The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 540: No Evidence, the Minister is Executed
Yuan Keli and Luo Sigong both understood.

Wanli asked them to forge confessions.

Since Zhang Chao refused to confess, they helped him write a false confession, imitated Zhang Chao's handwriting to sign and seal it, and then killed Zhang Chao so that there would be no evidence against him!
This kind of thing cannot be said openly.

They bowed and left in tacit understanding, without saying a word.

Little Zhu Changxun couldn't help but ask, "Father, why do I feel like you're playing dumb?"

You know we are playing a guessing game, yet you still ask this?
Wanli couldn't help but look at Li Hualong awkwardly.

Li Hualong quickly ran to the side, picked up an account book and flipped through it, pretending not to hear.

This guy also understood it, but you didn’t.

Wanli shook his head slightly, then carried little Zhu Changxun out of the hall and came to the study. He sat down in the main seat and said with a hint of deep meaning, "Xun'er, do you understand what tacit understanding means?"

I understand this.

It probably means playing a riddle.

It’s enough for everyone to understand it in their hearts, there’s no need to say it out loud.

You guys understand the problem, but I don’t understand it.

Little Zhu Changxun nodded slightly, then thought about it carefully and couldn't help asking, "Father, can't you tell me what you mean?"

You kid, if I don’t tell you, you will keep asking questions.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Some things are indeed not suitable to be said in front of outsiders, but it's okay for just the two of us to talk about it.

You should know that the Nurgan Regional Command is in urgent need of money, and we can't delay any longer. The problem is that Zhang Chao refuses to confess, so what should we do? "

Didn’t you just say that if this guy refuses to confess, then just beat him to death?

Little Zhu Changxun thought about it carefully, still a little confused, and said: "Father, Master Yuan Keli is right. If Zhang Chao is killed, won't this most important line be broken?"

You don't know how to play tricks yet.

This is not okay.

Wanli shook his head slightly, then patiently taught: "Xun'er, sometimes you can't be so rigid in doing things, you know?

If following the rules doesn't work, we have to think of some less honest ways, which are the so-called conspiracies and tricks.

These conspiracies and tricks are not only for bad people to play. If necessary, we will play them. As long as it can solve the problem, we can play any conspiracy or conspiracy.

So, what is conspiracy?
This comes from "Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of Prime Minister Chen", which means secretly planning something shady, which usually refers to bad things.

For example, this time, Zhang Chao refused to confess even if he was beaten to death. It wouldn't work if we just followed the rules. So we had to resort to some conspiracy and trickery.

The emperor wanted Yuan Keli and Luo Sigong to discuss and write a confession based on the rumors. It was probably that Zhang Chao confessed that Li Dai, the governor of the granaries and the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was the mastermind behind the incident.

After reading this confession, Zhang Chao naturally would not sign it, but Yuan Keli said that he could imitate Zhang Chao's handwriting and sign it, and that was enough.

Now that the confession is ready, we can arrest Li Dai for interrogation. As for Zhang Chao, there is no need for him to be alive.

If this guy were alive, he would expose our conspiracy, so my father told Yuan Keli to just beat him to death."

We play tricks too!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhu Changxun was stunned.

Can this method help us get to the bottom of the shocking corruption case in the Ministry of Revenue?
He was stunned for a long moment before he carefully asked, "Father, is there definitely something wrong with Li Dai? If he refuses to confess even if beaten to death, what should we do?"

Don’t you see that there’s something wrong with Li Dai?
Wanli patiently explained: "There was a problem with the Ministry of Revenue warehouse, and the Minister of Revenue, Chen Sheng, didn't know if there was any other possibility.

Because Chen Sheng is lazy, he is too lazy to go to the warehouse to check, and he has no ability. He didn't expect his subordinates to dare to do this. These are all possible.

However, it is unreasonable that Li Dai, the Viceroy of the Ministry of Revenue and the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was unaware of the problems in the warehouse.

Because the Governor-General of the Granaries and the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is in charge of all the warehouses in the Ministry of Revenue. This is his duty. No matter how lazy he is, he has to inspect all the warehouses. It is impossible for him not to know what is going on in the warehouses.

Now that there is such a big problem in the Ministry of Revenue warehouse, Li Dai, the governor of the warehouse and the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, must be responsible.

As for what to do if he refuses to confess even if he is beaten to death, your question itself is a bit problematic. Why do you think he will refuse to confess even if he is beaten to death?

Do you think he is the same as Zhang Chao?

