Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 291 Beheading for public display! The real emperor is numb
Jinyiwei, imperial prison.

Ding Xiu came to a cell with a pot of wine and looked up at Yuan Bin who was huddled in a corner. He was silent for a while and ordered the jailer to open the cell door.

With a bang, the cell door was pushed open and Ding Xiu walked in. Yuan Bin, with his back to him, lay in the straw and slowly opened his eyes: "It's time, isn't it?"

After a while, Ding Xiu's voice came out: "Yes!"

Hearing Ding Xiu's voice, Yuan Bin sat up suddenly, turned around and looked at Ding Xiu, his eyes spitting fire: "You finally dare to come to see me? Ding Xiu, do you still remember the favor of the late emperor?"

"I remember." Ding Xiu threw the wine in his hand to Yuan Bin and sighed, "Of course I remember. We trained together back then. We were both selected by the late emperor and sent to the grassland. We stayed there for many years."

Yuan Bin raised the wine pot and took a few sips, the anger in his eyes burning more fiercely: "Then why did you betray the late emperor?"

"Betrayal?" Ding Xiu sat down opposite him. "The late emperor sent us to the grasslands and told us not to betray the Ming Dynasty. I followed the late emperor's teachings and did not betray the Ming Dynasty. Look at the Ming Dynasty today. The people live and work in peace and contentment. We have achieved a goal that even Emperor Taizong did not achieve. Every family has enough food and clothing, and the people are well-off."

Yuan Bin was furious: "But the emperor in Fengtian Hall is fake."

"As long as his name is Zhu Qizhen, it doesn't matter." Ding Xiu spread his hands. "Do you want me to support the weak and incompetent emperor in your mind? The Battle of Tumu Fortress killed 200,000 elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. If it weren't for the current emperor, the Ming Dynasty would have been destroyed at that time. Yesen's 500,000 troops were at the gates of the city, where was he?"

"You...you...these are two different things." Yuan Bin didn't know how to refute.

Ding Xiu was also angry, his eyes full of disdain:
"Hahaha, two different things? Yes, in your eyes, the death of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people is not a big deal. Your so-called loyalty is the most important thing."

"Before the Battle of Tumu, the princes and nobles wantonly annexed the common people's land, causing refugees to emerge everywhere and they couldn't even eat. Did you manage this?"

Yuan Bin lowered his head slightly and snorted: "That's the fault of eunuch Wang Zhen."

"Hahaha, what are you guys for? Why didn't you die trying to persuade the enemy? Why didn't you risk your lives?" Ding Xiu's eyes were full of sarcasm.

Yuan Bin looked up at him and sneered: "I'm not in Beijing, I don't know."

"Then what are you talking about!" Ding Xiu snatched the wine pot and took a sip. "I am here to see you off for the last time. What else do you have to say? If you still have relatives, I will take care of them."

Yuan Bin looked at him coldly and sneered, "Come on, we all come from the Jinyiwei, so don't use these methods on me. Maybe you are right to scold me, and all the ministers in the court back then were ungrateful, but I, Yuan Bin, am not! I, Yuan Bin, am worthy of the Ming Dynasty and the late emperor. Hahaha, Ding Xiu, don't think of coming to me to find comfort for your betrayal of the late emperor. You will never be at peace until you die, because you are the one who betrayed."

"Is there anything else to say? We have to go to the execution ground." Ding Xiu's eyes were cold.

Indeed, betraying the late emperor is a thorn that will forever be buried deep in his heart.

Yuan Bin drank the wine in the jug and stood up: "Let's go, I'm going to see the late emperor. When I get to the underworld, I will scold you in front of the late emperor again, hahahaha."

……

West Market, under the archway.

Xisi Pailou is the place where executions were carried out in all dynasties, the so-called beheading of people in the market.

The cold wind blew like a sharp blade, stirring up clouds of dust and seeming to cut the skin of everyone present. The sky was gray and even the heavens looked gloomy.

The people were crowded around, standing or sitting, standing on tiptoe to look around, or whispering to each other. Although they had seen this scene many times, it always attracted countless spectators, as if it was an irresistible attraction that made them gather here with fear and curiosity.

In the mat tent on the execution ground, the supervising officer sat upright, his face stern and his eyes revealed unquestionable majesty. Beside him, there were cold swords and torture instruments. Next to him, the tall wooden stake stood quietly, waiting for the head to be hung on it.

The wind was so cold that it made people's clothes rustle, but even so, it could not dispel the heavy oppression and fear. The faces of the people were filled with curiosity, pity, or indifference.

Xu Bin was mixed in the crowd. When he saw Yuan Bin, covered in blood, being taken to Xingtai, he didn't dare to look directly at him and lowered his head.

