Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

"Geng Maohua stays behind, take the rest of you away to write!" Prosecutor Zhu said softly.

Upon hearing that he had been left alone, Geng Maohua felt utterly dejected. He was now filled with deep regret; if he hadn't spoken up against Prince Jin earlier, he would have ended up like the others, forced to go to Yanzhou to weave cloth...

Now that they've broken free of the Prince of Jin's residence, there's no turning back...

"This sinful subject...this sinful subject..."

Zhu Jian interrupted Geng Maohua, saying meaningfully, "Some things may seem insignificant on the scale, but once they're on, they can weigh a ton!"

Geng Maohua was taken aback upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, he bowed and said, "This humble subject understands!"

Zhu Jian was having Geng Maohua shift the blame for the matter of the Guangying Granary Ambassador of the Prince of Jin's Mansion onto Prince Zhu Shenxuan.

Killing one of the officials of the Prince of Jin's mansion wouldn't do much good, nor would extorting the Prince of Jin. What Zhu Jian needed to do was to take down the entire Prince of Jin's mansion and all twelve princes of the Jin vassal state!

The Jin prince controlled half of Shanxi's arable land but paid no taxes. He was extremely wealthy, yet he did not provide assistance to the dynasty when it was in trouble. Such a prince was of no use and should be dismissed.

And those who harbor treacherous intentions and are in league with the Qing dynasty are the best accusations!

The sky in Shanxi should clear up soon!

An hour later, Prince Zhu Shenxuan, riding in a carriage, slowly approached Zhu Jian: "Your subject Zhu Shenxuan pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Jian remained silent, his gaze fixed on Prince Jin. He saw that Prince Jin was dressed in luxurious clothes, but his figure was bloated and he had no energy or spirit.

"Rise!" Prosecutor Zhu said nonchalantly.

This was the first time Zhu Jian had met the Prince of Jin in person. Normally, princes stayed within their own territories and were not allowed to go to the capital. Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, also never left the capital, spending all his time reviewing memorials...

"Geng Maohua, go ahead and ask!"

"As you command!"

Geng Maohua cleared his throat: "On behalf of the Holy Emperor, I inquire whether the Prince of Jin is aware that the Guangying Granary ambassador in the Prince's Palace is reselling grain to the Fanshi Grain Shop?"

The Prince of Jin was taken aback, not understanding what was going on, and said blankly, "What business is it of yours if I sell the grain produced in my own fiefdom?"

Upon hearing this, Geng Maohua secretly glanced at Zhu Jian, only to see Zhu Jian's face ashen, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he stared intently at Prince Jin. He then turned and asked, "The Fan family's trading company is a traitorous spies who collude with the Qing dynasty to purchase supplies for the Jurchens, bolster their army, and plunder the people of our Great Ming!"

"The Prince of Jin's actions are guilty of three crimes: first, aiding the enemy; second, showing no respect for his ancestors, the nation, and the state; and third, disregarding the welfare of the common people!"

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhu Shenxuan of Jin's expression changed drastically. He immediately stood up and angrily said, "How dare you accuse me! I knew nothing about the Fan family's trading company's treasonous activities. As for who I sold my grain to, that's my own business!"

Zhu Shenxuan now understood what was going on. The man in front of him named Geng Maohua was just a pawn. No matter what official position he held, without the emperor's backing, he wouldn't dare to interrogate a prince here, especially one of the powerful princes established by the founding emperor.

He turned to Zhu Jian and said, "Your Majesty, I am the thirteenth Prince of Jin, and I have never transgressed any of the ancestral precepts of the Ming Dynasty. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

The Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty were left by Zhu Yuanzhang. They stated that if any member of the imperial family or state committed a crime, the successor should decide the matter himself. Even if the crime was serious, no punishment would be imposed. Except for rebellion, the offender would at most be demoted to a commoner.

After listening, Prosecutor Zhu clapped his hands lightly and said, "Good! Good! Good!"

"Zhu Shenxuan, are you trying to bribe the Jurchens with grain, like Emperor Chengzu mobilized the Doyan Three Guards, and launch a rebellion against me?"

Prince Zhu Shenxuan of Jin retorted without backing down, "Why has Your Majesty slandered us?"

"If the Emperor has doubts, what should be done about the other vassal states?"

