Chapter 164: Ten Thousand People Plead? Execute The Traitor, Rectify The Perception! Please Vote Monthly
“Are you teaching me… how to be an emperor?”
Old Zhu’s question, calm to the extreme, pierced the congealed air inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony like an ice pick.
“Your subject… your subject dares not!”
Chen Qingtan’s body, prostrate on the ground, trembled violently. His forehead pressed tightly against the cold floor tiles, and sweat instantly soaked through the official robes on his back.
But he still forced himself to speak, his voice trembling with the resolve of a man facing death:
“Your subject merely… merely fulfills the duty of a censor and an official of the spoken word! For the sake of the national law and order! For the sake of the Great Ming Empire! I implore His Majesty to see clearly!”
“A fine sentiment for the sake of national law and order! A fine sentiment for the sake of the Great Ming Empire!”
Old Zhu’s voice suddenly rose, like a long-suppressed volcano finally erupting.
He abruptly rose from the dragon throne, his beard and hair bristling, his eyes crimson, pointing at Chen Qingtan and roaring sternly:
“A mere seventh-rank censor! You dare to speak so outrageously before me?! Accusing me of delaying state affairs?! Harboring fugitives?!”
“Do you think I, Old Zhu, am getting old! Unable to wield my saber anymore?! Or do you think this emperor I am, is not to your satisfaction?!”
Boom!
As these words were spoken, the terrifying imperial might, like a tangible tidal wave, swept through the entire Main Hall.
All the officials were struck with panic and terror, kneeling together on the ground and shouting: “Your Majesty, calm your wrath—!”
However, at this moment of universal silence and individual peril, another official stepped forward:
“Your Majesty! Although the words of Censor Chen are impassioned, his intentions are to be pitied!”
As the words fell, he knelt beside Chen Qingtan with a ‘plop’. Although his face was equally pale, he held his head high:
“The case of Zhang Biao is far-reaching and has remained unresolved, causing widespread discussion in court and the country! Your subject also implores His Majesty to make a decisive judgment soon, to bring peace to the hearts of all under heaven!”
This seemed to be a signal, or perhaps encouraged by their ‘courage,’ individuals from the civil official ranks began to step forward one after another.
First, several mid to lower-level officials from the Six Ministries, followed by several pure stream scholars from the Hanlin Academy, and even the Libationer of the Imperial Academy.
As if they had agreed beforehand, they all knelt on the ground, their voices either impassioned, sorrowful, or indignant, but their target was astonishingly consistent, resembling the desperate Zhang Biao.
“Your Majesty! While Censor Chen’s words may have been slightly impatient, his earnest heart can be seen!”
“The scoundrel Zhang Biao’s wild words of ‘Dismissal of Confucianism’ insult the Sages, and destroy the thousand-year Orthodox Tradition of our China. It is truly a disgrace to scholarship and an outrage to gods and men!”
“All scholars in the world are furious! Without his death, the anger of the literati cannot be appeased, and the world’s perception cannot be corrected, Your Majesty!”
An aged Hanlin scholar with white hair spoke, grief-stricken, almost in tears.
“Your subject seconds this motion! Zhang Biao not only insulted Sacred Learning, but his audit of the Six Ministries, framing officials, inciting clerks, and even disturbing the Imperial Palace, each of these acts is a disaster for the Court Order and a destabilization of the national foundation!”
“This kind of monster, left for another day, will bring one more day of disaster to our nation! Please Your Majesty, swiftly administer justice!”
Another mid to lower-level official from the Ministry of Personnel spoke with a sonorous tone, full of concern for the nation and its people.
“Your Majesty! Rumors are rampant in the Capital City, and the court and the country are in turmoil, all because the case of Zhang Biao remains unresolved!”
“Only by swiftly dealing with the mastermind can the hearts of the people be stabilized, and His Majesty’s determination to cleanse the Court Order and uphold the true path be demonstrated!”
“Your subjects implore His Majesty to issue a decree to execute Zhang Biao and his accomplices, as a warning against future offenses!”
The Libationer of the Imperial Academy also prostrated himself and shouted.
“Your subject seconds this motion!”
“Your subjects second this motion!”
“Please Your Majesty, execute Zhang Biao swiftly!”
In an instant, the clamor requesting severe punishment for Zhang Biao rose one after another, forming a considerable momentum.
They tightly grasped the banners of ‘Dismissal of Confucianism’ and ‘Disaster for the Court Order,’ their words fierce, as if without Zhang Biao’s death, the nation would cease to exist.
Although their numbers were not the largest, in this silent Imperial Court, at this moment of the Emperor’s furious wrath, this continuous seconding and dying for a cause formed an invisible, immense pressure.
This was no longer a simple matter of offering advice!
It was more like a premeditated, collective attempt to force the Emperor’s hand!
Old Zhu looked at the officials kneeling below, the fury on his face gradually replaced by an extreme coldness.
His gaze slowly swept over the kneeling faces, then over the nobles and important ministers who knelt but remained silent with heads bowed, and finally landed on Liu Sanwu, Mei Yin, and others whose expressions flickered, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.
An enormous wrath, mixed with grief over the Crown Prince’s death, disappointment at the corruption in the court, and suspicion about his sons’ potential involvement, consumed his reason at this moment.
【 Good! Truly good! 】
【 I’m not dead yet! And you are already impatiently uniting to force me to kill someone? To force me to act according to your wishes? 】
【 Is it to silence them? To muddy the waters? Or do you think I, Old Zhu, am truly old and can be manipulated by you?! 】
“Heh heh… Haha… Hahahahaha!”
Old Zhu let out a chilling, mad laughter, filled with boundless sorrow and ferocity.
