Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 587 Whose Orders? An Unbelievable Truth!

Zhu Yunwen's last words were like an invisible hammer, slamming heavily onto Tan Zhu's head.

The last glimmer of light in her eyes vanished instantly, and she collapsed to the ground as if her bones had been removed.

The room erupted in chaos!

"Be bold!"

"What nonsense!"

"presumptuous!"

Almost simultaneously, Shen Mo, Zhao Wenyuan, and a group of officials could no longer contain themselves, and their angry shouts echoed throughout the courtroom: "Without any evidence, you're making baseless accusations! How dare you accuse Tan Zhu of murder and frame someone? Do you have any respect for the law?"

"Guards!" Shen Mo's voice boomed, tinged with a hint of exasperated ruthlessness: "Seize this arrogant scoundrel who spouts nonsense and falsely accuses innocent people!"

He had indeed been wary of the young man's identity.

This person's origins are unknown, but his courage and demeanor are not something that could be cultivated in an ordinary family.

But now that things had come to this, Shen Mo could no longer sit still!

All sorts of interests flashed through his mind in an instant.

Once Tan Zhu's crimes are proven, those officials who have repeatedly tried him and insisted on his innocence will inevitably be charged with "negligence"!

For the sake of his official hat and the reputation of the government, he could no longer tolerate this person's insolence!

Take a gamble!
Even if this young man truly has an extraordinary background, we can simply visit him later to apologize.

He is young and doesn't understand the intricate web of relationships in officialdom, but his elders must be well-versed in it.

As the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, even if the other party held a higher official rank, they might not be willing to break off relations with him over a trivial civil case.

In officialdom, there are no unsolvable grudges, only gifts that cannot be delivered!
Moreover, this person may not actually have a powerful background.

Perhaps he's just a spoiled son of a prefect or an official of similar rank!
After all, they were having the case heard in the county government office of Shanxian County.

The other party may not know their identity or background, or they may have been spoiled by their parents since childhood and are full of righteous indignation.

As the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, even if someone were the son of the governor or inspector in Shandong, if he were truly offended, it would only be a matter of offering a courtesy and making an apology.

The other party wouldn't risk a complete falling out with me over a "child".

With this thought in mind, Shen Mo felt reassured and immediately gave the order.

Having received orders from their superior, several constables, like wolves and tigers, immediately stepped forward to capture him.

Just as tensions were about to rise, Zhu Yunwen simply shook his head slightly.

He didn't even glance at the approaching constables, but instead fixed his gaze on the face in the hall, contorted with rage, and spoke slowly in an extremely calm tone, even tinged with regret:
"Shen Mo, you have disappointed me greatly."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an innate, awe-inspiring authority that seemed to look down upon all living beings.

The moment the word "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Emperor") was uttered, time seemed to freeze in the entire county government hall.

boom!
Shen Mo's ferocious expression froze instantly, as if struck by lightning, his mind going completely blank.

He stood up blankly from behind the desk, his mouth opening and closing unconsciously, but he couldn't make a sound.

The emperor was on a northern tour and was resting at a post station outside the city. As a high-ranking local official, he was naturally aware of this.

That is why he was so eager to close the case so that he could report back to the Emperor.

Otherwise, according to official practice, it would be perfectly normal for this case to drag on for a year or two.

At this moment, upon hearing the earth-shattering word "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I, the Emperor"), and considering the other party's unfathomable demeanor, as well as the blurry yet majestic face deep in his memory... a terrifying thought that he had never dared to consider before, like a flood bursting its banks, swept away all his hopes and calculations!
No wonder, no wonder he always looked familiar but I couldn't quite place him!
Although he had seen the emperor's face from afar during his official duties, how could he dare to look up and gaze directly at the emperor's face to see his countenance clearly?

How could he have imagined that the supreme ruler, who sits high above the imperial court, would actually come here incognito to visit a small county government office!

"Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I, Shen Mo, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shandong, pay my respects!" Shen Mo's legs went weak, and he scrambled out from behind the desk, prostrating himself on the ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked.

Zhao Wenyuan and the other officials were stunned at first, then, as if they had been burned, they hurriedly left their seats and knelt down.

The crowd listening in the courtyard first experienced a moment of deathly silence, then erupted into a thunderous roar, and a dark mass of people knelt down.

"This humble subject kowtows to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Yunwen raised his hand to signal the people to rise, and then, under the horrified gazes of all the officials, slowly walked up to the high platform and sat down directly in the seat that originally belonged to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.

