Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 9: Tianjie tramples all the bones of the prince

Inside Chengtian Gate.

"Your Highness, Xu Wenjue, pays homage to the Great Emperor Taizu. May the Great Emperor enjoy eternal bliss and a life as long as the heavens."

"Your Highness Zhu Guobi pays homage to the Emperor Taizu Gao."

……

The noble officials who had just knelt down to greet my Prince Yu of the Qing Dynasty in the morning performed the ritual of five bows and three kowtows to Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty. Although they changed sides twice in one day, they did not change their clothes because of the short time, thus avoiding embarrassment, so for them it was just kneeling once in the morning and once in the evening.

What a big deal!
It’s just kneeling. Kneeling is not a difficult exercise.

His knees gave way and he fell to his knees.

Yang Feng, wearing a twelve-chapter robe and a twelve-tasseled crown, stood on the city wall, looking at the guys kneeling on the ground through the beads hanging in front of him.

There was silence inside Chengtian Gate.

However, the sounds of gunfire and shouts of killing continued outside, and the battle would not end in a short time. After all, Nanjing City was too big, and it was not easy for the Qing army that was already deeply trapped in the city to break out.

Then Yang Feng found a special one inside.

"Second row, fourth from the left, come forward!"

He pointed to an official in a red robe and said.

The latter looked up blankly.

"That's you!"

Yang Feng shouted.

The guy quickly crawled forward on his knees.

"I, Li Qiao, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Nanjing Censorate, pay my respects to the Emperor Taizu Gao."

He said this in fear and trepidation as he lay on the ground.

"Take off his official hat!"

Yang Feng shouted.

Han Zanzhou quickly stepped forward and took off Li Qiao's hat.

"So you shaved your head before the Jiannu gave the order?"

Yang Feng sneered.

This guy had actually shaved his head, but historically, he'd shaved his head beforehand, even going so far as to go to Duoduo, who couldn't adapt to it for a while and even scolded him. His integrity is truly remarkable. Clothes can be changed, but hair won't grow back in a short time. He simply cut off the rat tail and put on his official hat. He originally thought it would be harder to spot him at night, but he hadn't expected Yang Feng to have such good eyesight.

"Emperor Taizu, I did not shave my head to surrender to the enemy. I was ashamed to surrender to the enemy and wanted to shave my head to become a monk.

I have shaved my head and become a monk!"

He was still struggling, kowtowing and crying.

"You haven't even shaved your rat's tail clean. You're such a shameless person! Throw him to Tudor and light the fire again!"

Yang Feng said angrily.

Several eunuchs immediately stepped forward and dragged the unfortunate Li Du Yushi towards the big vat.

The remaining ministers breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, they also understood that it was impossible for Emperor Taizu Gao not to kill a few people. If he didn't kill them, it would be even more frightening because it was possible that he wanted to kill them all. But killing a few typical examples meant that he would not kill them all. Li Qiao deserved his bad luck. Who told him to shave his head before Duoduo entered the city?

You just have to wait for this kind of thing, even for an hour or two!
You have to save face.

"Who else? I'll give you a chance to report it."

Yang Feng shouted.

"Reporting to the Emperor Taizu Gao, your servant, Zhao Zhilong, is reporting that the Minister of Rites, Qian Qianyi, went to the enemy camp with the rebel Qiao last night and surrendered."

Xincheng Earl Zhao Zhilong sold the water without hesitation.

Although some people in modern times use the connection between Shui Tailiang and the anti-Qing movement to defend him, in fact he was the first to surrender. Duoduo arrived yesterday and stationed troops in Nanjing at the Temple of Heaven. In the evening, Shui Tailiang and Li Qiao went to surrender as representatives of the city. It was raining at the time, and Duoduo left them out in the cold for a while. The two of them knelt outside in the rain and waited.

He really has no time to wash.

Later, it was only because my Qing Dynasty did not give him what he wanted.

He is pure jerk.

Qian Qianyi, who was originally kneeling in a row with Li Qiao, immediately took off his official hat to prove his innocence. He was not as stupid as Li Qiao to shave his head in advance. At least he had to wait for Duoduo's order.

"Reporting to the Emperor Taizu Gao, I did indeed go to the enemy camp with the rebel Qiao last night, but I was following the orders of the Earl of Xincheng. I am a civil official with no military authority. The Earl of Xincheng is the Governor of the Beijing Camp, holding the real power in Nanjing. He led all officials outside the Zhengyang Gate to present an edict to welcome the enemy's fake Prince of Yu, Duoduo, and received the fake Duke of Xingguo, a horse with golden stirrups and silver saddle, and an eight-treasure hat."

He also sold Zhao Zhilong.

Of course, they would sell each other out at a time like this. Emperor Taizu Gao was a very capable person, so it was impossible for him not to kill a few people. Everyone had this awareness that the later you were in line, the greater your chance of survival, so the important thing was to bite off enough people whose crimes were more serious than yours.

Besides, it was Zhao Zhilong who presided over the surrender, he was just running errands.

What can he do as a civil servant?
Those who hold military power have the final say in matters like these, and he, a civilian, is just running errands.

