At this point, the Tongzhou Rebellion was put down in a short period of time.
The principal criminal Gui Zhong was escorted back to the capital.
Emperor Zhu Youxiao soon learned of the news and even the details of the entire counter-rebellion process.
However, Zhu Youxiao already knew that Hua Yuncheng would do this.
Otherwise, he would not have directly used Hua Yuncheng when discussing this matter.
"Hua Yuncheng did not disappoint me, but these rebellious employees did disappoint me. They are still the same as the troubled people in history books, easy to be bribed, disintegrated, and easy to betray the heroes who stood up for them. They want them to There is still a long way to go to fully awaken, and I, the emperor, must continue to be autocracy, because no one wants them to receive education more than me, and I hope that the people’s wisdom can be enlightened!"
Zhu Youxiao said in his heart.
And he was right.
A qualified emperor and his ministers will do their best to provide his people with a good life so that they will not question the legitimacy of their rule. At the same time, they will also do their best to paralyze the people's spirit and make them as ignorant as possible. .
But after all, Zhu Youxiao is a person from later generations, with a sense of national responsibility on his shoulders and values after receiving more than ten years of modern education in later generations.
Therefore, he hopes that the Chinese people in this world can be more intelligent.
"Your Majesty, in my opinion, the rest of the people who participated in the rebellion can be regarded as being deceived and coerced. However, Guizhong did organize a rebellion. He should be punished with lingchi and annihilate the nine tribes in order to uphold the imperial outline and national laws!"
Regarding major cases such as human life and treason, Zhu You directly summoned the official of the Three Laws Division and the important ministers of the Cabinet, Privy Council, and Political Affairs Hall to discuss how to execute him, to show fairness.
Therefore, when it came to how to execute Guizhong's rebellion case, Liu Zongzhou, the Minister of Punishment, directly put forward his own opinions.
"This should be the case. Those who are unruly and commit crimes should also be dealt with according to the law! In addition, in my opinion, not only should they be dealt with according to the law, but they should also be dealt with strictly. This should also be spread to all the government-run factories so that no one in the world would dare to do it again. Malicious demands for wages! No one dares to organize people to cause trouble again!"
Min Hongxue, the censor of Zuodu, also echoed.
Zhang Jie, the minister of Dali Temple, also said: "Not only should his head be passed down, but he and the nine tribes should be executed in Tianjin New City, where the Ming Dynasty has the largest number of government employees, so that the employees can be fully aware of the malicious disruption of government industry operations. In the end, even if we don’t expect the unruly people to be grateful for the emperor’s favor, we should still make the hired workers in the world fear the power and understand the interests!”
Zhu Youxiao nodded.
If you look at it from the perspective of a general public, he actually admires people like Gui Zhong who dare to stand up for the people due to injustice, and even sympathizes with him.
But Zhu Youxiao had to admit that Gui Zhong had indeed conspired to rebel.
It was impossible for his ministers to sympathize with a conspirator, especially one who came from a lower class and was implicated in the beheading of a civil servant.
Moreover, because Zhu Youxiao is the emperor.
Therefore, the more loyal the courtiers are to Zhu Youxiao, the less likely they will spare Gui Zhong, let alone pity him.
"Hua Aiqing, what do you think of this?"
Zhu Youxiao asked at this time.
Hua Yuncheng has become the assistant minister of the Political Affairs Hall, so at this moment, Hua Yuncheng is also here.
Hua Yuncheng initially supported the execution of Gui Zhong.
When Zhu Youxiao asked him, he replied: "Your Majesty, Gui Zhong was the first to employ workers in the dynasty, and now there are many workers in the world. There are three hundred workers in government-run industries in the capital alone." There are more than 10,000 people. They are more organized than the villagers, master more skills, have a higher literacy rate, and have more knowledge. Once they disobey the control, they will have a great influence on the country. Therefore, I believe that they should be sentenced to death! Let the world hire workers Afraid! I would rather swallow my anger and lose some owed wages than make trouble and damage the court."
"That's right, I'd rather be a hired worker than harm the official's interests. The emperor's principles and national laws cannot be messed with!"
Min Hongxue echoed.
"Princes and generals who conspire against one another need to be severely punished, not to mention the common people. I ask your Majesty to issue an order to severely punish the traitor Gui Zhong!"
Zhang Jie continued.
"Your Majesty, please issue a decree!"
The other ministers all agreed.
"However, Dongchang has found out that Guizhong has no relatives and is a widower. There is no such thing among the nine clans. So he should be punished and withdraw from the court!"
Zhu Youxiao had to admit that he was the emperor after all, and it was impossible for him to destroy the imperial laws and national laws used to maintain his rule for the sake of someone who rebelled against him.
Therefore, he granted the minister's request.
But Zhu Youxiao couldn't be happy inside.
"Why is your Majesty so frowning?"
In the evening, after Zhu Youxiao slept with the queen, the queen asked about it.
Zhu Youxiao said: "Today I have no choice but to severely punish a person who dares to stand up for the people! This is not good for the development of the entire Chinese nation. After all, I cannot betray my role. Once I betray, the rules will be even more chaotic."
