Chapter 89: Those in power are good at observing the situation and playing with people's hearts

In response to Zhu Gang's beckoning, the guards of the palace did not move, but instead looked at Zhu Yuanzhang sitting on the dragon throne in their hands.

In response, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

The guard just walked slowly towards Zhu Gang, bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness."

"bass--"

With a sharp sound and a cold light, the air seemed to be split in two as the blade was unsheathed. The sharp wind from the blade revealed an edge that could not be ignored, as well as a murderous aura that was incompatible with the Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Gang pulled out a long sword from the guard's waist, slowly placed it on Zhang Chou's shoulder, and said slowly: "Prime Minister Hu, I think you are panicking."

Facing the cold blade so close to his neck, Zhang Chou couldn't help but shudder all over. Cold sweat quietly slid down his forehead like a trickle and seeped through his clothes.

Even Zhang Chou's breathing became rapid and shallow, and his eyes showed both unbelievable fear and panic that he was trying hard to hide.

At this moment, with his life hanging by a thread, Zhang Chou forced himself to remain calm, but could only barely squeeze out a dry reply from his throat: "Your Highness is so imposing and majestic, how can this old minister not be afraid?"

Unlike Zhang Chou's fear, Censor Zhou Kangyu took a step forward, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said:

"Your Highness, I, the Censor Zhou Kangyu of the Imperial Censorate, have the audacity to speak out! The actions of the King of Jin today were to disregard the court etiquette and privately bring a sharp weapon to the Fengtian Palace to threaten important officials. This trend must not be allowed to continue!"

"Let me ask, if we allow such outrageous behavior, where will the face of the court be? Where will the moral principles and laws be?"

"I beg Your Majesty to put the country first and severely punish such acts of usurpation. Let the world know that the laws of the Ming Dynasty cannot be violated. Under the imperial power, no one can stay out of the law!"

After saying this, Zhou Kangyu still had a righteous look on his face, and his fearlessness of power was evident in his words.

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could speak, another censor came out and also looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said:

"Your Majesty, Minister Zhang has always been upright and loyal. Although his actions may not be prudent, his original intention is nothing more than to share the country's worries and relieve Your Majesty's worries. He cares about the country and is forgivable."

"In contrast, His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin flashed a knife in the Fengtian Palace, and his murderous aura surged. Such behavior not only violated the court etiquette, but also chilled the hearts of the ministers. It seemed that he was disrespecting His Majesty and despising the government!"

"I beg Your Majesty to impose severe punishment to strengthen the foundation of the country, to reassure the ministers, and to protect the country!"

After saying this, the censor bowed slightly again.

Li Wenxi, a native of Yixing, Changzhou Prefecture, was a censor in the Censorate.

As the saying goes, when the wall falls, everyone pushes it. Besides, it was Zhu Gang who gave him the opportunity, so it was natural that this group of civil servants in Jiangnan would not let Zhu Gang have an easy time.

After all, if it weren't for Zhu Yuanzhang's reputation, these civil servants would have accused Zhu Gang of plotting treason by resorting to force in the Fengtian Hall.

Then another large group of officials came forward, reporting that Prince of Jin Zhu Gang had disobeyed the rules of propriety and disregarded the emperor's grace, and requested that he be severely punished.

Apart from the fact that he had no so-called intention of treason, almost all the remaining accusations seemed to be put on Zhu Gang.

In response to this, there was only a flash of disdain in Zhu Gang's eyes.

If they were facing another emperor, their interference would definitely cause disunity between father and son.

But you are facing the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were instantly covered with a layer of gloom, but it was not directed at Zhu Gang, but swept across every minister present like a cold wind.

But he did not react immediately. Instead, he looked at Zhu Gang and said in a deep voice:

"Prince Jin, how do you explain the use of force in Fengtian Palace?"

Hearing this, Zhu Gang still put the knife in his hand on Zhang Chou's shoulder and felt the trembling coming from Zhang Chou.

The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile again, and he turned his head to look at Zhu Yuanzhang and said:
"For the country."

As soon as these words came out, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and asked: "You are willing to use the sword to fight, is it for the country?"

In response to Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Zhu Gang nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Li Wenxi stepped out of the queue again, but this time he did not look at Zhu Yuanzhang, but at Zhu Gang, and said, "Absurd!"

"Your Highness the Prince of Jin only said one sentence for the country, and you want to expose the crime of using weapons in Fengtian Palace?"

"Even if Your Highness is devoted to the country, you can still make honest and frank comments. However, it is obvious that you are doing this for the country and the people. How can you ignore the grace of the emperor, disrespect the king and father, and start a war without authorization to intimidate important officials!"

"Besides, even if Minister Zhang is guilty, it is still up to His Majesty to make the final decision. How can Your Highness make the final decision arbitrarily?"

As soon as Li Wenxi finished speaking, all the ministers in the hall were in an uproar again!

Crown Prince Zhu Biao and Prince of Qin Zhu Chong looked at Li Wenxi with cold faces, with murderous intent in their hearts.

This Li Wenxi is really brave!

In an instant, the Crown Prince, the King of Qin, and several other nobles began to murder him.

