"The old minister is terrified and doesn't know what he has done."
When Zhou Kui heard this, he trembled and knelt down on the ground. Trembling, he kowtowed to Zhu Houcong. He looked like an innocent old man: "Since my daughter married into the royal family, I have been serving your majesty day and night. I have prayed for the Ming Dynasty and worked hard, but I dare not not be careful."
After saying that, Zhou Kui burst into tears, as if he had vented all his decades of grievances, weeping like rain.
It seems that Zhu Houcong is a tyrant who bullies Zhongliang, enough to arouse the anger of both humans and gods.
Zhu Cixiang on the side couldn't bear it and was about to plead for his grandfather, but Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed Zhu Cixiang and smiled like an old farmer who had finished cultivating the fields. He pulled Zhu Cixiang and said with a smile: "Don't be anxious, baby. Let’s see how Jiajing handles it.”
When treating his own people in the Zhu family, Zhu Yuanzhang did not have the pressure of a decisive and decisive emperor at all. Instead, he was like an ordinary old farmer, making people unconsciously want to get close to him.
Now Zhu Yuanzhang can be said to have great faith in Zhu Houcong, his descendant, and he is even thinking about whether to pay homage to the Taoist gods when he goes back.
Seeing Zhou Kui in such a posture, Zhu Houcong sneered.
It would be fine if he didn't know what a beast Zhou Kui was, but coincidentally, Zhu Houcong happened to know Zhou Kui!
After all, throughout the history of the Ming Dynasty, who didn’t know that Zhou Kuifu, the father-in-law of the country, could be an enemy of the country?
This week, Zhou Kui took advantage of the fact that he was a relative of the emperor. He acted unscrupulously, plundering people's fat and anointing everywhere, and colluding with officials. It can be said that he was rich and wealthy as the enemy!
However, when the Ming Dynasty was about to die and the intruders came to the city, the father-in-law pretended to be stupid and said that he had no money. Finally, under the scolding of his daughter Queen Zhou, he donated five thousand taels.
Empress Zhou couldn't bear it anymore, so she sold her jewelry to raise five thousand taels of silver, hoping that Zhou Kui would donate it so as not to lose face. However, facing the money, Zhou Kui was stunned and greedy for another two thousand taels. I paid three thousand taels...
Zhu Houcong's eyes were cold and he scolded Zhou Kui coldly: "I heard that Zhou Kui, the patriarch of Zhou, was corrupt and had embezzled a lot of money. The officials in the capital rushed to bribe you, the patriarch, hoping to be able to say it in front of Chongzhen. A few kind words can be said to be as rich as the country, but when the country is in crisis, why do you only contribute so little money?"
"It's unjust, Your Majesty!"
Without hesitation, Zhou Kui knelt down on the ground and continued to cry bitterly, even his nose was covered with his beard. Together they looked particularly miserable: "Your Majesty, I pray for my Ming Dynasty day and night. Every time When raising donations, I must do my best to raise donations. Since the sixth year of Chongzhen, I have donated no less than 800 taels of silver every year. I only have enough food left at home to survive! There must be a child slandering me behind my back. Please tell me clearly!"
Zhou Kui's performance is nothing short of wonderful.
He was originally a rogue walking around the streets of the capital. He was lucky enough to have a daughter who was as beautiful as a flower. He also hooked up with Chen Renxi, a native of Donglin, and then sent his daughter to the palace. She became the queen, and he also The chicken and dog ascended to heaven and became the head of the country, Jiading Bo.
Although Zhou Kui was frightened and cried constantly at the rebuke from Emperor Jiajing in front of him, he had no fear in his heart.
There is no other reason, because he is the father of the current queen and the head of the current Ming Dynasty!
Relatives of the emperor, even the emperor, must pay attention to the face of the Tian family!
This is also the reason why Zhou Kui is confident.
Zhu Cixiang who was on the side also put in good words for Zhou Kui and said: "Grandpa Jiajing, maybe there is a treacherous villain talking behind your back, so you have to listen. Although my grandpa loves money, he should not be able to commit such corruption and pervert the law." What’s wrong!”
