Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 65 All things in nature are created to nourish humankind.

Zhang Xianzhong sat cross-legged on the ground with a horizontal sword on his lap.

He held a short blade in his hand and was cutting pieces of meat from the fire in front of him and stuffing them into his mouth to chew.

The flickering firelight made his face appear obscure.

Even under these circumstances, one could still see his chilling, hateful gaze.

some days ago.

He went to Xi'an Prefecture again.

There, he saw refugees who had fled from Yan'an Prefecture.

The refugees knelt on the ground in droves, hoping to enter the city and beg for food, but the soldiers guarding the city did not give them any way out and drove them out.

That alone would be one thing.

Zhang Xianzhong happened to see the mansion of the Prince of Qin of the Ming Dynasty in the prefectural city, which was probably even more magnificent than the legendary imperial palace.

The servants who emerged from there, with their splendid attire and arrogant demeanor, formed a stark contrast to the emaciated refugees outside the city.

Don’t worry about scarcity but inequality.

This contrast dealt another heavy blow to Zhang Xianzhong, whose mental state was already precarious.

This is no longer a question of equality; it's purely a question of whether people are human or not.

Why are we all human?

Some people are born into a life where they don't have to do anything and still enjoy wealth and luxury.
Some people toil in the fields all their lives, facing the loess soil with their backs to the sky, only to starve to death in the end.

Why are some people so rich that their food is piled up like mountains?

Yet they are unwilling to give even a little bit of charity to the poor and save their lives?

why? !

Zhang Xianzhong couldn't understand it; he just felt a sentence pop into his head for no reason.

Heaven creates all things to nourish humankind, yet humankind has no virtue to repay Heaven!
Simultaneously.

Fueled by this hatred, Zhang Xianzhong sought out Wang Er again and spent the entire night talking with him.

Wang Er told him that he had secretly gathered a group of people.

In a few days, we will lead our men to storm the county government office, kill the officials, and rebel!

Count the days.

It will probably take at least five to ten days for Wang Er to make his move.

Given the current situation, if just one person takes action, uprisings will break out one after another throughout northern Shaanxi.

Zhang Xianzhong was very excited about this.

After chaos broke out in various places, he took advantage of the confusion to attack and kill the gentry, wealthy families, and officials in the city.

He wants to skin those people alive and drink their blood.
Only by killing all those people can he quell his hatred.

With this hatred in his heart, Zhang Xianzhong's actions of cutting off flesh became even more ruthless.

Kill kill kill kill kill kill! ! !

at the same time.

In the town of Tongguan County.

Although it was late at night, Zhu Youjian did not go to sleep and was still handling state affairs.

Not long after.

A member of the Imperial Guard bowed as he entered the room and reported, "Your Majesty, the current grain reserves of all the gentry, wealthy families, and government officials in the city have been fully accounted for."

"Under the current circumstances, this grain reserve can feed the city's residents for about three months. If they eat it sparingly, it can last for half a year or even longer."

Upon hearing the report, Zhu Youjian nodded faintly without saying anything more.

This evening.

He personally visited the farmland in the suburbs, surrounded by guards, and upon returning, he carefully reviewed the county annals and agricultural records of the surrounding counties over the past few years.

From these events and our understanding of the laws of nature.

Zhu Youjian keenly sensed that the drought that had swept across Shaanxi would not end in the short term.

It may continue for several years, or even longer.

However, Shaanxi currently lacks any ability to withstand risks.

Tongguan, a vital transportation hub, was the least affected area, and its grain reserves were only enough to last for three months. One can only imagine how much worse the situation was in other places.

Therefore, simply purging all the officials and gentry in Shaanxi would be far from enough to save the province.

Because Zhu Youjian couldn't conjure up that much grain out of thin air.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian slowly focused his gaze on the border defense map of Shaanxi Province. After looking at it for a moment, Zhu Youjian spoke up and gave the order:
"Tomorrow, everyone will rest for a day. At the same time, send people to order and supervise the local governments of the surrounding counties to provide those refugees with seven days' worth of full rations, so that they can rest for a day and then immediately set off to return to their hometowns."

"This slave takes the order."

A eunuch respectfully responded and immediately went to handle the matter.

After giving these instructions, Zhu Youjian finally closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

The next day.

Beijing.

The Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission was extremely busy from top to bottom, while the capital city once again fell into an eerie calm.

However, this eerie calm is about to be broken.

Even after the emperor left, various political affairs in the capital still needed to be handled, or at least outwardly, they had to appear to be being dealt with.

So after some discussion, everyone reached a consensus to hold a morning assembly every five days.

This would benefit both sides.

Today marks the time for the court assembly held every five days.

The reason why it is said that the eerie peace in the capital is about to be broken is because...

It is because everyone in the court today can feel the undercurrents surging within the court.

The previous court assemblies.

On the surface, the civil service and the imperial faction were at peace with each other.

But now, it seems that one of them is about to launch an attack.

For many officials outside the civil service and the imperial party.

This power struggle within the imperial court was of paramount importance.

Because not all officials belonged to the civil service group or the imperial faction, a large number of them were temporarily centrists.

Everyone knew that this was a life-or-death struggle between imperial power and powerful clans.

Therefore, except for a very small number of people, everyone else has to choose a side.

Of course.

Choosing sides isn't something you decide on the night before and then have to immediately select a faction the next morning.

You have to give people some time to weigh the pros and cons.

This is an unspoken understanding in officialdom.

However, if you still haven't decided which side to help after this, then you're just waiting to die.

Give the simplest example.

Like during this period of time.

The imperial faction implemented benevolent policies near the capital and also recruited skilled artisans familiar with firearms, as ordered by the emperor.

But the core of the Royalist Party only numbered a few dozen people.

Even if they worked themselves to death, it would be impossible for just a few dozen people to get this done.

Meanwhile, the lower-level officials who are actually responsible for implementation are doing their jobs while observing the situation.

If the Imperial Party wins this struggle.

So next it is: two horizontal lines and one vertical line means to do it, two points and one force means to get it done!

But if the civil service group wins...

Then I apologize to the royalists.

It's not that we won't do it.

Instead, we handle matters slowly, efficiently, and in an orderly manner!
In short.

To do it or not to do it.

They can all choose, but they cannot choose either.

On one side was the civil official group that had dominated the Ming Dynasty for a century, and on the other side was the newly formed imperial party that had just gathered together under the leadership of the new Emperor Shenwu.

Which side will win?
Amidst the suppressed and uneasy feelings of everyone.

The eerie calm was finally broken when the civil service group launched the first attack.

A censor from the Censorate stepped forward and submitted a memorial impeaching Chen Xinjia, an important figure in the Imperial Party.

Of course, with the emperor absent, impeachment is practically useless.

But the civil service group's move is aimed at undermining their moral character!

　Heaven creates all things to nourish man, yet man has no virtue to repay Heaven. Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! —Zhang Xianzhong
　　
　
(End of this chapter)