Chapter 280: Base Confucians Are Like Dogs

Whether Hence Hai Rui truly had integrity and righteousness was clear from the young emperor's expression.

When others praised the emperor, he would always assume you were trying to deceive him, that he'd believe you only if you took his surname, and immediately suspect your character, then carefully scrutinize every word for hidden schemes.

The emperor always remained vigilant.

Hence Hai Rui's flattery was brutally awkward—utterly stiff, with no preamble, no embellishment, just a plain statement—and yet it made the emperor laugh until his face wrinkled with joy.

Hence Hai Rui had integrity, which was why the emperor was so delighted; to receive even a single compliment from Hence Hai Rui was rare, proving that even after Zhang Zhang Juzheng's death, Hence Hai Rui still recognized the young emperor's governing ability and saw no need to condemn Chen Shan.

Zhu Zhu Yijun indeed knew the name Fu Fu Zuozhou; Fu Fu Zuozhou was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's fellow townsman.

In April of the twelfth year of Emperor Wanli, the Emperor Wanli Emperor launched a full purge of Zhang Zhang Juzheng's faction; Vice Minister of Justice Qiu Fen and others went to Zhang's home to seize assets, where Zhang's eldest son confessed to transferring property worth about 300,000 taels of silver to Fu Fu Zuozhou, Zeng Ceng Shengwu, and Wang Zuo Zhuan; the Vice Minister of Justice then initiated a second round of asset recovery, seizing the homes of all three.

Yet this confession was extracted under torture; Fu Fu Zuozhou was not part of the Chu faction, nor was he Zhang Zhang Juzheng's disciple, for in the fifth year of Emperor Wanli, Fu Fu Zuozhou had submitted a memorial criticizing Zhang Zhang Juzheng for failing to observe mourning rites, and in the first month of the sixth year, he impeached Zhang's mentor Pan Sheng.

When factions purged their enemies, no one was spared.

Fu Fu Zuozhou was merely a base Confucian; there were base Confucians in Chu too, and not all of Chu was like Zhang Zhang Juzheng, the upright official.

"Summon Fu Fu Zuozhou to court—I shall question him myself." Zhu Zhu Yijun decided to meet him; this man had submitted two memorials in succession, and Zhu Zhu Yijun must see him face-to-face to clarify matters.

The young emperor always felt Fu Fu Zuozhou's conduct was odd; would a normal censor dare provoke Hence Hai Rui, especially on the matter of integrity—something universally acknowledged as Hence Hai Rui's defining trait?

Fu Fu Zuozhou soon entered the hall, nervously swept his sleeves, knelt on the ground, and trembled as he said: "Your servant bows before Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years."

Zhu Zhu Yijun studied Fu Fu Zuozhou for a moment before speaking: "Your memorial impeaching Nanjing's Grand Secretary Pan Sheng was meant to save Luo Luo Rufang, imprisoned in the dungeons."

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not phrase it as a question but as a statement; he had reviewed recent court affairs and realized only Luo Luo Rufang warranted such a major move. Luo Luo Rufang had defied imperial orders by gathering crowds to lecture at Guanghui Temple; even if Zhang Zhang Juzheng's mourning scandal had obscured matters somewhat, it was strange that the censors, usually rabid in their attacks, had not pursued him afterward—and even stranger that they had impeached Hence Hai Rui.

Clearly, their target was never Hence Hai Rui or Pan Sheng, but to rescue Luo Luo Rufang.

Lü Lu Diaoyang sharply turned his head toward Fu Fu Zuozhou, his gaze piercing; Wang Wang Chonggu fell into thought; Hence Hai Rui suddenly understood, a faint smile appearing; Wan Shihé continued his Buddha-like grin, but his look toward Fu Fu Zuozhou had turned cold; the court ministers' expressions varied—some had anticipated this, others had not.

"Your Majesty, no man is a sage, who can be without fault!" Fu Fu Zuozhou had never expected his first words to be so transparently exposed; there was no point arguing—he could only press on with forced resolve.

"You wish to save Luo Luo Rufang—but does Luo Luo Rufang himself know?" Zhu Zhu Yijun's expression turned strange. "In his petition, Luo Luo Rufang wept uncontrollably, admitting he openly defied the imperial decree, plotting harm, and begged only for swift death to repay the emperor's grace. If you wish to save him, do you intend for me to exile his entire family—or execute his clan?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun had no intention of harshly pursuing Luo Luo Rufang; the matter was too grave. The Eight Privileges were outdated, yet not entirely worthless. As a third-rank official, Luo Luo Rufang had his own Taizhou school, his disciples, his former subordinates, his relatives and fellow townspeople; excessive punishment would plunge all connected to him into panic and provoke greater turmoil.

