The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 132 Liu Zhaosun Shiqi's Crime Deserving Death

After Liu Zhaosun finished giving his instructions, everyone withdrew and went to make preparations separately.

Pei Dahu was ordered to bring the Sanyuan Ranger here, and General Liu was ready to have a chat with him.

Everyone left one after another, and only Kang Yingqian stayed. As General Liu's trusted advisor, Kang Yingqian and Liu Zhaosun, one good and one evil, complemented and balanced each other.

Kang Yingqian had some complaints about Liu Zhaosun's "practicing the great way".

Killing the Liaodong Governor would be tantamount to declaring war on the imperial court.

If this is the case, why hide it? Wouldn't it be better to just raise the flag of rebellion directly, and win over the hearts of the people in Liaodong and use them for your own benefit?

"General Liu, this tactic of using a knife to kill someone cannot be concealed from the imperial court. Yuan Yingtai died in Shenyang. No matter what, we are inextricably linked to it. You are not really planning a rebellion, are you?"

Kang Yingqian put down "White Snake Eternally Imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda" and went to the desk, where he saw the word "momentum" written on the paper.

The pen moves like a dragon, and the domineering power is revealed.

"General Liu's calligraphy is getting better and better. He has inherited the true teachings of General Qiao, and it has quite a bit of the style of General Wang Youjun."

Liu Zhaosun picked up the paper, handed it to Kang Yingqian, and said with a smile:

"Like it? If you like it, I'll sell it to you. A piece of calligraphy by Qiao Yiqi can be sold for three hundred taels. I'm his apprentice, so I'll sell it to you for thirty taels. Isn't it expensive?"

Kang Yingqian stroked his beard and smiled, holding up three fingers to bargain:

"Sanwen."

Liu Zhaosun chuckled, and the guard Zhang Chao poured tea for General Kang, and the two got down to business.

"I killed Yuan Yingtai just to let the court know."

Kang Yingqian put down his teacup, thought for a moment, and listened to him continue.

Liu Zhaosun pointed at the word "势" he had just written and said:
"It doesn't matter how Yuan Yingtai dies, as long as it gives the court a way out. But he must die. He did what he did today, insulting Xiong Jinglüe and threatening the Kaiyuan army. If he doesn't die, I will find it difficult to maintain my position in Liaodong."

Kang Yingqian nodded and said, "Indeed, this person is too arrogant. He is sure that you dare not touch him, and he is even trying to blackmail us!"

Liu Zhaosun continued:
"When I killed the slave chief, I said I wouldn't be the King of Liaodong. It wasn't because I couldn't, it was because I didn't want to. But despite all my patience, he kept pressing me and wanted me dead. If I die, you will die too. So, let them die."

Kang Yingqian thought for a moment, his eyes shining:
"Let the court know who Liaodong belongs to. Whether it becomes independent or remains a loyal vassal, we have the final say."

Liu Zhaosun closed his eyes and muttered to himself:

"The young dragon slayer will eventually become a dragon. I just hope this dragon won't bring disaster to the world."

Kang Yingqian didn't hear clearly what Liu Zhaosun said and was about to ask when the guard came forward and reported that Pei Dahu had arrived.

"Let them in."

Pei Dahu led the young man into the big tent, and the young man saluted General Liu and Military Supervisor Kang respectively.

Liu Zhaosun stepped forward and helped Wu Xiao up.

He has sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and looks very heroic.

"Young knights, you are enjoying the world of martial arts. When you stopped the Jiannu on the north bank, I admire you deeply. If all the men of the Han Dynasty could be like this, the Eastern and Western Tartars would have been wiped out long ago."

Wu Xiao bowed and said he dared not. While General Liu was drinking tea, he looked up at General Xuanwu who had appeared countless times in the storytelling.

There were some wounds on Liu Zhaosun's face, which embellished his handsome appearance and made him look more heroic.

"I've heard you have a deep blood feud with Cao Zhongqing. This man is incredibly cruel and has been a scourge to Liaodong for years. Last month, Old Song had him castrated. I hand him over to you to deal with."

These days, Wu Xiao has been thinking about how to kill Cao Zhongqing and avenge his brothers. Revenge has become his obsession.

Knowing that his great revenge was about to come, he could not help but feel happy and bowed in gratitude again.

The young knight-errant is transforming into a soldier. From now on, his chivalrous spirit will fade, and what remains is the bloody cruelty of the soldiers.

Liu Zhaosun reached out and helped Wu Xiao up, saying earnestly:

"The military is different from the underworld. It emphasizes strict compliance with orders. I have always been strict in my military discipline and my military law is ruthless. Since you have joined the Kaiyuan Army, you must pay attention to these things in the future."

Wu Xiao shouted, "From now on, this life belongs to you, my Lord. I will go through fire and water for you, even if it means death!"

"it is good."

