Chapter 270: Destroying the Mats and Seizing Clothes, Breaking the Cauldrons and Cutting Off Food

"What? His Majesty intends to start a massacre!?"

"Absolutely not, this must absolutely not happen!"

"Pan Jixun lured people up the mountain, could it be just to see blood shed in a Buddhist temple?"

Since winter began, the cold front from the north showed no signs of stopping; it was icy and devoid of a single trace of human warmth.

This chill seemed to accompany the Emperor's single word, "Kill," sweeping through the entire Xinghua Zen Temple—and, of course, including the group of gentry and local notables who hadn't managed to slip down the mountain in time, were blocked at the temple gate, and were now being forced to participate in the expanded meeting.

Upon hearing that their local officials were trapped in the net of the law, they were truly anxious and devastated, as if they had lost their own parents.

Xiao Liangyou walked in front, leading the way for the gentry, and spoke up to correct them: "You all have misunderstood. Today's discussion is strictly just a discussion."

"Once the discussion is over, the judicial authorities will continue to investigate cases as they should. Even if colleagues wish to turn themselves in, they must wait until they descend the mountain and finish handing over their duties. As for who will be immediately executed by family extermination and who will be sentenced to autumn execution, it will ultimately depend on the circumstances of the cases."

It wasn't a major political case, just a mere criminal one; naturally, it had to be done with a legitimate reason, in a grand and proper manner.

Wang lagged half a step behind Xiao Liangyou, head bowed, clutching his sable-fur collar tightly, and said in a dispirited tone: "If it's not execution, it's family extermination. Does His Majesty truly disregard the will of the people?"

The word "Kill" that Xiao Liangyou had relayed echoed constantly in his mind, and he felt it was so absurd as to be unbelievable.

Kill?

To impose capital punishment just for embezzling a bit of silver!?

This is a new dynasty of peace and prosperity, not the Hongwu years of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Even the commoners in the marketplace know that "the way to transform the people lies in governance and education, not in the might of punishment." Could it be that the Emperor has read the books of the sages in vain?

The officials of Xuzhou have all agreed to return the embezzled funds, which shows they have repented and are fully worthy of being re-educated. How can one easily discard the ancestral precedent of "not punishing for a first offense, and fining three cups of wine"!

(Note: The source text appears to have a formatting error here, merging lines 16 and 17. The translation reflects the intended meaning.)

The current Emperor talks of fighting and killing at every turn. Does he truly understand the principle that governing a large state is like cooking a small fish, requiring compromise at every step?

Emperor Xiaozong, where are you!

Xiao Liangyou rolled his eyes, a flash of disdain crossing his face, before turning back to speak to Wang in a gentle tone: "Mr. Wang is unaware; this is merely a temporary expression of the Emperor's intent, not a final decree."

"During the meeting, Hai Yushi Li committed the offense of remonstrating directly, claiming that the will of the people was surging and the livelihood of the people was in turmoil, and he argued incessantly with Hai Yushi Luo."

"It is precisely because His Majesty is concerned about the will of the people and wishes to reconcile the various opinions that he specifically ordered me to come and invite you worthies to the meeting for consultation."

Previously, once the Emperor's opinion—which disregarded the 'rules of the game'—was voiced, the hall immediately erupted in wailing.

A large number of officials knelt on the ground begging for mercy, talking about how they had rendered service to the canal and shed blood for the people, and how their crimes did not warrant death, asking His Majesty to show grace. Wu Zhipeng, that wretch, even knocked his head against the floor, shouting that he wanted to prove his sincerity with his death.

Of course, the moment the Emperor decreed them guilty, these criminal officials were effectively stripped of their right to speak; no matter what posture they took, they could not change the day's resolution.

But, there were always some who were simply stupid and cowardly, rather than corrupt.

It wouldn't do to not clarify right from wrong.

To kill, one must ultimately strike at the heart.

Wang followed closely behind Xiao Liangyou, looking up at the approaching Mahavira Hall, his expression full of disappointment: "Back then in the Wenhua Hall, His Majesty and the officials reached a conclusion: now is a time of good governance, and one must act with a balance of firmness and gentleness, following the path of integrity."

"Beware, beware indeed—"

Xiao Liangyou paused, frowning as he scrutinized Wang, who was full of concern for the country and the people.

