Huangming

Chapter 488 Blood Sacrifice for the Imperial Court, Government Army Defeates the Rebels
In the depths of winter, the trial of the Jiangnan treason case, which had lasted for more than a month, finally came to an end under the leadership of Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe.

From the outbreak of the rebellion in Songjiang Prefecture and the fall of Jiaxing, to the escort of the criminals to the capital and the joint trial by the three judicial departments, for more than forty days, the eyes of the court and the public were focused on this far-reaching treason case.

Was it fast? Compared to the usual sluggishness of cases, it was quite efficient.

Is it slow? If we really want to delve into the list that Qian Qianyi frantically implicated while in prison, it might take another three months to sort it out.

Qian Qianyi's confession implicated hundreds of officials, ranging from local governors to minor county clerks, and even some relatives and acquaintances in sinecure positions.

Fang Congzhe, Ye Xianggao, and Wei Chao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, spent several days and nights discussing matters in the Cabinet.

They knew that if the investigation were carried out thoroughly according to the confessions, the officialdom in Jiangnan would be uprooted, causing not only upheaval in the imperial court but also paralysis of local governance.

The final strategy was to "capture the ringleader and temporarily postpone the investigation of the remaining criminals."

We must firmly grasp the ringleaders who have irrefutable evidence of treason, while those who are only marginally involved or merely opportunists should be temporarily recorded in the archives and discussed later.

Even so, the case ultimately implicated more than sixty officials.

Among them, 35 people who directly participated in Wang Haoxian's rebellion, private correspondence, and financial assistance were identified as the ringleaders and sentenced to "immediate execution, confiscation of their property, and implication of their families."

Thirty-one people who relayed messages, concealed their whereabouts, and provided assistance to the rebels were identified as accomplices and sentenced to "exile three thousand li to Qiongzhou and never return home," and their clans were barred from taking the imperial examinations for five generations.

After conviction.

Fang Congzhe, Ye Xianggao, and Wei Chao entered the palace to pay homage to the Ming Emperor.

After reading the interrogation transcripts and the verdicts for these individuals, Zhu Youxiao slowly said:
"Qian Qianyi, Zhou Qiyuan and their ilk, who draw salaries from the imperial court and commit treasonous acts, are disloyal and unjust scoundrels who should be executed without mercy!"

Having said that, he picked up a vermilion pen and crossed out the names of the thirty-five ringleaders one by one.

"Tomorrow, we will execute them in a grand and just manner to set an example for others. Qian Qianyi, Zhou Qiyuan, and their ilk will be recorded in the annals of traitors, so that future generations will curse them day and night!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao felt a chill run down their spines.

If this were written into the annals of traitors, his reputation would be ruined.

Most scholars seek fame.

His Majesty's tactic of making an example of someone has struck a chord with these officials.

"Your Majesty is wise! We will immediately go and prepare for the public execution!"

The following day, heavy snow fell in the capital.

The execution ground at Xisi Archway.

Located in the western part of the inner city, this area is one of the most prosperous districts in the capital. Normally bustling with traffic, it is now completely surrounded by the Imperial Guards.

Since the Yongle era, all officials of the third rank or above, or criminals guilty of heinous crimes, were executed here. The purpose was to use the large flow of people in this bustling place to "intimidate the court and warn the people."

On the execution platform, the chief officials of the three judicial departments sat upright behind their desks.

Huang Kezuan, the Minister of Justice, wore a scarlet official robe and had a stern expression.

Zou Yuanbiao, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, had white hair and beard, and his brows were slightly furrowed.

Li Zhi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, sat upright, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd below the stage, his expression complex.

Below the stage, in the snow, the thirty-five ringleaders, along with their families, totaling more than two hundred people, all had wooden plaques bearing their names and crimes inserted on their backs, their hands tied behind their backs, and knelt on the icy ground.

Snowflakes fell on their hair and shoulders, quickly accumulating into a thin layer. Many women and children shivered from the cold, their cries muffled by the biting wind.

The crowd of onlookers thronged around the Imperial Guards, layer upon layer, and even with snowflakes covering their shoulders, no one was willing to leave.

Some people stood on tiptoe to look at the stage, some whispered about the charges against the perpetrators, and others pointed at Qian Qianyi's back and spat.
"I heard that Qian Qianyi was a great Confucian scholar of the Donglin Academy, but he actually colluded with traitors. He really wasted his time studying!"

