The first assistant of the cabinet, Fang Congzhe, the second assistant, Han Xu, the third assistant, Wang Xiangqian, Li Ruhua, the official minister, Sun Ruyou, the minister of rites, Wang Yingjiao, the minister of household affairs, Xu Guangqi, the minister of the Ministry of war, Huang Kezuan, the minister of the Ministry of punishment, and Bi Maokang, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, all stood after saluting Zhu Youxiao. Outside Zhu Youxiao's inner study room.
"You've got everything ready tonight."
Zhu Youxiao replied in a bad tone, and then glanced sideways at the ministers.
"Your Majesty, there were some ignorant scholars who were making a big fuss in the Imperial Guard Hall during the day. We are all aware of this matter. Now that I have come to see Your Majesty, I really want to beg His Majesty for mercy. I beg Your Majesty not to do it for the sake of their youth and ignorance. When you argue with them, just be open-minded."
Sun Ruyou, the Minister of Rites, spoke up.
Zhu Youxiao laughed: "Young and ignorant? Many of these people must be over thirty years old. I can understand their ignorance when they go to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to make a fuss, but when they go to the Jinyiwei lobby to make a fuss, they even beat the Jinyiwei to death. Several people, this is already treason. They don’t take me and the court seriously! Next time, will they dare to break into the Meridian Gate and beat me to death?"
"Your Majesty, calm down. These scholars have indeed committed heinous crimes, but they are scholars after all. It is easy to kill them, but it is difficult to convince the people of the world. In the final analysis, this matter is caused by Li Sancai's crime. Although Li Sancai also The crime was extremely heinous, but he did have great prestige among the scholars. Killing him would be equivalent to not caring about the people of the world. Otherwise, why didn't the temple kill Li Sancai back then? It was because he didn't want to but couldn't do it! Your Majesty, for the sake of the great Ming Dynasty, sometimes you can't The peace of the country is not to rule the world with laws, but to rule the world with etiquette. The court should also treat the people of the world with etiquette, rather than prohibiting the world's affairs with laws, otherwise the people will not be convinced."
Li Ruhua, the Minister of Civil Affairs, also started talking.
Zhu Youxiao only remembered one sentence after listening to it, and that was the sentence "Confucianism uses etiquette to corrupt the law."
At this time, Huang Kezuan, the Minister of Punishment, even knelt down: "Your Majesty! I take back what I said before. In this situation, it is better not to punish Li Sancai with death, and forgive those scholars in order to comply with the people of the world."
"You don't need to persuade me anymore! Li San is the one who must be killed, and these scholars who are causing trouble in the Jinyiwei Hall must be killed too! I have made up my mind!"
Zhu Youxiao said, "Draw up the decree, and Li Sancai will add another five hundred swords when he is in Lingchi!"
"His Majesty!"
Huang Kezuan shouted, wanting to speak again.
"Do you want to resist the decree?"
Zhu Youxiao asked in a cold tone.
"My lord, I obey your order!"
Huang Kezuan finally replied.
Seeing this, Wang Yingjiao, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, couldn't help but stand up: "Your Majesty, I am worried that if this continues, if nothing else, I am afraid that the grain supply will be cut off and the world's wealth will increase. By then, Jiubian and the capital will notice the grain shortage, and As a result, the morale of the army and the people will be unstable! Then the world will really be in chaos, please think twice, Your Majesty!"
"Paying taxes and grain is the obligation of the people. If the people of the world disregard the peace of the world and want to break with the imperial court and no longer want to support me and the Jiubian Army Town! Then why do I need this world and this country? I will be in trouble by then. Lead the Jiubian Army to the south to collect grain. Don't think that this country is really just mine. This world is really my world. Although I am the lord of the world, I am not the only one who enjoys the blessing of peace in the world. .”
Zhu Youxiao started talking.
The officials present were shocked after hearing this. They did not expect that His Majesty the Emperor would rather abandon the Ming Dynasty and the country than compromise.
"yes!"
Wang Yingjiao was stunned for a moment, and finally uttered only this word.
The other ministers also fell silent.
And Zhu Youxiao said: "It's getting late, everyone, please retreat."
