causing him to bulge his veins in pain.

He pointed tremblingly to his blood-stained crotch: "Last month, I was able to sleep with three women in one night, so why can't I have sex?"

Two lines of clear tears streamed down Zhu Chunchen's cheeks.

I've been fucking castrated.

How could the dignified Duke of Cheng be unable to have sex?

Shame!

Shame on you!
That son of a bitch Zhao Jiu, I won't be able to avenge my hatred until I kill your whole family!
Seeing Zhu Chunchen's almost frantic state, the imperial physician was so frightened that he took several steps back. Qi Jin and the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs also stepped forward and said to Zhu Chunchen, "Since the Duke is injured, why don't you go back to your residence to rest?"

Go back home?

What is he going back to the mansion for now?
A look of resentment and malice appeared in Zhu Chunchen's eyes.

"Old Imperial Physician, bandage my wound. Even if I'm on a stretcher, I will still reorganize the Beijing Garrison for His Majesty."

You soldiers of the Beijing Garrison actually dared to lay a hand on me.

It even caused both of my eggs to burst.

Since that's the case, none of you will live!

Zhu Chunchen urgently needed to vent his anger and frustration.

These ungrateful soldiers became his best targets for venting his anger.

Previously, he still harbored some selfish motives.

Now, all he wants is revenge!
If you can't have sex, are you even a man?
Then what’s the point of living?
Forget the rules of the Beijing Garrison, forget the private plots of nobles! Break them all! Die!
The imperial physician with the goatee helped Zhu Chunchen bandage his wounds. Zhu Chunchen then said directly to Qi Jin and the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, "General Qi, Eunuch Wang, please keep an eye on these people. If they dare to resist, kill them without mercy!"

Qi Jin and the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs exchanged a glance and both nodded.

"I'll wait to understand."

The Duke of Cheng has gone mad; these soldiers of the capital garrison are in for a rough time.

At the same time, Wei Zhongxian had already led his Imperial Guards out in all directions, heading straight for the residences of the Beijing garrison generals according to the secret files of the Eastern Depot.

"Arrest the commander of the Duke of England's residence!"

"The Marquis of Cheng'an's nephew is locked up!"

"The Vice Commander of the Five Armies Commandery is hereby ordered to have his property confiscated!"

The emperor ordered the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to collect evidence over many days, which has now been transformed into iron chains to capture these wicked officials and generals.

Taking advantage of the early morning before they went on duty, they captured most of the officers and soldiers of the Beijing Garrison.

This is what is meant by "to catch the thief, first catch the king".

Some of these nobles and military officers were sleeping naked in the Zuixianlou with courtesans in their arms when the Imperial Guards suddenly broke in. They were dragged out naked without even a chance to resist and paraded through the streets, attracting the attention of the people who pointed and whispered that the "things" of the Beijing garrison officers were so small that they could hardly be seen.

Some were enjoying the pleasures of having two beautiful wives, one or two decades younger than them, at home, only to have the Imperial Guards brutally break in, drag them out, and tie them up. Some of them were impatient and cursed, but were immediately beaten by the Imperial Guards' iron fists, leaving them with bruises and blood flowing freely.

Some of the bolder ones, relying on their superior martial arts skills, tried to fight off the Imperial Guards, only to have all three of their legs broken and be carried out lying down.

Even worse, some people were using the latrine and hadn't even wiped their bottoms when the Imperial Guards rushed in, pinned them down in their excrement, gave them a good beating, and then escorted them to the imperial prison.

Through the intentional or unintentional actions of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the people of Beijing all knew that their wise and mighty emperor had begun to arrest corrupt officials again.

The people in the streets and alleys applauded this:

"Thank God!"

The grain shop owner tapped his abacus, pointed at the prison carts passing by on the street, and his eyes held a long-suppressed joy that was finally being released.

"These parasites who bleed soldiers dry, they even dare to embezzle the pensions of fallen soldiers! My nephew died in Liaodong two years ago, and the resettlement allowance he received wasn't even enough to buy a cheap coffin!"

In the teahouse, the storyteller slammed down his gavel: "Did you all see that? General Qi's soldiers just escorted a whole line of noble servants through Yongding Gate!"

"This is even more satisfying than 'The Cases of Judge Bao'!"

The listeners below clapped their hands and laughed, saying, "Those commanders, who usually act all high and mighty, are now naked and utterly disgraced. These petty nobles are laughable!"

The silk shop assistant, holding a bolt of cloth, sneered: "These parasites should have been dealt with long ago! Last year, those lords from the Beijing garrison came to the shop and forced us to buy on credit, claiming it was 'military supplies for bandit suppression,' but then they pawned it to go to brothels!"

"I bother!"

He spat on the ground and cursed viciously, "You deserve to be torn to pieces!"

The people in the city had long harbored resentment towards these soldiers of the Beijing Garrison.

A few night soil carriers rested at the entrance of the alley, their dark, thin faces beaming with smiles: "I heard the Emperor is going to replenish the military quota! If the young men in our village can be selected, they'll receive a real monthly salary! Marquis Dingyuan is recruiting soldiers in the suburbs of the capital, so we should hurry up and send our sons and nephews to sign up; maybe they'll get selected!"

An old man selling steamed buns nearby chimed in: "Finally, someone with sense has taken the throne! Those sons of noble families even let tenant farmers do their drills; they're nothing but beasts!"

The people of the Ming Dynasty were actually very simple; they believed in seeing is believing.

Now the emperor is arresting people indiscriminately, and those are the same 'superior people' who used to lord it over everyone in Beijing.

In an instant, they sensed the changes in Beijing and felt the Ming emperor's determination to bring peace and order to the land.

Our Emperor is truly a good emperor who cares about the people!

Taking advantage of this moment, Zhu Youxiao also mobilized the media machine he controlled.

The storytellers in teahouses and taverns then had new stories to tell.

且听
The Ming Emperor reorganized the capital garrison!
(End of this chapter)