Ming: I am fake, walking on thin ice

Chapter 77: The Three Tribes? Your Majesty, Think Twice
Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qizhen looked at the memorial sent by Jinyiwei Commander Shi Biao with a sharp gaze: "What the Wang family did is enough to kill all nine clans. No wonder Suzhou calls them the Wang family the vassal kings."

"Your Majesty, now that the evidence is conclusive, can we bring Wang Wen to justice?" Shi Biao asked.

"No rush, let him be frightened for a few more days." Zhu Qizhen smiled slightly.

Shi Biao was a little worried: "Your Majesty, there won't be any unexpected events, right? Although the Jinyiwei's investigation into this case in Suzhou is extremely secretive, I am worried that Wang Wen may have noticed something."

Zhu Qizhen smiled and waved his hands: "I think that people may be able to withstand severe punishment sometimes, but they may not be able to withstand the torture of capricious fear. For a hypocrite like Wang Wen, this kind of mental punishment is the most severe. There is no need to rush to put him in jail."

Shi Biao nodded in agreement: "The brothers who monitor the palace reported that after Wang Wen was dismissed, he has lost a lot of weight at home in the past few days, and his eyes are bloodshot, which shows how exhausted he is mentally."

"Three days later, I will order him to come to court. I will personally interrogate him in Fengtian Hall." Zhu Qizhen chuckled, "I will give him enough time now. Let him go to my mother to plead for mercy."

His intention was to make all the ministers understand that the Queen Mother was unable to protect the guilty ministers.

After Shi Biao left, Zhu Qizhen began to review memorials. Recently, officials from all over the country have been submitting memorials with similar contents: excessive handling of land occupation issues has led to complaints from the people, etc.

Zhu Qizhen knew very well that the ones who really complained were the officials and gentry.

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother asks you to come over." The eunuch chief Jin Ying came to report.

Zhu Qizhen frowned slightly.

Queen Mother? Why are you looking for me at this time?

……

Kunning Palace.

The empress dowager, dressed in a long palace dress, looked quite elegant and dignified. Her beautiful face revealed a cold and charming taste. Her dark eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she seemed to be a little upset inside.

"Youth pays respects to the Queen Mother." Zhu Qizhen came in and bowed.

"Sit down and talk." The Queen Mother pointed to the chair, "Come here, bring some fresh fruits."

Zhu Qizhen sat down and smiled: "Mother, I have just eaten."

In this Kunning Palace, he really didn't dare to eat anything carelessly. If he was poisoned, wouldn't he be doomed?

The Queen Mother leaned on the cushion and said in a calm voice: "I have been very tired these days, so I will leave the state affairs to you. I heard that the Jinyiwei has already found evidence that Wang Wen and his family have committed crimes, so why haven't they arrested them yet?"

Zhu Qizhen was secretly shocked.

Damn, there are people from the Queen Mother in the Jinyiwei? Is she so well-informed?
The Queen Mother wants to give up Wang Wen. In order to avoid getting involved, she wants Wang Wen to die? She can't give the order herself, so she wants me to give the order to kill Wang Wen?
"Well, there are still some doubts. After all, Wang Wen is the Minister of Personnel, so he has to be convinced, right?" He smiled.

The Queen Mother stood up, walked in front of him, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, as a ruler of a country, it is the greatest taboo to hesitate when you should make a decision."

Zhu Qizhen sighed softly: "Some decisions are too cruel."

"Do you think being an emperor is so easy?" the queen mother said coldly, "I'm telling you, as an emperor, all the major events in the world depend on your will alone. If you make a mistake, you will lose everything. You are an emperor, and you are alone. The world belongs to you alone, and you are the only one who cares about the world. Therefore, the emperor's family has no private affairs and is not qualified to have private affairs."

Zhu Qizhen looked at the empress dowager in front of him, smelled the faint fragrance on her body, and felt puzzled. The empress dowager said a little too much today.

