Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

"What kind of behavior is this! What kind of behavior is this?!"

Qian Qianyi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, suddenly shouted. His official robe was still covered with incense ash that had gotten on him when he dodged.

"The Book of Rites says, 'When in court, speak of rites; when asked about rites, answer with rites.' The Earl of Chengyi should emulate the example of Yang Wenzhen of the previous dynasty..."

A few cold laughs suddenly erupted from the ranks of military officers.

Qian Qianyi's imposing manner immediately diminished, his tone involuntarily lowered, and his words abruptly changed to:

"However, weapons are instruments of violence; we should resolve conflicts through the ways of the sages."

This statement is ambiguous, as if it were distributing the blame to both sides.

Xincheng Earl Zhao Zhilong took half a step forward, as if to speak, but was stopped by a look from Baoguo Duke Zhu Guobi.

Zhu Cilang sat as still as a stone, coldly surveying the farce unfolding in the hall, his heart churning with rage:

They completely disregard me! I am not the Prince of Fu, who lets you do whatever you want!

"I'll kill you, you treacherous old dog!"

Liu Kongzhao's roar echoed back and forth between the brackets.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he had completely transformed into a raging beast that had broken free of its chains.

He forcefully pushed his way through the panicked officials, relentlessly pursuing the evasive blue figure.

Screams and the grating sound of court boots scraping against the gold bricks filled the hall.

The officials in crimson, scarlet, and turquoise robes fluttered backward like a flock of startled birds, their jade tablets clanging loudly.

"As if I were dead?"

Just as that cold blade was about to pierce Zhang Shenyan's back—

Zhu Cilang suddenly sprang up, shooting out from the throne like a powerful crossbow bolt.

He was determined to personally stop this murder in front of the palace and not allow anyone to desecrate the dignity of the court.

The courtiers were terrified and staggered back.

He leaped to the side, his toes powerfully pushing off the golden dragon pillar, propelling him into the air, his bright yellow dragon robe billowing wildly in the wind.

A swift, axe-like flying kick, carrying the force of wind and thunder, slammed heavily into Liu Kongzhao's neck.

The fighting instincts from his past life surged through his blood, but were restrained by five-tenths of his strength by the wide dragon robe.

"Snap!"

A dull thud came from dislocated joints, Liu Kongzhao's neck tilted to the side, and the tip of the knife almost grazed the hem of Zhang Shenyan's robe.

A painful groan escaped his throat, and he slammed heavily to the ground.

Blood gushed from his nose, staining the gold bricks with a glaring crimson.

"Clang—"

The sharp blade slipped from his hand and bounced a few times on the gold brick.

Huang Yunshi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, reacted extremely quickly, rushing forward in one stride, picking up the sharp blade, and hiding it in his sleeve.

"How dare you present yourself to the Emperor with a blade!"

Zhu Cilang landed steadily, his robes billowing, his gaze piercing the person on the ground:

"By committing murder in the Wuying Hall, are you perhaps turning your blade against me?"

His voice was like thunder, echoing throughout the hall.

"What a fine young master of the Marquis of Chengyi! He's used the honors left by his ancestors to execute civil officials?"

Liu Kongzhao struggled to sit up, his left hand gripping his twisted neck, his face streaked with blood.

"Your Majesty is wise; I have absolutely no intention of rebelling!"

He jerked his head away, and blood splattered.

"The late emperor once praised me as a loyal and unwavering minister, but now treacherous officials hold sway in the court."

"If I don't nip this in the bud, I fear the snow in the Forbidden City will be dyed red!"

Zhu Cilang's eyebrows were like knives, and his voice was as cold as iron.

"I can clearly judge who is loyal and who is treacherous. The country has its laws; how dare you act recklessly!"

With a sudden flick of his sleeve, a dragon's roar echoed throughout the hall.

"The Marquis of Chengyi, Liu Kongzhao, has been stripped of his title and emoluments for his disrespectful conduct before the palace. The Zhenfu Division is ordered to search and confiscate his residence, and his nine generations of relatives are to be investigated."

"If even half a letter treasonous is discovered—"

The last note suddenly rose in pitch.

"I will grant your wish of 'loyalty and martyrdom'!"

Before the words were finished, two dark figures appeared like ghosts.

Wearing flying fish robes and wielding embroidered spring knives, they lifted Liu Kongzhao off the ground from the left and right, dragging him out of the hall without a word.

Liu Kongzhao's throat made a hoarse sound, bursting out a final howl:

"My blood has been spilled today; the mountains and rivers will bear witness to it in the future!"

His bloodshot eyes glared at the still-shaken Zhang Shenyan.

"If Emperor Taizu were alive, he would surely have executed you pedantic scholars with tears in his eyes!"

The sound faded into the distance, yet it lingered and echoed among the beams and pillars of the main hall.

An early morning court session, which should have ended, was thrown into turmoil by this sudden assassination attempt.

Zhu Cilang's face was ashen. His dragon boots rolled over the still-uncongealed bloodstains as he turned and stepped onto the jade steps.

Just then, a ray of sunlight poured down from the stained glass window and landed precisely on the dragon's eye on the golden pillar with its coiled dragon design.

