Chapter 286: My Great Ming, Invincible Under Heaven!

Xu Jie is the Senior Grand Secretary of the Great Ming. His words are spoken from his own perspective; some of what he says carries a degree of reason. It has never been officials like Xu Jie who determine the number of sea bandits and mountain brigands in the Great Ming, but the Emperor.

The Great Ming is a feudal imperial state, and all its systems are designed around the Emperor. When the Emperor is negligent in governance or even fails to act, the operation of the Great Ming's court inevitably encounters problems.

When Zhu Yuanzhang designed this entire set of state legal traditions, he tailored it to himself. While reinforcing the supremacy of imperial power, he also placed higher demands on the Emperor's diligence.

Zhu Yuanzhang was truly diligent.

The fact that Xu Jie's words have merit does not in the slightest change the fact that Xu Jie is a scoundrel.

The discussion in the capital regarding Xu Jie even exceeded that of Wang Shizhen, who was about to be executed. Wang Shizhen participated in two rituals involving the extraction of umbilical cord blood from pregnant women because he was complicit in rebellion, whereas Xu Jie perfectly evaded legal issues. His Huishan Hall for raising infants and children operated on the basis of parents sending them over; there was no forced buying or selling—it was primarily a matter of mutual consent.

Yet, the business of Xu Jie's Huishan Hall began to wither as the state began to show signs of revitalization, eventually closing its doors for good.

The survival rate was less than two per thousand, and these children were all sold off after the age of nine.

Before the Grand Wedding, Zhu Yi was to go to the Meridian Gate to oversee the executions. The Minister of Justice, Wang Chonggu, hurried as fast as he could to finally account for all the criminals to be beheaded. Since it was promised as a congratulatory gift for the Great Ming Emperor's Grand Wedding, it had to be delivered. Promises made must be kept; the major case of the ambush at Western Mountain had to have a conclusion before the Emperor's Grand Wedding.

A total of 720 criminals were to be beheaded. Wang Xiangu, Su Jing Sanren, Wang Shizhen, and a host of other heretical missionaries were all on the execution list. Wang Xiangu and Su Jing Sanren would be sent to the Dissection Institute to be dissected and subjected to extreme punishment, to serve as a deterrent.

Under Zhang Juzheng's wing, Zhu Yi had already beheaded 728 die-hard members of the Jin Party and exiled over ten thousand to Jilong. The number this time was roughly equivalent to the last; these were all core missionaries within the Zhixing Zhixing Heyi Zhong, their hands stained with blood. This included Wang Xijue's son, Wang Heng, who was also on the execution list.

Wang Xijue's remaining family members were all exiled to Lu Song. Among those exiled were also three illegitimate sons of Wang Xijue; Wang Xijue could by no means be called childless. In the imperial examinations, passing as a Juren was enough to completely change one's fate, and passing as a Jinshi was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

The time for the beheadings was set for the last day of the second month. Any later, and the little Emperor would be having his Grand Wedding. The palace was already decked out in festive colors, while the entrance to the Imperial Palace was to be a massive execution ground.

On the twenty-ninth day of the second month, Zhu Yi summoned the Great Ming's Senior Grand Secretary Lu Diaoyang, Junior Grand Secretary Wang Chonggu, and Minister of Personnel Wan Shihe to discuss the issue of Wang Shizhen.

Wang Shizhen was the leader of the literary world and the head of the Seven Masters of the Revival. He possessed immense influence within the Revivalist faction. Beheading Wang Shizhen was simple, but the aftermath had to be handled well.

"Wang Shizhen was complicit in rebellion, an act intolerable to Heaven. After he is executed, how should the aftermath be handled?" Zhu Yi asked directly. He had some ideas, but he was also willing to listen to the court officials' methods.

If Zhu Yi had asked Tan Lun, Tan Lun would surely have said, "It's just Wang Shizhen; kill him if you must. Those lowly scholars of the Revivalist faction, how dare they rebel?"

"Scholars rebelling won't succeed in ten years."

