On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Fengtian Temple Square.
Before dawn, the ministers arrived early.
A group of young eunuchs were quietly sweeping the snow. Thousands of people gathered in the square, but it was surprisingly quiet. Apart from the rustling sound of brooms rubbing against the ground, there was nothing else.
Today is a special day - New Year greetings and red envelopes!
There was no court meeting, no discussion, and there were many people, so there was no particular emphasis on where the ministers stood. Li Qing came late, so he stood with Yu Qian behind him, waiting boredly for the fourth child.
If it weren't for the red envelope given out today, he wouldn't have gotten up so early.
It was still dark, but against the backdrop of the snow, the view was surprisingly good. Li Qing could clearly see the facial expressions of nearby officials.
The ministers are all different, some are happy, some are calm, some are worried...
The snow fell quietly. The flakes were not big but dense. After a while, a thin layer of snow accumulated on the hats and shoulders of the ministers.
Everyone was quiet and more disciplined than in court.
Admiral Dongchang held a fly whisk and stood opposite the ministers. He was no longer as humble and flattering as before. His back was straight, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth from time to time. He had a sense of deja vu as if a villain had succeeded.
——The Dongchang found something, and someone is going to be in trouble!
This is everyone's hunch.
The shuo wind was howling, and even though the ministers were wearing thick clothes, their hands and feet would become cold and their teeth would chatter after standing in the ice and snow for a long time.
Yu Qian's shoulders were hunched up and his neck was slightly tilted back. The snowflakes that penetrated the back of his neck with the wind were quickly warmed by him, and his frown relaxed slightly.
"Pfft..."
Li Qing couldn't hold it back.
When Yu Qian heard the ridicule, he couldn't help but feel his face heat up. He turned around to see Li Qing and nodded slightly as a greeting.
"Are you cold?"
"..." Yu Qian's face was full of black lines: I asked this question as if you are not cold... Hiss~
"Li Shangshu, aren't you cold?" Yu Qian was surprised.
Today, Li Qing was not wearing an official uniform. He was only wearing a dark robe lined with white clothes, which made him tall and graceful. He could be as showy as he was, and Yu Qian felt cold just looking at him.
If he hadn't known Li Qing's true age and the gold-encrusted huanghuali crutch, Yu Qian would have suspected that he was younger than himself.
A man in his sixties is not deaf, his eyesight is not blurry, his brain is not dizzy, and his back is not hunched... It is simply extraordinary.
For a moment, Yu Qian had a strong impulse to take off the minister's mask and hood to see what kind of monster he was.
He, a man in his twenties, can't compare to an old man in his sixties... Yu Qian smiled bitterly: No wonder people often say that a scholar cannot tie a chicken with his hands!
Immediately, he felt relieved again.
Because it wasn’t just him who froze into a dog, there were also people who froze into their grandsons.
Li Qing held the crutch and made circles, "Come here."
Yu Qian did as he was told.
Li Qing raised his hand and tapped him a few times, "How do you feel now?"
"It feels... not so cold anymore." Yu Qian was a little shocked and whispered, "Li Shangshu, what kind of method is this?"
"Acupuncture points!" Li Qing said with a smile, "You don't know, do you? I, the Minister, am a doctor. You entered the officialdom through literature, and I entered the officialdom through medicine."
The gurgling warmth that surged through his body was not strong, but it did not make him shiver anymore. Yu Qian was sincerely convinced: This minister is really capable.
He suddenly understood why Li Qing, who was over sixty years old, still had such strong bones and was a master of medicine.
…
About a quarter and a half later, a fish belly white appeared in the east, and a touch of morning glow dyed the glazed tiles on the Fengtian Hall golden. Strangely, the snow was still falling.
After a while, the dragon chariot carried by sixteen people came steadily, and the officials immediately stood upright and prepared to welcome it.
After a while, the dragon chariot stopped in front of the ministers. Zhu Di was wearing a thick cotton coat and trousers, and a large cloak. The ministers were frozen like dogs, but he was not cold at all.
