The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Five days later, in the Ministry of Justice prison.

Inside the death row cell, Li Shanchang, dressed in prison clothes and shackles, sat on a straw mat, closing his eyes to rest.

Under the dim light of an oil lamp.

The former Duke of Han was no longer the illustrious and noble man he once was. His white hair was disheveled, his face was haggard, and he looked like he was in his twilight years.

In fact, during the two weeks following his arrest, things did not calm down in the court.

Led by Zhan Hui, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a large number of officials submitted memorials impeaching Li Shanchang.

In addition to committing crimes such as "knowing about the treasonous plot but failing to report it, being suspicious and hesitant, and committing treason," he also listed a number of other crimes.

After today's court meeting, Zhu Yuanzhang granted him permission to commit suicide tomorrow, with his body preserved intact.

After all, Li Shanchang was the absolute core of the Huaixi nobility and the leader of the civil officials, so he couldn't lack the proper dignity.

As for the rest of the Li family, they will be taken to the market and beheaded as a warning to others...

Only Princess Lin'an, her husband Li Qi, and their children were spared death because of their imperial status!

However, three days ago, after learning of this news, Li Shanchang did not send a message to the palace to express his gratitude.

It was this action that thoroughly enraged Old Zhu, who was determined to execute the Li family as soon as possible to close the case!

Click!

Suddenly, a sound came from outside the prison door.

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing this commotion, Li Shanchang didn't even raise his head. As if he had expected it, he said in a hoarse voice, "Is it my turn to set off?"

But after a few breaths, the jailer did not reply.

Upon turning to the side, one could see a young man under the torchlight, dressed in a round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe, with a jade belt around his waist and black satin boots on his feet. He looked over without changing his expression.

On both the left and right sides were Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) wearing flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives.

Upon closer inspection, that familiar face was none other than the eldest grandson of the imperial family.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Li Shan Chang and calmly bowed, saying, "Xiong Ying greets the Duke of Han!"

Li Shanchang raised his eyelids slightly, without rising or showing any intention of greeting. His tone was distant and indifferent as he said, "It is an honor to have the eldest grandson of the emperor grace us with his presence. This old minister is burdened with heavy sins and cannot rise to greet you. Please forgive me!"

He said he was sorry, but there was not a trace of remorse on Sima's face.

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't mind. He gestured to San Bao, who was traveling with him, and handed over the food box he was carrying, saying, "Today, with the Emperor's permission, Xiong Ying has come to see the Duke of Han!"

"Even the Ming Dynasty owes much of its current power to the Duke of Han! Grandfather Emperor remembers, and so does Xiong Ying!"

"But in Xiong Ying's view, the Duke of Han, as the head of all officials and deeply indebted to his grandfather the Emperor, has gone down the wrong path..."

Upon hearing this...

Li Shanchang suddenly turned around, his years of suppressed resentment erupting forth. Stroking his beard, he shouted, "Ha! I ask the Crown Prince, what is right? What is wrong?"

"I still remember that in the fourteenth year of the Zhizheng era, this old minister joined Your Majesty and followed you all the way, capturing Chuzhou, defending Hezhou, guarding the rear, transporting grain and fodder, and establishing laws and regulations to reassure the people."

"Looking back on my life, I have devoted myself to the Ming Dynasty, and now I have come to this end. Is this the right thing to do?"

Old Li's words clearly showed that he was furious and embarrassed!

They have never come out of their shell and recognized their own position.

Why didn't Zhu Yuanzhang kill Xu Da or Tang He? Was it because he was afraid?

Xu, Tang, and others did not form cliques for personal gain, nor did they take credit for others' achievements. They were humble, self-disciplined, and unwaveringly loyal.

Li Shanchang made almost every one of these mistakes.

They took Old Zhu's kindness for granted.

In conclusion, he has completely ruined his own path.

Now that Old Li is on the verge of death, he is still stubbornly clinging to his delusions and still wants to debate scriptures, so let him debate.

So that Old Li can die knowing the truth!

Zhu Xiong Ying waved his hand, signaling the servants to leave.

He laid out the food and drinks in the food box one by one, and said in a calm and unhurried tone, "As an elder, Duke Han should be able to see right from wrong more clearly than Xiong Ying!"

"I know that deep down you've always felt that without you, there would be no Zhu family today, no vast empire!"

"Perhaps you also think that when Grandfather imprisoned you, it was a case of 'the rabbit is killed after the hunt, the bow is put away after the birds are gone,' a betrayal of your decades of meritorious service?"

This single statement gets straight to the heart of the matter.

