Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 115 Let's smash the pot and start from scratch!

"Your subject requests that these two scoundrels be executed!"

Inside the Wuying Hall, Crown Prince Zhu Biao solemnly bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang and spoke these words with unwavering determination and resolve.

The brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang froze instantly, their joy, which had just crept onto their faces, also froze.

Looking at Crown Prince Zhu Biao, he was filled with astonishment.

For a moment, I kept wondering if there was something wrong with both of my ears.

What did they hear?

His Highness the Crown Prince actually said such a thing?
Instead of pleading with the emperor, he directly suggested executing his two brothers.

This...is something Zhu Biao would say?

Is this still the same benevolent crown prince?
What exactly are Zhu Chongba and his son up to?

Wasn't it a charade orchestrated by the father and son to give their brothers a good dressing down?

Are you serious?!
Well said!

Such a heartless and treacherous villain deserves to die! He deserves to die!

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately nodded in agreement, the words he squeezed out through clenched teeth as cold as ice beads.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This sinful subject requests an audience with Your Majesty the Empress! This sinful subject requests an audience with Your Majesty the Empress!"

Wu Liang shuddered upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

Having truly felt the emperor's murderous intent and realized for the first time how close death was to him, Wu Liang panicked.

Upon seeing that Zhu Biao had changed, not only did he not plead for them, but he also added fuel to the fire, and then hurriedly called for an audience with Empress Ma.

In this situation, the only one who could make the cruel and ungrateful emperor show some mercy and spare the lives of the two brothers was Empress Ma.

If they could see Empress Ma, they would realize the dire consequences of their brothers' achievements, status, and execution.

Empress Ma will definitely plead for them!

As long as Her Majesty the Empress speaks, then this matter will be settled.

The two of them would never be harmed by the emperor again.

Wu Zhen, who seemed lost in thought, snapped back to reality after hearing his brother's words.

He quickly followed suit and requested to see Empress Ma.

"See our sister? You want our sister to put in a good word for you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the two men and asked them a question, his expression somewhat intriguing.

"My sister pleaded for you first thing this morning!"
"You two brothers have done quite a bit of work, and even though you've committed these beastly acts, you still want us to spare your lives."

Upon hearing this, the brothers Wu Liang and Wu Zhen were overjoyed, for it turned out that the Empress had already pleaded for them.

Her Majesty the Empress is such a kind person!
But doubts soon arose again.

Given the Empress's position in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, as long as she pleaded for their lives, the Emperor would surely spare their lives.

They wouldn't disrespect the Empress.

Why is Zhu Chongba, this beggar, now trying to kill his two brothers?

"We promised you, sister, that we would give you a chance, but you don't cherish the Empress's good intentions and the chance we gave you!"
When questioned, you resisted fiercely and tried to make excuses.

You've become so heartless and ungrateful, who can save you?

"If we don't kill him, we'll be letting down all the things he's done!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were cold, his voice icy and devoid of emotion.

Wu Zhen and Wu Liang were both stunned.

"Your Majesty, my brothers and I all possess iron certificates of immunity from death. This sinful subject is willing to use these certificates to atone for my crime!"

Wu Liang pulled out his last resort.

"You two have colluded with pirates, a grave crime of treason. Even the iron certificate of immunity from death cannot absolve you of your crimes!"

The "immunity certificate" is not something that can exempt one from all crimes.

For example, assassinating the king, rebelling, and colluding with the enemy to betray the country are all unforgivable crimes.

Of course, it also depends on whether the person who committed the crime still has any use afterward.

If it's useful, it's not impossible to use an iron certificate to atone for a crime.

If death is better than life, then even an iron certificate of immunity from death wouldn't guarantee survival.

How exactly it was used largely depended on how Zhu Yuanzhang used it.

The issuer reserves the right of final interpretation.

Wu Liang lowered his head, his face ashen.

"After you ascended the throne, my brother and I followed you in battles across the north and south, and made great contributions."

He can be described as having made outstanding military achievements and meritorious contributions.

