Yang Ye was lucky. If Zhao Prison had not been in single rooms, he would have been beaten to death before the day of Ming Zhengdian's execution.
When these people think about their lost future and possibly their lives, they forget all about self-cultivation, self-cultivation, and sage books.
Yang Ye is a beast!
But they forget how they behave when collecting money.
People are always like this. When faced with a major disaster, they will almost immediately blame others instead of looking for the cause within themselves.
Yang Ye doesn't care. He will definitely not survive, but he will not be killed by the Yi tribe. Although he has harmed more people, it is nothing more than paying for his life.
It’s not a rebellion, the family will not be implicated!
However, he wanted to relax after all.
Wang Zhi, the superintendent of the West Factory, has confiscated the Yang family. He may be exempted from death penalty, but he cannot escape from living crime!
"Everyone, please calm down," Jinyibaihu said coldly, waving his whip, "Whoever makes any more noise, come and taste my whip first!"
"I am the head of the Ministry of Etiquette. Regarding my official position..."
"What the hell are you talking about about official positions?" Hundreds of households in Jinyi were amused, "Can you please take a look at where this is?"
The head of the Ministry of Etiquette was stunned and then became speechless.
"This Master of Hundred Households, I am the Minister of Justice, and I have a major case to report."
The Jinyi Baihu laughed and said to the head of the Ministry of Etiquette just now, "Look, this is the standard. Otherwise, I can sit on the position of minister."
He walked up and asked, "What do you want to report?"
The Minister of Punishment whispered: "Shang Ren, the cabinet scholar, also received money."
"Did you see it with your own eyes?" Baihu was suspicious. gōΠb.ōγg
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Yang Ye."
Jinyiwei Baihu asked the latter for confirmation, and the latter was quite happy. He was going to die anyway, so it would be good to have someone to support him.
The Minister of Punishment hugged the fence and squeezed his head out, "Master Baihu, please don't forget to say that I reported it!"
"OK."
Baihu in Jinyi smiled and hurried away.
Half an hour later, he came back in a hurry, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.
He walked to the cell door where the Minister of Justice was locked, took off the key from his waist, and opened the chain.
The minister was overjoyed: "Thank you very much, little brother, for your generous action. I will wait for you..."
"Who the hell is your brother?" Baihu was furious, rounded his arms and slapped him.
"Snapped!"
The Minister of Punishment fell to the ground, his fair face with palm prints visible to the naked eye. Others were stunned and just stared at the hundreds of brocade-clad households.
"You f*cking killed me. How can you accept bribes if you are an upright scholar from Shang University?" Baihu was furious. "You're still biting me when you're about to die. Let's see if I can't kill you!"
As he spoke, he swung the long whip in his hand hard.
"pia~!"
"Ah..." the Minister of Punishment screamed, "You are wronged, everything I said is true!"
"How dare you talk back?" Jinyi Baihu smiled coldly.
Another hard whip was applied, and the Minister of Punishment suddenly howled incessantly, his old face twisted in a ferocious manner.
Hundreds of households in brocade clothes were still confused and kept waving one whip after another.
Soon, blood marks appeared on the body of the Minister of Justice, and the screams echoed in Zhao Prison, making people's scalp numb.
Case solved!
The traitor is Shang Ren.
But no one was happy. Instead, they were heartbroken. Even people at the rank of minister were treated like this. So how could they, those with low official positions, still survive?
"Are you still trying to bite?" Baihu asked while beating him.
"No more biting, no more biting..." The Minister of Punishment had never suffered this crime before... He who knows the current affairs is a hero.
"Louder, I can't hear you."
The Minister of Justice shouted angrily: "No more biting!"
Baihu then stopped the whip in his hand, turned his head and said outside: "Mark it down, the criminal admitted to biting others."
"Yes, sir."
Baihu smiled coldly, turned around and said, "I want to ask you, apart from these people, are there anyone else who accepts bribes?"
The Minister of Punishment gasped and said in a hateful voice: "There is also my immediate superior..."
"pia, pia..."
The sound of a whip cracking a person's skin and flesh was heard again. The Minister of Punishment screamed again and again, and swallowed the next words.
Not long after, the Minister of Punishment was already dying, with no good place on his body.
Others have cold hands and feet and even colder hearts.
Why don't they understand what God means?
The emperor is... cutting.
——Only the level of minister was traced!
But this also shows that their fate will not be any better. It is probably difficult to atone for their sins if they are dismissed from their posts and returned to their hometowns. At the very least, they will have to be exiled, and it is very likely that... they will be beheaded.
Only at this point do they truly feel fear and face the fear of death.
Even the tortured Minister of the Ministry of Justice no longer expected a smooth landing, but began to self-examine and seek a chance for survival.
"The criminal used his power for personal gain. He read the books of the saints in vain. He owes the divine grace. I hope that the adults from a hundred households will help the criminal to tell the emperor. The criminal is willing to make meritorious service and guard the border for the Ming Dynasty, and do his last effort."
These words were touching.
As long as the green hills remain, you won’t have to worry about running out of firewood!
As long as he saves his life, he can still operate in the future. His crimes are far less than Yang Ye's, and he can't reach the level of confiscating a house. He will just take more measures when the time comes.
His posture and psychological expectations were reduced to the minimum.
However, Jinyi Baihu didn't buy it and hummed: "Remember, the criminal confessed to the crime."