Luo Luo Rufang clearly understood this; he knew the emperor was a wise ruler. Even third-rank official Wang Wang Xijue had been dismissed, so Luo Luo Rufang did not hesitate—he confessed, accepted guilt, framed his crime as defying imperial orders, and chose death to end it cleanly, letting everyone live in peace.

But Fu Fu Zuozhou's attempt to save him had pushed everyone connected to Luo Luo Rufang to the brink.

This was classic overreach.

In Fu Fu Zuozhou's two impeachment memorials, Zhu Zhu Yijun saw the two methods of the base Confucian: skinning to expose bone—peeling back to test the emperor's reaction, then extracting the very bones of the Ming; and amplification—exaggerating the matter until the emperor could not handle it.

"Must you save him?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked with amusement. Those familiar with the emperor—Zhang Hong and Feng Bao—knew instantly: the emperor was preparing to act. If Fu Fu Zuozhou insisted on his path, Zhu Zhu Yijun would deploy his unshakable principle: the emperor's thunder and rain are both expressions of his grace.

Hence Hai Rui watched Fu Fu Zuozhou: self-inflicted doom.

Fu Fu Zuozhou had also been one of the censors who knelt before the palace gates, and among the ringleaders who rallied others. Wang Wang Chonggu's scheming tactics were only slightly inferior to Zhang Zhang Juzheng's; Wang Wang Chonggu's true talent was never commerce, but reading men's hearts. After the New Year, the first court assembly confirmed two major matters for Emperor Wanli's sixth year: first, relocating wealthy families to populate the capital region; second, selecting officials, reforming education, and resolving conflicts over rhetoric and mathematics.

Wang Wang Chonggu exploited human nature to enact his schemes; when hearts stirred, Wang Wang Chonggu found his opening.

"Your Majesty, is it to save him—or not?" Fu Fu Zuozhou was cunning, not foolish; he sensed the anomaly in the emperor's words. When the emperor asked if he must save him, he was really asking if Fu Fu Zuozhou wished to die with him.

"I asked you. Why are you asking me?"

"Heh, hrm, ha!" Zhu Zhu Yijun laughed. He could not blame himself for favoring Hence Hai Rui; ministers who spoke only truth were exceedingly rare. Hence Hai Rui never concealed his inner thoughts—not even before supreme imperial power, not even before Emperor Jiajing or Emperor Longqing emperors. He spoke only truth: what you did well, what you did poorly.

Fu Fu Zuozhou was clearly not such an upright minister—he hesitated.

"Zhang Dabàn, a few days ago I told you that scholars like Luo Luo Rufang possess deep-rooted weakness and compromise. Look—does not Fu Fu Zuozhou prove it? At the critical moment, he hesitates, glances left and right." Zhu Zhu Yijun spoke as if to Zhang Hong, but meant it for all court ministers.

When you do not know how to praise someone, call him a scholar. When you do not know how to curse someone, call him a scholar.

The dual nature of the scholar—flattery and integrity—is no different from the universal expletive "fuck."

"If you want to save him, say so. If not, go to Daning Garrison to reclaim land—farm two acres, and you'll understand everything. Choose for yourself." Zhu Zhu Yijun tapped the table, glaring at Fu Fu Zuozhou.

"Your servant will go to Daning Garrison to reclaim land!" Fu Fu Zuozhou did not hesitate—he made his choice instantly. Ahead lay a pit; why sacrifice himself for Luo Luo Rufang? Going to Daning or Huining Garrison to reclaim land was not truly hard. Zhou Zhou Liangyin, the archetype of the base Confucian, had gone there and lived in quiet solitude, but certainly not in hardship. Few scholars lived there; as a court official, how could he suffer?

"Go." Zhu Zhu Yijun waved his hand impatiently, signaling Fu Fu Zuozhou to leave—get out.

"Thank Your Majesty's great grace." Fu Fu Zuozhou left—he literally rolled out of the Zhao Wenhua Hall, physically rolling: hands on the ground, flipping in circles, rolling seven full turns before exiting.

Feng Bao and Zhang Hong were stunned.

