Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 157 You're an official? We'll kill officials like you!
"What?
What are you doing?!

Upon seeing the armored soldiers suddenly barging into his home, Magistrate Xiao became immediately excited.

He reprimanded them aloud.

To him, what happened today was simply incomprehensible and unforgivable!

These scoundrels are so rude!
How could they be so arrogant as to force their way into their own home?
Why are you being so impolite? What are you trying to do?
This shows a complete disregard for a county magistrate like himself!
On their own turf, these people are still so impolite and arrogant towards them.

Simply unforgivable!
He has a noble status, so he is always treated with utmost respect wherever he goes.
Even the county magistrate treated him with the same courtesy.

Many things need to be discussed with me, the county magistrate.

Without my consent as the county magistrate, many things cannot be accomplished.

These scoundrels are so rude!
This infuriated him!

Even though these people had earned a formidable reputation during this period, he was not afraid of them at all.

They dared to reprimand him to his face.

He was a county magistrate, a proper official.

They are not like those maritime merchants, nor are they like those thugs who can be easily manipulated.

"You've come to the wrong place and come to the wrong person, haven't you?"
There must be some misunderstanding here.

Once we cleared up the misunderstanding, everything was fine.

This is like a flood washing away the Dragon King's temple; the family doesn't even recognize each other anymore.

Both Magistrate Zhang and Magistrate Zhao know me; we were having tea together yesterday.

We are truly one family.

After reprimanding these scoundrels, Magistrate Xiao immediately changed his attitude.

His expression softened.

At the same time, it was quite natural to mention Magistrate Zhang and Prefect Zhao.

This was a blatant declaration to the arriving soldiers of his identity and status as County Magistrate Xiao.

He was not only a county magistrate's assistant, but also a figurehead to the county magistrate and prefect!

Both of them wanted to give him face.

He's not someone you can mess with.

Tell these people to be polite, to talk things out properly, and not to act recklessly here.

Treat him like an easy target.

Otherwise, he won't be so polite!
Think twice before you mess with him!

Unfortunately, all his self-righteous connections and influence are useless today.

The soldiers who came wouldn't give him any face at all.

He has an inflated sense of status and connections, but they mean nothing.

"Xiao Shu colluded with maritime merchants and condoned their acts of rebellion."

As an official, to collude with bandits is a capital offense, punishable by death—an unforgivable crime!

The head of the Imperial Guards looked at County Magistrate Xiao with a blank expression and a cold voice.

They were acting on orders. Since its establishment, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had handled many major cases.

The blank seal case, in particular, involved even more people, all of whom were officials.

Having undergone these trials, this mere county magistrate was nothing in their eyes at this point.

Trying to show off here?

Magistrate Xiao misunderstood.

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate, who had been smiling, immediately changed his expression.

The smile on his face vanished.

"Who said I was involved in this?"

Who said I was involved with those rioters or those maritime merchants?

You can't make such baseless accusations!
Even if it were the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigating a case, they couldn't just smear someone's name out of thin air like this!

"Evidence? The account books and other items found in Li Sanshi's house are the best evidence!"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard said coldly.

"Arrest them!"

At his command, Jinyiwei soldiers immediately stepped forward and began to arrest the man.

"You've got it wrong, you're making baseless accusations!"
Magistrate Zhang and Prefect Zhao can both testify for me!
I am utterly loyal to the imperial court!

Without us, the civil unrest here would have escalated to who knows how much worse it would have been!

How can you slander someone's innocence like this, unable to distinguish right from wrong?!

"The county magistrate and the prefect here are both traitors."

Those who have close ties with Li Sanshi and others deserve to die just as much!

As soon as these words were spoken, County Magistrate Xiao, who had been struggling and shouting that he was innocent, immediately fell silent.

His expression was incredibly vivid, as if he had seen a ghost.

What did I hear?
Are the county magistrate and the prefect both traitors?
The county magistrate was one thing, but the prefect was a truly high-ranking official!
The kind that's a fourth-rank official!

Moreover, he was the prefect of Hangzhou, a wealthy place, which was far beyond the reach of ordinary people!

Why are these people now trying to kill him too?
These people are trying to rebel!

