Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 110 Oh no! The Ming Dynasty has fallen!

Just as the Later Jin and Dongjiang Town were about to clash.

In the capital of the Ming Dynasty, a grand celebration was taking place.

However, for some, this celebration seems like a dark cloud looming over the city.

The reason for this can be traced back to a piece of good news.

It was noon today.

A troop of messengers surged into the capital through the city gates, galloping through the city while shouting:

"His Majesty personally led the expedition to Yansui Military Town, annihilating the Ordos tribe of the Tuolu, who had repeatedly invaded the borders of our Great Ming! More than 3,000 soldiers were beheaded and more than 40,000 herdsmen were captured!"

"Moreover, the drought in various parts of Shaanxi has been greatly alleviated under His Majesty's governance!"

The messengers' figures passed through the capital.

The entire capital city was initially stunned, but then immediately erupted into celebration.

For so many years, we haven't heard of such a great victory for the Ming Dynasty over foreign tribes.

Not to mention that the disaster situation in Shaanxi has been greatly alleviated!
The prophecy of "the Celestial Empire will prosper and the barbarians will be subdued" was best confirmed at this moment.

This undoubtedly gave the people of the entire capital a strong boost of confidence.

The people celebrated wildly.

Needless to say, the royalists were also involved.

Even they didn't expect that the emperor could achieve such great things in just over a month of absence!
For a while.

People are in a frenzy, like oil being poured on a raging fire!
Led by Zhang Weixian, a group of imperial supporters also led the common people and soldiers of the Beijing garrison in a grand parade to celebrate in the capital.

To celebrate this momentous national event.

In this regard.

The civil service officials naturally stayed indoors.

As for whether he was trembling with fear, that's hard to say.

The celebrations continued until sunset before slowly dissipating.

……

And this moment.

It was already late at night.

Huang Lijie and the others gathered again in that secluded house.

This time, the group didn't linger.

Once everyone had arrived, Huang Lijie stood up abruptly, his face grim, and addressed the crowd:

"We just received intelligence that the emperor had all the remaining officials and gentry executed before leaving for Shaanxi."

This statement came out.

Everyone gasped.

Several people closed their eyes in pain and leaned back in their chairs.

Someone exclaimed in disbelief, "How dare he?! Doesn't he know what the consequences of doing this will be for the Ming Dynasty?!"

"The emperor has only been on the throne for two months. Does he really think that killing a bunch of people in the capital and doing a few things in Shaanxi makes him invincible?!"

"Has he completely lost his mind?!"

No wonder the officials reacted so strongly.

Although for them.

I had anticipated this possibility several days in advance, and even made preparations for it then.

But when the news actually arrived, everyone was still greatly alarmed.

Because this means the emperor has gone completely mad!
Slaughtering all the remaining gentry and officials in Shaanxi would mean a complete break with the powerful families and clans in various regions.

From this moment on, the Ming Dynasty will be completely trapped in a situation where government orders cannot leave the capital, and although the provinces and regions are nominally still under the Ming Dynasty, they are actually like regional warlords.

What use are these aristocratic family representatives who remain in the capital then?!
Is it an eyesore to put it here?

In this case.

Does this mean the emperor will kill them all as soon as he returns to the capital?!

The fear of death enveloped everyone at that moment.

The mere thought of the new emperor's ruthlessness caused everyone's legs to tremble uncontrollably.

If they weren't already in a situation where they couldn't escape the capital, they would have run away immediately.

The emperor's gone mad! Why isn't he running away and waiting to be executed?!

But no way.

A few days ago, someone was trying to transfer some assets, but they were all stopped by the Beijing garrison.

Trying to run now will only give others a pretext to accuse you of murder and make you die even faster.

Amidst the despair, Grand Secretary Huang Lijie was the first to step forward.

"Alright! Since we already anticipated this outcome, what's there to be afraid of!"

"Instead of panicking, you should think about how to save your life!"

After hearing Huang Liji's words, everyone calmed down a bit.

At this moment, Zhang Guopu, who also came from a prominent family in Hebei, stepped forward and spoke up:

"In fact, the emperor's move is not without its benefits for us; it is not impossible for us to save our lives."

These words immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Grand Secretary Zhang, stop keeping us in suspense! At this critical moment, please tell us your solution quickly!" the crowd urged.

Zhang Guopu looked at everyone and slowly began to speak:

"I originally thought that the emperor had gotten to where he is today through various schemes and tricks."

"But now it seems that he only managed to create this situation by sheer luck through his ruthless and brutal methods of killing!"

In response to Zhang Guopu's words.

The representatives of the various prominent families nodded silently.

If the emperor went to Shaanxi to annihilate the Ordos tribe, then that would be the end of it.

Then they really have to admire this emperor for having the qualities of a wise ruler.

But what the emperor did next.

