After Zhu Youxiao learned the details of Hong Chengchou's arrest from Wei Zhongxian, he couldn't help but shook his head in laughter.
"This Hong Chengchou really has some abilities, but he has been dragged down by those stupid pig-like rebel gentry. This is also his bad luck. Serving as a military advisor for these gentry, even if he has great abilities, it is all in vain! Li Dingguo helps these people If we can't help them, let alone Hong Chengchou who is afraid of death!"
Zhu Youxiao said heartily.
Then, he gave the order: "Pass the decree, and ask the cabinet ministers, the six ministers, the ministers of the left and right, and the ministers of each temple to come and see me."
After all the ministers arrived, Zhu Youxiao talked about Hong Chengchou again: "In the matter of Hong Chengchou, the ministers think how to deal with it. This man obviously has some ability, but his integrity is undoubtedly lacking."
"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, there should be no strict rules when employing people. Now that this person has some abilities, he should be used. As for his lack of moral integrity, it is understandable. As your Majesty said just now, he was forced to do so by rebelling against the party. So, I think this person may be of use."
Fang Congzhe saw that the emperor said that Hong Chengchou was capable, so he thought Zhu Youxiao wanted to use Hong Chengchou, so he said so.
Although he is the chief minister of the cabinet, he is accustomed to only following the will of the Holy Spirit.
Zhu Youxiao just smiled.
At this time, cabinet minister Xu Guangqi stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I believe that although Hong Chengchou has no treasonous intentions, he is actually treasonous. Even if he is forced into the camp of the rebel party, he should commit suicide or go on a hunger strike to martyr himself. , at least he pretends to be deaf and mute and does not plan against the party, but this person is for his own selfish purposes. He first flatters the Japanese chieftains and then slaughters the common people. He has no moral integrity or benevolent heart! Keeping him will only make the virtuous people The cold heart makes even the talented have no scruples! When did I, the Ming Dynasty, do whatever I want just because I am capable?! Therefore, I believe that Hong Chengchou should be dealt with severely, and he should be dealt with severely for treason! Not killing him is not enough to show the integrity of a scholar-official!"
For a moment, Yuan Keli also stood up and said: "I also think that this Hong Chengchou has no intention of cherishing his subordinates, but he is begging for mercy from his superiors. His character is too low. If he is not a minister of salary, he is okay, but as a court official, at least You must have the virtue of not rebelling against the emperor, not harming the country, and not harming the people, but Hong Chengchou has no such virtue! As evidence, I have the letter that Hong Chengchou gave to my ministers in the past. Please read it to your majesty!"
Only then did Yuan Keli take out the secret letter given to him by Hong Chengchou.
Then, Yuan Keli continued: "The so-called ability, can't we in the Ming Dynasty find a person with the highest moral character and talent that is not inferior to him? In our glorious China, we have never lacked people with both virtue and talent. As for this kind of character The more talented a despicable person is, the greater the harm he will do to the country. Therefore, I also ask your Majesty to deal with this person severely! In addition, Hong Chengchou's mother also wrote a letter personally, requesting your Majesty to punish him in a canonical manner to correct the atmosphere. Now I entrust you with I present it to Your Majesty, and I invite Your Majesty to take a look at it!"
Yuan Keli took out another letter as he spoke.
Zhu Youxiao was quite surprised. He didn't expect that Yuan Keli never told him about Hong Chengchou writing a secret letter to him. It turned out that he had already made up his mind to kill Hong Chengchou, and even prepared a dictated letter from Hong Chengchou's mother. .
Zhu Youxiao remembered that in history, Hong Chengchou was not forgiven by his mother after he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and pacified Jiangnan for the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao was not surprised that Yuan Kelin was able to obtain an oral letter from Hong Chengchou's mother requesting Hong Chengchou's execution.
Zhu Youxiao took the dictated letter stamped with Hong Chengchou's mother's handprint, looked at Xu Guangqi, Yuan Keli and other officials, and finally made up his mind: "Yes! Since his mother does not tolerate his misconduct, how can I forgive him? When will I forgive him?" , is loyalty less important than filial piety? Immediately punish Hong Chengchou by having his car broken apart! He will be punished for the crime of immorality and treason!"
"My Holy Emperor!"
Zhu Youxiao only smiled faintly.
He had to admit that his Ming court was really different from the Manchu court.