This old codger, relying on his seniority was one thing, but he actually dared to criticize the Emperor!

The "Three Virtues," one of the Nine Categories of Governance, could be said to be the primary methodology for governing and administering the state today.

"Uprightness" points to the "Constant Way," establishing a unified moral and right-wrong standard; "Firmness" points to "Great Chaos," requiring authoritative means to stabilize the situation quickly; "Gentleness" points to "Exhaustion," requiring leniency and light taxes to treat the people and scholar-officials with tolerance.

Back then in the Wenhua Hall, the civil and military court officials set the tone together—now is a time of good governance, follow the path of integrity.

When he, Xiao Liangyou, took the imperial examinations, he also wrote an essay on integrity.

This is the primary righteous path for governing the state today.

And the "beware, beware" in Wang's mouth comes from Mencius, King Hui of Liang. What is the second half of that sentence?

It is: "What comes from you will return to you!"

Who is being inconsistent? This is almost a naked satire of the Emperor's style of using heavy punishments in chaotic times, disregarding integrity, and committing a serious error of excessive firmness!

Xiao Liangyou took a deep breath, suppressing the disgust in his heart, and retorted: "Let me make it clear to Mr. Wang: if we are talking about violating state law, our dynasty has the Great Ming Code."

"'Great Ming Code, Volume 18, Penal Code 1, Thieves and Robbers': Any official in charge who steals from warehouses, money, or grain, regardless of whether they are the principal or accessory, shall be judged by the value of the stolen goods; those exceeding forty guan shall be beheaded."

"'Great Ming Code, Volume 24, Penal Code 7, Accepting Bribes': Any official who accepts money shall be judged by the value; if they pervert the law, those exceeding eighty guan shall be strangled."

"Furthermore, 'Great Ming Code, Volume 22, Penal Code 5, Litigation': Anyone who intercepts sealed memorials to the Emperor shall be strangled; 'Great Ming Code, Volume 27, Works Code 2, Construction': Any official who falsely reports expenses for construction or embezzles materials shall be judged as stealing from the warehouse and beheaded; 'Great Ming Code, Volume 8, Household Code 5, Warehouses': Any official who deducts from the rations of laborers shall be judged as stealing from the warehouse and beheaded—"

(Note: The source text has a formatting break in the middle of the legal citations.)

"Since the first year of Wanli, these people still haven't restrained themselves or stopped. His Majesty is ruling according to the law; is this not the path of integrity?"

With Hai Rui as a shining example, the younger generation naturally followed suit and could recite the Great Ming Code backwards.

According to the rule that exceeding eighty guan warrants strangulation, the officials of Xuzhou would all have to be strangled thousands upon thousands of times!

Ruling by law is the kingly way, impartial and without bias. How can this be called excessive firmness?

Unfortunately, Wang didn't buy it.

He shook his head at the gentry walking alongside him: "How many years has this young man been in court? Does he not know that in our dynasty, besides the law, there are also precedents?"

"In the eleventh year of Hongzhi, Li Guang committed suicide. Ten thousand taels of gold were found in his home, along with a 'Register of Bribes from Civil and Military Officials.' The censors spoke of his crimes and asked to arrest and punish those in the register. What did Emperor Xiaozong do?"

"The Emperor said, 'Li Guang insulted the ministers with this; let it be dropped.' He then ordered the supervising secretary to seal the register and burn it immediately."

How could there be a record of colleagues' corrupt behavior? It must have been a baseless slander; burning it was the right thing to do.

Speaking of Emperor Xiaozong's actions, Wang bowed from afar, his face filled with utmost reverence.

Only then did he compose his expression, looking deeply disappointed: "Now, there is a precedent of not taking action, yet he chooses to follow the law. Such heavy punishment in a time of good governance, starting a massacre—is this not excessive firmness?"

The younger generation listed a pile of Great Ming Code articles, but Wang was too lazy to even listen.

That is a means to govern the common people; how can it be used on one's own people?

Let alone embezzling a bit of silver.

Back then, the eunuch Yang Peng, who guarded Zhejiang, was at odds with the Ninghai County Assistant. Yang Peng even forged an imperial decree to arrest and torture the Assistant.

Didn't Emperor Xiaozong still let it go lightly? He just ordered Peng to be brought back and given a leisurely position, not allowing him to manage affairs.