"Emperor Taizu Gao, I was forced to offer my services to the enemy without any alternative but to feign compromise. Furthermore, I was not alone at the time; all the other officials were present, such as the Duke of Baoguo and the Marquis of Zhenyuan. I am only an earl, so how could I possibly be the ruler of these dukes and marquises? Furthermore, the cabinet still exists, and Grand Secretary Wang Duo's brother Yong is a minister in the enemy court, and he has been treated with even greater courtesy by Duoduo."

Zhao Zhilong became anxious and quickly dragged others into the water.

Wang Duo...

"Emperor Taizu, I am old and insane, a mere figurehead. I am a northerner, but a mere figurehead in Nanjing. It is not my place to speak on matters concerning the surrendered captives. Those matters are handled by the Earl of Xincheng, the military governor Ruan Dacheng, and others."

He cried out in grief at the sudden disaster.

He was really unjust!

Although he was a Grand Secretary, it was only because of his reputation and he needed to be a figurehead. How could he, a northerner who fled to the south, have real power? Besides, he was not a man who would do practical things. His brother was indeed an official in the Qing Dynasty, and Duoduo was indeed good to him, but that was not his initiative, he was passive!
Ruan Dacheng, who was bitten by him, also became anxious.

"How can a minister like the Emperor Taizu make the decision? The Duke of Wei, the Earl of Xincheng, and others are in charge. They also gave the crown prince to Duoduo."

He bites too.

"Prince?"

Yang Feng was confused for a moment.

He immediately realized that it was the case of the fake prince.

"Grandpa Taizu, there was a man who came south before, claiming to be the late emperor's crown prince. He was actually Wang Zhiming from Gaoyang, imprisoned in the imperial prison. After Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager left the capital, the people entered the imperial prison and proclaimed him emperor. However, the officials soon surrendered him and sent him to Duoduo. He had previously followed Duoduo into Hongwu Gate, but when Your Majesty executed Duoduo, he died in the chaos."

Han Zanzhou said quickly.

He certainly wouldn't lie to Yang Feng, so this prince was fake.

Then it is very likely that he ran to Zhou Kui's house and was betrayed by Zhou Kui. Think about it, in such a chaotic world, the probability of Chongzhen's son, a teenager who had never left the palace, to reach Nanjing alive was actually very low. It is most likely that he had no other choice but to go to his grandfather.

Then he was sold by his grandfather.

Of course, that doesn't matter now.

"They are all a bunch of ungrateful people. The Zhu family has indeed let the people down. There's nothing wrong with starving to death and rebellion. I did the same thing back then. It's the Zhu family that has let the people down, not the people who have let the Zhu family down, that has brought the world to this point. Chongzhen deserves death. However, you have been blessed by the country for generations, enjoying prosperity and wealth from generation to generation. The Zhu family has no regrets for you. For example, the nobles have enjoyed three hundred years of prosperity and wealth thanks to their ancestors' meritorious service to the emperor. Has anyone treated the nobles better than the Zhu family since ancient times? As for the civil officials, many have been officials for generations, each with vast fertile land and mountains of gold and silver at home. Yet, instead of being loyal to the Zhu family, you have sold out your master for fame and fortune. You all deserve death. Zhao Zhilong, Ruan Dacheng, Qian Qianyi, Wang Duo, throw the four of them into the copper vat.

You like being a dog of the Jiannu, right?
Then let’s go on the journey together with your master!”

Yang Feng shouted.

The eunuchs immediately stepped forward, dragged out Zhao Zhilong, Shui Tailiang, Wang Duo, and Ruan Dacheng, and stuffed them into the big vat as well.

The temperature had not risen yet at this time, and it was actually quite comfortable inside. However, they had been scared to death by Duoduo next to them. Li Qiao, who had entered earlier, was still trying his best to climb out, and the eunuch next to him was smashing in with the butt of his gun without any hesitation. After Zhao Zhilong and the other four entered, the room was almost full, and they were also trying to climb out like crazy, and the eunuchs guarding the room continued to smash their hands that were scratching the edge of the tank.

But those who were still kneeling outside all had relaxed expressions.

Including Xu Wenjue and others.

Finally, someone in the front of the line has arrived, and they can rest assured.

"Where is Chang Yanling?"

Yang Feng shouted.

Chang Yanling hurried forward on his knees.

"Come up!"

Yang Feng said.

Chang Yanling quickly stood up and walked towards the horse path.

"Everyone I call, come up. Gao Hongtu, Xie Xuelong, Huang Duanbo..."

Then Yang Feng continued to read out the names. Those whose names he called out knelt forward, kowtowed, and stood up, then walked onto the horse path with Chang Yanling. Those whose names were not called out looked at them with envy. Although they didn't know why they were called, everyone knew that they were going to be given important positions.

However, the list was not long, and Yang Feng finished reading it quickly.

A total of more than a dozen people climbed up to Chengtian Gate and knelt on the city wall.

Then Yang Feng looked at the rest.

"As for you..."

He suddenly smiled.

Then press your hand.

"Shoot them all!"

He suddenly roared.