It was as if the heavens had suddenly opened their eyes, coldly gazing upon the turmoil and bloodshed within the hall.

The sudden burst of intense light instantly captured Zhu Cilang's attention.

"Gentlemen, please observe—"

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing to the dragon's eyes that seemed to come alive.

"When Emperor Chengzu entered the capital during the Jingnan Rebellion, he also saw the corpses of former officials of Emperor Jianwen lying on the steps."

"Although Liu Kongzhao's blade has fallen, has the intrigue and power struggle in the court truly subsided?"

Following the imperial decree, everyone looked in the direction of the sun and saw the bright sunlight outlining the shape of the coiled dragon on the golden pillar. The dragon's eyes shone with dazzling light, and no one dared to look at them for long.

"Your feet are stained with the blood of the Wuying Hall."

"Today, I will borrow the story of 'Sun Quan wielding his sword to cut off the corner of the table' to discuss the candle on the desk and the snow on the steps."

Zhu Cilang's dragon robe swept across the jade steps, stepping over Liu Kongzhao's bloodstains.

The air inside the hall seemed to freeze.

The stench of blood mixed with the lingering scent of ambergris created a suffocatingly eerie fragrance.

"In the winter of the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD), the frost in Jianye City, Jiangdong, was sharper than a knife. Cao Mengde raised an army of 800,000 and marched south..."

He suddenly began to speak in a storyteller's tone, startling the old minister Huang Yunshi, who then hid the sharp blade in his sleeve even deeper.

Winter of the thirteenth year of Jian'an.

Cao Cao raised an army and marched south, intending to wipe out Sun Quan and Liu Bei and unify the Three Kingdoms.

Sun Quan of Eastern Wu was internally divided into two factions: those advocating war and those advocating surrender.

The pro-surrender faction believed that Cao Cao's army was too powerful to be confronted directly, and that they should proactively submit a surrender document, cede territory, and become vassals.

They could at least retain their lives and titles; otherwise, they would all perish.

As Zhu Cilang spoke, he walked slowly among the assembled officials:

"Cao Cao's 800,000-strong army pressed in, and the Eastern Wu court was torn in two—"

"The civil officials held up the map and said they wanted to divide the country along the river, while the military generals clutched the military tally and shouted that they would fight to the death."

"Zhang Zhao said that surrendering to Cao Cao would ensure wealth and honor, while Lu Su said that surrendering territory would lead to the downfall of the country."

His steps halted in front of Shi Kefa, and his voice suddenly turned cold:

"Just like now, someone secretly contacted Zuo Liangyu, saying they wanted to 'ally with the barbarians to quell the rebellion.'"

"Some people were copying Qi Jiguang's chariot formation diagrams into their memorials."

His voice carried a historical resonance.

Meanwhile, the pro-war faction in Eastern Wu strongly advocated a decisive battle with Cao Cao.

Unable to make a decision, Sun Quan consulted with Grand Commander Zhou Yu.

At the same time, Liu Bei also sent Zhuge Liang to persuade him, explaining the advantages and disadvantages.

Ultimately, Sun Quan resolutely decided to ally with Liu Bei to jointly resist Cao Cao.

He continued wandering, talking as he went:

"Sun Quan wore the Ancient Ding Sword to court that day, and the scabbard was still stained with the blood of the Yue people."

"Zhuge Liang debated with the Confucian scholars to form an alliance, while Zhou Yu requested an audience late at night with a map of the naval defenses—"

His words abruptly stopped, and he raised his hand, pointing directly north:

"Just like now! The rebel Li Zicheng is plundering Jinzhong, the Jurchens have already arrayed their troops around the capital, and you gentlemen are shedding blood in the Wuying Hall!"

In the Eastern Wu court, facing Cao Cao's 800,000-strong army pressing in, there were many ministers who were fearful and advocated seeking peace.

Sun Quan, enraged, shouted in a stern voice:

"Anyone who speaks of surrendering to Cao Cao will be treated the same as in this case!"

After saying this, Sun Quan swung his sword down, and the corner of the table snapped in two.

The hall fell silent instantly; no more words of argument were uttered.

Zhu Cilang's gaze suddenly deepened, as if piercing through a thousand years of time, directly gazing upon that court confrontation:

"When Sun Quan heard the seventeenth word 'harmony,' his ancient sword cleaved the sandalwood table in two."

He roared angrily: "This case can be decided, but the spirit of Jiangdong must not be broken!" Splinters of wood flew and cut Zhang Zhao's face.

His gaze suddenly turned to Ma Shiying:

"Just like now, it's splashed onto Minister Zhang's official robe."

Sun Quan's words strengthened the resolve of Eastern Wu to resist Cao Cao.

Afterwards, united as one, and allied with Liu Bei, they finally achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Red Cliffs, burning down Cao Cao's camps and inflicting a crushing defeat on his army.

"Later, the fire at Chibi burned for three months, melting Cao Cao's iron chains and burning away the cowardice of Eastern Wu."

"And now, the blood in the Hall of Martial Valor—"

He suddenly chuckled.

How many desk candles should be melted? How much snow should be reduced before the steps?