In the Temple of Meritorious Officials on Jilong Mountain, there are seats for the two brothers, Chen and his brother.

Your Majesty, I humbly request that you grant my brother and me some dignity, and also preserve some dignity for everyone else.

Wu Zhen seemed to have thought of something, and his reaction at this moment was much calmer.

"Decent? What kind of decent things have you done, one after another?"
When they were doing these things, constantly encroaching on national interests, and constantly betraying us, did they ever think that one day they would end up like this?
Didn't you ever think about being decent?

Now that things have gone wrong and we've caught them, they're finally thinking about saving face?
Decent?

"Dignity my ass!"

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the new inkstone from his desk and smashed it over Wu Zhen's head.

Unlike his elder brother Wu Liang, Wu Zhen was not lucky enough to escape.

It hit him squarely on the head.

With a muffled groan of pain, the inkstone bounced to the ground, making a clinking sound.

A dark red stream of blood, winding out like a small snake, flowed out.

Drops slid down his chin.

"There is no place for either of you in the Temple of Meritorious Officials on Jilong Mountain!"
After we announce your crimes, we will expel you both.

Having done such a thing, how could he still want a place in the Temple of Meritorious Officials and have a statue made there after his death?

"Dream on!"

"Take over," Wu Zhen shouted.

He looked up from his kneeling position, ignoring the dripping blood.

He simply stared intently at Zhu Yuanzhang and began to speak.

"In truth, my brother and I did something wrong, and we really let our superiors down."

"It's understandable that he, in his superior position, would be angry and treat my brother and me this way."

Wu Liang suddenly turned to look at his younger brother, his expression a mixture of anxiety and astonishment.

How could my own brother say such a thing?
Doesn't that mean we're admitting to everything?
Wu Zhen did not look at his elder brother, but stared straight at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"However, if the higher-ups only target my brother and me, my brother will not accept it."

My brother and I did not steal and sell ships for our own enrichment, but to balance the power between pirates at sea.

This would allow Chen Fang's two groups of pirates to be evenly matched.

This effectively prevents them from harassing and infringing upon the coastal areas.

This also effectively prevents a single entity from dominating the maritime market.

"What a load of bullshit!"
Colluding with pirates and stealing ships, they can talk about it in such a fresh and refined way, with such eloquence and righteous indignation!

Shouldn't we promote you both and award you titles to recognize your achievements?

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry he laughed.

"Balancing the power of the pirates? Is this how you try to balance things out?"
To balance maritime power, the correct approach is to unite with the weaker Fang pirates and severely strike the Chen pirates.

Let Chen's pirates fall to the level of Fang's pirates.

Instead of selling ships to the Fang pirates, which would greatly increase their strength and allow them to catch up with the Chen pirates!
Don't you understand this simple truth?
You're deliberately aiding the enemy!

Stop talking nonsense here, making it sound like you've had it so tough!
Stop fucking talking about the country and the people all the time!

"Very well, I will not argue about the matter of the sea vessel. I will not say anything more after you have made this judgment."

But if you try to pin the blame for the Maritime Trade Office incident on my brother and me, I will not accept it!
My brother and I have put in a great deal of effort in this matter.

But it wasn't just my brother and I who contributed to this.

Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, Duke of Han Li Shanchang, and many officials from the Secretariat, as well as officials from Suzhou, Hangzhou, Songjiang Prefecture, and other places, also contributed a great deal of effort to this matter!
Those smuggling merchants receive a lot of money every year, not just my brother and me.

Among the numerous local governments along the coast, how many officials did not profit from this matter?
Li Shanchang, Hu Weiyong, and many other officials in the court also obtained a large amount of money from this.

In coastal areas and other places, many merchants, peddlers, and ordinary people participated in smuggling from abroad in various ways.

All things taken into account, the number of people definitely exceeds three million!

If the ruler so vehemently hates smuggling and the closure of the Maritime Trade Office, then he cannot punish only my brother and me.

