Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

The imperial court fell silent, as if chilled to the bone.

Zhu Qiyu sighed deeply and signaled the Imperial Guards to carry out the corpses of Ma Shun and the other two.

"These three deserve their punishment, but given their current horrific state, there's no need to display them publicly!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers' eyes reddened slightly, but they dared not respond to Zhu Qiyu.

Wang Zhi was somewhat excited at this moment; there was still much that could be accomplished, and he had a faint sense of anticipation.

He deserved it!

Zhu Qiyu's four words were tantamount to convicting the three men. This move relieved most of the officials of the responsibility, and at least those colleagues who were arrested and taken to the Northern Garrison Command should not die at this moment.

After the Imperial Guards carried the three away, Zhu Qiyu finally took a look at the group of boxing champions from the Ming Dynasty. At this moment, their clothes were disheveled, and they did not look like officials at all.

Later generations had heard of the great chaos in the United Nations, but this time, they witnessed the great chaos in the Ming Dynasty firsthand. This world truly is a makeshift organization.

Zhu Qiyu saw that the time was right. Since he had admitted the crimes of Ma Shun and the other two, Wang Zhen also had to be dealt with. He would have to take the blame whether he wanted to or not.

Looking at the kneeling officials, at least the imperial authority had been restored!

"The Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review will jointly try Wang Zhen's case. If Censor Chen's impeachment is true and the evidence is conclusive, then the case should be handled according to law. Investigate and prosecute as soon as possible, submit the case file for final decision and execution, and then issue a public notice to reassure the public!"

"Your Highness!"

The ministers' faces lit up with ecstasy, some even weeping with joy, bowing to the ground, their utterance of "Your Highness" filled with fervent sincerity.

Chen Yi, this tough man, was also filled with tears of joy. He had succeeded! He had finally succeeded!

Wang Zhi and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps due to his advanced age, Wang Zhi's tense nerves relaxed, and he almost lost his balance and fell to the ground. Fortunately, Zhu Qiyu was right beside him and helped him up.

"Get up, all of you!" Zhu Qiyu helped Wang Zhi up, ultimately unable to bear it.

Xing'an and Cheng Jing were quick-witted and rushed over to help.

After Wang Zhi stood up straight and all the officials stood up, Zhu Qiyu found Wang Zhi's official hat that had been knocked off from the ground.

Zhu Qiyu picked up the official hat and put it on Wang Zhi, then helped him straighten his official robe. Wang Zhi suppressed his excitement, tears streaming down his face, and dared not look directly at Zhu Qiyu.

A moment later, Zhu Qiyu repeated his old trick, finding Yu Qian's official hat, helping him put it on, and then straightening his belt, which was askew to one side, and his torn official robe, almost causing Yu Qian to bow down in reverence.

Zhu Qiyu returned to the Regent's throne and loudly reprimanded, "Why aren't you picking up your official hats and putting them on properly? Do you expect me to do this for you? This is a mess! What kind of decorum is this? How can you govern the people of the world in this state? If you lose your official hats again, you'll never have to wear them again in your life!"

"Here you go!"

Upon hearing this, the officials were overjoyed but also felt a pang of shame. They hurriedly began searching for their official hats, and after a period of chaos, they finally managed to regain their composure.

"Where is the Censor-in-Chief?"

"Your Majesty, we are here!" Several censors hurriedly stepped forward.

"Register all court officials whose official robes and hats are damaged. If even one item is damaged, a fine of three months' salary will be imposed. If both items are damaged, a fine of six months' salary will be imposed. If the official robes and hats of the Censor are damaged, the penalty will be doubled! You shall go and replace your official robes and hats afterward. The expenses for making these clothes and hats will not be covered by the national treasury, and the required funds will be deducted from your salaries."

"Today's events will only punish the ringleaders; those who were coerced will go unpunished, and I will let bygones be bygones. However, I hope that you will use this same courage to deal with Esen and the Oirats. If any of you retreat when the bandits attack in the future, I will show no mercy! Do you understand?"

"We obey your command and thank Your Highness for your forgiveness!"

The ministers practically roared, "The sky has cleared! We've survived this ordeal. We can go home and find our mothers!"

The ministers, recalling that moment, were filled with lingering fear and decided to think twice before acting. The ancients were indeed right.

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to make way.

"Dismiss the court!"

As the order to dismiss the court was announced, Zhu Qiyu glanced at several high-ranking officials with a complex expression, sighed deeply, and turned to walk into the palace.

"Your Highness, would you like us to come to the Wenhua Hall together?" Wang Zhi hurriedly called out to Zhu Qiyu, as Empress Dowager Sun was waiting there.

"I can go alone. The Wang Zhen case should be dealt with as soon as possible. With the people's support, we need to focus our efforts on the defense of the capital. If we win this battle, the merits will be great for the country, and the flaws will not outweigh the merits. If we lose, you all should think about the consequences!"

After Zhu Qiyu finished speaking, he did not turn around and headed towards the Wenhua Hall.

The officials stood frozen in place, staring at Zhu Qiyu's retreating figure, and felt a rare sense of guilt. He truly was the ruler of the nation!

