Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 111 Fuck you! Skin them all alive!

nowadays.

All the members of the imperial faction inside the Fengtian Hall had placed their last hope on His Majesty.

They didn't know how His Majesty would deal with this deadlock, let alone how to begin to handle it.

The whole country is at odds with us, what else can we do?!

Should we hold onto our small territory in the capital and slowly make our move?
The only consequence of doing this is a slow death.

How can we, relying solely on the capital, unite with powerful families across the country to resist them?

They wanted to do something, but found they couldn't get started.

All we could do was wait in utter silence as time ticked by.

Unlike the silence of the royalists,

After leaving the palace, Huang Lijie and the others stopped immediately.

He calmly addressed the officials following behind them:

"If someone was temporarily blinded by greed and chose the wrong side, but has now changed their mind, we can forgive and forget about it."

"As for what to do next, I'm sure you know."

Done.

Huang Lijie and the others flicked their sleeves and turned to leave, leaving behind only a dashing silhouette.

The remaining officials, standing still, watched this scene, exchanging glances that revealed a mixture of determination and helplessness.

no way.

The emperor and his supporters have already lost.

Those were the former members of the puppet emperor's faction.

The only way to save his life is to do his best to correct the mistakes he made before!

Incomplete correction is the same as no correction at all.

Everyone understands this.

otherwise.

After the emperor truly dies and his life ends.

The first to be purged were the royalists, and next up will be these pseudo-royals!

The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit.

Although many of the emperor's previous decrees were beneficial to the country and its people, there was no time to worry about that now.

Losing is wrong, winning is right.

They had no choice!
Ever since.

Before long, such a situation appeared in the capital.

"What?! His Majesty said he would exempt the Liaodong tax? I've never heard of that. It's obviously a scoundrel like you making things up to try and evade taxes! Beat him!"

"Fellow villager, setting up a stall is fine, but you can't skimp on the market fee!"

"What?! The Emperor said that from now on we don't have to pay the city fee anymore? What the hell! It's obviously a lie, beat him up!"

"Find a dark place and detain him for two days."

"Any more troublemakers out there? Arrest them and parade them through the streets in their arms on the pig transport truck."

"Damn it! How come there are suddenly so many troublemakers in the Ming Dynasty!"

"."

Countless similar situations are unfolding on a large scale in the capital.

Huang Lijie stood on his own attic.

He glanced at the turmoil unfolding in the capital and nodded in satisfaction.

Honestly.

He didn't want things to get to this point either.

After all, the common people are like precious cattle and horses, and it's not good to mistreat them too much.

But this step is one that must be taken.

Because if we don't let the capital city descend into chaos first...

That ruthless emperor might very well kill them first thing upon returning to the capital.

This was something they had discussed and agreed upon last night.

We must first create some chaos in the capital.

On the one hand, it was to make the emperor understand that even a place like the capital could not function without representatives of these aristocratic families.

On the one hand, it was purely to intimidate the emperor.

However, Huang Lijie also knew that this turmoil would not last long.

Because the emperor was not really dead after all, and Zhang Weixian and his group still controlled the Beijing Garrison.

But that was enough to make the emperor understand whose Ming Dynasty it really was.

If he still can't see the situation clearly, then he's truly beyond redemption.

Standing on his own attic, Huang Liji turned his gaze toward the imperial city.

After squinting at the imperial city for a while, Huang Liji finally snorted coldly and turned to go downstairs.

……

soon.

Zhang Weixian, who was still sitting in the Fengtian Hall in a daze, heard about the various disturbances that had occurred in the capital.

Although he was still in a state of utter despair.

However, Zhang Weixian could not allow the unrest to escalate at this time, so he immediately led the soldiers of the Beijing garrison to the city to suppress it.

Although it was a dead end, as long as His Majesty was still alive, they still had a glimmer of hope.

as predicted.