He abruptly stopped laughing, his eyes like an eternal ice, staring fixedly at the kneeling officials below, speaking word by word, his voice sounding as if from the depths of hell:
“You… are very good!”
“Each and every one of you, acting like loyal ministers and good generals! Constantly talking about national law! About the empire!”
“Today, I want to see if your necks are harder, or if my saber is harder!”
“Guards—!”
With Old Zhu’s roar, Imperial Guard enforcers, who had been waiting outside the hall, rushed in like wolves and tigers!
“Take Chen Qingtan! And these…”
Old Zhu’s hand pointed at the kneeling officials, like Death himself calling names: “These ‘loyal ministers,’ arrest them all… now!”
“Escort them to the Meridian Gate! Execute them immediately!”
The last four words exploded like thunder in everyone’s hearts.
Execute them immediately!
The Emperor was going to initiate such a heavy killing spree right at the start of the court session!?
And against censors! This was extremely rare even in the Hongwu Dynasty!
Is… is this still the Emperor we knew?!
“Your Majesty! This must not be!”
Liu Sanwu could no longer hold back, tears streaming down his face, he threw himself to the ground: “Censors report matters freely; even if there are improprieties, it is not a crime punishable by death! Your Majesty! Such widespread killing will surely chill the hearts of all scholars under heaven!”
“Your Majesty, think thrice!”
Mei Yin also kowtowed heavily.
Even some of the silent noble old ministers showed fear and began to dissuade him.
They were not afraid of the Emperor killing people, but they were afraid of such unannounced, guilt-by-words, and widespread purges falling upon themselves.
“All of you, shut your mouths—!”
Old Zhu, appearing like a madman, kicked over the imperial desk, scattering ink and brush, paper and inkstone across the floor.
“Anyone who dares to plead again! Will be punished as an accomplice—!”
The Imperial Guards had already stepped forward and were roughly dragging Chen Qingtan and the others up.
Chen Qingtan’s face was ashen, but he still shouted: “My death is insignificant! I only hope Your Majesty prioritizes the empire and the state! Do not let the national law collapse—!”
The other officials who were named either wept bitterly, or were limp as mud, or looked ashen-faced, a scene of utter desolation.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony became like a scene from Shura!
However, at this moment, a faint yet increasingly clear commotion suddenly came from outside the hall.
The sound was like a distant tide, weak at first, but quickly becoming a surging torrent. Amidst it was a uniform, chant-like petition, piercing the thick palace walls and clearly reaching the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
“Execute the traitor! Rectify public opinion!”
“Uphold Sacred Learning! Execute Zhang Biao!”
“Your Majesty, see clearly! The hearts of scholars cannot be insulted!”
The nerves of the hundred officials inside the hall, which had just been taut, became even more so. They all listened with suspicion and exchanged uncertain glances, not knowing what new development had occurred outside.
Old Zhu narrowed his eyes, his inner rage, as if doused with oil, roared back to life, even more fierce than before.
He impatiently slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne:
“What is happening outside now?! Jiang Huan! Go and see! Who dares to make noise outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony?!”
His voice was like an erupting volcano, filled with violent killing intent.
Jiang Huan’s face was solemn, and he quickly walked towards the hall door.
As soon as he opened it a crack, he saw an Imperial Guard Battalion Commander, pale and sweating profusely, guarding the doorway.
“Commander!”
The Battalion Commander, seeing Jiang Huan, looked as if he had found a savior, his voice urgent and panicked: “It’s bad! The Hall of Supreme Harmony Square! Outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance! There are… there are people kneeling!”
“Speak clearly! Who are they?!”
Jiang Huan’s heart sank, and he asked sternly.
“They are students from the Imperial Academy! And… and editors and revisers from the Hanlin Academy, censors from the Censorate, and scholars and literati who have rushed from all directions!”
“They are densely packed, you can’t see the end of them!”
“They… they are all shouting… demanding that Your Majesty execute Zhang Biao immediately, to rectify Sacred Learning, and to bring peace to the world!”
The Battalion Commander’s voice trembled: “And… and it is said that outside the city, scholars from all over the land are also kneeling, and… and representatives of the Kong family, and several renowned great scholars have also arrived! The momentum is immense, this… this is simply…”
He did not finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
This was a plea from ten thousand people!
Jiang Huan’s heart sank to the bottom!
He immediately understood the gravity of the situation!
This was no longer just the advice of a few officials in the court, but a long-brewing, unprecedentedly large-scale attempt to force the Emperor’s hand!
The target was the Emperor’s persistent attitude of not executing Zhang Biao!
He dared not delay, and immediately turned, walked back into the hall quickly, under the fearful gazes of the hundred officials and the Emperor’s almost murderous stare, he knelt on one knee, and reported with a heavy voice:
“Reporting to Your Majesty! Outside the hall… the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, inside and outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, and even outside the Capital City, are filled with kneeling students from the Imperial Academy, Hanlin censors, scholars and literati from all regions… the number may be in the tens of thousands!”
“They all… all are shouting ‘Execute the traitor,’ ‘Rectify public opinion,’ requesting Your Majesty… to execute Zhang Biao immediately, to bring peace to the hearts of the scholars under heaven!”
Rumble—!
Although he had a premonition, when Jiang Huan personally confirmed this scene of ‘ten thousand people pleading,’ the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony still felt as if it had exploded.
The hundred officials were in an uproar, their faces changed.
Forcing the Emperor’s hand!
This was true coercion!
A naked, undisguised coercion, using the entire empire’s scholarly class as ‘chips’!
Those few officials who had offered advice earlier were like child’s play in comparison!
They were trying to pressure the Emperor with ‘public opinion’ and ‘Orthodox Tradition’!
To force the Emperor to kill immediately! To force him to quickly conclude the case!?
