Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

"Heads?"

It turned out that Liu Zeqing was afraid that his subordinates would reveal the truth to the Crown Prince, so he implicated the guerrilla general Gao Jinzhong and the battalion commander Wang who had killed innocent people and claimed credit for their crimes.

He beheaded all fifty of his soldiers and handed their heads to Han Zanzhou to take back. He also submitted a memorial to the Crown Prince to apologize, using this as an excuse.

Such ruthless methods were truly beyond Zhu Cilang's expectations.

This incident made him realize that Liu Zeqing was no ordinary person.

As his gaze swept over the cold, somber handwriting on the memorial, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but recall past events:

At that time, bandits besieged the capital. The emperor issued twelve imperial edicts to urgently summon Liu Zeqing to defend the capital. However, this fellow lied and claimed that he had fallen from his horse and injured his leg, refusing to obey the edict.

The late emperor knew it was a trick, but still gave him forty taels of silver for medicine and ordered him to go to Baoding to suppress the bandits.

These arrogant and fierce soldiers dared to disregard even the late emperor's decrees.

Now, they are willing to send fifty-three severed heads as a sign of their loyalty and support, which on the surface gives face to the Crown Prince, but at the same time implies a show of defiance.

Zhu Cilang gently placed the memorial on the table, the flickering firelight casting a shadow on his brow:

"What a brilliant example of 'cutting off the tail to survive'!"

A cold, sinister smile curled at the corners of his lips, devoid of any warmth, only chilling intent.

"I have noted down Liu Zeqing's 'kindness'."

He paused deliberately.

"These fifty-three heads, along with the countless blood debts he owed—"

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the grief-stricken Song An and the red-rimmed Han Zanzhou.

"I will stand atop Nanjing city walls, in front of the Xiaoling Mausoleum, and settle accounts with him thoroughly, stroke by stroke!"

Morning light pierces through the clouds.

The faint red glow of the lanterns outside the tent was diluted by the sunlight, and the light and shadow inside the tent changed abruptly.

The night dew on the corner of the curtain was evaporated into white vapor by the early sun, the lingering sound of the distant watchman's drum gradually faded, and the morning mist, carrying the scent of hay from the stable, drifted into the tent.

Not far from the tent, dozens of wooden boxes covered with lime were silently displayed, and a faint smell of blood permeated the air.

"Your Highness!"

The guards rushed into the tent.

"Twenty-seven officials from the Six Ministries, including vice ministers and garrison commanders, are currently performing the five-bow and three-kowtow ceremony at the gate."

Zhu Cilang's eyebrows twitched slightly as the morning light slanted in from outside the tent, illuminating half of his handsome face.

"According to protocol, please proceed to the central command tent!"

After speaking, his shoulders and back straightened abruptly like pine branches, exuding a dignified and imposing aura.

The curtain was suddenly lifted, and Han Zanzhou stepped forward, holding a vermilion tray in one hand.

Music and ceremonial music suddenly rose outside the gate.

According to regulations, when officials first meet the Crown Prince, they must present a petition, and the master of ceremonies will announce their names and lead them in.

The six ministers and the imperial envoys entered the palace in separate groups. At this moment, the seven senior officials bowed their heads and entered the tent.

The leader was dressed in a dark blue official robe, with a jade belt around his waist, and had a dark complexion.

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept across the room, recognizing only Lian Guoshi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

The master of ceremonies, with a booming voice, called out the names in a loud voice:

"Minister of War Shi Kefa, Minister of Revenue Gao Hongtu..."

Han Zanzhou turned to lead the guests.

"Your Highness, we respectfully wish you a thousand years of good fortune!"

The crowd knelt down in unison, performing the five-bow ceremony.

That dark-skinned man was none other than Shi Kefa, the Minister of War.

He was around forty years old, with a lean and capable build. Although he wore the robes of a second-rank official, his brows were filled with concern for the country.

Zhu Cilang raised his hand in a gesture of support, his voice clear and melodious:

"My lords, please rise!"

After everyone thanked him and stood up, his gaze suddenly fixed on the scar on Lian Guoshi's cheek, and he asked:

"Lian Qing, has the injury on your face healed considerably?"

Lian Guoshi was whipped by Gao Jinzhong in Huai'an Prefecture. The whip marks on his cheeks were still fresh. When the Crown Prince suddenly asked him about it, he couldn't help but tremble.

He carefully examined the prince's features and suddenly recognized him as the young man in plain clothes who had cracked the "salary case" in Huai'an Prefecture.

A look of realization dawned on his eyes, and he immediately bowed:

"Your Highness is exceptionally talented and skilled. When I first saw the young man, I was struck by his outstanding character and extraordinary demeanor. He was a hidden dragon in the world."

"I have failed to recognize Your Majesty's countenance; I deserve to die ten thousand times over."

"I have brought back Gao Jinzhong's head for you. Would you like to see it, Lian Qing?"

