Huangming

Chapter 86 The Emperor's Wrath, the Death of the Shanxi Merchants
Hearing the commotion inside, the burly general outside the door quickly entered the East Warm Pavilion and subdued the eunuch in charge of the imperial kitchen who intended to assassinate the emperor.

Wei Zhongxian was already waiting inside the hall.

"There are traitors who dare to betray their own people and plot to assassinate the emperor! You ungrateful bastards, who gave you the audacity to do this?!"

After saying this, Wei Zhongxian picked up the Wenxi boiled cake from the red box, broke it open, and saw that there were small balls sealed with beeswax inside the Wenxi boiled cake. Wei Zhongxian crushed the small balls and stuffed them into the mouth of the raccoon dog that had been prepared beforehand.

The raccoon struggled violently, but its four legs were restrained by several guards, rendering it unable to move. After swallowing the broken ball and the liquid inside, the kitten was initially unharmed, but after a short while, it began to struggle violently again, and with desperate cries of "Old Wu," it became completely still.

Fang Congzhe, Liu Yizhu, and others felt their hearts sink.

Is there really anyone who dares to assassinate the king?
Who ordered this?

Upon discovering the poison, Wei Zhongxian immediately shouted, "Snake venom and poison have been put in here! You damned, lowly slave, how dare you harm my holy emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty?"

Wei Zhongxian kicked Li Xiong hard, then knelt down and said to Zhu Youxiao, "Someone dares to assassinate the emperor and disturb His Majesty's presence. This servant deserves to die ten thousand times!"

Zhu Youxiao glanced at Wei Zhongxian and thought, "Your acting is a bit off."

Watch my acting skills!

Zhu Youxiao gripped the gilded armrests of the dragon throne with a livid face, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

He suddenly swept all the food off the table in front of him, the sound of shattering porcelain cups startling everyone below.

"Right under the emperor's nose, within the imperial city, there is such audacious person who intends to assassinate the emperor!"

Zhu Youxiao's face was as black as a pot, and his voice was chilling.

"Investigate! Investigate this thoroughly for me!"

The emperor's furious voice echoed among the beams and pillars of the warm pavilion.

"Who on earth is so rebellious? Daring to poison the imperial meal today, will they cut off my head tomorrow?"

Wei Zhongxian's prostrate body trembled slightly, then he touched his forehead to the ground and shouted, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Such heinous acts against human ethics cannot be the work of just one person. In my humble opinion, there must be accomplices within the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Imperial Horse Administration, and even the Six Ministries!"

He glanced at the kneeling eunuchs outside the hall out of the corner of his eye, and deliberately raised his voice: "If Your Majesty grants the Eastern Depot permission to conduct a thorough investigation, this old servant will surely uproot the mastermind behind it all!"

These scathing remarks sent a chill down the spines of several cabinet ministers, who were all too aware of Wei Zhongxian's ruthlessness.

This is clearly an attempt to use the opportunity to purge the court.

Does this mean that the eunuch faction will become too powerful after today?
Before anyone could step forward to offer advice, Zhu Youxiao had already grabbed the gilded and silver-inlaid bronze enamel incense burner and smashed it heavily against the dragon pillar.

"Three days! I'll only give you three days!"

The young emperor rose from his throne, his robe sleeves embroidered with gold dragons trembling violently: "All those involved, regardless of rank, shall be skinned alive, stuffed with straw, and hung in the West Market! Within their nine generations, all male members shall be exiled to Qiongzhou to perform hard labor, and all female members shall be confiscated and enslaved in the laundry department!"

The Han generals on duty tightened their iron chains in fear, while the bound eunuch suddenly let out a shrill wail, his eyes filled with resentment like those of a venomous snake.

Isn't it said that after eating this, it will take at least two days for the symptoms to appear?

Why did that raccoon dog suddenly die on the spot?

Wang Dayu, you lied to me!
He originally planned to poison the victim and then commit suicide in a dignified manner, so as not to give the Northern Garrison Command the opportunity to torture him.