In the words of Li Dongyang, the benevolence of the imperial heart is immeasurable; the ruler and ministers are like family, father and son, with harmonious affection.

Governing a country is like loving a family; this is the path of integrity of broad benevolence and virtue!

Xiao Liangyou listened to this speech in a daze, completely dumbfounded.

No wonder he came up with a theory of "corruption efficiency"; it turns out this is the shape of the "good governance" in Wang's heart.

Xiao Liangyou suddenly felt the stifling air in his heart dissipate completely.

Since Wang was already like this, why bother arguing with him?

Thinking of this, Xiao Liangyou relaxed his expression, no longer arguing, but instead spread his hands and said to Wang with a cheeky smile: "I don't see anything wrong with it. It's almost New Year; killing people and seeing blood is at least quite lively."

Upon hearing this, Wang was stunned on the spot.

This kind of ruffian-like rhetoric made him grunt, his belly full of arguments stifled to the point of internal injury.

The gentry and scholars behind the two were even more wide-eyed, blank and speechless.

At least quite lively?

Is this killing people or killing chickens!

"You—"

Wang still wanted to argue based on reason.

Xiao Liangyou, however, was too lazy to continue entangling with this wretch. He stopped sideways at the bottom of the stone steps outside the Mahavira Hall and raised his hand in invitation: "His Majesty is waiting inside the hall. Worthies, please follow Eunuch Wei inside."

Wang looked up and indeed saw the head eunuch Wei Chao waiting on the steps.

Unable to bother arguing with Xiao Liangyou, Wang, who was bent on persuading the Emperor to turn back from the brink, cursed "rotten wood cannot be carved" under his breath and flicked his sleeves as he ascended the steps.

The gentry behind him cautiously scrutinized the stern-looking Imperial Guards and lowered their heads, following closely behind.

Eunuch Wei clearly had no intention of chatting with the gentry; he called their names in a businesslike manner and led them in.

Everyone lowered their heads as they crossed the high threshold of the Mahavira Hall, and from the corners of their eyes, expressions of surprise appeared on their faces.

The scene of a slaughterhouse with thunderous rage and blood splashing five paces away, which they had anticipated, did not appear.

Inside the hall, sandalwood incense curled, mixed with the charcoal air from the warmers.

On the imperial desk, fragrant tea steamed, and a figure in imperial robes sat upright behind the high platform, fingers tapping lightly on the desk, emitting a crisp "tap, tap" sound.

Before the Emperor were only Hai Yushi-in-Chief Luo Zun and Investigating Hai Yushi Li Shidi, both kneeling and kowtowing, seemingly having just ended a debate.

As for the others—whether they were officials on the imperial tour or canal transport officials—they had all found their places at the neatly arranged long tables and benches; they had actually been granted seats.

The seats were arranged according to official rank.

In the first row of the hall, there was only Pan Jixun, who held the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent.

The rest, such as Right Hai Yushi-in-Chief Chen Wude, sat in the second row; Vice Minister of Works Wan Gong and former Canal Administrator Fu Xizhi could only sit in the third row.

These confidants on the imperial tour sat upright, heads bowed as they flipped through dossiers, fully displaying the demeanor of high-ranking officials.

The canal transport officials were not so presentable.

Qin Bangyan and several managing officials sat together in the sixth row; although they appeared to be reading dossiers, their bodies were clearly stiff, and they shivered from time to time.

Li Minqing and Wu Zhipeng sat in the fifth row. In the middle of winter, cold sweat poured from their foreheads like paste, gathering at the tips of their chins and dripping onto their official robes, soaking through into dark, wet patches.

Even though he was wearing a scarlet robe and sitting in the fourth row, the truly high-ranking official, Vice Commissioner of the Military Defense Circuit Chang Sansheng, did not look very relaxed at this moment, staring fixedly at the empty table in front of him, his breathing rapid and disordered.

Seeing their familiar friends in the officialdom so terrified, the gentry felt a sense of "the rabbit dying and the fox grieving."

This was worse than being thrown into prison directly; to be forced to discuss affairs with the Emperor after being charged—what difference was this from death by a thousand cuts?

At the same time.

The Emperor had already come back to his senses, tucking his lightly tapping fingers back into his sleeves, his gaze falling on the group of worthies.

