Chapter 143: Mad Bickering! Shocking The Imperial Court For A Whole Year! 【 Seeking Monthly Tickets 】
“Your… Your Majesty…”
Fu Youwen’s voice was fragmented.
Old Zhu descended the imperial steps, his heavy footsteps like a death knell, striking each person’s heart.
He walked to the four men, looking down from above, his shadow completely engulfing them.
“That drum, did you hear it?”
Old Zhu’s voice was terrifyingly calm, yet everyone could hear the destructive energy about to erupt beneath that calmness.
“Heard… heard it…”
The four men kowtowed like pounding garlic.
“What that old troublemaker said, did you hear it?!”
“Your… Your humble servants… heard it…”
“The contents of that package…”
Old Zhu’s voice suddenly rose, like thunder: “Do you, know?!”
“We don’t know! We absolutely do not know, Your Majesty!”
Fu Youwen cried out almost hysterically, his scalp pressed flat against the ground: “This must be a calumny by wicked commoners! A frame-up by Zhang Biao’s associates! I beg Your Majesty to investigate!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! We truly knew nothing of this matter!”
“Your Majesty, please investigate! This must be a slander by villains!”
“That’s right! Your Majesty! Li Mo and Wu Nai Da framed us! We truly knew nothing!”
Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan also desperately kowtowed in agreement, swearing they knew nothing.
They truly didn’t know what was in the package, but the old troublemaker had mentioned the Shaanxi old case, coupled with the previous impeachments from the Censorate, they could not escape involvement.
“Don’t know?”
Old Zhu squatted down, almost next to Fu Youwen’s ear, his voice so cold it could freeze the soul: “Very well, let’s ask another question.”
He paused, each word like a shard of ice squeezed from his teeth: “The matter of Shaanxi. Do you, know?!”
“This…”
The hearts of Fu Youwen and the other three sank.
Old Zhu’s voice was not loud, but it was like a heavy hammer smashing onto the golden bricks of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the reverberation shaking everyone to their core.
Those four cold words were no longer a question, but the final ultimatum before judgment.
Originally, Old Zhu’s plan was to wait longer, wait for Fu Youwen and the others to find the iron box, wait for Zhang Biao to be unable to hold back, wait for his subordinates to be captured, and wait until all those behind the scenes were exposed, then begin the reckoning.
But now, with the Drum of Hearing Petitions sounding, he could not delay any longer.
Therefore, in the current situation, he could only reveal his hand early.
Upon hearing his question, Fu Youwen suddenly raised his head, the muscles on his face contorted with extreme fear, sweat instantly soaking the back of his court robe.
He opened his mouth, his throat dry like a traveler in the desert who hadn’t had a drink in a long time, his chest making strange sounds like a bellows, but not a single word could escape.
He knew that any denial, under the Emperor’s current blood-red gaze, would be laughably pale and would only lead to a quicker death.
However, his silence did not mean the matter was over.
“Your Majesty, please be discerning!”
Minister of War Ru Chang had, after all, weathered many storms.
He struggled to support his almost collapsing portly body, kowtowed like pounding garlic, and preemptively argued with a pained voice:
“Your humble servants are loyal and devoted to Your Majesty and the Great Ming! The Shaanxi matter was from when the Crown Prince inspected Shaanxi. The so-called old case should be a corruption issue. Your humble servants were merely carrying out related duties as ordered, with no concealment whatsoever!”
“It must be that Zhang Biao! His associates! They know Your Majesty’s deep affection for the Crown Prince, and thus framed loyal officials! I beg Your Majesty not to believe the words of wicked commoners!”
“Indeed! Your Majesty, please investigate! It is merely a matter of corruption! We were indeed negligent! But implicating the Crown Prince and the inner palace is pure slander!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! We wouldn’t dare to implicate the Crown Prince or the inner palace even if we had a hundred courage! It must be Shen Lang and Sun Gui and their accomplices, who failed in their theft and instead slandered us!”
Minister of Works Zheng Ci and Vice Minister of Personnel Zhai Shan also reacted, immediately kowtowing frantically, crying out their loyalty and pushing everything onto the slander by wicked commoners.
Attempting to detach themselves from the fatal association with the word “Shaanxi.”
“Carrying out duties as ordered? No concealment? Pure slander?”
Old Zhu slowly straightened up, looking down at the four quivering figures at his feet, a cruel, almost ferocious smile appearing on his face.
“Well said, loyal and devoted! Well said, you dare not!”
He suddenly turned, no longer looking at them, and strode back to the imperial steps, but did not sit. Instead, he stood beside the overturned imperial desk, like the center of a storm.
At this moment, all civil and military officials’ gazes fell upon him.