Those involved in smuggling must be dealt with!
Only in this way can we convince people and make the guilty ministers believe that the rise to power is not just aimed at my brother and me!
This isn't some kind of "once the birds are gone, the good bow is put away" nonsense!

Wu Zhen stared at Zhu Yuanzhang and said the following.

The usual caution he displayed when facing Zhu Yuanzhang was gone.

It's obvious that it realized it couldn't survive and was preparing for something big.

Wu Liang, who had been worried and didn't want his younger brother to continue talking, changed his attitude at this point.

He has always felt that his younger brother is not brave enough.

Compared to his older brother, he is quite different.

But at the very last moment, he suddenly realized that his younger brother was much braver than him!
Even though he knew the emperor wouldn't let them off the hook, he didn't dare say these words.

But his own brother dared to question him directly in front of the emperor and the crown prince.

Yes! You're right!

My brother and I are not the only ones who rose to power, had connections with pirates, and were involved in smuggling.

If those in power only target my brother and me in this matter, I will not accept it!
I'd rather die than submit!

This is not fair!

To deal with my brother and me, we also need to deal with everyone involved in this matter!

Those in high positions in the imperial court, the many officials in local governments, and the people in various garrisons along the coast.

Many of these people have gone even further than my brother and I.

If you really want to deal with this, you'll have to deal with these people first!
Only in this way can fairness be demonstrated, and only then can people be truly convinced!

Wu Liang also raised his head, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, and said these words with emotion and determination.

"Shut up! Don't make baseless accusations!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao finally couldn't hold back any longer and reprimanded the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang.

He rarely showed anger and sternness.

At this moment, Zhu Biao was truly both shocked and furious.

He was not present when his father interrogated and executed Liao Yongzhong last time.

After the incident, he still somewhat disagreed with his father's actions.

I feel that my father's treatment of Liao Yongzhong was somewhat arbitrary.

Liao Yongzhong should not have been killed privately; he should have been executed in a public and just manner.

But after seeing what the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang were like, Zhu Biao immediately understood his father.

In terms of personality and daily conduct, Liao Yongzhong is much more fiery and flamboyant than the Wu brothers.

If the Wu brothers are behaving this way now, one can only imagine what Liao Yongzhong's attitude must have been when facing his father, the Emperor.

At this moment, Zhu Biao had an urge to stab the Wu brothers, Wu Zhen and Wu Liang, to death.

These two guys are just stirring up trouble!

Their intentions are absolutely despicable!
Faced with imminent death, he suddenly implicated so many people, using them to coerce his own father, the emperor. From the head of the six dukes, to the prime minister of the court, the central government, local officials, coastal garrisons, and even numerous merchants, laborers, and those who supplied raw materials.

There are also the numerous peddlers and laborers involved in the transportation of goods.

So many people, they all want to get involved!
This is even bigger than the previous blank seal case!

The highest-ranking official executed in the Empty Seal Case was none other than the Minister of Revenue.

Nearly three thousand local tax officials were beheaded or exiled.

But now, according to him, it directly involves the Duke and the Prime Minister, and the number of people involved is definitely over three million!

If such a thing were done, it would be strange if the world didn't descend into chaos!

It was precisely because he saw this and realized how serious this matter was that Zhu Biao was so shocked and angry.

That's why his expression changed, and he started to reprimand Wu Zhen and Wu Liang.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw Zhu Biao's action and didn't say anything, but he was quite pleased.

Having witnessed the true colors of Wu Liang and Wu Zhen, it's likely that Biao'er will have no objection to his previous handling of Liao Yongzhong and will understand.

"Your Highness, I have not made false accusations; everything I have said is the truth!"

These things can be found if you want to!

His Highness the Crown Prince also knows that these things can be found out.

His Highness the Crown Prince rebuked the guilty official at this moment because he knew that the official was telling the truth and was panicking.

I reiterate my point: it is unfair to punish only my brother and me for this matter!
I, a disgraced official, would rather die than submit!

Why are so many people involved in this matter, yet only my brother and I are being targeted?

