The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

The next moment, Mao Xiang narrowed his tiger eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.

In the torchlight, one could see that the Duke of Han, Li Shanchang, dressed in court attire, stepped forward.

Behind him, Prince Consort Li Qi held aloft the imperial edict...

Mao Xiang, lost in thought, composed himself and bowed, saying, "This humble official greets the Duke of Han!"

Li Shanchang stopped and scanned the Imperial Guards, his imposing manner undiminished. He said calmly, "If His Majesty summons me, this old minister will naturally enter the palace to meet him. There is no need for such a grand display!"

Meeting the gaze of the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty.

Mao Xiang's heart skipped a beat. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, showing no sign of backing down, and said, "To be honest, Your Majesty did not summon me, but rather conveyed an imperial decree!"

Having finished speaking, he didn't give Li Shanchang a chance to reply, unfolded the imperial edict, and loudly proclaimed, "Li Shanchang, Duke of Han, receive the edict!"

There was a pause of several breaths.

In a silent confrontation.

Under the oppressive power of the emperor.

Li Shanchang finally succumbed, swaying as he bowed and said, "Your subject, Li Shanchang, respectfully welcomes the imperial edict!"

Then, Mao Xiang read it aloud in a deep voice.

Every word he uttered was like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of everyone in the Li family.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Li Shanchang, Duke of Han, who ranks first among the meritorious officials and has received great favors from the country, has not thought of being loyal to the Emperor and serving the country. Instead, he has secretly formed a rebellious party and has remained hidden. His actions are tantamount to treason."

"There are also those who embezzled the autumn grain of western Zhejiang, accepted bribes and perverted justice, and interfered in government affairs... Their crimes are obvious and the evidence is conclusive. In accordance with the Great Ming Code, the Imperial Guard is specially ordered to arrest them, and their family members involved are also to be imprisoned. Furthermore, the three judicial departments are to conduct a joint trial to determine their crimes."

"So be it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire mansion fell silent.

Immediately afterwards, cries and screams rose and fell.

"father!"

"master!"

In a short while.

The eldest son of the Li family slowly helped his trembling father to his feet, then held up the imperial edict and shouted angrily, "Mao Xiang! Open your dog eyes and see clearly!"

"This is an iron certificate bestowed by the Emperor..."

"Furthermore, you claim my father plotted rebellion? Know that for decades he has worked diligently and tirelessly for the country, a fact witnessed by all. Why would he need to undertake this mission?"

"Moreover, my father is over seventy years old..."

No matter what Li Qi said, or how shocked and angry Princess Lin'an appeared, it didn't matter.

Mao Xiang remained unmoved and showed no sign of overstepping his bounds, cupping his hands and saying, "Princess, Your Highness, please calm your anger!"

"Whether a Korean citizen has committed a crime is a matter for the country's laws to determine!"

"Based on the witness testimonies, those who stood idly by and witnessed the treasonous plot are guilty of the same crime as treason and are therefore not eligible for pardon!"

"As for today, I was merely acting on imperial orders to arrest you. If you have any complaints, you may appeal to the Three Judicial Offices..."

Who knew that after hearing this...

Amidst the howling night wind, Li Shanchang's beard danced wildly, and he suddenly burst into laughter: "If the ruler commands his subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die!"

"Princess, and my son, there's no need for further words! Since it is His Majesty's decree, the Li family will obey!"

"father!!"

Upon hearing this, Mao Xiangqie, without any hesitation, immediately waved his hand and said, "Take him down!!"

It took more than an hour.

Besides Princess Lin'an Zhu Jingjing, who is also the eldest princess of the Ming Dynasty, she is temporarily being looked after in her residence.

The rest of the people, including the imperial son-in-law Li Qi, were all arrested and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice!

And what happened in the Korean government.

The news spread throughout the capital that very night.

The gates of all the noble mansions were in an uproar, and everyone was worried that the case would escalate and implicate them!

Just as many people predicted!

The morning court session had just ended the next day.

Yu Xi, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Jin Wenzheng, the Assistant Instructor of the Imperial Academy, were among the first to be imprisoned.

Their alleged crime was framing Song Ne, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

But how could an observer not see that this was a new round of purges against former officials of the South Korean government?

For a moment, the atmosphere of fear dispelled the joy of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

That same afternoon.

Inside the Hall of Literary Glory.

Today's inner court meeting has lasted for three hours and is still not over.

After discussing all the important affairs of the court, he looked toward the Ming emperor on the dragon throne.

The assembled officials were on tenterhooks and fell silent.

In everyone's hearts, weren't they thinking about Li Shanchang, the Korean prince who was imprisoned?

But in this day and age, who would dare to offend the emperor and speak frankly?

Even Xu Da, the Duke of Wei, remained seated at the lower end, stroking his long beard with a somber expression, and did not utter a word to plead for mercy.

Because of his temperament, he was always "concise and thoughtful," and "respectful as if he could not speak," and he understood the way of dealing with people and things very well.

Back then, Hu Weiyong held immense power in the court and tried to win over Xu Da.

Xu Da not only sternly refused, but also privately advised Zhu Yuanzhang that "Hu Weiyong is not fit to be prime minister!"

Li Shanchang's imprisonment was not due to "failure to report" as stated in the imperial edict, but rather because the emperor wanted to consolidate his power and completely crush the "Hu Party"...

If he were to try to persuade them in public, not only would he fail to save the person, but he would also implicate the entire Xu family, and even his good son-in-law, Prince Yan, Zhu Di!

Just as everyone was holding their breath.

A figure stepped forward, walked to the front of the main hall, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was not in a good mood to begin with.

His subordinates, suppressing military intelligence reports, glanced at Hao Da'er; how could they not understand his intentions?

Old Zhu gave him no chance, saying, "Today's court meeting has been delayed for quite some time. If the Crown Prince has anything to discuss, we can talk about it later!"

But Zhu Biao seemed not to hear him, and continued, "Your subject begs Your Majesty to forgive the Duke of Han's crimes!"

These words were spoken.

The courtiers held their breath, not daring to look up.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was frosty, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at his eldest son, and said in a deep voice, "What did Biao'er say? Say it again!"

Zhu Biao, fearless and unwavering, repeated, "Considering the Duke of Han's many years of service, I humbly request that he be released..."

Boom!

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his fist on the imperial desk and roared, "Insolence!"

Having said this, he descended the steps, stood directly before his eldest son, and then surveyed the civil and military officials, saying, "Li Shanchang's crimes are irrefutable... every single one is a capital offense!!"

"We must consider the people's interests and the interests of the nation! How can we disregard the laws of the land?"

"That's the end of today's matter. Anyone who dares to plead for Li Shanchang again will be treated as an accomplice!"

"Father..."

Inside the main hall.

Zhu Biao was still unwilling to give up, and despite the huge risks, he continued to try to persuade Zhu Biao.

But looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's face, it was clear that it was getting darker and darker!

He thought to himself, "What I said last time was a waste of time. But Biao'er has really made something of himself!"

outside the temple.

A group of eunuchs formed a human wall, blocking Zhu Xiong Ying, who wanted to join in the fun.

The head eunuch, his face deathly pale, held a whisk and repeatedly cried out, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince! The Emperor and his court officials are still discussing important matters; you cannot enter!"

"Hmph! The palace is our home. My grandfather said we can come and go as we please. Do you think you can stop us?"

"Oh dear! Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for me..."

After speaking, Zhu Xiong Ying used his fists and feet to knock the head eunuch to the ground in no time.

Once no one dared to stop him, he stepped through the palace gate and walked a few steps inside.

A shout came from inside, startling everyone.

"Well done, Prince! Shut up!"