"Jie Jin, Fang Xiaoru." Wan Shihe pondered the Emperor's words slightly and brought up two examples to explain the Emperor's concerns. Now, Wan Shihe was a step ahead in guessing the imperial will; he could fully understand the meaning behind the Emperor's words.

Emperor Chengzu Wen, Zhu Di, had the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Ji Gang, freeze Jie Jin to death, while Fang Xiaoru was beheaded and his entire family exiled. As for the "extermination of ten clans," that was purely a fabrication.

Not long after Jie Jin died, the Commander Ji Gang was himself executed by slow slicing on charges of treason.

Now, whether it be Jie Jin or Fang Xiaoru, under the influence of public opinion, they had gradually become symbols of loyal bones, and their reputations were beginning to recover. This was a situation the Emperor did not want to see. Since he was going to handle it, he would handle Wang Shizhen so that he could never rise again.

Even if one truly sympathized with the Jianwen Emperor, Zhu Yunwen, those two men, Jing Qing and Tie Xuan, were still many times better than a scoundrel like Fang Xiaoru.

"I do have a few ideas." Wan Shihe took the lead. The process of "killing the person and destroying their reputation" for Wang Shizhen began with Wan Shihe. He would guide public opinion to expose the evil deeds Wang Shizhen had committed. He often did this and was very skilled at it. Besides exposing him in the miscellaneous gazettes, Wan Shihe would also find some down-and-out literati who wrote sour poetry to further process Wang Shizhen's affairs, turning them into storybooks, storytelling scripts, and theatrical segments.

This was called professionalism.

Wan Shihe was very skilled at cleaning up messes, and he was equally skilled at splashing dirty water.

"Should we erect a monument for him outside the Zhaoyang Gate? Wang Shizhen committed no shortage of corruption while serving as Governor of Yunyang. He might not compare to Xu Jie, but in the 'Happy Forest of Monuments,' he can be considered one of a kind." Wang Chonggu offered his own opinion. He was skilled at construction and immediately planned to prepare a "Happy Forest of Monuments" for Wang Shizhen, to let his infamy last for ten thousand years.

The Great Ming Emperor had been fighting corruption for two years, and the "Happy Forest of Monuments" had been standing for over three years. The inscriptions on the monuments, large and small, recorded things in extreme detail. Even if there were a reversal of the verdict in the future and the forest of monuments were toppled, this matter would surely continue to spread. Even if someone tried to clear Wang Shizhen's name, he would never escape the infamy of being a corrupt official.

The common people hate corrupt officials most of all.

Lu Diaoyang, as always, offered no opinion. The Emperor wanted Wang Shizhen dead, not just in a physical sense, but also a social death. It was a case of killing the chicken to warn the monkey; anyone who participated in heretical matters would meet this same end.

"Mm, the ideas are all quite good. I do have an idea myself." Zhu Yi stretched his hand forward.

Lu Diaoyang, Wang Chonggu, and Wan Shihe couldn't help but shiver involuntarily. The spring breeze of the third month carried an inexplicable chill. An idea? Your Majesty, please restrain your divine powers.

The Emperor was a man with many ideas, and they were often those deadly, terrible ones. What strange and whimsical thoughts did the Emperor have this time for hounding Wang Shizhen?

"These literati and scholars value their reputations most of all, cherishing their own feathers dearly. They even establish charitable halls like the Huishan Hall to gain fame for a time. Thus, they would rather defy the clear edicts of the court than risk the slander of the vulgar; they would rather break the laws and discipline of the state than defy the requests of private factions. The Master portrayed their faces vividly; for the sake of fame, they are even willing to endure the court beating, not feeling ashamed, but taking pride in it." Zhu Yi first explained clearly why he wanted to hound Wang Shizhen.

Kill the chicken to warn the monkey. Every time he drew his blade, it was not only to physically eliminate the enemy but also to intimidate them.

Great Ming literati value reputation above all. This time, Zhu Yi would deal with Wang Shizhen with the maximum penalty. In the future, any dog-eyed wretch who dared to participate in such heretical matters would meet the same fate.