The civil servants in their own courts still have moral requirements, which is why Hong Chengchou is not tolerated. But in the Manchu and Qing court, the shaved civil servants no longer have any moral requirements for their colleagues, just like they do to them. The emperor also had no moral requirements.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou's ending at this time was different from the ending after being captured by the Manchu Qing Dynasty in history.
It's not just that Zhu You can't accommodate him.
Among the scholar-bureaucrats in the Ming Dynasty, there were many scholar-bureaucrats who valued integrity, and people like Hong Chengchou were not allowed to die well.
Otherwise, how could the Ming Dynasty be called "hard"?
Why did many ministers, such as Fan Jingwen, Ni Yuanlu, Meng Zhaoxiang, Xu Zhi, and Gan Zhong, die for the country when Chongzhen died for the country?
This is all because there are still many scholars and officials in the Ming Dynasty who pay attention to their integrity.
In addition, Zhu Youxiao now has to admit that the talents of people like Yuan Keli have been proven by practice to be very good. They can run the army on horseback and the people on horseback. As an emperor, he cannot let these people think that as long as they have talent, If you stand out, you can be unscrupulous.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao must punish Hong Chengchou severely in order to maintain the high standards of important ministers, who must not only be capable but also talented.
Hong Chengchou was deeply saddened when he learned about this incident.
But Hong Chengchou did not insult the emperor, nor Yuan Keli and others, only Yang Sichang and others.
"Yang Sichang, Ye Chengmin, Ding Qirui, you gentry are so stupid! No, all of you gentry are so stupid! I have been deceived by you gentry. Fortunately, the world is now controlled by you and other gentry, otherwise you will be in chaos sooner or later. Take over the world! Your Majesty is wise, Your Majesty is wise, it is best if you gentry kill them all!"
Hong Chengchou cursed like this even when he was being tortured.
…
"My lords, listen to this. It's a good thing that Your Majesty asked Mr. Yuan and others to execute this person. Otherwise, if he were to retain this person, he would be even more vicious than Fang Thief and other traitors, and he would even threaten to kill all the gentry!"
When Xie Sheng heard what Hong Chengchou shouted loudly, he couldn't help but whisper to Fang Kezhuang and others.
"He is crazy! If all the scholar-bureaucrats are stupid, wouldn't he himself be stupid too?"
Fang Kezhuang said disdainfully.
"Actually, there is nothing wrong with him scolding us like this. We gentry are indeed extremely incompetent. Now we no longer dare to mention ruling the world with the emperor!"
Huang Shijun sighed.
"There is something wrong with what Huang Gong said. Aren't Xu Ge Lao, Yuan Qiuguan and others capable ministers? And they are highly regarded by the emperor. Every time he makes a mistake and directly remonstrates, your majesty also obeys. For example, when he killed Hong Chengchou, his majesty heard that he intended to use this person, but because of Xu It was only after Yuan Ergong stopped him that he was severely punished."
Fang Kezhuang said.
But Xie Sheng sneered at this time: "So our Majesty is unpredictable! Only Xu, Yuan and others dare to do this. If it had been others, their families would have been confiscated and exterminated. Do you know why this is so? Because of this Xu Guangqi, Yuan Keli and others are the real lunatics, more terrifying than a gang of thieves!"
"What do you mean?"
Huang Shijun asked hurriedly.
"They want to kill Hong Chengchou because he has a lack of integrity. Isn't this kind of lunatic who asks ministers to sacrifice themselves rather than harm the country and the people to be terrifying?
As far as I know, the first thing Yuan Qiuguan said after he met with His Majesty was to ask His Majesty to take strict precautions against the emergence of aristocratic families, and to advise the Emperor to take back the dignitaries' share of the dividends in the official business and return the benefits to the country! Do you think these people are crazy?
They also have their own share, and they are about to become members of aristocratic families, but they really want to cut off their profits because of an illusory 'country'! If it weren't for these lunatics, Fang Congzhe, the treacherous people who only know how to please the Holy One, would not have completed the New Deal so well. I heard that they are now ready to take the initiative to advise His Majesty to rectify the capital camp and take action against the noble military attachés in the capital! "
Xie Sheng said.
…
"Your Majesty, I believe that it is not too late to rectify the capital camp! The Ming Dynasty cannot use the people to support an army that cannot fight and waste national wealth!"
Yuan Keli once again proposed to Zhu Youxiao to rectify the Beijing camp at the Privy Council meeting.
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