Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 229: Kill those named in the court meeting and beat the rebel Jinyiwei to death!

"very good!"

Zhu Houcong nodded and smiled at this.

He was naturally relieved about the defeat of the Western Yi.

Because this means that the common people in Fujian did not suffer from the war due to the reactionary activities of the local wealthy and powerful gentry involved in the case.

As for the evidence presented, Fei Hong did not cover up the crimes of Deng Zhang and others, which naturally shows that Fei Hong, the veteran minister, chose to obey his will.

As an important figure in the Qingliu, Fei Hong's reports are naturally more valuable and convincing.

Therefore, Zhu Houcong issued an edict without hesitation to set up the Office of Observation of Customs and Rectification of Morals, and let Fei Hong lead the office as a grand secretary and be in charge of the three judicial offices on behalf of the emperor. He also displayed the crimes of the male managers and servants of the Fujian gentry and made them known to the people of Fujian in order to enlighten them. He also asked Fei Hong to execute these people on the spot and make an example of them in public, on the grounds of colluding with the barbarians and selling out the country, to grind their bones and scatter their ashes to fertilize the fields in Fujian, and at the same time to pay for the crime of betraying his hometown and wanting to let the Western barbarians slaughter and plunder his hometown!
As for the rest of the family and nine clans, they all moved to Donglai to reclaim wasteland and mine.

All the property was confiscated.

then.

Almost all the adult males and adult slaves of the Fujian tycoons involved in the case, including Chen Lianghan, were taken to Fuzhou City and beheaded in public on the day of the provincial examination in August of the third year of the Jiajing reign, when Fuzhou was the busiest and had the largest number of scholars.

Many of the wealthy and powerful people involved in the case burst into tears.

Chen Lianghan couldn't help but shed tears.

"cut!"

boom!
With the sound of a cannon and the order to execute shouted out by Fei Hong himself, Chen Lianghan and others were beheaded one after another, and then their bodies were thrown into the blazing fire in batches by the soldiers.

"it is good!"

Many ordinary people applauded this.

As soon as they received Zhu Houcong's reply, the officials in Fujian began to issue city-wide notices about the crimes of Chen Lianghan and others. At the same time, they organized scholars from the market to preach the truth, and even ordered school officials to preach the truth in county and prefectural schools.

Therefore, many ordinary people knew about the evil deeds of Chen Lianghan and others, and cheered when they saw them being killed.

As for the property of the wealthy and powerful gentry in Fujian involved in the case, they were naturally all confiscated and escorted to Beijing.

Let’s talk.

These Fujian wealthy and powerful gentry involved in the case were dealt with.

Officials in the court who colluded with the Fujian local gentry involved in the case would naturally not be let off.

However, the court officials headed by the Minister of Revenue Deng Zhang did not know that the court was going to punish them. They all thought that after Fei Hong left, only a few wealthy and powerful gentry in Fujian would be punished and they would not be implicated.

Especially Deng Zhang, after all, he got Fei Hong's personal promise and also paid a priceless piece of jade as compensation.

but.

The day after Zhu Houcong received Fei Hong's report on the crimes of Fujian's wealthy and powerful gentry in embezzling Donglai's mines and colluding with foreigners, he instructed Huang Jin at the Zuoshun Gate meeting:

"Read the name!"

"Recite one, and the Royal Guards will capture one immediately!"

The court officials were greatly shocked; they did not expect that the emperor would suddenly arrest someone by name at the court meeting.

Many court officials became nervous because of this.

Even the Minister of Revenue Deng Zhang had a heavier breathing.

But he changed his mind and felt that Fei Hong would not betray him, after all, Fei Hong had accepted his beautiful jade.

"The Crown Prince's Grand Tutor and Minister of Revenue Deng Zhang!"

But the first name Huang Jin read was his!

When Deng Zhang heard this, he couldn't believe his ears for a moment.

The whole person froze in place.

"Left Censor-in-Chief Yang Yiying!"

"The military department is all in trouble with Huang Chen!"

……

At this time.

Huang Jin started to think about other people.

For a time, many court officials were detained by the Jinyiwei and dragged out.

Zhu Houcong also said in a deep voice: "Minister of Punishment Zhao Huang, Dali Temple Minister Zhang Cong, and Left Vice-Chief Censor Li Yue!"

"Chen is here!"

"You are all officials of the Three Judicial Departments. Now, Lord Fei and Prince Shizhong have sent relevant charges from Fujian to the Imperial Secretariat. I am now handing these charges over to you. You must examine and decide immediately. The officials involved must be severely punished!"

"If you plot to steal the national treasury and collude with foreigners to sell out your country, I can tolerate that, but how can Heaven tolerate it?"

After Zhu Houcong finished speaking, Zhao Huang, Zhang Cong and Li Yue who had already stepped out of the line all bowed in agreement.

"Military Department!"

The Minister of War Wang Xian also hurriedly stepped out.

"Restore the post of Lu Xiao. After investigation, it was found that Lai Yuan's death was caused by Zhang Jie, the commander of the Jinyiwei!"

"For these family traitors, Luo An is ordered to beat to death all the adult men and women in his family, and to exile the minors to Donglai and never redeem them. Their crimes shall be made public to all the imperial guards!"

Since the power to select generals for the Five Military Commanderies was transferred to the Ministry of War, all military official positions, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard, were managed by the Ministry of War.

Therefore, Zhu Houcong conveyed this intention to the Ministry of War at this time.

Wang Xian also nodded in agreement.

And this time.

Minister of Finance Deng Zhang shouted, "Your Majesty, I am reporting to the emperor that Grand Secretary Fei Hong accepted bribes and took the jade I presented to him!"

