Chapter 009 Struggle
However, at this moment, he no longer had the opportunity to consider this matter. This was because Wang Cheng'en had already rolled up his sleeves and was striding towards him.
Upon hearing this decree, Wang Dehua immediately understood that it was a power grab, specifically targeting him. He suspected that this bastard Wang Cheng'en had found someone from somewhere to devise this scheme, and he was facing a difficult situation.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Zhang Mingwei, unsure of his background and unable to speak of it, then looked at Wang Cheng'en, who had already walked in front of him, and hurriedly complained to Emperor Chongzhen: "I deserve to die, I do have a little money. However, the accusation of colluding with outside officials is utterly unfounded. I have always been compliant, just like everyone else in the palace. If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can investigate me and Lord Wang; we have both adhered to the same rules."
Emperor Chongzhen listened and turned his gaze towards Zhang Mingwei, his eyes reflecting a hint of approval and gratitude. Then, lowering his head to look at Wang Dehua, his eyes erupted with fury, and he let out a heavy snort, which served as a response affirming what Zhang Mingwei had said
Emperor Chongzhen is not a three-year-old child, so when he says it's a surprise, it is a surprise? Only a fool would believe that!
Zhang Mingwei also did not wish to allow someone like Wang Dehua to struggle in vain, so he suggested to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, I propose that Lord Wang be tasked with investigating his assets, ensuring that every single amount, aside from his salary, is thoroughly verified"
Wang Dehua found it somewhat difficult to listen, but he still understood Zhang Mingwei's words and immediately felt quite wronged. The matter of collecting money was already public; who does not collect money?
Therefore, he immediately knelt down and embraced the thigh of Emperor Chongzhen, crying out, "Wuwu," while quickly saying, "As long as Your Majesty is happy, it would be a blessing for me to be killed. However, I do not know what I have done wrong to make Your Majesty so angry? If someone has deceived Your Majesty and wishes to eliminate me, although I would die without regret, I would no longer be able to serve Your Majesty in the future, wuwuwu..." If someone has deceived Your Majesty and wishes to eliminate me, although I would die without regret, I would no longer be able to serve Your Majesty in the future, wuwuwu...
It was not until he was dragged out by Wang Cheng'en's men that he suddenly remembered and cried out loudly: "Wang Cheng'en is misleading Your Majesty, staying in the palace late at night with ulterior motives, there must be a plot, Your Majesty, please be extremely cautious..."
The implication is that if Your Majesty believes this will bring you more happiness, then feel free to proceed with it.
In this regard, Wang Cheng'en was naturally well aware that Wang Dehua's attacks would be of no use whatsoever. Just as he was about to happily follow out to carry out his duties, Zhang Mingwei suddenly spoke up, calling Wang Cheng'en to a halt, clearly having something to say.
Of course, this is merely a small trick employed by Wang Dehua to seek survival amidst death. If Emperor Chongzhen truly disregards reason, then he would not hesitate to kill him, and it would not be a significant matter at all. Such incidents would only cause widespread fear if they occurred frequently.
Upon hearing this, Wang Dehua was instantly dumbfounded
Indeed, both the Crown Prince and Princess Kunxing are present. Additionally, there is another person with short hair and in peculiar attire. Who is this person?
Wang Dehua pondered that, if there were no other special matters, this should be the issue of greatest concern to the Emperor. Therefore, he decided to address this matter first, while for the others, he would have to adapt as the situation unfolded
Well, Wang Dehua was kicked and immediately fell backward, landing on his back in a most awkward and disheveled manner
However, for Wang Dehua himself, this is absolutely unacceptable
It is generally impossible for outsiders to stay overnight in the palace, and Wang Dehua had no other means but to resort to this method of attack
But who would have thought that, if he had not mentioned this, it would have been fine; once he brought it up, Emperor Chongzhen's mood worsened even further
Currently, Wang Dehua has also implicated Wang Cheng'en, which clearly conveys the same meaning. Regarding the matter of greed for wealth, it should either be dealt with together or not at all. If Wang Cheng'en is innocent and Wang Dehua is killed, who in the palace would accept that
Meanwhile, Wang Dehua pushed open the palace door and entered. Bowing his head and walking quickly, upon catching a glimpse of Emperor Chongzhen's feet, he immediately knelt on the ground, displaying a heavy expression and said: "I implore Your Majesty to take care of yourself and preserve your health! Regarding the establishment of an altar and shrine for Supervisor Hong, I am personally overseeing the work, and it will be completed shortly!"
Looking up, at the moment I saw Wang Cheng'en, I finally caught a glimpse of the entire scene within the hall
Emperor Chongzhen listened and immediately nodded, instructing Wang Cheng'en to conduct a night raid to confiscate Wang Dehua's property
However, such capricious behavior is generally rare among people
Zhang Mingwei, who was nearby, noticed the embarrassment of Emperor Chongzhen and spoke up to help him out of the predicament. He reprimanded Wang Dehua, saying: "As the chief of the Eastern Depot, you have failed to supervise the officials effectively, and even colluded with them to accept bribes. In such difficult times for the nation, to still be concerned only with personal gain, is that not deserving of death?"
Wang Cheng'en immediately cast a grateful glance at him upon hearing this. In comparison to wealth, he certainly valued his relationship with the emperor more and was unwilling to let that relationship suffer any rift
However, even this small trick of his was seen through by Zhang Mingwei, who continued to say: "The wealth of Lord Wang is prepared for His Majesty and will be used for state affairs in due course"
Because Wang Cheng'en is well aware of his own abilities. Or rather, he is familiar with everyone in the palace. The only one he is not familiar with is this strange person
With this in mind, his mind raced as he contemplated what the emperor was most concerned about at this moment, in order to address the current challenge.
