Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Zhang Yuan knelt on the ground and took two steps forward using his knees:

"Your Highness...Your Highness, have mercy! Your Highness, spare my life!"

"I've been blinded by greed! I'm begging Your Highness to spare my life!"

An old clerk in the hall had a glint in his eyes. He lifted his blue robe, slowly knelt down, and placed his hands on the ground.

As soon as he knelt, all the civil and military officials in the hall also knelt down in unison before the young crown prince.

Zhu Cilang moved his wrist, which had been marked with red welts from being bound, and turned his gaze to Huang Degong:

"General Huang is meticulous in his actions and has a keen eye for detail; what crime has he committed?"

"This meeting has been rather hasty, General, please rise."

He stepped forward and reached out to support the armor on the other man's arm.

The boy's five fingers exerted force steadily:

"The general was personally appointed by the late emperor as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. At the age of twelve, he was already riding a horse and wielding a spear, brave and fearless. He is truly a role model for me."

He softened his voice, but it still reached Huang Degong's ears clearly.

"I address the General as my esteemed teacher. Does the Grand Tutor think I have made a mistake?"

The Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince is the head of the three tutors of the Eastern Palace. It is mostly a nominal position and is often awarded to ministers as an honorary title.

Although Huang Degong was nominally the Crown Prince's teacher, Zhu Cilang and Huang Degong had no prior interaction.

In the ninth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Huang Degong was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief and assigned to lead the Beijing Guard Battalion, responsible for protecting the capital.

In the eleventh year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, he was ordered to lead the Imperial Guards to accompany Governor-General Xiong Wencan to Wuyang to suppress the rebels. They fought fiercely in Guangzhou and Gushi, and repeatedly achieved great feats.

In August of the same year, he defeated the bandit Ma Guangyu again and was granted the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince by imperial grace, and was appointed acting commander-in-chief.

These words brought tears to the eyes of this battle-hardened general.

He clasped his hands in greeting and said:

"This humble general was favored by the late emperor, but I am only rudimentary in archery and horsemanship."

"This humble general's only wish is to protect this half of the empire for Your Highness, even at the cost of his life!"

After speaking, he attempted to kneel again, but Zhu Cilang tightened his grip to stop him.

"Grand Tutor, your loyalty and bravery are unparalleled; you are truly a pillar of the nation. There is no need for further formalities!"

After speaking, Zhu Cilang turned his head to look at Han Zanzhou, and gently stroked the old eunuch's sleeve.

"Han Banban has served me for many years, keeping me warm in the cold winter and cooling me off in the hot summer. She has tasted my food and medicine with utmost care."

"This kind of affection is even closer than that of family."

He clutched the brocade robe tightly.

"I said that Han Banban and I are as close as family. Tell me, am I wrong?"

Han Zanzhou's hunched back suddenly straightened, and his eyes instantly reddened.

"This servant is truly unworthy of such an honor. To receive such favor from Your Highness is already a great blessing for this servant."

The aged voice was like that of someone steeped in aged rice wine.

"This servant only wishes to continue to serve Your Highness wholeheartedly in order to repay Your Highness's kindness."

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the crowd below, his voice echoing through the dome:

"Get up, everyone!"

"Prefect Zhang, ignorance is no excuse. Please rise!"

Everyone stood up one after another, but Zhang Bingchang remained kneeling on the ground, trembling slightly.

The rumbling thunder in the southeastern sky suddenly stopped, and a golden crack appeared in the thick clouds.

A ray of sunlight, like a golden arrow, pierced through the clouds and landed squarely on the character "明" (ming, meaning bright/bright) on the plaque that reads "清正廉明" (qingzhenglianming, meaning honest and upright).

Zhu Cilang stood with his back to the light, the sunlight outlining a clear halo around him, as if he were wearing an invisible dragon robe.

He looked down at Zhang Bingchang, but his voice carried a sense of authority:

"However, officials must be able to distinguish right from wrong and must not act rashly, lest they wrongly accuse loyal and virtuous people."

Zhang Bingchang's face turned deathly pale.

Zhu Cilang continued:

"Now that this case has been opened to the public, it should be continued in a fair and impartial manner to uphold justice. Since Prefect Zhang is in charge of criminal law, he should conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty."

He suddenly turned to face the crowd, his voice as clear as shattered jade:

"The laws of our ancestors are the foundation of our nation. No matter how noble or imperial, the laws of the nation must not be abolished because of our own palace."

He stood tall and straight, head held high.

"Prefect Zhang, you must thoroughly investigate this case."

"If I have indeed committed any wrongdoing, please report the facts to the Imperial Clan Court. I will accept the law without complaint."

His words were powerful and resounding, sending a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall.

According to the Ming Dynasty's system of managing the imperial clan, if the crown prince was involved in a legal dispute, the Imperial Clan Court would handle the case and conduct a preliminary investigation.

