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

People were already waiting outside the palace. When they saw that Wang Hong and his entourage had come out safely, they swarmed over.

One of them spoke up and asked, "Gongdu, is it His Majesty's mercy?"

Wang Hong nodded, turned and bowed towards the palace, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and enlightened, and will naturally not make things difficult for us. However, we still have matters to attend to urgently. How about we meet with our colleagues later?"

Wang Hong dared not celebrate wildly in front of the palace, for such an outcome was not worth celebrating. If the matter were to reach His Majesty's ears, it would be clear that he had no intention of repenting and was instead complacent, which would be a great disaster.

"Of course, of course!" Upon hearing that His Majesty had not made things difficult for them, the officials who had come to greet Wang Hong and his entourage were immediately relieved, and the Meridian Gate massacre was now a thing of the past.

They naturally did not stop Wang Hong and his group from leaving. Their purpose in coming was less to welcome Wang Hong and his group and more to find out the final news.

Upon hearing that Wang Hong and others were requesting an audience with the Ministry of War, Yu Qian was slightly surprised.

Without thinking it over, he hurriedly said, "Please come in quickly!"

As Wang Hong and his group entered, Yu Qian couldn't help but ask, "Gongdu, what was the result?"

"Minister Yu, His Majesty originally intended to strip us of our official positions and reduce us to commoners. However, we humbly request to serve under you. Please place us on the front lines. If we can kill the enemy, we will have no regrets in this life!" Wang Hong stated the purpose of his trip.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qian felt a mixture of joy and worry. They were already incredibly lucky to be unharmed, and hearing of Wang Hong and the others' choice, he sighed inexplicably, "Alas, why did you all come here?"

Yu Qian was naturally aware of their thoughts. Eliminating treacherous officials should be carried out thoroughly. If the Oirat Mongols were not defeated, then this campaign to eliminate traitors would not be considered complete.

"Everyone has their own ambitions, and we hope that Minister Shangshu will help them achieve them!" Wang Hong and the others were extremely resolute in their attitude.

"Alright, I've made all the arrangements. Unless absolutely necessary, you must preserve your usefulness," Yu Qian had no choice but to remind him.

Although Wang Hong and his companions committed a grave offense of disrespect, they were considered pillars of the Ming Dynasty and enjoyed immense prestige among the common people and scholars. They were practically seen as messengers of justice, and such individuals should not die, at least not now.

Otherwise, it would not be a good thing for the court and His Majesty.

The will of the people can unleash astonishing power during times of national crisis.

The Southern Song Dynasty is the best example. When life and death were at stake, the army and the people resisted to the very last moment. In the Battle of Yamen, countless soldiers and civilians bravely sacrificed their lives. Their national integrity still moves people today.

This truly demonstrates what it means to have the support of the people.

"Thank you, Minister Yu. We understand."

On the other side, Gu Xingzu stepped into the Wenhua Hall with trepidation. Looking at Zhu Qiyu on the throne, he was momentarily dazed. In the past, he would never have given Zhu Qiyu a second glance, but now he was the one who held his life and death in his hands.

That day, when Shi Heng was interrogated, he thought Zhu Qizhen had returned to the capital. He hadn't expected that the emperor had changed. Now, he dared not be presumptuous and instead respectfully bowed, saying, "This sinful subject, Gu Xingzu, greets Your Majesty!"

Zhu Qiyu merely glanced at Gu Xingzu, then gestured for Cheng Jing to move all the impeachment memorials on the imperial desk to Gu Xingzu's front. Gu Xingzu looked at the dozens of memorials before him, feeling utterly bewildered, and was about to ask a question.

Zhu Qiyu's icy voice came from above, saying, "These are all memorials impeaching you. Eighty percent of them request that I execute you, and the remaining twenty percent request that you be torn apart by five horses."

What?

Gu Xingzu was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. Although he knew that someone had impeached him before, after being transferred to the imperial prison, he was almost cut off from the world and had no way of knowing what was happening outside. Hearing about the dozens of memorials to execute him, he was so frightened that he almost went to see his ancestors.

