Huangming

Chapter 64 Demons and Monsters, Righteous Officials Fill the Court

The Southern Prison of the Imperial Prison.

A group of Imperial Guards walked along the long prison corridor.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a gloomy face. He wore a green robe with a mythical beast (xiezhi) on it and a sword sheath (bi'an) on it, giving him a sinister appearance.

It was Xu Xianchun, the pacification commissioner of the Northern Garrison.

Xu Xianchun was a military household in Dingxing. His ancestors had inherited the position of junior officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and his father, Xu Guowei, served as the deputy commander of the Baoding Guard.

In the 41st year of the Wanli reign, he passed the imperial examination for military officers, ranking 72nd in the third class, and was appointed as a probationary centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard (a sixth-rank official).

He initially served as the Criminal Officer of the Southern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, handling cases within the garrison. He gradually distinguished himself due to his "ability to understand the emperor's intentions and his decisive use of torture."

Of course, in officialdom, being good at your job won't guarantee a quick promotion.

After Wei Chao became the head of the Eastern Depot, he was the first to fawn over him, flattering Wei Chao to the point of being granted the title of Commander of the Northern Garrison and in charge of interrogation in the imperial prison.

Not long after, Wei Zhongxian temporarily took over as the head of the Eastern Depot of the Wei Dynasty. While everyone else was watching and waiting, Xu Xianchun was the first to place his bet.

He openly pledged allegiance to Wei Zhongxian and offered his services: to help Wei Zhongxian purge Wang An and Wei Chao's confidants from the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Therefore, he was soon promoted by Wei Zhongxian to the position of Commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

It took Xu Xianchun seven years to rise from a probationary centurion of the sixth rank to a full-fledged centurion of the sixth rank.

However, it took him less than a month to go from a sixth-rank centurion to a fourth-rank garrison commander.

Why are those who are favored by the emperor despised?

In Xu Xianchun's view, it was nothing more than these people being jealous.

The torch cast distorted shadows on the damp brick wall.

As the Northern Garrison Commander's eagle eyes swept across the iron fence, his nostrils twitched suddenly.

He frowned slightly, because the smell in the air was off; a musty, bloody stench mixed with a faint, bitter almond scent.

"Open the door."

The gilded and silver-inlaid embroidered spring knife sheath pressed against the door of cell number one, causing the chains to fall to the ground with a thud.

Zhou Chaorui huddled on a straw mat in the corner, his clothes stained with poisoned wine rising and falling with his rapid breathing. His sallow face turned ashen the moment he saw the person who had come, Feiyu Buzi.

The fragments of celadon porcelain on the ground were quite conspicuous, but they had been hastily kicked into a corner. Now that the door was open, they were clearly visible.

Xu Xianchun bent down to pick up a shard of celadon, his thumb tracing the amber-like residue on the glaze: "Thirty-year-old pear blossom white?"

His sinister laughter startled two black rats hiding in the crack in the wall. He sneered, “You Donglin Party members all claim to be incorruptible, but the Yangzhou slender horses of Cuiyun Pavilion and the courtesans of Zuixianlou are things you’ve already had your fill. I might not even be able to afford a few cups of this kind of fine wine with my monthly salary, yet you’re willing to spend so much.”

After speaking, Xu Xianchun suddenly ripped open the prisoner's inner garment with the tip of his knife, revealing scarlet characters crawling all over the plain silk inner garment like centipedes.

Zhou Chaorui let out a dying, trapped beast-like whimper, but his jaw was gripped by five iron-like fingers, and the remaining poisoned wine gleamed eerily bluish-purple in the firelight.

“Thunder and rain. Ning Ming died?” Xu Xianchun read the blood letter word by word, the gold thread on his fish-patterned cuffs reflecting half of his face in light and half in shadow.

"The blood on Zhou Du's finger is even more vibrant than the imperial annotations on the memorials. What audacity!"

Xu Xianchun turned and stared at the trembling prisoner, his fish-patterned robe and jade belt casting a massive shadow in the cell: "I remember Zhang San was on duty at dawn today. He's a member of the Donglin Party?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Chaorui suddenly lunged at the corner of the wall, only to be struck heavily on the temple by the scabbard of the Embroidered Spring Blade.

He had heard of Xu Xianchun's reputation before.

He was cruel by nature, frequently instigated major prisons, was adept at using torture, and even forged prison statements.

Falling into his hands is worse than death.

Faced with Zhou Chaorui's pleading eyes, Xu Xianchun merely sneered, a sadistic pleasure rising within him.

He pressed his boot against the trembling right hand, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and said coldly, "Death by remonstrance in prison? The old patriarch was right, even when you Donglin Party are about to die, you have to put on the act of a loyal minister."

"I am not seeking death, nor am I trying to remonstrate with my life."