The case would then be jointly reviewed by the three judicial departments (Ministry of Justice, Censorate, and Court of Judicial Review), but the final decision rested with the emperor.

The Crown Prince's candid proposal to "report to the Imperial Clan Court" and "accept the laws of the land" at this moment, with his magnanimity and sense of responsibility, made the air seem solemn.

Since the Crown Prince had said he wanted to hear the case, Zhang Bingchang steadied himself, leaned on the corner of the table, and sat down properly.

The atmosphere inside the hall was heavy, and everyone held their breath.

Huang Degong stepped forward:

"Your Highness is wise, and the law is just and cannot be disregarded. This humble general requests to supervise the trial to ensure that no one is wrongly imprisoned."

Han Zanzhou pointed to the gavel:

"Prefect Zhang, how dare you be so disrespectful to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Where do you place court etiquette? What do you consider imperial authority?"

The shrill voice carried lingering anger.

"If it weren't for Your Highness's benevolence, your heads would already be on the ground!"

"If anyone dares to show the slightest favoritism or negligence during this trial, I will make sure you know what it means to be subject to the strictness of the law."

Large beads of sweat rolled down Zhang Bingchang's forehead.

"I...I'm stupid!"

He raised his sleeve and frantically wiped away the sweat that he could never dry.

"I have made a hasty judgment without examining the scene, which has nearly caused Miss Xiao Cui to suffer injustice. I am burning with anger and implore Your Highness to punish me for dereliction of duty."

Next, under the watchful gaze of Crown Prince Zhu Cilang, Xiao Cui began to recount the events that had transpired.

The girl's Adam's apple bobbed three times before she managed to utter a sound:

"Reporting to Your Honor... it is already three-quarters of an hour. I... I am selling bamboo baskets at the entrance of Zhuque Street..."

She forced herself to remain calm and recounted in detail how the playboy had stopped people in the street and how the bamboo utensils had been trampled into pieces.

Her throat tightened as she spoke of her grief, but she still managed to explain every detail clearly.

The once arrogant Constable Wang now collapsed to his knees, confessing to accepting two taels of silver as false testimony.

Zhang Bingchang's official robes were already soaked with cold sweat, and his hand holding the order slip was trembling so much he could barely hold it.

"Quickly strip these wicked children naked and flog them!"

The words were spoken with a resounding thud, and the constables responded immediately, dragging Zhang Yuan and the other three to the benches in the hall and forcing them down.

The belt around his waist snapped, and the bailiff tore off the criminal's lower garment, revealing his pale buttocks and legs.

The water-fire stick is six feet long, black and red striped, and about the thickness of a bowl.

The first blow of the staff whistled down, and the flesh caved in, immediately raising a purple ridge.

"Awooo—!"

Zhang Yuan let out a howl that sounded inhuman.

The second blow followed immediately, the sound of flesh being torn open was clearly audible, and blood splattered onto the blue bricks.

Zhang Yuan was in so much pain that his whole body convulsed, and his screams became distorted:

"Your Highness, spare me! I know I was wrong! Ouch!"

The heartless bailiff fell silent after the fifth beating, leaving only a mangled mess of flesh on his buttocks.

Zhang Yuan initially screamed and begged for mercy, but by the tenth blow, he could only gasp for breath.

By the time the twenty-seven strokes were administered, the buttocks and legs of all three bodies were unrecognizable, a bloody mess...

With that, the case was closed.

Zhang Bingchang breathed a sigh of relief and stole a glance at the Crown Prince's expression.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince stroked the folded corner of the scroll, and a soft sound rolled down his throat:

"wrong!"

Zhang Bingchang's vermilion brush fell to the table with a thud, splashing several ink marks.

He staggered around the table:

"Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant, and I earnestly hope that Your Majesty will enlighten me."

Zhu Cilang's gaze shifted to Xiao Cui, the girl's patched clothes being lifted by the draft:

"To destroy someone's livelihood in broad daylight, is there no compensation beyond criminal liability?"

Zhang Bingchang, his shirt stained with sweat, slapped his forehead upon hearing this:

"Your Highness is wise! The Emperor's grace is boundless and should naturally extend to all people... We should compensate you according to the agreed price..."

His voice was weak as he tentatively looked at the Crown Prince.

Xiao Cui shrank back half a step into the shadows with the tips of her coarse cloth shoes, shook her head in fear, and whispered:

"This humble woman... uses crude bamboo utensils, how could I dare trouble the sir to spend so much... It is already an immense grace from Heaven that my innocence has been cleared..."

Zhu Cilang looked at Xiao Cui's tattered clothes and spoke decisively:

"How can there be no compensation? The crimes of damaging property and insulting others should be punished together. I hereby order that thirty taels of silver in compensation is just right."

Zhang Bingchang hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting, and a clear, resonant voice burst forth from his throat:

"Your Highness's judgment is impeccable! Thirty taels is just the right amount to uphold justice and comfort the aggrieved party; it is truly a wise and compassionate decision!"