However, now he is unable to die, and Li Xiong trembles at the thought of the methods of the Northern Garrison Command.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, a cold smile flickered across Wei Zhongxian's lips. As he knelt and kowtowed three times, the river and sea patterns on his python robe flickered in the candlelight, like an undercurrent about to unleash a bloody storm.

"I obey your orders!"

Wei Zhongxian left in a great hurry.

Finished!

It’s over.

Fang Congzhe was deeply worried.

How did the regicide happen?
Who is so bold?
Fang Congzhe glanced at Liu Yijuan, who was covered in sweat, and thought to himself: Could it be that one of your Donglin Party members did this?

But now is not the time to shift blame and condemn; the goal is to minimize the impact of this incident.

Fang Congzhe gritted his teeth, straightened his robes, took three steps forward and knelt down, his long white beard trembling slightly with each bow: "Your Majesty, please calm your wrath! This old minister believes that the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen may have acted out of personal grudges and may not have been involved in a deeper conspiracy."

The late Emperor Taizu warned in his "Great Proclamation": "Matters of law and punishment should be handled like still water; only through careful and prudent action can one cross the river." If one were to unleash a massacre without thorough investigation, it would surely chill the hearts of loyal and virtuous officials throughout the land!

With Fang Congzhe taking the lead, Liu Yizhu finally dared to speak up.

Of all the cabinet ministers now, he is the most suspicious.

But he was wronged!

Even if Liu Yizhu were incredibly audacious, he wouldn't dare to commit regicide.

"The Grand Secretary is absolutely right! Recalling the Zhengde era, Liu Jin fabricated charges to frame officials, leaving the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers' offices almost deserted. If we allow the Imperial Guards to conduct large-scale searches with just an imperial edict, I fear the tragedy of countless innocent souls lying in the imperial prison will be repeated outside Chengtian Gate!"

He looked at the enraged emperor and said tremblingly, "This old minister begs for a thorough investigation of this matter before taking swift and decisive action."

Zhu Guozuo also stepped forward, kneeling behind Fang Congzhe and Liu Yizhu, and said, "According to ancestral laws, a conviction can only be made after a joint trial by the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate. I humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering the principal officer of the Ministry of Justice, the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and the censor of the Censorate to jointly try this case. Only in this way can we uphold the sacred precept of Emperor Taizu that 'if punishments lack order, their authority will be difficult to demonstrate!'"

Upon seeing this, Sun Ruyou and Li Ruhua also knelt down behind him and said, "Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!"

"enough!"

Zhu Youxiao turned around with a flick of his sleeve, stepped forward, drew his Yongle sword, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and said sternly, "Have you been making a racket for so long, expecting me to sit idly by and watch the regicide traitors go unpunished? Can the joint trial by the three judicial departments produce any results?"

His Highness and his ministers dared not speak.

No one wanted to provoke the emperor when he was in a rage, especially since he was holding a drawn sword.

Zhu Youxiao beat his chest and cried out in pain, as if he had endless grievances.

"Since I ascended the throne, I have worked tirelessly day and night, reviewing official documents until midnight, and rising at dawn to discuss state affairs at Fengtian Gate! The memorials on my desk are piled up like mountains, and my temples are turning white with age."

"Listen up, all of you! The flames of war in Liaodong have not yet died down, and the roads in Shaanxi and Gansu are blocked by starving corpses. I have been working diligently day and night to govern the country, all for the sake of restoring the legacy of the founding emperor!" At this point, Zhu Youxiao suddenly grabbed a gilded silver candlestick and threw it to the ground, sparks flying like thunder, his tone carrying a accusatory tone.

"Those despicable wolves! How dare they poison and murder the emperor today!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Exterminate the entire clan of the traitors! I want this glorious Ming Dynasty to be free from any evil thoughts!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Congzhe, Liu Yizhu, and the others felt utterly disheartened.

Who is so ungrateful as to attempt to assassinate the king, thus enraging His Majesty?

It has brought ruin upon my great Ming Dynasty!

