Chapter 105 You want to create another Zhu Yuanzhang, right?
"You advocate the implementation of a new tax system, and you are already very busy. How can we entrust this matter to you?"

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and shook his head.

"It is the duty of a minister to share your majesty's worries."

Hu Weiyong remained humble and polite.

But this scene was seen by the ministers, especially Shen Liben, and was extremely ironic.

After all, Hu Weiyong's words were a mockery of the former for not wanting to share the country's worries, not wanting to share the worries of His Majesty, and not fulfilling his duties as a minister.

So the Ming Dynasty supported them with salaries and promised them high positions just to allow them to have the best of both worlds?

Afterwards, all the third-rank officials in the court came forward one after another, wanting to share Zhu Yuanzhang's worries.

As for Shen Liben's face, it was a mixture of blue and red, and he was so embarrassed that he wanted to bury his head in the ground.

"No wonder Hu Weiyong could become the prime minister."

Prince of Yan Zhu Di, who was participating in government affairs for the first time, looked at Zhu Gang beside him and whispered.

"Ok?"

Zhu Gang glanced at Zhu Di.

"Prime Minister Hu is responsible for the important policy of the country. He is also the right prime minister of the Secretariat, and has the function of assisting the government."

"So if we return Tianchousi to Prime Minister Hu, it will definitely be overwhelmed."

"And I think Hu Weiyong could see this clearly, so he took advantage of the situation."

Zhu Di thought about it, and then whispered again: "Looking at it this way, Dad is just looking for an excuse to make trouble with the ministers."

"No wonder your name is Zhu Di."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gang looked at Zhu Di deeply and gave him a thumbs up.

"what?"

Zhu Di was a little confused.

Even the sound it makes is slightly high.

In addition, the Fengtian Hall was already silent at that moment, so Zhu Di's voice not only attracted the attention of civil and military officials.

It even attracted the attention of Zhu Yuanzhang.

"King Yan, what do you want to say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Di and said in a deep voice.

After much difficulty, he had built up his emotions and was ready to attack Shen Liben, but the shout from his own fourth brother made him lose his temper.

It would be strange if Zhu Yuanzhang was not angry.

"Your Majesty, as a son, I should share your worries."

"So I ask for your permission to support Tian Chou Si for the sake of the court's overall interests."

Zhu Di naturally sensed the crisis, his scalp immediately tingled, and he hurriedly walked out of the queue, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and bowed.

However, Zhu Di's brain was indeed quick, and these words would definitely make him feel much more relieved.

After all, the fourth son of the family has grown up and knows how to share his father's worries. How could Zhu Yuanzhang not be pleased?

Compared with Zhu Yuanzhang's satisfaction, the ministers were relieved.

As long as Zhu Di is willing to take over this menial job, they won't have to do this offensive job.

Today's morning court session has come to a successful conclusion.

But is it really that easy?
"In this case, the establishment of the Tianchou Division will be fully entrusted to the King of Yan."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Di with satisfaction again, and then said softly.

"I accept the order and thank you for your kindness."

Zhu Di bowed and accepted the order.

"Third brother, you have to help me."

Stepping aside, Zhu Di quickly looked at Zhu Gang and whispered, "Otherwise, I will never be able to handle this Tian Chou Si."

For Zhu Di, who devoted himself to military affairs and dominated the world, taking over Tianchousi was like asking Zhang Fei to embroider.
Therefore, if Zhu Di did not have the help of his third brother Zhu Gang, who was both talented in literature and martial arts, he would definitely fail.

"Don't worry, as an older brother, of course I have to protect my younger brother."

Zhu Gang looked at Zhu Di helplessly and said.

"Hehe, thank you, Third Brother."

Zhu Di chuckled again and felt relieved.

"Sure enough! Zhu Di was able to go down in history and become one of the top ten emperors in ancient and modern times. He must have been quite capable."

Looking at Zhu Di who breathed a sigh of relief, Zhu Gang thought again in his heart.

Zhu Di.

Apart from the stain of the Fengtian Jingnan Rebellion and the rebellion to ascend the throne, which cannot be washed away, what other shortcomings are there?
Five expeditions to the northern desert, conquering the Wolf's Lair, drinking from the vast sea, the Yongle Encyclopedia, and the Yongle Emperor.

Which one is not praise for Emperor Taizong of Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di?

Moreover, in Zhu Gang's view, he rebelled and ascended the throne to become emperor, even though he was seizing the throne from his own nephew.

But it was that brat Zhu Yunwen who did the dishonest thing first.

What? You, Zhu Yunwen, were able to abolish several feudal lords and even force your own uncle to commit suicide, so why couldn’t Zhu Di kill you, rebel and claim the throne?

What? The imperial power is supreme. If the emperor wants his subjects to die, they have to die!
Stop bragging. If the imperial power was truly supreme, how could there be so many dynasties that withered away like fallen leaves?
To put it bluntly, Zhu Di is the same as that group of people in his bones. I can respect the imperial power, but that doesn’t mean I am afraid of it.

