Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 124: Punishment! Zhu Yunxun's method!
Outside the lobby of the Ministry of Justice, the sound of boards falling heavily could be heard one after another.

Huang Zicheng slowly felt relieved.

With the emperor's order, we can still deal with these guys from the Ministry of Justice.

However, he was not happy for long as he soon realized something was wrong.

Why did I only hear the sound of beatings, but not the screams of Wang Bi and others?
Are they all so tolerant?

If it were just one or two, it would be fine.

It is not surprising that people who have experienced life and death on the battlefield have extraordinary endurance.

But it was a bit strange that no one said anything.

Huang Zicheng thought of this and immediately walked out of the lobby.

But outside, the yamen runners were beating people with sticks like a flywheel, one after another, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

However, the person being hit by the stick below did not show any sign of pain on his face. Instead, he looked indifferent and did not look like he was being hit hard at all.

"You...how could you fool me like this?" Huang Zicheng was furious.

The runners working in the yamen all have their own set of skills for beating people with sticks.

There are two different ways to hit the board.

One is to beat the prisoner until he is covered in blood, which looks horrific but actually does not cause any serious injuries.

The other is to really do it.

If all fifty lashes were given, the man would be half dead if not dead.

But the way the yamen runners were fighting now was neither the first nor the second, but the third way which was completely pretentious.

Lift high and drop gently.

There won't even be any blood or flesh on the surface.

With this kind of fighting style, let alone fifty lashes, even five hundred lashes, five thousand lashes... Wang Bi and others would not have any problem.

Maybe you don’t even feel the pain!
"You bunch of clerks, if you continue like this, don't blame me for being ruthless. I will punish you as well." Huang Zicheng pointed at the bailiff who was carrying out the execution and trembled with anger.

"Master Huang is wrong." Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice, said leisurely, "Master Huang ordered them to be beaten with sticks, and the people below followed his orders. How can Master Huang punish his subordinates at will?"

"We are from the Ministry of Justice, but we cannot be convicted just because Lord Huang says so."

These words made Huang Zicheng furious. He turned sideways and looked at Yang Jing, with murderous light in his eyes, as if he wanted to bite him a few times.

"Yang Jing, you are defying His Majesty's orders so openly. Do you think His Majesty has your eyes on you? Have you thought about the consequences?"

"Did I disobey your order?" Yang Jing spread his hands and said, "Sir Huang, you can't just say that. You need real evidence."

"You are here at the Ministry of Justice to try the treason case of Wang Bi and his gang. I have ordered the entire Ministry of Justice to fully cooperate with you in the trial."

"Don't slander me and accuse me of something you want to accuse me of!"

Huang Zicheng stared at him fiercely, but Yang Jing was not moved at all and kept smiling.

Huang Zicheng slowly turned his head and looked at the yamen runners and other officials of the Ministry of Justice in the field, but he saw that they were all looking at him with mocking eyes. The sarcasm on the corners of their mouths was self-evident.

"puff!"

Huang Zicheng's blood boiled and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He staggered and was about to fall, but fortunately an official from the Ministry of Justice who was not far away was quick to catch him.

"Yang... Yang... Yang Jing, you are so arrogant and openly defy my orders. I will definitely severely report you!"

"Just wait for your dismissal from office, imprisonment and conviction."

Just as he uttered the harsh words, he heard a few laughs.

However, it was the generals and nobles who were still lying on the stools and had just been beaten with sticks.

At this point they came to their senses.

But Huang Zicheng, who had reported them, wanted to put them to death.

However, it seems that he has no control over the Ministry of Justice at all.

Although they were wearing official uniforms and shouting loudly in the stands, claiming that they were following the emperor's orders, they were like monkeys in official uniforms, which only made people laugh.

From being sent out of prison, thinking he would be released, to being sentenced to immediate execution... and now watching Huang Zicheng's clown-like performance, the hearts of the generals and nobles have been ups and downs, and they couldn't help laughing at this moment.

"What are you laughing at?"

Sudden.

A boy's voice, slightly tender, suddenly sounded.

Zhu Yunhuan walked in from outside.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the King of Wu!" Yang Jing and officials from the Ministry of Justice hurriedly saluted.

