Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 608 Mutiny! I'll kill you as a sacrifice to my flag!
At this point, the advantages of having a large number of telegraph machines became apparent.

Different telegraph machines were used to correspond to different government departments and the military, allowing information to be transmitted simultaneously and greatly improving communication efficiency.

After doing all this, Xu Miaojin let out a long breath, feeling slightly relieved.

Just then, a gunshot rang out from deep within the Confucian temple, like a sudden clap of thunder, startling her so much that her heart skipped a beat.

Before I could think any further, I saw a general leading a group of soldiers hurrying in from outside.

One of the guards on duty immediately asked, "Is there something wrong?"

The military officer cupped his hands and said, "We just heard gunshots coming from the Confucian Temple. We fear something has happened. The telegraph room is responsible for contacting the central government and cannot afford any mistakes, so we have led men here to protect it."

"No need, everything is fine here. You can go patrol elsewhere," the guard on duty immediately refused.

"This general is acting on the orders of Shandong Inspector Wang Shoulian. In accordance with the pre-arranged anti-mutation plan, upon hearing the gunshot, we immediately took over the telegraph room to prevent any mishaps." The military officer bowed and then shouted, "From now on, the telegraph room will be under the control of my men. If there is any resistance, kill them without mercy."

The words had barely left her lips when a cold, menacing female voice rang out: "I am here. Who dares to cause trouble?"

Wow!
Wow!
Two groups of people filed out from the left and right sides inside.

Xu Miaojin, dressed in military uniform, stepped out.

The military officer was immediately stunned.

At this moment, a eunuch next to Xu Miaojin shouted, "The Imperial Concubine has arrived!"

Upon hearing the shrill, duck-like cry and seeing the imposing scene before them, the soldiers who had followed the generals behind them laid down their weapons, knelt down, and cried out in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness the Imperial Concubine!"

Upon seeing this, the leading military officer had no choice but to kneel down and pay his respects, saying, "This humble general greets Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine."

Xu Miaojin looked at her coldly and asked, "You just said that you came here to take over the telegraph room on the orders of Wang Shoulian, the Shandong Provincial Inspector?"

"Yes!" the military officer replied hastily, then added immediately, "Inspector Wang said that His Majesty's sacrifice to the sage is a matter of utmost importance, and no accidents are allowed to occur."

"Therefore, a corresponding contingency plan was prepared in advance, and we were instructed to act in accordance with the plan in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

"Just now, I heard gunshots outside. According to the pre-arranged plan, in this situation, I should lead my men to take over the telegraph room in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

Wang Shoulian really knows how to make excuses!
Xu Miaojin nodded slightly. She had originally wanted to say that her guards had taken over the area and should drive him away, but she swallowed the words back and instead asked, "What's your name? What's your current position?"

Worried about unforeseen circumstances, she decided to try to calm the other party down first.

The military officer hurriedly replied, "This humble general, Liu Zhenbang, is a sixth-rank military officer under the Wuding Division of the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commission."

In the Ming Dynasty system, the ranks given to military officers were often inflated.

For example, a centurion was originally a sixth-rank military officer.

Of course, since Zhu Yunwen implemented the new policies, except for a few border areas and some special regions where the garrison system was still retained, most of them have been abolished.

The new army is a complete rebuild.

Most of the original garrison troops were transferred to local constables and yamen runners, or became part of Wu Ding's army.

However, in order to minimize resistance to the implementation of reforms, Zhu Yunwen would certainly not lower the rank of martial arts.

Therefore, the sixth-rank military officer in front of him actually only had a little over a hundred soldiers under his command, and their combat strength was far superior to that of the regular new army.

Although he was said to be a sixth-rank official, in reality a seventh-rank civil official could control him.

This situation does not mean that Zhu Yunwen valued civil affairs over military matters.

It's simply that the original military officers' ranks were artificially inflated after the system was restructured.

In actual power operations, this excess will be squeezed out.

Xu Miaojin smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty has come here to offer sacrifices to the sage, so it must have been hard for you to bring Wu Ding and the guards to protect you."

"The court will not forget your achievements. After the sacrificial ceremony, His Majesty will surely reward you according to your merits."

Little did Liu Zhenbang know that this was Xu Miaojin's way of reassuring people. Hearing the Imperial Concubine's praise, he hurriedly said, "Serving the court is my duty. As a subject of the Ming Dynasty, I should naturally serve the country and Your Majesty."

Xu Miaojin smiled and said, "That's right, I'm very pleased that you have this intention."

"Come in with me, I have something to say to you."

Liu Zhenbang was taken aback.

As a lowly general commanding a hundred soldiers, what could a noble concubine possibly have to say to him?