That would only make them think that he's just mentally unstable.

The only reason I've survived until now is because I'm ruthless and lucky.

Zhang Guopu continued, "Since the emperor doesn't understand the principle of the inevitable trend of the times..."

"Our memorial alone may not be enough to bring him to his senses; we will need to use some other methods."

"Once that person understands who is truly in charge of the Ming Dynasty, he will certainly not dare to attack us again."

"After all, no matter how ruthless and vicious the emperor is, he can't possibly disregard his own life."

After a pause, Zhang Guopu added, "But... the methods have to be more straightforward."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid that person might not understand."

Everyone agreed with this.

The emperor has gone mad; the simplest and most brutal method must be used to bring him to his senses.

After a moment of silence, Huang Lijie continued Zhang Guopu's words:

"Then let those memorials be read aloud at tomorrow's court assembly."

"Only in this way can we successfully intimidate the emperor and his cronies, and incidentally make those opportunists who changed sides a few days ago turn to us again."

"Afterwards, let the capital be thrown into chaos again, and the emperor will be able to figure out the proper measure."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and then silently nodded.
This way.

Even the most foolish emperor should be able to see clearly who is in charge of the Ming Dynasty.

In that case, the emperor would certainly not dare to touch these representatives of powerful families again.

Simultaneously.

Everyone couldn't help but recall the incident earlier that day when Zhang Weixian led those scoundrels from the Beijing Garrison in a brazen parade in front of their mansion.

Just thinking about it makes me feel disgusted.

In the past, it would have been a serious offense for a military officer to stand in front of them.

But now.

They not only dared to stand there, but they even dared to swagger around.

It is simply the opposite of Tiangang!

but.

If they can make the emperor understand the situation through tomorrow's counterattack, then everything will gradually return to normal.

to be honest.

These royalists were completely disregarded by them.

The only person they feared was the emperor.

If the emperor shows even the slightest sign of weakness, they can divide and conquer these imperial factions one by one!
Even if the emperor possessed extraordinary abilities, he would still be unable to anticipate their moves tomorrow!

What awaits them next is to take back everything they have lost, step by step, with even greater intensity!
The group exchanged glances, their eyes revealing ruthlessness and determination.

The next day.

early morning.

On the way to the Fengtian Hall for the court session.

Zhang Weixian, Chen Xinjia, and other members of the royal faction traveled together, their faces filled with barely suppressed excitement.

There was no other way. The news of His Majesty's personal victory over the foreign tribes was simply too inspiring.

They couldn't control their emotions when they thought of the oath they made that night to "revive the Han Dynasty".

Moreover, even during the period when the emperor was not in the capital.

Their imperial faction also suppressed the civil service group in Beijing to the point of being unable to raise their heads, and made achievements in all aspects.

With these thoughts in mind, the group walked into the Fengtian Hall feeling refreshed and invigorated.

However, as soon as they were lined up in order of rank...

Chen Xinjia and Zhang Weixian sensed that something was off about the atmosphere today.

It's mainly those people in the civil service group who suddenly seem like they want to cause trouble today, especially the four cabinet ministers.

Zhang Weixian and Huang Liji had just met face to face, and Zhang Weixian could clearly see a hint of disdain in Huang Liji's eyes.

You know, in the past...

These people try their best to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention.

What happened today?
Zhang Weixian frowned, sensing that something seemed amiss.

Just as he was about to tell the people around him to be careful, Huang Liji, who was in the lead, suddenly made a move.

Huang Liji turned to face the officials in the court and spoke calmly:

"Before the court assembly, several memorials were sent from various places. They are of great importance and need to be read aloud in advance."

talking.

Huang Liji took out a booklet.

As the members of the Royalist Party watched Huang Lijie's actions, a vague sense of foreboding arose in their hearts.

But what no one expected was.

Huang Lijie's first words immediately caused an uproar in the Fengtian Hall.

"A report has come from Jiangnan that slave uprisings have recently occurred in many parts of Jiangnan."

“In many places, servants gathered and rioted. Even the eunuchs sent by the palace to supervise the salt tax died in the turmoil, with seven or eight out of ten dying.”

"The government spent a great deal of resources and manpower to gradually quell the matter."

"The taxes that Jiangnan was supposed to pay this year have been completely depleted in the suppression of the slave rebellion."

"We won't be able to collect taxes from Jiangnan this year."

"Moreover, it is likely that the imperial court will need to subsidize several million taels of silver in order to maintain the livelihood of the local government."

"Otherwise, there will likely be further unforeseen changes."

As soon as this was said.

The vast Fengtian Hall fell silent instantly, followed by whispers from the crowd.

This whispering gradually escalated into a huge uproar as no one stopped it.

In an instant, the Fengtian Hall was filled with deafening discussions.

Apart from those in the civil service.

