Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

Madam Xing glanced sideways at Shi Kefa with a cold look:

"If the cabinet wants Commander Gao to withdraw his troops, why resort to invoking the Emperor to pressure him?"

She suddenly picked up the baby and walked straight to the main room.

Gao Jie's burly body followed closely behind, always keeping a half-step distance from her.

"Simply have this child call you 'godfather,' and tonight the banner at the gate will be changed to 'By Imperial Decree, I Guard Xu'!"

Madam Xing spoke with absolute certainty, and pushed the baby forward.

The swaddled baby almost bumped into Shi Kefa's chest, carrying a milky smell.

Shi Kefa gently touched the baby's first hair with his fingertips; he understood Madam Xing's intention—

She wanted to use the baby to forge a personal relationship with a cabinet minister.

"Innocent children, why should they be tainted by the stench of war?"

He then changed the subject.

"In the past, Qin Hui held twelve gold tablets to summon Yue Fei to withdraw his troops. Yue Fei reined in his horse at Zhuxian Town and looked south to the Yellow River, howling in sorrow."

"Now, Madam commands the elite troops of Jianghuai, yet she uses 'loyalty and righteousness' as a banner to actually wield power and influence... Isn't this contrary to the principles of Yue Fei?"

His words carried a sense of detachment.

The emperor was suspicious of Gao Jie because the ministers' close relationship with the general was likely to arouse the emperor's suspicion, and also because he looked down on Gao Jie's background as a former bandit.

Madam Xing gave a cold laugh and took the baby back into her arms:

"When I followed Li Zicheng, I witnessed far too much 'loyalty'! Today they kneel before the Ming court, tomorrow they surrender to the Manchus—"

A mocking smile curved her lips.

"It's just tearing down the old flag and putting on a new one!"

"Who among those who survive in chaotic times isn't a wolf in sheep's clothing?"

Shi Kefa raised his hand and pressed on:

"Now that you know that wolves and jackals are in power, do you still remember which family's flag flies atop Yangzhou city?"

His gaze was piercing, fixed directly on Madam Xing.

"If this flag were to change hands, I wonder if you would embroider a flying dragon, or... a falcon?"

The metaphors in the words are like sharp swords drawn from their sheaths; the flying dragon alludes to the Ming Dynasty, while the eagle symbolizes the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

The candlelight crackled and popped, and suddenly warhorses neighed outside the tent, as if thousands of iron cavalry were poised to charge in the night.

"Embroidering dragons, depicting eagles and falcons!"

Madam Xing's lips still held a sharp curve; instead of answering directly, she threw the question back at her:

"The one sitting on this dragon throne is a child, but the ones standing in the court are tigers and wolves—"

"Minister Shi, you might as well be frank: between you and Grand Secretary Ma, who is the real Cao Mengde who holds the emperor hostage?"

Her eyes flickered, glancing at Gao Jie.

"My general needs to know which 'Prime Minister' he should be responsible for leading and adjusting the stirrups for, right?"

This Lady Xing regarded the current emperor as a child, believing that the real power lay with either Shi Kefa or Ma Shiying.

The candle flame suddenly exploded with a blinding burst of sparks, making Shi Kefa's expression stiffen.

"Madam, please be careful with your words! Cao Mengde's analogy is truly presumptuous!"

"Your Majesty is not as weak as Emperor Xian of Han, and there is no Cao Cao among those in the court. Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven; how can we allow powerful ministers to usurp your authority!"

The tone suddenly rose, causing the candle flame to shrink abruptly.

"This ministry, by imperial decree, orders General Gao to withdraw his troops from Xuzhou within three days!"

Madam Xing seemed oblivious to his anger, and directly picked up the celadon teacup on the table, gently inhaling the fragrant aroma of the tea—

That's the elegant aroma of "Luojie Tea," a famous tea from Jiangnan.

"The scenery in Jiangnan is very beautiful. Now that I have come to Yangzhou, I will naturally take care of things for Your Majesty for a few more days."

"If Your Majesty grants me permission to reside in Yangzhou..."

"Please wait, madam—"

Shi Kefa suddenly interrupted, his voice deep and somber.

"Even if the gates of Yangzhou are wide open, has Madam considered what our escape route will be tomorrow?"

He abruptly turned his head, looking towards the darkness outside the tent:

"If you insist on resorting to arms, General Gao will likely become the target of public criticism."

"Tomorrow's proclamation for the joint suppression of the three towns will likely have the four large cinnabar characters 'Li Zicheng's remnants' added."

Madam Xing's brow bone shadows were sometimes dark and sometimes light.

Two candle flames flickered on her black armor-protecting mirror, reflecting a strange yin-yang symbol.

Her eyelids were lowered, and she suddenly pressed down on the baby's kicking legs in the swaddling clothes:

"If Minister Shi really wants my general to be a loyal dog of the Ming Dynasty, he should first throw me a bone with meat on it."

She finally revealed her hand.

"Madam is indeed a true hero!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Kefa reached into his robes with his right hand and pulled out a roll of bright yellow silk:

"His Majesty has already bestowed upon the general the title of Earl of Xingping. If Lady Ruo were to be transferred to Xuzhou, she could assist His Majesty in recovering Dezhou."

