The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 584 Supervision and execution
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

At 2:15 noon on November 19th, the fourth year of Taichu, at the Guangji Gate city wall in Shenyang.

The retired emperor Liu Zhaosun sat on a temporary throne, surrounded by a group of imperial guards. Pei Dahu and others looked around vigilantly, ready to guard against any sudden assassination attempts.

In the center of the Guangjimen city wall, the large parade ground usually used to train new soldiers has now become an execution ground for those who rebel against the empire.

The city wall was crowded with onlookers in the morning. By noon, it was so packed that there was no place to stand. Some people were even squeezed into the moat outside the city wall.

Zhao Yuanzhi, Han Chao and others commanded the soldiers of the Wucheng Bingmasi to maintain order at the execution ground. The Second Corps dispatched another 500 soldiers, and thousands of soldiers formed a human wall, finally isolating the angry crowd outside the execution platform.

Liu Zhaosun looked at the scene in front of him with a bit of confusion, his thoughts vaguely returning to the winter many years ago when he killed Nurhaci, the Khan of the Later Jin Dynasty. That was also on the Guangjimen city wall under his feet, and the surrounding area was also crowded with people like today.

"Your Majesty, it's almost three quarters noon."

"Oh." When the retired emperor looked up, he saw the Minister of Justice blocking Yinxi's face. Behind him stood a row of imperial bureaucrats, headed by Lu Xiangsheng, who had insisted on killing people yesterday.

"let's start."

Liu Zhaosun waved his hand, and Lin Yu immediately waved the command flag. A moment later, on the execution platform in the center of the city wall, an old man with white hair and beard tremblingly threw down the token.

"Bring someone to commit the crime!"

At three quarters past noon, under the angry gazes of tens of thousands of Shenyang residents, Kang Yingqian, Jin Yinghe, Chen Xin, Yang Tong and Zheng Yishi were taken to the execution ground.

"Kill! Kill them all!"

The crowd burst into cheers, and then Duke Cheng and several chief officers stationed in Huguang were also taken to the execution platform.

The people of Shenyang didn't know much about what the king's uncle had done, so when Jin Dajiu and his party were brought onto the stage by the executioner, they did not receive the same treatment as Kang Yingqian and others.

The last people to be taken to the execution ground were the two adjutants and the instructor who had directly participated in the massacre last night. The appearance of these rebel generals immediately caused a sensation.

Dozens of executioners, holding ghost-head knives in one hand and holding chickens in the other, worked in groups of two and dragged all the prisoners onto the stage.

The prisoners had cloths stuffed in their mouths and black hoods on their heads, making it impossible to tell whether they were dead or alive.

There were huge crowds of people around, and the people of Shenyang who had lost their loved ones shouted angrily. Some emotional people swung kitchen knives and struggled to break free from the soldiers' obstruction, wanting to rush to the execution platform to seek revenge. They were immediately knocked down by the plainclothes guards hiding nearby and dragged out by the soldiers.

When everyone was present, two officials from the Ministry of Justice, protected by a team of soldiers, quickly jumped onto the platform, took off the black hoods of the prisoners, and identified them one by one. The instructor from the First Corps, holding official documents, announced the prisoners' crimes to the surrounding people.

"The criminal, Kang Yingqian, was a native of Jieze County in Northern Zhili. He served as Minister of War, Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince... Kang Yingqian betrayed the Emperor's grace, neglected his duties, and relied on deception and cover-up. Under the guise of peace talks, he allowed the enemy to advance, leading to the rebellion in Xuzhou and the devastation of countless lives. He formed a clique for personal gain and disrupted government affairs, posing as a minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor. He was unruly and unruly, leaving Kang Yingqian helpless when the enemy invaded the Imperial Palace at night... For dereliction of duty, he was sentenced to death by slicing. Our Emperor was merciful and spared his family."

"The prisoner, Chen Xin, was originally a lowly man from Dengzhou. He is not a loyal person and his family background is really humble. The current emperor values virtuous people and promotes them to prefectures and magistrates, but Chen Xin has no desire to repay his loyalty. Previously, when Jianzhou rebelled, Dengzhou withdrew its troops without fighting, and watched Liaodong fall. Now, when Wenxiang rebelled in Qingzhou, the reinforcements gathered from all four directions, but they were all dismissed, allowing the rebels to approach Jining City and Shandong to devastate... He also secretly brought in assassins and used Qi and Lu to disrupt the government. He aggressively forced the palace to invite the pseudo-rebel Yansheng Duke, claiming to reform, but in fact shaking the foundation of the country... For the crime of treason, Chen Xin is sentenced to death by slow slicing and the extermination of his entire clan!"

"Prisoner Yang Tong...behead!"

The deafening shouts of the people rang out from the top of the Guangji Gate city wall, like spring thunder in the sky, gradually fading away.

Liu Zhaosun lowered his head and did not look at the execution ground. Instead, he read over and over again the files compiled by the cabinet ministers overnight, and looked at the charges against Kang Yingqian and others by Lu Xiangsheng. Until the instructor finished reading out the charges against everyone, the executioner sprayed a mouthful of wine on the ghost-head knife, and the execution officially began.

Chen Xin and Kang Yingqian were executed by slow slicing, several military generals including Yang Tong and Jin Yinghe were sentenced to death by beheading, and Jin Dajiu and Huguang officials were beheaded.