Xu Xianchun sneered and said, "Covered in blood, isn't this a deathbed remonstrance? It just so happens that I arrived just in time."

Zhou Chaorui immediately said, "If I were to remonstrate to the death, I would already be dead by now. How could the garrison commander still be talking to me?"

Xu Xianchun stroked his chin, nodded, and said, "What you said is correct, but..."

He smiled sinisterly and said, "I'm going to use torture, otherwise I won't believe you!" Zhou Chaorui's eyes were bloodshot, and he wanted to resist, but he was restrained by several Jinyiwei guards and headed towards the torture chamber, which was known as the Hall of Hell. He couldn't even utter a word.

Upon arriving at the torture chamber, Xu Xianchun immediately began to serve him with great force.

Ahhhhhh~
Zhou Chaorui's screams were incessant.

The stench of burning flesh filled the torture chamber. Xu Xianchun took the snow-white silk handkerchief handed to him by the guard and wiped his hands. He waved it behind him and said, "Send Zhou Chaorui's testimony, along with the blood-stained clothes, to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. I remember it said that Zhou, the Censor, attempted suicide out of fear of punishment."

"in addition."

Xu Xianchun squinted at the half-fallen willow leaf drifting in through the ventilation duct, a chilling smile creeping across his lips: "Send orders to the Nine Gates to arrest Zhang San, the junior officer of the Northern Garrison, who has deserted his post. Remember, he must be alive."

This week, Chao Rui was such a spineless coward; he confessed before he even had a chance to use his special skills.

Xu Xianchun was still not satisfied, so he had to find someone who could withstand the torment to torture.

Dare to betray the Northern Garrison and become a lackey of the Donglin Party?

Who gave you the courage?

Upon receiving the blood-stained clothes and testimony, Wei Zhongxian's old face broke into a wide smile.

“My son Xianchun is still capable, but how can merely commit suicide out of fear of punishment be enough? It was clearly the Donglin Party members who instigated Zhou Chaorui to die for his cause; this is the crime of forming a faction and disrupting the government!”

Wei Zhongxian's python robe twitched slightly: "Add this clause to the testimony, have Zhou Chaorui sign and affix his fingerprint, and then send it over."

As a subordinate, Wei Zhongxian had to be quick to address his leader's urgent needs.

What crime could possibly be charged that would thwart the conspiracy of those traitors outside Zuo Shun Gate?

Forming cliques and disrupting the government is all it takes!

If the evidence of this factionalism and political chaos were truly presented, were those people kneeling in remonstrance genuinely for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, or were they engaging in factionalism and suppression of dissent?

of course
He only needed to hold the knife firmly; whether or not to cut down depended on His Majesty's decree.

Once everything was ready, Wei Zhongxian immediately headed towards the Qianqing Palace.

The journey was smooth.

Wei Zhongxian quickly entered the East Warm Pavilion.

Even though he wielded immense power outside, once inside the East Warm Pavilion, Wei Zhongxian was like a quail, even his breathing was cautious.

"This servant greets Your Majesty. Your Majesty is wise and mighty. In the imperial prison, there was indeed someone who wanted to remonstrate to the death. Moreover, this person was forced to do so. Fortunately, Xu Xianchun arrived in time, and the villain did not succeed. This is the blood letter and testimony from the Ministry of Personnel to the eunuch Zhou Chaorui."

Wei Chao accepted the blood-written letter and testimony with a blank expression, held them in both hands, and knelt on the ground.

Zhu Youxiao took the testimony and began to read it.

After reading it, he glanced at Wei Zhongxian.

"How is Zhou Chaorui?"

Wei Zhongxian knew the emperor's intentions.

As a witness, I certainly can't afford to get into trouble.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the Northern Garrison Command is keeping an eye on him; he will definitely not die."

Zhu Youxiao tapped his knuckles twice lightly on the rosewood imperial desk and asked, "What position does Xu Xianchun currently hold?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, I am the Commander of the Northern Garrison, a fourth-rank official." Wei Zhongxian, with a gold brick on his forehead, looked respectful.

"Draft an imperial edict."

Zhu Youxiao said softly, "Wei Zhongxian, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion; he is hereby bestowed with a python robe and a jade belt with bull and ox patterns. Xu Xianchun, the garrison commander, is diligent and loyal; he is hereby promoted to Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and bestowed with a python robe with flying fish patterns over his shoulders."

Wei Zhongxian trembled. Sitting on a python robe was an honor second only to having a dragon tattoo. Since Yan Song's downfall during the Jiajing reign, no eunuch had ever received such a favor.

He prostrated himself and cried out, "This humble servant thanks Heaven for its grace!"

Wei Chao, standing to the side, was already green with envy.

To be honest, he was jealous.

I serve Your Majesty with all my heart, so I should at least have one of these python robes.
(End of this chapter)