"Who can argue with that? The Imperial Daily reported on the crimes of these people. The chaos in Jiangnan and the resulting price increases in the capital are all the work of these traitors!"

"They deserve to die! They deserve to die!"

The people cursed and swore, and many threw rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at the execution platform.

From Chen Shi (7-9 AM) to Wu Shi (11 AM-1 PM), only half an hour has passed, yet it feels like half a winter has gone by.

As the sun finally broke through the clouds, casting its faint light, Huang Kezuan glanced at the shadow cast by the sun, then abruptly grabbed the execution warrant from the table, stood up, and shouted:

"It's noon—beheading!"

Before he finished speaking, the prisoners below the stage erupted in uproar.

Some cried out that they were "wronged," while others struggled to get up, but were held down firmly by the constables beside them.

Qian Qianyi knelt in the front row, his former scholarly demeanor completely gone. He was trembling violently, and dark wet stains seeped from his trouser legs, clearly indicating that he had lost control of his bladder from fright.

He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the execution platform, and roared hoarsely:
"Why are we the only ones being executed? What about those officials who are connected with the rebels? Why aren't they executed either!"

The governor of Yingtian, Zhou Qiyuan, standing to the side, had lost all his usual imposing manner, his head banging loudly against the snow, repeatedly shouting:

"Spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! I was confused for a moment, I will never dare to do it again!"

His wife and children knelt beside him, weeping their hearts out, but all they received in return were the cold rebukes of the yamen runners.

The executioners were already fully prepared and ready to go.

Dressed in red with ghost-head knives at their waists, they strode forward upon hearing the command, ripped off the wooden plaques from the prisoners' backs, and threw them on the ground.

The lead executioner picked up a wine jar, tilted his head back, and gulped down a mouthful of cheap wine. He then sprayed the wine droplets onto the cold blade, where they instantly froze into frost.

Immediately afterwards, he gripped the hilt of the knife with his other hand, his wrist sank, a flash of cold light appeared, and with a "thud," Zhou Qiyuan's head rolled onto the snow, blood splattering onto the white snow.

One knife, another knife.

As the ghost-headed dagger rose and fell, heads fell one after another, and the cries and roars were gradually replaced by the sound of the blade cutting through the air.

It didn't take long.

More than two hundred corpses lay on the snow, their blood staining large patches of frozen earth, and even the falling snowflakes were tinged with a faint stench.

The onlookers, who had been discussing the matter, fell silent, their faces filled with terror. Some children hid in their parents' arms, while some women turned their heads away, too afraid to watch. The only sounds in the execution ground were the howling wind and the sound of the executioner sheathing his blade.

Someone, seemingly quick to react, suddenly shouted towards the execution platform:

"Your Majesty is wise! Execute the corrupt officials! Eliminate the treacherous ministers!"

This shout seemed to light a fuse, and the onlookers joined in, their voices growing from scattered to unified, from faint to loud:

"Your Majesty is wise! Execute the corrupt officials! Eliminate the treacherous ministers!"

"Your Majesty is wise! Execute the corrupt officials! Eliminate the treacherous ministers!"

The shouts echoed through Xisi Archway, drowning out the sound of wind and snow, and also drowning out the lingering groans on the ground.

On the execution platform, Huang Kezuan and Li Zhi showed a relieved expression, while only Zou Yuanbiao slowly stood up, looked at the snow-covered ground stained red and the cheering crowd below, and sighed softly.

"Killed so many people..."

His voice was low, and his eyes were full of worry.

"I only hope that Your Majesty can end the chaos in Jiangnan as soon as possible."

Huang Kezuan, standing beside him, remained expressionless upon hearing this.

He remained silent, neither agreeing nor refuting, but staring intently at the distant Beijing garrison formation, as if pondering something, or perhaps deliberately avoiding this heavy topic.

Li Zhi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, immediately responded.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. His Majesty is wise and mighty, and Minister Yuan is a seasoned and capable minister. Now that the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison have marched south, the rebels in Jiangnan are nothing but a rabble. I'm sure it won't be long before they are completely wiped out and peace is restored to Jiangnan."

"Peace?"

Zou Yuanbiao turned to look at him, a faint self-deprecating smile playing on his lips, his white beard trembling slightly in the cold wind.