Liu Zhaosun winked at Kang Yingqian, and Old Kang pointed to the inner city of Shenyang and said righteously:

"The current Liaodong Governor Yuan Yingtai is a mean-spirited and greedy man. Today, at a banquet, he humiliated the previous Governor Xiong Tingbi and falsely accused General Liu of embezzling Liao military funds. He is colluding with Zu Dashou of Liaoxi and wants to kill us all. General Liu can no longer tolerate this and has decided to take the initiative and send righteous men to kill this thief, repay the emperor's grace, and save the people of Liao. I heard that you are a skilled martial artist, so this mission will be..."

~~~~~~
Three days later, in the living room of the Shenyang Jinglüe official residence.

Yuan Yingtai, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate and Governor of Liaodong, and Zhang Quan, the Censor-in-Chief of Guangning, Huang Demin, were chatting and laughing. The three big bosses from Donglin and Liaozhen gathered together. Several burly servants from Liaozhen were guarding the door, looking into the living room from time to time.

"I came to Shenyang this time hoping to get Liu to stop and be more restrained. I offered him a reward of 100,000 taels of silver, and that we could work together well in Liaodong in the future. I could also give him a share of the Liaodong military pay. I didn't expect him to become so greedy and insatiable. He's the same kind of person as Xiong Tingbi!" Zhang Quan looked at Yuan Jinglüe with admiration and echoed:
"The governor thinks so highly of Liu Zhaosun, but it's a shame he's so ungrateful that he insists on becoming our enemy. With the evidence collected by the Embroidered Uniform Guards of Liu's occupation of land and rampant killings, and the reports left by Lieutenant General Ding, we've proven Liu Zhaosun guilty of treason. With the Standard Battalion and Liaozhen soldiers in charge, we have no reason to fear he could stage a rebellion."

Yuan Yingtai sighed and picked up a cup of steaming ginseng tea from the coffee table:

"Except for this ginseng, everything else in Liaodong is mediocre, including Liu Zhaosun. After beheading this man, I will return to the capital."

"He defeated the Eastern Tartars, and he's a capable general. If he stayed to serve the Emperor, he might have been useful, but he's a bit too reckless. He's young and reckless, killing people without a trace, and he refuses to repent. He's also close to the Xiong Manzi. Unfortunately, I and the Xiong Manzi are sworn enemies. What a pity, what a pity."

After saying that, he fell silent.

Zhang Quan turned his gaze towards Huang Demin, who was sitting opposite him, and said coldly:

"Commander Huang, when will your troops arrive?"

General Huang quickly stood up and bowed to the censor.

"Censor Zhang, the troops from Gaizhou, Fuzhou, and Guangning will arrive tomorrow. I have also sent someone to contact Zu Dashou of Jingdong Camp, and the troops from Shanhaiguan will also be coming."

Zhang Quan clapped his hands and laughed.

"Excellent! Zu Dashou comes from a military family, and his father's military achievements are illustrious, comparable to those of Liu Zhaosun's adoptive father. He is the perfect person to deal with the Kaiyuan army. Now everything is ready. Tomorrow, summon the thief Liu to the South Gate Wall, reward him with silver, and read the imperial edict in public. Use Yuan Jinglue's imperial sword to behead this thief on the spot!"

Huang Demin nodded in praise and echoed:
"The Kaiyuan army was led by Liu Zhaosun. Kill the traitor Liu and win over several Kaiyuan officers. The rest of the army is now a loose sand. Charge them with rioting over pay, and just like the southern troops in Jizhen back then, kill them all! Censor Zhang really has a knack!"

Zhang Quan laughed heartily for a few times, and when he finished laughing, he took out a yellow satin imperial edict from his arms and slowly unfolded it.

"The sixteen atrocities Liu the traitor has committed in Liaodong over the past six months are all listed in this imperial edict. Lieutenant General Huang, please listen and see if there are any omissions. If so, we will fill them in for General Liu."

Although he knew that the imperial edict was fake, Huang Demin still pretended to listen attentively.

Zhang Quan read the imperial edict.

"According to our ancestral rules, a general must be supervised by a civil official while on a mission. You imprisoned the military supervisor Kang Yingqian in Kaiyuan, which is tantamount to treason and should be executed immediately!

The greatest crime a minister can commit is deceiving the emperor. Your reports were full of lies, falsely reporting your military achievements, and falsely claiming to have beheaded Amin five times. You should be executed twice!

A minister should not be a general, and if he is a general, he must be executed. You colluded with the eunuch Wei Zhongxian and framed loyal officials. This is treasonous and you deserve to be executed for the third time!
In the Battle of Hunjiang, the emperor allocated 8,000 treasury funds to reward the three armies. Instead of providing for the soldiers, you embezzled and used them for your own benefit and squandered them all. You should be executed!
He opened a market in Kaiyuan without authorization, secretly communicated with foreign tribes, and betrayed the Ming Dynasty. He should be executed five times.

