Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 612 Deterrence! Seizure of Power! Strategy Decision!

Upon hearing this, the officials and junior officers below hurriedly replied, "Serving the court is our duty, how can we possibly accept Your Highness's thanks? We are ashamed to accept such praise."

They hadn't rehearsed beforehand, so their responses were naturally chaotic, with each person saying their own thing, but the general meaning was the same.

Xu Miaojin raised her hand, signaling them to be quiet. Her face was no longer tense and serious as before, but full of smiles. She said, "No, you deserve it."

"The imperial court will remember you!"

As she spoke, she waved her hand.

Immediately, guards came out carrying tray after tray, all piled high with Ming Dynasty banknotes.

"These precious notes are a reward for you."

"I will reward each of you with a thousand taels of silver, which is equivalent to one million coins."

"This is only a part."

"There is more money to be cashed at the bank, and it will be distributed to you in your future salaries."

Upon hearing that each person would be rewarded with one million coins, the low-ranking officials and young generals of Wu Ding present were overjoyed.

Although Zhu Yunwen raised the salaries of officials several times after he came to power, a thousand taels of silver was still more than the salary of any one of them for ten years.

How could one not be overjoyed to suddenly receive such a large sum of money?

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Concubine!"

This time, the voices were unified, with almost everyone speaking in unison.

Xu Miaojin nodded, and then instructed the guards to distribute the reward money that had already been taken out on the spot.

After the distribution was completed, Xu Miaojin spoke up: "I want to ask you, how has the court treated you? How has His Majesty treated you? If the country is in trouble, or His Majesty is in trouble, are you willing to step forward, turn the tide, and save the collapsing empire?"

These words struck like thunder, suddenly exploding in the ears of the officials and generals.

The reward money from the Imperial Concubine was indeed not so easy to obtain.

What are they supposed to do?
wrong!

What happened out of the blue?
Why did the Imperial Concubine suddenly say that?
"Your Majesty's kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain. We are born to the emperor and must serve him faithfully. As subjects of the Ming Dynasty, we are willing to go through fire and water to serve the country and Your Majesty!"

After only a half-second of stunned silence, the officials and generals immediately pledged their loyalty.

Many people anxiously asked, "Your Highness, what has happened? Just give the order! If it can save the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty, what does our life matter?"

Xu Miaojin watched quietly, observing the expressions of these people.

She could tell that many people were genuinely expressing their feelings and were not putting on an act in front of her.

This is enough to show that the Ming Dynasty court and His Majesty are of paramount importance to them.

They were genuinely willing to serve the court and His Majesty.

Xu Miaojin gave these people rewards not to win their hearts.

The crisis has already arrived; trying to win people's hearts at the last minute is meaningless.

Her bestowing gifts upon these people was a test.

Give them money, make them think they're being sent to their deaths, and see how they react.

After all, most people who have received huge rewards would subconsciously assume that such words mean they are about to be given a mission that will surely lead to their death.

Observing their reactions at this point is the easiest way to see if they are truly loyal!
Xu Miaojin was extremely satisfied with these people's reactions.

Almost none of them hesitated or were afraid; on the contrary, they were all filled with a heroic spirit of facing death without fear.

This is enough to prove that they are truly loyal to the Ming Dynasty and to His Majesty.

Faced with the greater good of their country and people, they were truly willing to sacrifice their lives!

People's hearts have not been lost!

This put Xu Miaojin at ease.

She gently raised her hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Today, Your Majesty is presiding over the sacrificial ceremony to the sage. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wang Shoulian, the Shandong Provincial Inspector, has colluded with rebels, intending to force Your Majesty to abandon the orthodox Confucianism through military remonstrance in order to achieve their ulterior motives."

"At present, His Majesty has been taken into custody by them in the Confucian Temple. Although his life is not in immediate danger, the situation is critical."

boom!
It was like a bolt from the blue.

All the officials and military officers were stunned into silence.

I never expected that such a big thing would happen.

Has His Majesty been taken hostage?
Wang Shoulian's military remonstrance?
How could they not be shocked when they suddenly heard this news?

After Xu Miaojin finished speaking, she waved her hand again.

The guards nearby immediately pulled on the rope on the flagpole, and the black cloth at the other end of the rope was pulled down, revealing a bloody human head hanging on the flagpole.

This was something Xu Miaojin had someone temporarily conceal before gathering these people.

"The head hanging here is that of Liu Zhenbang, a former general under King Wu Ding."

“This man was coerced by Wang Shoulian to participate in the military remonstrance, and he has already been executed by me.”

Everyone was shocked to see the human head hanging high above them.

