Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

According to the court's etiquette, commoners were not allowed to enter the temple without permission.

However, the case of "spreading rumors and misleading the public" involves the authenticity of the imperial heir and shakes the foundation of the country. It is impossible to clarify the truth without a face-to-face confrontation.

Imperial decree:

The three judicial departments were ordered to hold a joint trial in the Wuying Hall, and all those involved in the case were to come before the Emperor to set the record straight and restore order to the court.

Zhao Fu's hoarse voice still trembled in the caisson ceiling.

Zhu Cilang, however, astutely detected the surging undercurrent beneath this deathly silence—

Not a single high-ranking official stepped forward!

Those lowered eyebrows and taut jaw clearly revealed a deep suspicion about the crown prince's identity.

This silent questioning is more piercing than swords.

"Amidst this hall filled with people in crimson and purple robes, there are still dissenting voices questioning my identity."

Zhu Cilang suddenly flicked his sleeve.

"Han has served the Crown Prince for ten years, and now he's become the accomplice you all speak of?"

"Very well! Today I'll show you everything clearly—"

Having said that, he gave the order.

"Summon Qiu Zhizhong, the eunuch who serves as the tutor to the Crown Prince, to give his audience in person!"

After a brief pause, he continued:

"I entered the palace yesterday and have not yet summoned my former servants, so I have asked him to come and verify my authenticity."

This former eunuch who served as a tutor to the Crown Prince disguised himself as a servant of a grain merchant after the fall of the capital, living among the refugees by day and night for more than three months.

When he appeared before the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel with disheveled hair and dirty appearance, the token at his waist was covered with the rotten mud from the banks of the Yellow River.

Zhu Cilang only learned yesterday, when he reviewed the list of officials who had come from the north at the Ministry of Personnel, that this loyal servant had already arrived in the southern capital.

Shortly after, a long, drawn-out announcement came from outside the palace:

"Qiu Zhizhong came to pay his respects—"

But Qiu Zhizhong was seen passing through the main gate of the imperial court.

In an instant, the hushed discussions in the court ceased abruptly, and everyone's eyes turned sharply to the key witness.

Qiu Zhizhong recognized Zhu Cilang at a glance, immediately bowed and greeted him, his face full of uncontrollable joy.

"This servant is here for Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

"You may dispense with formalities, Qiu!"

Zhu Cilang interrupted his kneeling, his voice clear and resonant.

"We've been master and servant for ten years, how about we play a game of 'proof by gold and stone' today?"

"I want to see if these officials in their court can truly distinguish genuine gold from fire."

"A trick?"

Qiu Zhizhong's body trembled slightly.

"This servant is dull-witted..."

"After ten years in the Eastern Palace, there must be secrets that only he knows."

"Keep the secrets you know to yourself. I will write them down for you and me. If all three things are in accordance with this—"

He suddenly turned to the right.

"This will prove the words are as solid as gold and stone!"

"This servant will obey Your Highness's decree!"

Zhu Cilang continued:

"On the winter solstice two years ago, the late Emperor personally visited the Eastern Palace. Do you still remember what happened that day?"

"This servant would never forget this, even if it meant death!"

Qiu Zhizhong slammed his forehead heavily against the gold brick.

"Bring me pen and ink!"

Zhu Cilang lifted his wide sleeves and looked at Ma Shiying, the Minister of Rites.

"Minister Ma, I ask you to bear witness—if there is any disagreement, I will immediately bind myself and go to Xiaoling Mausoleum to guard the spirit."

The eunuch immediately presented the writing implements.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire court, each of them picked up their pens and wrote furiously.

The only sounds in the hall were the rustling of paper and pens, and a few suppressed, soft coughs.

Ma Shiying stepped forward, holding an ivory tablet, and took two blank sheets of paper with the ink still wet. Shi Kefa followed closely behind.

Four more officials stepped forward, holding their breath, and carefully supported the back of the paper.

The two high-ranking officials looked solemn and focused intently on what was written on the paper.

Their eyes darted back and forth between the two pieces of paper, their thick eyebrows slowly relaxing as the comparison unfolded.

After a long silence, Shi Kefa suddenly threw open his robe sleeves, his voice echoing through the ceiling:

"The events described are completely consistent!"

The court was immediately thrown into an uproar, with everyone whispering among themselves and showing expressions of amazement.