The emperor's "go" was an expression of impatience, a mild rebuke—not a literal command. But Fu Fu Zuozhou dared not disobey the imperial will—he truly rolled out.

Even eunuchs must yield to these base Confucians in sheer audacity.

Court ministers understood why the emperor did not pursue Fu Fu Zuozhou harshly: punishing him severely would play right into the base Confucian's hands, magnifying the matter and making resolution harder, forcing more choices. But they could not comprehend Fu Fu Zuozhou's literal rolling.

"Base Confucians are like dogs." Zhu Zhu Yijun found no humor in it. Fu Fu Zuozhou served the powerful as a dog; before the Ming's greatest power—Zhu Zhu Yijun himself—he was even more submissive than a dog. He was a coward, fawning on the weak and cowering before the strong—when he saw the emperor could not be fooled, he instantly changed course.

"What a thing." Lü Lu Diaoyang attached a blank floating slip to his memorial impeaching Hence Hai Rui for lacking integrity and submitted it to the emperor; he simply did not know what to write. He had nothing to say—he was ashamed to be grouped with such men.

We are all scholars, yet the gap between scholars is wider than that between man and dog.

Zhu Zhu Yijun received the memorial, pondered, and wrote his annotation: Order Fu Fu Zuozhou to serve as Inspector of Huining, overseeing land reclamation.

The young emperor had pledged to his teacher: all memorials must be reviewed, all ministers must be met.

As long as Zhang Zhang Juzheng upheld his political promises, Zhu Zhu Yijun would uphold his own—once promised, always fulfilled.

This was political responsibility and political credibility—the necessary condition of any authoritative figure.

Zhu Zhu Yijun never intended to be a sovereign who could turn heaven and earth upside down; he only wished to attain Zhang Zhang Juzheng's political cultivation—to clean up the Ming's affairs and earn his right to sit upon the throne.

In one's position, fulfill one's duty.

"Prince Lu, do you have something to say?" Zhu Zhu Yijun turned to Zhu Zhu Yilou, the little demon, whose face bore a fierce expression.

Zhu Zhu Yilou snapped back to attention and hurriedly said: "Brother, why not kill him?"

"Punishing speech is a great taboo of our dynasty—we cannot do it." Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled as he explained. Punishing speech was a bottom line; Zhang Zhang Juzheng had taught history, noting how Empress Wu Wu Zetian, to eliminate opponents, employed cruel officials and plunged the realm into chaos. The matter was complex, but punishing speech blocked counsel and silenced upright ministers.

The Ming emperor was a mortal ruler, not a sage—he made mistakes, blind to his own faults. Letting people speak will not bring down the heavens; letting people speak will not cause the state to fall.

"Your servant understands." Zhu Zhu Yilou said only that—he did not agree.

Such base Confucians should be killed one by one; only the dead stay silent, and won't use their mouths to spout nonsense.

Prince Lu, a man born to nobility, believed all who defied him should die—that was his first instinct.

Lü Lu Diaoyang pulled out another memorial: "The four prefectures of Two Huai, Yang, Lu, and Feng, and the three prefectures of Xu and Chuzhou. Last year's official courier budget was 239,000 taels; due to the fraud of mountain scholars falsely claiming official status, last year's budget was reduced to 183,600 taels. All arrears owed by commoners before Emperor Wanli sixth year shall be fully forgiven to relieve their hardship."

This concerned the Ming's courier system reform: eliminating mountain scholars' fraud in claiming official status and misusing horse passes, saving over 50,000 taels in these four prefectures and three prefectures. If implemented nationwide, completely eradicating such fraud could save at least 700,000 taels.

Financial affairs are complex, but ultimately boil down to four words: increase revenue, reduce expenditure. Reducing expenditure is not about slashing courier stations with a blunt axe—that's mindless. One must find the root of waste to cut effectively. Fraudulent claims of official status and horse passes, once investigated nationwide, would make the Ming courier system healthy again.

"Li Li Youzi, the Left Vice Minister of Revenue, responsible for this matter, is hereby appointed Right Grand Censor of the Censorate, to oversee its implementation." Zhu Zhu Yijun told Lü Lu Diaoyang. Li Li Youzi had done well in curbing the fraud; since the pilot program succeeded without adverse consequences, he would now lead the nationwide rollout.

Nearly nine months after Ge Ge Shouli retired, the Censorate finally had a new Grand Censor.