How many more controversies will follow?

Upon realizing this, everyone fell silent.

You could hear a pin drop in the East Warm Pavilion.

After venting his anger, the emperor seemed to have calmed down.

However, his gaze still swept over the assembled officials with murderous intent as he said, "You may all step down!"

Sun Ruyou looked at the emperor with some concern and said, "Your Majesty, please don't harm your health by getting angry at these treacherous villains."

Fang Congzhe opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Advising the emperor now feels like speaking for a traitor.

We can only wait for His Majesty to calm down first.

The officials left the East Warm Pavilion with great anxiety. Zhu Youxiao immediately ordered the gates of the Qianqing Palace to be closed, the palace city to be locked down, and martial law to be imposed in the capital.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had already been mobilized before the assassination attempt on the emperor!

Three quarters past noon.

Outside the manor of Shanxi merchant Wang Dayu in the western suburbs of Beijing.

The Imperial Guards had already surrounded the Prince's mansion.

"Open the door quickly!"

"Those who dare to resist the orders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard will only face death!"

Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!

The shouts outside were deafening, and the servants guarding the manor were all terrified, but without the master's order, they dared not open the gate without permission.

Meanwhile, inside the manor, in the inner hall...

Wang Dayu, dressed in a brocade robe, sat on a grand chair and could even laugh.

"Alas! All the wealth and savings accumulated over generations are about to be reduced to ashes."

He looked at the middle-aged woman beside him. This woman was none other than Feng Niang, Li Xiong's lover, who had appeared at Su Ji Tea House the day before yesterday.

"Fengniang, do you regret following me?"

The woman's eyes were brimming with tears, but she threw herself onto Wang Dayu.

"My lord, I have no regrets."

It turns out that Feng Niang was originally Wang Dayu's woman, but they only became a nominal couple in order to win over Li Xiong, the eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen.

Fengniang sobbed and cried, looking at the merchant whose face was ashen, still holding a sliver of hope in her heart.

"Master, don't you have elders above you? Where are they? Why can't you rely on them now?"

Wang Dayu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "If we are less involved, my Wang family will still have some bloodline left. If we are more involved, then we will be doomed."

Did he assassinate the king by himself?
It might not have been before, but it certainly is now.

Wang Dayu stroked Fengniang's cheek and asked, "You've been wronged, serving that eunuch for years, and now you have to die with me."

Fengniang grasped Wang Dayu's hand, tears streaming down her face, and said sadly, "To be able to die with you, sir, is my blessing. If it weren't for you back then, I might have died a violent death in some brothel. I wouldn't have the life I have today. I've lived enough!"

Wang Dayu's eyes lit up as he said, "Good, good, good. In this way, we won't die alone. We'll have someone to look after us on the road to the underworld."

As he spoke, he drew a short sword from his waist and, before Feng Niang could react, aimed it at her heart.

With a soft splatter, blood splattered, and the light in Feng Niang's eyes gradually faded, but her hand still tightly gripped the Shanxi merchant's arm.

"Wang Lang~"

Wang Dayu helped Fengniang onto the armchair, closed her wide-open eyes, and turned to look at the blood-stained short sword. For a moment, his body trembled.

There is great terror between life and death.

Who wouldn't be afraid?

"Hehehe~"

Wang Dayu suddenly sneered, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha~"

He appeared to be insane, like a vengeful ghost from the depths of hell demanding a soul.

"Neither a lord nor a king, thousands of chariots and ten thousand horsemen return to Mangshan. When the cunning rabbit dies, the good bow is put away. After me, you will be grieved again."

"All court officials, nobles, and military generals, Wang Dayu is leaving now. I will be waiting for you in the Netherworld!"

After speaking, before the Imperial Guards could break into the manor, Wang Dayu swung his short sword and stabbed his own neck. Blood spurted out, filling the room with blood. Only the corpse of the Shanxi merchant, who died with his eyes wide open and a smile still lingering, remained, like a vengeful ghost from the depths of hell!

(End of this chapter)