I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

You damned eunuch, you son of a bitch!

But it's too late to say anything now.

The executioners led six tall horses forward and roughly tore open Yan Que's robes.

Yan Que, the current head of the Yan clan, which has produced three imperial tutors, two empresses, and two prime ministers, was now naked and exposed to the public eye.

The six spirited horses seemed to sense the gravity of the situation, snorting restlessly and pawing the ground with their hooves.

Among the onlookers, some women covered their children's eyes, while others turned away in fear.

Yet, unwilling to give up, she peeked through her fingers.

"pull!"

Yan Song's shrill voice pierced the sky.

In an instant, the six spirited horses exerted their strength at the same time, and the sound of their iron hooves pounding the ground was deafening.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of bones breaking could be clearly heard.

Zhila! ! !

The heir of a legendary strategist was thus torn to pieces alive at the execution ground.

In the distant pavilion, several of Yan's disciples who had been secretly observing had collapsed to the ground.

They knew that this was not only an execution of Yan Que, but also a humiliation to the entire Yan clan.

It was an insult to the scholars of Daliang.

This unprecedented "dismemberment by six horses" was destined to become the most brutal punishment since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty.

The horrific news of the dismemberment by six horses spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

Upon hearing the news, the officials who were on good terms with the Yan family all slammed their fists on the table and stood up in fury.

"Worse than beasts, utterly devoid of conscience!"

"This is an unprecedented atrocity since the founding of our Great Liang Dynasty!"

In a short time, memorials poured into the West Garden like snowflakes, and many officials jointly submitted a petition demanding that Qi Min and Yan Song be severely punished.

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing disregarded everything else and hurriedly went to the West Garden to see Zhu Houcong.

Before long, dozens of high-ranking officials gathered outside the West Garden. At this moment, all of them stood solemnly in front of the palace gate with their clothes neatly arranged, requesting an audience with the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Yan family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. Even if Yan Que has committed a crime, he should not suffer such a humiliating disgrace!"

"Cruel officials like Yan Song and Qi Min deserve to be executed to appease public anger!"

"Your Majesty, please understand!"

...

On the second floor, Zhu Houcong listened to the sounds below while leisurely sipping his fragrant tea, completely ignoring the commotion around him.

When Xiaomeng returned, she learned that she had also been blamed for Zhu Houcong's misdeeds, and she felt somewhat indignant.

She lightly stroked her whisk and said in a detached tone, "Your Majesty, given the current situation, how do you intend to handle it?"

Zhu Houcong smiled faintly and said, "Since ancient times, imperial power and ministerial power have been in opposition. When the emperor is strong, the ministers are weak; when the emperor is weak, the ministers are strong."

"If we give in to their wishes today, they will become even more demanding in the future."

"This tendency to force abdication...we can't let it go unchecked."

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng felt a chill run down her spine.

It seems that the person in front of us intends to use this matter to give the entire court a warning.

She asked thoughtfully, "So His Majesty isn't going to intervene? What if they don't leave?"

Zhu Houcong drank a cup of tea, then stood up to watch the spectacle unfold.

"The reason I employ Cao Zhichun is because of his ruthlessness; he will handle it."

Chapter 99 Charge out and fight

Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, stood in front of the West Garden gate, dressed in a python robe, with dozens of high-ranking officials standing behind him.

The agents of the Eastern Depot tried to dissuade them several times, their voices tinged with pleading, but the people remained unmoved.

"Prince Jing, Your Excellencies, His Majesty is currently in meditation; you may all return now..."

"Get out of here!"

An elderly imperial censor with white hair abruptly pushed aside the official who was trying to persuade him.

"Even if I die today, I will see His Majesty."

"Yes, we must see His Majesty!"

Although Prince Jing did not speak, his upright posture already showed his attitude.

Seeing that the prince was backing them up, the officials became even more unscrupulous, and some even started pointing their fingers at the Eastern Depot agents and cursing them.

"You castrated dogs, don't be so arrogant."

"You treacherous officials will sooner or later have your entire family exterminated."

Inside the palace gate, Cao Zhichun stood with his hands behind his back.

Even through a vermilion gate, the harsh insults could be clearly heard.

"Okay! Okay!"

His effeminate face gradually contorted as he forced out a few words through clenched teeth, his eyes surging with murderous intent.

These court officials, relying on their large numbers and the backing of Prince Jing, dared to humiliate the Eastern Depot's subordinates in this way, which was practically a slap in the face to him, the commander.

"Eunuch Cao, we really can't persuade them to leave."

At this moment, a foreman from the Eastern Depot hunched over and squeezed through the crack in the door, reporting with a troubled expression.

Before he could finish speaking, he was so frightened by Cao Zhichun's sinister gaze that he trembled all over.

"Who told you to try and persuade them?"

Cao Zhichun's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth, uttering the two words as if they were being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Boom!"

Yes! Yes!

The stall owner scrambled and crawled out through the crack in the door again.

At this moment, Cao Zhichun wished he could immediately request an imperial edict so he could unleash a massacre.

A moment later, the thug, looking disheveled, squeezed back in through the crack in the door.

"Eunuch Cao, we can't get rid of them no matter what we do. Prince Jing and his group of ministers are determined to see His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhichun narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

"His Majesty is currently in meditation; it's too late to request permission."

Then, he suddenly flicked his sleeve and shouted sharply.

"Listen up, everyone! Charge out and fire!"

"Yes!"

In an instant, the Eastern Depot agents, who had been holding back for a long time, pushed open the palace gates like wolves and tigers and pounced on the group of ministers.

The sounds of sticks and whips were incessant.

"Stop! Who told you to hit people? You're not allowed to hit people!"

Prince Jing's roar sounded particularly abrupt amidst the chaos.

But the Eastern Depot agents ignored them, and their clubs continued to rain down.

Several elderly ministers had already suffered head injuries and were crying out in pain.

Cao Zhichun walked slowly out of the palace gate and stood with his hands behind his back on the steps.

Looking down at the one-sided beating from his vantage point, a cold smile crept across his lips.

Of course, no one in this group dared to hit Prince Jing.

Seeing that his reprimands were ineffective, he rushed to Cao Zhichun in one stride.

"Cao Zhichun, tell them to stop immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhichun didn't even lift his eyelids, casually dusting off his sleeves.

Let alone a mere five-bead prince, even if the crown prince himself were here, he wouldn't be able to stop me today.

"Give him a good beating."

At this command, the guards attacked even more brutally.

For a moment, the muffled thuds of clubs striking flesh and the screams of the ministers filled the air.

On the upper floor of the pavilion, Xiaomeng looked at the chaotic scene outside the palace gate, her face filled with undisguised shock.

"Your Majesty, are you just going to let Cao Zhichun act so recklessly?"

Zhu Houcong leaned back on the dragon throne, toying with a teacup between his fingers, his expression indifferent.

"You...you're still too young."

"They are not dissatisfied with Yan Song, nor with Qi Min; they are all coming at me."

Xiaomeng was taken aback upon hearing this.

Zhu Houcong stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked out of the palace gate.

"These people are merely using Yan Que's death as a pretext to try and seize power from me."

"Since they can't stand the loneliness, then I'll let them remember well who truly calls the shots in this Great Liang empire."

After Zhu Houcong finished speaking, he flicked the long sleeves of his Taoist robe, turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the palace.

Judging from his back view, he did not hesitate for a moment when it came to beating up officials.

He could punish Yan Song and Qi Min, but not now.

As the supreme ruler, one must never back down even a step when a subject forces one to abdicate.

Otherwise, who in the imperial court will still respect the imperial power?

Who still remembers that the Great Liang Dynasty only had one sky?

Outside the palace gates, Cao Zhichun saw that Zhu Houcong had not made any attempt to stop him, which made him even more emboldened.

He yelled shrilly, "Beat them all to death!"

Upon hearing this, the agents of the Eastern Depot became even more ruthless.

The sticks rained down, beating the high-ranking officials until they fled in terror.

Some were beaten until they coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

Prince Jing watched this scene with awe, trembling with rage, yet utterly helpless.

In the end, the group of officials who had come with such a menacing attitude were all beaten and scattered.

One day later, Zhu Houcong's imperial edict finally arrived, albeit belatedly.

"Yan Song and Qi Min acted improperly in administering punishment; each was sentenced to fifty strokes of the cane. Qi Min was dismissed from his post as Minister of Justice and reassigned as Vice Minister of Justice."

This decree, though seemingly stern, was in fact raised high but then gently lowered.

Fifty strokes of the cane are usually enough to kill a person, but these two were still full of energy after being punished.

Although Qi Min was demoted by half a rank, he still held real power in the Ministry of Justice.

What's even more intriguing is that a second imperial edict suddenly came out of the palace the next day.

"Qi Minqing's writings are exquisite, and his talent is worthy of great use. He is hereby appointed as a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall to assist in state affairs."

The entire government and the public were immediately in an uproar.