He is different from Zhang Chao. Zhang Chao was born into a poor scholar family. His family was so poor that they sold his sister to be a maid. Their family must have suffered a lot.

It's normal for such a person to refuse to confess even if beaten to death. But Li Dai is different. This guy is a real Jinshi, and he has been promoted all the way to the position of Governor of Granaries and Minister of Revenue. His official career can be said to be smooth sailing.

More importantly, this guy must have been very greedy.

Think about it, why do corrupt officials engage in corruption?

Aren’t they corrupt just to enjoy wealth and luxury, or even to indulge in extravagance?
Can someone who is used to such enjoyment withstand torture?"

Could Li Dai really not withstand the torture?
The next morning, just after Li Hualong finished his check-in, the guards from the Ministry of Justice rushed in again and directly arrested Li Dai, the Governor of the Granaries and the Minister of Revenue, and took him away.

Immediately afterwards, Yuan Keli began to torture him to extract a confession.

Will this guy recruit?

Around noon, not long after Wanli came to the imperial study with little Zhu Changxun in his arms, Yuan Keli came running to ask for a meeting.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Wanli couldn't help but ask, "How's it going? Did Li Dai confess?"

How do you say this?

Yuan Keli said with a strange look on his face, "Your Majesty, Li Dai seems to be a bit delicate and afraid of being tortured.

He trembled at the sight of the torture instruments, and he was so frightened that he kept begging for mercy before I even gave the order to torture him.

I asked him to confess, and he agreed immediately. However, he put forward a condition, which was that the Emperor had to personally guarantee not to kill him and not to implicate his family.

He meant that if he confessed, he would die anyway, and it would also implicate his family, so it would be better not to confess and just die.

Can I forgive such a corrupt official?

Wanli frowned and pondered for a while, then suddenly lowered his head and said to the little guy in his arms, "Xun'er, you must remember that the saying 'the king never jokes' applies to loyal ministers, good generals, and even ordinary people. We don't need to worry about corrupt officials or traitors."

So you're going to trick Li Dai?!
Upon hearing this, little Zhu Changxun was stunned again.

When Yuan Keli heard this, his eyes widened.

His Majesty is so unscrupulous!
You are not joking!
Li Dai probably never dreamed that the current emperor would come out to deceive him.

As the sun rose, the doors and windows of the main hall of the Ministry of Justice were all open, and the inside was brightly lit.

Wanli held the young Zhu Changxun and sat on the main seat, Li Xuancheng and Shan Sinan stood on his left and right, and the Minister of Justice Yuan Keli and the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Luo Sigong stood in the hall.

The clerks in the Ministry of Justice who were responsible for recording confessions were already kneeling in front of the small table next to the warm room and were ready. On both sides of the hall, there were two rows of Jinyiwei standing in neat rows holding thick beating boards.

It seems that Wanli's attitude is not only to deceive Li Dai, he also seems to want to interrogate Li Dai personally.

Little Zhu Changxun had never seen such a serious trial before. The little fellow's eyes couldn't help but sparkle. This scene was so novel!
Seeing that everyone around him was ready, Wanli immediately picked up the gavel and slammed it on the table, saying loudly, "Court is open."

The Jinyiwei on both sides immediately joined in the singing: "Mighty..."

This was actually performed for Xiao Zhu Changxun.

Then Wanli said in a loud voice: "Bring the prisoner Li Dai to the court."

Soon, Li Dai was brought up by two yamen runners.

This guy seemed to be nearly paralyzed with fear. As soon as the two yamen runners let go, he fell to the ground with a thud and kowtowed in a trembling voice, "Your humble servant greets His Majesty, and His Royal Highness the Third Prince."

You are a minister of the third rank after all, why are you so timid?

Seeing this, Wanli frowned slightly, then said directly, "Li Dai, are you saying that as long as I promise not to execute your entire family, you will confess honestly?"

There seems to be some loophole in what you said.

Li Dai shrank back when he heard this, "Your Majesty, and this humble servant, could you please let this humble servant go too?"

It doesn't matter, I'm just lying to you anyway.

Wanli nodded without hesitation and said, "Alright, as long as you tell the truth, I promise not to execute your entire family. I will also spare you, including you."

Isn't this a very straightforward agreement?

Li Dai was still a little worried after hearing this, and said, "Your Majesty, I know my sins are grave. If I confess everything, will Your Majesty really let me and my family go?"

You still know that you are deeply sinful.

Wanli nodded seriously and said, "Your Majesty, do not joke."

(End of this chapter)