"Lord Fei has explained it to me!"

"I have already accused you of bribery in the memorial!"

Zhu Houcong replied at this time and took out the beautiful jade that Fei Hong had also presented from his sleeve: "Is this what you gave to Lord Fei?" Deng Zhang was speechless immediately.

"Fei Qianshan, Yang Xindu, even if you are exposed, why are you so vicious and even sell us out!"

At this time.

Yang Yiying, who was also being escorted, started shouting in anger upon seeing this.

Yang Tinghe's student, Bingke Dujieshizhong Huang Chen, was even more devastated and cried, "Enfu, didn't you say that I was your favorite student?!"

When Zhu Houcong heard Huang Chen's crying, he couldn't help but laugh, but didn't say much.

He believed that as veteran ministers such as Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong were forced to further sell out the bureaucrats and gentry, the bureaucrats and gentry of the Ming Dynasty would become more mature and rational, and would no longer be arrogant and rebellious because of the emperor's previous compromise and tolerance.

Next.

Deng Zhang, Yang Yiying, Huang Chen and other court officials involved in the case of embezzlement of Donglai gold mine were naturally sentenced to immediate execution by the three judicial officials.

The family property was also confiscated.

These corrupt officials and clerks ultimately failed.

However, they did not regret it, but they deeply resented that Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong chose to compromise with the emperor and chose to sacrifice them.

Although they didn't know why Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong compromised with the emperor.

But now they really only think that they ended up like this because Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong were too shameless and refused to persuade the emperor not to pursue them for their sake.

In fact, Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong didn't want to protect it, but they had no choice.

Because if they don't betray Deng Zhang and others who are their minions, other elders will betray them.

After all, the case of embezzlement of Donglai gold mine was able to be basically investigated to the end because Lin Junxian betrayed Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong.

This made it impossible for Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong not to further realize that the ritual protection faction was essentially a loose group of people with their own thoughts, and they were not the only ones who dared to step on the corpses of their friends to climb up.

So, they can only do this to protect themselves.

"Yang Xindu, Fei Qianshan, my today is your tomorrow!"

Deng Zhang even roared and shouted like this in front of the many spectators on the execution ground just before he was beheaded.

Click!

However, as soon as he finished speaking, he was beheaded to the ground.

Yang Yiying, Huang Chen and others were also beheaded on the ground.

……

……

Let’s talk.

Shortly after Fei Hong and Wang Hong's urgent memorials arrived in the capital, Zhang Jie was also escorted back to the capital.

Zhu Houcong specially met him on the platform because he was the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and a close minister of the emperor.

"You remember the old friendship of the late emperor, which is a manifestation of your affection and loyalty."

"I admire it very much!"

"But you are willing to ruin my business in order to cover up the crimes of corrupt officials outside the court! This is an act of disloyalty and treason!"

Zhu Houcong said these words in a deep voice after Zhang Jie was brought before him.

Zhang Jie bowed his head and said, "I have failed the Emperor!"

"You didn't fail me, you failed the late emperor!"

"Ask yourself, would the late emperor be willing to see you shielding a group of traitors who embezzled state funds and defrauding the new emperor just because I want to reform the system?"

"There is only one reason why you did this. You have been too deeply tied to them since the previous emperor's dynasty, or even since the previous emperor's dynasty!"

After Zhu Houcong finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Jie and said, "Is that right?"

"Your Majesty, the Holy Light Shines!"

"But what I don't understand is why the emperor would rather forgive Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong than forgive me, and even want to beat my family to death!"

"You may have made mistakes, but I am still a close minister. Your Majesty, do you think you can stop using the Imperial Guards just because I have done something wrong to you?!"

Zhang Jie complained with a look of grief and indignation on his face.

"So you know you are my close minister!"

Zhu Houcong replied with a smile.

then.

Zhu Houcong asked him again: "Would my close ministers do this?"

"Why do you think I would rather forgive Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong than you? It's because there are too many people like you who are disloyal, so I have no choice but to be tolerant of them!"

"As for you, if you really regarded yourself as my close minister, I would protect you. The key is that you don't really regard me as your master!"

"It is precisely because I want to continue to use the Jinyiwei that I have to punish you severely. Let them all see what happens to a dog that doesn't recognize its master!"

After Zhu Houcong said this, his eyes became gloomy.

Zhang Jie started sobbing after hearing this.

Zhu Houcong didn't say anything else. He just had him dragged away and ordered him to be beaten to death outside the Meridian Gate.

Snapped!
Snapped!
When the heavy floor fell on Zhang Jie's back, he did not scream, but just stared blankly at the towering palace in front of him.

When Zhang Jie was escorted to Beijing, the Portuguese envoys, who were allowed to pay homage by Zhu Houcong's decree, also entered Beijing.

The Portuguese Governor of Goa, Albu, once again sent Pires, who had been an envoy to the Ming Dynasty, and Coelho, who had fought with the Ming navy in the Battle of Tuen Mun, to be envoys to the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Houcong met these people in the Wenhua Hall and had the cabinet ministers and nine officials accompany him. In addition, there were two interpreters, one from Huitongguan and the other was Huoya, a Portuguese who taught Emperor Zhengde Portuguese. The latter was responsible for translation, and the former was responsible for whether the latter's translation was correct.

"Your Majesty, Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, we are here under the order of the Governor-General to inform you clearly that Donglai Island is the first island we discovered. It belongs to the territory of our King of Portugal. Please return the island! Withdraw the people you exiled there and stop mining there in exchange for permanent peace between the two countries!"

(End of this chapter)