Zhu Yuanzhang knew Zhu Houcong very well, and naturally knew that if he was simply greedy for ink, he would have had his house searched and executed by now, so he asked calmly: "Houcong, what has this person done?"
Zhu Houcong took a deep breath and said in a cold voice: "If it weren't for us, before Chongzhen hanged himself, Prince Zhu Cixiang had entrusted this person and Cheng Guogong Zhu Chunchen to him. As a result, Chongzhen had just hanged himself, and this person and Zhu Chunchen took Prince Zhu Cihong into the palace together. Dedicated to Li Zicheng!"
Hearing this sentence, Zhu Yuanzhang was greatly surprised!
And Zhu Cixi's expression couldn't help but change.
If it were not for Taizu, Chengzu and Shizong, my father would hang himself!
Zhu Cixiang was shocked in his heart, but then, a great anger arose in Zhu Cixiang's heart: the one who sacrificed himself turned out to be his very trusted grandfather!
Zhu Cihong felt very indignant. Zhu Cihong, the Duke of Chengguo, was not familiar with Zhu Chunchen, but his grandfather Zhou Kui had met Zhu Cihong several times. Zhu Cihong treated him like his own family and his grandfather, but he did not expect that his grandfather was greedy and fearful. Die and dedicate yourself to Li Zicheng!
Zhu Cixiang had no doubts about Zhu Houcong's words and absolutely believed that what Zhu Houcong said was true.
When he first learned about the apparition of Emperor Taizu, Emperor Chengzu and Emperor Shizong, Zhu Cixiang only thought that his father might have gone crazy, just like Song Qinzong in the Song Dynasty, who was superstitious about the art of spreading beans to create an army. However, he did not expect that the soldiers of tomorrow actually turned out to be real. descended from the sky to put down the rebellion!
How can one not be convinced by such a miracle?
After all, when things have reached this point, even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Ming Dynasty will no longer believe in the statement "I am invincible tomorrow".
"Later, after he surrendered to Li Zicheng, Li Zicheng asked these two ministers to donate money to help pay. Zhou Kui was very stingy and did not give up a dime. In the end, the intruders forced his family to commit suicide. Zhou Kui was still unwilling to give out a tael of silver! Later, Li Zicheng personally interrogated Zhou Kui, who was whipping him to death with a whip, had no choice but to take Li Zicheng back home and take out the silver hidden in the cellar!"
Zhu Houcong took a deep breath, his eyes filled with disgust.
Extremely stingy, for Zhou Kui, apart from his own life, probably no one is more important than money!
"This man deserves to be killed!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were also full of murderous intent.
Regardless of corruption, just taking the prince to surrender to Li Zicheng should have killed him by a thousand cuts!
After Zhou Kui, who was kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, heard Zhu Houcong's words, he sat on the ground for a moment and stopped crying, dumbfounded.
How did Emperor Jiajing know his thoughts? !
Zhou Kui felt like a storm was rising in his heart. He was indeed ready to kidnap the prince and surrender to Li Zicheng, but wasn't Li Zicheng beaten away before he could do it? Therefore, Zhou Kui originally thought that this matter would be rotten in his heart forever, but Emperor Jiajing said it in one word!
Not only that, he even told his ending!
This incident made Zhou Kui feel absurd, but also horrified.
Because his money is really hidden in the cellar of the manor as Zhu Houcong said!
Zhu Houcong was too lazy to say anything more to this shameless father-in-law, and immediately waved his hand: "Come here, search all of Zhou Kui's family property, and according to the laws of this dynasty, Zhou Kui will be skinned and executed!"
Hearing these words, Zhou Kui's heart stopped. But before his spirit could collapse, a hurried voice came from not far away: "Grandpa Taizu, Master Shizong, you two, wait a moment!"
After hearing the voice of the visitor, Zhou Kui became energetic instantly, and immediately bowed in the direction of the visitor with a tearful voice: "Your Majesty, save me, Your Majesty, save me!"
The person who came was none other than Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian.