With Zhang Weixian's troops suppressing the unrest, the troublemaking officials immediately quieted down.

But so-called honesty is only on the surface.

no way.

Everyone had already guessed what Huang Lijie and his group wanted to do, and understood the purpose of that group's actions.

They had no choice but to cooperate.

After His Majesty returns to the capital.

Even if Huang Lijie and his group asked them to do something even more outrageous, they would have to comply without hesitation.

no way.

They have to help whoever wins, not the other way around.

This back-and-forth between the emperor and the civil service.

In reality, it's nothing much; it's just a minor skirmish at best.

But the people in the capital were truly in dire straits.

No one knew what had happened yet.

How come the officials who were all smiles at them before suddenly turned on them with fists and feet overnight?
Yesterday the whole country was jubilant, so how come today someone is suddenly claiming that the Ming Dynasty is about to fall?!
What exactly happened here?
No one could understand it, so they could only silently endure it.

After dealing with the troublemaking officials, Zhang Weixian...

They also brought all the members of the imperial faction to the Five Armies Commandery.

Now that the civil service has launched a counterattack, there's no guarantee they won't commit some kind of assassination.

Within the Five Military Commands' Office, at least everyone's safety can be guaranteed, ensuring their survival until His Majesty returns to the capital.

now.

A group of people gathered together, and Chen Xinjia lay on the stretcher, completely disoriented, still barely breathing.

"Have you sent someone to report to His Majesty what happened in the capital just now?"

Zhang Weixian nodded: "I've already sent someone there."

Chen Xinjia turned his face away with a resentful expression.

The rest of the group clenched their fists.

How could they not see that this was Huang Liji, that old bastard, coercing His Majesty?
Unrest broke out in Kyoto.

The purpose was to make His Majesty hesitate and be timid when dealing with them upon returning to the capital.

Even though they had suppressed the unrest, even though they realized it was Huang Lijie's coercion.

But they still had no way to solve the problem.

They had no choice but to report the matter to His Majesty, and they couldn't even be vague about it.

Because of this critical juncture.

Even the slightest inaccuracy in the information could affect His Majesty's judgment of the overall situation.

A sense of oppression pervaded the air.

One person could no longer contain his anger and stood up, roaring:
"Lord Zhang, since the entire Ming Dynasty is in chaos anyway, why not just lead troops from the Beijing Garrison to kill Huang Liji and his group!"

"If we die, they won't live either!"

This statement came out.

This immediately garnered the support of more than a dozen members of the Royalist Party in their twenties and thirties, who clamored to slaughter Huang Liji and his entire group.

But faced with the outrage of these young people.

The other members of the royalist party merely glanced at them without uttering a sound.

Zhang Weixian simply waved his hand in response to everyone's requests.

Seeing this, everyone had no choice but to give up.

Zhang Weixian sighed silently, his expression sorrowful.

They dragged Huang Liji and his gang out and killed them.

They certainly have that capability.

But the question is, what do we do after we've killed them all?
Now the whole country is openly rebelling.

Wouldn't going on to commit further killings only make things worse?!

Even if His Majesty returns.

Perhaps the only way to deal with this is to appease Huang Lijie and others and promise to give up most of their profits in order to gradually calm things down.

It was to be expected.

The civil service will inevitably use the pressure of nationwide rebellion to eliminate His Majesty's support.

His Majesty might be able to spare the lives of the other members of the Imperial Party.

But Zhang Weixian was certain to die.

However, Zhang Weixian did not regret it.

From the moment he stood up in court that day and mentioned the matter of the Beijing Garrison, he knew that his fate might be death.

Zhang Weixian never expected that the great cause of reviving the Han Dynasty had just begun to show results, and he would never see how far it would develop.

Zhang Weixian closed his eyes, already prepared to die.

But before His Majesty returned to the capital.

All he can do.

It was merely to ensure peace and tranquility in the capital for His Majesty.

This way, His Majesty will have more leverage when negotiating.