Both Left and Right Grand Censors of the Censorate were second-rank officials; Zhu Zhu Yijun had delayed appointments to avoid interference with Hence Hai Rui's anti-corruption efforts, and only selected after careful deliberation.

Li Li Youzi was one of the virtuous talents recommended by Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Interestingly, he had once submitted a memorial stating: "The Song headgear's words explain why the Song ultimately failed."

He meant that the Song's collapse stemmed from believing the empty rhetoric of Song-era officials—the "big headgear." The Ming's censors chatter endlessly, sloppily; they must be heard, but not blindly trusted.

"Big headgear" referred to bureaucrats—the official headwear. Li Li Youzi deliberately used this term to curse the base Confucians.

"Base Confucian" was a term used by Confucius's greatest successor, Xunzi, to denounce stubborn, corrupt scholars—not a name Zhu Zhu Yijun invented.

"The Ministry of War proposes: grant the honor of promotion to Zeng Ceng Shengwu, Right Vice Tan Sima, to Left Vice Tan Sima, to oversee departmental affairs." Lü Lu Diaoyang presented another memorial, announcing a major personnel change: Zeng Ceng Shengwu's promotion from Right to Left Vice Tan Sima meant Tan Lun had already chosen his successor.

Zeng Ceng Shengwu was skilled in military strategy and border governance; in Emperor Wanli's first year, he served as overall commander during Liu Zhang Xian's campaign to pacify the Dujiang barbarians.

Zeng Ceng Shengwu came from a noble family: his ancestor Zeng Yongsi served under Chang Chang Yuchun during the Emperor Hongwu era, fought in Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's decisive battle against Chen Chen Youliang at Poyang Lake, and remained in Huguang as a hereditary military household.

Zeng Ceng Shengwu's father Zeng Fan was a Ming Jinshi; his grandfather Zeng Hui was a Ming Jinshi; his great-grandfather Zeng Xun was a Ming Jinshi—a family steeped in poetry, rites, and scholarship. Unlike Wang Li Shizhen's noble lineage, Zeng Ceng Shengwu was of military household origin, and a close friend of Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

"The junior minister commanded the campaign to pacify the Dujiang barbarians: first seized Lingxiao Peak, then shattered the Nine-Silk stronghold; conquered Dudu Rock to eliminate threats from behind; then struck north at Chicken-Crest Ridge to sever the throat of resistance. Skilled in strategy, adept at border governance—in June of Emperor Wanli's third year, he entered the capital as Right Vice Tan Sima, overseeing military affairs in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Yan sui, achieving much. From today, he is appointed Left Vice Tan Sima. Notify the Ministry of Personnel." Zhu Zhu Yijun finished his red annotation and read it aloud, addressing Zeng Ceng Shengwu as "Junior Minister."

Tan Lun was Tan Sima, the Senior Minister; Zeng Ceng Shengwu was the Junior Minister, overseeing military affairs.

"Your servant obeys." Wan Shihé, Minister of Personnel, was merely an echo—this was how court ministers viewed him: whatever the emperor said, he echoed.

For such a major appointment, Wan Shihé, as Minister of Personnel and Grand Minister, offered not a single opinion of his own. The emperor's red annotation, and he agreed—no independent thought whatsoever.

The campaign to pacify the Dujiang barbarians was fought in mountain valleys; the main strategy was to first capture fortified strongholds, then flood them. The Dujiang barbarians had persisted since the Warring States period through Emperor Wanli's reign, interacting with the Ming for over two centuries, finally vanishing amid friction—now only their hanging coffins remained as proof of their existence.

This war was hard to fight; the Dujiang barbarians had survived since the Warring States period precisely because of their refuge in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Zeng Ceng Shengwu, commanding the campaign, deserved the title "Junior Minister."

"Regarding the unified heresy case, the Ministry of Justice reports: 327 clerics arrested." Wang Wang Chonggu, as the junior minister, reported the results of the five-day special crackdown: seven headquarters of the unified heresy in the capital were dismantled, 327 clerics captured—all without exception. Over 1,200 civilians were rescued, including fifty-seven pregnant women about to give birth.

The thunderous crackdown safeguarded the people's lives and property, maintained social stability, and decisively crushed the arrogance of criminals.

In the sweep, thirty-six northern barbarian spies and seven domestic accomplices were caught—four merchants, three gentry. The rescued pregnant women were victims of the unified heresy, targeted for their umbilical cord blood to seek immortality.