Then, with the support of his son, Xiaopang got out of the dragon chariot with a squeak.
Zhu Di was already 'fat' enough at first, but as the chubby one appeared, Zhu Di instantly became much slimmer.
The little eunuch who followed behind the dragon chariot carried a spacious and soft chair to the position behind Zhu Di.
"I see you, Your Majesty. Long live my Emperor! Long live my Emperor...!"
The ministers saluted with loud voices and uniform movements.
"Flat body!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The officials stood up and beat their official uniforms.
After a while, it became calm again.
Zhu Di glanced at Xiao Linzi, who understood, took a few steps forward, and sang in a sharp voice: "Li Hong of Dali Temple, Yang Qing of the Imperial Academy, Liu Feiran of the Hanlin Academy, Chen Chang of the Imperial Guard, and Yu Qian of the Ministry of War, please answer in front of the emperor."
"I obey your decree." Echoes echoed from all directions in the crowd.
Li Qing pulled Yu Qian and said softly: "If the emperor doesn't ask you a question, don't take the initiative to answer."
Yu Qian was startled and nodded.
After a while, a group of people walked to the imperial court.
Zhu Di was not in a hurry to ask questions, and only raised his chin slightly.
Xiao Linzi raised his fly whisk and sang again: "Xuanjian'an County, Chun'an County, Jiande County are here to see you."
Half a quarter of an hour later, the three magistrates, accompanied by Ouchi guards, arrived in front of the emperor.
"I, Liu Dechang, Magistrate of Jian'an County, (Wang Yuanxi, Magistrate of Chun'an County, Liu Botong, Magistrate of Jiande County) have come to see the Emperor, long live my Emperor!"
It was originally a great joy for the seventh-rank magistrate to come to Beijing to meet the Holy Spirit, but there was no trace of joy on the faces of the three people. Instead, their faces were earth-colored, and they were filled with fear.
The ministers were silent.
Some people have calm faces but are eager to eat melons, while others have calm faces but are uneasy in their hearts.
Zhu Di sat up straight and looked at the three of them, "Let's talk."
"I am guilty!" Liu Dechang, the magistrate of Jian'an County, spoke first, with a sad tone and a look of remorse. "I was in vain as a parent official of Jian'an. I failed to protect the peace of the people, which led to the prevalence of thieves and bandits. I hope the Holy One will punish me."
The crime has been proven, and if you try to defend yourself at this moment, you are really seeking death. It would be better to admit it directly.
Zhu Di smiled, "Do you know the laws of the Ming Dynasty?"
"I dare not be ignorant." Liu Dechang said bravely.
"It's good to know." Zhu Di nodded, "According to Ming law, what should I do if I commit the crime of dereliction of duty?"
Liu Dechang said with difficulty: "Back to the Holy Spirit, the crimes of dereliction of duty include failure to practice politics, leaving one's post without permission, exceeding the deadline, and doing things incorrectly... The penalties according to the severity of the circumstances are as follows:
Fines, responsibilities, reassignments, demotions, downgrades, reduction of positions for the people, imprisonment, exile, and beheading. "
This man knows the Ming Law by heart and can recite it accurately.
Zhu Di nodded frequently and asked, "In your opinion, how should you be punished for this crime?"
"Your Majesty..." Liu Dechang gritted his teeth, "First take responsibility, and then reduce your position to serve the people."
The trouble has been too great, and it is certain that the official position cannot be continued. Anyway, he has made money by joining the bandits. As long as he can save his life, it is not bad to be a small rich man for the rest of his life;
It’s okay if you don’t serve as an official in the Ming Dynasty... Liu Dechang thought to himself.
What he said was very skillful. He took great pains to calm the emperor down by taking responsibility, and reduced his position so that the emperor could set an example for officials.