"Does the Minister of Justice know how many officials in the court are from Jiangnan?"

Some have ancestral homes and fertile land in Suzhou, some have shops and businesses in Hangzhou, and some still have relatives in Songjiang and Jiaxing.

As long as the Jiangnan region remains unsettled, these officials will be restless, their minds preoccupied with the safety of their hometowns, leaving them with no energy to handle state affairs.

Even worse, some audacious individuals, in order to protect their own property, might secretly collude with rebels or pressure Yuan Keli, forcing him to act rashly and greedily...

That would truly be detrimental to the country!

He lowered his voice even further as he spoke, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

As a key member of the Donglin Party, Zou Yuanbiao was summoned back to the capital from the provinces by Emperor Zhu Youxiao in the first year of the Tianqi reign. He was promoted all the way to the position of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. He always kept this kindness in his heart.

Although many officials within the Donglin Party were implicated in the Jiangnan treason case, he remained innocent from beginning to end. Not only did he not participate in anything, but he also strongly advocated for the severe punishment of the ringleaders during the joint trial by the three judicial departments to rectify the court's order.

It wasn't to curry favor with the emperor, but rather his inherent scholarly integrity that made him disdain associating with traitors.

However, this integrity also made him increasingly dissatisfied with Yuan Keli's progress in suppressing the rebellion.

He recalled the White Lotus Rebellion in Shandong last year, which was quelled by the government troops in just over a month, with the rebel leader captured alive—how swift and decisive!

But now that the government troops have arrived in Jiangnan, Yuan Keli has been slow to engage in a decisive battle with Wang Haoxian's main force, allowing the rebels to occupy Songjiang and Jiaxing, and even incorporating the surrendered soldiers of the garrisons.

This sluggish pace was completely different from the decisive and efficient Yuan Keli he remembered.

"Why has Minister Yuan become so slow and sluggish since arriving in Jiangnan? If this drags on any longer, not only will the officials be uneasy, but the hearts of the people in Jiangnan will also be lost."

Li Zhi opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something more comforting, but saw that Zou Yuanbiao had already turned around and was looking at the audience again.

At this moment, the Imperial Guards were dispersing the onlookers, while the executioners were busy collecting the corpses. The dark red in the snow was gradually covered by the white snow, leaving only dark marks.

Zou Yuanbiao sighed softly, his voice full of helplessness:
"Enough, there's no point in saying more."

I only hope that the blood on the execution platform today will truly deter those officials with ulterior motives.

Stop thinking about taking shortcuts and colluding with rebels. Serve the court dutifully and honestly; that will be enough to repay His Majesty's trust and be worthy of this official robe.

time flies.

soon.

It was already the twelfth month of the second year of the Tianqi reign. In Jiangnan, it had begun to snow.

The drizzling rain blanketed the Jiangnan region in white.

On the streets of Jiaxing, the doors of shops that had been looted were scattered everywhere, and piles of garbage that had not yet been cleaned up were stacked in the corners. Occasionally, a few stray dogs could be seen running around with rags in their mouths.

Wang Haoxian's 100,000 rebels lingered in the city for over a month. The granaries were emptied, the gentry's gold and silver were looted, and even most of the cattle on the outskirts of the city were slaughtered, leaving behind only a devastated and empty city, and a group of people shivering in the cold wind.

"Let's go! To Suzhou!"

On the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Wang Haoxian stood on the steps of the Jiaxing Prefectural Government Office, looking at the dark mass of rebels under his command. The sword at his waist was still stained with the blood from the suppression of the rebellious people a few days earlier.

He thought that taking Jiaxing was a great victory, but when he heard Xu Chengye say that Suzhou was "the richest place in Jiangnan, with grain piled up like mountains," he could no longer suppress his greed.

With 100,000 mouths to feed, each person consumes thousands of bushels of grain daily. Jiaxing's grain reserves will not last much longer. Only by taking Suzhou can this "great undertaking" continue.

"set off!"

The rioters surged like a turbid torrent along the official road toward Suzhou.

Without flags or formations, some carried hoes, some held sharpened wooden sticks, and others carried looted packages. They robbed as they went, ransacking villages along the way. Farmers' thatched huts were engulfed in flames, and thick smoke trailed long black ribbons on the Jiangnan skyline.