"I'll remember this, son." He bowed.

"Kill those who deserve it!" The Queen Mother waved her hand. "I will not attend court these days. You can do whatever you want."

…Three days later, morning court.

Wang Wen, the former Minister of Personnel who was dismissed from his post and stayed at home, was also called to attend the morning court. He put on the new crimson official robe of the Minister of Personnel and greeted people enthusiastically along the way.

He wanted to show that he was fine, and the Wang family was fine. Although he had lost weight and his eyes were bloodshot, he was excited.

After the court session, Zhu Qizhen's eyes fell on Wang Wen and he shouted in a deep voice: "Wang Wen, do you admit your guilt?"

Wang Wen immediately knelt down, his expression calm: "Your Majesty, I don't know."

Zhu Qizhen waved his hand, and the eunuch general manager Jin Ying handed several memorials to Wang Wen. Wang Wen picked them up and read them. Then, his face changed drastically and his hands began to tremble.

"Humph, Wang Wen, the prefect of Suzhou has already confessed his crime. He has confessed everything about how he bought the position from you." Zhu Qizhen said coldly, "Your Wang family is so powerful. You are the king of Suzhou. All the officials in Suzhou Prefecture listen to you! You occupied the people's land, extorted merchants, and killed those who didn't obey you."

"These are all false accusations. I want to see the Queen Mother." Wang Wen shouted anxiously.

"Don't even think about it. The Queen Mother summoned me yesterday and asked me why I hadn't dealt with you yet." Zhu Qizhen laughed sarcastically, "No one can protect you now."

Wang Wen sat down dejectedly. Having been in the officialdom for many years, he knew that he had become a discarded pawn.

"Your Majesty, I know my crime. Please forgive the Wang family. My family members don't even know about it." Wang Wen kowtowed.

"Don't know?" Zhu Qizhen stood up suddenly. "When you were corrupt and committed injustice, your family members shared your power and wealth. Did they come out to expose and denounce you? Now that the incident has happened, your family members should be guilty of the same crime as you!"

He paused, and swept his majestic eyes over the ministers:

"Ancient people said that after the establishment of a government, there are six things that are of great concern: the hiding of virtuous people; the change of occupations of the four classes; the consultation between the superiors and the subordinates; the disappearance of integrity and shame; the misrepresentation of the truth; and the denial of honesty and slander."

"For a small city like Suzhou, all six of the six evils have been committed! If corrupt officials like Wang Wen are not severely punished, how can we control all officials? I have decided to execute Wang Wen by beheading him and exterminate his entire clan!"

The ministers were horrified when they heard this. The chief minister of the cabinet, Wang Zhi, stood up and said, "No, Your Majesty, exterminating three tribes seems too...too much?"

"I will deal with it according to the Great Ming Law!" Zhu Qizhen said coldly, "You all don't need to discuss it anymore, and you are not allowed to plead for mercy."

He originally wanted to kill the Wang family in order to intimidate the gentry and officials and redistribute the Wang family's land to the people.

"Your Majesty, please think twice..." The Minister of Rites Hu Yi stood up.

"Dismiss the court!" Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and strode away.

The Jinyiwei rushed in, arrested Wang Wen who was kneeling there, and took him to the imperial prison.

Zhu Qizhen returned to the Wenhua Palace, and Yu Qian followed him in and bowed: "Your Majesty, is the matter of exterminating the three clans......"

"Old Yu, you know better than me. If I don't use severe punishment, can things move forward?" Zhu Qizhen said coldly, "If they can make trouble, how many more years can the Ming Dynasty make trouble?"

Yu Qian was speechless.

At this time, the eunuch Jin Ying came in and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the King of Qing wants to see you."

Zhu Qizhen sighed and said to Yu Qian, "Old Yu, it's hard for me to do this, okay? If this goes on, I will really be alone."

Yu Qian bowed and walked out.

(End of this chapter)