"Bring someone to commit the crime!"

With a heavy sound of footsteps, a group of soldiers in iron armor and holding spears slowly walked into the execution ground, escorting a ragged and haggard prisoner to the archway. The prisoner staggered, and every step seemed to carry a heavy burden. There was fear and relief in his eyes, as if he was both afraid and looking forward to the upcoming liberation.

The executioner gently raised the token in his hand, signaling the start of preparations for the execution. An executioner in official uniform stepped forward, holding a scroll, and loudly read out the prisoner's crime and sentence. His voice echoed in the cold wind, clear and cold. With each sentence, the prisoner's face turned paler, and the onlookers sighed or talked, and the atmosphere became increasingly heavy.

"So it was him. He was the one who supported the fake emperor of Dunhuang."

"Humph, damn it."

"Now that the Ming Dynasty is peaceful, what are they asking for?"

"Anyway, no one can disturb the peaceful and prosperous times today. He deserves to die."

After the reading, the executioner turned to the executioner and bowed respectfully, indicating that he had verified the identity of the prisoner. The executioner nodded slightly, and with a sharp gaze, he once again examined the prisoner to confirm whether the final verdict was correct. Then, he slowly put down the token in his hand, and at that moment, the entire execution ground seemed to stop breathing.

The executioner signaled, and two executioners came forward. They were burly, with cold faces, holding sharp ghost-head knives in their hands, and the blades flashed coldly in the sun. The prisoner was taken to the stake, and the executioners skillfully tied him to the stake to ensure that he could not struggle. The prisoner's eyes began to blur, and he murmured something, perhaps missing his family, or perhaps accusing his fate, but all this was irreversible.

The executioner took a deep breath, raised his right hand, and suddenly waved it down, while loudly announcing: "Execution!"

This order was like thunder breaking through the sky. The executioners swung their knives almost at the same time. There was a flash of the knife, accompanied by a dull sound.

Blood gushed out, dyeing the ground of the execution ground red, and shocked everyone present. The people covered their faces, lowered their heads, or closed their eyes, unwilling to look directly at this cruel scene.

After the execution, the executioner stepped forward again and carefully examined the head. After confirming that it was correct, he ordered his men to hang it on a wooden stake for public display. The wind was still blowing coldly, with a hint of barely perceptible sadness. Under the West Market Archway, everything returned to calm, leaving only the shocking red.

Xu Bin watched from afar and bowed silently, but he didn't dare to move too much.

……

Shuntian University, under the dry well.

After Xu Bin came back, his face was extremely pale, and he drank several cups of tea. The Zhengtong Emperor and Wu Xingdao came over and saw that he was frightened.

"What happened when you went out? Don't expose your whereabouts." asked the Zhengtong Emperor.

"It won't expose our whereabouts. Now we have a direct connection from the underground to Lao Lu's yard." Wu Xingdao smiled, "Xu Bin always leaves from Lao Lu's yard."

Xu Bin was absent-minded for a while, then he raised his head and said word by word: "Your Majesty, Yuan Bin... was beheaded in public."

"What?" The Zhengtong Emperor was shocked. "It's in the West Market." Xu Bin's eyes were filled with tears, "The head is still hanging there."

The orthodox emperor staggered and sat on the chair, some of him was not sad but panicked. Wu Xingdao was relatively calm and sighed softly: "The false emperor is trying to intimidate those who want to help your majesty."

Xu Bin also nodded repeatedly: "There is news from the Junshan Society that we should keep quiet and let the false emperor think that we are indeed dead."

"It was I who killed Mr. Yuan." The Zhengtong Emperor seemed to have just come to his senses. "If I hadn't come back, he wouldn't have lost his life. Mr. Yuan has been with me for so many years, and he has suffered a lot."

Xu Bin bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, you must cheer up! When you regain the throne, you will avenge Yuan Bin."

"I will kill all those people." The Zhengtong Emperor was angry.

Xu Bin helped him sit down and said, "The people on the execution ground all support the fake emperor. So, Your Majesty, it is the right choice for us to go back to Beijing in secret. Only if we replace the fake emperor, we still have a chance. If you want to conquer the world in the Western Regions, the people of the entire Ming Dynasty will not follow you."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wu Xingdao continued, "Besides, who can defeat the Ming army now? Didn't the imperial army defeat Timur's army not long ago?"

The orthodox emperor nodded slowly: "It's difficult!"

Xu Bin came closer and said, "Your Majesty, the Junshan Association is planning to have the Queen Mother meet with Your Majesty. The Queen Mother will definitely bring us good news."

"I haven't seen my mother for many years." The orthodox emperor had a sad look in his eyes.

……

Chamber of Commerce Hall.