As soon as he sat down, the chaotic hall seemed to find its anchor and immediately returned to order.

Zhu Yunwen lowered his gaze to Shen Mo, whose body was still trembling like a leaf, and said in a cold, piercing voice, "As the provincial judge in charge of criminal matters, is this how you handle cases?"

Shen Mo was drenched in sweat, his official robes instantly soaked through. He kowtowed repeatedly, stammering, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty deserves to die! Your Majesty deserves to die!"

Zhao Wenyuan, standing to the side, was already deathly pale and trembling uncontrollably, as if he might collapse to the ground at any moment.

Although their trial just now appeared to be fair and impartial on the surface, unless you were a three-year-old, no one could fail to see their bias.

Now that the emperor is questioning them, they dare not refute him any further.

Tan Zhu was terrified and kept kowtowing: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! Everything I said is true!"

Zhu Yunwen's gaze fell on her, devoid of any warmth: "Do you know how one should be punished according to the laws of the Great Ming Dynasty for deceiving the emperor?"

His voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight: "The crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by the execution of your entire family and the extermination of your nine generations of relatives."

Are you going to keep being stubborn?

The eight words, "Execution of the entire family and the extermination of nine generations," were like a death warrant, leaving Tan Zhu stunned and speechless.

Just then, two simply dressed middle-aged men and women stumbled out from the crowd below.

As soon as the two men entered the courtroom, they fell to the ground and kowtowed desperately in the direction of Zhu Yunwen, their foreheads turning bruised and purple, tears streaming down their faces: "Your Majesty, spare our lives! We confess, we confess everything! That Scholar Chu... it was indeed my daughter who poisoned him to death, it has nothing to do with the young master of the Xi family!"

"Your Majesty, please investigate thoroughly and punish only her. Do not implicate our innocent family members!"

This man and woman were Tan Zhu's parents.

They had already learned the truth from their daughter, but clinging to a glimmer of hope, they continued to help cover it up.

But at this moment, when he heard the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty say with his own ears, "The entire family will be executed, and the entire clan will be implicated," his last bit of hope was instantly swallowed up by boundless fear.

They dared to argue with local officials, but when faced with the Ming emperor who held the power of life and death, how could they dare to use such petty tricks?
At that moment, they no longer cared about protecting their own daughter.

The parents' unwitting confession became the final straw that broke Tan Zhu's back.

All the strength in her body seemed to be drained away in an instant.

Tan Zhu slowly closed his eyes, and two streams of hot tears, mixed with despair and regret, slid down from the corners of his eyes.

After a long silence, she finally gave up all resistance in an almost inaudible voice: "This humble woman... confesses her sins."

Then, she lay on the ground and revealed the whole truth that had been covered up by layers of lies.

"The commoner girl came from a poor family. By chance, she met Scholar Chu."

"He was elegant and charming, and spoke with refinement. The things he talked about were all about the prosperous world that I had never heard of before."

"This is completely different from the rude men that the women usually associate with."

"In the eyes of this commoner, he is a celestial being."

"Not to mention he's incredibly generous, spending money like water, giving gifts as if they were free."

“He took me to luxurious restaurants that I had never dared to enter before, and gave me gold and silver jewelry, silk clothes and all kinds of treasures that I had only dared to dream of before.”

“A country girl like me could not resist the sweet talk and bribes of such a refined and handsome man. I quickly lost my virginity to him.”

"I originally thought that even if I couldn't be his wife, I would be content to become a concubine in the Chu family.

"After all, as the saying goes, it's better to be a rich man's concubine than a poor man's wife."

"Being a concubine in a rich family means you won't go hungry, and even if you have children born out of wedlock, they will still be much more noble than children from poor families."

"But who knew that Chu Xue's wife was the daughter of the prefect of Yanzhou, who was fierce and jealous. He was terrified of his wife and dared not even mention taking a concubine."

"After he had his fill of the woman's body, he only wanted to leave."

"At that time, the woman was already pregnant with his child."

"Left with no other choice, I had to agree to the marriage arranged by my parents and regarded Xi Yunlang as my lifeline."

"Although I look down on him, I have no choice but to deal with him for the sake of the child in my womb."

"I thought that as long as I could consummate our marriage soon, I could claim the child in my womb as his own."

"I'm not afraid he won't admit it."