Zhang Weixian breathed a sigh of relief and stopped thinking about it.

His only thought now was to wait for His Majesty to give instructions after learning what had happened in the capital, so that he could carry them out unconditionally.

That day, in the evening.

Representatives of prominent families in the capital gathered together once again.

This time, however, they did not choose to go to that secluded mansion again, but instead swaggered to a restaurant.

After everyone took their seats, things were different from usual.

Today, there was finally a more joyful atmosphere among the crowd.

There's no way around it, victory is just around the corner, it's time to celebrate.

Seeing the excitement on everyone's faces, Huang Liji poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

"Gentlemen, don't be too happy yet. That person in the palace might just do something desperate."

Upon hearing this, everyone paused in surprise.

Then, a feeling of fear arose involuntarily.

no way.

The emperor's methods were so cruel that they left a deep impression on them.

It's estimated that this fear will only disappear when the emperor dies.

What I fear most now.

After the emperor returned to the capital, he killed them all without any regard for the consequences.

Someone spoke up anxiously, "Lord Huang, we have done everything we were supposed to do. Are you just saying this to make fun of us?"

"How do we know that the emperor won't do something utterly inhuman as soon as he returns?!"

Huang Liji shook his head: "The Emperor is on his way back to the capital, and the memorials we and the Imperial Party sent will reach the Emperor in two or three days under expedited processing."

"We'll see how the emperor reacts then."

"If they order Zhang Weixian to arrest us as soon as they receive the news, then they'll be desperate."

"We might as well prepare poison in advance, so that as soon as the soldiers come to our door, we can just take the poison and commit suicide, so as to avoid suffering any more physical pain."

"Anyway, we have already won a great victory in this battle. If the emperor stays in the capital, he will only be slowly worn down and die. It's just that we won't be able to see that happen."

Everyone heard this.

After a moment of silence, they all nodded.

Rather than being sliced ​​to pieces by that damned emperor, it's better to end it all ourselves. Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Huang Lijie continued, "If he doesn't order Zhang Weixian to arrest us directly..."

"No matter what methods he uses, it's all just a bluff to get us to negotiate."

Listen to this.

Everyone else agreed.

From their perspective, that's certainly true.

They will be executed immediately unless the emperor issues an order.

Everything that followed was simply for the purpose of negotiation.

After all, there was a situation of rebellion throughout the entire territory.

If you don't try to de-escalate the situation through negotiation, what else can you do?!

Do you really think you can take on the entire Ming Dynasty's two capitals and thirteen provinces all by yourself?!

Once the game enters the negotiation stage, they will have all the initiative.

What they need to do is very simple.

First, by ensuring that there is no more unrest in various regions, eliminate all the emperor's allies.

People like Zhang Weixian, Chen Xinjia, Wei Zhongxian, Cao Huachun, and Wang Chengen should all be executed along with them.

right!

And that servant boy, Xiao Hongzi.

This bastard actually dared to ride his horse and trample an official of the imperial court to death.

That son of a bitch! He must be executed by slow slicing as a warning to others!!!
After eliminating these people, they naturally wouldn't let the emperor off the hook.

With an emperor like that around, they couldn't even sleep soundly.

Think of this.

The group exchanged glances and fell silent.

No matter how you look at it, this round...

Their families have already won.

The next question is whether they can save their own lives.

With this mindset.

In the next day or two, no further unrest occurred in the capital.

Anyway, their target is the emperor. They can deal with the imperial faction and others slowly after they've dealt with the emperor.

at the same time.

Several memorials sent by the civil service group and the imperial faction were also delivered to Zhu Youjian in his carriage.

In this regard.

Zhu Youjian glanced at them and then tossed them aside.

What's the point of looking at something that was already foreseen?
Xiao Hongzi, who was standing nearby, also leaned forward and asked:

"Your Majesty, after returning to the capital, what do you plan to do with those old fogies in the cabinet?"