Li Shanchang's silence proved that his words had hit the nail on the head.

Zhu Xiong Ying, without pausing, shattered Old Li's illusion.

"What I want to say is, Mr. Korean, you are wrong!"

"No one in this world is completely irreplaceable. But in the fourth year of Hongwu's reign, after you retired to your hometown, in the years that followed, the Earl of Zhongqin succeeded you as Left Chancellor. When the army conquered Sichuan and pacified the northern deserts, were there any delays in supplies and weapons? Were there any irregularities in the laws and regulations of the court?"

"And under the Emperor's command, besides you, the Earl of Chengyi (Liu Ji) is capable of formulating military strategies and managing finances, the Duke of Song (Lian) is capable of establishing rites and pacifying the people, and the Duke of Yang (Xian) is capable of managing the central government and handling all affairs..."

That said, the deaths of renowned officials Liu Bowen and Yang Xian were inextricably linked to Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong.

Old Zhu's ability to tolerate it and forgive past grievances truly shows that he has done everything he could to be kind and righteous!

Zhu Xiong Ying picked up the wine pot, filled the cup, and then slowly put it down, saying, "As the ancients said, a thousand-mile horse is common, but a discerning eye is rare."

"The Duke of Han is a man of great talent; he surely understands this principle!"

"Back then, before your arrival, my grandfather raised an army in Haozhou, leading generals such as the Duke of Wei, and had already conquered Dingyuan in the south. He subdued three thousand militiamen from Lupai Village, launched a night attack on Hengjian Mountain, and captured twenty thousand elite Yuan troops!"

"As for my subordinates, I have the brothers, the Duke of Ying (Feng Guoyong and Feng Guosheng), who offer advice in civil matters, and my maternal grandfather, the Prince of Ping (Chang Yuchun), and the Prince of Ninghe (Deng Yu), both of whom are brave enough to fight ten thousand men!"

"At this time, my grandfather already had a solid foundation for his empire and aspirations to conquer the world..."

Your arrival is merely icing on the cake!

"Even without you, with my grandfather's military strategy and foresight, he could still have unified the country and established the Ming Dynasty; it was just a matter of sooner or later!"

"Without the Emperor's favor and trust, to put it bluntly, you would have spent your entire life as an obscure schoolteacher in Dingyuan Township, without even the chance to gain recognition or make a name for yourself in history!"

This is absolutely true.

Old Zhu's abilities are beyond doubt.

Even later generations of teachers commented: "Throughout history, no one has been better at military strategy than Li Shimin; Zhu Yuanzhang is second only to him!"

The History of Ming also states: "With his intelligence and martial prowess, and aspirations to save the world and bring peace to the people, he seized the opportune moment, attracted the attention of heroes, quelled rebellions and crushed powerful forces, and established an imperial dynasty in fifteen years. Rising from humble origins, he unified the world—a feat unprecedented since the Western Han Dynasty!"

Inside the prison.

Faced with Zhu Xiong Ying's scathing words.

Li Shanchang's expression kept changing, his body trembled uncontrollably, and he spilled the wine and food. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "You... what do you know... In military campaigns, supplies are paramount! Without me holding the rear, how could there be any victory on the front lines..."

Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head and said, "Duke of Han, tell me, after the first year of Hongwu's reign, when you took charge of the central government, was it truly for the sake of the country and its people, or for those disciples and their followers?"

"At that time, you held the position of Left Chancellor, controlling the government and appointing people based on personal connections. Anyone who displeased you was suppressed in every way. You know better than I how the Marquis of Chengyi died!"

At this point, he decisively stood up, took half a step forward, and approached, asking, "Has Grandfather blamed you?"

"An annual stipend of four thousand shi of grain, a decree of imperial authority, and even the marriage of a princess to the Li family… How have you repaid this? Have you lived up to your imperial grandfather's expectations? Have you lived up to the expectations of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Out of respect for your achievements and the honor of your teaching, I address you as Duke of Han and Mr. Li!"

"But you have betrayed the emperor's favor and knowingly failed to report the rebellion, which is disloyalty. Furthermore, you have disgraced your family and brought ruin upon your entire clan, leading to their execution, which is unfilial piety! Such disloyalty and unfilial piety deserve to be rejected by the world!"

I debated with Lao Li for a while.

But the other party was speechless; that was all they were capable of!

Zhu Xiong Ying, losing interest, bowed slightly and left the prison.

Once the eldest grandson of the emperor left, Li Shanchang could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood, then fell straight backward.

The following morning, a message spread throughout the imperial court.

Korean nobleman Li Shanchang hanged himself in prison!