"First, I will bestow a plaque. I have personally written the four large characters, 'The Shame of the Literati,' to be sent to Wang Shizhen's ancestral home and hung on the main gate. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, it must never be taken down. Local officials are to inspect it at any time; any failure to display it will be treated as treason." Zhu Yi played his first move: personally bestowing a plaque. Zhu Yi's calligraphy was excellent, and he had often bestowed plaques in the past; now was the perfect time to put it to use.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Wang Chonggu's back. Even when the Emperor dealt with Zhang Siwei, he hadn't been this severe.

The conflict between Zhang Siwei and the Emperor was political. The Emperor had discovered Zhang Siwei and found evidence. Riding the wind of Qi Jiguang's great victory, Zhu Yi launched a thunderous strike. But that political struggle was limited to the top level of the court, and Zhu Yi did not pursue it excessively. However, Wang Shizhen, as the leader of the literary world, had participated in the affairs of the Zhixing Zhixing Heyi Zhong, which involved the livelihood of the people.

Wang Chonggu couldn't help but think of four words: "The people are precious, the ruler is light." This was a passage from Mencius that Emperor Taizu Gao had deleted. The Emperor hadn't said it, but he was doing it.

When matters involved the livelihood of the people, Zhu Yi's handling was this severe. Even if the top levels of the court were tearing each other apart until they were bleeding, fighting to the death, as long as it didn't cause a negative impact, Zhu Yi, as Emperor, wouldn't interfere much. For example, Wang Qian poisoning Zhang Siwei, burning down Zhang Siwei's residence, bribing Zhang Siwei's attendants, etc. —it would be strange if the court, this pool of turtles, didn't fight.

But once a negative impact was caused, it would invite a thunderous strike.

Wang Shizhen was a "meat-eater," a former Governor, a Great Ming Jinshi, and the leader of the literary world. His participation in the affairs of the Zhixing Zhixing Heyi Zhong served as a model for how many people? Social morals were declining, rituals and music were collapsing; the Great Ming was falling into the abyss step by step just like this.

Zhu Yi had to nip it in the bud.

"Secondly." Zhu Yi picked up his teacup and took a sip, looking at the few goji berries floating inside, falling into silence. Had he already reached the age of soaking goji berries in a thermos?

Clearly, it was added by a certain Empress who hadn't gotten her wish!

There's more?!

Wang Chonggu and Wan Shihe looked at each other. The former Vice Minister of Works, Luo Rufang, was right: the Emperor was truly not to be trifled with. Don't provoke him if you can help it; if you deserve to die, just commit suicide, don't cause trouble for His Majesty.

"Literati are skilled at using words to flatter the wicked, but not at using words to punish the wicked. How can this be? This completely lacks backbone and upright spirit."

"Thus, let all officials in the world write a piece criticizing Wang Shizhen's participation in heretical evil. Start from four angles: phenomena, problems, causes, and solutions. Discuss this matter. Minister Wan, work hard and select ten pieces from the officials' writings to be published in the gazette and spread. If any official's writing is repetitive, they will be graded as 'lowest of the low' for lacking loyalty to the monarch and lacking consideration for the state." Zhu Yi said to Wan Shihe.

Wan Shihe widened his eyes and bowed his head, saying, "I accept the decree."

Wang Chonggu was sweating profusely. This would make the matter common knowledge, whether it was already or not. With the Emperor's order, he had no choice but to obey. Then everyone would be criticizing Wang Shizhen; who would dare to overturn the verdict for Wang Shizhen in the future? This case wouldn't be overturned for at least fifty years; they would all be the disciples and grandchildren of those who experienced it.

Fifty years later, overturning the verdict would have no meaning anyway.

"And there's more." Zhu Yi spoke again.

This time, even the corners of Lu Diaoyang's mouth couldn't help but twitch. The Emperor's one trick after another was truly overwhelming.

There was actually more!

"Have all the articles written by the officials carved into stone monuments and sent to Wang Shizhen's ancestral home. Minister of Justice, make the base of this monument large; it must not be easily toppled. Use solid materials and carve it deeply, so that in ten or twenty years, it won't become unclear." Zhu Yi gave instructions to Wang Chonggu about the details of the monument. This monument wasn't just carved casually; it had to be durable.