A member of the Imperial Guard, wielding a short stick, struck the man's leg with the stick, knocking him to the ground.

County Magistrate Xiao tried to struggle, but two long spears crossed over him, pressing his neck hard to the ground, rendering him unable to move.

They brought the man outside, bound him, and saw someone lying in a pool of blood.

This is the county magistrate's family; someone who's always been arrogant and domineering is trying to act tough.

Let's show off our past arrogance again and make these ungrateful bastards respect us.

But clearly, this time their show of power was misplaced.

Without the Embroidered Uniform Guards even needing to intervene, the Yanshan Guards who had accompanied them had already taken action.

Kill him on the spot!

Seeing this scene, Magistrate Xiao's eyes widened in fury.

The one who died was his own son.

He is still my most beloved son.

"My child! My child!"

He cried out in grief.

But his son, lying in a pool of blood, couldn't utter a single word and remained motionless.

It is obviously dead.

Upon witnessing this scene, Magistrate Xiao's eyes turned bloodshot, and he began to struggle violently.

Why did you people kill my son?
Why did you kill my son?!
I'll fight you to the death!

This County Magistrate Xiao, along with his son, are local bullies who have committed many evil deeds.

Incidents that lead to the destruction of families and even death do occur from time to time.

They used to kill others without a second thought.

I never felt any pain or discomfort.

But now, death is on his own head, and he can't do it all at once.

I felt a deep, piercing pain in my heart.

With a clang, a knife was drawn and then returned to its sheath.

The county magistrate, who was struggling desperately and trying to fight back, suddenly became docile.

His body stiffened instantly.

The next moment, a spurt of blood shot out from his throat.

The Imperial Guards holding him released him, letting his body fall to the ground like a tattered sack.

County Magistrate Xiao's eyes widened, and his body convulsed uncontrollably.

His face was filled with extreme shock and intense disbelief.

They seem completely unable to accept their current fate.

He never imagined that death would be so close to him.

He never imagined that one day he would be killed so easily.

The emperor is heartless!
He was a complete and utter tyrant!

How could they so cruelly persecute loyal officials of the court, and even harm loyal and righteous people like themselves!

……

"There are some things I'm going to tell you, so remember them!"
This time, a popular uprising broke out in Suzhou, which was absolutely shocking!

In Hangzhou, there are also unscrupulous businessmen involved!
It's chilling to think about!
These heartless and lawless scoundrels have gone to extremes in their actions.

They have absolutely no intention of serving their country!
Now that these people have been executed, the imperial court will establish a Maritime Trade Office.

The assets of these rebels should be confiscated, and state-owned businesses should be established.

The imperial court will send people to manage the unified operation.

This is great news.

If this is done well, the benefits will be immense.

Here in Hangzhou, we officials should feel ashamed that such a thing as a rebellious merchant has happened!

To dare to lose face!

I'm sorry, Your Majesty!
These people need to be dealt with now. The imperial court wants to open a maritime trade office and establish state-owned enterprises.

I have only one requirement for you: to atone for your crimes with good deeds and to be ashamed and courageous in the face of adversity!
Let's not dwell on the past. This time, we must give it our all and overcome all difficulties.

Working in coordination with His Highness Prince Yan, we must ensure the smooth establishment of state-owned enterprises in the shortest possible time.

Whatever Your Highness needs, we will make it.

We absolutely cannot hold anyone back!
If any problems arise anywhere, the person responsible will be held accountable!
We will show absolutely no leniency!

They had already made such a huge mess and lost so much face.

This time, anyone who dares to fail in their duties will be severely punished!

"Whoever makes things difficult for me, the prefect, will make their job even more difficult!"

Wearing a red official robe and sporting a long beard, he appeared to be a very upright person. He was here with a serious expression, reprimanding the many officials who had been summoned to the government office.

Normally, Prefect Zhao was gentle and refined, but this time he lost his temper.

His expression and tone were more severe than ever before.

Prefect Zhao's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked rather tired.

It's clear that he's been diligently performing his duties these past few days.

They cooperated with the imperial court to stabilize the situation.

"We will follow Your Excellency's words."

"The Prefect is right. We will definitely handle this matter well and there will be absolutely no loopholes."