"When will the investigation be complete?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked Wang Wang Chonggu. How long would this case take?

Wang Wang Chonggu bowed: "Before Your Majesty's wedding."

"How will they be punished?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked again.

Wang Wang Chonggu replied succinctly: "Execute them."

It was fast. Wang Wang Chonggu executed them before the emperor's wedding as a gift—when the emperor refused silver, he demanded written agreements and turned it into an investment, demanding dividends; Wang Wang Chonggu had no choice but to send heads.

The emperor's wedding was a critical milestone; after marriage, the emperor could no longer claim youth and inexperience.

Before the wedding, the Jin faction must deliver the "life-saving silver" into the emperor's hands; after the wedding, the emperor would be an adult, and any attempt to bribe or mitigate would be impossible.

"Do any of you have objections?" Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the ministers. Three hundred more heads would fall—this scale of execution surpassed even Emperor Jiajing and Emperor Longqing eras, a heavy bloodshed.

"According to Ming law: 'Prohibition of Witchcraft and Heretical Practices.' Any sorcerer who pretends to summon evil spirits, writes talismans, chants water spells, uses spirit boards, calls himself 'Duan Gong,' 'Tai Bao,' 'Shi Po,' or falsely claims to be Maitreya Buddha, White Lotus Society, Mingzun Sect, Bai Yun Sect, or any other heretical sect—all such heretical and subversive arts, whether hiding images, burning incense, gathering crowds at night, dispersing at dawn, feigning virtue, or inciting the people—shall be strangled if the ringleader. According to the 'Regulations on Punishments,' Fraud section, and 'Ming Code: Petitions,' cumulative offenses shall be punished: the chief ringleader, Su Quan, shall be dismembered in public to instill terror." Wang Wang Chonggu detailed the legal provisions.

Under Ming law, the Regulations on Punishments, and the Ming Code, heretics must die.

"Dismemberment" meant lingchi; in Emperor Wanli's era, lingchi had moved from public squares to the dissection halls—a progress, as the bloody scenes were confined within those small courtyards.

Wang Wang Chonggu cited legal statutes: these arrested men had only one fate—no room for negotiation. Even if third-rank official Luo Luo Rufang supported them, their fate remained unchanged: certain death.

"What of Luo Luo Rufang?" Lü Lu Diaoyang asked about Luo Luo Rufang's fate.

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought a moment: "Follow precedent—let him confess and commit suicide."

"Your servants obey." The ministers, seeing all matters settled, took their leave.

Zhu Zhu Yijun began the prince's lecture after lunch, then took Prince Lu to the Northern Town Surveillance Office to see Luo Luo Rufang off.

"Brother, after the Qianqing Palace burned down, why didn't you move to Cining Palace? Mother sees you only twice a month and has complained many times. Now that Qianqing Palace is rebuilt, you still live in the Western Garden. Mother says you'll stay there even after your wedding—is that true? Isn't Qianqing Palace finished?" On the way, Prince Zhu Zhu Yilou voiced his confusion.

After the Qianqing Palace burned down, His Majesty moved to the Wang Xiyuan; now that the Qianqing Palace has been rebuilt, His Majesty still lives in the Wang Xiyuan—was all that construction for nothing?

After the imperial wedding, he still lives in the Wang Xiyuan—then wasn't all Wang Wang Chonggu's desperate effort, his own money spent to rush the work, utterly in vain?

"If I die and ascend to heaven, remember this: stay in the Wang Xiyuan, understood? It's safe." Zhu Zhu Yijun chose to speak plainly—throughout the entire palace, a den of tigers and dragons, only the Wang Xiyuan, where the Dao Master once lived, was truly safe.

"What's so good about being emperor?" Prince Lu, Zhu Zhu Yilu, was eleven years old now—he could already grasp the hidden fears in these words. Though he dared not speak openly, assassinations came one after another.

"Hmm?" Zhu Zhu Yijun realized for the first time that this boy had no interest in the throne—not only no interest, but even some aversion.

Zhu Zhu Yijun had always trained this brat as the heir, taking him everywhere he went. A state cannot be without a ruler for a single day; Emperor Wu had no heir; the Dao Master had only one successor; Emperor Emperor Longqing had only two sons. Zhu Zhu Yijun had even feared that one day his brothers would turn on each other, fighting to the death for the throne—this was the supreme throne, the emperor who stood alone above all.