"Yes, sir."
The servant's heart trembled, and he made a last-ditch effort and said, "Master Baihu, can you come forward and ask questions?"
"No need." Baihu turned around and brought the confession, "Paint it!"
"No, no..." The Minister of Justice shook his head wildly, extremely frightened.
Baihu sneered and said: "You are from the Ministry of Punishment, don't you know the Ming Dynasty Law? Tell yourself, how should I, the interrogator, deal with the criminal who refuses to sign his confession?"
"You, you are subduing yourself!" The Minister of Justice is not stupid. Looking at this posture, he can't even be exiled to guard the border. The emperor is going to kill his head!
You can’t draw a bet, you absolutely can’t draw a bet!
"Unjustly accused! I am unjustly accused!!"
He really felt that he had been wronged, and he had also accepted bribes. Why could those big shots be safe, but he had to lose his life?
It was not just him who felt this way, but also other prisoners in Zhao Prison.
Especially the head of the Rites Department who only received two hundred taels. He felt that he had lost money to his grandma's family.
But, is it useful?
Under the swipe of the whip, it seemed to be of no use.
This is just the mildest punishment in Zhao Prison, and the hard food has not yet been served.
~
The nave of the palace.
A table full of fine wines and delicacies, six ministries and nine ministers, cabinet bachelors, left and right deputy imperial envoys from the Metropolitan Procuratorate... top ministers gathered here.
Among them, some people accepted bribes and some confiscated them, but all of them had sad faces and solemn expressions.
They are all human beings, and they know the theme of this banquet very well.
Dishes with excellent appearance, flavor and taste, and wines that are hard to find are placed in front of them, but no one has any appetite.
Zhu Jianshen glanced at everyone playfully and said with a smile: "All of you dear ministers are good and virtuous ministers, but you should take good care of yourselves!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone's already unpleasant expressions became even more ugly.
Except Wan'an.
This guy is the emperor's best friend.
Shang Ran felt calm in his heart, but his face was just like everyone else's. He was different from Wan An. It was true that he was leaning toward the emperor, but...
He wanted to make money while standing.
The atmosphere of the banquet was very depressing, making people breathless. Many people even felt that it might be better if Marquis Yongqing was here.
That guy Li Qing is annoying, but he always has the overall situation in mind.
Zhu Jianshen seemed not to notice the silence and said with a smile: "Pour some wine for all your dear friends!"
The four little Huangmen who were waiting on the side immediately came forward and poured wine for the emperor first, and then poured wine for the big shots one by one.
Zhu Jianshen raised his glass and said, "You are all ministers of the Ming Dynasty. Please drink this glass to the full."
Everyone hurriedly raised their glasses and said politely: "Your Majesty is so complimentary. Respect your Majesty."
There was a smile on his face, but he was worried in his heart.
They had seen this scene in history books.
History of the Ming Dynasty.
Looking at the emperor's smiling black face, they seemed to see... Taizu waving to them.
Thinking of the officials who were killed in the Hongwu Dynasty...
No one can take it in stride.
The current emperor's power is not as powerful as that of Taizu, but it is enough to deal with them. They understand what this glass of wine means.
But, I have to drink.
Everyone drank it in one gulp.
Zhu Jianshen laughed heartily: "Come on, pour the wine!"
…
Side hall.
Li Qing was sipping her tea contentedly, while Zhu Youtang's stubby brows were furrowed. He was flipping through his notebook, writing and drawing, changing rice paper from time to time, always in a state of self-denial.
Li Qing drank tea quietly, appearing very patient.
Li Dongyang also came with a shy face today. It was rare for Marquis Yongqing to come back, so he wanted to take advantage of it. His original intention was to accompany the prince to attend the lectures, but he didn't want Marquis Yongqing to cherish his words like gold today.
He just said "Start the exam" and nothing more happened.
Li Dongyang was helpless, but Marquis Yongqing didn't drive anyone away, so he stayed shamelessly.
Zhu Youtang changed another piece of rice paper and started to answer and break the topic again. He was already a little irritable. As soon as he wrote a line of words, he started to flip through the small notebook.
Then, I couldn’t write anymore.
Finally, he gave up on himself and said: "Mr. Li, I don't know how to..."
"Prince, calm down..." Li Dongyang wanted to say a few words of comfort, but suddenly realized that the prince was not talking to him, and his face felt hot.
Li Qing put down the tea cup and said calmly: "Pick up the answer sheets on the ground and compare them to see which one is better."
He didn't hit me... Zhu Youtang was ready to be beaten. When he heard this, he immediately became happy and hurriedly responded: "Okay, okay."
Zhu Youtang relaxed, picked up the scrap manuscripts on the ground, and began to compare them one by one.
Not long after, he picked a tall one among the short ones and asked, "Sir, do you still want to watch?"
"Bring it here."
Zhu Youtang sighed secretly: Still can't run away.
He stepped forward and handed over the scrawled test paper.
"Give."
Li Qing took it, glanced at it, put it aside, and asked, "Do you know where you went wrong?"
"I didn't pay attention to the lecture." Zhu Youtang lowered his head, looking like he was standing at attention to be beaten.
"No, you are trying hard, but you are too impatient and worry too much about gains and losses." Li Qing frowned and said, "You give up too easily. Do you know this is a taboo?"
Zhu Youtang said: "Student, this is caution."
Li Qing frowned: "You call this caution?"
