Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 554 Caution! The Philosophy of Getting Things Done!

Stepping out of the tent, Zhao Rui took out a towel and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.

The shock he had just experienced still left him feeling lingering fear, and his heart was still pounding violently.

At this moment, a young eunuch bowed and stepped forward, lowering his voice to say, "Eunuch Zhao, His Majesty has been found. The Governor of Henan, Zheng Hongjian, and the Inspector, Zhao Qingzhi, have also come to pay their respects. Should we inform them?"

Zhao Rui was taken aback upon hearing this, but then his face lit up with uncontrollable joy. He said in a deep voice, "Good! This saves us the trouble of searching for and capturing them."

This is, after all, the heart of Henan. If we want to arrest high-ranking local officials like the governor and the imperial inspector here, we will definitely need to make careful plans to prevent them from acting desperately and endangering the emperor's life, or from fleeing at the first sign of trouble.

Their voluntary appearance has undoubtedly greatly simplified the difficulty of the arrest.

The young eunuch was shocked upon hearing this and was about to ask for the reason when Zhao Rui gave him no chance to say more. He immediately ordered the eunuch to select a group of smart, capable, and trustworthy guards to accompany him to arrest the two men.

This was, after all, a crucial and important task, and Zhao Rui dared not entrust it to anyone else.

If anything goes wrong during the arrest, and he can't even handle this small matter properly, the emperor will probably take his life.

At that moment, Zhao Rui conveyed the emperor's oral edict to the guards and personally made detailed and thorough arrangements on how to carry out the arrest.

Then, he led his guards and hurried to where Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi were.

Upon seeing Zhao Rui's arrival, Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi quickly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

Zheng Hongjian, with a fawning smile plastered on his face, spoke first: "Godfather, you've finally arrived!"

"Why has His Majesty suddenly come to this disaster relief site?"

"The environment here is so harsh; Your Majesty's precious body is not fit to stay any longer!"

Zhao Rui's face instantly fell, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. He said coldly, "What His Majesty does, where he goes, is none of your business as subjects to arbitrarily interfere?"

He paused, then his tone suddenly changed, and he said sarcastically, "And when did our family take you two as godsons?"

"Look at yourselves, you're all getting on in years. How old are we, on the other hand?"

"If we were to actually take you two as godsons and become your godfathers, wouldn't that be like shortening our lifespans for nothing?"

Faced with Zhao Rui's sudden change in expression, Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi were both stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Didn't this "living ancestor" just receive two million taels of silver as a tribute from the two of them?

How could you turn your back on me so quickly?
Before the two could recover from their shock, several guards had silently approached and then suddenly attacked, pinning them down with lightning speed.

Caught off guard, the two immediately flew into a rage, cursing and struggling desperately.

At this moment, Zhao Ruicai stepped forward unhurriedly and read out in a calm tone: "His Majesty has decreed that Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi be immediately dismissed from their posts, arrested and imprisoned, and handed over to the relevant officials for strict interrogation and sentencing!"

The imperial decree struck them like a bolt from the blue, leaving them stunned and speechless. Their struggling movements came to an abrupt halt, and they stared blankly at Zhao Rui, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Zhao Rui did not disappoint them. After announcing the decree, he quickly walked slowly to the two men, bent down, and whispered in their ears, "Our family... has done its best."

"You officials in Henan actually dared to embezzle the silver bestowed upon you by the Empress in her compassion for the disaster victims!"

“With the silver given by the Empress, they would give out an extra steamed bun and make the porridge even thinner, cutting money at every level, so that the Empress’s good intentions were all wasted.”

"Such behavior is tantamount to courting death, and one has no one to blame but oneself!"

Zhao Rui straightened up, his gaze sweeping over them, his tone even colder: "Now that the truth has come out, all officials, big and small, in Henan Province must be thoroughly investigated!"

"As governors and imperial inspectors, you cannot allow your officials to perform their duties diligently. If you are incompetent in governing, you can set off with peace of mind!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi's expressions changed drastically, and all color drained from their faces.

Zheng Hongjian blurted out, "These beasts! I repeatedly told them that this time is different from before, and they absolutely cannot take a single penny! How dare they?"

"They're even going to steal this deadly silver? Do they have a death wish?"

