Chapter 130: Court Officials Swift as Thunderbolts

Hearing Chongzhen speak with such utter shamelessness, the assembled officials were for a moment at a complete loss. This current Emperor was simply too brazen. Benevolence, righteousness, reputation — he seemed to care about none of it, intent only on following his own whims.

The officials, their heads aching, even began to miss the late Tianqi Emperor. At least he still cared somewhat about face — when word spread among the ministers that Tianqi had an affair with Madam Ke, didn't Madam Ke promptly leave the palace?

As for this lord now seated upon the dragon throne, he simply and openly summoned Madam Ke back into the palace to attend upon the Empress, shielding the now-pregnant Empress so tightly that not even a breath could slip through.

So much so that certain upright gentlemen lamented that when a state is about to fall, monsters and prodigies inevitably appear. The grand spectacle of all the righteous filling the court — they feared they would never live to see it again.

Truly, they wondered, where had that studious young Emperor who once esteemed the Donglin faction gone?

Whatever these grandees of the court might think, the problem still had to be resolved. Otherwise, if this Emperor said he would let everyone go hungry, then go hungry everyone certainly would.

After Wen Tiren was thrown into the Imperial Prison, Shi Fenglai was the undisputed top dog.

Acting on the guiding principle that the leader speaks first, Shi Fenglai bowed and said, "Your servant petitions Your Majesty: since matters have come to this pass, We might as well simply strip the title altogether!"

At these words, before Chongzhen could even rejoice, the court erupted. Meng Shaoyu, the Minister of Rites, was the first to object: "Grand Secretary Shi's words are mistaken.

The affair between the northern and southern branches of the Kong family is, after all, their private family matter. Yet the Duke for Fulfilling the Sage is a descendant of the Sage, a matter touching the very face of the dynasty — how can the title be lightly stripped?

Grand Secretary Shi is himself a disciple of the Confucian teachings; how can he utter such words as stripping the title?"

This speech showed not the slightest regard for Shi Fenglai's authority as Chief Grand Secretary, launching directly into a head-on confrontation.

Fang Zhuangli, the Minister of Personnel, also supported Meng Shaoyu: "This humble official also believes Grand Secretary Shi's words to be in error. He is, after all, a descendant of the Sage.

If the title is thus stripped, and the line of the Duke for Fulfilling the Sage severed under our dynasty, how will later generations judge us? If we then further punish the northern branch according to the Great Ming Code, would not the Sage's bloodline truly be cut off?

Would not posterity say that our Great Ming failed in its protection, causing the Sage's line to perish?"

Chongzhen had already settled back onto the dragon throne and fallen silent, quietly watching the ministers begin their brawl. But from the look of things now, more people were attacking Shi Fenglai than he had imagined — this matter would not be easy to handle.

As the referee, Chongzhen found it somewhat awkward to personally step onto the field. After all, being both referee and player — that wouldn't look too good, would it?

However, upholding the spirit of a shamelessly crooked referee, Chongzhen simply turned his gaze toward Cui Chengxiu, the Minister of War.

As it happened, Cui Chengxiu was also looking toward Chongzhen. In an instant, Cui Chengxiu understood Chongzhen's intent and stepped in to support Shi Fenglai: "This official believes Grand Secretary Shi's words are reasonable.

They are descendants of the Sage — fraternal strife might be overlooked, but when they turn to murder upon one another, setting aside for the moment whether this violates the Great Ming Code, such conduct alone is enough to earn the contempt of all under Heaven.

How then can they inherit the title of Duke for Fulfilling the Sage? How can they serve as the Exemplar for Ten Thousand Ages?"

Meng Shaoyu sneered: "Then according to Minister Cui's meaning, if we strip this title of Duke for Fulfilling the Sage, how will the world regard our Great Ming? How will they regard His Majesty?

Will they not say that our Great Ming's civilizing influence has failed, so that even the Sage's heirs have been cut off? To lightly strip the title would only make us the laughingstock of all under Heaven!"

Cui Chengxiu also laughed coldly: "Minister Meng has a fine eloquence; this official freely admits his inferiority. However, if such conduct were to occur on the battlefield, it would be no different from mutiny or aiding the enemy.