The next moment, all the eunuchs on both sides who were aiming their guns pulled the trigger.

Neither Chang Yanling nor the others kneeling below understood his meaning. They even failed to react when they saw the flashes of fire from the muzzles. After all, the muzzle flash of an AK47 was completely different from the guns they knew. But in the moment they were stunned, the whistling bullets began to penetrate the bodies of the nobles and officials. Xu Wenjue bore the brunt of the attack. Duke Wei was still congratulating himself on his escape when the bullets ripped through him. The bullets, at a distance of dozens of meters, were powerful enough to carry his flesh and blood through his back before bouncing off the stone slab and striking the shoulder of the Prince Consort Qi Zanyuan behind him.

The latter fell down with a scream, and just as he was about to cover his shoulder, another bullet hit his head.

It can be said that in the blink of an eye, the first few rows fell.

The fragments of bullets hitting the stone slabs and the blood and flesh they brought up flew among the crowd, and the nobles and officials who were still in a daze kept falling down under the impact of the bullets.

"Run!"

I don’t know who shouted, but the rest of the people finally woke up.

"Run!"

"That tyrant is killing people!"

……

Then all kinds of screams rang out.

But bullets continued to whiz through them, piercing bodies one after another, blood and flesh flying out the other side. Those with broken legs fell to their knees, only to be pierced by new bullets. Some were even untouched but were pushed and trampled by others. The hundred-meter-wide square inside Chengtian Gate was filled with terrified nobles and officials fleeing, red and green figures running wildly amid the whistling bullets and then collapsing.

The stone-paved ground was littered with corpses and blood.

The injured struggled and wailed.

Then wait for new bullets to pass through their bodies.

"This is the true meaning of trampling the bones of nobles on the streets of heaven!"

Yang Feng admired it with satisfaction.

Chang Yanling and others who were kneeling beside them were trembling.

The young eunuchs next to them quickly changed magazines and continued firing.

However, the five people including Shui Tailiang were no longer interested in this. They were struggling and screaming frantically. Shui Tailiang's hand was broken by the eunuch's gun butt, and it couldn't stop him from crawling out. The eunuch had no choice but to hit him in the face with the gun butt.

"Am I very cruel?"

Yang Feng said.

"Your Majesty, as your Majesty's subject, I dare not speak of your Majesty's affairs."

Chang Yanling spoke honestly.

Of course, he really wanted to say, you have always been like this!

Indeed, Gao Hongtu and others who were kneeling on the city wall all reacted calmly to this. After all, this was in line with the personality of Emperor Taizu Gao. If it was any other emperor, they might not be able to adapt, but Emperor Taizu Gao was like this. If he didn't start a massacre, he would not be like Emperor Taizu Gao. Now this is what it feels like!
"I dare not speak. It means that I feel cruel in my heart, but as a loyal minister I dare not say it."

Yang Feng said.

Chang Yanling was speechless.

"I remember there were a few nobles, right? Where are Liu Ji's descendants?"

Yang Feng said.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis Chengyi commanded the navy and retreated to Dangtu. His whereabouts are unknown. The whereabouts of the Marquis Xinjian, Wang Yetai, are also unknown."

Chang Yanling said.

Liu Kongzhao resisted the Qing throughout his career, ultimately disappearing after the fall of Zhoushan. Wang Yetai, the Xinjian Earl and descendant of Wang Shouren, followed Fang Guoan's army and also disappeared, though he was later mentioned in a memorial from the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang. However, it wasn't difficult for aristocratic Zhejiang families like these to flee and hide for the rest of their lives. After all, their clans still existed, and many of their brothers, nephews, and nieces were still serving as officials in the Qing Dynasty.

"Three hundred years of prosperity and wealth have brought the Zhu family only three people who are somewhat loyal."

Yang Feng sneered.

All in all, the Zhu family has been the best to the nobles so far.

While Zhu Yuanzhang's killings were brutal, the question remains: in which dynasties could this hereditary lineage of nobles have continued for nearly three hundred years? Essentially none, not to mention the short-lived dynasties of the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties. Even the early Han dynasty, not to mention the Eastern Han, saw few inheritors by the end of the Western Han. Even the most loyal, Fan Kuai, the Marquis of Wuyang, was stripped of his title by his grandson and reduced to a commoner. It wasn't until Wang Mang, to win over the people, that he granted his great-great-grandson the title of Marquis of Wuyang. The Tang dynasty's succession was limited to three generations, let alone the Song dynasty's. Few could inherit the title, yet the Zhu family truly nurtured these noble families for nearly three hundred years.

They are basically hereditary.

In the end, the emperor had to be sold. The governor of the capital, Li Guozhen, the Earl of Xiangcheng, sent people to surrender before Li Zicheng arrived in the capital. After Li Zicheng entered the capital, he still went to ask for an official title with a smug look on his face. The governor of Nanjing, Zhao Zhilong, the Earl of Xiangcheng, was also the mastermind of the surrender, and was happily waiting for Duoduo to grant him the title of Duke.

"They are all so heartless and ruthless!"

Yang Feng continued.

(End of this chapter)