After the prefect finished speaking, a group of officials chimed in in agreement.

They indicated that they would obey the prefect's orders and do things well.

"In Hangzhou, we are very fortunate to have Your Excellency here."

Without the Prefect's help, who knows what kind of chaos would have ensued.

Your Excellency is truly a savior to Hangzhou.

He is the upright and just official in Hangzhou.

Someone praised it. Immediately, many others echoed their sentiments.

"I am not as outstanding as you all say. I am just doing my best to do things."

If you've received your salary, you should do your job well.
"I've done my job well, and I've acted in accordance with my conscience. That's all."

After hearing his words, everyone praised the Prefect for his noble character and integrity, and said they must learn from him.

At that moment, some noise was heard in front of the government office.

At the same time, some shouts could be faintly heard.

Hearing this noise, someone frowned.

Some people wanted someone to get up and go outside to see what was going on.

Zhao Futai, who was sitting at the head of the table, also frowned, looking quite dissatisfied.

Who is so arrogant as to cause trouble here!
The thought had barely formed when someone forcefully barged in.

The people who arrived were members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Yanshan Guard.

Prefect Zhao's eyes flickered, somewhat alarmed.

However, having served as an official for many years, he was extremely shrewd and calculating.

The unusual expression appeared only for a moment before being suppressed.

He immediately calmed down.

"Who among you has committed a crime?"

Step forward yourself!
Cooperate well with your superiors to avoid making things awkward!

Prefect Zhao looked at his many subordinates with a serious expression.

The Hangzhou officials present were all taken aback by this sudden turn of events.

The scene was momentarily quiet, yet an endless sense of panic was spreading.

The fact that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Yanshan Guard forcefully broke in at this time is definitely not a good thing.

Many people are afraid that the fire will burn them.

Now, however, we are in a special period where special measures are being taken.

If you get caught, you're unlikely to have a good ending.

"Take down this traitorous official!"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard pointed at Prefect Zhao.

These words immediately stunned Prefect Zhao.

The whole person felt like falling into an ice cave.

He appeared extremely surprised.

Not only him, but many officials from Hangzhou Prefecture present were also quite astonished.

How come... the Embroidered Uniform Guards came directly for the prefect?

And their words were so impolite!

"I didn't rebel! Who rebelled? Did the officer make a mistake?"

In his anger and a hint of panic, Prefect Zhao began to argue.

This is a very serious crime!

He doesn't want to take the responsibility!

The commander of the Imperial Guard ignored him.

Two Imperial Guards stepped forward to arrest the Hangzhou Prefect.

With his hands tied behind his back, one on each side, half of his face was pressed against the desk where he usually worked.

"A mistake? No way there's a mistake!"
How much benefit did you, Zhao Zheng, secretly receive from the rebels led by Li Sanshi?
How much preferential treatment did they give?
You know this better than anyone else!
The account books of Li Sanshi and others also contain very clear records.

The fact that these rioters could cause such a commotion is largely due to your indulgence within the community.

"Still daring to argue here, still putting on this aggrieved act, who are you trying to fool?"

"I didn't, I really didn't!"
Injustice! Utter injustice!

"I am the Prefect of Hangzhou, what right do you have to arrest me?"

"On what grounds? On the grounds of imperial authority! On the grounds that you are a rebel!"

"Zhang Cheng, He Jun, Shen Ru, Zhao Qing..."

The commander of the Imperial Guard ignored Prefect Zhao and took out a list from his pocket.

He read it aloud on the spot.

As soon as he called out the name, members of the Imperial Guards stepped forward to arrest him.

If they were arrested at any other time, some people would definitely resist.

But this time is different.

This time, the Embroidered Uniform Guards first arrested the Hangzhou Prefect, their superior.

Under these circumstances, few people dared to make any rash moves.

In addition, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is now known for its ruthlessness.

Few people dared to confront the Embroidered Uniform Guard head-on.

In an instant, a total of 21 out of the more than 30 people present were arrested!
Apart from County Magistrate Xiao, who had previously claimed illness and stayed at home.

The main tasks in the officialdom of Hangzhou are all here.