Once such a precedent is set, the malign influence would be far worse than stripping the title!"

Zhang Weixian, watching the civil officials tear into each other with gusto, also jumped out to join the fray: "Indeed! The influence of such a matter is far too pernicious!

If a cadet branch of your own family, Minister Meng, were to hack you to death, would you then also select that cadet branch to inherit your official post?"

While the high-ranking, powerful grandees at the front tore into each other fiercely, some Censors, Supervising Secretaries, and other minor officials further back also switched on their invincible verbal artillery mode, each clinging to their own argument and quarreling uncontrollably, turning a perfectly good court session into something resembling a vegetable market.

The civil officials of Great Ming had always been accustomed to running wild. If they couldn't win with reason, or found themselves out-argued, what then? Nothing more to say — just swing their fists!

Make no mistake, while Great Ming's civil officials were amateurs in external battles, in internal strife they were consummate professionals.

Seeing that reason was failing them, and having long stewed in pent-up rage under the high-pressure atmosphere since Chongzhen's ascension, they simply decided — today, they would reason with you using their fists!

From among Meng Shaoyu's supporters, someone suddenly roared: "Your mother! I've put up with you dog eunuch faction bastards long enough!" With that curse, a Censor had already swung his fist at a Supervising Secretary on the opposing side.

Caught off guard and taking a fierce punch to the face, the Censor was enraged — Your mother! Do you think it's easy for me, trembling in fear every day as a Censor?! Today, for once, I finally had such a juicy topic to run my mouth off on, and you, damn you, dare to throw hands?

This Censor was no pushover either. Without a word, he directly pulled off his boot and swung it at his opponent — I've got a weapon in my hand now!

Once the lower-ranking officials started brawling, the chaos gradually spread to the grandees of the court.

As a high-ranking boss, much like the red pole enforcers or gang leaders of those energetic organizations in later ages, once your underlings have started scrapping, you can hardly just sit there sipping tea and watching the show, can you?

Seeing the chaos erupt below, Cui Chengxiu simply shot a meaningful glance at Zhang Weixian, who supported him.

Without even checking whether Zhang Weixian had seen it, he directly swung his wild haymakers at Meng Shaoyu, cursing as he struck: "I'll beat you to death today, you treacherous minister!"

Chongzhen could truly say his horizons had been broadened today. On later-era forums and message boards, people occasionally said that brawling in the Great Ming court was a common occurrence, but since his own ascension, he had yet to witness it.

Today, he finally saw it live — from senior officials of the upper first rank down to minor officials of the fifth rank, the entire court had descended into utter chaos.

Without a word from Chongzhen, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commanders Wei Liangqing, Tian Ergeng, and Xu Xianchun were all happy to play dumb and enjoy the show.

With perfect tacit understanding, the three simply withdrew to one side and watched the civil officials go at it hammer and tongs — as long as none of the blood splattered on themselves, they'd be delighted to see them beat each other's brains out.

As time ticked slowly by, the court officials, now fighting in genuine fury, truly began to employ ruthless tactics — hair-pulling, eye-gouging, nostril-hooking, and some even resorted to ultimate techniques like Monkey Steals the Peach and the Leg-Sweep to the Groin.

Gradually, court officials began to collapse to the ground, groaning without cease. Many had been beaten until their heads were split and bleeding, their official robes torn to tatters.

Upon the dragon throne, Chongzhen's expression, initially blank, slowly darkened, until at last it was nearly black, almost dripping with menace. These civil officials of Great Ming were truly a bunch of goddamn freaks.

He had never seen them this tough against external foes, yet when it came to beating up their own in court, every single one was an expert. He roared in fury: "Enough!

Wei Liangqing, have your men separate them for Us!"

Kneeling and begging you big shots not to fatten this up anymore — if you do fatten it, please be sure to turn on auto-subscribe. That way, we can probably break into the Qidian Premium channel in just a few days.

Later on, everyone can brag and say, "That premium novel about the tyrant? I was the one who supported it!"

Uh, so, the chapter title for this chapter is wrong. I've already contacted the editor-in-charge big shot to see if it can be fixed tomorrow....

(End of chapter)