At noon, a half-tired horse galloped into Xuanwumen in the capital carrying a messenger who was also exhausted from the journey. The messenger went straight to the Ministry of Rites, but it was a messenger from Huguang Yifan. The news he told made Su Lai The calm Minister of Rites, Xie Duo, could hardly hold the cup in his hand.
Good book history, Yi Wang Youbin, who loved his people like a son, was assassinated and managed to save his life by just a hair. However, in order to protect his father, one of his two legitimate sons lost his life, and the infant bastard was poisoned!
This was an extremely rare attack on a pro-vassal prince since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, Xie Duo did not dare to neglect it and hurriedly drafted a memorial to report to the superiors. When the news reached the cabinet, Li Dongyang, who now leads the cabinet, was also shocked. , he had to immediately send someone to the palace to report the news, and then he thought about the reason for this matter. But although this was a shocking case, he had too many things to do, so he had to put it aside for the time being. That evening, Zhu Houzhao finally ordered someone to pass down the imperial letter. He was very angry and directly ordered Tu Xun, the Minister of Punishment, as an imperial envoy, and mobilized elite police officers to go to Hubei to investigate the matter thoroughly.
However, before Tu Xun left the capital, one after another bad news arrived in the capital. King Heng, King Yong, King Shou, King Ru, King Jing, King Xing, these kings who were born under the Xianzong Chenghua Emperor unexpectedly suffered one after another. There were some who were lucky enough to save their lives like King Yi, but there were also King Ruxing who was not so lucky. Their methods varied from burning the ground to cracking, arrows, poisoning, assassination, etc. Even if there was some time There were some discrepancies, but the veterans of the Criminal Department listed these times one by one and took a look. While looking at each other, someone came up with an idea.
Why are these cases reported sooner or later depending on whether the local officials were timely or not, but why are they all reported within half a month to a month after the incident of King Ning's rebellion?
It was not until the well-known Yingzong's grandson Chong Wang Youxi sent someone to deliver a secret report eight hundred miles away. The major yamen in the cabinet and ministries that had been filled with a tense atmosphere suddenly realized that Chong Wang rarely disturbed the people and rarely left the palace. , one day he found that the waiter delivering food and drinks behaved strangely, so he took the people for questioning, and finally found out that he was ordered to carry out an assassination, so he immediately closed the palace. He also secretly asked the prefect of Runing to conduct a search throughout the city, and finally found a suspicious person. , the confession was from Ning Fan's envoy, and revealed that King Ning wanted to kill all the clans in the world so that he could legitimately ascend the throne after his rebellion, which was far away from the current emperor.
Needless to say, the name "Sound" was undoubtedly learned from Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor who ascended the throne after the Jingnan War! But compared to Zhu Di's natural advantages, Prince Ning's move was simply vicious and stupid!
Faced with such a piece of news, everyone at the top and bottom immediately realized the seriousness. Zhu Houzhao immediately selected a group of capable people to visit the princes of the feudal lords and the generals of the country and the country. He also issued strict instructions to the local officials. Check, even so, the obituaries of the clan are still coming one after another, filling the Ministry of Rites. If the ministers still thought that the rebellion of Ning Fan was a joke at first, then now they are facing several pro-vassal princes who have seized it one after another. The facts those people told me made most people shudder.
Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao is simply crazy! Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the number of vassals, princes, generals, etc. has been quite large. It is not that the ministers did not want to suppress them, but no one thought of using such fierce and terrifying methods. Method. Moreover, the reward offered by the person that King Chong got was five thousand guan for the prince, two thousand guan for the prince, and one thousand guan for the general and so on. They all paid 30% in advance, and after the event was completed, they would all be Conglong meritorious officials. After calculating this, if everyone is killed, how much money will King Ning have to pay?
"They are already dead, yet they still cause me so much trouble!"
In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Houzhao, whose face was as serious as the bottom of a pot, viciously smashed a pile of various reports on the imperial desk in front of him, then looked at Xu Xun angrily and asked: "Xu Xun, what do you say? Do... Xu Xun!"….
Xu Xun's attention is still on the heads of those unlucky dead. When butterflies flutter, history will be deflected. In addition, he himself has personally led several such changes. Of course, he is confident that the ungrateful and suspicious person in history The Jiajing Emperor can step aside. Even so, he still had an unbelievable feeling when he heard the news of the death of King Xing and his infant eldest son. In other words, the Jiajing Emperor Zhu Houcong who left a mark in history , just left in obscurity?
Therefore, it was not until Zhu Houzhao raised his voice and yelled several times that he came back to his senses. Seeing the little emperor staring at him angrily, he thought of the question that he had just completely missed and could only salivate and said: "What did the emperor just say?"
"I'm talking to you, and you're distracted!" Zhu Houzhao repeated his question angrily, and then said angrily, "Those things about Liu Jin's attack on the guards of Prince Fu Ning have reared their heads again, these damn guys , they still think the current situation is not chaotic enough, don’t they?”
Xu Xun naturally sympathized with the innocent clan members who suffered heavy casualties, but he could only sympathize with them, especially those who had a good reputation and acted in a measured manner. And for many people who ate human brains alive and bullied men and women, and the whole city was filled with people after their death. He felt that the clan that set off firecrackers to celebrate was entirely responsible for itself. But at this moment, what was more important was the issue of Liu Jin, which made Zhu Houzhao very unhappy.
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, he said: "Your Majesty, Old Liu and others are no longer here. Those who are calling for investigation are more afraid of the inspection of officials announced by the Emperor before. The current petition is just to disgust people. If the emperor finds it difficult to deal with it, he only needs to slow down the old Liu family and resettle them in Nanjing first."
