Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 238 Huang Zicheng is dumbfounded: Why does the emperor want to kill me?
Zhu Yuanzhang had a very deep impression of Huang Zicheng.

After all, he was one of the people who stood out during his own Hongwu reign.

Moreover, at the time, I thought Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai were alright.

In addition, Zhu Yunwen's education also needs to be taken seriously; he always needs to have some learned people around him.

Therefore, these people did not do much regarding their contact with Zhu Yunwen.

However, as I have seen in later generations, I realize that I was very wrong about this matter.

You really overestimate these people.

Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, and others did things that were truly inhuman and incredibly stupid.

The fact that later generations collectively referred to them as the "Three Fools of Jianwen" is not without reason.

That's really stupid.

They've squandered their Ming Dynasty beyond recognition.

Upon returning to the Ming Dynasty, he did not deliberately try to find them.

After all, at this point in time, they hadn't yet become officials.

If they hadn't caused any trouble, Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't have bothered to look for them.

As a result, Fang Xiaoru jumped out and did such a thing during the previous blank seal case, and was then eliminated by himself.

Huang Zicheng actually showed up in this matter and got involved, making his name known.

If that's the case, then you might as well not live!
If he dares to step forward in this matter, it would be too lenient of him not to give him a good beating.

And I'm sorry for all the things he did in his past life.

If he insists on getting involved, then so be it, so as not to annoy people further.

Seeing Huang Zicheng served as a reminder to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Huang Zicheng has already appeared, so what about Qi Tai? Will he show up?
If Qi Tai is also involved in this matter, then I'll send him away as well to save myself the trouble.

Qi Tai was not originally called Qi Tai; his name was Qi De.

He changed his name himself.

The reason for changing his name was that this guy had served as an official for nine years without making any mistakes.

So he named him Tai.

I think this guy is a very good official.

But what happened later proved that I was really blind in this matter.

Qi Tai is no better either.

This guy did a pretty good job while he was alive.

But after his death, he immediately revealed his true colors, and together with Huang Zicheng and others, he did some truly outrageous things.

This is infuriating!

Zhu Yunwen was indeed a fool, there is no doubt about that.

However, these people are no better than anyone else.

It's already quite good that he didn't do anything deliberately to these people after he came back.

But if they are reckless and get involved in these things, he wouldn't mind giving them a little more pressure and sending them all away.

To eliminate future troubles!

His eyes searched the list carefully.

After searching, they could not find Qi De's name.

This left Zhu Yuanzhang with some regret.

Of course, it's just a little regrettable, not too much of a relief.

After all, to him now, Qi Tai and Qi De were just insignificant people.

Since he already knew a lot of things in advance, it wouldn't be of any use.

Even if Qi Tai didn't step forward this time, I won't give him any more opportunities to participate in politics...

……

"Brother Huang, this...we're not going to...be severely punished, are we? Could we...lose our lives too?"

Inside the prison, Huang Zicheng's friend looked at Huang Zicheng and asked him a question.

His voice was filled with deep worry and fear.

He now truly regrets it, regretting why he wasn't more resolute and was so concerned about saving face.

After realizing things were going badly, he didn't leave, but instead followed Huang Zicheng and got involved in the matter.

Otherwise, where would this disaster be now?
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. At the very least, we won't be beheaded; our lives will be spared."

We didn't cause any trouble, nor did we do anything extreme.

I just watched the spectacle from the crowd, that's all.

Huang Zicheng's voice sounded firm.

However, compared to before, his confidence is not as strong anymore.

After all, the emperor's actions this time had truly frightened him.

This was something he had not anticipated at all.

They were so unreasonable, they just killed someone.

A scholar, a man of integrity, had no dignity whatsoever in the face of those thugs.

To kill someone without warning is an act of brutality that is utterly appalling!
However, while they were shocked, they did not fall into utter despair regarding their fate.

After all, with so many people involved in this incident, they really can't be considered the masterminds.

Even if the emperor was tyrannical, it was impossible for him to kill so many scholars, many of whom were renowned, all at once.

Of course, while there wasn't that much despair, there wasn't the same optimism as before, nor the belief that they could be acquitted.

There's a good chance Zhu Yuanzhang will do something to them.

But compared to those who were beheaded, suffering some punishment is not unacceptable; it is still acceptable.

Therefore, many people are like this, always harboring wishful thinking, always feeling that they are special and different from others.

When the knife comes down and it really happens to you, you'll realize that you're not so special after all.

After hearing Huang Zicheng's words, the man felt somewhat relieved.

I think Huang Zicheng is quite right about this matter.

This incident has indeed caused quite a stir, involving many people, and they genuinely haven't engaged in any extreme behavior during the process.

He simply stood in the crowd, shouted a few times, and hurled a few curses in support; that was all.