Seeing this, the two county magistrates, Chun'an and Jiande, had to give up the idea of penalty or changing their transfer. They were so angry that they cursed: You don't want to be an official in the Ming Dynasty, I want to do it, and I haven't earned enough yet.
Zhu Di smiled and said, "It's quite fair."
Then, he looked at the two magistrates of Chun'an and Jiande, "Where are you?"
"Wei Chen is willing to accept the same crime." The two looked sad.
Zhu Di had a gentle attitude and discussed: "How much do you think is appropriate?"
The imperial staff usually starts at twenty and reaches a maximum of one hundred!
Of course, as long as the emperor is willing, it is also possible to give one thousand.
The three of them looked at each other, and Liu Dechang was the first to reply: "It all depends on the Emperor..."
"I'm asking you." Zhu Di looked unhappy.
Liu Dechang hurriedly asked, "The fifty imperial staffs?"
"Okay." Zhu Di leaned back and leaned on the back of the chair, "Then fifty imperial staffs."
The ears of the ministers stood up, wondering whether the emperor would say that he would fight with real strength or with all his heart!
The ministers have already figured out the rules of the court staff. If the emperor wants someone to die, twenty court staffs are enough to kill him. If he doesn't want to kill someone, just use a hundred court staffs and rest for half a month.
It’s full of knowledge!
What the ministers didn't expect was that the emperor had nothing to say, and seemed to be just a sparse and ordinary imperial staff.
Seeing this situation, some people showed no interest, while others felt relaxed, knowing that the emperor did not intend to impose heavy punishments.
Yu Qian frowned. In his opinion, this punishment was too light. It caused such a big mess and indirectly killed people. How could a slap in the face be enough to atone for one's sins.
However, thinking of Li Qing's instructions, he temporarily tolerated it and waited to see what would happen next.
But no one noticed that the standing posture of Dongchang Admiral Xiao Linzi quietly changed.
Put your feet together, with your toes closed, making a faint internal splay.
Zhu Di's mouth showed amusement: Silly guy, you have figured it out, of course I have to change the rules.
There is a big difference between the imperial staff in the palace and the wooden boards in the local area.
A board is a wooden board, but a court staff is not just a wooden staff. The court staffs used for executions in the palace are all made of chestnut wood. They are much heavier than ordinary boards. The top is in the shape of a mallet and is covered with a layer of iron.
This is also the key to why the Twenty-Ting Staff can kill people!
Today's imperial staff is a little different, with additional barbs added to the iron sheet.
When the stick is brought down, it is enough to beat the person to a bloody pulp. If the stick is pulled back when the stick is retracted...
~
"ah…!"
"Oh……!"
“Ahhhh——!”
With just one stroke of the imperial staff, the tolerance of the three magistrates was exceeded, and they could not care less about the disgrace in front of the king.
The screams were shrill and harsh, making the scalps of the ministers numb and goosebumps all over their bodies. The wind blew the snowflakes and slapped them on their faces, like falling into an ice cave.
The morning glow gradually disappeared, the sun was obscured by gray clouds, and the wind and snow became even worse.
The whistling and screaming sounds were mixed together, like ghosts crying and wolves howling.
Everyone present turned pale and felt cold both physically and mentally. Even the officials who were eating melons had earth-colored faces, and some of them could not stop trembling.
"Pfft-!"
Special syllables kept ringing, and the sound made between the skin and the bones was very special and very penetrating.
"Your Majesty, spare your life...ah...!"
"Forgive...ah——!"
Less than ten imperial staffs, the three people were already bloody and bloody, with the white bones on their backs faintly exposed. Flesh fragments and blood foam splashed around, dyeing the surrounding white snow red and melting.
Zhu Di tightened his cloak, sat cross-legged on the chair, and watched with interest.
"Emperor...emperor...ah..."
The sounds of extreme horror, fear, and pain are heart-shaking and terrifying.
Every time the executioner's staff came down, flesh and blood flew everywhere when he lifted it up. The iron barb was already covered with thin blood-red strips.