He was in awe because this was the empire conquered by his father Zhu Yuanzhang!

I am not afraid because I have a rebellious nature. If I didn't have this identity, I might not be able to get to that position.

Why should we fear the imperial power?
Furthermore, throughout the dynasties, has there ever been a smooth transition of power between the second generation?
If nothing else, it is a unified dynasty.

During the Qin Dynasty, power alternated between two generations. Hu Hai usurped the throne and Qin II died.

In the Han Dynasty, there was indeed no big problem with the power transition between two generations, but it is also a fact that Empress Lü controlled the government.

In the Jin Dynasty, first the harem interfered in government affairs, and then the Rebellion of the Eight Kings broke out, which directly led to the demise of the Western Jin Dynasty. Afterwards, the Jin Dynasty moved south, and Sima Rui established the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jianye, living in peace in a corner.

The Sui Dynasty was short-lived due to the struggle between Yang Yong and Yang Guang, and it perished in the second generation.

In the Tang Dynasty, there is no need to talk about the famous Xuanwu Gate inheritance system again, right?
In the Song Dynasty, the sound of axes and the shadow of candles, the death of the elder brother and the succession to the younger brother, the love-hate entanglement between Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi.

However, Zhu Gang had reservations about the Song Dynasty. After all, it did not take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, so whether it could be considered a unified dynasty remained to be discussed.

But from this point of view, almost no power transition between the second generation is smooth.

Therefore, in Zhu Gang's view, Zhu Di's rebellion and proclaiming himself emperor was simply the trend of the times.

After all, the Ming Dynasty, which had the greatest hope for a second-generation power transition and the most stable period, ended with the early death of Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

That will definitely cause some turmoil!
Not to mention what Zhu Gang was thinking, even Zhu Yuanzhang, who took the lead, looked around at all the ministers before his eyes fell on Shen Liben.

Suddenly, his eyes became gloomy.

"You are all the most important officials in the court, but today, I am very dissatisfied with you."

“In fact, I’m very angry!”

After a pause, a hint of anger flashed across Zhu Yuanzhang's face.

Hearing this, fear flashed across the eyes of all the ministers, and they were shocked in their hearts!
As expected, Zhu Yuanzhang was about to start to make trouble, no, it should be to settle the score.

"Prime Minister Hu is in charge of the Secretariat, but he is still helping the court."

"We should be determined to measure the land and implement the land tax distribution system, so that officials and gentry can pay taxes together, be loyal to the country, and perform our duties conscientiously."

"For this reason, I work hard day and night and dare not slack off."

"But look at you, the farming is of great importance to the country, for the sake of the people of the world."

"As the parents of the people, you do not think about making decisions for the people, but instead you are only trying to shirk your responsibilities."

"What can't be done? What can't be done? These are all excuses. They are nothing more than trying to please everyone and are afraid of offending someone!"

"Aren't you afraid of offending the people of the world?" "Especially you, Shen Liben, as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank minister of the court, we have entrusted you with an important task."

"But is this how you repay our reliance on you?"

"Tian Chou Si, whose interests have been touched? Whose people's hearts have our Ming Dynasty lost?"

"Shen Liben, you'd better give us an explanation."

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up slowly, his voice was like thunder piercing the ears, and his words shook people's hearts.

It even frightened all the civil and military officials in the Fengtian Hall. Some were even so frightened that their livers and livers broke and they knelt on the ground with their heads bowed, all of them fearing the unquestionable wrath of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I just feel that taking the land as government land will harm the interests of the people and is inconsistent with ancient etiquette, so I open my mouth to advise Your Highness."

"Your Majesty, I have no selfish motives. Please understand your majesty!"

Shen Liben kowtowed again hurriedly, fearing that Zhu Yuanzhang would take his life in anger!
"It harms the interests of the people? It goes against ancient etiquette? Hehe."

A sneer flashed across Zhu Yuanzhang's lips, and his eyes were full of sarcasm.

"Let's not talk about the poverty in the north, let's talk about the current situation in the south of the Yangtze River."

"If the people still have difficulty in getting enough food, then taking the land as government land and renting it out to the people at extremely low prices would be harming the interests of the people?"

"Isn't this damaging to your interests?"

"Why? You want the court to distribute the land to the people so you can continue to force the sale, right?"

"Then they concentrated on annexation, causing the people to suffer misery, so that they could create another Zhu Yuanzhang, right?"

The murderous intent that once dominated the battlefield instantly emanated from Zhu Yuanzhang's body, shaking the Fengtian Hall!

This is an aura of someone who has been in a high position for a long time and is decisive in killing!

Faced with this momentum, not only the ministers, but even the Huaixi officials who followed Zhu Yuanzhang in conquering the world had flashes of panic in their eyes.

Immediately, all the civil and military officials, including the meritorious officials from Huaixi, knelt on the ground in unison, not daring to look at Zhu Yuanzhang above.

As for Shen Liben, he was already frightened by this momentum and his face turned pale. He felt like he had a thorn in his side and was unable to say a word.

