Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 42 This matter still requires the help of Yuan Chonghuan

In front of Caishikou.

Every available space that could accommodate a person was completely surrounded by the frenzied crowd.

More than ten people of different races were tied to the execution rack.

With a loud shout of "Execute!", a dozen or so skilled craftsmen, long accustomed to prison life and proficient in various crafts, poured a basin of ice water onto the pale chests of these foreigners.

This is an intangible cultural heritage left by our ancestors.

Before surgery, you can rinse your face with ice water to cause your heart to contract violently.

This method allows the victim to clearly feel the pain, and also reduces the amount of blood loss during the subsequent cut, thus slowing down the death process.

The main focus is on being both aesthetically pleasing and practical.

As the first piece of flesh was cut from the left chest, the screams of the tortured man on the stage fueled the frenzy of the audience below.

Every time a piece of flesh was cut off, the people would shout and curse.

Mao Wenlong watched for a while, then turned and walked toward the post station.

He was now fully aware that the new emperor was behind all of this.

The new emperor's reason for this move must have been to incite the people's emotions and unite the people of the Ming Dynasty to rise up against the Jin.

No, no!
For a supreme ruler like Your Majesty, the title "Destroy the Jin" would be more fitting.

Mao Wenlong was filled with excitement and walked with a brisk pace.

So much so that even the two young attendants behind him had to jog to keep up.

For Mao Wenlong, there was nothing to appreciate about slow slicing; he had seen countless limbs flying through the air on the battlefield.

His Majesty will summon him tonight.

He must quickly take advantage of this opportunity to write a detailed analysis of the current situation in Liaodong for His Majesty's reference.

Even if my analysis can only save His Majesty a few minutes, it will be worth it.

at the same time.

Just as the shouts of killing were deafening at the execution ground in Caishikou.

A group of Ming Dynasty officials gathered again in that secluded courtyard.

this time.

The number of people gathered was even greater than last time.

The faces of this group of people were also terribly gloomy at this moment.

When Tian Ergeng and his gang were executed before, no one was as terrified and panicked as they are now.

But today, Marquis Wuqing's family was raided and his clan exterminated, and he himself was subjected to the death by a thousand cuts.

They really couldn't hold back any longer.

Death itself is a terrible thing.

It would be even more terrifying if one were to die in an extremely painful manner.

In the eyes of everyone.

The Emperor's move was most likely a show of force to intimidate the court and the public before his upcoming tour.

Regardless of whether the emperor actually had such thoughts.

In any case, this behavior has indeed formed this suspicion in their minds.

So they were afraid.

They fear that the next executioner's blade might fall on one of their own kind, and then they use that fear to intimidate others.

after all.

Marquis Wuqing, being a member of the imperial family, was a true marquis of the highest rank.

His political status was even higher than that of a first-rank official in the imperial court.

Moreover, the Wuqing Marquis family has been managing the business for more than three generations.

Its foundation is far beyond that of Tian Ergeng, who is seen by high-ranking officials as merely someone who does dirty work.

Yet, this very person had his entire clan wiped out with a single word from the emperor.

There was no process, no trial, just because of one sentence!

This is insane! Absolutely insane!

This is the tyrannical ruler Jie and Zhou!
True.

Realistically speaking, the current emperor is far from being able to eradicate them completely.

Otherwise, the entire Ming Dynasty would be plagued by ineffective governance and widespread separatist movements. But if one lucky individual were to be chosen from among them and executed...

Given the current emperor's madness and methods, it is absolutely possible for him to do so.

But here's the thing.

Nobody wants to gamble, and nobody dares to gamble, whether they will become the lucky one.

The fear of the unknown is the most unsettling.

Therefore, they had to unite to create a huge constraint on the emperor, preventing him from acting rashly.

Only in this way can we ensure that the butcher's knife will not easily fall on one of our own people.

In the somber atmosphere, Huang Lijie, the current leader of the officials, spoke:

"We are all like ants on a hot pan right now; if we are not careful, we may end up in a hopeless situation."

"So let's brainstorm and think of a way to get through this crisis."

"Once we get through this, things will be much easier."

As soon as he finished speaking, an official from Fujian stepped forward: "Why don't we submit a memorial tonight accusing the Japanese pirates of invading the border, so that His Majesty will be hesitant to act rashly?"

This is a very common method.

After Emperor Chengzu passed away that year.

Emperors Xuanzong and Yingzong attempted to lift the maritime ban and send voyages to the Western Ocean.

then.

Fujian immediately experienced a large-scale invasion of the border by Japanese pirates, coupled with a popular rebellion.

Once the order was withdrawn, Fujian immediately returned to peace.

This tactic was very useful when the civil service group was vying for power with the emperor.

When the emperor is weak, a fake memorial can scare him away; when the emperor is strong, then it's enough to make a real commotion.

Huang Liji shook his head: "Fujian is too far away, I'm afraid it won't affect His Majesty's decision."

Another official stepped forward and asked, "What about the tax resistance in Jiangnan?"

"His Majesty has already confiscated several million taels of silver these days, and now the Marquis of Wuqing is coming to make up for the deficit in the national treasury, but I'm afraid it will be of little effect."

The officials fell silent.

At the same time, a surge of anger was rising in everyone's heart.

This won't work, that won't work, why was this person chosen as emperor in the first place?!

and also!

What did we do wrong to deserve this?!

We simply acquired hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land, built some gardens, and made some money. Which aristocratic family throughout history hasn't done the same?

Why are they targeting us so relentlessly?!

A silence fell.

Another official stepped forward: "Perhaps the matter of Liaodong can touch His Majesty's mind."

The four cabinet ministers and several elderly men with white hair and beards looked at him calmly: "Go on."

“If something happens in Liaodong, the capital will be left defenseless. The Emperor will have to consider this and will not dare to make any rash moves, even if he is going on an inspection tour.”

As soon as he finished speaking, others immediately echoed his sentiments.

"This is a great suggestion, I think it's a good idea."

"But will they cooperate? The situation in Liaodong is complicated; it's not a monolithic entity."

The official who made the suggestion scoffed, "What's there to be afraid of? We'll submit a fake memorial tonight. Even if Liaodong receives the news and sends someone back to the capital, it will still take two or three months."

"If we delay any longer, it wouldn't be difficult for the news to reach the capital in three to five months."

Huang Liji shook his head: "A fake memorial alone is far from enough to deceive His Majesty."

The second half of the sentence was left unsaid, but everyone knew what it meant.

Only if one truly possesses the ability to cause upheaval in Liaodong will the emperor have any real concerns.

After a moment of thought, an old man nodded: "This suggestion is indeed good, but... we still need Yuan Chonghuan to do this."

　Regarding whether the concept of "aristocratic families" is really that exaggerated, I think the wildly imaginative Melozong and the auditors whose milk dragons keep crashing are good examples.

　　Of course, these are all stories I made up.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)