Feeling this gaze, the group of gentry and local notables felt as if Mount Tai were hanging over their heads; they were suddenly unable to take a step and were at a loss.

Wang, at least, had held high positions in the ministries and had not yet lost his composure.

He stepped forward to the imperial presence and was the first to pay his respects: "This old subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

Reminded by him, the elderly men in their seventies bowed and bent their waists, while the gentry under seventy behind them knelt to pay their respects.

"This old man pays respects to Your Majesty."

"This commoner kowtows to Your Majesty!"

The "old" in Wang's mouth was a self-reference used by retired officials following etiquette, implying old age and uselessness, but when it entered the Emperor's ears, it seemed to trigger some mechanism.

Zhu Yijun hurriedly stood up and moved to the side, acting startled: "So it is an old subject before me!"

Seeing the Emperor suddenly move to the side to avoid the salute, Wang's movements stalled, not understanding why.

Zhu Yijun didn't care how baffled Wang was; he directly adopted a respectful demeanor and said with great seriousness: "I only ascended the throne in the sixth year of Longqing; the salt I've eaten is not as much as the rice the Grand Minister has eaten."

"It should be me paying respects to Mr. Wang!"

"Grand Minister" was an elegant term for a Director of a Bureau in the Ministry of Revenue, showing respect for seniority in the officialdom. Wang had always loved this, but hearing it now, he felt his soul flee in terror.

Seeing the Emperor truly about to bow.

Wang finally reacted, hurriedly throwing away his cane and prostrating himself in the full ritual of a subject, shouting hoarsely: "Your Majesty is killing this humble subject!"

He dared not call himself an old subject again.

Most of the officials in the hall had not been paying attention to the dossiers distributed by the Emperor, and now they all looked over.

Even Chen Wude, who had previously been played by Wang's seniority, could not help but stand up to persuade him: "Your Majesty, the boundary between ruler and subject."

The boundary was the limit; if the Emperor really bowed, Wang would have no choice but to dash his brains out in the hall.

Zhu Yijun ultimately did not bow.

However, he clearly did not intend to let it pass easily, turning instead to sigh at Chen Wude: "What boundary between ruler and subject? I have walked all the way on my southern tour, and I don't know how many times I've heard people say, 'We only know there is a Governor locally, we don't know there is an Emperor in Beijing.'"

"I am not belittling Mr. Wang; I am truly both respectful and fearful."

"The worthies and gentry of Xuzhou were only expressing their dissent with restraint, and I had to put aside the meeting and respectfully ask for consultation."

"If they were to go around the streets, meeting old colleagues, or even inciting the canal soldiers, and expressing their dissent with great fanfare to pressure Beijing—"

Zhu Yijun lightly removed his black-framed spectacles and said expressionlessly: "Then shouldn't I, who am just eating and doing nothing, change the people if I cannot change their thinking?"

Wang's mind suddenly went blank.

The officials in the hall heard this and were also terrified, leaving their seats and standing up!

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words!"

Even Pan Jixun, who was not very sensitive to administrative affairs, hurriedly left his seat and knelt, saying urgently: "I beg Your Majesty to retract your jest!"

The chaotic sounds of remonstrance just started, and the scene was in a mess.

Logically speaking, for the Emperor to be so sharp in his words and press step by step, a loyal subject and filial son should have dashed his brains out in the hall by now.

But seniority naturally deserves its name; there was nothing they couldn't endure.

Wang had already stabilized his mind and calmly stopped his pre-fainting act.

He looked up at the Emperor, tears in his eyes, straightened his body, and bowed deeply: "As Your Majesty has rebuked, regarding the affairs of Xuzhou, I truly have dissent!"

"The Book of Rites says, 'Distinguish between sameness and difference, clarify right and wrong.' Difference means distinctness. The officials and people of Xuzhou and my colleagues in the Censorate have different paths and different arguments; in the end, who is right and who is wrong is not yet known."

"The Book of Documents also says, 'If words are contrary to your heart, you must seek them in the Way; if words are compliant with your will, you must seek them in the non-Way.'"

"Now that the officials and people of Xuzhou have gone against the imperial heart, how can Your Majesty be biased and treat me as an enemy, seeking the non-Way!?"

Once seniority took the lead, the accompanying gentry immediately realized and followed suit, kneeling to state their case.