Destroying an imperial-commissioned monument was a capital offense!

"I obey the decree." Wang Chonggu bowed his head to accept the order with a complex expression. The Emperor was truly killing the person and destroying their reputation.

"Finally." Zhu Yi paused again, observing the reactions of the three high officials. Before, they had gone from astonishment to shock, then to furrowed brows. But this time, he deliberately paused, noticing their reactions, and found they had no reaction at all.

Clearly, it wasn't that they didn't feel surprised, but that they were already numb.

"Dig up the Wang family's ancestral graves and bury those ten magnificent articles from the gazette inside." Zhu Yi stated his idea. Sending the ten articles published in the gazette to Wang Shizhen's ancestral graves would let Wang Shizhen's ancestors see what Wang Shizhen had actually done to provoke the Emperor into such punishment.

"We... obey the decree." Lu Diaoyang, along with the already numb Wang Chonggu and Wan Shihe, accepted this imperial order. Digging up the ancestors' graves and burying the stone monuments inside was even more satisfying than opening the coffin and whipping the corpse. It was opened, but only just a little.

"If the matter is difficult to handle, Wang Shizhen can be left for the time being. Wait until it is handled cleanly and there are no objections before proceeding with the disposal." Zhu Yi provided redundant time, not making things difficult for the court officials, allowing them to handle this problem well.

In the process of handling this, they would inevitably encounter resistance. Wang Shizhen's influence in the Revivalist faction was immense; these Revivalist court officials would certainly submit memorials one after another.

Zhu Yi could, of course, kill first and destroy the reputation later, but he chose to destroy the reputation first and kill later. The difficulty was higher, the characterization would be more stable, and he gave them sufficient time to oppose. If there were no substantive and reasonable objections, then he would just execute it.

Wan Shihe was slightly puzzled, then relieved.

When a person is waiting to die, they are most anxious and uneasy. Wang Shizhen was still locked in the celestial prison; in the process of waiting to die, he would witness with his own eyes the scene of his reputation being destroyed, and then leave the world without regrets.

Wan Shihe believed this was the Emperor's main goal.

Wan Shihe was right; the Emperor's main goal was exactly this: to let Wang Shizhen watch with his own eyes as his reputation was completely swept into the dirt before his physical death.

Wan Shihe understood the Emperor very well. His Majesty was a wise monarch, and his wisdom lay in four words: "Celebrate merit, punish crime." Obviously, His Majesty was doing very well in both celebrating merit and punishing crime. When rewards and punishments are clear, the country is well-governed.

Zhu Yi said with a solemn expression: "I do not wish to see any more Great Ming Jinshi, Juren, or officials participating in heretical matters. In the future, any scholar involved in such heretical evil will be dealt with in this same manner. The Great Ming's social morals are declining; these demons and monsters that bewitch people's hearts are taking the opportunity to do evil, and ghosts and black omens are emerging one after another. As gentlemen who govern people, they should not be like this."

"When Fan Yingqi and Wang Jiaping were lecturing, they said the way of governance is to 'rectify the sea of people, use upright people, walk the upright path, and do upright things; when the masses are clamorous, guide them toward the upright.' The first initiative of governance should be to rectify the social atmosphere. When the atmosphere is clear and the rivers are calm, evil conduct will have nowhere to hide; the brush is a tool for the mind to roam, to educate the masses."

"I will strive together with you all."

"We will respectfully follow the holy instruction." Lu Diaoyang bowed again and left the Baoqi Division's Guanghan Hall with the two officials, walking away step by step.

Walking out of the Guanghan Hall, the three walked side by side across the stone bridge. Lu Diaoyang stood still, and the three officials looked at each other, their faces carrying a bit of bitter laughter and a bit of relief. The bitter laughter was because the little Emperor truly had endless methods, and these methods were one more ruthless than the next; the relief was that the Emperor had severely punished Wang Shizhen and achieved the goal of killing the person and destroying their reputation.