Zhao Qingzhi, standing to the side, looked ashen-faced and sighed, "It takes more than one day for ice to freeze three feet deep."

"These officials are habitually corrupt, so how could they possibly resist such a huge sum of money?"

"No matter how much we warn them, they'll just ignore us. This time... we're completely finished!"

Zheng Hongjian was speechless, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He reflected on himself and realized that he was no different.
Even before His Majesty set off on his northern tour, people in the capital had already sent word, repeatedly urging him to be careful, to perform well in front of His Majesty, to devote himself to disaster relief, and to never touch a single tael of disaster relief money.

However, he never truly heeded these warnings.

It wasn't until His Majesty dispatched Minister Yang Rong to Kaifeng to conduct a thorough investigation, and until Zhao Rui personally informed them of the impending disaster, that he hastily thought of taking remedial measures.

But the officials below have different positions, different perceptions, and different perspectives. How can their long-standing habits of greed be completely changed overnight?

Zhao Rui waved his hand impatiently, signaling the guards to take Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi away.

He then immediately arranged for men to set off for Kaifeng to search the two men's residences.

At this moment, a young eunuch approached, lowered his voice, and whispered with a fawning expression, "Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi, those two corrupt officials, must have mountains of gold and silver piled up in their homes, countless in number. What do you think of this confiscation, Your Excellency…?"

"Snapped!"

Before the eunuch could finish speaking, Zhao Rui, enraged, slapped him hard across the face.

The palm strike was so powerful that it instantly swelled half of the eunuch's cheek like a steamed bun.

Still not satisfied, Zhao Rui kicked him hard again, angrily shouting, "You blind idiot! Have you lost your mind?"

"Don't you see the current situation? His Majesty is furious!"

"How dare you covet the money confiscated from our home!"

"You don't want to live anymore, but our family still wants to live a few more years. Don't try to drag our family down with you!"

The young eunuch was dizzy from the beating, his face burning, and he felt excruciating pain from the kicks, but he didn't dare utter a sound.

After getting up, he immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness, saying, "Father-in-law is right. I know I was wrong. I will never dare to do it again!"

Seeing that Zhao Rui showed no signs of continuing his attack, he tremblingly defended himself, saying, "I just thought that the court had no idea how much wealth Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi had, so we were just going to confiscate their property..."

"boom!"

Zhao Rui kicked again, this time harder and more viciously.

The little eunuch's body was kicked so hard that he leaned back and rolled several times on the ground like a rag doll before finally coming to a stop.

"Do you think that confiscating property and taking some money is a common practice, since no one knows the details or the amount before the money is deposited into the account, right?" Zhao Rui sneered repeatedly: "Since ancient times, confiscating property has been the easiest way to fish in troubled waters and make money at will."

"Because the accounts cannot be verified, one can take the opportunity to line one's own pocket, thinking that one has gotten away with it."

Zhao Rui's tone suddenly changed, his volume rose sharply, and he cupped his hands towards the empty space above, his voice booming like a bell: "Do you know that His Majesty's wisdom is beyond compare!"

Do you really think His Majesty is completely unaware of the drawbacks involved?

"You still dare to harbor illusions, attempting to line your own pockets and deceive the Emperor!"

Do you really think you're smarter than His Majesty?

After he finished cursing, he ignored the little eunuch, slowly turned around, and his sharp gaze swept over the guards following behind him. He warned in an extremely stern tone: "The rampant corruption and abuse of power by a large number of officials in Henan has already greatly angered His Majesty."

"If His Majesty finds out that you also dared to engage in embezzlement and corruption during this confiscation of property, your fate will be a hundred or a thousand times worse than that of Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi!"

"Let's make this clear from the start: this time, the imperial decree to confiscate our property is unlike any other!"

"How wise and sagacious is His Majesty?"

"There is nothing in this world that can be hidden from His Majesty."

"If Your Majesty turns a blind eye, we can all have a good life."

"But anyone who dares to oppose His Majesty, who knowingly tries to make money despite His Majesty's prohibition, who dares to pluck the dragon's whiskers, is courting death!"

"Anyone who wants to take advantage of this raid to plunder money and line their own pockets should give up on that idea as soon as possible!"

"Every penny of Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi's wealth must be clearly recorded in the accounts!"

"If he dares to hoard even a single penny, we'll take his life!"

