Chapter 98 Go to the late emperor and beg for mercy
Three thousand six hundred dollars?
Wang Yue couldn't believe his ears!
The capital punishment for Lingchi in the Ming Dynasty was 3,357 knives, but Zhu Houzhao sentenced him to 3,600 knives!
Not only that, but all the ministers must eat their own flesh!
You know, Wang Yue was once the Prime Minister!
Wang Yue really couldn't imagine how humiliating it would be for those eunuchs who once only dared to call him "ancestor" and beat him to death to eat his own flesh!
Wang Yue could not accept such humiliation!
He couldn't even tolerate Liu Jin, the emperor's personal eunuch, who might threaten his status, let alone now that he was about to be eaten by more than 3,000 eunuchs!
Wang Yue has always had a low self-esteem in his heart. Affected by this era, he who was born in the Neishu Hall naturally looked down on eunuchs!
Naturally, I can’t stand being eaten by a eunuch!
Although he is also a eunuch himself, he has always felt that he is different from other eunuchs. Although he has the body of a eunuch, he has the heart of a literati!
In his eyes, those eunuchs in the inner court were all extremely humble bitches! And he himself is a high-ranking official in charge of etiquette, and he is an elegant scholar who is called a prince by all the court officials!
But now Zhu Houzhao wants his eunuchs to eat his flesh and see him being punished!
Wang Yue felt that this was a huge insult to himself!
Why is this happening!
Why punish yourself like this!
This is really cruel!
Wang Yue roared in shock and anger: "Your Majesty! Why are you doing this to me! Even if I'm guilty! I didn't really kill you! Why are you so unkind! Besides, I didn't really kill you! How could you be so cruel after killing the late emperor and serving him for decades?”
"You have to blame yourself for this. My original intention was to let you commit suicide, but you reminded me that if I want no rebels to kill me in the future, I can only severely punish the thieves who are trying to kill me and force me into the palace now! You, Wang Yue, are my slaves, The crime is ten times more serious, and the punishment will naturally be more severe! Put this traitor and regicide behind bars!”
Zhu Houzhao said lightly.
Wang Yue clearly felt fear and fear, and couldn't help shouting in his heart: "I am a veteran who has served the late emperor for several years! I should be inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people. How can I be humiliated like this now! No! Absolutely not. ! ”
Wang Yue now understood that the emperor Zhu Houzhao in front of him could not be intimidated at all, nor was he really a soft-hearted person. He knew that he could only show weakness now.
Therefore, before Wang Yue came with his royal guards, he suddenly kowtowed to Zhu Houzhao and knelt down in front of Zhu Houzhao. He knelt heavily in front of Zhu Houzhao, as if he was about to break his knees: "Your Majesty! I know this. I implore you not to let the old slave be eaten by the eunuch. Please change your position and commit suicide.”
Wang Yue started crying as he spoke. Tears poured down like an endless river, and his head hit the ground as hard as hitting a golden bell!
Bang bang bang!
"The old slave knows that the emperor hates the old slave deeply. As long as the emperor can calm down and spare the old slave, the old slave is willing to die in front of His Majesty!"
Bang!
Wang Yue, who was crying bitterly, knelt with all his strength! The gold bricks were broken and cracked!
The whole hall was shaking in a trance!
"Push it down!"
At this time, the two royal guards had already pulled Wang Yue away. However, Zhu Houzhao did not choose to forgive. He believed that if he was really forced into a desperate situation by Wang Yue that day, Wang Yue would not be merciful, not to mention that he just wanted to show Liu Jin, Ma Yongcheng and others. of.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Wang Yue was still struggling, calling Zhu Houzhao desperately, but it was no longer helpful, Zhu Houzhao ignored him at all.
Zhu Houzhao now only looked at Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian: "Do you three feel repentant now?"
Frankly speaking, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian were really frightened by Zhu Houzhao's order to kill Wang Yuelingchi for 3,600 knives.