Xiyao was drinking tea in the private room while Roujia was reporting to her.

"So, the emperor would come to you every once in a while to read the letter from Mr. Ning." Xiyao frowned slightly, "No wonder, he goes out of the palace from time to time, and has so many things to do outside the palace."

Roujia nodded and continued, "Yes, the emperor is the man behind the Daming Trading Company. He used Chao Xiaotian, and with the help of Jinyiwei, the Daming Trading Company developed rapidly."

"This is to monopolize the trade." Xiyao put down the teacup and said, "The caravan will continue to follow the Daming Trade Company to expand in Southeast Asia. In this way, there will be huge profits, and the Ning family will not be short of money in Japan."

"Yes." Roujia accepted the order, then raised her head and asked, "Your Highness, what are your instructions?"

Xiyao pondered for a moment and sighed, "It's time for the emperor to issue an edict to pardon our people. The elderly are all thinking about returning home."

"The emperor has promised it. I will mention it to him next time," said Roujia.

"It wasn't you who suggested this, it was the Ning family." Xiyao raised her hand, "Bring me a pen, I'll write to the Ning family. Only the Ning family's words are useful to the emperor. You and I are useless."

Roujia immediately fetched paper and pen, Xiyao picked up the pen and quickly wrote a letter. Roujia took the letter and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, do you still want to go to the palace? Your status is really unfair."

"Our ancestors didn't feel wronged, so why should I?" Xiyao stood up. "I'm going back. I've been at Shuntian University recently. If you have any questions, send someone to find me there."

Roujia nodded her head and sent her to the door.

After Xiyao left the guild hall, she went to the market and bought some food before returning to the campus of Shuntian University. Passing by Shang Lu's courtyard, she saw a gentleman hurriedly coming out of the courtyard. She asked with a smile, "Sir, is Mr. Shang here? Ask him to come to our place for dinner tonight."

"Oh, he's not here." The gentleman smiled, "Maybe he'll be back later."

After that, he left in a hurry. Xiyao frowned slightly, looked up at the yard, and didn't see Li Ling either.

……

Qianqing Palace, small court meeting.

The cabinet chief Xu Youzhen reported the recent situation of the Maritime Customs, which was so prosperous that caravans from all over the world came to the Ming Dynasty. Whether it was maritime trade or land trade, it was far superior to the pre-Yuan period.

"Ships are arriving one after another, merchants are gathering in large numbers, and goods are piled up like mountains." Xu Youzhen said proudly, "Your Majesty, Quanzhou has become the world's largest port."

Zhu Qizhen laughed out loud and said, "Don't think about raising tariffs yet. We need to get more caravans to come to Ming. Also, take this opportunity to promote Ming Tongbao. My orthodox Tongbao will become the world's currency."

"Your Majesty, those small countries in the East and Southeast Asia are already using our Great Ming Tong Bao." Li Xian reported, "However, the quality of the banknotes does need to be improved. Now merchants are worried that the banknotes will go bad."

Zhu Qizhen nodded and said, "Let the Baoyuan Bureau handle this, and the Ming Bank will assist. Ladies and gentlemen, strong ships and powerful guns are just derivatives of finance. We will eventually conquer the world through financial means. Fighting a war is the most unprofitable business."

"Your Majesty is wise." All the ministers bowed together.

After the officials left, Zhu Qizhen began to review the memorials at a very fast speed. Now that he was experienced in government affairs, he would not be deceived by the officials below him, and he could tell what was going on at a glance.

Not long after, Cao Jixiang came to report: "Your Majesty, Mr. Shang wants to see you."

"This university president is quite idle." Zhu Qizhen complained, "Bring him in."

After a while, Shang Lu arrived at the palace. After paying respect, Zhu Qizhen asked Cao Jixiang to bring him a stool. Shang Lu sat down without hesitation and said, "Your Majesty, I will not delay you. I came here this time to report to Your Majesty that I plan to hold a three-year school celebration event..."

"Okay, approved." Zhu Qizhen approved it without waiting for him to finish.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..." Shang Lu was overjoyed.

Zhu Qizhen didn't wait for him to finish, and said with a smile: "You need money, right? Write a memorial and I'll approve it for you. Go to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for money. It's the first school anniversary, so let's make it grand."

"Your Majesty is wise." Shang Lu stood up and bowed.

Zhu Qizhen was annoyed: "I knew you were here to ask for money, otherwise, you would not come to my Qianqing Palace."

"I am thinking about your Majesty while I am at school." Shang Lu smiled with satisfaction, "Your Majesty, you have done a great job in running this university. We are a group of old officials who are old and cannot help the court, but we can still teach and educate people."

Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Shang, take care of yourself. Good days are still to come."

(End of this chapter)