He asked directly, "What about Liu Liangzuo and Hu Maozhen?"
They've already been locked up.
Zhu Ci frowned. "What is the use of keeping them?"
Jiang Quan said, "They surrendered voluntarily."
There has always been an unwritten rule within the Ming Army against killing surrendered generals, primarily because it creates a negative impact; if people intend to surrender but see that you execute those who do, they will fight to the death, thinking, "What's the point? I might as well give it my all, just in case I win." After all, it's death either way.
Zhu Ci sneered, "Kill them, then hang their heads on the city gates."
Jiang Quan immediately responded upon hearing this and went out to slaughter people without a second word.
Just as he had finished killing the man and was preparing to pay respects at the Imperial Tombs, Fu's letter arrived first.
This time, the letter from the young Grand Secretary contained very few words, consisting of only a single sentence: "Your Majesty, please quickly write an Imperial Decree and send it over."
Zhu Ci: Huh?
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: What's the use of keeping them around? To keep them as pets? Even a pig can be kept as emergency food! Evil kitty hanging heads. jpg
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock~
Chapter 114
Zhu Ci soon understood why Fu would ask such a question.
Because the memorials and impeachments were arriving in stacks, forming a sharp contrast with the previous situation where memorials were only sent forward if they concerned major matters of state.
The ministers' remonstrances all accused him of killing people without cause, while the impeachment memorials accused Jiang Quan, Jiang Xueyan, others of failing to advise the Emperor when they were by his side, even going so far as to write that they were aiding a tyrant.
Jiang Xueyan and Jiang Quan looked at each other, both feeling a bit stunned.
This.. didn't they just need to be obedient? Were they also supposed to offer remonstrance?
Zhu Ci realized belatedly that he was now the Emperor; he had to follow proper procedures and could not simply act on his whims.
Amidst a pile of memorials and impeachments, only Shi Kefa, Liu Zhaoji, He Gang were speaking on his behalf.
It was likely that these three people hated Liu Liangzuo and Hu Maozhen even more, fortunately, these three were there; otherwise, Zhu Ci would have felt as if the entire court of civil and military officials were opposing him.
After reading several memorial and impeachment documents, he simply pushed the rest aside and went to write an imperial decree.
He believed that what he had done was not wrong. People like Liu Liangzuo and Hu Maozhen were far too unscrupulous; keeping them around would only be telling the world that all that talk of national integrity and loyalty to the state was nothing but empty words, that preserving one's own life to pursue wealth and honor was what truly mattered.
Haven't you seen that even people like Liu Liangzuo and Hu Maozhen can be pardoned? Not only are they pardoned, but they can even continue to hold high positions. Given the current situation in Great Ming, those below might even ask him to endure it and reinstate Liu Liangzuo and Hu Maozhen, after all, the greater good comes first.
Therefore, no matter what, these two cannot be spared.
Thinking this way, Zhu Ci felt that what he was doing was not problematic; once the formal procedures were followed, perhaps those two might be spared.
Perhaps Fu thought so too, which was why he had him quickly draft a supplemental imperial decree; as long as the Grand Secretariat stamped it, the procedure would be considered normal.
Thinking of this, Zhu Ci immediately began racking his brains to write the imperial decree. This decree had to be written from a position of absolute righteousness, leaving no room for criticism, because of the tight schedule, he could not ask Fu to revise it or transcribe it for him.
This imperial decree could be said to have been written word by word by Zhu Ci. After finishing it, he felt as if he had reached a higher state of being, never having expected that such a cultured and forceful decree would actually come from his own hand.
After he sent out the imperial decree, news finally arrived from Huaian that the Grand Secretary stated the decree had reached the Grand Secretariat and had already been stamped. It was simply that there had been too many matters to attend to previously, so they hadn't had time to announce it to the world; the Emperor had not acted recklessly after all.
As a result, Fu was the one who got scolded. The harshest criticism came from Huang Chunyao, who said that since the Grand Secretariat and the Censorate were supposed to assist together, why hadn't he informed the Censorate before getting the seal?
Zhu Ci was instantly deeply moved; the Grand Secretary was truly the best, as the Grand Secretary would help him shoulder the blame.
ly Fu shares his thoughts, feeling that these two cannot be allowed to remain, thus he helped him shoulder a portion of the pressure.
However, this pressure was not easy for Fu Chunsheng to bear either.
He had always had poor health due to a congenital illness, so he went to bed early and woke up early every day, but these past two days, this matter had forced him to work overtime.
Every day, Huang Chunyao would bring his group of Censorate officials to the Grand Secretariat to demand an Imperial Decree from him.
An Imperial Decree.. The Imperial Decree's whereabouts were still unknown. Fu could certainly help write one, but since they had all served in the same hall for some time, they had become quite familiar with one another, Huang Chunyao was already quite familiar with Fu's writing style for official documents.