"Who would have thought that, despite not having read many books, he would turn out to be such a stubborn blockhead!"

"No matter how much I tried to win him over, he remained unmoved, citing the reason that 'we cannot make love without the proper ceremony.'"

"Only when it comes to spending money on me, he is much more generous than Chu Xue."

"No matter how expensive the restaurant is, as long as I say I want to go, he will take me there."

"No matter what kind of jewelry or goldware it is, if I want to buy it, he will definitely pay for it."

“I wasn’t in a hurry to get married, but my belly is getting bigger every day, and it’s getting harder to hide.”

"But Xi Yunlang's wealth is limited. He has already exhausted his resources to make me happy, and he can't even afford the betrothal gifts anymore."

"If I were to marry into such an impoverished family, wouldn't I suffer for the rest of my life?"

"But if I don't marry, what will happen to the baby in my womb?"

"Just when I was at my wit's end, my parents broke off the engagement because the Xi family couldn't afford the betrothal gifts."

"I could no longer hide my pregnancy, so I had to lie and say that the child was Xi Yunlang's."

"After all, I was previously engaged to Xi Yunlang, so it's reasonable to say that he is his. Even in the eyes of outsiders, it's understandable."

"When the parents found out, they were furious and went to their home to argue with them."

"I knew the truth would eventually come out, so I went to Chu Xue again and threatened to kill myself to get an explanation from him."

“That heartless man turned his back on me and I was so desperate that I tried to drown myself in the lake. He was afraid that someone would die, so he saved me.”

"Just then, Xi Yunlang arrived and saw the two of us struggling, so he started fighting with Chu Xue."

"Although Xi Yunlang fought desperately, he was ultimately no match for Chu Xue and was beaten black and blue."

"And I, because of the shock of falling into the water and the anger that overwhelmed me, lost the baby in my womb."

At this point, Tan Zhu's voice became extremely venomous: "When Chu Xue learned that I had a miscarriage, he not only showed no pity, but his eyes were filled with a look of relief and joy!"

"At that moment, the woman realized that he was not human at all, but a beast in human skin!"

"So, under the guise of checking on his injuries, the woman secretly poisoned his medicine."

"Then he deliberately pretended to see Xi Yunlang near the Chu family, attracting the Chu family to watch. In reality, it was just a trick, and Xi Yunlang had never been to the Chu family."

"But through this trick, I framed Xi Yunlang for the poisoning!"

"In this way, I not only avenged Chu Xue's abandonment, but also cleared myself of my relationship with Xi Yunlang, no longer needing to submit to him, and cleared myself of the suspicion of murder. It can be said to be killing three birds with one stone."

Zhu Yunwen glanced at her still slightly protruding belly, his expression strange: "You're saying you've already miscarried?"

"Yes!" Tan Zhu smiled bitterly: "After that suicide by jumping into the lake, my child was lost."

"She has been pretending to be pregnant in order to prevent the matter of framing Xi Yunlang from getting complicated."

After saying that, to everyone's astonishment, she reached down to her abdomen and untied the ties.

A bundle wrapped in cotton cloth, bulging with clothes, rolled to the ground.

It turned out that her big belly was a lie.

Zhu Yunwen glanced at it, then shifted his gaze from the ridiculous bundle to Shen Mo and Zhao Wenyuan, whose faces were already ashen in the courtroom: "To fabricate a pregnancy, such a clumsy trick, how could it have gone all the way from the county office to the prefectural office, and been investigated for so long, without anyone noticing?"

Government trials were not limited to public court hearings; there were also interrogations by constables and yamen runners.

Pretending to be pregnant might work for a while, but it can't be hidden for very long.

The question was met with a deathly silence.

Tan Zhu let out a strange sound that was neither crying nor laughing, raised his head to look at Zhu Yunwen, and said:
"Your Majesty, I am but a countrywoman, how would I know these things?"

"In the beginning, it was indeed a woman who framed Xi Yunlang for Chu Xue's murder. The Chu family and the government believed what I said."

"But the people in the government office weren't stupid either. By the time of the retrial, they had already discovered the truth of the case."

"As for the fact that the woman was pretending to still be pregnant, it was even less likely to be hidden from them."

"Later, it was the clerk of the county yamen’s legal office who said that he was ordered by the officials above to help the woman."

“They taught the women how to do it step by step, hand in hand.”

……

(End of this chapter)