Instead of saying it directly outside, they made me go inside to talk.

In a moment of surprise, he saw that the Imperial Concubine had already turned and gone inside. Knowing that he could not refuse, Liu Zhenbang had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow her.

Just as they reached the door, they were stopped by two guards.

"No guns are allowed in front of the Imperial Concubine."

This is the correct reasoning.

It is also the most basic etiquette.

Liu Zhenbang didn't suspect anything, and casually took the gun off his body and handed it to the guard.

He had just followed Xu Miaojin into the courtyard and into the main hall.

Then a eunuch staggered out of the small gate connecting the Confucian Temple and the Confucius Mansion.

Xu Miaojin recognized the man; he was the eunuch who had come to deliver an imperial edict to her on Zhao Rui's orders.

The eunuch, who had intended to rush to Xu Miaojin's residence, was overjoyed to find her there. He hurried forward, his expression anxious and his voice trembling:

"Your Highness! Wang Shoulian, the Shandong Provincial Inspector, has secretly contacted a group of officials and is pressuring Your Majesty to abolish the new schools and revert to the old ways."

"They have replaced some of the guards at the Confucian Temple, intending to stage a military remonstrance against His Majesty and force him to issue an edict according to their demands."

"At present, His Majesty is only protected by a few dozen Tian Shu Si guards."

“The Shandong governor Li Chongwen, the great Confucian scholar Fang Xiaoru, and others had a heated debate with Wang Shoulian, but he ordered them to be arrested on the spot.”

"Just now, someone even fired shots into the air as a show of force, demanding the arrest of people and attempting to coerce His Majesty into submission!"

“This servant was delivering the imperial decree and was about to return when I happened to witness this scene. Taking advantage of their inattention, I slipped out through the small door.”

"Your Majesty, please lead your men to rescue me immediately!"

He reported everything he had seen.

He was unaware, however, of the fact that the shooter was a wanted criminal by the imperial court, the former Prince Zhou, Zhu Su.

When reporting, they naturally described themselves as officials who followed Wang Shoulian.

Upon hearing this, Xu Miaojin's heart sank, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Although she had previously sent several telegrams and made arrangements for defense, she still harbored a sliver of hope.

Perhaps Wang Shoulian wouldn't dare to do something so outrageous. Perhaps if he were to start a rebellion, it would be immediately suppressed, and I would have only had a false alarm.

Xu Miaojin even secretly hoped that she was just being paranoid.

To falsely convey imperial orders and mobilize troops is nothing more than a way to apologize afterward.

But at this moment, the eunuch's words were like a blow to the head.

My earlier guesses have all come true.

Wang Shoulian not only raised troops to remonstrate with the emperor, but also threatened the emperor's safety!
The guards around them all looked at each other in disbelief, their expressions horrified.

When they saw the Imperial Concubine suddenly become alarmed, they guessed that something important must have happened, but they did not know the specific reason.

Upon hearing the eunuch's report, everyone was so shocked that their faces turned pale.

Gulizaba and Dinaruya were stunned, their hearts filled with turmoil.

In previous rumors, the Ming emperor was said to be extremely powerful, at the height of his reign, and almost divine.

How could anyone dare to threaten the emperor with military force in the Temple of Literature?
This is incredible!

"Don't panic." The look of surprise in Xu Miaojin's eyes quickly disappeared, and she said in a deep voice, "I had expected this, which is why I came here in advance to make arrangements."

After a brief moment of shock, she quickly regained her composure and dignity, her voice steady and powerful.

Upon hearing this, the guards felt much more at ease.

They had all witnessed the Imperial Concubine's previous order to send a telegram to mobilize troops.

The Imperial Concubine also ordered her men to stop Wu Ding, who was supposedly coming to take over the telegraph room.

It seems that the Imperial Concubine is indeed incredibly resourceful, able to foresee the future and make arrangements in advance.

With the Imperial Concubine in charge, they believed that this time they would be safe and sound.

All eyes turned to Liu Zhenbang, the Wu Ding general who had just entered with Xu Miaojin.

He just said that he was ordered by Wang Shoulian, the Shandong Provincial Inspector, to take over the telegraph room. Could it be that he had already conspired to commit treason?
Liu Zhenbang was also stunned.

I never expected this to happen so suddenly.

At this moment, he was alone inside the hall, while his subordinates, Wu Ding, were all outside.

Liu Zhenbang immediately sensed that something was very wrong.

It was too late to escape.

Xu Miaojin's expression changed, and she shouted, "Liu Zhenbang, you just said that Wang Shoulian arranged for you to bring Wu Ding to surround the telegraph room and take over this place after hearing the gunshots. Could it be that you have been colluding with Wang Shoulian all along, intending to do something wicked?"