Of course, the main reason was that his Majesty's style was extremely unpredictable. You couldn't say he was incompetent, as he would occasionally write some excellent phrases, but if you said he was capable, his language could sometimes be incredibly blunt.
In this situation, Fu Chunsheng did not dare to write recklessly.
Moreover, the imperial decree could not be written carelessly; if it were truly written, it would be considered a fraudulent imperial decree. The Emperor might be grateful to him now, but if something were to happen in the future, this would become a sharp blade capable of killing him, it would be a blade he himself had personally handed to the Emperor.
Huang Chunyao came to pester Fu again, asking, "Where exactly is His Majesty's decree? The Grand Secretary wouldn't be forging an Imperial Decree, would he?"
Just as Fu was about to pretend to be ill, Lu Zheng quickly walked over and, using his sleeve for cover, slipped something into his hand.
Fu felt the object and immediately understood the situation, feeling a profound sense of relief in his heart, though he maintained his composure and said, "The Left Censor should not make such baseless accusations; even if I were incredibly audacious, I would never dare to falsely claim an Imperial Decree."
Huang Chunyao looked at him for a long while before sighing and saying, "Grand Secretary Fu, there are only the two of us here. Tell me the truth, has the Emperor's decree actually arrived or not? The Prince of Tang and the Prince of Lu are already using this matter to stir up trouble again. Regardless of whether His Majesty has issued the decree, we must be prepared.
Sigh, who could blame them for having such an emperor? They were gratified that he was not a puppet, possessing responsibility and ability, yet at other times, they hated that he was not a puppet, acting too freely and making things difficult for his subordinates.
The two manifestos Zhu Ci wrote previously had indeed kept Zhu Yujian and Zhu Yihai quiet for many days.
They were not fools; they knew that once Yangzhou fell, they would be next, especially Zhu Yihai, who would be the first to face the Qing Army.
However, times have changed, right now they wished more than anything they could suppress Zhu Ci.
How is this brat so capable of fighting? In the blink of an eye, Fengyang has been taken. Now, many men of vision among the common people are watching from the sidelines, making it much harder for them to recruit talent.
Zhu Yujian and Zhu Yihai were extremely anxious; Zhu Ci had not issued any imperial decrees to recruit talents, as a result, many people were now debating whether or not to go to Huaian to join him.
Even if they offered heavy rewards, the number of people coming to join them was decreasing. At this rate, how could they compete with that little brat?
So it would be best to ruin his reputation and get all the scholars in the world to stand on our side; only then would we have a fighting chance.
As for the Tartars.. they don't seem as formidable as the legends say; even a little brat can make them flee in terror.
That brat didn't have any famous generals under his command, whereas Zhu Yujian had Zheng Zhilong.
The only problem was likely that after Zhu Ci's manifesto arrived, Zhu Yujian and Zheng Zhilong had some minor friction between them. Even though Zhu Yujian had repeatedly stated it was merely the little brat's attempt to sow discord, he still felt, to some extent, that what Zhu Ci said made sense.
Under these circumstances, Zhu Yihai and Zhu Yujian stopped writing manifestos and instead arranged for people to start spreading rumors, claiming that the Crown Prince Hongguang was tyrannical, had killed countless people, had even overturned the natural order by forcing the gentry to pay taxes, which was a blatant violation of ancestral traditions and an act of betrayal against one's teachers and ancestors!
The only thing the two of them had not done was deny the legitimacy of Zhu Ci's identity.
There was no other way; they had tried to deny it, then.. Crown Prince Chongzhen Zhu Ci came out to support his cousin.
Zhu Ci declared repeatedly: In times of chaos, the throne belongs to those capable; he only desires peace in the world and does not wish for the people to suffer, which is why he yielded to his cousin.
These words were exactly the same as what his father had said before his suicide, they were deeply moving.
The most important thing was that he really did give up the throne.
Then, Zhu Ci also secretly suggested that neither Zhu Yihai nor Zhu Yujian possessed the qualities of a wise ruler or a capable minister.
No matter how much Zhu Yihai and Zhu Yujian cursed Zhu Ci, they could not deny his legitimate status. With him present, they would be unable to overthrow Zhu Ci's legitimacy no matter what.
After Chongzhen died, Zhu Ci automatically ascended the throne as Emperor; even without the proper procedures, it was only right. Now that he has said he wants to abdicate, what can you do?
Nowadays, what the Southern Ming faces is the opponent starting to fan the flames among the common people.
Being beaten without being able to fight back was unacceptable, so Huang Chunyao was extremely anxious.