"This cabinet shall immediately petition for the bestowal of an iron certificate with a cinnabar inscription, and the two hundred thousand taels of silver shall be transported by the Grand Canal."

With a flick of his wrist, the yellow silk unfurled, revealing the imperial brush and vermilion seal.

The tent was deathly silent, save for the faint sobs of the infant.

Madam Xing's eyes swept over the yellow silk, and suddenly she let out a cold laugh from her nose:

"It turns out that Minister Shi is the real Cao Cao who 'held the emperor hostage,' but he insists on playing the role of the Duke of Zhou who spits out his food to welcome guests."

Her tone was sarcastic.

"However, this trick of combining kindness and severity is even more exquisite than the gold embroidery on Yangzhou lacquerware."

The yellow silk fell onto the table, revealing the vermilion seal bearing the inscription "Earl of Xingping".

The night wind outside the tent suddenly stopped, and amidst the crackling of the campfire, Gao Jie finally raised his gaze from the rolled-up yellow silk, his previously tense shoulders and back relaxing.

To Shi Kefa's surprise, the one who orchestrated and controlled the overall situation in Gao Jie's army was none other than Madam Xing.

At three-quarters past midnight, a fast horse tore through the night and rushed out of Gao Jie's camp gate.

On the day of Ren Chen in May, Commander-in-Chief Shi Kefa rode alone into the Gao camp.

The next day, Gao Jie led his troops north back to Xuzhou, and the siege of Yangzhou was lifted.

......

On the eve of Zhu Cilang's personal expedition.

Minister of Rites Ma Shiying, Marquis of Lingbi Tang Guozuo, Earl of Xincheng Zhao Zhilong, and other important officials of the court jointly submitted a memorial to plead for leniency for Liu Kongzhao, the Earl of Chengyi, who had recently caused a disturbance in the court.

The memorial even invoked the name of his ancestor Liu Ji (Liu Bowen), and the words were earnest:

"In the past, Duke Wencheng offered a plan at Poyang, which helped Emperor Taizu burn Chen Youliang's giant ships; he secretly crossed Caishi and cleverly captured Yingtian."

Today, the Earl of Chengyi patrols the river to resist the invaders, and his loyalty and bravery truly inherit the style of his ancestors.

...Although the Earl of Chengyi was known for his thunderous temper and frequent outbursts of anger, his patriotism and dedication to public service were truly inherited from that of Duke Wencheng.

***

Qianqing Palace.

The candlelight flickered in the dead of night, and Zhu Cilang's hand, holding a brush, cast a long, thin shadow on the memorial.

He wrote the following in red ink:

"The laws of the state are the standard of heavenly principles and the cornerstone of the nation..."

I have thoroughly investigated the matter of the Earl of Chengyi. He is upright and straightforward, and often impetuous.

But can this be used as an excuse for breaking the law or violating regulations? ......

***

The following day, at the Dali Temple.

The morning light slanted across the vermilion characters of the imperial edict.

Huang Yunshi, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, his fingers trembling slightly, took a half step back and recited:

"...Considering the generations of merit of the Liu Kongzhao family, I should have shown leniency."

However, under the law, how can I, the Emperor, disregard public law for personal feelings?

Before the words were finished—

The teacup in the hand of the official in the blue robe on the left slammed to the ground with a "clatter," and the white-haired clerk on the right gasped in shock.

His lips murmured silently, "Honkyu...it turns out..."

Master Huang Yun continued reciting:

"A loyal subject is certainly commendable..."

"...If we abolish established laws and punishments because of honoring the old, how can the law be established? How can the state be secure? How can the people live in peace?"

In the oppressive silence, a clear and passionate voice suddenly burst forth from the corner:

"Those from humble backgrounds will be executed immediately, while the nobles will be fined three times their salary—"

"Our Dali Temple has been performing this play for a hundred years! Today, we finally witness the wise ruler's decisive judgment!"

***

That same afternoon, in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice.

The wind swept across the black gauze hat and tassels, stirring up a chill.

Minister of Justice Xie Xuelong's knees trembled almost imperceptibly beneath his scarlet robe.

His memorial, dripping with bloodlust, was read aloud:

"...The Earl of Chengyi has wronged the emperor and violated the law; the three judicial departments shall jointly try him and determine his sentence according to the Great Ming Code."

Wang Wenbi, the person in charge, stroked his goatee, the uneasy shadows of the trees outside the window swaying in his celadon teacup.

"Grand Minister of Justice (a refined title for the Minister of Justice)!"

He kept his voice very low.

"This vermilion scepter contains... seven parts murderous intent and three parts divine might."

"His Majesty's mind is made up; there is no turning back on the word 'proposed punishment'."

Suddenly, the official grabbed his colleague's sleeve and exclaimed in surprise:

"If even a family as prominent as the Liu family has been punished, then we lowly officials... must be even more cautious!"

Xie Xuelong did not respond, but instead looked outside the hall.

The shadow of the sundial needle coldly pointed to "noon three quarters"—the time of the execution.

Liu Kongzhao's crime of causing a disturbance in the court has prompted the three judicial departments to await Zhu Cilang's response.

Zhu Cilang's imperial edict meant that Liu Kongzhao would not escape the fate of having his property confiscated and being exiled.