If Li Wenxi could escape unscathed today, Tu Jie and Chen Ning from the Censorate would plan to make further use of Li Wenxi!
After all, although this guy did not directly say that Zhu Gang had the intention of rebelling, he did state the fact that Zhu Gang intended to rebel.

The phrase "the emperor is the only one who makes the decision" has been used from ancient times to describe the decisiveness and ruthlessness of the emperor, but today you, Li Wenxi, have applied it to Prince of Jin, Zhu Gang.

Isn't this clearly telling Zhu Yuanzhang and the court officials that Zhu Gang has his own agenda and wants to make the final decision on his own?

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that Li Wenxi alienated the royal family.

Based on their understanding of Zhu Yuanzhang, even if Li Wenxi was innocent today, Zhu Yuanzhang would still skin Li Wenxi alive.

But Zhu Gang still didn't care. Instead, he continued to look at Zhang Chou, who was shaking slightly, and said softly:
"Minister Zhang, if I didn't have evidence, how could I put this knife on your neck?"

"Your father and son have been officials for generations, and both hold important posts. Your family is in trouble. Can you wash away your guilt by saying that you have never been back to Wuxi?"

"Besides, Wuxi is less than 400 miles away from Yingtian Prefecture. If we rush forward with a hundred horses, we can check the land area and return to the court in just ten days."

"So it's better to kill all nine clans or leave a bloodline for yourself. Minister Zhang must understand this."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chou's face turned pale in an instant, but Zhu Gang just sheathed his sword and ignored Zhang Chou.

Instead, he turned around, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang who was sitting on the dragon throne, and smiled and said:
"Your Majesty, the censor has reported that I have violated etiquette in front of your palace. I am willing to take the blame."

"I only ask Your Majesty to allow me to make amends for my crime and allow me to go to Jiangnan in person to investigate the land and report to the court."

Zhu Biao also turned around decisively, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and bowed:
"Your Majesty, although the Prince of Jin was disrespectful in front of the palace, considering his sincere attitude in admitting his mistakes, please give him a lighter punishment."

Then, Zhu Chong also stepped out, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and bowed, saying:

"The King of Jin fought on the grasslands and was unfamiliar with the affairs of the court. This is against the grace of the emperor. However, considering that he has just entered the court, please give him a lighter punishment."

Subsequently, the nobles of Huaixi also came forward to plead for Zhu Gang.

As for the remaining ministers, a hint of embarrassment flashed across their eyes, especially Li Wenxi, who had an imperceptible hint of paleness hidden beneath his embarrassed expression.

A few words are indeed not enough to cover up Zhu Gang's insolence.

But Zhu Biao and Zhu Chong's plea for Zhu Gang did indeed help to resolve a big issue and a small issue. After all, emperors throughout history have always attached great importance to the friendship between brothers, and even if they are just at odds with each other, it is enough to make the emperor happy.

So as soon as Zhu Biao and Zhu Chong opened their mouths, Li Wenxi understood that he had already lost the battle by taking the opportunity to impeach Prince of Jin Zhu Gang, and he had lost completely!

Moreover, even Li Wenxi would have never expected that the reason Zhu Gang was so confident in threatening Zhang Chou with a knife was that he had evidence that the Zhang family had deceived the court.

The Yixing Li family where Li Wenxi lived was only two hundred miles away from Wuxi, so wouldn't it have escaped Zhu Gang's eyes and ears?

Thinking of this, Li Wenxi's face turned three shades paler.

Rings within rings, games within games, it’s impossible to guard against!
I'm afraid their report was also part of Zhu Gang's plan.

The purpose was to go to the south of the Yangtze River in person and conduct a strict inspection of the farmland in the south of the Yangtze River.

Suddenly, Li Wenxi's pupils shrank again.
From the Huaixi nobles' occupation of land, punishment, and exemption from death with iron scrolls, the three Zhu Gang brothers all clearly emphasized that national laws are ruthless and should be taken seriously.

This leads to the measurement of land, which itself is aimed at the south of the Yangtze River.

But if you think about it carefully, this is not simply targeting the farmland in Jiangnan, but the Ming Dynasty is targeting the Jiangnan gentry!
Since the Lu family, the Jiangnan gentry has lost face among the Jiangnan literati.

However, this could not cause serious damage to the Jiangnan gentry, it could only be considered a minor injury.

After all, how can the behavior of the Lu family in Jiangnan be compared with that of other gentry in Jiangnan?
Anyway, as long as the Jiangnan gentry take advantage of the situation and completely ruin the Lu family's reputation, they can protect themselves.

But now thinking about it, Li Wenxi just felt that these nobles were really stupid!

He was so stupid that Zhu Yuanzhang, a cowherd, plotted against him without him noticing!
So stupid that Zhu Yuanzhang could ride on the reputation of the Jiangnan gentry and win the hearts of the people!

And when the land in Jiangnan is re-measured, the remarks of the Jiangnan gentry that the Lu family is unfit to be subjects and that they are ashamed to be associated with them will also sweep across the country.

At this moment, Zhu Gang glanced at Li Wenxi intentionally or unintentionally, and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Jiangnan is indeed a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, and Li Wenxi comes from a prominent family in Jiangnan, so it is normal for him to have clear ideas.

