Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 58 The Opening Bell
Zhu Youjian's gaze shifted to the main text.

This is the true essence of this test paper, a sharp weapon forged by those 'useless' individuals who have been suppressed for most of their lives.

The main text was clearly divided into three parts. The logic was so rigorous and the evidence so conclusive that even the emperor, who lived deep in the palace and knew little about criminal law, could see it clearly!
Part One: Narrative of the Case.

This section contains no commentary, no condemnation, only cold, objective statements of fact.

This case statement is less like a memorial to the throne and more like a death list, with each name mentioned nailed to the pillar of shame by irrefutable charges.

Zhu Youjian's breathing gradually became heavy, and his hands clenched into fists.

Part Two: Applicable Law

If the first part is the statement of the crime, then the second part is the trial.

Wang Ji and others extracted all the relevant articles from the "Great Ming Code" and matched them one by one with the crimes described earlier.

"The Great Ming Code, Military Law, Passes and Ferryes states: Anyone who takes horses, cattle, military supplies, iron goods, copper coins, satin, silk, or cotton out of the country to sell or to sea shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane. ... Anyone who takes people or weapons out of the country shall be strangled. Anyone who leaks information as a result shall be beheaded."

"Note: The eight Shanxi merchants, including the Fan and Wang families, have been supplying iron goods and military equipment to the Jurchens over the years. The sheer volume of these goods is staggering, far exceeding the scope of 'one hundred strokes of the cane.' Their actions are tantamount to aiding the enemy, and according to the law, they should be beheaded!"

The Ming Dynasty Code, Criminal Law, Section on Accepting Stolen Goods states: "A person who steals from a warehouse under his supervision, or an official, whether inside or outside the capital, who steals money or grain from the warehouse under his supervision, or who steals stolen goods from a warehouse he is in charge of, is guilty of the same crime as the crime of ...

"Note: Although Zhou Yanru, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, did not directly handle the matter, his protégés and former subordinates were all promoted and protected by him. The huge bribes he received were the foundation for his illegal acts. His indulgence and protection were no different from accepting bribes himself. Border generals, having accepted his money, neglected their duties, resulting in the border defenses being wide open and military preparedness being inadequate. How can their crimes be covered by 'punishing for the bribes'? This is the crime of treason, and they should be punished as treason!"

A law, a commentary.

The commentary was written in a calm and restrained style, yet it was filled with an undeniable murderous intent, proclaiming the fate these people deserved under the glorious laws of the country!
Upon seeing this, Zhu Youjian felt a surge of exhilarating pleasure rush to the top of his head.

This is what he wants!
It was neither the empty moralizing of the Donglin Party members nor the shameless pleading and shirking of poverty by the nobility.

This is it!
It was a fair and just trial, using the law as a sword and facts as a blade, that was both just and irrefutable!

Part Three: Proposed Judgment.

At this point, Wang Ji and the others finally began to incorporate a touch of human emotion into their writing.

But it wasn't a plea; rather, it was an outburst after being suppressed to the extreme.

"...We, your humble servants, have been investigating this case day and night, our hearts and minds trembling with fear. We never imagined that corrupt officials would hold such positions; that beasts would feast on their salaries within the palace walls. The unscrupulous merchants are traitors to the nation; the heartless officials are internal collusion. They are working together to erode the very foundation of the country. Within the Great Wall, there is no pure land left; the suffering of the people is beyond description!"

"If such heinous crimes can still be exonerated through court infighting and factionalism, and if such acts of treason can still be pardoned on the grounds that 'the laws of our ancestors cannot be easily violated,' then where is the law of the land? Where is justice? Where are the millions of loyal souls of our Great Ming?"

"Therefore, we humbly propose the following judgment:"

"The eight ringleaders of the Shanxi merchants Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, and others have committed treason and collusion with the enemy, a crime deserving of no pardon. The ringleaders shall be executed by slow slicing! Their entire families, regardless of age, shall be exterminated! Their property shall be confiscated, leaving not a single tile behind!"

"Zhou Yanru, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is a high-ranking official who receives the emperor's salary but instead becomes a traitor to the country, protecting unscrupulous merchants and aiding the enemy and harming the nation. His crimes are compounded! He shall be executed by slow slicing! His entire family, including nine generations of relatives, shall be exterminated to eradicate their roots!"

"A total of 137 officials from the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the border garrisons are involved in the case. Those with conclusive evidence will be executed in the marketplace on the spot; those with lesser crimes will be dismissed from their posts, have their property confiscated, and will never be employed again!"

"...In addition to the main culprit being executed by slow slicing, his entire family will be exterminated!" These bloody words, in Zhu Youjian's eyes, seemed to transform into a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, yet they were incredibly clear and grew ever larger!
This is absolutely earth-shattering!

It's practically a replay of the Zhu Yuanzhang era!

No, no, no, Zhu Youjian smiled bitterly. If Old Zhu were here, the sentence would be a hundred or a thousand times harsher than this!
The problem is, this is no longer Zhu De's era; Wang Ji and his group have truly gone mad!
But... isn't this exactly what he wanted? This was the final instruction that Zhu Youjian had been repeatedly hinting at to Wang Ji and others in recent days: he wanted to use harsh measures in times of chaos!
Zhu Youjian wanted just such a pack of mad dogs!
A pack of mad dogs who are not afraid of the powerful and wealthy, are not afraid of what others say, only believe in their own principles, and only obey his orders!

Zhu Youjian slowly closed the document and placed it in the center of his desk.

[Tail]

Your Majesty, Wang Ji, the Director of the Investigation Bureau, respectfully bows and writes this in utmost fear and trepidation.

At the end of the document was a brand new seal, the color of vermilion, as red as blood.

"Imperial Order to Investigate"

This is a flawless tool for slapping someone in the face.

No, it's not a sharp weapon.

It is a volcano.

A volcano that has been accumulating anger, resentment, and despair for far too long.

And tomorrow, he will personally detonate it in the imperial court!

Zhu Youjian stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open the tightly closed window.

A rush of cold, fresh air swept in, clearing his muddled mind.

A faint glimmer of dawn was breaking on the horizon, and a pale, indifferent gray-white light was struggling to emerge from the thick, inky night sky.

Zhu Youjian couldn't wait any longer.

He couldn't wait to see what kind of wonderful expressions would appear on the faces of those Donglin Party members, who were usually so eloquent and full of benevolence and morality, and those gentlemen who considered themselves to be upright and took the world as their responsibility, when this memorial, which was filled with countless blood, tears and sins, was thrown into the court and onto the faces of those self-righteous officials!

Was it shock? Fear? Or ashen-faced?

Zhu Youjian's lips slowly curled into a smile that was both mocking and expectant.

He looked at the sky that was about to break through the dawn and said softly:
"deliver an imperial order."

Outside the door, Wang Chengen slipped in silently and knelt down.

"Notify the Cabinet, the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Office of Transmission... No one is to be absent from today's grand court assembly!"

"This servant... obeys the decree."

After Wang Chengen withdrew, the Wenhua Hall returned to a deathly silence.

After Zhu Youjian sat back down at his desk, he extended two fingers and gently tapped the memorial.

thump.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to toll the opening bell for a grand spectacle about to unfold!

(End of this chapter)