"Is Your Majesty worried that there will be no more traitors in the world?"
The queen smiled, looked at Zhu Youxiao affectionately, and asked.
"It's not that, throughout the ages, there have been many brutal suppressions of rebellious people, and there have never been cases where people have not revolted. It's just that I am a different emperor after all."
Zhu Youxiao said: "We are told that Wei Zhongxian is here to see me!"
Not long after, Wei Zhongxian came to Zhu Youxiao: "Your Majesty!"
Zhu Youxiao ordered Wei Zhongxian: "Don't let that Gui Zhong survive tonight!"
"yes!"
Wei Zhongxian retreated and was surprised.
He had to admit that his emperor was really different. He showed no mercy to the powerful officials and gentry who committed crimes. Sometimes he felt that he was a little too cruel. But he was surprisingly kind to the common people. Not only did the Wanliu people return to a stable life, but now there is no corvée in the entire Ming Dynasty. Even folk baby girls are personally cared for. Directly and strictly required not to be abandoned by their parents and drowned. Violators will be killed by their parents. This happened The local magistrate of the abandoned baby case also stipulated that women should not have their feet bound, and both parents would be exiled if they violated the law.
Now he asked himself to get rid of Guizhong in advance.
Therefore, Wei Zhongxian could be sure that his emperor was not really a sinister and extremely selfish person.
After all, an emperor can be so merciful to the common people, let alone the people around him.
As long as you follow the rules, you can still achieve a good death.
"Gui Zhong, this poison is very toxic. You will be very painful after taking it, but it will be very painful soon. This way you won't have to suffer the pain of Ling Chi a few days later. Just bear with it. Afterwards, even the most powerful gangster will not be able to tell." Clues, this is His Majesty’s wish, just obey him.”
Wei Zhongxian said this to Gui Zhong.
Gui Zhong was a little surprised, but he also understood the emperor's good intentions, so he took the poison: "Please, father-in-law, thank the emperor for me! The emperor is always a good emperor, but it is a pity that other people may not be good people."
After Guizhong said this, he took the poison and went down.
…
"If you die, just die. It is unrealistic to scare millions of hired workers by beheading a bandit. Although we Chinese Han people have a lot of soft bones, we do not lack people with strong bones and blood!"
Zhu Youxiao, who was in Zhengshi Hall, said this after learning that Gui Zhong died suddenly in Dongchang Prison.
Then, Zhu Youxiao said to Yuan Keli: "If you want the people to use the law, you still need to strengthen education!"
"Your Majesty, you are wise! This is nothing. The most urgent thing now is that the rewards after the Donglu were wiped out have not yet been dealt with. In addition, it is my opinion whether the Tatars who are allied with the Donglu should also use troops against them. , come up with a decision that morning!”
Yuan Keli replied.
After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao said: "Ai Qing is the chief assistant minister of the Political Affairs Hall, so he started to preside over a court meeting with Zhu Xieyuan of the Privy Council to discuss these two matters."
"According to the order!"
…
Therefore, Yuan Ke immediately hosted such a court meeting with Zhu Xieyuan.
After the court meeting began, the first thing the ministers started to argue about was the issue of whether to grant several hereditary lords for the battle to quell the Donglu.
Being granted the title of marquis due to military exploits, whether a civil servant or a military general, is the highest honor.
However, there is no shortage of dovish ministers in any era.
After all, there will always be people who are not interested in military wars but care more about the national economy.
"The Donglu were just a relatively powerful rebellious foreigner on the border. Their destruction is not considered a great achievement! Can it be compared to the contribution to the founding of the country and the contribution to peace? Therefore, in my opinion, it is not necessary to confer a title, but it is only a little. It is enough for a few meritorious people to wear hereditary robes and guard their posts!"
At this time, like Bi Ziyan, Li Guopu, a cabinet minister who was relatively strong in government affairs and was recommended as the cabinet minister, bluntly expressed that he did not value the extermination of the Donglu.
In addition, Wang Zaijin, a capable minister who was good at logistics management, did not agree with the imperial court launching another war against the Tatars, namely Lin Dan Khan.
Naturally, he did not do it out of selfishness, but his political concepts made him feel that war was not something worth advocating, because his practical experience told him that war is really a waste of people and money.
Therefore, Wang Zaijin also said at this court meeting: "In my opinion, it is unwise to use killing to stop the dispute between the two countries. It will only waste people and money, and even increase hatred. It is better to use morality to influence them! Use etiquette. Treat each other and make them obey from the heart."
"If morality can influence Hulu, why should we send border troops to guard the town? Why not send a group of highly respected scholars to guard it! Let these scholars influence them. I want to ask, will this work? Do you really want the court to try this? ?”
Sun Chuanting, who had returned to Beijing to serve as Minister of War and was considered a hawk, expressed his dissent and asked.
"I would like to say something fair to the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty who died at the hands of the Donglu and the people who were slaughtered by the Donglu since the Battle of Sarhu. Maybe some people think that the imperial court's annihilation of the Donglu this time is not a great achievement. It’s not enough to shine in the annals of history, but for them, this is a real revenge for them, and it can be regarded as living up to the lives they lost for it!”