In the future, historical records would never be able to cover up this matter with biased writing. Wang Shizhen would be nailed to the pillar of shame forever, for all eternity, until the end of time.

When Sima Zhao killed Cao Mao, it wasn't even on the streets of Chang'an, but within the palace city. Cao Mao drew his sword and boarded his carriage, leading the palace guards and servants to kill Sima Zhao; this was his final strike, seeking not success but righteousness. At the Eastern Stop-Carriage Gate, Cao Mao encountered Sima Zhao's younger brother, Sima Zhou. Sima Zhou dared not block him, and Cao Mao continued forward.

When he reached the southern palace gate, he encountered the Central Protector General Jia Chong. Cao Mao's jade shattered in the nine heavens, and he died within the palace city.

It took less than an hour, and it happened within the high walls of the palace, but this matter still spread, and people have been talking about it for over a thousand years.

It is not impossible to use biased writing to cover up a matter, provided the impact is small and the number of people involved is few. But for a major event with far-reaching impact and many participants, it is not something that can be covered up by the two words "biased writing."

"Victory report, victory report! Victory report from Yingchang Prefecture!" A scout carried a quiver on his back, the quiver sealed with vermilion lacquer. This was a victory report written by Qi Jiguang himself.

The scout handed the quiver to the Red-Helmet General, who forwarded it to the Commander. The Commander brought it into the palace. Lu Diaoyang, Wang Chonggu, and Wan Shihe didn't need to leave; His Majesty would surely have an imperial decree shortly.

A great victory at Yingchang Prefecture. Qi Jiguang had won another great victory on the front lines, offering it as a congratulatory gift for the little Emperor's Grand Wedding.

A victory report couldn't actually serve as a congratulatory gift because the situation on the battlefield changes in an instant. Qi Jiguang didn't have the ability to fabricate news of a great victory beyond the borders, nor could he decide when a great victory would arrive. He couldn't even decide if he would be victorious in every battle; there were simply too many factors influencing the victory of a war, and the uncertainty was too great. A congratulatory gift could not be filled with so much uncertainty.

Fortunately, Qi Jiguang still managed to send a victory report before the Emperor's Grand Wedding, putting His Majesty at ease. With the Miyun Garrison, Jizhen, and the Capital Battalion on the front lines, and with him, Qi Jiguang, the Northern Barbarians would surely be peaceful and wouldn't cause trouble for His Majesty during the Grand Wedding.

Whoever caused trouble for His Majesty, Qi Jiguang would be responsible for causing trouble at their doorstep.

Qi Jiguang's strategy at Yingchang Prefecture was extremely conservative; he didn't even do the "daily arching of a soldier" to expand territory with camps. He merely held the position of Yingchang, a mountain pass with lush water and grass, to prevent the Northern Barbarians from moving east again to collude with the Eastern Barbarians. Camps and solid cities—a brick-and-stone walled city beyond the borders had already taken shape within a few months.

Khan Tuman saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart. That was a vast pasture, and it had just been taken away by the Great Ming like this. The loss was too heavy. According to the Great Ming's ability to build cities and defend them, once Yingchang Prefecture was completed, the mountain pass of the Great Xianbei Mountain would forever leave the embrace of the Eternal Heaven.

Khan Anda was not anxious; he now believed in Buddhism, not the Eternal Heaven. That wasn't Khan Anda's territory anyway, and Khan Anda had absolutely no motive or reason to do anything. Watching the tigers fight from the mountain was in Khan Anda's interest. Khan Tuman used all his strength to persuade Khan Anda, promising five years of all wool supply. Only with such tangible benefits laid out did Khan Anda agree to send troops to assist.

Although Khan Anda and Khan Tuman formed an alliance and Khan Anda agreed to send troops, when Qi Jiguang formulated his defensive strategy, he did not view Khan Anda and Khan Tuman as a whole. He launched a fierce attack in the direction of Khan Anda and held firm in the direction of Khan Tuman.

Sure enough, Khan Anda's troops had no desire to fight. When the Great Ming launched a fierce attack, these two ten-thousand-man teams retreated rapidly, and later simply disengaged from the battlefield entirely. Afterward, Khan Tuman suffered a great loss in front of the mud-brick walls of Yingchang Prefecture, leaving behind over 1,300 corpses and choosing to retreat.