"I also have dissent, not for my own sake, Your Majesty, please discern!"

"This commoner has dissent! I hope Your Majesty will listen to the will of the people and avoid being misled by treacherous people!"

The officials in the hall watched coldly, and seeing this, they couldn't help but secretly praise them.

As expected of the Grand Minister who came up with the "corruption efficiency theory," even ordinary court officials couldn't handle the Emperor's underhanded tactics, yet Wang had taken them head-on.

Wang did not refute, indicating that he indeed had dissent regarding the Censorate's anti-corruption efforts.

But it was not just him, but the officials and people of Xuzhou—Wang was not inciting the will of the people, but presenting the will of the people, which was truly loyal.

Similarly, dissent was relative; why couldn't it be the Censorate that had separated itself from the masses and had dissent with the officials and people of Xuzhou?

Since that was the case, dissent was naturally not a crime; right and wrong were not yet determined, so how could the Emperor rely on his own preferences to "seek the non-Way" from him, Vice Minister Wang?

The gentry had even quoted the Book of Changes—"not for my own sake"—everyone had no selfish motives.

On the contrary, it was the Emperor who should reflect; loyal words are harsh to the ear!

At this very moment.

The Emperor, who had been counter-attacked, did not show any sign of anger or shame, but just stared steadily at Wang and the others.

Staring until the scalps of the gentry went numb.

After a long while, the Emperor suddenly smiled and turned to Chen Wude, Pan Jixun, and others, praising: "I said, although Minister Wang has been demoted, his original heart has not changed color; he will certainly not use authority to cater to my will or use empty words to embellish, how about that?"

It was just a joke earlier.

Chen Wude and Pan Jixun were both honest men and looked around blankly.

Fortunately, Luo Zun and Xu Fuyuan saw the situation quickly, clapping and laughing, calling out "Indeed" and "Exactly."

Seeing this, the group of gentry felt a great rise and fall, and they struggled to pull the corners of their mouths, chatting to show agreement, hoping to ease the atmosphere.

"Minister Wang, please rise. It was just a test; I hope you don't mind."

Zhu Yijun coughed lightly, letting Wang go, and returned to a serious tone: "Since Minister Wang knows what this consultation is about, I won't repeat myself."

"You worthies keep saying 'officials and people of Xuzhou,' bringing the will of the people, I hope you won't hesitate to enlighten me."

With seniority before him, Zhu Yijun's unreasonable preemptive strike was precisely to better reason with them.

Sure enough, after experiencing a show of force, Wang felt as if he had been granted amnesty and became much more honest.

Facing the Emperor's consultation, he rarely stopped relying on his seniority and replied with fear and trepidation: "I dare not speak of enlightenment; this old subject dares to state his case to the ruler and father."

"I heard that Your Majesty intends to have the Censorate investigate to the end and start a massacre. I am filled with fear; if this really happens, the people of Xuzhou will certainly be in an uproar, and the hearts of the people will be lost!"

Zhu Yijun was very clear about Wang's position, so he naturally didn't find it strange.

He leaned forward and asked curiously: "Oh? Hearts of the people lost? Is this Minister Wang's view, or the view of the officials and people of Xuzhou?"

The process had reached the step of hijacking the will of the people, so naturally, there was no need for seniority to fight alone.

Many gentry and worthies expressed their positions one after another.

"Your Majesty, not just Mr. Wang, this commoner and the hundred people in the village are afraid of the turmoil in the situation; we just want to turn big problems into small ones and restore production as soon as possible!"

"Ruler and father, the various chambers of commerce in Xuzhou are grieving for the rabbit and the fox; in fear, they have even fled with their families."

"This old man has brought a petition from over a hundred students from private schools and county schools, all hoping that Your Majesty will follow Emperor Xiaozong in governing the country with benevolence and virtue. I respectfully present it for Your Majesty's inspection."

Everyone stepped forward to state their case, and the Mahavira Hall became noisy again.

Zhu Yijun supported his forehead with his hand, shaking his head and sighing: "It really is the direction of the people's hearts."

Seeing that the Emperor seemed to be wavering, everyone hurriedly struck while the iron was hot.