That Zhu Zhu Yilu showed no interest was one thing—but that he expressed outright aversion was something Zhu Zhu Yijun had never anticipated.

"Is being emperor so bad?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked cautiously.

"It's terrible. To be a wise ruler is exhausting; to be a foolish one is suffocating—you're cursed every single day. It's just awful." Zhu Zhu Yilu voiced his opinion boldly—even if he got beaten, he had to say it!

As a prince, indulging in wine and women and neglecting ambition is considered upholding the greater good; as emperor, it's entirely different.

"If Brother can't reverse Great Ming's decline despite all his hardship, then I certainly can't." Zhu Zhu Yilu spread his hands wide—in his view, his elder brother had already done everything possible; if he took the throne, he'd only do worse. What was the point of training him then?

Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded in deep agreement. "You're right—but you still must keep studying."

The suffering he endured, Prince Lu must endure too. Once a crown prince is named, send Prince Lu overseas to expand the empire—what's the big deal? The imperial clan can expand beyond the borders.

Zhu Zhu Yilu tried to avoid training—it was simply too brutal. Just martial arts alone left him collapsed every day, yet he still couldn't escape it.

Zhu Zhu Yijun brought Prince Lu into the Celestial Prison, not to see Su Quan the Hermit of Pure Tranquility, but to find Luo Luo Rufang.

"Your Majesty, Prince Lu." Luo Luo Rufang, upon seeing them, immediately shuddered and bowed with perfect propriety—this was what a loyal minister looked like: outwardly submissive.

"Someone outside wants to rescue you. Should I have the Embroidered Uniform Commanders make an opening so they can save you? I'm in the Zhao Wenhua Hall, you're in this prison—let's duel again in the arts. Let's see who's stronger?" Zhu Zhu Yijun casually sat on a stool and smiled.

Luo Luo Rufang knelt on the ground, trembling, and said: "They're not rescuing me—they're using me as a pawn."

"Good. You understand." Zhu Zhu Yijun nodded.

Throughout the entire affair, Luo Luo Rufang had been opposing Zhang Zhang Juzheng. The decision behind the Xishan assassination was made by Su Quan the Hermit of Pure Tranquility. Luo Luo Rufang had lived in constant dread—until his arrest, when he finally slept soundly. He opposed Su Quan's attempt to assassinate Empress Wang because if the Empress, who had grown up with the emperor since childhood, truly died, the emperor would become even less human.

After Zhu Biao's death, Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang became terrifying.

"Have a good meal, then go." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Luo Luo Rufang—he still intended to send him to his death.

His crimes were two: first, defying the imperial decree by gathering crowds to lecture; second, the Southern Ya 's heretical book case—falsely attributing criticisms of Zhang Zhang Juzheng to Hence Hai Rui.

These were all imperial decrees. Defying them warranted execution. On the merits alone, Luo Luo Rufang was not the primary culprit in the Xishan assassination attempt on Zhang Zhang Juzheng and the emperor.

"Your servant kowtows to thank Your Majesty's imperial grace." Upon hearing the verdict, Luo Luo Rufang's body visibly trembled, yet he still held himself upright to thank the emperor. His family should thank the emperor—for without him, even if not subjected to clan extermination, they would have been exiled en masse.

Zhu Zhu Yijun waited, watching until Luo Luo Rufang had finished his last meal, then spoke: "Do you think the Witch Wang possesses the immortal art of resurrection?"

"Your Majesty jests. Even Su Quan the Hermit doesn't believe it." Luo Luo Rufang offered a wan smile in reply.

"Let's go." Zhu Zhu Yijun left the cell with Zhu Zhu Yilu. Two Embroidered Uniform Guards entered and hung a white silk noose.

Su Quan and the Witch Wang's vendetta made no sense. Wang Wang Xijue committed suicide—he wasn't executed by court decree. The emperor ordered no killing; Wang Wang Xijue took his own life out of fear of punishment. Why come after the emperor? The emperor isn't their father's killer.

Zhu Zhu Yijun gazed toward southern Great Ming, where Luo Luo Bingliang, the Southern Ya 's Embroidered Uniform Commander, was overseeing the relocation of wealthy families from the south to the capital.

This was precisely what the southern wealthy families feared—and why they dared defy the imperial decree. They had to resist; this was a struggle for survival.

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(End of Chapter)