Lian Guoshi's expression changed drastically, and he fell to the ground again with a thud.

"I am a guilty subject, and Your Highness has personally executed this villain; I am filled with trepidation!"

His official hat trembled slightly, yet he maintained the stubbornness of a civil official.

"However, Gao Jinzhong was a subordinate general of the four garrisons in Jiangbei. According to the law, military officers below the rank of general must be jointly discussed by the five military governors and approved by the censor of the Ministry of Justice before they can be executed."

"Your Highness is indeed exceptionally gifted and decisive, but I fear..."

The last syllable lingered in mid-air before finally uttering the second half of the sentence:

"I fear we may repeat the mistakes of the late Emperor during the Jingnan Campaign!"

While outwardly praising the Crown Prince's wisdom, the official was actually worried that his arbitrary killing of military generals might repeat the mistakes of the Jingnan Rebellion.

During the Jingnan Rebellion, military generals defected to Zhu Di. Now, they have arbitrarily killed Liu Zeqing's subordinates, which may force the warlords of the four towns in Jiangbei to rebel, providing a pretext for "purging the emperor's inner circle".

Lian Guoshi nearly lost his head to Gao Jinzhong in Huai'an, yet he still upheld the duties of a civil official and maintained the law, truly a loyal minister.

"When did I ever draw my sword?"

Zhu Cilang's voice was cold and clear.

"Those fifty-three heads were surrendered by Commander Liu himself at the gate."

Willow catkins drifted in with the wind from outside the tent, clinging to Shi Kefa's shoulder and trembling slightly.

The Minister of War suddenly stepped forward from the ranks:

"I have heard that Your Highness has crossed the northern frontier to the south, traversing thousands of miles amidst the smoke of war. I wonder if Your Majesty is in good health?"

"Minister Shi's loyalty and diligence are commendable, which greatly pleases me."

Zhu Cilang sat upright like a bell, the tea steaming on the table:

"I have been following my father’s edict to ‘ferry south to inherit the throne’ and have been traveling day and night since the fall of the capital, without daring to delay for even a moment."

"On the way, we were ambushed by bandits three times, and pursued by enemy cavalry twice. We spent the night in a dilapidated temple without daring to remove our armor, and traveled through the wilderness during the day without daring to cook..."

At this point, his tone turned somber.

"However, whenever I think of my father's dying words, 'I am ashamed to face my ancestors after my death, so I remove my crown and cover my face with my hair,' I feel deeply pained."

"I felt that I should dedicate my life to the cause of the Ming Dynasty, even at the cost of my life."

Zhu Cilang lowered his eyes and took a sip of tea, his expression obscured by the swirling steam.

Shi Kefa exchanged a meaningful glance with several important officials, and Gao Hongtu, the Minister of Revenue, and others seemed to understand each other perfectly.

"Your Highness is wise!"

Shi Kefa took half a step forward, bowed, and said:

"Today the sky tilts to the northwest and the land sinks to the southeast, and the people have long looked up to the face of the emperor."

"Your Highness braved frost and rain to travel south through the night, and we, your subjects, were deeply disturbed upon hearing this. However, the laws of our ancestors still stand, and the inheritance of the sacred artifacts must not be overlooked."

He took a deep breath and spoke frankly:

"Your Highness, please understand the old minister's good intentions and allow us to verify Your Highness's identity in order to set the record straight and stabilize the court!"

Zhu Cilang put down his teacup, a cold smile playing on his lips.

As expected. Even after going through so much trouble to get to Nanjing, this loyal minister, who will be praised by later generations, is now the first to question my identity.

"Is Minister Shi testing me?"

The young man's voice was clear and cold, and his gaze pierced directly at the crowd below the tent.

"Your Highness, please forgive me!"

Fine beads of sweat glistened on Shi Kefa's dark face, yet he persisted.

"In the past, Yang Tinghe followed the ancestral instructions to determine the succession and welcomed Emperor Shizong to the throne; Zhuge Liang saved the Shu Han from danger and devoted himself to rectifying the world."

His voice suddenly rose.

"We are foolish and dull, but we only wish to follow the example of the upright ministers of the past and protect the legitimate lineage of our Great Ming Dynasty."

Before Zhu Cilang could speak,

Shi Kefa suddenly pulled a yellowed document from his sleeve, raised it above his head, and knelt down with a thud.

"I humbly request Your Highness to grant me three pieces of evidence:"

"A recounting of the matter of the suppression of the imperial army in Shaanxi, summoned to the platform on the 18th day of the second month of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign;"

"Recite the ninth chapter of the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty' regarding the provisions for regional military governors;"

"Thirdly, the essentials of guarding and defending Xiaoling Mausoleum."

A morning breeze swept past the corner of the tent, lifting a corner of the memorial on the desk to reveal a landscape painting of the Xiaoling Mausoleum inside.