Under such circumstances, the emperor certainly wouldn't really do anything to them.

Even an emperor must be reasonable and cannot act lawlessly or recklessly.

Otherwise, it certainly won't last.

Thinking this way, the anxiety I had been feeling subsided considerably.

That's definitely it! It must be! It can't be!

Their anxiety and unease did not last long.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang handled this matter very decisively; it was a special case handled with special measures.

By the third day, the necessary measures had been completed and implemented.

Those who deserve execution should be executed, and those who deserve exile should be exiled.

Fewer people were killed, but more were exiled.

Of course, the number of people killed is only in comparison to those exiled.

In fact, it's not a little less at all.

Of those arrested alone, more than a hundred were sentenced to death.

The total number of people accounted for approximately one-tenth of the total population.

In addition, those who secretly instigated and caused trouble were also not spared by Zhu Yuanzhang.

They were also killed.

Moreover, the punishment was even more severe than for these individuals, and their families were also exiled...

"How could I be here? How could I be here!"
"It can't be me! I don't deserve to die!!"

Inside the prison, Huang Zicheng completely broke down, constantly shouting and yelling.

He was extremely excited.

The results announced at this time were completely unacceptable to him.

He shouldn't have been sentenced to death no matter what, but he was sentenced to death anyway!
Behead them all!
"Why is it that we did exactly the same thing, yet he lives while I have to die?!"

He pointed at his friend and questioned loudly, saying that he was in as much pain as he could bear.

Not wanting to accept this fate, I want to struggle again.

"If you want to kill me, you have to kill him first; that would be fair and reasonable!"

The person who had overcome his fear and wanted to speak up for Huang Zicheng was stunned when he heard Huang Zicheng's words. His eyes widened as if struck by lightning.

It was so unbelievable, I could hardly believe my ears.

What did you hear?
These are the words that my beloved brother Huang would say?

I have always admired him, but now that something has really happened, he has acted in this way!
Do you want to drag yourself down with you?

Is he even human?!
I have fallen to this state entirely because of him.

And now, he's actually saying such things!

"The court is wise! His Majesty is supremely sagacious!"
This verdict is correct; Huang Zicheng is not a good person to begin with!
He often insults the emperor in private, and it was he who instigated me to get involved in this matter.

He deserved it!

This man couldn't bear it any longer and shouted at the yamen runners who came to arrest Huang Zicheng and take him away for execution.

The two put on a fake brotherhood right in front of each other.

It's no wonder he reacted that way; Huang Zicheng is just too inhuman!

They've done absolutely nothing human! Their actions are utterly outrageous.

No one could tolerate that.

The constables found it somewhat amusing to watch the two of them tearing at each other.

Sure enough, many times, people say things like "how good it is."

But when it comes to the crucial moment, when life and death are at stake, that's when the true test comes.

They had seen similar things before, so they didn't find it too strange.

These scholars are just people, and they're not necessarily any more noble than others.

In fact, compared to many others, they are even worse off.

They're not even as loyal as ordinary people.

The most righteous are often the lowly butchers, while the most ruthless are often the scholars.

This is not just empty talk.

It's very simple to resolve Huang Zicheng's loud shouting and protests.

One of the constables, carrying a fire-and-water stick, struck him twice with it.

Upon hearing the sound of bones breaking, Huang Zicheng immediately stopped arguing about it.

This method is remarkably effective.

Then, another strange phenomenon occurred in the Ming Dynasty.

Large numbers of people were pinned down, and beheadings were carried out in rows, with heads rolling everywhere.

Although it couldn't compare to the scale of the beheadings during the Empty Seal Case.

However, there are also quite a few...

……

I wonder if anyone will still complain about the Industrial University after this incident.

Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself.

……

Upon hearing the news, Song Lian sighed inwardly.

These people deserved to be attacked; they've done such terrible things!

They actually dared to storm the Industrial University, set it on fire, and smash the plaque of the National Industrial University, which was written by the emperor's son!
They are incredibly audacious; they deserve to die!

If they dare to do such a thing, who else but them will die?
If you put yourself in the emperor's shoes, it's not entirely incomprehensible that he would make such a decision and have such an attitude in this matter.

Sometimes, some people just don't know how to spell the word "death".

They really went too far.

After a moment of silence and sighing, Song Lian shook his head, collected his thoughts, and forced himself not to dwell on the matter.

Kind words cannot appease those who deserve to die; these people insist on doing so, oblivious to their own mortality.

So what if they died? Their deaths are nothing to regret.

What he needs to consider now is how to explain the transformation of decaying grass into fireflies.

The Hongwu Dictionary, and the subsequent Hongwu Encyclopedia, were compiled.

And in line with the development of the Ming Dynasty, to create some scholarship that is in line with the current state of the Ming Dynasty.