"Gentlemen, what do you think?" Wang Zhi seemed to have made up his mind.

The ministers naturally understood what Wang Zhi meant by asking this question.

Yu Qian was the first to express his opinion: "I second that!"

Chen Yi naturally agreed, as he had initially proposed that Zhu Qiyu succeed to the throne, and this was simply going with the flow, saying, "It should have been done long ago!"

Several senior officials nodded in agreement. Even Hu Ying, who was known for his incorrigible manner, rarely agreed at this moment. From both a public and private perspective, Zhu Qiyu's ascension to the throne was the best solution for all the officials.

Wang Zhi said, "After this incident, we must not act so rashly again. We must learn from this painful experience and inform His Highness in advance to ask for his opinion."

"That's exactly right!" The ministers agreed with Wang Zhi's words.

Chen Yi was also slightly ashamed at this moment, as he had not expected things to get out of his control.

If this had happened under a tyrannical ruler, not only would the entire group have been wiped out, but most of them would likely have died, the capital would have descended into chaos, half of the Ming Dynasty would have changed hands, and these people would have been forever branded with shame.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, Empress Dowager Sun could not wait any longer, so she sent Li Yongchang to find out the news. Upon hearing that the court was in chaos, Empress Dowager Sun was at a loss for what to do. She dared not go to the Left Gate, fearing that she would be coerced by the officials. In that case, should she kill her son's confidants or not?

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yongchang, who was guarding the palace gate, finally saw Zhu Qiyu's figure.

"Your Majesty, Prince Cheng has arrived!"

Empress Dowager Sun breathed a sigh of relief and waved to Li Yongchang, saying, "Go and greet them!"

"This servant obeys the decree!"

Zhu Qiyu glanced at Li Yongchang, signaling Jin Ying and Xing An to follow him into the hall, leaving Cheng Jing outside the door.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

When Empress Dowager Sun saw that Zhu Qiyu had come alone, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Where were the important officials?

"Prince Cheng, why have none of your court officials come?"

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I have already dismissed the court officials."

Empress Dowager Sun, thinking the matter was resolved, breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Did you just hear about the chaos in the court? What happened?"

Zhu Qiyu didn't want to say anything more and looked directly at Jin Ying.

Jin Ying understood and instantly put on a terrified expression, crying out, "Your Majesty, those court officials have gone mad, they've gone completely mad. They beat Ma Shun to death on the spot with their fists, then beat Mao Gui and Wang Changsui to death, and even threatened Your Highness. This servant and Eunuch Cheng protected Your Highness behind the Left Gate and you escaped a disaster."

Zhu Qiyu glanced at Jin Ying with satisfaction. This lackey was clever enough; based on this, he could spare her life and send her to Fengyang to live out her days.

"What?!" Empress Dowager Sun's face turned deathly pale. "How could this be?"

Zhu Qiyu took over the conversation and said, "I conveyed the Empress Dowager's decree. The officials thought that the palace was unwilling to deal with Wang Zhen's faction. They lost their minds for a moment and acted rashly. In the heat of the moment, they mistakenly killed three people."

Empress Dowager Sun's spirits had been greatly dampened, and she asked, "How do you intend to handle this?"

"Those involved in the murders have all been imprisoned in the Northern Garrison Command. I have ordered Commander Lu Zhong to temporarily take charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and conduct a thorough investigation. As for the other officials, since the law does not punish the masses, they will all be fined between three and six months' salary. Furthermore, I have ordered the Three Judicial Offices to conduct a joint trial of Wang Zhen's case. Currently, the court and the people are in a state of panic. For the sake of Your Majesty's reputation, we must deal with Wang Zhen as soon as possible!"

Empress Dowager Sun slowly closed her eyes, knowing that Zhu Qiyu's explanation was somewhat far-fetched, but she could only acquiesce.

If all the court officials are severely punished, the capital will be beyond saving.

She never expected that a court official would beat the emperor's retainer to death on the spot. Had she and her son reached the point of incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people?

Otherwise, why would court officials risk their lives to eliminate Wang Zhen's faction and their own son's confidants?

"Very well, very well, let's do as the court officials wish," Empress Dowager Sun sighed helplessly. "Yu'er, as long as your brother returns safely, do whatever you want. The heavy responsibility of the nation rests on your shoulders!"

Empress Dowager Sun understood that the situation was irreversible and could only try to appease Zhu Qiyu, since the crown prince was still young.

Even if Zhu Qiyu doesn't want to ascend the throne, after the court officials killed Ma Shun and the other two today, there's no way out. Are they going to allow Zhu Qizhen to return to court and kill people?

Only by elevating Zhu Qiyu to the throne can the legality and compliance of this case be ensured. Once Zhu Qiyu ascends the throne, this matter will be considered as having been tacitly approved by the emperor.

History is written by the victors!

Zhu Qiyu's feelings were particularly complicated at this moment, but he still did not agree to Empress Dowager Sun's request.

After bowing, he turned and left.

The change of imperial power has always been a bloody affair!

Xing'an didn't care about being exposed at this moment and hurriedly followed.

This is not the time to play it safe or try to please everyone; it's a time to risk your life and go all the way.