"Do you understand everything?"

Zhao Rui's expression was extremely stern.

Although His Majesty the Emperor had spoken very casually when he ordered him to lead men to confiscate Zhu Yunwen's property, as if it were just a casual remark, Zhao Rui had served Zhu Yunwen for several years and knew all too well how unfathomably powerful he was.

He understood that the more nonchalant the emperor appeared, the more likely he was harboring murderous intent.

Zheng Hongjian was the governor of Henan, and Zhao Qingzhi was the inspector of Henan. Both of their homes were located in Kaifeng, which was far away from this place.

Wouldn't it be simpler and more convenient to just send a telegram to Yang Rong, the imperial envoy who had already gone to Kaifeng to investigate the case, to confiscate the property of the two men?

However, His Majesty did not do so. Instead, he appointed Zhao Rui to lead men to Kaifeng to confiscate property.

This inevitably aroused Zhao Rui's suspicions.

Considering everything that had happened before, Zhao Rui realized that this was very likely a test from the emperor.

At such a critical juncture, how could he dare to harbor even the slightest thought of profiting from it?
Zhao Rui's greatest strength is his cautious and prudent approach to things.

The reason why Lady Lü chose him and placed him by Zhu Yunwen's side was precisely because of this.

However, Lady Lü never expected that the pawn she thought she controlled, the cautious person who should have been loyal to her, would be "turned against" by Zhu Yunwen with just a few words, and in the end, she ended up losing more than she gained.

Now that the Lü clan has been eliminated, Zhao Rui has become Zhu Yunwen's confidant, serving him diligently. However, Zhao Rui's innate cautiousness has not diminished at all; on the contrary, it has become even more vigilant and perceptive.

He knew the saying "serving a ruler is like serving a tiger," and he walked on thin ice with utmost caution.

When he took the money from Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi, he had already prepared a way out for himself.

This allowed them to land safely and escape unscathed after being captured by the emperor.

Now, as he vaguely realized that there was a hidden agenda behind this raid, Zhao Rui raised his vigilance to the highest level.

They didn't dare entertain even the slightest thought of making money.

After all, one's own life is more important than any amount of money.

Serving before the emperor, if one does not know how to read between the lines, assess the situation, or know when to stop, will ultimately only end up with a severed head.

His beating of the eunuch was not only because the eunuch's greedy words had enraged him, but also to make an example of the guards who had accompanied him to confiscate the property.

He wanted to use this opportunity to make a clear statement and give a stern warning to those guards who might be taking chances.

This was to ensure that no one took any money during the search of the property.

Complete the task assigned by the emperor flawlessly.

As expected, the guards witnessed this scene and heard Zhao Rui's resounding warning. They all stiffened and shouted in unison, "We understand! We will abide by the law and will never take a single penny!"

Zhao Rui nodded in satisfaction and said, "The journey to Kaifeng is long, and we are under imperial orders, so we will have to travel as fast as we can. It will be quite tiring for everyone, but I am not an unreasonable person."

"If you all do a good job on this mission, I will personally reward you with a sum of money. You won't have come for nothing."

"However, if anyone dares to secretly pocket money during the raid, don't blame us for being ruthless."

The guards all said they dared not.

Zhao Rui then led his guards and rushed to Kaifeng without stopping.

……

Outside the fence, upon learning of His Majesty the Emperor's arrival, a large number of heavily armored guards rushed to the scene, their iron hooves kicking up clouds of dust, alarming the refugees in the settlement.

Upon seeing this scene, the surrounding disaster victims were initially filled with fear and instinctively shrank back.

But soon, suppressed whispers and murmurs arose from the crowd.

The news that the Imperial Guards from yesterday were escorting the Emperor on his incognito visit to this place has spread like wildfire among the disaster victims.

The Henan Provincial Administration Commissioner Zheng Hongjian, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Zhao Qingzhi, and a number of other prefectural and county officials were all arrested on the spot.

On the execution ground, the execution of the "prisoner" who was originally scheduled to be beheaded was suspended.

Many innocent people were exonerated and regained their freedom after just a few hours of overnight retrial.

Each and every one of these events confirms that earth-shattering rumor.

As a result, more and more disaster victims flocked from all directions, eager to see the face of the heavens!
……

(End of this chapter)