We cannot go against the emperor on these matters.

Looking at the emperor's various actions, it becomes clear that going against the emperor would bring no benefit to either oneself or Confucianism.

Some adjustments need to be made.

If we can make a compromise that meets the needs of the Ming Dynasty.

He himself could also play a pivotal role in the development of Confucianism.

When future generations mention themselves, they will never think of themselves as traitors to Confucianism and hurl insults at them, just like some people do today.

It's not impossible that in the future, I might even be able to add some honorific titles to myself...

Thinking this way, Song Lian suddenly felt full of energy...

……

"We must prohibit private individuals from publishing newspapers or anything similar in any form."

Once discovered, they will be executed without mercy!

Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao met. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and spoke, giving his opinion on the matter.

He had already obtained some information through the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

I know that some people, after experiencing how useful the Daming Daily is, are interested in using it as a reference for running their own newspaper.

Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to completely block the way out of this situation.

Don't give these people a chance.

Newspapers are a powerful weapon; it's better for them to remain in the hands of the imperial court.

He knew all too well what kind of people these were.

The purpose of wanting to start a newspaper is self-evident.

They're definitely targeting themselves and the imperial court.

Not to mention all of them, at least 90% or more are like this; they have no good intentions whatsoever.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang knew this, how could he possibly ignore it, let it go, and allow these people to cause trouble?

We must block this road immediately.

It's best to keep such weapons in your own hands.

In later generations, with the development of the internet, a great deal of information spreads very quickly.

Various self-media platforms have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

This thing naturally has its advantages, but it also has many disadvantages.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was a chaotic mess.

And this was in a later era, when information and technology were advanced enough to allow for effective oversight via the internet, yet things were still like this.

In the Ming Dynasty today, administrative efficiency and corresponding regulatory methods are far inferior to those of later generations.

If those people are allowed to run the newspaper, it will definitely do more harm than good.

Many people with ulterior motives will use the opportunity of running a private newspaper to carry out their sinister and treacherous acts of rebellion.

They'll stir up a lot of trouble, spreading all sorts of malicious rumors; they're just making trouble for themselves.

In that case, Zhu Yuanzhang would certainly have to take precautions in advance.

Suppress it as soon as it shows signs of life.

The Ming Dynasty today does not need so many voices opposing the many things and changes it has undertaken.

When our Great Ming Dynasty has developed sufficiently and achieved certain results in the future...

Then we can gradually relax a bit and guide the establishment of newspapers in a more standardized way; there's no rush.

For now, it's best to keep those people quiet.

Now, I've been killing them one after another, but there are still so many treacherous people who are willing to risk their lives to do such things.

If we don't control the newspaper business and let these people do whatever they want, then...

Who knows how badly they might smear themselves, the company, and even national policies?

Zhu Biao wholeheartedly supported his father's suggestion.

I think my father's decision was the right one.

Through these events, Zhu Biao has gained a deeper understanding of the true nature of scholars.

It's no wonder the Emperor had a problem with them; it's just that they themselves were doing terrible things.

In matters like this, if Father Emperor had not taken precautions and made some provisions in advance to avoid such a situation...

Then, there will definitely be many people who use newspapers to oppose the court, oppose the emperor, smear the Ming Dynasty, and spread rumors and trouble.

They dared to act this way even under the emperor's nose, in front of the national industrial university established by his father.

Moreover, even the Emperor had his teacher, a great Confucian scholar, persuade them, appealing to their emotions and reasoning with them.

So... what kind of things will these people do when they get to those remote and high-altitude places?

No need to think too much at all.

It is indeed most advantageous for newspapers, such useful things, to be controlled by the imperial court.

We can't let those people get away with it.

“Father, I have remembered this matter.”

We must be strict in cracking down on this. Anyone who dares to defy the law should be taught a lesson they deserve. Those who deserve to die should be killed without mercy!

Upon hearing his son Biao'er's somewhat menacing words, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.

He was laughing heartily.

That would be better!
This is the true mark of one's own family, this is what a crown prince should look like.
I can rest assured that the world is now in Biao'er's hands.

When U.A. grows up and becomes more sensible, we should keep him by our side more often and nurture him.

To broaden Yu-Ai's horizons and shape his values.

Only when the successor is qualified can the system continue uninterrupted after the death of the leader, and so many unexpected problems be avoided...

……

Inside the Kunning Palace, Empress Ma was making flatbread.

She was preparing dinner for her family's Chongba.

Even after all these years, Chongba still has a taste for this.

She is also happy to cook for her own family, Chongba.

Empress Ma didn't just make pancakes here.

She also decided that after Chongba came over for dinner, she would ask him about herself.

Look at your own destiny!
(End of this chapter)