Where is the law? Where is fairness? Are these just toilet paper?

Wu Zhen, his face covered in blood, looked up at Zhu Biao and questioned him.

An overwhelming sense of reckless ferocity washes over you.

Throughout history, all these generals, regardless of which one they met, showed him exceptional respect.

Even the major dukes were all like this.

This was the first time Zhu Biao had encountered such a situation.

His mind was shaken, and anger surged across his face.

He wanted to speak out in rebuttal, but Wu Zhen stubbornly insisted on fairness and the law, which shut him down.

It's hard to think of an effective way to refute it.

I was really feeling suffocated.

But at that moment, a loud "bang" was heard.

A strong, powerful foot landed heavily on Wu Zhen's chest.

He kicked Wu Zhen, who was kneeling on the ground, sending him flying backward more than half a zhang!

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his foot.

Seeing Wu Zhen, he cursed, "Damn it, they've bullied our Biao'er!"
Who do you think you are, daring to bully our Biao'er?
We wouldn't even let Biao'er suffer, and you dare to? You think you're worthy?

Wu Zhen gritted his teeth and forced himself to kneel down again.

He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Zhu Yuanzhang.

"If you want to rise to power, you won't win people over with methods like these!"
Is there any fairness left in my Great Ming Dynasty? Is there any law left?

He squeezed out each word through his teeth.

Wu Liang did not speak, but kept his eyes fixed on Zhu Yuanzhang.

That's obviously the meaning.

They planned to use this method to block Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Alright, since you want to know so much, then we'll tell you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the two of them and spoke.

He held the jade belt at his waist with one hand, and put the other hand behind his back.

"Fairness? Where is fairness?"
Both of you were involved in the theft and sale of ships, yet you two were granted high-ranking official positions and fine horses. However, when things went wrong, the people who worked for you had to swallow poison to take the blame for you.

You instructed them to steal and sell the ships, and the huge profits ended up in your own pockets.

Is this fair?

Some people are born with a landlord father, so they can eat well and dress well.

Some people, however, live in abject poverty, suffering from hunger year after year. Even at the age of seven or eight, they don't have a pair of pants and are still running around naked.

Fairness? Where in this world is there any fairness?

Fairness is indeed something to strive for, and even if it is extremely difficult to achieve, we should try our best to pursue it.

But we are not saints; we don't have the ability to be fair in everything, nor will we even think about absolute fairness.

We also have our own considerations and principles for handling many things.

As an emperor, my most important task is to consider the overall situation and make decisions and actions that are most beneficial to the entire Ming Dynasty.

How can we ensure the Ming Dynasty lasts longer and how can we improve the lives of the people?

A while ago, a solar eclipse occurred, and many people with ulterior motives made a fuss, demanding that we offer sacrifices to the heavens and issue an edict of self-reproach.

After I, on behalf of my subjects, issued an edict of self-reproach, I spoke of my dreams before Heaven and my officials atop the Circular Mound Altar.

We long for a prosperous and strong Ming Dynasty, a thriving China, and a happy and peaceful life for its people.

This is our dream, and it's the direction we're preparing to strive for.

Wu Da, you were there at the time, but Wu Er was not.

But for the following matters, we had people send them to various places through the official gazette and the Da Ming Daily.

Wu Er, you must have seen it there.

Wu Da, when you took sides, you didn't volunteer to stand up; instead, you stood with the team that firmly supported us.

So how long has it been since that incident, and they've already started stealing and selling our big ships again?
Did you think taking sides back then was just a joke?
Was everything we said to you back then just bullshit?

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words and feeling the intense gaze directed at him, Wu Liang couldn't help but lower his head.

But Wu Zhen stubbornly stared at Zhu Yuanzhang.

“You, Wu Er, were not present at the time and did not take a clear side.”

But just because you didn't take sides, does that mean what you did was right?
You said it's unfair to only punish the two brothers and not others.

We can tell you clearly here today that among the others, there are some we will deal with, and some we will not.