But is this a case of hindsight?

After all, from the very beginning, Zhu Gang's plan was centered around attacking the Jiangnan gentry.

And if the Jiangnan gentry had been prepared earlier, Zhu Gang would not have been able to push the situation so easily. It would have at least taken some effort.

However, the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River not only did not realize the threat, but also pushed Zhu Gang forward.

As for whether Zhu Gang has evidence against the Wuxi Zhang family?

To be honest, no.

But those in power are good at observing the current situation and, secondly, playing with people's hearts.

Therefore, if Zhang Chou jumped out, Zhu Gang would have more than 70% chance of success. After all, facing such huge benefits, no one could remain unmoved, let alone the Jiangnan gentry?

Furthermore, Zhu Gang pressed on step by step, even threatening Zhang Chou with a knife. From Zhang Chou's inner panic and slight trembling, Zhu Gang was already 100% sure of his success.

"Cough cough."

Regardless of what the ministers thought, Zhu Yuanzhang only coughed lightly, then looked at Zhu Gang, waved his hand and said:
"You don't have to go to Jiangnan. Since this is your first offense, we will not pursue the matter. But this is the only time. If you dare to do it again, I will not let you off easily."

Anyone could see the protectiveness in the words, and many imperial censors, whether for public or private reasons, could no longer make remonstrances, lest they alienate the royal family's affection.

Zhu Gang nodded slightly and bowed slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Seeing this, the court officials all bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

When the dust settled, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes again, looked at Zhang Chou who was already a little unsteady, and frowned:
"Minister Zhang, I want to ask you, does Wuxi belong to our Ming Dynasty or your Zhang family?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chill suddenly arose. Invisibly, an air of solemnity and murderous intent spread throughout the palace, making all the ministers tremble with fear, and they all felt the chill of winter.

Obviously, the emperor's wrath is coming and a storm is about to come!

Zhang Chou's body trembled again when he heard this. Fine beads of sweat instantly oozed out of his forehead. His legs seemed to be as heavy as if they were filled with lead. He knelt down and said respectfully:
"Your Majesty, I am terrified!"

Zhang Chou's voice was trembling. He tried his best to remain calm as he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Wuxi is actually the territory of our Ming Dynasty. Every blade of grass and every tree is the emperor's land. How dare I, an old minister, have such thoughts? I hope Your Majesty will understand!"

For a moment, the hall was silent. Only the sounds of breathing and heartbeats could be heard. The atmosphere was tense, and the civil and military officials around held their breath and kept quiet, fearing that they would be in danger if they were not careful.

As for Zhang Chou, he kept looking at Zhu Yuanzhang and kowtowed, and even a trace of blood appeared on his forehead, which was enough to show how panicked Zhang Chou was.

In response, Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, his eyes were as sharp as a blade, and then he slowly said:

"I don't know what King Jin said, and as for whether you will recruit or not, I don't want to ask now."

"But from the beginning, the King of Jin asked about the registered land in Changzhou and Wuxi. Why is there such a big difference between the actual land area and the actual land area?"

"So I'm very curious, what does the land in Changzhou and Wuxi have to do with whether you return to Wuxi or not?"

"So is this Wuxi ours or your Zhang family's?"

"Could it be that all the land in Wuxi belongs to your Zhang family?"

"Hmm? Minister Zhang."

Zhu Yuanzhang's words were like a heavy hammer, falling on the hall. Every word seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, making the tense atmosphere in the air solidify again.

Especially the last word "Minister Zhang" was filled with an uncontrollable murderous intent.

Upon hearing this, the last trace of blood on Zhang Chou's face instantly disappeared, as if all his strength and hope were drained away. His body involuntarily collapsed and he fell heavily onto the cold and hard bricks of the palace with a dull sound.

This sound broke the tense silence in the hall and highlighted Zhang Chou's fear and despair!

"The Zhang family is finished."

The civil officials in Jiangnan who were watching this scene sighed in their hearts, but at the same time, they also lamented in their hearts: "Jiangnan is finished too."

Facing Zhang Chou who had fallen and fainted, Zhu Yuanzhang still snorted coldly, then slowly stood up and said:
"As important officials in the court, you should know that the foundation of the country lies in the land, and the livelihood of the people lies in farming and weaving. The number of acres of land is related to taxes, the national treasury, and the well-being of the people of the world. How can it be treated as a joke?"

"But you see, this is our good subject, who has done his best to deceive us."

"We can't even imagine how much suffering the people under Wuxi's rule have endured!"

"deliver an imperial order!"

"Zhang Chou deceived the emperor, played with the laws, and ignored the people's livelihood. He deserves death. However, all his nine clans will be punished and punished together."

"Also send an order to the three departments: Anyone who has any connection with Zhang Chou, regardless of the severity of the crime, will be executed and their entire family will be exiled!"

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately paused and looked around. All the ministers lowered their heads and no one dared to meet his eyes.

The hall was silent, with only Zhu Yuanzhang's words echoing, like an icy blade in the cold wind, cutting the nerves of every minister.

(End of this chapter)