After the defeat at Hunjiang, the people of Kuandian rebelled and returned home, showing no desire to make further progress. They allowed the Jiannu to invade Kaiyuan and threaten Liaoning and Shenyang. They should all be executed!

He killed the Joseon Marshal Jiang Hongli and Yu Hou Jin Jingrui without authorization, brutally slaughtered Joseon soldiers, and bullied the Eastern Frontier. He should be executed seven times!
He forcibly took possession of the beautiful Korean girl, Kim, and indulged in revelry every night without knowing the limits. His subordinates followed suit, forcibly taking possession of women, and the Liao people had no peace to live in. He deserved to be executed!
They plundered the Liao people, slaughtered the gentry, burned, killed and looted. The bones of the people in Shenbei are like weeds. Nine of them deserve to be beheaded!
Those who sank their own artillery in Hunjiang to aid the Jiannu should be executed!
In the Battle of Kaiyuan, he watched Ma Lin and He Shixian die in battle without rescuing them, and he should be executed!

There are strange and supernatural beings in the army who summon spirits at will and nourish the White Lotus Cult. Twelve of them should be killed!
He overstepped his authority, abused his authority to give orders, and took human lives lightly. He should be executed!
In the Battle of Hunhe, they slaughtered the surrendered barbarians on a large scale and cut off the foreigners' desire to submit. Fourteen of them should be executed!
"You openly defy the governor, threaten the censor, and exploit your victory to oppress weak officials. You shall be beheaded at the age of fifteen!"

Robbing grain, assaulting the Tianjin Tongzhi, bullying the market, and forcing people to buy and sell! Sixteen people should be beheaded!

Yuan Yingtai put down his teacup and smiled at Zhang Quan:
"In just six months, Liu Zhaosun has committed sixteen serious crimes. He deserves death! Let me take a look."

Zhang Quan handed over the imperial edict respectfully.

Yuan Yingtai read it carefully and pondered for a moment:
"One more thing: he colluded with the treacherous minister Xiong Tingbi, embezzled 1.8 million taels of Liao tribute, threatened the Liao garrison, and turned against his own family. Seventeen of them shall be executed!"

Zhang Quan gave a thumbs up and praised:
"It is Yuan Jingli who is a man of great wisdom and courage. He risked his life to enter the tiger's den and subdue the traitor Liu with a brilliant plan. He has eliminated this great threat to Liaodong and relieved the emperor's worries. If His Majesty knew this, he would surely be delighted!"

Yuan Yingtai waved his hand and said proudly:

"Since the emperor has entrusted me with the management of Liaodong, I will act accordingly and live up to his grace. If it weren't for the loyalty of Zhang Yushi and the loyalty of Liaozhen, the emperor would have been deceived by this villain! Who is Liu Zhaosun? He is just a family man! This man has won a few battles by chance, and he is eager to become the second Li Chengliang. He even dares to ask me for money. If I don't punish him, he will threaten the court next! I think that the affairs of Liaodong should be managed by Liaozhen! From now on, Liaodong trade and Liaojiang..."

When Yuan Yingtai came to the most crucial point, Zhang Quan and Lieutenant General Huang both leaned forward slightly, pretending to listen attentively.

"To be honest, His Majesty has already intended to give Liao tribute..."

At this moment, I suddenly heard shouting from outside.

Huang Demin impatiently said to the servant: "Why are you so ignorant of the rules? The governor and the censor are here, what are you yelling about?"

Before he could finish, a servant rushed into the living room in a panic and said to Huang Demin:
"Master, this is bad! A hundred or so Liao people are gathered at the gate, shouting that the Yehe people cannot be allowed into the city. Their families were slaughtered by the Yehe people, and they insist on seeking justice from you."

Yuan Yingtai was stunned for a moment, then he threw the teacup to the ground and said angrily:

"I never said to let the foreigners into the city, I only said not to kill them indiscriminately. Now that the Jiannu have retreated and Shenyang is peaceful, why are we targeting the Yehe people? These troublemakers are meddling too much. Drive them all away!"

Zhang Quan also shouted angrily, "A few unruly people are causing trouble and bothering the governor. What does General Huang keep you for? Get out!"

The servant looked aggrieved and was about to explain when the door creaked open from the outside.

A large number of Liao people poured into the front yard like a tide of ants.

"Emperor Yuan! Censor Zhang! We are all good citizens of Shenyang. Today we are here to seek justice from you two gentlemen!"

"All outsiders, get out of the way! I'm a good citizen of Shenyang, and I'm here to seek justice!"

A group of good citizens wearing the armor of the Later Jin soldiers and wielding heavy swords and clubs rushed into the Jinglüe Mansion, killed several Liaozhen servants in a row, and began to search house by house, wanting to tell the two masters about their grievances.

(End of this chapter)