As the saying goes, it is better to chase down the poor bandits with the remaining brave men, rather than to use your reputation as an academic overlord.
Zhu Qiyu not only wanted to add insult to injury and hit the drowned dog, but also completely sealed the wellhead so that the drowned dog could no longer climb out.
The three eunuchs Wang Jin, Hao Yi, and Ruan Xi led the three Zongzheng, as well as Wang Wen, Wei Ji, and Xiao Weizhen, all the way to the Yinghua Hall without any hindrance.
Nowadays, all the eunuchs in the inner court are Zhu Qiyu's people, and Empress Dowager Sun cannot help but disappear.
However, Wang Jin and others still ordered people to report in a polite manner, and only after getting Sun's permission did they lead everyone into the palace.
King Qin and others observed carefully and saw that the palace was still filled with all kinds of rare treasures, and more than twenty eunuchs and maids were carefully waiting on them.
King Qin and others secretly nodded. The Yinghua Palace was not what they imagined. It seemed that the emperor maintained the dignity that the royal family should have and did not abuse the Sun family.
Sun was stabbed by a young eunuch and stabbed several times with scissors, but it was not fatal. Now the emperor sent people to force the palace, and Sun chose to hold on and let the palace people help her out, and sat down on the chair before calling everyone in.
The princes of Minshan and Soochow counties both chose not to kneel, but only bowed their hands in salute. The others still reluctantly knelt down.
After the two sides exchanged pleasantries, the King of Qin went about business, recounted the proceedings of the meeting of relatives to Sun in detail, and presented the testimonies and confessions to Sun for review.
After hearing this, Mrs. Sun just sighed heavily, but had no intention of refuting.
Sun knew very clearly that the emperor had sent so many prestigious clan members and ministers here to negotiate a deal: he would plead guilty and obey the law, and fulfill the seven crimes his father had listed for him.
In return, the emperor could let go of his father's great-grandson Sun Ming, as well as three concubines and one concubine granddaughter.
The King of Min, the King of Soochow, the King of Qin, and the chief officials of the Three Laws Division are witnesses. Once the deal is concluded, neither party will regret it, otherwise, their credibility will be ruined and the world will laugh.
King Qin and others did not urge him, but quietly waited for Sun to express his position.
Sun had no choice. The Sun family was now detained outside the Meridian Gate, including Sun Ming. It was obvious that the emperor was going to be executed today.
As for Sun Ming's death or immortality, it all depends on Sun's thoughts.
If Sun refuses to plead guilty, the emperor will wave his hand and everyone in the Sun family will fall to the ground.
If Sun confessed obediently, the emperor could spare Sun Ming's life and the rest of the Sun family would go on their way.
This is the emperor's conspiracy.
Mrs. Sun sighed to everyone: "You can plead guilty to me. I have no other request. I only hope that the emperor can spare my nephew Sun Ming and my eldest brother's three concubines a way to live. I wonder if you are willing to do so. Save?"
King Min replied: "Don't worry, Queen Mother, the emperor has said that the Marquis of Huichang has reported merits, so he can be spared and leave behind him. I am willing to use my property and life as a guarantee."
Mrs. Sun nodded: "Since my uncle is willing to be the guarantor, I naturally have no reason not to believe it."
The King of Soochow, King Qin, Wang Wen and others also expressed their willingness to be guarantors.
Wang Jin saw this and signaled to Ruan Xi. Ruan Xi hurriedly ordered the palace servants to move the table and prepare paper and pen.
Wang Jin and others knelt down respectfully and urged: "Please write down the decree in your hand and tell the world."
Mrs. Sun frowned, "What you said sounds pretty good. You just want me to write the confession myself. After writing this so-called imperial edict, I will be completely ruined."
But there is no way, the knife is in the hands of others, and it is impossible not to write.
Sun Shi tremblingly finished writing the confession of guilt and used the seal again.
Sun was already injured, but she was exhausted mentally and physically after trying to hold on until now. After finishing writing, he signaled to everyone that they could leave.
However, Wang Jin still knelt on the ground and asked for instructions: "To the Queen Mother, since you have pleaded guilty, it is not appropriate to hold the Queen Mother's seal again.
After Your Majesty leads all relatives and officials to obey the Queen Mother's decree, he will issue an order to depose the Queen Mother. Please ask the Queen Mother to hand over the seal to the slaves now. "
Sun waved her hand feebly, indicating to Wang Jin to take the jade seal.
After everyone finished their errands, they bowed and left, turning around and leaving.
Walking to the door, Sun suddenly stopped everyone: "What will the emperor do with me?"
Everyone turned around and looked at each other, no one wanted to answer this question.
Mrs. Sun snorted coldly: "Wang Jin, just tell the truth. At this point, there is no need to be secretive anymore. I know that you know everything."
Wang Jin had no choice but to reply respectfully: "Your Majesty will depose the empress dowager and the empress of Xuanmiao at the same time, and demote her to the concubine of Xuanmiao. She will be imprisoned in Yinghua Hall for life, and will be buried in the eastern suburbs as a concubine. She will not be allowed to be with Xuanmiao. Buried together in the temple.”
