Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 37 Leave no one behind

That night.

A farm on the outskirts of Beijing.

For farmers, after a long day of hard work in the fields, they have no choice but to go to bed early to combat hunger.

However, today is different from the past.

Many households, though already in bed, did not immediately go to sleep.

The reason is precisely because of what happened in the city today.

A peasant woman lay in bed, speaking to her husband with a hint of excitement:
"Honey, I heard the Emperor arrested a lot of local bullies in the city today. Do you think he might arrest Niu Er from our village too?"

"The day before yesterday, Niu Er said that even though his brother-in-law was dead, as long as the new centurion took office, he would still be Niu Er as before after he made some arrangements."

"He even told everyone in our village to prepare their share in advance, what an arrogant tone!"

The dark-skinned, gaunt husband couldn't help but let out a sneer:
"You women gather at the village entrance every day and chatter until you're all brain-dead. How high a rank is the Emperor? Does he have the time to care about Niu Er from our village?"

Just as the peasant woman was about to argue, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

"Your Honor! I'm innocent! I've never done anything to harm the village!"

The couple were taken aback, because the all-too-familiar voice belonged to Niu Er.

The two hurriedly threw on some clothes and ran out to check.

Niu Er, who usually strutted around the village with an arrogant air, was now kneeling before a member of the Imperial Guard, looking like a slug.

The Imperial Guard who arrested the man sneered, "Niu Er, do you think we don't know that you used to take advantage of your brother-in-law's position as a centurion to extort large sums of money from the village?"

Recalling what had just happened in the yamen, the imperial guard couldn't help but continue:
"Let me tell you, now that the Emperor has ascended the throne, he is here to deal with filthy scum like you. Such things will never happen again outside the capital."

Even if a nobleman or duke of the Ming Dynasty broke the law, the emperor would still arrest him without hesitation, let alone a small village bully.

Then, Niu Er was taken away without explanation.

The villagers, who had suffered greatly from oppression, couldn't help but cheer at this moment.

Until the Embroidered Uniform Guard left.

The villagers stayed together in the dark and chatted for a while before going home.

Back home, the peasant woman was still excited: "Husband, everyone outside says the new emperor is particularly ruthless, killing anyone he sees, but I think the emperor only kills bad people!"

The husband cried out in alarm, "Keep your voice down!"

The next day, early in the morning.

After Zhu Youjian finished his morning exercise, Cao Huachun followed him over:

"Your Majesty, all the ringleaders on the list have been apprehended. More than two hundred accomplices have fled and gone into hiding, and I have sent people to continue to hunt them down."

Zhu Youjian nodded: "Send men on horseback to announce to the capital and surrounding counties and villages that all these people will be beheaded at noon today."

Cao Huachun was startled. He had thought that His Majesty would behead the ringleaders and display their heads to the public, and then make a judgment on the other prisoners.

Unexpectedly, not a single one of the more than three thousand people was spared!
After today, the majesty of imperial power will once again rise significantly in people's hearts.

Cao Huachun dared not waste any more time and bowed, replying, "This servant obeys the decree."

Considering that a large number of people are being cut off at once.

Zhu Youjian also specially set up multiple beheading sites to facilitate public viewing.

The messenger soldiers on horseback swept through every street in the capital.

The people of the capital were instantly in an uproar over this matter.

behead.

It has been a highly remarkable intangible cultural heritage since ancient times.

Since the arrests began yesterday, the people in the city have been talking about it, discussing in private how the young and valiant emperor would deal with these prisoners.

Also starting yesterday, the rumors about the new emperor being incompetent and cruel began to fall apart on their own.

Do we really not know whether the people the emperor kills are good or bad for us?

Countless ordinary people spontaneously spread the word.

Inside the Five Military Commander's Mansion, Zhang Weixian looked at the jubilant people on the street before him, his heart surging with emotion.

He not only saw the will of the people, but also some deeper things.

When His Majesty summoned him to the palace before, he asked him a question that left him speechless: If the capital garrison were to be reformed, where would soldiers be recruited from?

He couldn't answer that question at the time, because back then, people who weren't mentally unstable would never even consider joining the army.

But things are completely different now.

In a very short time, His Majesty restored the people's trust in the government, and money and grain were no longer a problem.

In this way, as long as recruitment notices are posted, a number of good men from good families will be attracted to join the army.

Although Zhang Weixian dared not guarantee that he could raise an elite army with this, he could at least sweep away the decline of the Beijing garrison.

In this way, the situation in the capital will no longer be as critical as before.

Thinking about these things, Zhang Weixian couldn't help but feel like he was dreaming.

The emperor has only been on the throne for a little over a month, yet he has already managed to turn the tide to this extent.

What will the Ming Dynasty be like in the future?
Zhang Weixian clenched his fists, his heart filled with anticipation.

What Zhang Weixian saw, the civil service group could naturally also see.

Even they had to admit it.

This seventeen-year-old emperor's move to win over the hearts of the people was indeed brilliant.

However, this behavior also further validated their conjecture.

The fact that they were in such a hurry to carry out this massacre in the capital must have been in preparation for their upcoming tour outside the capital, both to win over the people and to intimidate them.

Unfortunately, the Emperor overestimated himself and underestimated us.

Whether you go south or north, it's all a dead end.

At that time, there may be some commotion in the capital, but it will ultimately be harmless.

Time will erase many things.

Eliminating harm for the people can turn into cruelty and bloodthirstiness, and striving for good governance can turn into incompetence and ineptitude.

So they didn't even make a big deal out of this massacre anymore, but just waited for the day when the emperor would go on his tour.

Time quickly passed and it was noon.

Caishikou, Jinyiwei Yamenmenkou, Chengmenkou
Several makeshift beheading sites were surrounded by people who had come from all directions.

With a shout of "Execute!"

One by one, these important figures, whom ordinary people would not dare to offend, were dragged up like dead dogs.

Many of the thugs who were once known for their cruelty were now covered in excrement and urine.

But before they could even utter a few words of pleading for mercy, a steel blade gleaming with a cold light was already slashing towards their necks.

A deafening roar of cheers erupted from all around.

At first, the people simply cheered.

But as more and more people were beheaded, some people remembered the past when they were oppressed by these beasts, and the cheers slowly turned into curses and shouts.

If it weren't for the Imperial Guards and the Divine Might Battalion guards maintaining order ahead...

They would probably rush up and tear these prisoners to pieces themselves.

Just as the crowd was filled with indignation, a dragon banner, surrounded by a group of black-clad cavalry, attacked from afar.

The crowd fell silent instantly, and then a whole bunch of them knelt down.

　Qidian has changed its recommendation rules; from now on, it's a daily competition.
　　If you perform well in the PK (player kill) battle, you'll get more data packages; if you perform poorly, your data will be reduced.

　　I earnestly request all readers to help me read the next book and see if it can be published in the Three Rivers section.

　　The author will update 10,000 words daily after it's published, or2
　　

(End of this chapter)