Chapter 127 Who dares to take the lead in impeaching His Majesty? !
Wang, Wu, and Huai En were sentenced to death on the same day.
But Zhu Youtang deliberately blocked the news of the death of Wang and Wu for a period of time.
So it took five days at night for the officials in the capital to know that the two deposed queen mothers had passed away.
The exact time of their death was changed to the third day after Wynn's death and the fifth day after Wynn's death respectively.
The news that the deposed queen mothers of the two palaces had passed away one after another was like a thunderbolt on a clear day, shocking all the officials in the capital.
No matter how ferociously Zhu Youtang killed people in the capital before, he always targeted civil servants and relatives.
But this time, it is a power struggle within the royal family.
The empress dowagers of the two palaces were deposed one after another and died one after another. Although they both committed suicide, everyone knows what happened.
For a time, people in the capital were in shock.
Many people are speculating on what happened to make Zhu Youtang so angry.
Not only were the titles and positions of the two empress dowagers abolished at the same time.
The two deposed empress dowagers committed suicide one after another not long after this incident occurred.
Although the officials in the capital knew that there was something fishy about this matter, no one dared to mention it.
And what they fear is that this kind of struggle involving the royal family will often involve a large number of ordinary people involved.
At that time, if the control is not good, the capital will be filled with blood and wailing.
Soon, their suspicions turned into reality.
At the entrance of the vegetable market in the capital, the Ministry of Punishment set up a punishment factory.
What they had inquired about in many ways before finally came to fruition.
The Ministry of Punishment sentenced Fang Xian, Zhang Miao and others very quickly.
Almost as soon as they entered the prison, they were sentenced and executed immediately.
The former Royal Horse Supervisor reported to the eunuch Zhang Min that he was planning to rebel and kill the nine clans!
The former Secretary of General Affairs, Zuo Tongzheng, Fang Xian, plotted rebellion and killed the nine tribes!
However, the Ministry of Punishment only gave the charges, but the details were unclear.
Not to mention other people, even Peng Shao, the Minister of Punishment, didn’t know what was going on.
Because this crime was decided by Zhu Youtang himself.
Zhu Youtang did not, nor did he need to, give any explanation.
Since His Majesty the Emperor has given the order, then the Ministry of Punishment will just follow the order.
According to the principle that the fewer words, the bigger the matter, Peng Shao did not use it and did not dare to ask Zhu Youtang the reason.
Peng Shao just ordered the Ministry of Punishment to open an execution ground as soon as possible and invited officials from the Ministry of Punishment to come and preside over the execution.
And this glorious and arduous task naturally fell to Fei Ju, who had great experience in presiding over the execution ground.
Fei Ju, a doctor in the Ministry of Punishment, has to work overtime before the New Year, setting up an execution ground at Caishikou to execute prisoners.
Under the heavy snow, Caishikou was crowded with people, and they could see officials publicly executing people again. The people in the capital were naturally happy to watch the excitement.
Fang Xian, who had his tongue cut off, was tied up and kneeling in the snow, uh-huh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-ww-sounds-sounds-speak” speech
The dead Zhang Miao was also tied to a wooden stick, waiting for execution.
die?
Death is of no use.
The emperor ordered you to die. Even if you are already dead, you have to go to the execution ground and die again in a different way!
Behind them, there are their family members, also waiting for the execution.
When the time came for the execution, Fei Ju waved his hand, threw down the sign, and sternly ordered: "Execution!"
"Yes!"
The executioners standing on both sides immediately stepped forward to execute the execution.
After a while, the people watching burst into fierce cheers!
No one in the capital attended the execution of Zhang Miao and Fang Xian.
But the charges against the two of them are known to all officials in the capital.
Treason!
The great crime of killing the nine tribes!
Zhang Miao was only implicated by Zhang Min, and Fang Xian was one of the culprits!
This matter is no small matter. Xu Pu, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Liu Jian, the second minister of the cabinet, summoned the cabinet's bachelors and the six ministers and nine ministers to discuss the matter that night.
In Xu Pu's study, four cabinet bachelors, four six ministers, three temple ministers, a total of eleven senior officials in the capital, gathered together with sad faces.
"Xu Shoufu, the sky is falling!"
"The Fuwei Holy Dynasty ruled the world with filial piety, and the empress dowagers of the two palaces were deposed one after another and then died. The sky is falling!"
Dongge Xie Qian, the great scholar, looked mournful, as if it was his mother who died.
Li Dongyang, the bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, also looked a little embarrassed.
“Let’s not talk about Wu’s death for now. After all, she is the queen who was deposed by the late emperor. Her majesty now respects her as the empress dowager. There is nothing wrong with his deposing her now.”
< br>
"But Wang is the late emperor's queen!"
"Your Majesty hastily abolished the title of empress dowager, which is inconsistent with etiquette. Now empress dowager Wang has died again..."
< br>"Mr. Liu Ge, what do you think about this matter?"
As Li Dongyang spoke, he kicked this difficult topic to Liu Jian who was sitting aside.
Liu Jian, the Minister of Rites and a bachelor of Wuyingdian University, although his face was expressionless at the moment, he was already scolding in his heart.
Not consistent with etiquette?
No matter how great the gift is, is it greater than the knife in His Majesty’s hand? !