When Mrs. Sun heard this, she was so angry that her wound burst, her body tilted and she fainted.
Wang Jin told Ruan Xi: "In the past, you stayed to seek medical advice for my queen. You must not cause her to make any mistakes, otherwise you will be the only one who asks questions."
Ruan Xi quickly replied: "Don't worry, godfather, my son knows the importance."
Wang Jin nodded and left with everyone.
As for the emperor's treatment of the Sun family, no one expressed any opinions.
Among the people who came to force the palace, except for King Qin and Xiao Weizhen, they were all the emperor's cronies.
From the King of Qin's point of view, the Empress Dowager Sun buried Empress Hu in the western suburbs as a concubine, and today the emperor decided to bury the Sun family in the eastern suburbs as a concubine. It can be said that thirty years in Hexi and thirty years in Hedong, tit for tat. That’s all.
If we have to compare, the emperor's burial with concubine ceremony was much more dignified than the concubine burial ceremony that Empress Dowager Sun gave Empress Hu. This can be regarded as repaying evil with kindness.
But after King Qin and others went to Yinghua Hall, everyone in Fengtian Square began to wait on the spot. Because the case of Queen Mother Sun had no result, they could not continue the following issues.
Because almost all the people in the Ministry of Etiquette were dead, and the emperor did not allow the imperial guards to appear in the Forbidden City today, no one emphasized etiquette.
Everyone began to look left and right, whispering to each other, guessing about Queen Mother Sun's response and the next trend of the meeting of relatives.
Zhu Qizhen sat on the dragon chair, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles. As a loser, sitting on the throne of superiority is actually a kind of torture.
Zhu Qizhen looked at everyone chattering below, as if they were pointing, mocking and sarcastic at him.
Zhu Qiyu did not interfere with the people below at all, but hugged his little beloved concubine and talked quietly.
Ningxiang's pretty face flushed with embarrassment, she buried her head in Zhu Qiyu's arms, and replied angrily: "I feel so itchy that I can hardly sit still. My husband is really the worst and most vicious slave owner in the world."
Zhu Qiyu retorted with an innocent look on his face: "The bad things were all done by those two little girls Qianxue and Su Xi. I'm a good person. Let's do this. When we go back in the chariot, it's our turn to torture the two of them."
Ningxiang raised her head when she heard the words, her face flushed but her face was red and she retorted firmly: "That won't work. You have to tie the slave to a ring when you go back, and you can't walk on the Qiguo Avenue anymore. Master, let's take a bumpy road. OK?"
Zhu Qiyu was speechless when he heard this: "Well, since you like to be tortured so much, then do whatever you want."
As he was talking, Zhu Qiyu suddenly felt the beautiful woman he was carrying twisting her slender waist. So he quickly asked: "What's wrong, my beloved concubine?"
When Zhu Qiyu heard this, he helplessly praised: "You little girl, you are becoming more and more feminine. When the meeting of relatives is over, I will take you to talk about the friendship with the royal relatives. Have a good time." Win them over."
Hearing this, Ningxiang was so embarrassed that she gently twisted Zhu Qiyu's arm a few times, and Zhu Qiyu laughed out loud in a happy mood.
The people at the bottom of the steps could only see the red-faced imperial concubine talking to the emperor, but could not hear what was said above. Everyone just sighed that the emperor really doted on his concubines. No wonder the emperor was willing to kill all the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the beautiful girls selected by the Ministry of Rites for them.
Zhu Qizhen was not so comfortable. Others could not hear what the emperor and his beloved concubine were saying, but he could occasionally hear a few words. What chariots, lifting rings, this, that,
Zhu Qizhen didn't know what 'this' or 'that' were, but he knew what a chariot and a sling were. After all, when he was hunting in Wala in the north, his brothers and sisters gave him a chariot like that.
Zhu Qizhen just couldn't understand that before he went hunting in the north, he was a thoroughly gentleman. In the fourteen years of his reign, he has always been devoted to cleaning up his father's mess. How come in the end, he is not as good as his ridiculous brother.
Judging from the principles of Confucian scriptures and the words of sages, isn't my brother a proper coward? They are simply similar to King Zhou of Shang and King You of Zhou.
Looking at the two young Princess Qi chatting with Princess Wu and Princess Yongjia with smiles on their faces below, and then thinking about his queens and concubines, Zhu Qizhen sighed heavily, feeling even more dissatisfied. Why do you act like a gentleman, but in the harem you fight to the death and become a mess? But the younger brother is so ridiculous, but the harem is harmonious and there is never any fighting. This is so incomprehensible.
Zhu Qizhen spent his days in tangle, struggling for more than half an hour before King Min, King Qin and others returned to Fengtian Square with the Queen Mother's instructions.
The whole place fell into silence, and Zhu Qiyu waved his hand, signaling King Qin to read out the Queen Mother's edict.
(End of chapter)
