The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 611: A show of force

The Ministry of Justice has started arresting people again.

This time, they didn't arrest corrupt officials, but rather upright individuals!

Moreover, they arrested the most upright members of the "pure stream," namely the Donglin Party.

The basis for their arrests was that the Donglin Party was plotting a rebellion!

Early that morning, around dawn, the Ministry of Justice's yamen runners swarmed out and headed straight for Chengtian Gate.

They ran to the government offices on both sides of Tianjie Street and shouted: "The Donglin Party is plotting a rebellion. The Ministry of Justice is ordered to investigate. Those who are not involved should leave!"

Immediately afterwards, they arrested Dong Zhonglin in Chaozhou.

Gao Panlong, Zhao Nanxing, Zhang Wenda, and others were all bound hand and foot and taken to the Ministry of Justice.

Did the Donglin Party really plot a rebellion?
That's highly unlikely.

Even Donglin himself didn't know!
Gao Panlong, Zhao Nanxing, Zhang Wenda, and others were all stunned when they were arrested.

They didn't plot a rebellion at all.

Is the young emperor trying to frame someone without their knowledge?
Around 7:00 AM, as the sun began to rise, Yuan Keli, the Minister of Justice, began to preside over the trial.

Amidst shouts of "Majesty!", Gao Panlong was quickly brought over.

Yuan Keli picked up the gavel and slammed it down hard, then shouted sternly, "Gao Panlong, do you know your crime?"

What crime do I know?

All I know is that you're a lackey!

I even served as an imperial inspector, and I've interrogated suspects.

I'm very familiar with the procedures used in this trial.

You're still playing these tricks on me?
Gao Panlong stood straight down in the hall, his neck stiff, and said, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."

Lord Yuan, you know very well that I have not violated any laws of the Ming Dynasty. What crime do I know?

I know perfectly well why you arrested us. Don't try that trick on me. Do whatever you want with me, but as for me to confess, that's absolutely impossible.

Wow, so arrogant?

I'm just doing this because I'm ordered to.

You're telling me to stop playing?
Can I listen to you?

I know very well what's going on in my mind.

You should know this very well in your heart.

I will listen to His Majesty.

His Majesty told me to play this game, so I'll play this game.

What's the matter?

Yuan Keli said in a serious tone, "Gao Panlong, don't think you can get away with talking nonsense."

Let me tell you, Li Sancai and Han Kuang have already confessed that you were plotting a rebellion with the remnants of the three powerful clans in Puzhou. You haven't violated any laws of the Ming Dynasty yet.

Do you even have any respect for the law? If plotting a rebellion isn't considered a violation of the Ming Dynasty's laws, then what is?
"Gao Panlong, I'm asking you this: will you confess or not?"

Li Sancai and Han Kuang both confessed!

How can this be?

We didn't conspire with them to rebel!
Gao Panlong was stunned for a moment, but still stubbornly said, "Lord Yuan, it's not true at all, what are they going to confess to?"
"Stop trying to trick me. I won't fall for it. We haven't plotted a rebellion, so why would we need to confess?"

I know you are not plotting a rebellion.

However, I have the testimonies of Li Sancai and Han Kuang.

I can prove you're plotting!

Yuan Keli simply picked up the confession he had prepared beforehand and gestured to the yamen runner next to him to take it over for Gao Panlong to see.

When Gao Panlong took the confession and looked at it, his eyes widened in surprise.

Li Sancai and Han Kuang really managed to get them to confess!

Seeing this, Yuan Keli coldly said, "I know exactly when you plotted, and I have found witnesses. The servants of Li Sancai's residence can testify that you plotted with them for two nights. Do you still want to deny it?"

We did go to Li Sancai's residence those two nights.

But we're not plotting a rebellion!
Gao Panlong, somewhat flustered, said, "They're framing us! They're trying to drag us down with them!"

Do you think they are making false accusations?

Very good, I didn't see anything wrong with the testimony.

Yuan Keli ordered his men to retract the confession, then picked up the gavel and slammed it down hard, shouting, "The confession and the witnesses are both here. Gao Panlong, will you confess or not?"

What am I supposed to recruit?

Gao Panlong hurriedly shook his head and said, "Lord Yuan, we did not conspire with them to rebel. They are framing us."

That's just their side of the story; it's not credible. They're trying to drag us into this."

I believe it.

What's the matter?

How could I not believe the testimony I wrote myself?
Upon hearing this, Yuan Keli said sternly, "You won't confess, huh? Guards, give him twenty more lashes."

The constables on both sides immediately rushed forward and pinned Gao Panlong to the ground, giving him a severe beating.

Is this an attempt to extract a confession through torture?

Gao Panlong, terrified by the beating, said, "Lord Yuan, we did not plot a rebellion. Even if you beat me to death, I will not confess."

Why would I kill you? I was just giving you a warning.