The Ming Dynasty enjoyed a long period of peace, and its national strength grew stronger day by day.

The chaotic times seem to be a long time ago.

But if something happens to His Majesty, then it will be a different story.

At that moment, everyone felt a chilling cold rushing towards them.

Xu Miaojin then asked, "Who is the official in charge of guarding the front gate of the Confucian Temple?"

A tall, robust man, around thirty years old, stepped forward and said, "Your humble servant, Tie Xuan, the Shandong Provincial Councilor, has been ordered to guard the front gate of the Confucian Temple today."

Xu Miaojin was taken aback.

She had been thinking that the guards at the front gate of the Confucian Temple should also have participated in this "military remonstrance".

After all, if Wang Shoulian and Zhu Su could send Liu Zhenbang to take over the telegraph room, they would naturally also control the front gate of the Confucian Temple.

Now that he has arrived, it is the perfect time to kill him and offer him as a sacrifice to the flag.

Unexpectedly, the person in charge of guarding the front gate was not a military general, but a civil official, who happened to be the very person Yang Rong had confidently recommended in the telegram.

Could it be that Yang Rong misjudged him?
Or perhaps there are other reasons or inside stories?

Xu Miaojin, filled with suspicion, decided to ignore it for the time being. She nodded and said nothing more to him, instead announcing loudly:
"I have already sent a telegram to mobilize troops to come to the aid of the emperor. The army should arrive before sunset today at the earliest."

"At that time, the rebels such as Wang Shoulian will surely be wiped out."

"But the situation is critical right now, and distant water can't quench an immediate fire."

"The best course of action now is to rescue His Majesty from the Confucian Temple as soon as possible."

"You shall each lead the constables, yamen runners, and soldiers to be on duty around the Temple of Literature. You must ensure His Majesty's safety and rescue him as soon as possible. We will rely on your strength."

"I hereby promise that anyone who helps to rescue His Majesty during this crisis will be richly rewarded."

"Anyone who hesitates or cowers will be beheaded!" "Anyone who colludes with the traitor Wang Shoulian, conspiring to harm His Majesty, will have their entire family executed!"

The officials and young generals all shouted in unison, "We will obey the Imperial Concubine's decree and do our utmost to protect His Majesty's safety, even at the cost of our lives."

Xu Miaojin nodded slightly, then made some arrangements, and instructed them to lead their troops according to her plan and act accordingly.

On the one hand, maintain order in the surrounding area and do not let the public know about the situation for the time being, so as to avoid causing chaos.

With hundreds of thousands of people gathered around the Confucius Temple, things could get out of hand if chaos breaks out.

The mere act of squeezing and trampling is an extremely terrifying thing.

Xu Miaojin had considered mobilizing the people before, but that was only a last resort.

At that point, there was no time to worry about how many civilians were injured or killed.

Compared to Zhu Yunwen's safety and the stability of the Ming Dynasty, she would not hesitate to sacrifice tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of civilians.

After all, once Zhu Yunwen dies and the Ming Dynasty falls into chaos, the number of deaths will not be tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, but millions or tens of millions.

Xu Miaojin was well aware of which was more important.

Now that the Wu Ding and the yamen runners on the outskirts have been brought under control, the people will naturally not be forced to make unnecessary sacrifices.

The wisest approach is to prevent them from interfering.

This must be done, at least until the situation becomes clearer and more stable.

On the other hand, Xu Miaojin arranged as many of Wu Ding's men as possible around the Confucian Temple, making the entire temple completely surrounded.

After the arrangements were completed, the officials and young officers received the imperial edict and left.

Only Tie Xuan was kept behind.

Xu Miaojin looked the middle-aged man up and down and said with a smile, "Tie Xuan, someone recommended you to me, saying that you are talented and virtuous, loyal to the court and His Majesty, and a capable person. What do you think?"

Tie Xuan quickly bowed and said, "Your humble servant is ashamed."

“As the Shandong Provincial Councilor, I failed to detect the traitor Wang Shoulian’s conspiracy in advance, which led to Your Majesty’s perilous situation. I have truly failed the court and Your Majesty’s high expectations. Now, the only way is to take remedial action and rescue Your Majesty as soon as possible, so as to atone for even a fraction of my sins.”

"Your Highness, please give me any orders. I will gladly go through fire and water, even at the cost of my life."

Xu Miaojin smiled and praised, "Good! Good! Good! The Ming Dynasty needs loyal ministers like you."

The next time, she suddenly raised her voice and shouted in a cold and stern tone, "How dare you, Tie Xuan, collude with the traitor Wang Shoulian and attempt to commit treason against His Majesty! Do you know your crime?"