The matter described is roughly as follows:

On the winter solstice of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign, the late emperor personally visited the Eastern Palace to inspect the Crown Prince's studies.

At that time, the Jurchens were besieging Songshan, so the inspection of students' studies was particularly strict.

Opening the book "The Great Learning," the tattered pages and crooked annotations stung my eyes.

As a result, the eunuch Qiu Zhizhong was immediately punished by being forced to kneel until late at night.

Subsequently, the two wrote down several past events, all of which corresponded perfectly without any errors.

Thus, the truth of the "Fake Crown Prince's Slander Case" was finally revealed, and the officials had nothing more to say.

The rumor-monger Zhao Fu was imprisoned by the Dali Temple and will be executed at a later date.

The sky gradually darkened, and twilight deepened.

Zhu Cilang felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders, and an indescribable sense of relief welled up in his heart.

He stood tall, his gaze sweeping over the surging waves of the Emperor's official robes, his voice firm and resonant:

"The ins and outs of this case should be recorded in detail by the Hanlin Academy and distributed throughout Nanjing to set the record straight."

"All of you ministers here today serve as witnesses. If anyone doubts my identity—"

He paused deliberately.

"This is the moment to present our doubts in court!"

Inside the Wuying Hall, the officials bowed their heads, and no one stepped forward.

The Crown Prince's unspoken meaning is quite obvious:

If you don't doubt it now, you'll never doubt it again in this lifetime.

If anyone discusses this privately in the future, it will be considered rebellious.

In the imperial court, all the officials remained silent, with only a few faint breaths echoing softly.

Twenty-four palace lanterns illuminated the scarlet robe and jade belt, turning them into a blood-red coral.

Zhu Cilang stood before the candlestick, the flame flickering in his eyes.

He knew that proving his identity was only the first step; to stand firm in this crisis, he needed an even more unshakeable authority.

"Since none of my ministers have any objections, I still have some heartfelt words to say."

His voice turned somber as he looked at the assembled officials.

"Since the fall of the capital, I have been forced to flee south. The turbulent events that have occurred during this time are too numerous to be recorded in history."

Now that my identity has been verified, I shall reveal a secret to you all.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang recounted a strange story to the officials in the imperial court:

"On the day the capital fell, my father's blood stained Coal Hill, and the collapse of the imperial court was imminent."

"I fought my way through the chaos of the army, and three hundred loyal souls perished outside Zhangyi Gate. By the time we reached Huai'an, my battle robes were stained with blood, and I was barely breathing."

He seemed dazed, as if he were reliving that day.

"On my deathbed, I clearly 'paid an audience' with Emperor Taizu Gao!"

The five characters "Emperor Taizu Gao" exploded like thunder, shattering the frozen air.

A golden light flashed in Zhu Cilang's eyes.

"Even I can't tell if it's a dream or reality; it's hard to distinguish between illusion and reality..."

Fragmented memories tear through time and space—

When Zhu Cilang lost consciousness at the Qingjiangpu Wharf, it was also the moment he traveled through time.

A bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, and a blinding white light pierced through the eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in another world:

Twelve golden pillars with coiled dragons stand tall, their black iron-like scales seeming ready to spring to life.

A huge luminous pearl hangs from the dome, illuminating the jade steps in every detail.

Where is this? The underworld? A fairyland?

Zhu Cilang staggered half a step, looking around at the magnificent hall that seemed otherworldly.

Inside the hall, a dragon throne sat high, and the person sitting there wore a bright yellow dragon robe with twelve imperial symbols. His face was bronze, and his brows exuded imperial majesty.

The figures in elaborate robes on the thrones on either side were indistinct and difficult to discern.

Zhu Cilang was utterly shocked when a familiar voice rang out:

"Chun-ge'er, what brings you here?"

He turned around abruptly, only to find the late Emperor Chongzhen approaching quickly.

Father?! You were already...

The palace lanterns on both sides suddenly shone brightly, revealing that the vertical line between the emperor's brows was three times deeper than he remembered.

Zhu Cilang's heart skipped a beat. What was going on? He was actually able to see the late emperor?

He hurriedly bowed in greeting:

"Your Majesty, I do not know... where is this place?"

Chongzhen's gaze sharpened slightly. He held his shoulder and whispered:

"This is the Lingxu Palace. Quickly go and pay your respects to Emperor Taizu Gao!"

Only then did Zhu Cilang realize that he had actually visited Lingxu Palace when he traveled through time.