After the beating was finished, Yuan Keli coldly asked, "Gao Panlong, I ask you, did you go to Li Sancai's residence to plot those two nights?"

Can I say I didn't go?

There's no denying it. I didn't hide when I went there; not only did the servants at Li Sancai's residence see me, but many people outside also saw me.

How to do?
If I say I didn't go, I'll be found out immediately!

If this is exposed by witnesses in court, then everything I say will be considered a lie.

Then I'll be in deep trouble, even if I jump into the Yellow River, I won't be able to clear my name.

no way.

I have to admit that.

Gao Panlong hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, I did go to Li Sancai's residence those two nights."

However, I didn't go to plot a rebellion; Li Sancai said he needed to discuss something with us, so I went.

You can't deny this, can you?

If you can't get away with it, you'll fall into a trap.

Yuan Keli continued, "You said you weren't plotting a rebellion, so what were you plotting?"

Can we hire this person?
Gao Panlong hesitated again.

Seeing this, Yuan Keli picked up the gavel and slammed it down hard, shouting sternly, "Will you confess or not?"

How come you're as ruthless as a little emperor?

You want to torture me even if I don't confess?

Fine, I'll just confess.

These are nothing compared to plotting a rebellion.

I have absolutely no reason to be accused of plotting a rebellion just for concealing these trivial matters.

Gao Panlong thought about it carefully, but still gritted his teeth and said, "On the first night, Li Sancai said that His Majesty would deal with us after he dealt with the corrupt officials."

He told us to find someone to submit a memorial to the Emperor.

The following evening, Li Sancai said that someone was spreading rumors that the Donglin Party was plotting a rebellion, and that we could not sit idly by.

He told us to also find people to spread rumors that others were plotting a rebellion.

You're blaming everything on Li Sancai, aren't you?

These could all be true.

However, I don't believe it.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Keli coldly replied, "That's only your side of the story. How can you prove that you're not plotting a rebellion?"

Are you deliberately using what I just said to mock me?

Is this only my side of the story?
You want me to prove it?

How can I prove it?

Gao Panlong thought about it carefully, and then suddenly realized, "Zhao Nanxing and Zhang Wenda were there at that time. You can ask them. This is not just my side of the story. It's true."

I don't believe it, so what?

Yuan Keli pretended to think for a moment, then suddenly picked up the gavel and slammed it down, saying sternly, "You've been in cahoots all along, haven't you?"
Knowing that the truth might come out, you colluded to find other crimes to pin on Li Sancai in order to clear yourselves of suspicion.

Both Li Sancai and Han Kuang have confessed, and the servants in Li Sancai's residence are witnesses. Do you think I would believe your one-sided story?

I!
Gao Panlong was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

He told the truth, but Yuan Keli didn't believe him. He even said they were colluding to give their stories. What could he do?
Seeing this, Yuan Keli suddenly shouted sternly, "Your confession and witnesses are all here. Do you still want to deny it? I'll ask you one more time, will you confess or not?"

I told the truth.

You just won't believe it.

What else should I recruit?
The problem is, if I don't provoke this guy, I'll just use torture.

How to do?
After thinking for a long time, Gao Panlong could only plead, "Lord Yuan, we really didn't plot a rebellion. You can't get anything out of me even if you torture me. Don't believe Li Sancai and Han Kuang's one-sided story."

You sound like you can't clear your name, right?
Yuan Keli said coldly, "Gao Panlong, you mean you'd rather die than confess, is that it?"

This is a plot to rebel, which is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Can I hire him?

Gao Panlong thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Yes, Lord Yuan, we did not plot a rebellion. I would never confess to such a thing, not even if you beat me to death."

That's about enough. They're all prepared to be beaten to death. Being dismissed from office and stripped of their titles shouldn't be a big deal.

Yuan Keli pretended to think about it again, then sneered, "Don't think that just because you don't confess, others won't. Men, take him back to the dungeon and keep a close watch on him."

Gao Panlong was taken back to prison.

Immediately afterwards, Yuan Keli reviewed the other members of the Donglin Party one by one.

Naturally, no one would confess to the crime of plotting a rebellion.

Even if this were true, no one would confess.

As usual, Yuan Keli first gave these guys a good beating to intimidate them, and then pretended that they were just making excuses.

He didn't believe anything these guys said, and he had no intention of forcing a confession out of them.

His goal was to make these guys feel like they couldn't clear their names no matter what, and that being dismissed from their posts and stripped of their official status was too lenient.

Donglin was interrogated by him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He's just pretending to be ignorant when he knows the truth.

He didn't believe anything Donglin said; he only believed the so-called confessions of Li Sancai and Han Kuang. What else could Donglin do?
These guys really feel like they can't clear their names even if they jump into the Yellow River.

They were all extremely panicked.

This is a plot to rebel; if you can't clear your name, your entire family will be executed!

(End of this chapter)