"Huh?" Zhu Houzhao was a little hesitant at first, but when he heard that he was resettled in Nanjing, he immediately understood and nodded immediately and said, "That's fine, none of his brothers, nephews, and nephews are capable. They will be sent to Nanjing. I will give them a show later." It’s just about being rich.”
"As for the large number of casualties in the clan this time... forgive me for being bold, the clan will inevitably become angry. In addition, the matter of Lao Liu, if the emperor tries his best to save it, I'm afraid he will be wronged."
"Am I wronged?" Zhu Houzhao witnessed the Ning Prince's rebellion in Jiangxi. His ambition and experience were no longer the same as the little emperor who had never been to Tongzhou as far as the capital. So after asking a question, he said: He asked thoughtfully, "Are you saying that even if it's Zhu Chenhao's fault, I still have to bear the responsibility? Are you trying to punish yourself?"
Speaking of the three words "Edict of Sin", the little emperor couldn't help but grit his teeth. However, looking at Xu Xun's helpless expression and thinking of the countless deaths this time, he naturally knew that this was a last resort. Even so, he held back a feeling in his heart. He couldn't help being furious, and immediately sat down and said angrily: "We went all the way south along the Cao River, and we didn't hear that many clans had a good reputation. King Yi has such a good reputation. That’s all, but those who do random things every day deserve to die, so why should I take the responsibility!”
Xu Xun just listened quietly to the little emperor's complaints and didn't say anything else. He had already made the most important suggestions, and the next step was to deal with the ministers. Even if he had other ideas, he would give people advice behind their backs.
That's fine, there's no need to be a substitute. When he returned home that day, he thought that this time the Ming Dynasty would most likely cut off the lineage of princes and princes, and he couldn't help but take a breath.
Really...many people died!
At the Wenhua Palace meeting the next day, everyone from Li Dongyang, the chief minister of the cabinet, to important officials such as the Seven Ministers of the Six Ministries and the Procuratorate and the Vice Minister, had a direct quarrel. In the end, they were hungry and kept arguing until the afternoon of the afternoon, and then they reluctantly reached an agreement.
An opinion that Zhu Houzhao can accept...
The emperor issued an edict to punish himself. This was something that everyone thought was the most difficult to persuade, but Zhu Houzhao agreed without hesitation. But the next one was the focus of the tug-of-war. If the titles of the princes and princes were directly related,
If they are cut off, then they will choose people from the side branches within three generations to adopt, instead of the former prince Xu Zi and his younger brother. If the prince is a prince, the concubine cannot succeed to the title, let alone the side branch, but after the death of the successor, he will be demoted to the title.
.
The word "demotion" was proposed by Chai Sheng, the minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Although it was once opposed by most people, who wanted to make the old rules the law, etc., Zhu Houzhao agreed despite all the opinions. As for the dead and injured General Fengguo Zhenguo
The general waited and waited. If there was no heir, he would be expelled from the title. The injured would be appeased by twice the salary within three years. In addition, an investigative delegation headed by Tu Xun, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and Zhu En, the Minister of Rites, as the deputy, was sent to conduct in-depth visits to the vassal kings.
General Jue, conveyed the emperor's cordial condolences, and was solely responsible for the attack on the jue.
And at the end of this series of measures, there is a highlight. King Ning Zhu Chenhao committed a heinous crime and killed his body. He exposed his body at the Taiping Embankment execution ground in Nanjing for three days as a warning. His children were still young, and they were all imprisoned in Fengyang. From then on.
The rebellious kings Ruichang and Yichun beheaded their heads in public, and all their children above the age of fifteen were executed, while Fengyang was imprisoned under the age of fifteen. After the confiscation of Prince Ning's Mansion, part of it was allocated to provide compensation for the deaths of all parties. Prince Ning's Mansion had previously occupied government and private official land.
Private lands, etc., were ordered to the right deputy of the Imperial Procuratorate, Imperial Censor Lin Jun, to preside over the return. The rest of the royal palaces and farmlands were confiscated. Rebellious bandits were all executed, and those under the age of 15 were sent to garrison Qiongzhou Prefecture.
After learning the news, Xu Xun thoughtlessly settled the accounts with Shen Yue: "I personally registered the property of Prince Ning's Mansion at the beginning. Even if I didn't finish the inventory, I still had a general idea.
The plundered farmland amounted to no less than 10,000 hectares and 1 million acres. And the properties plundered by various parties in the mansion amounted to no less than two to three hundred thousand taels. This does not include antiques that cannot be valued, etc. It can be said that
With one vote, whether it is the pension this time, the suppression of bandits in Jinan, or even the money for Yang Yiqing to build the border wall and fight the war, it will be enough! Although you can't copy one or two more, and it is not very kind, but those
Since there is no one to inherit the clan, it is only natural to sort out some of the royal family's land that is outside the rules and distribute the profits to those local clans that abide by the law."
Shen Yue knew that Xu Xun was such a person who was very good at settling accounts, and she didn't bother to laugh at him at the moment. However, thinking of those exposing corpses, executing people, beheadings, and sending them to garrison, even though she had never been a compassionate person, she still couldn't bear it.
Zhu asked: "If the emperor does this, will he be accused of being too harsh and spending money at a high price?"
"In troubled times, heavy rules should be used. In recent years, bandits have been rampant, the two kings have rebelled, and the little prince in the north is eyeing him. If you still say that it is a prosperous time, wouldn't you be telling lies with your eyes wide open? The emperor's culprit stated in the imperial edict that he will work hard to restore justice in the future.
The prosperous age is peaceful. If we want to be prosperous now, what else is there? Real things are more important than false reputations!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is mine.