Huang Zicheng's body trembled and he slowly closed his eyes.

The King of Wu is here!

In the end, it still fell short.

It's a pity that I wanted to "sacrifice myself for justice" and risk my life to help His Royal Highness Prince Xian, but I still couldn't do it.

Zhu Yunhuan took a quick look and immediately understood the situation.

Huang Zicheng is such a loser!

It would have been fine if he couldn't kill Wang Bi and others with the imperial order, but he was so fooled that he even beat them with a stick. Huang Zicheng had no way to deal with it.

If someone else, for example, Yang Shiqi or Yao Guangxiao, came, they would have countless ways to deal with Yang Jing.

After all, I have the emperor's order!
But Huang Zicheng...

Zhu Yunxi shook his head slightly.

Not only is he not good at making plans, but his ability to handle practical matters is also so poor.

What use does the court have for such officials?
Only the idiot Zhu Yunwen treated him as a guest of honor.

When Wang Bi and other military generals and nobles saw him come in, they couldn't help but feel happy.

"Your Highness, King Wu, help me!"

"Your Highness, King Wu, we are wronged!"

"His Royal Highness King Wu..."

……

"Shut up!" Zhu Yunhuan shouted angrily, glaring at the generals and nobles with eyes as sharp as knives.

No one spoke for a moment.

He turned to Huang Zicheng and Yang Jing and asked, "What did you find out during the investigation?"

Huang Zicheng handed over the confession written by Wang Bi and other military generals and nobles.

"Wang Bi and others have all pleaded guilty."

Zhu Yunhuan took it, looked at it, and nodded slightly.

The confessions of these people were written very honestly, without any clever excuses.

He raised the book in his hand, then turned to the generals and nobles who were still lying on the stools and asked, "Did you write this by your own hands?"

All the generals and nobles were silent at once.

"I'm asking you. Is it or is it not?" Zhu Yunhuan asked angrily again.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The generals and nobles responded softly one after another.

"Then why are you still crying foul?" Zhu Yunhuan snorted coldly, "Based on the criminal facts recorded here, I will sentence you to immediate execution, which is already a lenient sentence."

"You still have the nerve to laugh after being spanked!"

"Do you really think that just because you have made some contributions, the court can't punish you?" His face darkened: "Beat! First, give each of you twenty strokes of the cane, and beat them hard."

"Anyone who dares to pretend not to work hard will no longer be employed by the Ministry of Justice. Drag him out and beat him to death."

The yamen runners were startled and their eyes turned to the Minister of Justice Yang Jing.

All the officials of the Ministry of Justice were so frightened that they turned pale.

Why are these yamen runners so stupid?
Still can't see the situation clearly?

Are you still waiting for the order from the Minister? Do you think your life is too long?
Yang Jing stamped his feet fiercely: "Didn't you hear the order from His Royal Highness the King of Wu? Hurry up and do it, do you all want to be beaten to death?"

The yamen runners no longer dared to be negligent. They immediately picked up their boards and used all their strength to hit the generals and nobles hard on their buttocks.

In an instant, screams were heard everywhere.

Don’t underestimate these military generals and nobles. Except for a few second-generation ones, the others are all veterans who have fought on the battlefield for many years.

But charging into battle without fear of death and not fearing pain are two different things.

At this moment, they were beaten one by one and screamed in misery.

Yang Jing was also feeling very nervous.

He stopped Huang Zicheng just now just to please King Wu.

But looking at the King of Wu's current posture, he is probably still angry and still remembers the hatred of being besieged that day.

Would His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu blame me for my behavior just now?
Huang Zicheng had a different feeling.

He came here on the emperor's orders, but was made difficult and even humiliated by the Ministry of Justice.

But as soon as the King of Wu arrived, the people in the Ministry of Justice became silent as a mouse, and there was no trace of their previous arrogance.

Of course there is the natural suppression brought about by different identities, but the pressure from the King of Wu himself is also an important factor.

In contrast, he had a lot of scholarly ambition and a willingness to die, but he had no way to deal with the officials and runners in the Ministry of Justice.