Prince Zhu Shenxuan of Jin began to use all the princes of the imperial clan to put pressure on Zhu Jian, since there were more than twenty princes and it was impossible to convict them all.

"If any of the other vassal states provide aid to the Jurchens, I will punish them all!"

"Geng Maohua, go and deliver an imperial edict to Hong Chengchou in Taiyuan City, ordering him to surround the Prince of Jin's residence to prevent anyone from tipping him off!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Geng Maohua bowed and quickly left.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Zhu Shenxuan shouted, still stubbornly refusing to admit his guilt.

Zhu Jian did not respond, then slightly turned to the side: "He Renlong, please have Prince Jin go to his residence to rest!"

He Renlong, accompanied by two personal guards, stepped forward and dragged Prince Jin away.

He shouted as he walked, "I am innocent! I am innocent! How can Your Majesty continue the throne if you treat your own relatives like this!"

As the Prince of Jin's shouts faded into the distance, Zhu Jian sighed and leaned back in his official chair.

Zhu Jian knew that the Prince of Jin had not committed a serious crime, so he couldn't say that you sold the knife to someone else, and that the person used the knife you bought to commit murder, and then blame you for selling the knife to him.

However, oppressing the people and seizing farmland cannot bring the Prince of Jin to his knees. Only by betraying the country and plotting a rebellion can he be completely brought down!

Blame it on the system established by Zhu Yuanzhang...

.......

Inside Taiyuan City, Geng Maohua rushed to Hong Chengchou's side: "Lord Hong, His Majesty has decreed that troops besiege the Prince of Jin's residence!"

Hong Chengchou was taken aback upon hearing this: "Surround the Prince of Jin's residence?"

Geng Maohua nodded emphatically: "I urge Lord Hong to expedite this!"

Hong Chengchou frowned, his hands clasped behind his back, pacing back and forth. After a moment, he said, "Gao Jie! Lead two thousand men to surround the Prince of Jin's residence. No one is allowed to enter or leave!"

Having said that, he grabbed the reins, mounted the horse, and galloped towards the camp outside the city.

Prince Jin is a powerful prince, one of the direct sons of Emperor Taizu, and a sibling of Emperor Chengzu. His descendants hold a very important status, far exceeding that of other princes from Emperor Taizu's lineage. If Prince Jin is harmed, all the princes in the country will feel insecure, and trouble is likely to ensue!

Before long, Hong Chengchou rushed to the camp, dismounted, and approached Zhu Jian, panting heavily: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Jin must not be acted upon rashly, for doing so will affect many other vassal kings throughout the land!"

Zhu Jian leaned back in his chair, saying nonchalantly, "The sky won't fall!"

"Your Majesty!...You may depose a prince, but you must not execute him, much less abolish his fiefdom! If you execute a prince and abolish his fiefdom, the whole country will be thrown into turmoil, Your Majesty!"

Hong Chengchou considered stability and executed Shanxi merchants and officials. This would not affect the overall stability, since they were indeed guilty. People would only say that the emperor's punishment was too severe, and they would not say anything else.

But it's different for imperial relatives. They would be labeled as heartless and ungrateful, and it would also arouse the vigilance of other vassal kings. At present, the Ming Dynasty cannot withstand the chaos caused by the imperial relatives.

Upon hearing Hong Chengchou's nagging, Zhu Jian slammed his fist on the table and roared, "I am not that good-for-nothing Zhu Yunwen!"

Hong Chengchou was taken aback upon hearing this, and stood there stunned, unsure of what to say.

After saying that, Zhu Jian realized that it was inappropriate to say that Zhu Yunwen was the emperor. After all, it was Prince Yan, Zhu Di, who rebelled, who was his ancestor. If Zhu Di had not rebelled, the throne would not have been his.

He then turned and said, "Half of the land in Shanxi is in the hands of the two vassal states of Jin. They don't pay taxes, don't help the people, and even sell the little grain they have to merchants. These merchants use the grain that was originally meant for the people of Ming to feed the Eight Banners army, and then plunder the people of Ming. What kind of logic is this?"

"Looking at the ancient Han, Tang, and Song dynasties, where did we find vassal kings spanning more than ten generations?"

"This..." Hong Chengchou was speechless for a moment.