An old Confucian with age spots on his face stepped forward tremblingly: "Your Majesty, state law is strict; the officials of Xuzhou may have committed harm, but the law does not go beyond human feelings. These local officials have been in Xuzhou for these years, always enjoying themselves with the people, composing poetry and songs, performing plays, and spreading culture—"

In short, although they are corrupt officials, they usually arrange flowers, bake, and feed stray animals; they are very loving, have good relationships with everyone, and must be good people. They should be shown grace outside the law.

"Yes, although the worthies have traces of seeking personal gain, known as corruption, in reality, their names are secretly set, things are used to the fullest, and the holes of profit are fully opened. It benefits the country and the people!"

Clearly, the spokespersons for the chambers of commerce were applying Wang's "corruption efficiency theory" to perfection.

What collusion between officials and merchants? That sounds too ugly; this is called "money buying power."

If there were no corruption, everyone would do things according to the rules, and everyone would be throttled by the government. But it's different if you pay money to get things done; resources can be transferred from the rigid imperial court to flexible firms. Although the form is corruption, the result is more effective use of resources.

Corruption has merit; how can you kill a meritorious official!

Zhu Yijun listened quietly, secretly thinking that it was indeed full of strange theories.

This was not strange; since the first year of Wanli, the new policies had maintained high pressure on the interior of the imperial court, and naturally, countless people were dissatisfied with this.

The so-called strange theories were essentially just a concrete manifestation of this dissatisfaction.

It wasn't until the gentry and worthies had said almost everything that Zhu Yijun reached out and pressed down.

Waiting for everyone to quiet down, he scanned the room and landed on an old man: "Is this Mr. Sun Keshou? If I remember correctly, when I ascended the throne and the military and civilians watched the ceremony, Mr. Sun was in the third row?"

Sun Keshou was over seventy this year; his great-grandfather Sun Heng had served as Hai Yushi, Prefect, and Left Councilor, and was enshrined among the local worthies. Sun Keshou was a truly famous descendant, long enjoying local prestige, and could be called a virtuous person.

He had never expected that after only one meeting, the Emperor would still recognize him.

He was flattered and hurriedly bowed: "Your Majesty has a photographic memory; you are truly a heavenly person."

Zhu Yijun nodded slightly: "The petitions and memorials from private schools, county schools, chambers of commerce, and gentry regarding the will of the people that you all sent, the Junior Hai Yushi has already repeated to me."

"However, you worthies are unaware that my vanguard also has reports on the will of the people, but they are completely different from what you all presented!"

"It makes me not know what to follow!"

Speaking of this, Zhu Yijun paused, and amidst the suspicious expressions of the gentry, turned to Sun Keshou and ordered: "Mr. Sun, you read it to the worthies."

Sun Keshou didn't know why, so he took the dossier handed over by the eunuch, at a loss.

He subconsciously looked at Wang Ji and the other fellow villagers.

Everyone's faces were not very good, but the messy looks were not enough to give Sun Keshou any guidance for action.

He opened the dossier in a muddle, subconsciously following the Emperor's instructions, and read sentence by sentence: "Petition from the people of Xiaoxian accusing the Zhang family's nephews and in-laws of relying on their eunuch connections to harm the people."

"Stealing and killing the people is not as evil as a prominent eunuch; the evil of a prominent eunuch is not as great as in Xiaoxian. The Zhang family colludes with the county magistrate to abuse the people; the clan relies on power, the sea region is dark; the arrogant servants rely on power, resentment fills the sky—"

Halfway through reading, Sun Keshou finally realized.

He looked up in surprise and scanned the Zhang family head walking with him, as well as the Xiaoxian Magistrate trembling in the seventh row.

Zhu Yijun seized the opportunity: "Don't read the empty words; read the attachment directly."

This opening sounded like the commoners had found someone to write it for them; although the wording was good, it lacked genuine emotion, so it was better to read the attachment after the main text directly.

Sun Keshou was in a dilemma and had to bite the bullet and turn to the attachment page: "Calculated list, evil deeds follow."

"Zhang Hesheng raped the wet nurse Zou, who did not comply; he stripped her naked and gouged her lower body. Jin Shi family witnessed it. The aggrieved woman Zou can be interrogated."

"Zhang Hesheng forcibly raped the virtuous daughter Lu; Mi Deyan touched it and was beaten to death immediately. The aggrieved commoner Monk Zhu can be interrogated."