"Your Majesty, please leave!"
These ministers all left here. Except for Xu Guangqi who showed a hint of gratitude, the other ministers were a little disappointed.
Zhu Youxiao knew that these people would come to persuade him. These great scholars and ministers were all civil servants and belonged to the same class of scholar-bureaucrats as the scholars who made trouble. It was impossible not to speak for them.
But now Zhu Youxiao is unwilling to compromise.
Therefore, the relationship between the monarch and his ministers broke up unhappy.
…
However, early the next morning, Huang Kezuan, the Minister of Punishment, announced his resignation.
Although he was not a Donglin official, he really did not dare to let him, the Minister of Punishment, execute so many scholars personally.
The cabinet vote was to reject Huang Kezuan's request to resign.
Zhu Youxiao also agreed, because so many important criminals were about to be executed at this time, and he had no time to replace a suitable Minister of Punishment.
However, what Zhu Youxiao did not expect was that shortly after rejecting Huang Kezuan's request to resign, Wei Zhongxian suddenly entered the palace and reported to him: "Your Majesty, Dongchang has just received news that Huang Kezuan, the Minister of Punishment, committed suicide by taking poison!"
Suicide by taking poison?
Zhu Youxiao was horrified when he heard the news.
He did not expect that Huang Kezuan would rather commit suicide than execute Li Sancai and those scholars.
Although Zhu Youxiao has killed many people since he came to the throne, he does not completely ignore life in his heart. When he did not decide to execute a person but the person died because of himself, he would still be touched.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao threw the pen in his hand on the case: "I'm not afraid of this old guy, what is he afraid of!"
"Your Majesty, Dongchang has also received news that the left and right ministers of the Ministry of Punishment have ordered their families to buy coffins."
Wei Zhongxian said again.
Zhu Youxiao was stunned after hearing this: "Is this happening?"
Wei Zhongxian nodded: "I dare not deceive the emperor!"
After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao smiled bitterly: "That's very good. You would rather live than submit to me. This is the minister who remonstrates firmly to death!"
"Your Majesty, Yuan Fu would like to see you."
At this time, Wang Chengen replied.
"Invite him to the inner study to meet you!"
Zhu Youxiao usually would not let foreign ministers into his inner study at will, but today was different. Huang Kezuan's death and the fact that the left and right ministers of the Ministry of Punishment were prepared to die to disobey his orders really made him feel the thorny nature of the problem. He did not expect to deal with Li Sancai and even the killing of troublemakers caused by Li Sancai will trigger so many chain reactions.
Fang Congzhe came to Zhu Youxiao's inner study room. With tears in his eyes, he knelt directly in front of Zhu Youxiao: "Your Majesty! This is the memorial just submitted by Huang Kezuan, the Minister of Punishment!"
"Bring it!"
Soon after Zhu Youxiao said that, he took the memorial from Wang Chengen and started reading it.
Zhu Youxiao only saw that the main meaning of Huang Kezuan's memorial was the last sentence: "The superiors dare not betray the emperor's decree, and the subordinates dare not go against the people's people. I will die!"
"This should be his last memorial."
After Zhu Youxiao said something, he looked at Fang Congzhe: "I know what you are going to say. You must also know about Huang Kezuan. Is it so difficult for me to maintain the imperial code and kill a revolutionary member? Yuan Fu, I am still the world's leader. Lord?"
Zhu Youxiao asked earnestly as he spoke.
Fang Congzhe couldn't help but sobbed: "Your Majesty is naturally the lord of the world! But Your Majesty, there are some things that cannot be done by humans. How about you show mercy this time? You can't really force all the loyal and loyal ministers in the court to die for the country." , People like Huang Kezuan are mature and prudent ministers, if they are gone, then the court will only be filled with hypocritical and shameless people, and the people outside the court will really break with the court completely!"
"What about Li Sancai? Tell me what's on your mind. Do you think he should be killed? Tell the truth. I won't blame you."
Zhu Youxiao said.
"Deserves to be killed!"
Fang Congzhe replied, and then said: "But we can't kill him! Because his reputation is too great!"