Even so, they encountered no resistance whatsoever.

The officials of Suzhou Prefecture had already fled to Wuxi with their families and money before the rioters arrived.

The gentry who did not want to leave held their official seals and silver chests and knelt to welcome them ten miles outside the city, shouting "Our leader is wise!" and begging only to save their lives.

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, Wang Haoxian planted his black flag on the city gate of Suzhou Prefecture.

This city, known as "paradise on earth," fell in just half a day.

The rioters poured into Changmen Street, tearing the silk and satin shops to shreds, smashing the wine jars in the restaurants, and even prying open the bronze incense burner in Xuanmiao Temple, scraping away the incense ash in an attempt to find the hidden silver.

Xu Chengye stood aside, watching the chaos before him, but his only thought was how to persuade Wang Haoxian to continue the advance:

"My lord, Changzhou is only a hundred miles from Suzhou. The city has more grain reserves and controls a vital route to Nanjing. Only by taking Changzhou can we truly grasp the lifeline of Jiangnan!"

Blinded by victory, Wang Haoxian made the decision without a second thought:
"Alright! We'll attack Changzhou tomorrow!"

He was confident that with 100,000 troops, he could easily conquer Jiaxing and Suzhou, so Changzhou Prefecture would be no problem at all.

The next day.

An atmosphere of grim determination permeated the area outside the east gate of Changzhou city.

Li Fuming, the military commander of the Nanjing garrison, stood on the earthen city wall, wearing bright armor and with a large iron sword hanging at his waist, his sharp eyes sweeping across the official road in the distance.

Behind him, on the city wall, the newly built crenellations were neatly arranged, and the muzzles of the breech-loading cannons were pointed into the distance.

Beneath the city wall, six thousand elite troops of the Beijing Garrison stood in formation, their armor gleaming coldly in the rain.

These are veterans of the Nanjing Military Training Camp, seasoned in countless battles; the muskets and rifles in their hands are polished to a gleaming shine.

In addition, there were more than 4,000 garrison soldiers who had fled from Suzhou and Changzhou. Although they had been scattered, they were reorganized into a team under Li Fuming's strict training, holding swords and shields, and standing on both sides of the square formation.

"General, a scout reports that Wang Haoxian's rebels have passed Wuxi and are only thirty li away from Changzhou!"

A scout knelt on one knee, his voice urgent.

Li Fuming nodded slightly, raised his hand and drew the broadsword from his waist, the tip of the blade pointing into the distance:
"Pass down the order: the chariot soldiers line up in front, the shield bearers protect the flanks, the musketeers wait behind the chariots, and the cavalry follow me to the side and rear to hide."

Today, let these rebels know that the Ming Dynasty's imperial army is not to be trifled with!

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers acted swiftly.

Dozens of sidecars were pushed to the front of the battle line, the outside of the carriages covered with thick cowhide, and breech-loading cannons mounted on the back.

The shield bearers raised their iron shields, each as tall as a person, forming an impenetrable shield wall.

The musketeers crouched behind the vehicle, their fingers on the triggers, their eyes focused.

A thousand cavalrymen, leading their warhorses, hid in the woods behind the formation, their hooves wrapped in burlap to prevent them from making a sound.

On the morning of the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Wang Haoxian's rioters finally arrived outside the east gate of Changzhou city.

Ten thousand rioters crowded the open field, like a swarm of disorderly locusts, a dark mass when viewed from afar.

Wang Haoxian reined in his horse, glanced at the heavily armed government troops waiting in front of him, and a disdainful smile curled at the corner of his mouth:
"A mere ten thousand or so people dare to block my path, Li Kuiqi!"

"exist!"

A burly man stepped forward in response. He was a pirate from Guangdong, with a scar on his face and a ghost-head knife in his hand.

"Rest assured, Master, I will lead three thousand brothers to break through their formation!"

After saying this, Li Kuiqi led three thousand rebels, wielding hoes and sickles, and charged towards the government troops' lines.

Most of these rioters were coerced refugees who charged forward with brute force, shouting slogans like "Kill them!" and "Rob the silver!"

"put!"

Li Fuming stood on the city wall and coldly gave the order.

Before the words were even finished, the breech-loading cannons at the front opened fire first.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The shells landed among the rioters, exploding instantly, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere. The rioters at the forefront fell like wheat being cut down.