Seeing that Gu Xingzu was instantly stunned, Zhu Qiyu said, "Take a look at them all. See if the court officials have wronged you. If you have any complaints, I will grant you the opportunity to defend yourself. If you miss this opportunity today, you will not have another chance."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Gu Xingzu tremblingly opened the memorial. Since it concerned his life, he read it with utmost care, almost word by word. But the more he read, the uglier his face became, as if the words "certain death" were written all over it.

Zhu Qiyu was extremely patient and did not stop him. He simply dealt with other government affairs, leaving Gu Xingzu to read through the documents alone. After reading dozens of memorials, Gu Xingzu finally broke down.

Gu Xingzu understood that the court officials were venting their anger over the defeat in the northern expedition on him, and the key was that he had no way to refute the crimes he had committed.

At this moment, Gu Xingzu displayed some of the backbone of a military family, saying, "Your Majesty, I request that you die with some dignity!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu was both angry and amused. Was Gu Xingzu missing a screw in his head? How could he have entered the palace to meet the emperor? Moreover, these dozens of memorials were clearly being withheld from public view. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could understand their deeper meaning, and he wouldn't die.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Gu Xingzu again and saw him lying face down on the ground, seemingly determined to die. He could no longer hold back, got up, and strode forward. Gu Xingzu felt someone approaching and was about to look up when he was kicked in the shoulder.

Zhu Qiyu's foot struck with tremendous force, causing Gu Xingzu to almost lose his balance and nearly fall to the ground, his shoulder throbbing with pain.

"You worthless wretch, do you know how much effort I put into protecting you? Your grandfather was such a hero, how could he have such a useless grandson like you? You have completely disgraced your grandfather."

Gu Xingzu finally understood Zhu Qiyu's words and realized he wouldn't die. Overjoyed, he hurriedly prostrated himself and went straight to Zhu Qiyu's side, pleading, "Your Majesty, did my humble skin hurt your foot? I will punish myself."

After saying that, he actually slapped himself a few times!

Zhu Qiyu stared speechlessly at Gu Xingzu before him and said, "Get up!"

"This sinner is more comfortable kneeling!"

Zhu Qiyu didn't argue with Gu Xingzu any further, and said directly, "You will be spared the death penalty, but you will lose your title. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself by serving as the deputy commander-in-chief. The Oirat Mongols will eventually move south, and you will bear the heavy responsibility of protecting the capital. If you dare to escape again this time, no matter where you go, I will kill you!"

Gu Xingzu had anticipated being stripped of his title, having been stripped of it once before, so he was quite experienced. However, he was deeply moved that Zhu Qiyu would actually give him, a defeated general, such a crucial moment.

Gu Xingzu said solemnly, "I swear to defend the capital to the death. As long as the city stands, I will live; if the city falls, I will die!"

Zhu Qiyu's expression softened considerably, and he said earnestly, "You have fought against the Oirats before, and I hope you can fight this battle well. The nobles in the capital have suffered heavy losses, and there are very few left who can shoulder great responsibilities. If you can defeat the Oirats, I will restore your title!"

Gu Xingzu could not possibly misunderstand the implications of this. He never imagined that such a great surprise awaited him. If he could defeat the Oirat Mongols, he would become one of the few nobles with power, instead of a useless person who was idle and living off the emperor's salary.

At this moment, Gu Xingzu truly believed what Zhu Qiyu had said; it had indeed taken a great deal of effort to save him. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he immediately kowtowed and said, "Your subject swears to serve Your Majesty to the death!"

Go!

After bowing and kowtowing five times, Gu Xingzu turned and left. Once outside the Wenhua Hall, his former spirited demeanor and charisma reappeared.

This time he would never run away again. He would uphold his and his grandfather's dignity and never betray the emperor's grace.

"Li Xian, it's your turn!"

Li Xian had been waiting outside the palace for a long time. He was very curious about the new emperor. Could it be that the new emperor had some kind of magic?

He had hardly ever worked with Zhu Qiyu in the past and knew almost nothing about him. Hearing the summons, he felt somewhat apprehensive.

I don't know if I'll be able to get through this trip.