He pointed towards the direction of the Drum of Hearing Petitions outside the hall, his voice suddenly rising, echoing throughout the entire Main Hall like thunder:
“Then tell us! How did a mere village troublemaker know those words ‘Shaanxi old case’?!”
“How could he connect it with ‘forbidden palace medicine’?! Huh?!”
“Among all the officials in this court! My trusted subjects! How many know the details of the Crown Prince’s inspection of Shaanxi in those years?”
“How many know what is recorded in the Eastern Palace’s old archives? And how many know which Empress in the palace uses what kind of spices?!”
Old Zhu’s roars grew louder and louder, each question like a slap, fiercely striking the faces of the four officials, and also the hearts of all the terrified officials inside the hall.
“You don’t know! The people of the entire Capital City don’t know! Yet this old man beating the drum knows! And why do you four ‘loyal and devoted’ subjects happen to be involved!”
“Tell us! Why is that?!”
“Your Your Majesty… we truly don’t know! We truly don’t know, Your Majesty!”
Fu Youwen finally found his voice again, with a crying tone. Apart from repeating “don’t know,” he had no other recourse.
Immense fear had already gripped him.
He knew the Emperor already believed they had something to hide.
“Still claiming ignorance?”
Old Zhu suddenly turned back, his blood-red eyes fixed on Fu Youwen: “Fu Youwen, have you found the iron box? Didn’t you say it had nothing to do with you? Why are you so nervous?”
Boom—!
These three soul-piercing questions were like the ultimate thunderclap, completely shattering Fu Youwen’s last psychological defense.
“Your Majesty! I… I…”
Fu Youwen completely broke down, collapsing to the ground, tears streaming down his face, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan were also ashen-faced. Fu Youwen’s futile defense dragged them completely into the abyss.
“Fine! Still won’t confess? Pretending ignorance to us all, are you?”
The fury on Old Zhu’s face gradually receded, replaced by a more terrifying, icy stillness.
He slowly scanned the entire assembly, and every official his gaze fell upon subconsciously lowered their heads and held their breath.
“Jiang Huan!”
Old Zhu’s voice was terrifyingly calm.
“Your servant is here!”
Jiang Huan emerged like a ghost from the shadows of the hall pillars and knelt on the ground.
He had been waiting for a long time.
“Please escort these four ‘loyal and devoted’ but ‘know nothing’ officials to the Imperial Prison. Take good care of them, let them think slowly, speak slowly.”
Old Zhu’s tone was as flat as if he were ordering what to eat for dinner:
“I will give them time to recall the matter of Shaanxi, recall the matter of the package, recall… what is behind them!”
“Your servant, obeys the decree!”
A cruel glint flashed in Jiang Huan’s eyes. With a wave of his hand, several Imperial Guard officers, fierce as wolves, immediately rushed towards Fu Youwen, and the ashen-faced Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan.
Seeing this, Fu Youwen suddenly raised his head. His face was no longer one of fear, but of a madness born from complete despair and a desperate, mutually destructive ferocity.
He knew the Emperor would no longer give them any way to survive.
And the Prince behind them had truly abandoned them.
Otherwise, how could such a secret fall into the hands of an old troublemaker?!
Since that is the case,
“Your Majesty—!”
Fu Youwen’s voice suddenly became sharp and piercing. He struggled, shaking off the Imperial Guard officers trying to restrain him, crawled forward two steps, and with all his might, roared, his voice drowning out everyone’s gasps:
“Your humble servants are guilty! Your humble servants deserve death!”
“But the matter of Shaanxi was not something a few of us could have done! The mastermind behind it is someone else! Your humble servants were forced to act, acting under orders, Your Majesty!”
Rumble!
This statement was more shocking than the sound of the Drum of Hearing Petitions just moments ago!
The entire Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed to have a giant boulder thrown into it, and instantly erupted!
Accusations! They were directly accusing others!
And pointing directly to a ‘mastermind’ behind them!
Old Zhu’s pupils contracted sharply, his body leaning forward slightly, his blood-red eyes erupting with terrifying brilliance.
But he did not interrupt immediately. Instead, like a beast staring at its prey, he waited for more astonishing confessions.
Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan were stunned at first, then reacted.
They were facing death either way; it was better to stir up more trouble. Perhaps there was a slim chance of survival, or at least a few scapegoats.
Minister of War Ru Chang immediately followed suit. His portly body trembled violently from excitement and fear, but his voice carried a desperate ruthlessness:
“Your Majesty, please be discerning! The river repair funds and military equipment allocations in Shaanxi were obstructed at every turn! While your humble servants were negligent, many instructions did not originate from our ministry! They were… they were directed remotely by another person, and your humble servants dared not disobey!”