Look at the current emperor, is he an emperor who can treat you well?
The current His Majesty, when he is in a good mood and there is no conflict of interest involved, may sit down and talk to you about etiquette.
But once His Majesty's interests are touched, you will not be given time to speak politely, and your family will be asked to take care of the funeral on the spot! What's more, you won't even be left with family members to take care of the funeral arrangements.
How can we be polite like this? !
What etiquette are you talking about? !
Liu Jian's face was a little gloomy, and he spoke carefully.
"Well...tsk...it is indeed...sigh..."
Liu Jian laughed, but did not say anything clearly or express his position.
As the Minister of Rites, he is the first to bear the brunt this time. It is up to him to stand up and speak out as a representative of Qingliu.
But Liu Jian is a ruthless person who can give up his position as chief assistant. He cares about his body very much. How could he dare to touch Zhu Youtang's sensitive nerves?
Seeing Liu Jian making haha, other people in the meeting were not happy.
Last time during the renovation of the three main halls of Fengtian, Jia Jun, the minister of industry, who had some minor conflicts with Liu Jian, spoke sadly.
"Hey, our elder Liu Ge is really becoming more and more like the elder of the former court."
The elder of the former court, that is, Wan'an, Liu Ji, who is known as the elder of the Three Pavilions. , Liu Jue and three others.
The name "Paper Sange Lao" seems to be mocking the elders who have no power in their hands because they are afraid of the late emperor.
Everyone present understood the sarcasm in Jia Jun's mouth, and Liu Jian's face became very ugly.
In the end, it was Wang Shu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, who smoothed things over: "Okay, Xixian also has his own difficulties."
"The question now is, what kind of attitude should our civil servants have after something like this happens?"
"Should we remain silent, or should we... impeach?"
Impeachment is In the Ming Dynasty, officials reported the crimes of officials, and directly wrote to the emperor to expose officials who had violated laws, neglected their duties or committed crimes on duty.
In the early Ming Dynasty, this kind of impeachment was very powerful. Zhu Yuanzhang would basically react to any impeachment tips handed to Zhu Yuanzhang.
But by the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the intensity of impeachment proceedings dropped greatly, and the people who could write for impeachment were not limited to officials. All officials could write for impeachment.
Moreover, the subjects of impeachment were not limited to Ming Dynasty officials, even the emperor could be impeached.
The emperor who was impeached the most times in the Ming Dynasty was Ming Shizong Zhu Houcong.
One of the most famous impeachment letters was the "Public Security Notice" written by Hai Rui to Zhu Houcong.
In the end, after party strife broke out in the late Ming Dynasty, the impeachment plan was completely reduced to a piece of paper to wipe the toilet.
“We must impeach!”
As soon as Xu Pu finished speaking, someone started clapping the table with excitement.
Liu Daxia, Minister of War, said eloquently: "As an important minister of the Ming Dynasty, we should set an example!"
"Your Majesty made a mistake, can we just watch like this?!"
"If this continues, what will the officials below think of us?! What will future officials think of us?!"
"After being recorded in history books, how will future generations think of us?!"< br>
When Liu Daxia mentioned the history books, all the officials present looked startled and looked heavy.
For these self-proclaimed civil servants, what they value most is their posthumous reputation.
But Zhu Youtang is so famous that it is really difficult for these officials to be caught in the middle.
Liu Jian only pursues one practical principle: Only the dead care about their reputation after death. Only the living can truly do something that can change future generations.
Liu Jian nodded approvingly to Liu Daxia: "Liu Shangshu is indeed a member of our generation, a loyal and honest minister, so you should write the first letter of impeachment first."
Liu Daxia was angry and anxious, and asked: "Liu Shangshu, as the Minister of Rites, don't you write a letter for impeachment?!"
Liu Jian shook his head slightly and shut up without answering.
Seeing Liu Jian cowering behind, Liu Daxia felt angry and turned to look at the others.
"Where are you gentlemen?! Aren't you going to write a letter for impeachment?!"
The people who were seen by Liu Daxia turned around one after another, lowered their heads, and did not look at Liu Daxia.
Liu Daxia saw that among the many officials in the room, no one stood up to support him, and the expression on his face was uncertain.
After he stood up, he never expected that he would be in such a situation.
No official dared to write a letter to impeach Zhu Youtang with him!
For a moment, Liu Daxia stood there, feeling a little embarrassed.
At this time, a servant suddenly came to report.
"Mr. Xu, someone from the palace is here, saying that His Majesty wants to invite Mr. Liu Ge to the palace to discuss matters."
"Huh?!"
Liu Jian was so frightened that he stood up immediately and panicked. He looked at Xu Pu.
"Xu Shoufu, Your Majesty knows that I am at your home, will he not misunderstand me?"
"This... what should we do?!"
Xu Pu's face was not good-looking either: "Xixian, don't worry, you just said you were talking to me about the "Regulations on Punishment"."
"The death of the empress dowagers of the two palaces, you Just pretend you don’t know.”
“Quickly. Go, Xixian, don't keep your Majesty waiting."
Liu Jian nodded: "That's all, colleagues, I'll take the first step."
"Liu Ge. Walk slowly.”
After Liu Jian said goodbye, he quickly walked out of Xu Pu's study and followed the little eunuch who came from the palace to the palace.
(End of this chapter)