"Strip him." Zhu Youjian said calmly.

Xiao Hongzi nodded: I understand.

immediately.

Zhu Youjian seemed to remember something and added, "Let's do it after I return to the capital. Don't alert them."

Xiao Hongzi bowed and accepted the order: "This servant understands."

For Zhu Youjian, since the entire territory had already rebelled...

The matter of executing Huang Lijie and the others can only be handled personally by him when he returns.

Otherwise, if Zhang Weixian and his group were to handle it, many unforeseen complications might arise.

This is unnecessary.

Finished the order.

Zhu Youjian stopped thinking about these things and continued to look through the book of firearms and armor on the table.

Count the days.

I sent Jingzhong to prepare the letter about education reform; it should have arrived by now.

……

"Education reform?!"

now.

Zhang Weixian, Chen Xinjia, and others were inside the Five Military Commands' Office when they heard the message from the Emperor's personal guards, and they were extremely confused.

They didn't quite understand why we were still worrying about school matters at a time like this!
But not understanding is one thing.

Since His Majesty has given the order, they must carry it out immediately.

Although we do not know the true meaning behind His Majesty's actions.

Even just a little bit more would be good for His Majesty in negotiations.

That's right.

At this point, the members of the Imperial Party also believed that the only way to resolve this situation was through peace talks.

Chen Xinjia and Zhang Weixian had already made arrangements for their family's funerals.

As for the three kings, Wei, Cao, and Wang, who were in the palace, they were no exception.

After that day.

Wang Chengen often wept, Wei Zhongxian sometimes went mad, and Cao Huachun remained silent.

Although the performances differed.

But without a doubt, everyone understood that they had completely lost this round.

With the entire nation at odds and government orders unable to leave the capital, what could they do?!

Their only hope was that His Majesty could preserve more of his strength after returning to the capital.

In this way, if they endure humiliation and hardship, they might still have a chance to turn the tables and avenge them.
"What kind of educational reform are Zhang Weixian and his group doing?!"

Huang Lijie and a group of officials gathered together again.

Listening to his subordinates' report, he was overjoyed and asked the same question several times in a row.

"That's right! Your Excellency, you can send someone to check it out yourself. If I utter even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning on the spot!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd casually tossed a thousand-tael silver note to the subordinate.

Then everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with the ecstatic joy of surviving a disaster.

Although they couldn't understand why the emperor was carrying out educational reforms at this time, what his purpose was, or what his backup plan was.

But they all knew that their lives were saved!
Unless the emperor immediately sends Zhang Weixian to arrest them, there will never be another chance!

Not only did their family win, but they themselves won too!
After all,
This so-called education reform seems to have come a bit too quickly.

It's like the information sent from one side hasn't even arrived yet, but the news from the other side has already come through.

But under these circumstances, no one could possibly think about anything else.

Let's just assume that the horses from the Imperial Party's side were faster and arrived before them.

The crowd naturally celebrated once again, but that's another story.

Even the poison they had prepared in advance was thrown into the latrine by the shock of this good news.

And after the revelry.

Huang Lijie and the others discussed how they should negotiate with the emperor after he returned to the capital in order to achieve their goals.

The discussion continued until dawn the next day before a set of rules was finally reached.

Although they had been working all night, no one felt tired.

Even as they left, everyone still looked radiant.

Next.

We're just waiting for the emperor to return to the capital!
Two or three more days passed.

Amidst the intense scrutiny of the world.

The emperor's entourage finally appeared near the capital.

When the emperor returned to the capital, it was a momentous occasion, and all officials were required to greet him outside the city, regardless of the purpose.

now.

The imperial faction, the civil service, and a host of officials all lined up in long queues at the city gate.

Zhang Weixian and the others appeared calm, but beneath that calmness lay an undeniable heaviness and sorrow.

Huang Lijie and the others also remained calm.