Fu said calmly, "There is no need for you to be anxious, Censor Huang. They have chosen the most inferior method. As for the imperial decree.. it does indeed exist, it just hasn't been issued yet. If you cannot handle it, Censor Huang, then come with me and see."
Huang Chunyao immediately followed Fu to his office, asking with some doubt as they walked, "What do you mean by the lowest method?"
As Fu walked slowly, he asked, "Has Censor Huang ever truly spent a long time with commoners?"
I also lived in the countryside back in the day.
Even rural life is different; if compared to Your Majesty, I'm afraid it still falls short.
After hearing this, Huang Chunyao couldn't help but mutter to himself: How dare you speak of me? You were born into a merchant family and have been surrounded by servants since childhood; how could you truly know anything about the lives of the common people?
He said bluntly, "What is Grand Secretary Fu trying to say?"
Fu glanced at him: "Among the scholars in this world, only one or two out of ten have official titles; most are commoners, being able to become a Tuosheng is already quite good. You should go and listen to how they view His Majesty."
Huang Chunyao was stunned for a moment after hearing this. He pondered for a bit, sensing a hint of something unusual but not quite being able to grasp it, so he finally reached out his hand: "Where is the Imperial Decree?"
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: I'm not in the wrong, I'll do it again next time! An evil kitty baring its teeth righteously. jpg
Next update at 12:00 PM~
Chapter 115
Fu glanced at him, then leisurely pulled an Imperial Decree from his sleeve and said, "It's here."
After opening it, Huang Chunyao glanced at Fu Chunsheng.
He knew that the little fox had been lying to him all along; there wasn't even a seal from the Grand Secretariat on the imperial decree, which clearly meant it had only been received recently, yet he had been deceived for several days.
However, Huang Chunyao was too lazy to dwell on this matter. He scanned the document from top to bottom, looking somewhat surprised. "Huh? Who signed this on behalf of the Emperor?"
Fu hadn't even looked at it yet, but after hearing that, he simply said, "By the Emperor's side now.. I'm afraid there is no one who can help with the writing."
If that is truly the case.. His Majesty's natural talent is truly something I have only seen once in my life." After Huang Chunyao finished speaking, he looked through the imperial decree once more before handing it to Fu and saying, "Grand Secretary Fu, you should announce this to the world as soon as possible.
Fu held the imperial decree and waited until Huang Chunyao had left before opening it to take a look; only upon glancing at it did he realize why Huang Chunyao had been so moved.
The wording in this imperial decree was extremely sophisticated.
The opening stated how difficult his situation was: "I, with my humble self, have inherited this great foundation. At this time of heaven's collapse and earth's rupture, I hold only the state in my heart and the people in my thoughts. As the nomadic cavalry advances southward and the mountains and rivers are shattered, it is by the grace of my ancestors' spirits that a single thread of hope remains."
Immediately after, the tone shifts as he begins to denounce these two—oh, he is stating exactly where their crimes lie:
The second of the treacherous officials, Liu Liangzuo, once received the nation's grace and rose to the rank of Earl, commanding troops in Jiangbei and being hailed as a capable general. However, when the Tartar cavalry crossed the Huai River and Yangzhou was in critical danger, he surrendered at the first sign of trouble, abandoning his loyalty to serve his enemies. He surrendered the strategic lands of Jiang and Huai, along with tens of thousands of elite troops, handing them over to the invaders. Furthermore, after surrendering to the enemy, he turned against his own people to serve as a vanguard for the Tartars, massacring his compatriots; his crimes are even more heinous.
The second of the treacherous officials, Hu Maozhen, was born into a family of border generals and rose through the military ranks. The Emperor had previously trusted him for his loyalty and courage, promoting him to the central army, entrusting him with core responsibilities, relying on him as a pillar of the state. When Yangzhou was besieged, at the very moment he should have fought to the death, he instead betrayed his lord for personal glory, wallowing in the same filth as scoundrels like Liu Liangzuo. He led the prefectural elite into a sudden rout, leaving the isolated city without reinforcements. His betrayal of grace and righteousness is an offense that heaven and earth cannot tolerate.
A final concluding remark: In times of national chaos and when the state is in peril, instead of thinking of loyalty to the sovereign and service to the country, you betrayed your masters for personal glory, willingly becoming the hounds and eagles of the Tartars to slaughter your compatriots and devastate Jiangnan. Your crimes are heaven-high, you are an object of indignation for both gods and men.
Now that the Royal Army has been revitalized and the Heavenly Might has returned, you have reached the end of your road and surrendered—how do you still dare to cling to life in this world?
Such treacherous people, who repeatedly betray their principles and turn against their masters, are rejected by heaven and earth and cannot be pardoned by the laws of the land.
I shall avenge my ancestors and establish order for all the people; I will never tolerate traitorous officials who seek to survive by betraying their masters and disrupting the moral order.