"In addition, annihilating the Eastern captives with a servant's view is different from ordinary counterinsurgency. For the country and China, it is even more important than the Han Dynasty's annihilation of the Xiongnu, because during the confrontation between the Han and the Huns, no matter how strong the Xiongnu was, they could not It is possible to destroy the Han Dynasty, but for the Ming Dynasty at the beginning of Your Majesty’s accession to the throne, the Donglu have the possibility of destroying our world!”
When Yuan Keli said this, his voice became louder, echoing throughout the hall.
Then, Yuan Keli said again: "You may think that Pu's words are nonsense, but this is indeed what Pu has thought about for a long time! It doesn't mean that the Dongqi can't destroy our Han family if they are not strong. From Pu's point of view, When His Majesty came to the throne, there were fierce party disputes in the court, civil and military affairs, and he was already terminally ill. However, among the people, unscrupulous businessmen had colluded with civil servants and generals to sell out national interests. There were even some selfish officials and scholars who forgot their ancestors and were willing to be humble. , take the initiative to surrender to the Donglu, actively and actively help the Donglu to destroy our Han family and the world! People like Li Yongfang, Ning Wan, and others are the same as Xining! If His Majesty hadn't been wise and trustless in employing people, insisting on letting Xiong Gong control Liaodong, and To protect them from the scourge of the party, and then to purge the imperial court, the country's situation is now so bad that I am afraid that the Eastern captives have already occupied Liaoyang and Shenyang, and may even have the opportunity to control the grassland tribes, and take the opportunity to enter the pass and plunder, and make us The Ming Dynasty is declining day by day! Therefore, this annihilation of the Donglu will be recorded in the history books. It is indeed not a glory, but for the country, it is a feat that turned the tide and is worthy of a special book!"
At this time, Li Guopu seemed to have forgotten his sense of propriety because of the fierce court dispute, so he said directly: "I have heard for a long time that Yuan Fu used hardness and iron blood to win over you. Therefore, many people used this to criticize you. Now that I think about it, Yuan Fu is indeed It seems that he is good at making connections. His Majesty is certainly wise and powerful, but this does not mean that Mr. Xiong was really the most suitable person to be the Liaodong manager. There was no public opinion at the time. If Yuan Dalai (Yuan Yingtai) and Yuan Gong were the manager at that time, he might have already There is no need to wait until today to destroy the Donglu."
"Can Yuan Dalai compare with Mr. Xiong? You, Mr. Li Ge, are obviously talking nonsense. When it comes to controlling generals and troops, even ten Yuan Dalai can't compare with Mr. Xiong! I finally understand. You are trying to deny this fundamentally. This great victory denies our achievements!”
Zhou Yuji, who had been promoted to Deputy Privy Envoy as the representative of the generals, slapped the table and stood up, pointing at Li Guopu and angrily scolding him.
Lu Xiangsheng, who had the same official position, pulled Zhou Yuji back to his seat.
Li Guopu felt quite angry about this and thought to himself: "If it weren't for His Majesty's admiration for martial arts, military ministers would not still be able to participate in the military and aircraft court meetings today, and they would even dare to point their noses at one of his own cabinet ministers! If he really used this opportunity to annihilate the East The incident of captivity has resulted in a large number of nobles being awarded, and the civil servants in the world may not even be able to stand on an equal footing with the military generals. If we do not completely deny this war, we cannot prevent future wars, and we must deny it!"
At this time, in order to prevent others from scolding Zhou Yuji for being rude and rude, Lu Xiangsheng immediately spoke to divert everyone's attention, saying: "Qi Gong once said in a poem that it is not my intention to be a prince. I hope the sea will calm down and all the generals will destroy the Eastern captives. It's not all due to merit, but I don't think Yuan Fu's inference about the threat of Donglu to our country and even China is groundless. I have fought against Donglu dozens of times. They are indeed a group of ambitious and resourceful people. What a powerful person! Otherwise, it wouldn’t be enough to make so many Han scholars willing to surrender..."
The entire court discussion was quite heated.
However, because their respective interests were different, no one could convince the other. Even if they argued from early morning to dusk, no agreement was reached.
Zhu Youxiao didn't expect their argument to come to an end. After all, since ancient times, with different political ideas, there was no possibility of reconciliation. Either you knock me down, or I'll knock you down, or even be physically destroyed!
Zhu Youxiao asked them to argue just because he wanted to see which of his ministers were hawks and which were doves.
"Let them continue the court discussion. Although the world is controlled by me, the affairs of the world can also be discussed by the people of the world."
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao said this after learning that the ministers had not yet reached a unanimous result through discussion.
And because of the emperor's connivance, the court discussion continued endlessly, and even many people among the people knew about it.
"Li Ge and others are right, every war must be fundamentally denied! Killing is just a game that monarchs like to play, and the people of the world only want peace. If you don't deny war, you can't limit the desires of the monarch! Let all people in the world because of this It’s affected!”
Zhao Jinmei expressed her views on this matter to Wu Weiye and other scholars.
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