I could only kowtow there continuously.

But the court officials who were closer to Shen Libenjing frowned slightly, because they all smelled the smell of urine.

It was just because everyone was kneeling here at this moment and dared not move casually, otherwise, they had to stay away from Shen Liben.

Moreover, a third-rank court official was actually scared to death by Zhu Yuanzhang. How could this be possible?

How spineless and how afraid of death this is!
After this battle, even if Shen Liben could survive, he would become a laughing stock among all the civil and military officials in the court.

How can I be an official in the court?

But if you put yourself in their shoes, would they be able to avoid peeing their pants when faced with Zhu Yuanzhang's words?

In response to this, the ministers were silent again. No!

After all, according to Zhu Yuanzhang, this was a crime of treason, and the punishment was not as simple as beheading.

The punishment could be light, such as the execution of the entire family, or serious, such as the punishment of nine generations of the clan.

"Also, I want to ask you, Shen Liben, which dynasty did you serve as an official?"

"What kind of ancient rituals are you following? What kind of old customs are you upholding?"

"Or do you think we are the kings who lost their country?"

"Do we have to follow old and outdated etiquette?"

Looking at Shen Liben who was kowtowing like a machine, Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly again.

"Your Majesty, I was born in troubled times. I am loyal to the court and you, and I have no second thoughts!"

"It is just that I, an old minister, was stupid at the time and failed to understand the emperor's intention. I mistakenly put the old rituals and old systems before the new dynasty's spirit. I deserve death."

Upon hearing this, Shen Liben's whole body trembled. He struggled to stand up. There was a bruise on his forehead and his eyes were full of fear.

"Moreover, Your Majesty initiated the Hongwu Reign, which brought great power to the country and won the hearts of the people! How dare this old minister compare Your Majesty with those incompetent rulers who ruined their country!"

After saying this, Shen Liben kowtowed again and again, crying, "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no such intention. Please understand your Majesty!"

"Come here, beat him out of the palace gate with sticks and kill him."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled coldly and waved his hand.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life! I know my crime! Please give me a chance to live!"

Hearing this, Shen Liben screamed at the top of his lungs, tears and snot streamed down his face, his body trembled violently on the cold floor tiles, every inch of his body revealed extreme panic and despair.

The scene froze for a moment, the air was as heavy as lead, but the guards waiting in the hall would not hesitate at all!
However, when facing Shen Liben who was crying and begging for mercy, the guards still looked at him with cold eyes.

"beat!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was like thunder, making the hall buzz. Only his fingers were seen moving slightly.

The iron rod drew a cold arc in the air and fell towards Shen Liben with an irresistible determination.

With a loud dull bang, the iron rod, accompanied by the sound of wind, fell heavily on Shen Liben's body.

"what--"

A delighted howl sounded, and Shen Liben's face was instantly distorted.

But Zhu Yuanzhang just frowned, and the guard immediately understood and tore open Shen Liben's official robe and stuffed it into Shen Liben's mouth.

Afterwards, accompanied by a series of knocking sounds, Shen Liben was beaten out of the Fengtian Hall by the guards.

All that was left was the mess and blood in the hall.

Of course, there was also the fear and panic of the ministers!

Kill the chicken and the monkey!
It’s definitely a warning to others!
After all, although Shen Liben was guilty, why was he beaten out of the Fengtian Hall with sticks until he was beaten to death?

Obviously, Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to use this incident to tell his civil and military officials that Shen Liben had brought this upon himself, but he hoped that this would be the only time he would suffer such an outcome.

"King Qin, an evil minister like Shen Liben must have been corrupt and committed crimes in private. Let's investigate and get to the bottom of it."

Then, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Chong again and spoke softly.

"According to the order."

Zhu Chong clasped his fists decisively.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Seeing Zhu Chong nod, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the ministers again. The ministers sighed in their hearts and kowtowed again.

"Anything else?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction and said.

In response, the ministers exchanged glances and shook their heads, saying, "I have no right to make another appeal."

What a joke! It’s all thanks to your kindness that I can go home and have a hot meal.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report. Yesterday in Yingtian Prefecture, the Jinyiwei found out that among the officials in Yingtian Prefecture in Beijing, from the prefect to the lowest-ranking officials, many are corrupt and illegal."

"Your Majesty, please give me a clear warning!"

As he spoke, Zhu Gang presented the memorial again, and then continued, "This is the confession signed by his officials in Beijing, and I am presenting it to Your Majesty for your review."

As for the civil and military officials below, apart from feeling a little helpless, there was no other strange expression on their faces.

After all, the news that the Jinyiwei were arresting officials on a large scale had spread throughout the capital yesterday.

So there is no need to make too much of a fuss.

"boom--"

With a loud bang, Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the confession on the imperial desk, and the sound echoed in the quiet hall.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang who was angrily slamming the imperial desk, the ministers felt a pang in their hearts and cried in grief.

Today, it’s not over yet, right?

(End of this chapter)