Qi Jiguang did not pursue; instead, he stopped while he was ahead. The strategic goal of this expedition beyond the borders had been completely achieved. Qi Jiguang did not choose to have the desire for quick victory like the first expedition; instead, he was steady and solid, because he clearly knew he would have plenty of opportunities to fight beyond the borders, so there was no need to be so anxious.

The Vice Regional Commander and Vice General Ma Fang was right: Zhang Juzheng and His Majesty were indeed even more formidable than he, Qi Jiguang, had imagined.

Only those who have been beaten know how much it hurts; only opponents clearly know your strength.

"Good, very good, very good indeed!" Zhu Yi stood up abruptly, walked around a few times, and said repeatedly, almost saying, "My Great Ming is invincible under heaven."

He was truly happy. Qi Jiguang had gained a firm foothold in Yingchang. As long as he waited for the city construction to be completed in the sixth month, Yingchang, the Great Xianbei Mountain pass, Huining Guard, Daning Guard, and Rehe Guard would all become Great Ming territory. The pressure on the Great Ming in the northeast direction would be greatly reduced.

"These 1,300 corpses are the die-hards who still followed Khan Tuman even at this stage. This is more painful for him than if he had lost 10,000 men in the past. With this repelling of Khan Tuman, we can officially announce that the Great Ming's expedition beyond the borders has been a great success!" Zhu Yi held the victory report, his face beaming with joy.

Zhu Yi indeed did not know military affairs; this was not a shameful thing. The vast majority of people in the world did not know military affairs. But he could understand the situation. Khan Tuman had been beaten to this extent; if it weren't for the title of Great Khan to suppress things, his head would have been plucked off and kicked like a ball long ago. The death of these 1,300 men was a huge blow to Khan Tuman. His idea of recovering Yingchang had fallen through, and the situation would become even worse.

Being able to understand the situation did not mean knowing military affairs or having military talent. Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi, once had such an illusion.

A donkey-cart drift at Gaoliang River completely wiped out Emperor Taizong of Song's grand plans. Zhao Guangyi was definitely a master of political struggle. Political struggle requires a clear understanding of the situation; not seeing it clearly is a dead end. Mistaking political talent for military talent—this kind of illusion must not be had.

"In this way, the Great Xianbei Mountain pass is under the control of our Great Ming. Issue the decree: every soldier and commander who fought beyond the borders will be rewarded, five... ten silver for each person, to be issued after the triumphant return. The elite troops of the Yingchang Capital Battalion will be rewarded with fifty silver each. Promote General Qi to Marquis of Qian'an, promote Ma Fang to Earl of Guangchang, and promote Li Chengliang to Marquis of Ningyuan!" Zhu Yi's rewards were very generous. After a great victory, he gave enough silver.

These rewards will only be paid out after returning to the capital; with Tan Lun and Ceng Shengwu in charge of the Ministry of War, Zhu Yijun is not worried about them failing to be distributed properly.

Zhu Yi had always been generous with rewards for soldiers. The stingy Great Ming Emperor only liked to add money in this one matter, rather than cutting the budget.

Money that should be spent would definitely be spent; money that should be saved, not a single cent would be wasted.

The Great Ming army's great victory beyond the borders could be felt by the people of the capital. When the victory report of the last great victory reached the capital, quite a few people decked the streets with festive colors, and even the prostitutes in the brothels sang plays about General Qi's northern expedition.

Winning battles can boost confidence.

Under the prosperous scene of flourishing development, there was only one place where wails filled the fields: the price of worsted wool began to plummet.

The army's great victory should have been a shot in the arm, stabbed fiercely into the worsted wool market. But this casino was completely different from other places. Inside and outside the capital, everyone was happy, only the gamblers in the casino were wailing.

The price of worsted wool had already been fluctuating repeatedly in the second month, fluctuating violently between 13 silver per foot and 19 silver per foot. When the victory report reached the capital and the news of the Emperor rewarding the three armies arrived, the price immediately dropped to 9 silver per foot, and there was a trend of wild decline.