Some people need to have their homes ransacked and their entire families wiped out, while others require other methods of dealing with them.

When to take action and to what extent should the matter be handled should be decided based on the facts.

Are you satisfied with this answer?

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Wu Zhen and asked.

"What the person in charge said was very honest, but I still disagree and feel it's unfair."

Such behavior from someone in a position of power will inevitably lead to countless people criticizing them and speaking ill of them behind their backs!

The reputation one would have in history books is certainly not good!

Wu Zhen continued to stare directly at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Go ahead and criticize us behind our backs, but if you're so capable, don't do it behind our backs, do it to our faces."

If my reputation is bad, so be it. I'm not someone who cares about my reputation.

They're dreaming if they think they can use these empty titles to tie our hands and feet!
The sacred deeds of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors have deceived countless travelers, including many illustrious figures.

It's just empty fame in history books.

We don't want any of that, we just want our dreams to come true!
The rest is unimportant.

The people only have two choices: either follow us or recklessly try to obstruct and block our way.

Those who try to stop us, no matter who they are, we will eliminate them one by one.

Whether it's you, Wu Da or Wu Er, or someone else entirely!

Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands on his hips, staring directly at Wu Zhen.

Wu Zhen and Zhu Yuanzhang stared at each other for a while, and finally Wu Zhen lowered his head.

"Your two pardons are confiscated, and after your execution, the eldest son will inherit the title."

The family property was confiscated, but a portion was retained at the discretion of the court for the family's expenses.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, the brothers Wu Liang and Wu Zhen unconsciously looked up at him.

Then he kowtowed to Zhu Yuanzhang to express his gratitude.

They genuinely kowtowed to express their gratitude.

Seeing the emperor's reactions, the two brothers were filled with despair.

They felt that not only the two of them would die, but their families would also perish.

Who would have thought that the final result would be that the emperor would only execute the two of them, without implicating their families.

The son can still inherit the title!
This is truly a wonderful surprise.

"You've got a head start. Maritime trade is really profitable, and your idea of ​​making money through it is correct."

However, it is impossible to establish the Maritime Trade Office and restore it to its former glory during the Yuan Dynasty.

Wu Zhen spoke again, his emotions and tone much calmer than before.

Zhu Shuang glared at him angrily, his fist, the size of a bowl, clenched tightly, as if he wanted to hit him.

Zhu Biao also had an unfriendly look in his eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him without speaking, waiting for him to continue.

"After becoming the commander of the anti-Japanese naval force, I had more contact with those pirates and merchants, and I learned a lot about them."

Starting from the Song Dynasty, the Jiangnan region began to vigorously develop maritime trade.

Now, after hundreds of years, various things related to maritime trade have long since taken shape.

Throughout the Jiangnan region, there are far too many people who make a living by doing business overseas.

Every industry has already been divided up.

It can be said that the entire Jiangnan region is inextricably linked with maritime trade.

The Maritime Trade Office can be established, but it will be of little use and will remain as meager as before, generating pitifully small profits each year.

Merchants in Jiangnan have been smuggling since the Yuan Dynasty, and this has continued for decades.

They were all used to smuggling and their methods were quite sophisticated.

Even if the Maritime Trade Office is established, they will still bypass it and make money through smuggling.

These have all formed a very stable and very large network.

This is not just about one person.

Instead, it requires facing the entire Jiangnan region from top to bottom.

Similarly, this matter cannot be resolved simply by the superiors dealing with the two brothers, who are his subjects.

I wonder if it's because people tend to speak kindly when they're about to die.

At this moment, Wu Zhen, who had previously wanted to distance himself from pirates and merchants, spoke about these matters quite eloquently.

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh.

He understands these things very well.

It was precisely because they understood this so clearly that they felt the emperor had no chance of accomplishing it.

"We will definitely be able to set up the Maritime Trade Office."

If these people don't let us sit at the table or in the seats of honor, then we'll smash the pot!
Let's start from scratch and cook for ourselves!

(End of this chapter)