"Zhang Zhenyu hoarded and defrauded the Jining commoner Liu Zihua, openly bullying a stranger, driving him out, and confiscating family assets of over three hundred gold; the whole family was exposed to the elements, and the young son died of cold. The aggrieved commoner Liu Zihua can be interrogated."

"Zhang Zhenyu framed the constable Wang Ji for selling stolen goods, framed the virtuous commoner Sun Tai as a thief, confiscated family assets of over one thousand gold, and Sun Tai died innocently in prison. The aggrieved commoner Sun Tai's wife Tang can be interrogated."

"Zhang Xiuzhi murdered Wu Jianzhou's wife Jin and her six-year-old orphan, plotting to occupy over two thousand mu of life-saving fields, with blood assets of ten thousand gold. Jin's brother Jin Tianshen touched the poison for his nephew, was immediately captured and tied to the market, and was brutally killed. The aggrieved commoners Jin Tianshen and Jin can be interrogated—"

Except for Sun Keshou's astringent chanting, the hall was silent.

The Zhang family head, admitting that he had failed to restrain his family, remained prostrate after being hissed at by the Emperor.

And the Xiaoxian Magistrate sitting in the seventh row had already tilted his head back, seemingly having fainted.

Sun Keshou read twenty-six items in a row and finally turned the page: "Petition from Xuzhou student Ji Guoting accusing Qin eunuch's family Qin Rui and others of murder and property occupation—"

He glanced at Xuzhou Vice Prefect Qin Bangyan.

But he saw that the latter was already like a dead pig not afraid of boiling water, expressionless.

Sun Keshou was powerless and had to continue chanting: "On the tenth day of the eighth month, at midnight, Young Master Qin Fourth Master flew with twenty weapons, leading a hundred fierce servants like Gao Yi and Xu Yin, shouting for the servants to go up to the roof."

"First they tore down the facade, then with forks, knives, and axes, they killed their way into the back hall, throwing bricks and tiles, overturning chests and boxes, more tragic than a military slaughter or a bandit raid; the wives and children fled in terror, and not even chickens or dogs were left. The neighbors like Mi Zhong dared not save or testify."

"Another."

"Qin eunuch's family Qin Rui and others, greedy for the widow's assets, seduced her, killed her two children, then pulled in the dismissed students Huang Shizuo and Bai Hai Yushi Li Wenhuan, bribed the beastly brothers Ji Gui, beastly relatives Huang Zichang, Huang Wenzhong, etc., led the laborers, supervised the burning of male corpses, and destroyed the evidence."

"Another."

"On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Qin Rui led the stick-wielding thugs Xu Qi, Xu Er, Xu Menghua, Xu Menggao, Xu Zhou, and others, a family of five tigers, framed Wang Zi for stealing garden peaches, hated that Wang Zi refused to confess, swarmed him, and with stones in their hands, severely injured his heart and abdomen; he died at the hour of the dragon on the sixteenth of this month."

Sun Keshou was already numb from reading, almost reading by the instinct of a scholar.

"Petition from Prefecture Student Hua Yuanchun accusing the Sun family of colluding with the Prefecture Yamen to seize land and force deaths—"

After finishing the sentence, Sun Keshou realized the words were somewhat familiar and stopped abruptly.

The Sun family?

Sun Keshou looked closely and immediately saw the names of Wu Zhipeng and his own nephews in this petition.

He looked up at the Emperor cautiously, wanting to speak but stopping.

As a benevolent ruler, Zhu Yijun naturally did not make things difficult for the old man and waved his hand: "That's enough, Mr. Sun, tell me what these petitions are seeking."

Sun Keshou felt as if he had been granted amnesty.

He bowed to the ground and summarized to the Emperor: "In reply to Your Majesty, the people are filled with resentment, and what they seek is to investigate to the end and pay with their lives, eating their flesh and sleeping on their skins, and so on."

As the words fell, the faces of the gentry had already become extremely ugly.

Didn't they say that the people of Great Ming were the most hardworking and accustomed to being oppressed? How could they sing a different tune at this time, shouting for fighting and killing?

There are bad people among the commoners!

Everyone was complaining to themselves when they heard the Emperor's voice rise again.

"I have been extreme for nearly ten years, and to this day I still don't understand what the will of the people is."

Zhu Yijun looked around the hall and sighed faintly: "How can you worthies enlighten me?" ===== CHAPTER 271 =====