The sound was still clear and crisp, but it was filled with murderous intent.

Liu Zhenbang was instantly drenched in sweat. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, I am only acting according to the plan. I did not know that the villain Wang Shoulian would dare to do such a rebellious thing."

"If I had known, I would have arrested Wang Shoulian long ago and handed him over to His Majesty for punishment. Why would I have listened to his orders?"

Xu Miaojin said coldly, "Now that things have come to this, are you still going to try to argue your way out of this?"

"Do you know why I came to this telegraph room with guards instead of having a front hall and courtyard in the Confucius Mansion?"

"I already knew that Wang Shoulian colluded with the generals of Wu Ding Si to commit treasonous acts."

"Just now, I sent a telegram to the Ministry of State Affairs and the Ministry of Military Affairs, announcing to the world His Majesty's prayer for the sage."

"At the same time, the new army near Jinan, as well as other new armies, were mobilized to rush to Qufu."

"The first new army will arrive before sunset today."

"If you turn back now and atone for your crimes through meritorious service, I can plead for you before His Majesty after the matter is settled."

"Perhaps not only will he be blameless, but he will actually have performed a great service in saving the emperor."

"If you continue to be so stubborn, I will kill you now as a sacrifice to the flag."

"Once the imperial court quells the rebellion, I will exterminate your entire clan!"

Liu Zhenbang was so frightened that he trembled all over.

He was already terrified of being coerced into doing this.

Hearing the Imperial Concubine's warning, they knew that her presence here was well-prepared, and that continuing to resist would only lead to certain death.

"This humble general...this humble general..." he stammered, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Xu Miaojin snorted coldly and said, "If I'm not mistaken, it must be because you've been embezzling and accepting bribes, and that Wang Shoulian has caught you doing something wrong, which is why you're being blackmailed by him and have to do what he says."

Liu Zhenbang was immediately shocked and blurted out in a low voice, "How did Your Highness know?"

Although his voice was soft, Xu Miaojin heard it clearly and immediately raised her voice again, shouting: "Although the laws of the Ming Dynasty are extremely severe in punishing corruption and bribery, there are always degrees of severity. Corruption and bribery can still be redeemed, but if one wants to rebel and commit treasonous acts, then there is only one path: the extermination of the entire family and the execution of nine generations of relatives."

"Do you really think that Wang Shoulian and a few other officials, colluding together, can overthrow the Ming Dynasty?"

Liu Zhenbang cried out, "Your Highness, save me! I was forced to act under duress and had no intention of rebelling!"

He kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Even if I am confused, I know that the hearts of the people are now with the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty. Let alone Wang Shoulian, even if there were ten or a hundred of them, there would be no chance of them succeeding in rebellion."

Xu Miaojin said coldly, "Then why are you still following him? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Liu Zhenbang explained tearfully, "The people sent by Wang Shoulian said that this action was merely a military remonstrance to His Majesty, requesting that His Majesty abolish the new learning and revive the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism, and it did not involve any rebellion."

He also said that if this matter succeeds, we will not only be innocent, but will also have the merit of supporting the country.

"Previously, due to the 'Xi Yunlang case,' a large number of officials in the Provincial Surveillance Commission were implicated, dismissed from their posts, and imprisoned for questioning."

"Although our Wu Ding Division's generals do not handle criminal matters and not many have been implicated, we are, after all, under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and in the past, we had personal relationships with many of the officials who were previously imprisoned."

"Now that the imperial court is going to conduct a thorough investigation of the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commission, we will inevitably be implicated as well."

"Over the years, I have experienced the ups and downs of officialdom. Although I am not a major corrupt official, I have been influenced by some of the bad practices in officialdom and have taken some money."

“A few days ago, Wang Shoulian came to me and threatened me with his words. I was already feeling guilty, so I confessed my guilt and begged for forgiveness.”

“Wang Shoulian then forced me to follow his orders on the day His Majesty was to offer sacrifices to the sage.”

“On the one hand, he has a handle on my corruption and bribery, and on the other hand, if I do not obey, he is the Shandong Provincial Inspector, and the court is currently cracking down on the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commission. If he impeaches me, he can take my life immediately.”

"On the other hand, they genuinely believed that Wang Shoulian was only staging a military remonstrance and had no intention of rebelling, which is why they agreed to cooperate with him in taking action."

"If Wang Shoulian really intends to rebel, even if a knife is held to my throat, I would rather die than follow him!"

"This humble general never imagined that Wang Shoulian would be so audacious as to use a military remonstrance as a pretext to commit treason!"

……

(End of this chapter)