Chapter 69

"This subject admits his guilt."

In an instant, the Eastern Palace fell into a deathly silence.

Even though Commander Commander Jiang Huang had handled major and critical cases for so many years, he had never seen an offending official like Su Qiao.

Right under the gaze of all eyes.

Su Qiao abruptly drew the Embroidered Spring Blade from the hand of an Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Commander Commander Jiang Huang instantly snapped awake and shouted loudly,

"Protect His Majesty!"

Su Qiao, being straightforward, simply tossed the Embroidered Spring Blade with a clang before Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang and said,

"I beg Your Majesty to execute this subject."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's figure trembled slightly as he stared at Su Qiao, his upper and lower teeth chattering incessantly.

Meanwhile, in the chat group.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's voice kept drilling into Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's ears.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-Grandfather, this Su Qiao truly does not seem like a treacherous minister."

"This son has seen plenty of treacherous ministers; where has there ever been one like Su Qiao!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's figure trembled slightly as he looked at Su Qiao before him.

Gritting his teeth, he said,

"Do you truly not fear death?"

Su Qiao simply bowed deeply and declared in a clear voice,

"This subject seeks only a swift death!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, forcing a smile onto his lips.

"Good, good... you want to die, do you?"

"I shall grant your wish!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang stared fixedly at Commander Commander Jiang Huang beside him and said,

"Commander Commander Jiang Huang!"

"This humble servant is present!"

"Drag Su Qiao out to Wumen and behead him!"

Upon hearing this, Su Qiao's eyes immediately lit up with delight.

But before Su Qiao could rejoice for long, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen knelt down nearby to remonstrate,

"Imperial Grandfather, this cannot be! Since the founding of our dynasty, there has never been a precedent for immediately executing a scholar-official."

"Even the Hu Wei faction was only executed after autumn."

"Your grandson kowtows and begs Imperial Grandfather to reconsider."

Since the two Song dynasties,

there had been a tradition that penal punishments were not applied to scholar-officials.

Although Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had not fully inherited this bad habit since the founding of Great Ming,

scholar-officials still enjoyed considerable privileges regarding the application of punishments.

Unless caught red-handed committing rebellion, they would be beheaded directly.

Otherwise, most were sentenced to execution after autumn once the trial was largely concluded.

Moreover, since the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains dynasties had been extremely cautious about the death penalty; even executing ordinary bandits required the Son of Heaven to personally approve the execution, so naturally, it was not so simple for a scholar-official to be put to death.

Hearing Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen's words, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang barely managed to force himself to calm down somewhat.

Staring fixedly at Su Qiao and gritting his teeth, he said,

"Very well, I will make sure you die convinced and convinced!"

"Did you all hear what the Imperial Grandson said?"

"Drag this arrogant scholar away and execute him after autumn!"

"Yes!"

Hearing Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen's words, Su Qiao wished he could rush over right now and slap Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen twice across the face.

Are you the only one with a mouth?!

When adults are speaking, what business is it of yours, you little brat?

Execution after autumn!

It is only May now!

If I have to wait until after autumn, won't I be locked up in prison for another three or four months?

Earning those billion really isn't that easy.

71, I must preserve the entire army!

After Su Qiao was dragged away.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang immediately turned his gaze toward Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian within the chat group.

Emperor Taizu Gao:

"Why are you just standing there dumbfounded?!"

"Hurry up and summon all the children of our Zhu family back!"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-Grandfather... the court has no silver left."

"The fiefdoms' farmlands occupy one-third of the empire's finest fields."

"Our Zhu family owes the world far too much..."

Emperor Taizu:

"Are you this stubborn, child!"

"Order Lan Yu to recall them immediately."

"Even reducing them to commoners and stripping their princely titles is better than letting them die on the battlefield like this!"

"When two armies clash and the Regional Commander falls, the entire force still scatters in rout."

"A full thirty Princes of the Blood."

"Won't those Tartars beyond the passes laugh until their jaws drop?"

"With this battle, I fear you will use the lives of our Zhu clan to forcibly elevate those few Tartars into the Temple of Martial Valor!"

"Even if you were celestial soldiers and generals, you would have to scatter and flee!"

Since ancient times, when has anyone heard of thirty princes falling in a single battle?

Even with Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang speaking thus.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's heart remained unmoved.

For Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian had long since seen it clearly.

By the time the Great Ming passed to his generation, it had already become a dead end.

Without drastic medicine, it could absolutely not be pulled back.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian looked at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang before the lens, words catching in his throat.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Ancestral Grandfather, but the great army has already marched; if this battle is not fought, all this silver will have been spent in vain."

Emperor Taizu:

"Who said we must lose?"

"For this battle, I shall command personally!"

"Though Lan Yu fights on the front lines, I refuse to believe that with the founding generals of the Great Ming, we cannot handle a few Tartars!"

Watching the message sent by Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang.

Since his own ancestor had already spoken so plainly.

However unwilling Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian might be.

He could not show such disrespect to Old Zhu!

Emperor Sizong Lie: