The residences of the nobles in the inner city were filled with blood, and Zhu Youxiao in the imperial city was summoning the few remaining nobles in the Wuying Palace.
In addition to the British father-in-law and his son, the Marquis of Wuding, Guo Yingqi, and the Bo of Zhangwu, Yang Chongyou, were also present.
He kept only these few nobles from dozens of families in the capital.
Including Ding Guogong and his family were also included in the cleanup list drawn up by Zhu Youxiao.
But because there was no actual evidence and no time to collect evidence of his crime, Zhu Youxiao could only leave him a way to survive.
They just deprived him of his title, deposed him as a commoner, and confiscated his property. He was not even exiled.
In fact, Zhu Youxiao mainly wanted to take credit for Xu Da's work, so he didn't kill him.
As for the rest of them, whether they were the heroes of the Jingnan or those who were later granted the title, Zhu Youxiao would never show any mercy outside the law.
To him, it doesn't matter which emperor granted you the title or at what period you were granted the title, he will kill you anyway.
Now he doesn't care about Lao Shizi's influence.
Those stupid pigs like Zhu Chunchen really did him a big favor.
If they hadn't done this conspiracy, Zhu Youxiao would have really spent a lot of effort and time to eradicate these nobles.
But as soon as the rebellion came out, Zhu Youxiao took over the moral principle.
It was you who were disloyal as ministers, so don't blame me, the emperor, for not cherishing old friendships.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the emperor is making a fuss out of a molehill and acting in this name.
If dozens of noble families really united to kill you, the emperor, then things would definitely not be like this.
But no one dares to say.
Although Zhang Weixian had known for a long time that the emperor wanted to punish the nobles, he never expected that he would be so ruthless.
This was even more cruel than Grandfather Taizu. Although many noble generals died in Lan Yu's conspiracy, there must have been fewer deaths this time.
Even though he was old and mature, he was still restless at this moment. He felt that he needed to re-examine the current young emperor at this moment.
This was true even for the British Duke, who had always been close to the emperor and was highly regarded, not to mention the Marquis of Wu Ding and Uncle Zhang Wu.
They have always been marginalized figures, and this is the first time they have been summoned by the emperor.
Although Zhang Weixian had told them both that everything would be fine, people are always full of fear about unknown things.
Especially since Zhu Youxiao's reputation is so great, Jin Yiwei's knife is about to cut with a curled edge, how can they not be nervous and scared?
"You don't have to be so restrained. There are no outsiders here, so you can be casual. I won't blame you."
"You don't have to be afraid. Since you are sitting here today, there is nothing to do."
"I've always been outspoken and don't like to make twists and turns. Just say whatever you want without any worries."
"But what I hate the most is that the people below collude together to make false reports and conceal the facts. Do you understand?"
The four of them said in unison:
"I understand."
Seeing their cautious looks, Zhu Youxiao was very happy. This was the effect he wanted.
"Does the old prince think that I don't keep my word?"
After a moment of silence, Zhu Youxiao suddenly asked Zhang Weixian who was sitting there.
He didn't react at all, even saying that I didn't dare.
"I know that you may have some doubts or complaints in your heart."
What Zhu Youxiao was talking about was of course the fact that he had entrusted Zhang Weixian to win over the nobles of the capital to his side.
Zhu Youxiao had indeed deceived him in this matter. At that time, he was still thinking of recruiting a group of people and killing a group of them.
But the plan couldn't keep up with the changes. When he encountered such an excellent opportunity, he naturally took them all in one go without hesitation.
But Zhu Youxiao was happy, but Zhang Weixian was miserable. What he lost was the reputation and credibility of his Zhang family.
And he really tried his best, and the results were good.
If it weren't for the fact that he was still working so hard despite his age, Zhu Youxiao really didn't want to explain too much.
"Your Majesty, I think this matter was handled improperly."
"Among the distinguished ministers, although there are rebellious ones like Zhu Chunchen, there are still loyal ministers and good generals. Now that your Majesty has killed them all in such a way."
"People in the world will not only think that Your Majesty is unkind and ungrateful, but will also say that His Majesty is unfilial. History books, especially those literati and Confucian scholars, will inevitably make a lot of arrangements."
Of course Zhu Youxiao understood what he meant.
But he really doesn't care.
In the feudal dynasty, the emperor seemed omnipotent, but in fact he had limitations.
Qin Shihuang only killed some Confucian scholars who deceived him, but he was slandered as a tyrant, and even said that he burned books and harassed Confucian scholars.
Emperor Taizu spent his whole life fighting corruption and caring for the people. But what was the result? Was he not slandered as a tyrant?
The Ming Dynasty is still here, and the Zhu family is still the emperor.
This statement and cognition have been widely circulated. It can be imagined how powerful the pens and words of the literati were.
Therefore, he must imitate the Manchus and kill them with a knife to make them afraid and kill them with fear.
"Old Duke, you don't have to think so much. This is not the first day you have met me and know what kind of person I am."
"Which of these honorable men is not full of misdeeds? Which one is not corrupt and perverting the law?"
"I killed them for the sake of our Emperor Ming's face. Once the scandalous things they did are publicized, what will be the consequences?"
"Can………"
"Okay, my old master is old, so don't worry about these things anymore. I know it well."
Zhang Weixian still wanted to say, but was directly interrupted by Zhu Youxiao.
Seeing this, Zhang Weixian could only sigh silently and returned to sit on the stool given by the emperor.
"I've called you two here today. Ultimately, I want to give you a clear explanation. From now on, you should abide by yourselves and don't break the law or discipline again."
"I will obey the Holy Order."
They both replied in unison.
Now they were really relieved.
"This time Pingyang rebelled against Mongolia and went out to conquer Mongolia. Peimin performed well and made many military exploits. I have transferred him to the Imperial Forest Army as General Qian."
After hearing this, Guo Yingqi was no longer nervous, and he knelt down and thanked him excitedly:
"The bad boy was originally stubborn and playful. Fortunately, His Majesty selected him to enter the Huangming Academy and trained him with all his heart, so he changed his ways and returned to the right path. On behalf of the bad boy, I would like to express my gratitude to Your Majesty for your grace."
Zhu Youxiao nodded, and then said to Yang Chongyou:
"Uncle Zhangwu's two sons are good at marching and fighting. They are quite capable. They can still draw a bow and go to the grasslands."
"Compared to those wastes who are greedy for life and afraid of death and only know how to eat, drink and have fun, this is really a breath of fresh air. I am very happy that my emperor, one of your nobles, has a successor."
"Marquis Weiyi guarded the northwest back then, and was a powerful force for the Tatars. He was hailed as the Great Wall of the Northwest by Emperor Xianzong. As the descendants of Marquis Weiyi, I hope you can regain the honor of your ancestors."
Yang Chongyou was also extremely excited to be praised by the emperor.
He already knew how his two sons performed on the battlefield, and he was so excited that he couldn't sleep.
Now that he has caught the emperor's attention, won't his Yang family become prosperous again?
"I must keep your Majesty's teachings in mind. As long as the court needs it and your Majesty gives an order, my family will go through fire and water without hesitation."