It’s really ridiculous when you think about it!

He had only felt the pressure from the King of Wu from one other person in his life.

That is the current Emperor.

Besides, even the King Xian, to whom he was loyal, did not have such momentum.

Perhaps, this is the crucial factor that made His Majesty the Emperor choose King Wu instead of King Xian.

Only the King of Wu could subdue his ministers and those unruly generals and nobles.

King Xian can’t do that!
Huang Zicheng sighed inwardly.

I'm afraid King Xian will never be able to compete with King Wu again!

When Zhu Yunhuan saw that the twenty strokes of the cane had been completed, the expression on his face gradually softened.

"Do you know why I gave you twenty spankings just now?"

He asked calmly, and without waiting for their answer, he continued:
"Huang Zicheng came here to try the case under the order of the Emperor. How dare you laugh at him? Are you laughing at the imperial envoy who is handling the case under the order of the Emperor?"

"Do you still have His Majesty the Emperor in your eyes?"

"Do you remember that you are subjects and must abide by your duties as subjects?"

"Should I spank you?"

All the generals and nobles seemed to have just woken up from their dreams and immediately spoke up.

"I know my crime, but I never had such intention."

"I will never dare to do that again!"

"I have absolutely no intention of disrespecting Your Majesty."

……

Zhu Yunhuan's face was filled with regret: "Many of you are former subordinates of my uncle, Duke Liang, or old friends."

"In the eyes of many people in the court, my great uncle's people are also my people."

"What do you think?"

All the generals and nobles remained silent.

They naturally thought so in their hearts.

But when I think about what I did that day, I don't have the face to admit it now.

Zhu Yunxun sighed, whispered in a low voice, and said self-deprecatingly: "My people?"

He suddenly raised his voice and shouted angrily: "I don't have anyone as stupid as you!"

Zhu Yunhuan turned and looked at Huang Zicheng: "Sir Huang, you are the judge appointed by the Emperor. Now that they have pleaded guilty, you will be the judge."

Huang Zicheng was stunned.

I didn't expect that Zhu Yunhuan would actually let me make the judgment.

Soon, there was a feeling of ecstasy.

All the grievances I had just suffered seemed to disappear at this moment.

Yang Jing was stunned.

After all the fuss, even His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu arrived in person, but in the end, Huang Zicheng was still the one to make the verdict!

A group of military generals and nobles were disheartened.

I thought I could be rescued, but unexpectedly, I still couldn't escape this disaster.

Huang Zicheng said in a clear voice: "Wang Bi... and his gang led the crowd to besiege the King of Wu with weapons that day, intending to commit an illegal act."

"This happened in full view of the public, witnessed by countless people."

"Wang Bi... and others know that they cannot escape the blame and have submitted their own confessions."

"I have been ordered by the Emperor to examine this case. I have ascertained the facts and now formally sentence Wang Bi... and others to immediate execution!"

After hearing this, all the military generals and nobles turned pale.

There is great terror between life and death, but once people become passionate, they will not fear life or death and will face it fearlessly.

As a group of people who have fought on the battlefield for many years, they understand this very well.

But the first effort is strong, the second becomes weaker, and the third is exhausted.

As people go back and forth between life and death over and over again, they will become more and more afraid of death.

Hopes are dashed, rekindled, and dashed again...

You will die eventually.

Unfortunately, there is no medicine for regret in the world.

Just when a group of military generals and nobles thought they were doomed, they saw Zhu Yunhuan walk to a charcoal brazier in the yamen and casually throw the confession letters they had written into the brazier.

The fire broke out in an instant.

"The crimes you have committed are extremely heinous and you should be killed."

"But I, the king, will temporarily pardon your death penalty, considering that you have made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty in the past and have confessed your crimes."

"Starting tomorrow, you will go to the Daming Military Academy to receive education and reform."

"I hope you will not forget the court's grace, turn over a new leaf and start a new life!"

After saying that, Zhu Yunhuan turned and left.

Behind him, there were voices of generals and nobles shedding tears of gratitude.

"Thank you, Your Highness King Wu!"

……

Huang Zicheng stood there in shock, dumbfounded!
……

(End of this chapter)