Minister of Works Zheng Ci also kowtowed like pounding garlic, his words coming out rapidly, as if afraid of losing the chance to speak if he was a moment too late:
“Precisely! Precisely! Your Majesty! Especially during the Crown Prince’s inspection of Shaanxi, all reception, security, and even itinerary arrangements were secretly dictated by someone! Your humble servants are of low rank and small voice, how could we dare to defy?!”
Vice Minister of Personnel Zhai Shan was even more unrestrained, directly pointing towards a more ambiguous yet more terrifying direction:
“Your Majesty! Not just Shaanxi! There are many in the court forming factions for personal gain and selling official posts! Your servant’s ministry’s assessments and promotions are often interfered with by invisible hands! I suspect… I suspect it is related to the feudal…”
“Silence—!”
Old Zhu let out a sudden roar, like a thunderclap, forcefully interrupting the word that was about to escape Zhai Shan’s lips, a word that could trigger an earthquake.
He could not allow that name to be uttered in the imperial court without any concrete evidence!
But it was too late to stop it!
That unfinished half-sentence was like an invisible sledgehammer, fiercely smashing into the hearts of all the officials!
Feudal…?
Which Prince?!
Was it Prince Qin Zhu Shuang, who was enfeoffed in Xi’an and had deep roots in Shaanxi?
Or Prince Yan Zhu Di, who was enfeoffed in Beiping, held heavy troops, and dominated the north? Or other powerful Princes?!
Were they involved in corruption?!
Were they involved in the debauchery of the inner palace?!
Were they involved in the Crown Prince’s death?!
Everyone’s face changed, their eyes filled with fear, suspicion, and disbelief, darting back and forth among the officials.
The air in the Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed to congeal, filled with a suffocating sense of an approaching storm.
Although Zhai Shan’s words were interrupted, the implication was all too clear.
In order to save themselves, Fu Youwen and the other three did not hesitate to divert a catastrophe of immense proportions towards the empire’s Princes, towards the Emperor’s own sons.
This was true madness!
It was an accusation that could shake the foundations of the nation!
“Hahaha… good! Very good!”
Old Zhu laughed in extreme anger, his laughter filled with endless fury and a chilling coldness from being utterly provoked.
He looked at the four men below him, biting wildly like mad dogs, his eyes as cold as ten thousand years of ice.
“Accusing others! At the brink of death, you still dare to accuse us?!”
Old Zhu’s voice suddenly became incredibly calm, but it was more terrifying than any roar: “You say there is someone behind you? That you were acting under orders? Where is the evidence?!”
Having said that, he slammed his hand on the armrest of the Dragon throne: “With mere words, you want to disrupt the court order and alienate the imperial family?! Jiang Huan!!”
“Your servant is here!”
Jiang Huan responded, his hand already on his hilt.
“Pry open their mouths for us!”
Old Zhu’s voice was resolute, with an undeniable will to destroy:
“Use all means necessary! Find out clearly for us! Every bad debt in Shaanxi!”
“Every itinerary of the Crown Prince! Whose orders were they ‘acting under’? What were they doing!”
“Every name! Every event! Make it all clear and understandable for us!”
“Anyone implicated, no matter who they are, what position they hold, or what connection they have to the imperial family, once confirmed—”
At this point, Old Zhu’s gaze, like a cold blade, slowly swept across every official in the hall, and he said, word by word:
“Shall all be! Punished as! Traitors! Absolutely! No leniency!”
Punished as traitors! No leniency!
These eight words, like the final verdict, carried immense killing intent, heavily striking the heart of everyone in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Everyone knew the Emperor was not joking.
A bloody storm sweeping through the highest levels of the Great Ming Dynasty had officially begun.
From Shaanxi to Ying Tian, from the Six Ministries to the feudal residences, no one could be spared.
Hearing the word ‘treason’, the four of Fu Youwen completely collapsed, the last glimmer of madness in their eyes turning into complete despair and deathly pallor.
They knew they were finished, and might even implicate their entire clans.
Jiang Huan let out a sinister laugh and waved his hand again. The Imperial Guards roughly dragged the completely limp four out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, towards the chilling Imperial Prison.
This time, what awaited them would be a true state of wishing for life but being unable to live, and wishing for death but being unable to die.
The court session ended in dead silence and extreme oppression.
The officials, their faces pale and their steps unsteady, withdrew from the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Many even needed to be supported to walk.
Everyone’s heart was filled with immense shock and fear.
They knew that the desperate accusations of the four of Fu Youwen before their impending doom, whether true or false, had planted a poisonous seed in the Emperor’s heart.
The sky of the Great Ming court would never be the same again.
And Old Zhu, standing on the imperial steps, gazing at the empty hall, a storm raging in his eyes.
He knew this play was exactly what Zhang Biao wanted.
Now, it was time to find the director.
Seeking monthly votes~