Immediately afterwards, the musketeers fired in unison, the gunshots ringing out one after another. The lead bullets pierced through the falling snow and hit their targets accurately. The rioters fell down screaming, and the originally dense charging formation instantly developed a gap.

"Charge! Get closer to them!"

Li Kuiqi roared and brandished his ghost-headed saber, trying to force the rioters to continue advancing.

Before they could get close to the government troops' shields, the spearmen behind the shield bearers suddenly thrust out their spears, a forest of spears, and stabbed at the rioters, felling another group.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

The rioters could no longer hold on and turned to run. Even Li Kuiqi was caught up in the fleeing crowd and ended up in a sorry state.

"The time has come!"

A glint flashed in Li Fuming's eyes as he mounted his horse and drew his broadsword.

"Cavalry, charge!"

A thousand cavalrymen charged out of the woods, their hooves pounding the cold rain, toward the fleeing rebels.

The cavalrymen brandished their sabers, slashing left and right. The rebels cried out for their parents and scattered in all directions. Some even jumped into the nearby river, only to be frozen unconscious by the icy water.

"waste!"

Looking at the defeated rioters, Wang Haoxian gritted his teeth in anger. He drew his sword and pointed it at a burly man beside him.

"Li Tietou! You take five thousand men and if you still can't break through their defenses, you'll bring me your head!"

Li Tietou was Wang Haoxian's most capable general. He was tall, incredibly strong, and wielded a large axe weighing two stones.

After receiving the order, he led five thousand elite troops, mostly surrendered soldiers from garrisons and pirates, and charged towards the government army's lines.

These five thousand men were more organized than the previous rioters. They not only carried knives and guns, but also several old cannons captured from the garrison. Although their range was short, they could still fire.

"Fire artillery counterattack!"

Li Fuming gave the order.

The government troops' cannons roared again, and shells landed in Li Tietou's ranks, causing chaos and casualties.

The musketeers continued firing in unison, raining down lead bullets. Although Li Tietou's troops were more tenacious than the previous rioters, they still suffered heavy casualties.

"Charge! Charge!"

Li Tietou roared, brandishing his great axe, and felled several government troops with spears who charged forward, finally getting close to the wagon formation.

Just then, the government troops' side wagons suddenly split open to the sides, revealing the musketeers inside. Another volley of fire ensued, and a number of Li Tietou's personal guards fell instantly.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

Seeing that there were fewer and fewer people around him, Li Tietou finally panicked and turned to run.

His escape caused the five thousand people to collapse instantly, retreating like a receding tide, and also disrupting the 100,000 rioters behind him.

"kill!"

Li Fuming led his cavalry in another charge, and the government infantry followed suit, rushing out of their lines to kill the rioters.

The 100,000 rioters completely collapsed and scattered in all directions. Some knelt down to surrender, some jumped into the river, and some even ran wildly towards Suzhou.

Seeing the carnage before him, Wang Haoxian was terrified. Gone was his previous arrogance. He turned his horse around and followed the fleeing rioters, running towards Suzhou Prefecture, even throwing his own command flag onto the battlefield.

Li Fuming led his troops in pursuit until dusk before withdrawing.

On the battlefield, corpses littered the ground, and blood stained the cold earth. Snowmelt washed over the bodies, forming streams of blood that flowed into the nearby rivers.

The government troops captured nearly 30,000 rebels, and the seized swords and spears were piled up like small mountains, along with several abandoned old cannons.

The people of Changzhou, watching the victory from afar, finally dared to leave their homes and cheer in the direction of the government troops:
"The government troops have won! The government troops have won!"

Cheers echoed through the cold snow, dispelling the fear that had lingered for days.

Meanwhile, Wang Haoxian, who had fled to Suzhou, was hiding on horseback, trembling all over.

He finally realized that his previous success was just luck, and that the Ming Dynasty's government troops were not all easily defeated.

This crushing defeat in front of Changzhou not only cost him nearly half of his troops, but also shattered his dream of "sweeping across Jiangnan".

Damn it!
We need to get away from Changzhou!
We need to stay away from the government troops!
After looting Suzhou, head towards Huzhou! Head towards Hangzhou!
The farther away from Changzhou Prefecture, the better!

(End of this chapter)