Chapter 193

Whether it was Qian Ning or himself, since returning to the capital, he had merely been led by the nose by this "student" of his.

And now, only one question remained: what exactly did "Zhu Houzhao" intend to do?!

"Thump~!"

A sound resembling a bell yet not a bell echoed through the Taimiao.

Jiajing casually tossed the wooden mallet in his hand into the "bronze chime" before him.

His purpose had already been achieved.

Next, it was time for him to harvest the fruit.

Jiajing slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the exit of the Taimiao.

Gazing at the bloodstains outside the main hall that had not yet dried.

Jiajing's expression gradually grew gloomy.

Qian Ning hurled the Embroidered Uniform Guard's spring blade in his hand aside and knelt before Jiajing in near-obsequiousness.

"I report to Your Majesty: these three violated the prohibitions within the Taimiao. I offered them good counsel several times, but they would not listen; with no choice, I was forced to..."

Qian Ning had not yet finished speaking.

The crowd of ministers behind him immediately pointed at Qian Ning's nose and began to curse him bitterly.

"Insolent! Do you truly intend to deceive Heaven, you treacherous villain?!"

"Emperor Taizu, open your eyes! Our Great Ming is about to perish!"

"..."

Amidst the gaze of the assembled ministers, the final arbiter—"Zhu Houzhao" slowly lowered his head, gazing at Qian Ning who knelt before him in utmost obsequiousness, and asked:

"When did I order you to injure or kill anyone?"

In an instant, Qian Ning's expression, which had been full of obsequiousness, froze stiff in place.

Thereafter, the civil and military officials behind him, and even the censors whom Qian Ning had hacked down to the ground, could not help but struggle.

Heaven has eyes!

Liang Chu, the Deputy Grand Secretary of the Grand Council, knelt before "Zhu Houzhao" with gritted teeth and spoke firmly in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, Qian Ning has disrupted the court order and unlawfully injured ministers. I request permission to immediately throw this beast into the death prison and hand him over to the Sanfasi Society for trial!"

Jiajing slowly raised his head and glanced at the three censors still lying in the pool of blood.

He then asked with absolute decisiveness:

"Why are you all standing there stunned? Why not quickly send the injured to the Taiyi Academy? Do you truly intend to cause a death within the Taimiao before you will stop?!"

Jiajing did not respond to Liang Chu's words.

Instead, he ordered people to send the injured censors to the Taiyi Academy.

Upon hearing Jiajing's words,

Qian Ning's originally tense expression finally eased slightly.

Just after the injured were sent away,

Jiajing also terminated the sacrifice.

He turned and walked again toward the direction of the Report Office.

Qian Ning, looking at Jiajing like a drowning man grasping for a lifeline, followed Jiajing tightly all the way, begging:

"Your Majesty, I truly only wished to make Your Majesty a bit more peaceful!"

"Father, look at your son, look at your son!"

"..."

Hearing Qian Ning's wailing,

Jiajing remained silent.

Finally, it was Gu Dayong, with a Solemn expression, who walked to Qian Ning's side.

Looking at this "Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard" who had held the highest office in the land not long ago, he sighed:

"Commander Qian, tell me, why did you have to draw your sword for no reason?"

"You are forcing our Emperor onto that path!"

Qian Ning stood numbly in place.

Indeed!

Why did I draw my sword for no reason?! 3.

125, Liu Daxia: Is this how the ancestral system is used?

Compared to those old foxes of the Jiajing reign,

the ministers of the Zhengde reign were far too green.

Just like Qian Ning at this very moment.

He would never figure it out until his death.

As long as he had not drawn his sword,

Jiajing would never have walked out of the Taimiao.

He would only continue to blame his own rashness.

Blaming himself for not controlling his own hand!

The news of the ministers' death-petition at the Taimiao spread rapidly throughout the Great Ming Empire like a fission reaction.

Local memorials from all regions surged toward the capital like snowflakes.

Jin Ling, the Six Offices of the Capital, memorialized with death-petitions!

The senior ministers of the Six Ministries of the Capital, memorialized with death-petitions!

The Court of Criminal Justice and the Censorate submitted death petitions!

Senior ministers of the Grand Secretariat submitted death petitions!

Even the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and several Imperial Son-in-Laws joined in submitting death petitions!

Jiajing did not act.

Because he knew one man had not yet submitted a petition.

He knew his little tricks could not fool that man's eyes.

But Jiajing did not care.

Because he knew that man would eventually be forced by others to willingly deliver his "death petition" into his hands.

Just days later.

When the death petition signed by the hundred officials of Jin Ling was delivered to the capital.

The furious hundred officials had already discovered the man who had tried to "preserve himself alone."

——Yang Tinghe!

The current Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, Director of the East Pavilion, Left Pillar of State!

In an instant.

Dozens of Hanlin scholars and censors entered court daily, willing to detour to Yang Tinghe's residence just to spit in front of his gate.

"Does Senior Yang intend to become a villain?"

"Today I finally understand: some people look human on the surface, but when the moment of truth comes, they may not be human at all!"

"…"

Almost every day and night, people pointed at Yang's gate and cursed outside.

And inside the Yang residence.

Yang Tinghe's eldest son, Yang Shen, had knelt outside his father's study for a full day and night!

"Father, if you do not submit a petition, our Yang family will become a laughingstock for all eternity!"

Hearing his son's cries.

Yang Tinghe felt helplessness for the first time.

This helplessness was different from Zhu Houzhao's previous follies.

This was the first time Yang Tinghe felt he was being manipulated by this "young Son of Heaven"!

To this day.

Yang Tinghe still did not know what this "young Son of Heaven," whom he had watched grow up since childhood, intended to do!

Looking at his son kneeling outside the study.