Similarly, the faces of the crowd revealed undisguised joy at their victory, as well as disdain and contempt for the members of the Imperial Party.

The remaining officials were visibly cautious.

Although everyone knew that the emperor had already lost.

The problem is that the emperor instilled too much fear in them.

Even a tiger that has lost its power doesn't show its might, let alone an emperor who kills without hesitation!
Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent, daring not to look at either the civil officials or the imperial party.

Just as everyone had different thoughts.

The imperial procession finally appeared before us, carrying the dragon banner.

At this moment, countless officials also hurriedly knelt down.

But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

At this critical moment, twenty or thirty officials, led by Huang Liji, actually chose not to bow to the emperor!
No one expected that Huang Lijie and his group would be so audacious.

Zhang Weixian looked at Huang Lijie and others, who stood out conspicuously among the kneeling crowd, and instantly felt his blood rush to his head. Two streams of hot blood gushed from his nose and dripped onto the ground in front of him.

He wanted to yell at these people, or even draw his sword and kill them on the spot.

But he found that his body was completely unable to move, and he could only tremble in humiliation.

Chen Xinjia was so angry that he swayed, and if someone hadn't helped him up, he probably would have collapsed to the ground in his anger.

The other officials watched this scene unfold.

This further solidified their belief that the civil service group had achieved a resounding victory.

But they dared not do anything at this moment, and all lowered their heads even further.

For Huang Lijie and others.

This act of not bowing to the emperor was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather something they had discussed beforehand that night.

Just as if the emperor dared to break ties with them, the powerful families in various regions would naturally dare to rebel directly against the Ming Dynasty.

What they are doing now is simply returning to the emperor what he had done.

And most importantly.

The emperor lost, they won.

Winners should naturally adopt the attitude of winners.

Don’t say anything else.

First, give the emperor a show of force.

This way, they can achieve their goals more easily during subsequent negotiations.

They weren't unwilling to kneel; rather, they would wait until they met the emperor before kneeling properly and openly.

This is the only way to have the best deterrent effect on the emperor and the officials.

Ever since.

Huang Lijie and his group stood there in the middle of the crowd.

Not long after.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Hongzi, who was in the imperial carriage, took the lead and rode out with several guards.

Looking at Xiao Hongzi, Huang Liji and the others narrowed their eyes.

After a few days apart, the murderous aura emanating from this little bastard seemed to have intensified.

However, they no longer have any fear of Xiao Hongzi.

Your master has already lost to us.

You, a mere lackey, dare to defy Heaven again?!
Facing Xiao Hongzi slowly riding forward, Huang Liji not only did not retreat, but instead went straight to meet him.

Since the decision has been made to intimidate the emperor, someone like Xiao Hongzi is undoubtedly the best choice.

This time, I won't be the one kneeling before you.

Instead, you, an arrogant and ignorant imperial guard commander, kneel down before me, the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty!
The rest of the people standing watched Huang Liji's retreating figure and couldn't help but cheer in hushed tones.

"Well done, don't embarrass yourself!"

"Let's see what he does!"

Huang Liji walked up to Xiao Hongzi's horse and stopped steadily.

Facing Xiao Hongzi, who was looking down at him condescendingly, Huang Liji flicked his official robe and stood motionless with his hands behind his back.

He looked up at Xiao Hongzi on horseback and said calmly, "Xiao Hongzi, you're all alone."

Snapped--

The words are not finished yet.

Xiao Hongzi lashed Huang Liji across the face with a horsewhip.

The whip cracked in the air, slapping Huang Liji's old face until it was raw and bleeding.

This left everyone present completely stunned.

To everyone's surprise, after cracking the whip, Xiao Hongzi didn't stop for a moment and kicked Huang Liji to the ground.

"Go to hell! How dare you defy the imperial authority! All those standing here, drag them out and skin them alive!"

Everyone:?
(End of this chapter)