"Your Majesty, let's begin."

Dongfang Zhu covered his eyes and carefully reminded the emperor.

Liu Zhaosunshen put down the file and looked at the execution platform indifferently. No matter how the people around him cheered "Long live the emperor" or howling in pain his brother-in-law was dying, the retired emperor just looked indifferent, like a statue on the Guangji Gate, not saying a word.

"Are you scared, Eunuch Dongfang?"

On the execution platform, Chen Xin, whose calf buff had been cut into pieces, was still howling in pain. Liu Zhaosun withdrew his gaze and suddenly turned back to ask his confidant.

Dongfang Zhu couldn't bear it any longer and fell to his knees with a thud.

"This servant is not afraid, but I feel that I can't bear it. Among these people today, except for the man surnamed Chen and the uncle of the king, who is not loyal to the Great Qi and wholeheartedly for Your Majesty? Now they want..."

The emperor murmured to himself: "Even you have compassion, but I don't."

Dongfang Zhu said quickly.

"Your Majesty allowed them to commit suicide early, thus sparing them much suffering, and also treated their families well. This is already a great act of grace!" "Does Military Supervisor Qiao know about this?"

Dongfang Zhu wiped away his tears, looked up and replied:

"Your Majesty, I personally told him this morning that Prime Minister Kang and the others had committed suicide by taking poison before being taken to the execution ground."

"So, what did Supervisor Qiao say to you?"

Liu Zhaosun looked at the executioner in front of him with white hair and beard, and thought that Qiao Yiqi was almost sixty years old.

Dongfang Zhu stammered, "I dare not say."

The Emperor smiled faintly, "What did he say?"

"Master Qiao said that Liaodong is a battlefield, Da Qi is a slaughterhouse, and the capital is a gravel field. He also said that Your Majesty is a cold and indifferent person. After supervising this execution, he will resign and return home to Suzhou and Taicang to retire, away from this battlefield of life and death."

Liu Zhaosun was silent for a long time before he said to Dongfang Zhu:

"The execution is complete. Sir Qiao, please stay. I have something to say to him."

Half an hour later, the old and frail executioner Qiao Yiqi, supported by Zhang Dong and Wu Xiao, stood trembling in front of the throne.

"Show me a seat, Master Qiao."

Dongfang Zhu quickly brought over a chair and wanted to help Qiao Yiqi sit down.

"No need."

Qiao Yiqi didn't even look at Liu Zhaosun, but leaned on his cane and bowed, saying:
"I am a humble and humble person, but I have been honored by the Supreme Emperor to promote me. Now I am old, ignorant, and dull, and I am afraid that I am not qualified to govern the new dynasty. I beg to return to my hometown to retire. I hope Your Majesty will have pity on my humble sincerity and grant me this..."

Liu Zhaosun suppressed his tears and asked Qiao Dazui to sit down:

"General Qiao, you said that Da Qi is a slaughterhouse and that I am a cold-hearted person. You are both right. However, my story is not over yet. Da Qi still has a long way to go, and it will take a long time before it falls. Now that Old Kang has sacrificed his life for the country and Lu Xiangsheng can no longer support the country alone, both I and Da Qi need you. Therefore, I can only ask you to stay in the north for now and return to Jiangnan to enjoy your life later."

"What if I also threaten to die?"

Liu Zhaosun patted Qiao Yiqi on the shoulder and said with a smile:
"Even if you die, you can't go back to Taicang."

Qiao Yiqi was so angry that he struggled to stand up and was about to rush towards the battlements of the city wall. Lin Yu blocked the old man.

"General Qiao, why don't you ask why?"

"Why?"

General Qiao pushed Lin Yu away and asked breathlessly.

"Because, I will soon send troops to Jianghuai and pacify the south of the Yangtze River. Your hometown of Suzhou and Hangzhou is not a paradise. It will soon be ravaged by war and incorporated into the territory of Great Qi."

Qiao Yiqi let go of Lin Yu and said anxiously:

"Before Kang Yingqian died, he told Your Majesty not to act rashly. Now, even before his body is cold, you are raising an army again. Right now, the White Lotus Sect in Shandong is causing trouble, and the refugees in Huguang are causing trouble, and you still think it's not chaotic enough..."

Wu Xiao hurried forward and gently stroked Qiao Yiqi's back. Qiao Yiqi coughed violently.

"The White Lotus in Shandong is merely a minor issue. The Cabinet has already devised a plan to pacify it. Huguang is the real threat. The Southern Ming has betrayed us. I will personally lead an expedition to Jiangnan, passing through Huguang, striving to achieve victory in one fell swoop."

After hearing this, Qiao Yiqi muttered to himself:
"What good policy does the cabinet have? Lu Xiangsheng only knows how to purge old officials and seize power..."

Liu Zhaosun supported Qiao Yiqi, and the two of them walked down the steps of the city wall and down to Guangji Gate.

Wu Xiao and Lin Yu followed behind.

The two of them whispered as they walked:

"General Qiao, have you heard of militia training? Giving local governments the right to train troops and collect taxes..."

"Isn't it just the late Tang Dynasty? Your Majesty, do you also want the Great Qi to be like the late Tang Dynasty, with vassal states everywhere?!"

(End of this chapter)