"I wonder what you two are here for?" the prince asked.
Zhang Ren put the folder on the case and said, "His Majesty drew up the list of beheadings and asked the two of us to deliver it."
The prince took the book and read it, frowning from time to time. After reading all the books, the prince said: "Xuan Guogong has evil intentions, but he wants to kill so many people. Go back and tell your majesty, I can’t approve this red one.”
"Okay, let's go back." Zhang Ren took the folder and left with Yuan Kai.
Returning to the imperial study, Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "What did the prince say?"
Before Zhang Ren could speak, he was interrupted by Zhu Yuanzhang: "You have many evil ideas. I don't believe what you say. Yuan Kai, come and tell me, what did the prince say?"
Yuan Kai cupped his hands and said, "The prince feels that he shouldn't kill so many people."
After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang did not get angry, but asked with interest: "I think it should be killed, but the prince thinks it shouldn't be. Yuan Kai, I'm here to ask you, who do you think is right, me or the prince?" ?」
Just as Yuan Kai was about to reply, he suddenly remembered what Zhang Ren had said to him. He didn't know how to change it. If he said that the prince was right according to what he thought at this moment, he would definitely make his majesty angry. But if he said that his majesty was right, then There will no longer be a chance for Xuan Guogong and his family to be spared.
Now we can only make His Majesty happy first before we can possibly save Duke Xuan and his family.
After thinking about this, Yuan Kai said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, if you govern the country strictly, you will be able to shake things up, and if you are generous and kind in the East Palace, you will gain merit. There is no right or wrong in either of them."
Yuan Kai thought he had found the best answer, and his voice was particularly loud, but Zhang Ren secretly covered his face. In fact, there was nothing wrong with what Yuan Kai said, but it also depended on who he was facing. Zhu Yuanzhang was the emperor, so Zhang Ren From what Ren knew about him, he was definitely an emperor who always spoke the truth. How could such a person allow a second voice to appear in the country? Even if this second voice comes from the future prince, it won't work.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not make any judgment on Yuan Kai's words, but turned to Zhang Ren and asked: "Zhang Ren, who do you think is right, me or the prince?"
Zhang Ren looked at Yuan Kai awkwardly, and then said: "Your Majesty is right, a country cannot have two words. My uncle told me that to be loyal to the emperor, whoever is the emperor is right."
Yuan Kai's eyes widened. He didn't expect Zhang Ren to say these words. He made changes himself and spoke more tactfully, but Zhang Ren said it so plainly. Yuan Kai even doubted whether Zhang Ren was using himself as a ladder for promotion.
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, but the smile did flash past. He put on a straight face and said to Yuan Kai: "You have learned Zhang Ren's female cunning, but you have only learned a third of it."
Yuan Kai didn't know whether Zhu Yuanzhang's words were good or bad, so he could only kneel on the ground and said: "Wei Chen is guilty."
Before Zhu Yuanzhang could speak, a chamberlain reported outside the door: "Your Majesty, the prince wants to see you."
Perhaps they were afraid that Zhu Yuanzhang would really go on a killing spree, so as soon as Zhang Ren and the others left James Mansion, the prince followed them.
Zhu Yuanzhang ignored Yuan Kai and didn't let him get up. Instead, he said to the chamberlain: "Let the prince come in."
The prince entered the imperial study respectfully. As soon as he entered, he saw Yuan Kai kneeling on the ground and Zhang Ren standing beside him. The prince could probably guess what had just happened and said directly to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, Xuan Guo When the public commits a crime, it is enough to punish him alone, not the entire Li family."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes slightly and said, "What? Shouldn't Li Shanchang die?"
The prince felt that it shouldn't be done, but he didn't dare to say it. Yuan Kai also felt that it shouldn't be done, but he didn't know whether he should say it now.
The imperial study room became quiet for a while, and Zhang Ren could only bite the bullet and said: "Wei Chen thinks that Duke Xuan deserves to die, but he should be executed for the crime of corruption, not regicide and rebellion."
Corruption can generally be dealt with according to circumstances, and the family members will at most be sentenced to exile. But if they are really found guilty of regicide and rebellion, the whole family will definitely be beheaded along with them.
Seeing what Zhang Ren said, Yuan Kai also echoed: "Tell the truth when it comes to treason."
Although it was difficult to convince the public, I felt that what Zhang Ren said was reasonable. "
Zhu Yuanzhang glared at the two of them fiercely and said: "Whether it is corruption or rebellion, Li Shanchang is guilty of death. This world is really too big, and there are too many honorable men. If I don't use heavy ceremony, how can I let the honorable men in this world be punished?" Do you want to use a rat-proof weapon?"
Yuan Kai wanted to say more, but Zhu Yuanzhang had already said: "Come here! Get these two guys out of the palace!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a servant was already beating Zhang Ren and Yuan Kai with a stick. Zhang Ren has extraordinary skills. How can these chamberlains defeat Zhang Ren? He dodged the stick with just one move.
But Yuan Kai was not so lucky. He was a weak scholar. He could not resist the servant holding a stick. He could only watch the stick hit him. Fortunately, Zhang Ren reacted. Quick enough, he pulled Yuan Kai over and ran out.
