Chapter 24

For emperors come and go, but ministers remain like iron.

At worst, it would merely be a beheading.

But offend the entire court of civil officials, and if they don't dig up your ancestral graves, it's only because you were buried too deep!

Twenty-five, why don't you just eat porridge for three years?

At this moment, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had already decided from the bottom of his heart that Su Qiao was a loyal minister.

A truly great loyal minister.

An upright minister!

A loyal minister who would commit suicide before his own tomb after Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen lost the empire!

At this moment, Old Zhu's eyes were bright and shining, showing not a trace of decline due to old age.

Since ascending the throne, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had also been studying the historical records of various dynasties.

Speaking of which, has any dynasty ever truly perished due to external enemies?

No!

Even the so-called calamity at Yashan was the consequence of your Wanyan Gou executing Yue Fei!

The enemy lies not without, but within.

The root of a nation's downfall lies either with the monarch or with the court officials!

Thus came first the Case of the Blank Seals, then the Guo Huan Case, and afterward the Hu Wei Case.

All done in the hope of draining the poison from within the Great Ming!

But the poison of the Great Ming.

Had it truly been completely drained?!

No!

These civil and military officials of the full court standing on dry land.

Were they truly that clean?

That was nothing but wishful thinking!

These few words from Su Qiao.

Had struck exactly at the heart of Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang.

And at this moment, Su Qiao seemed as if injected with chicken blood.

Staring fixedly at these ministers before him.

And the hundred officials before Su Qiao.

All remained silent, not one making a sound.

During the previous palace examination, although Su Qiao had thrown out such a radical theory as "first confiscate the homes of the scholar-officials,"

ultimately, that was based on Old Zhu's hypothesis.

Everyone had merely treated Su Qiao's words as reckless talk.

Confiscating homes meant confiscating the homes of ministers who caused the nation's fall.

What did that have to do with us, the ministers who founded the nation?

But today was different.

You, Su Qiao, don't even beat around the bush anymore?

We are not clean?

Do words like these deserve to be spoken by a newcomer who has just entered the court?!

Yet Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude had already defined Su Qiao's statement.

If the officials present now contradicted Su Qiao's words, they would be slapping Old Zhu in the face!

Huang Huang Zicheng, who had been standing among the court officials, keenly sensed the murderous intent within the court.

He immediately stepped forward, stood before Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang, and proclaimed loudly,

"I submit to Your Majesty: I, Huang Huang Zicheng, dare not agree with Su Qiao's proposal!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang was so startled by Huang Huang Zicheng's step that he froze for a moment.

Normally, this Huang Huang Zicheng could not be forced to speak even if kicked three times, devoting his entire mind and heart to Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen.

Old Zhu's expression gradually darkened.

He stared quietly at Huang Huang Zicheng and asked,

"Does Minister Huang have some profound insight?"

Huang Huang Zicheng lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and said,

"Your Majesty, 'If the court rots a little, the entire world will rot extensively'—this statement, I agree with."

"What I do not agree with is on what grounds he, Su Qiao, claims that we are standing on dry land!"

"Since the founding of our Great Ming, the world has enjoyed peace, and scholars and literati throughout the land all hail this as the Prosperous Era of Hongwu."

"This Prosperous Era of Hongwu is surely the result of Your Majesty's exhaustive efforts."

"Yet have we, your ministers, not also worked together with one heart, toiling day and night to ensure that imperial decrees issued from above are followed below? Even if we have no merit, surely we have endured hardship!"

"Do Su Qiao's words not chill our hearts? How are the officials of the world to conduct themselves in the future?"

"Therefore, today I boldly speak up for my colleagues throughout the court! To vindicate the name of all court officials!"

Huang Huang Zicheng's voice was sonorous and powerful.

As soon as he finished speaking, some ministers behind him even began to sob in agreement.

After speaking, Huang Huang Zicheng did not forget to cast a contemptuous glance at Su Qiao.

Isn't this just remonstrating at the risk of death?

Isn't it just tying your head to your belt and risking your life?

You kid trying this game with us, you're still too green!

Just as expected.

As soon as Huang Huang Zicheng spoke these words.

It was as if he had opened the floodgates for all the scholar-officials in the court.

"Your Majesty, this subject is forty-six years old, with temples already streaked with gray; today Su Qiao has slandered this old official for no reason, and I truly cannot accept this!"

"We all rendered dog-and-horse service during the Hongwu Prosperous Age; even if we do not seek wealth and glory, we should not end up with such a notorious reputation!"

"I beg Your Majesty to immediately dispatch the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search my home; if there is even a single tael of silver in my house that does not belong to me, I will smash my head to death right here in this great hall!"

"..."

Su Qiao quietly watched the scholar-officials filling the court.

He could not help but sneer and said:

"My lords, the Hongwu Prosperous Age?"

"How dare you so brazenly utter the words 'Prosperous Age'?!"

Huang Huang Zicheng looked at Su Qiao in shock and cursed angrily:

"Su Qiao, you, you have great audacity!"

"The grain stores of our dynasty far exceed those of the former Northern Northern Yuan; even if we compare ourselves to the wealthy Two Song dynasties, they do not match our nation's abundant grain reserves; how can this not be called a Prosperous Age?!"

Su Qiao, with a face full of doubt, looked at Huang Huang Zicheng and asked disdainfully:

"May I ask, Lord Huang."

"Does the presence of stored grain in the court's treasuries represent a Prosperous Age?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Huang Zicheng was momentarily speechless.

"If stored grain in the treasuries cannot be called a Prosperous Age, then what is a Prosperous Age?!"

Su Qiao cast a cold glance at Huang Huang Zicheng and asked:

"May I ask, Lord Huang, the grain currently in the treasuries of our Great Ming, for how long can it support the common people of the world?"

Huang Huang Zicheng slapped his chest and proclaimed loudly:

"More than three years; how can this not be called a Prosperous Age?!"

Su Qiao then continued to ask:

"What do you mean by 'more than three years'?"

"Does it mean everyone can eat their fill, or merely survive without starving to death?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Huang Zicheng stared at Su Qiao dumbfounded.