Because in that case, it would be a clear manifestation of tyranny: capricious and unpredictable, even the chief eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat and the supervisor of the Eastern Depot could be killed without reason, or with a trivial excuse. As a result, everyone in the palace would inevitably live in fear, and the consequences would be quite severe. This point can be understood from the fact that historically, tyrants have rarely met with a good end.
Considering all this, Emperor Chongzhen was indeed very angry. However, his true intention in dealing with Wang Dehua was not for wealth. Moreover, there is a significant difference between Wang Dehua and Wang Cheng'en.
After the defeat at Songshan, everyone believed that Hong Chengchou, this high-ranking minister of the empire, had already died for his country. Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen issued an edict to establish an altar and a shrine for him, and upon completion, he would personally lead the civil and military officials to pay their respects.
He has learned from the documentary that Hong Chengchou did not die in battle for his country; instead, he was very much alive, actively assisting the Jurchens in strategizing, and made significant contributions to their ultimate conquest of the Ming dynasty.
Of course not, Wang Dehua was deliberately pretending to be in a difficult situation, merely to alleviate the anger of Emperor Chongzhen.
For these individuals at the end of the Ming Dynasty, this charge would undoubtedly be justified
After Emperor Chongzhen heard Wang Dehua's words, he glanced at Wang Cheng'en, feeling somewhat dissatisfied in his heart
He immediately turned over, using both hands and feet, and crawled to the front of Emperor Chongzhen, with a mournful expression on his face, and said: "If Your Majesty can vent your displeasure, it would bring me the greatest joy in my heart"
Fortunately, having navigated the turbulent waters of court life, he was quite experienced and immediately reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, the little money I have is also prepared for Your Majesty. I was thinking that when Your Majesty is in urgent need of funds in the future, I will provide Your Majesty with a surprise"
Subconsciously, he keenly sensed that the key to everything should lie with this strange person
With a loud "bang," it struck Wang Dehua on the head
Furthermore, it was not always like this in the past, but why has it suddenly become a point of contention now? If it were to be taken this way, who could possibly escape?
He really racked his brains over the issue of money and grain
The implication is that you may kill me, but you must provide a reason for why you would eliminate someone as loyal as I am
Once again, it is this strange person! In Wang Dehua's heart, he couldn't help but feel a deep resentment towards Zhang Mingwei, yet at this moment, he had no opportunity to take a bite out of Zhang Mingwei. He must first overcome the difficulties before him.
Emperor Chongzhen thought about how he was to have altars and shrines established in his honor, and that he would personally lead the civil and military officials to pay tribute to him. When the news of Hong Chengchou's surrender arrived, he would be ridiculed by the people of the world and even by future generations, losing all face. With such thoughts, he could not help but be consumed by anger
Hearing his words and seeing him come over to get kicked again, to be honest, if Emperor Chongzhen were unaware of the historical outcome, he might really believe that this person was truly loyal and genuinely concerned for him
Understanding this, Emperor Chongzhen was even more enraged at the thought of being deceived by him all along, unable to see through his true nature. However, he himself did not want to get his hands dirty, so he turned to Wang Cheng'en and said: "Da Ban, beat him to death for me!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Dehua felt a tightening in his heart and secretly resented: I wonder what kind of enchantment Wang Cheng'en has poured into the Emperor's ear, to make the Emperor's attitude towards me so harsh!
It must be said that while Wang Cheng'en's loyalty to Emperor Chongzhen is one matter, his involvement in money-making activities is certainly another. At this moment, being targeted by Wang Dehua truly took him by surprise
Although Wang Dehua is the chief eunuch of the Imperial Sacrificial Office and also the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, holding the greatest power among the eunuchs in the palace, he is still merely a servant of the emperor. If he were to be killed, it would simply happen without any issue at all
Upon witnessing this situation, Emperor Chongzhen himself was momentarily taken aback. It seemed that when he had just kicked, he had not exerted much force, yet it had such great power
The matter of collusion with the outer court, although it exists, is something that absolutely cannot be acknowledged publicly. As for the issue of greed for money, everyone in the palace is involved. For this reason, he has implicated Wang Cheng'en. If this matter were to be investigated, even Wang Cheng'en would be scrutinized, and then it would depend on whether Wang Cheng'en is afraid or not
However, he is the emperor; even if he does not respond, so what? He can simply kill without hesitation, for he possesses that power
He then strode up to Wang Dehua and kicked him with one foot
In the absence of funds, even the gold and silver utensils in the palace were melted down to serve as military expenses. Even when the clothes worn underneath were torn, the Empress was still asked to mend them before wearing, in order to save a little on palace expenditures. As a result, you are still hoarding wealth
However, he was unaware that Zhang Mingwei was not introduced by Wang Cheng'en at all, but rather appeared out of nowhere before Emperor Chongzhen, having no connection to Wang Cheng'en whatsoever
He is eager to retaliate, but cannot think of any means to do so. All that he could think of has already been used.
Wang Dehua has neither opened the door to welcome the thief nor persuaded the thief to ascend the throne; this reason is truly inexplicable
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately wanted to open his mouth to angrily reprimand him. However, just as he opened his mouth, he suddenly froze in place.