Several chamberlains especially refused to stop. His Majesty's decree was to force him out of the palace. They could only chase after Zhang Ren with sticks until they reached outside the palace gate before stopping.
Zhang Ren and Yuan Kai were thrown out of the palace, which made many people look at them.
Zhang Ren supported Yuan Kai, who was still breathing heavily, and asked, "How are you? Are you not injured?"
Yuan Kai had been hit with a stick several times, how could he not be injured? Now he only felt severe pain in his body. Faced with Zhang Ren's concern, he threw away Zhang Ren's hand.
Zhang Ren was a little confused and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Yuan Kai's expression was a little complicated and he said: "Yuan's temperament is indeed straighter. I know all this. I did what you said today and tried to be as smooth as possible, but I don't know why it is still like this? What in the world is this? Is it right or wrong? I don’t understand more and more, Zhang Ren, you are very smart, but it makes me feel scared. I don’t know whether what you said to me is right or wrong, I can’t judge. I don’t know myself at all now What should I do? Should I stick to my old self, or should I try to change as much as possible? Zhang Ren, I just want to ask you, do you have any intention of cheating me?"
Zhang Ren turned to Yuan Kai and asked, "You don't believe me?"
Yuan Kai did not answer, but Zhang Ren saw distrust in his guarded eyes.
The two just looked at each other, Yuan Kai shook his head, and finally limped toward home.
In fact, Yuan Kai is not to blame for all this. His family is not a scholarly family, and his parents are honest people. He has studied the classics of saints since he was a child and has strict demands on himself. A person like him is almost equivalent to a piece of flawless white jade. He is uncarved and only thinks that all the principles in the book are correct, and there is no room for any sand in his eyes.
This is a portrayal of his life. It would be great for a person like Yuan Kai to be a scholar and open a college or something, but he passed the exam and entered an official career.
He originally thought that when he became an official, he would be able to flex his muscles, do good things for the people in the world, and solve problems for the emperor in the court, but how could the court be as simple as he thought? Because of his upright temperament, he didn't have any friends in Yingtian Mansion.
As time passed, Yuan Kai naturally realized his problem. He wanted to change, but he couldn't find the root of the problem and couldn't start. It was at this time that Zhang Ren appeared.
Zhang Ren's words opened the door to a new world for Yuan Kai, but this world was filled with so many things that were not in the books that Yuan Kai couldn't even distinguish between simple good and bad. His concept collapsed. This also makes him feel a little discouraged now.
It is not a bad thing to let Yuan Kai face the world outside of books, but where it will develop in the future can only depend on Yuan Kai himself.
Zhang Ren looked at Yuan Kai's limping back, shook his head helplessly, turned around and walked towards his home.
…
In the imperial study room, now that Zhang Ren and Yuan Kai were missing, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao seemed to be talking more casually.
Zhu Biao was extremely sincere and said: "At any rate, Duke Xuan and you are our sons and daughters. Now that you want to destroy the nine clans of Duke Xuan, aren't you including sister Lin'an?"
Princess Lin'an is the eldest daughter of Zhu Yuanzhang, and she is married to Li Qi, the eldest son of Li Shanchang.
Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes, and his mind was filled with the image of Princess Lin'an. He was really
The eldest daughter who doted on him only heard him slowly say: "You have also seen the list of people who were approved for red, but Lin'an's name is not in it."
Zhu Biao spoke again: "But Lin'an and his sister-in-law are in love. Li Qi's name is among the batch of reds, and their children Li Mao and Li Fang are also prominently listed. Do you want Lin'an to blame you for the rest of your life?"
Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes, and the tenderness towards his family disappeared in his eyes, only the domineering attitude of the superior, "Lin'an and Li Qi can be exempted, and so can Li Fang, but Li Mao colluded with the nine sects to murder the people, and the crime cannot be punished!"
Zhu Biao still consoled him: "But Li Mao is your grandson!"
A hint of coldness flashed across Zhu Yuanzhang's face and he said: "What about my grandson? I am the emperor! You are the prince! You should have decisions that ordinary people don't have!"
Zhu Biao was still dissatisfied, "Even if Li Mao deserves to be punished for breaking the national law, most of your critics are innocent people. They are just related to Duke Xuan, so why are they guilty?"
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and said, "I'm not doing this just for you!"
Zhu Biao was puzzled, "For me?"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "Yes, you are courteous and upright, and you are a good candidate to be the emperor. I believe that you will manage the Ming Dynasty well in your hands in the future, but there are always people in this world who will hinder you. It is those nobles, Li Shanchang is the leader of the nobles. If he does not die, you will not be able to suppress him in the future. Even if he has no objection, as long as he is around, those guys with ulterior motives can use him to make it difficult to implement your decree. I am old and I don’t know how many years I have left to live. Before I die, I must eradicate all the disasters of the Ming Dynasty. I will bear the burden of the evil. All you have to do is be a wise emperor."
It was early for Zhu Biao to speak, but he was directly kicked out by Zhu Yuanzhang.