No one expected that the civil service group, after lying low for so long, would choose to launch a counterattack against the emperor in this way.

What nonsense about the Jiangnan slave rebellion? It's utter bullshit.

There wasn't a hint of anything a few days ago, and now they've suddenly rebelled?
They even killed the eunuchs sent by the palace to collect taxes?!

Are you trying to fool a child?
of course.

Everyone knew that since the memorial had already been presented...

Those people sent from the palace certainly won't survive either.

It's nothing more than going through the motions.

And starting today.

Taxes in Jiangnan can no longer be collected, and sending someone there again would only mean certain death...

This move by Jiangnan is tantamount to rebellion!
Those officials who had originally sided with the imperial party when it gained power were now wavering in their thoughts.

How will the emperor respond to this move?!

If the emperor can't accept it, is it too late for them to repent and start anew?

Will the civil service launch a purge against them?
The royalists were caught off guard by Huang Liji's words and didn't know how to respond.

They were unaware that the civil service's counterattack would be so fierce.

Things have gone beyond everyone's expectations!
finally.

With the Imperial Party members remaining silent, the Fengtian Hall had descended into complete chaos!

It wasn't until Wei Zhongxian and Cao Huachun reacted that they started shouting frantically and even ordered the Imperial Guards on duty to draw their swords to stop them.

The noise inside the hall was gradually quelled.

now.

The representatives of the powerful families in the civil service group felt a surge of satisfaction as they watched the imperialists, who couldn't utter a single word.

After being suppressed for so long, we've finally turned the tables.

And they won big this time.

Because even more good news is coming for these damned royalists!
After the hall quieted down.

Huang Liji glanced at Zhang Weixian and the other members of the royal faction, and continued leisurely:

"Fujian has once again encountered Japanese pirates invading the border, and dozens of officials have died in the turmoil."

"Mining thieves are rampant in the Huguang region."

Hebei.

"Zhejiang"

"."

One shocking piece of news after another was told.

There wasn't even a sound of discussion in the entire Fengtian Hall anymore.

Instead, it became extremely quiet, even eerily quiet.

Everyone knew what all these reports represented.

This means that all the provinces of the Ming Dynasty have directly rebelled!
From now on.

The Ming Dynasty existed in name only, and all its decrees could no longer be effectively implemented outside the capital.

The emperor had only been on the throne for two months, yet he had already brought down the Ming Dynasty!

This could be considered the emperor whose kingdom fell the fastest in history, right?!

Upon hearing this news, the opportunistic officials were filled with deep regret.

How could they have been so blind as to choose to side with the Imperialists?!
What has the emperor done now that has driven all the powerful clans across the country into rebellion?!

no way.

What exactly did the emperor do to force the entire country into rebellion?

Many officials are still in a state of complete confusion.

But at this moment they understood one thing very clearly: the Ming Dynasty was doomed.

After calmly reciting these reports, Huang Lijie glanced at the ashen-faced members of the imperial faction, and then uttered a scathing remark:
"His Majesty has not yet returned to the capital, but these matters truly require His Majesty's prompt attention. The Cabinet has already sent someone to inform His Majesty of this matter."

Huang Lijie looked at Zhang Weixian and said in a calm tone, "Duke Zhang, you should also quickly send someone to inform the Emperor about this matter and see how he handles it."

Done.

Huang Lijie disregarded court etiquette and led his men out of the Fengtian Hall.

Seeing this, the others inside the Fengtian Hall also hurriedly left.

Not long after.

The hall was now empty and desolate, filled only with the mournful faces of the imperial party members.

now.

Although Zhang Weixian, among the crowd, was still somewhat calmer, his face was already pale and his eyes were glazed over.

Chen Xinjia recalled what Huang Lijie had just said about the nationwide unrest and rebellion.

Overwhelmed with anger, he suddenly felt dizzy and fell backward.

Inside the hall, everyone was in a flurry of activity again.

I was busy for a while.

Chen Xinjia was just revived by the crowd.

His first words upon waking were a hurried, trembling gesture as he pointed outside the hall:
"Quickly send someone to tell His Majesty that the Ming Dynasty is doomed! All the powerful families across the land have united in rebellion!!!"

Zhang Weixian remained silent: "We've already sent someone there."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xinjia closed his eyes in anguish and fell silent.

Cao Huachun and Wei Zhongxian also sat on the steps of Fengtian Hall, without saying a word.

As for the other members of the royalist party, they sat or stood listlessly, their eyes vacant.

The entire territory revolted, and the whole country became an enemy.

This situation is beyond the capabilities of all of them.

Even bearing this burden was incredibly difficult for them.

If it weren't for His Majesty's previous vow to revive the Han Dynasty...

Then, after today, the so-called imperial party will probably fall apart in an instant.

　There will be another chapter later. The author will go out for a meal and then write it again to finish this little plot.

　
(End of this chapter)