This was not a technical adjustment; it was a collapse.

Even Zhu Yi, who was manipulating the market, couldn't understand this demon market. When he was preparing to tighten the shipment volume of worsted wool, the price of worsted wool soared again to 17 silver per foot, which stabilized the market.

Just as Wang Chonggu had fled earlier, this cloth-currency market had reached a period of violent fluctuations with large rises and falls. Even a big crocodile like Wang Chonggu feared this situation. The stronger the wind, the higher the waves, and the more expensive the fish—this was indeed the truth. But the wind was too strong, and Wang Chonggu, a profit-seeking merchant, was also afraid of capsizing the boat.

Zhu Yi could only sigh that the water here was too deep; even he, the manipulator, couldn't grasp it.

When it was 9 silver per foot, someone jumped into the Tonghui River; when it was 17 silver per foot, someone was hosting a banquet at Yanxing Tower.

The next morning, the third day of the third month, with the Great Ming Emperor only one day away from his Grand Wedding, he appeared on the gate tower of the Meridian Gate. Below the Meridian Gate, there was a sea of people. These people were all here to watch the beheadings. Heretics, everyone should be executed.

The Minister of Justice, Wang Chonggu, got up early, wore his court robes, and sat on the execution supervision platform, waiting for the sun to rise slowly. The execution ground was on the Imperial Street in front of the Meridian Gate, set up far away. Beheading over 700 people at once had extremely harsh requirements for the venue. When noon arrived, the criminals were escorted into the execution ground.

Just verifying their identities took three quarters of an hour. The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lu Guangzu, shuttled between the execution grounds, constantly reviewing them. This had already been checked once by the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate in the celestial prison; the Court of Judicial Review's execution ground was the third check, verifying their identities.

If someone could swap the criminals under three inspections, and their hands and eyes could reach the heavens to such an extent, why not be the Emperor?

Wang Chonggu held a tablet in one hand and a kneeling mat in the other, walked to the Meridian Gate, and shouted loudly: "I, Wang Chonggu, have received the order to supervise the Zhixing Zhixing Heyi Zhong case. The leaders of the Zhixing Zhixing Heyi Zhong case, the woman Wang Guigui of the Taicang Wang clan, the man Su Jing Sanren, an illegitimate son of the Taicang Wang clan, and others, hid image-prophecies and heretical words, burned incense to gather crowds, gathered at night and dispersed at dawn, feigned good deeds to incite the villagers. I request the decree to charge them with the crime of heretical books and heretical words. According to the Great Ming Law, all who spread heretical and heterodox arts shall be beheaded. I request the order to execute the heretics by Heaven!"

After Wang Chonggu finished shouting, he presented the memorial to the waiting little eunuch, who ran up the gate tower in one breath and handed the memorial to Feng Bao, who presented it to the Emperor.

After confirming it was correct, Zhu Yi stamped it, sat up straight, and said: "Take it."

"Take it!" Feng Bao passed the memorial down, flicked his horsetail whisk, and shouted loudly.

The memorial circulated in the hands of the little eunuchs, and the Emperor's heavenly voice also passed down one by one. The Red-Helmet General received the order, took a step forward, and shouted in unison: "Take it!"

Wang Chonggu received the memorial, wrote the four characters "heretical books and heretical words" on the criminal's sign, threw it out fiercely, and shouted loudly: "By His Majesty's decree: Execute!"

The executioners pressed the criminals under the guillotine, removed the death signs with their names and ancestral homes, took out a bone-prying knife from their bosoms, inserted it into the spine, and turned it gently. The criminals lost their breath; the criminals were already dead before being beheaded.

The executioners raised the guillotines high. With the sound of horns and drums, under the waving of the tooth-flags, they fell in response, and heads rolled!

Zhu Yuanzhang was very diligent. Counting the emperors of the Great Ming, it seems the second most diligent was the Chongzhen Emperor, Zhu Youjian. Seeking monthly tickets, Aowu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 287 =====