In other words, in one fell swoop, more than half of the officials in Hangzhou who were even remotely noteworthy were purged.

Those who weren't caught were trembling with fear.

Many people were also glad that they hadn't gotten too close to those maritime merchants before.

"I want to see His Highness! I want to see His Highness! I refuse to accept this!"

"I want to see His Highness!"

Prefect Zhao called out...

……

"Your Highness! I'm innocent, Your Highness!"

Six days later, in Suzhou Prefecture, over a hundred people were brought to the execution ground, ready to be executed.

The scene was spectacular and breathtaking.

Especially knowing that those beheaded this time were all officials.
Two of them were prefects.

The fact that one became the prefect of Songjiang and the other the prefect of Hangzhou is even more astonishing!
The prefect of Hangzhou knelt on the execution ground and cried out that he was innocent.

Zhu Di sat on the execution platform and personally supervised the execution.

"Are you innocent?"
What have you done wrong?

They colluded with rebels, indulged their disturbances, and attempted to overthrow the imperial court.

The evidence is conclusive!

"I am the Prefect of Suzhou, a fourth-rank official."

Even if I'm wrong, you can't kill me!
It requires His Majesty's approval, as well as the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, before a conviction can be made!

How could they act so recklessly and wantonly, committing murder?

Seeing that Zhu Di was unyielding and kept insisting that he was a rebel,
Prefect Zhao had no choice but to change his story.

"I have been ordered to thoroughly investigate the peasant uprising in Jiangnan."

The Emperor has decreed that all officials below the third rank who are involved in rebellion must be punished.

I can execute first and report later!

Officials of the third rank or above can be arrested and sent to the capital for the Emperor to make a decision.

"You're just a fourth-rank official; my sword can cut you down!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng was immediately speechless.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

After a long silence, Zhao Zheng suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter.

His expression was ferocious, and somewhat manic.

"Such heartlessness and ingratitude! Such abuse of punishment!"

How can this last?

How can one convince the world to accept such a hasty and arbitrary labeling of someone as a traitor and rebel?

“The rebels are so self-righteous.”

I did not order your execution on the spot, you dog!

"To spare you until now to be beheaded and displayed to the public is already the greatest mercy I could bestow upon you!"

"Hahaha……"

Prefect Zhao was still laughing wildly.

"Will the one who started this have no descendants? You, King of Yan, have done such a thing, abusing punishments and indiscriminately killing innocent people."

How could they possibly end up with a good outcome?

Your days are numbered!

Your knife will break one day!

Sooner or later, it will be discarded by the person who wields it!

I will never see that day.

But remember, this day will eventually come, and your end will be ten, a hundred, or even ten thousand times more miserable than ours!
You will be ruthlessly abandoned by your father and brothers!

Like a stray dog, drained of all its value!

He ignored everything and started mocking them.

Driven by madness and endless resentment!

"You also want to establish a Maritime Trade Office?"

Do you want to get all of this into your own hands?

Don’t be afraid of stuffing yourself to death!
Such an ugly way of making money, and how can it last long if it competes with the people for their interests?

"The annals of history will not let you and your son off the hook!"
The Maritime Trade Office is acting so perversely and cruelly, harming loyal and virtuous people.

It won't last long either; it won't be able to open!

We are powerless to resist your tyranny, but some people will not stand by and watch and will rebel!
Just you wait and see!

Since Zhu Yuanzhang and his ilk were inhuman, then let's leave them with an inescapable thorn in their side as they lay their last breath!
Zhu Di did not respond to the man's words.

Looking at the sun, he took out the execution order.

He drew on it with a vermilion brush, threw it down, and ordered the execution.

Someone stepped forward and picked it up.

After verification, numerous ghost-head swords were raised and then lowered.

One by one, heads rolled to the ground, blood gushing out.

It was as if that blade had struck, and those heads had fallen to the ground, in that instant.

The entire Jiangnan region, and indeed the entire Ming Dynasty, was shaken to its core...

……

"Your Highness, that person is talking nonsense."

Your Highness, please don't take it to heart...

A day later, Zheng Shiyuan looked at Zhu Di, carefully choosing his words, and offered Zhu Di words of comfort...

(End of this chapter)