They had to admit that their Emperor was really ruthless! Not to mention the Zhu Shi Clan, the punishment for the principal culprit was even harsher than that of Taizu!
Liu Jian kowtowed first: "I regret it! I ask your majesty to forgive my sin!" Liu Jian completely surrendered. After all, he didn't want to suffer the 3,600 knife blows like Wang Yue.
"The guilty minister also repented. The guilty minister was guilty of the late emperor and his majesty! Please forgive me for my sin!"
Li Dongyang wiped away his tears and kowtowed to Zhu Houzhao.
Xie Qian suddenly burst into tears, and then shouted: "Your Majesty! The guilty minister really knows that he was wrong! The guilty minister must change his ways! I only ask that your majesty can forgive me. If your majesty really can't forgive me, then you can Let me commit suicide, woo woo!”
Zhu Houzhao didn't expect that these three people would change their minds so quickly, and he felt speechless.
Zhu Houzhao looked at the sky, and it started to rain again in a daze. This reminded him of what happened a few days before and after Emperor Hongzhi's funeral.
"The one you killed was not me, but the late emperor. I have no say whether I can spare you or not. As a son of man, I want to avenge the murder of my father. You will not be able to forgive your hatred if I am torn into pieces, let alone forgive your sins." , Of course, if the late emperor wants to spare you, I have nothing to say but to obey my father’s wishes!”
Zhu Houzhao said.
After hearing what Zhu Houzhao said, Liu Jian hurriedly said: "Your Majesty! If the late emperor was still alive, he would definitely forgive me, because the late emperor has always been kind. Please understand the kindness of the late emperor and forgive me!"
"Your Majesty, please understand the kindness of the late emperor and forgive me!" Li Dongyang and Xie Qian also hurriedly begged for mercy.
Zhu Houzhao didn't expect that these three people would really get into trouble and bring out the late emperor to bargain with him.
So Zhu Houzhao smiled again and said: "Although the late emperor was lenient in the past because you were not evil, but now you have committed the crime of regicide. How could the late emperor, as a wise king, tolerate such rebellious things? Otherwise, there would be no such thing." An earthquake occurred in Qifu;
Well, if it happens to start raining today, the winter rain usually won’t stop for a few days. Last time the late Emperor was buried, you didn’t kneel down, which probably offended His Majesty. Now I’ll give you a chance to go to the late Emperor’s funeral. Kneel in front of the mausoleum for two days. If within two days, the late emperor asks me to forgive you in a dream, I will forgive you! ”
After saying that, Zhu Houzhao asked with a smile: "Have I done my best to be kind and righteous?"
Zhu Houzhao continued to ask Liu Jin and Ma Yongcheng: "Am I very kind to them? Am I a kind emperor?"
Liu Jin hurriedly smiled and said: "The kindness of your Majesty is far greater than that of Yao and Shun, and even closer than that of the late Emperor. It is a blessing for our rebellious ministers to be able to meet Your Majesty!"
Ma Yongcheng also hurriedly echoed: "I feel that the emperor is really the most benevolent king in history! There is no one before or after!"
Zhu Houzhao looked at Liu Jian and others: "What do you think?"
Liu Jian and others smiled awkwardly: "Yes! Your Majesty is indeed the most kind emperor!"
But Liu Jian and others also understood that Zhu Houzhao was not trying to spare them, he was clearly trying to make them suffer again before they died!
It was even more uncomfortable to have to kneel in a gloomy place like the Imperial Tomb for two days and two nights in such a cold weather than to kill them directly! What's more, they are all elderly people!
Therefore, Xie Qian cried and howled again: "Your Majesty! For the sake of my old age, can I be exempted from the punishment of kneeling down? I am willing to commit suicide. How about letting me commit suicide!"
Xie Qian knew that he was now notorious among his clan in the village, and naturally knew that there was no point in living for him, so he just wanted to suffer less before he died.
(End of chapter)