This reversal was too big.

Tie Xuan was stunned for a moment, then knelt down with a thud, his posture straight as he bowed and said solemnly, "Your Highness, I am aware that although I had some dealings with the traitor Wang Shoulian in the past, I swear I will never let this villain get away with such a heinous act."

"I have never colluded with the traitor Wang Shoulian to commit such a heinous crime. This is my heartfelt statement."

"Today, in this Confucius Mansion, before the Imperial Concubine, before the spirit of Confucius in heaven, and before this bright and clear heaven, I swear that if any of what I just said is untrue, if I have shown the slightest disrespect or disloyalty to the Ming Dynasty or His Majesty, may I be struck by lightning, sent to the eighteenth level of hell, and never be reincarnated."

"May all my descendants suffer a terrible death, may the men be slaves for generations, and may the women be prostitutes for generations, and may they all go to the eighteenth level of hell after death."

After saying that, he suddenly slammed his knees down, his head hitting the bluestone slab with a loud thud.

Xu Miaojin quickly said, "Why must Councilor Tie do this?"

At the same time, he instructed the guards beside him: "Quickly help Lord Tie up."

She had previously received a recommendation from Yang Rong that Yan Tiexuan was a capable person.

Later, when he saw that Tie Xuan was in charge of guarding the front gate of the Confucian Temple, he became suspicious again.

After all, logically speaking, if Wang Shoulian and others were to stage a mutiny, the front gate of the Confucian Temple would be of paramount importance, and they should have sent trusted confidants there.

That's why he spoke to test the waters.

The method she used was the same one that Old Zhu used to employ.

First, offer kind words of comfort, then suddenly change the subject to see how the person reacts subconsciously.

This can often reveal a person's true inner state.

Zhu Yuanzhang (the Zhu family) loved to use this tactic to test his trusted ministers.

With a master of manipulating power like Zhu Yunwen as his role model, Zhu Yunwen naturally followed suit.

Xu Miaojin was exceptionally intelligent, and through her frequent interactions with Zhu Yunwen, she gradually figured out these key points.

This is just the right time to use it.

Judging from Tie Xuan's reaction, he probably really didn't participate in Wang Shoulian's conspiracy.

After the guards helped Tie Xuan up, Xu Miaojin looked at the bloodstains on his forehead and said gently, "Why did you have to do this, Councilor Tie?"

After saying this, she ordered the guard to take out his handkerchief and wipe the bloodstains from Tie Xuan.

He then explained, "The fate of the nation and its people is of paramount importance."

"It's not that I don't trust Councilor Tie, but at this juncture, I have to act with caution. I hope you can understand my predicament."

Tie Xuan hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I understand the gravity of this matter. How could I possibly blame you?"

Xu Miaojin sighed, "I'd like to speak from the bottom of my heart with you."

“Besides the Confucian Temple, there are only two other important places outside where Wang Shoulian would carry out a military remonstrance.”

"One is this telegraph room, and the other is the guard at the front gate of the Confucian Temple."

"The telegraph room was originally directly managed by the Tian Shu Si. He sent Liu Zhenbang here to take over the place, but he was beheaded by me."

"I think that since Wang Shoulian is interested in controlling the telegraph room, he must also want to control the front gate of the Confucian Temple."

"After all, there is no back door to enter or exit the Confucian Temple."

"Since you happen to be the official in charge of guarding the front gate, I have to test you a bit in order to be cautious."

Do you understand my predicament?

Tie Xuan hurriedly knelt down again, excitedly saying, "Your Highness, there is no need for me to explain. If I were to harbor resentment towards Your Highness or waver in my loyalty to His Majesty because of this test, then I would have wasted all those years of studying the classics and would be unworthy of being a subject of the Ming Dynasty, unworthy of being a human being!"

"Your Highness the Imperial Concubine has treated me with sincerity. I can only repay your kindness by doing my utmost and repaying your kindness with all my might."

Xu Miaojin nodded and said, "Okay!"

"Time is of the essence, so I will not waste any more pleasantries."

"But there were some things I didn't say in front of those officials and military officers."

"Now I'll tell you the truth."

"It is likely that members of the Ming imperial family were involved in this mutiny, with the intention of harming His Majesty."

"Your Majesty's current situation is extremely dangerous."

Yang Rong said you have great talent. Do you have any methods to rescue His Majesty?

Tie Xuan was clearly taken aback by these words, but he seemed to have already considered how to rescue the emperor. He then cupped his hands and said, "The only way to save His Majesty now is through one plan."

……

(End of this chapter)