Chapter 008: Regicide
Just when she was in her chamber throwing a fit and breaking things, Li Jinzong shamelessly returned again
Several eunuchs worked together to grab the white silk hanging down from the beam and pulled it down forcefully. With a "whoosh," she was lifted into the air.
Qianqing Palace, in the Imperial Study
At this moment, his health has improved significantly, yet the Ming Dynasty gives him a sense of being afflicted by a terminal illness, deeply entrenched and difficult to reverse
If he continues like this, he will undoubtedly become infamous
You just want someone to write a will, and then there will be no evidence of wrongdoing
Then he brought his right hand down sharply in a knife-like manner
Xi Li expressed doubt, asking: "Will the Emperor forgive me?"
Tai Chang took the confession, glanced at it, and nodded slightly, saying: "Hmm, this matter has been handled well. I intend to deal with that venomous woman of the Zheng family. Do you think this confession is sufficient?"
With a loud crash, several prepared eunuchs suddenly rushed in from outside, forcing Xi Li's hands behind his back and binding them tightly with white silk.
Wei Zhongxian said in a sinister tone: "Isn't the Emperor seeking revenge? You could write a memorial to the Emperor admitting your mistake while also implicating Consort Zheng. Just say that you were deceived by Consort Zheng's sweet words, and now that you have realized her scheme, you have come forward to testify against her, asking the Emperor for forgiveness!"
Originally, there were still some surpluses in the imperial treasury. The late emperor Wanli enjoyed sending eunuchs to scour for wealth everywhere. Unfortunately, the late emperor favored not him, but Prince Fu. Therefore, when Prince Fu was granted his fief, the late emperor almost bestowed all the gold and silver treasures of the imperial treasury upon him, leading the people to know that "the late emperor exhausted the realm to enrich Prince Fu, and Luoyang prospered due to the imperial court"
However, the Ming court was very impoverished and had no surplus funds or grain to serve as military provisions
Tai Chang looked at the memorial in his hand, his brows involuntarily furrowing into a shape resembling the character for "river".
The Emperor no longer wants you, you are finished, do you understand
What brotherhood is there? In the struggle for power, there has never been any talk of familial affection
He is not afraid to kill Xi Li; the main reason is that he was once his master
West Li
He had just thought of how to deal with Prince Fu when the Jinyiwei stationed outside suddenly began to sing: "The Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices requests an audience, the Supervisor of the Eastern Depot, Wei Zhongxian, seeks to meet."
Wei Zhongxian was extremely angry about this
She angrily pointed at Li Jinzong's nose and shouted: "You worthless scoundrel, how dare you come back?"
She truly did not expect that the usually submissive Taichang would dare to raise his voice at her, and moreover, her most trusted servant Li Jinzong silently went off to serve someone else, leaving her in a fit of rage
Tai Chang did not give a clear answer and said: "Xi Li originally intended to control the Crown Prince, to govern behind the curtain, but unexpectedly, the Zheng family wanted to support the King of Fu to ascend to the throne. In the end, she gained nothing and has even been resented by me. What do you think she will do in her regret and remorse?"
Uh, this!
Wei Zhongxian gave a signal, and immediately a military eunuch took out a cloth bundle and forcefully stuffed it into Xi Li's mouth
However, his targets are not only Consort Zheng but also Prince Fu. It is indeed rather absurd to make such a significant move based solely on the word of Cui Wensheng to deal with a prince.
Consort Zheng actually intends to support Prince Fu in ascending to the throne
Little do they know that it was Wei Zhongxian who personally caused the death of their biological mother in the first place
Having been hung for so long, it should be completely dead
Wei Zhongxian slightly nodded and clasped his hands, saying: "I understand, my servant."
How to solve so many problems
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian's expression changed slightly
Wei Zhongxian could not help but feel a surge of disdain in his heart. However, on the surface, he still respectfully clasped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive this servant for speaking candidly. This confession seems insufficient, after all, the noble consort did not succeed. If we act against her based solely on Cui Wensheng's one-sided account, it would be difficult to silence the voices of the world."
Wei Zhongxian waited for Xi Li to finish writing, then called over Li Yongzhen to confirm it carefully. He then dried the ink and tucked the memorial into his bosom
In the southeast direction, piracy is increasingly rampant, and the Western red-haired foreigners are also continuously provoking trouble, leaving the coastal populace in a state of great suffering
Wei Zhongxian nodded repeatedly and said: "Of course, the Emperor only wants to take revenge on Concubine Zheng, you have no enmity with the Emperor."
The reason why Wei Zhongxian had the Ke family bring the Crown Prince and Prince Xin to perform this act was primarily not to rid himself of the suspicion of murder from the past; the Crown Prince and Prince Xin would never be able to know about these matters. In fact, he wanted to showcase himself in front of the Crown Prince and Prince Xin to facilitate his future actions
He gritted his teeth and clasped his hands in apology, saying: "Your Highness, please do not be angry, please do not be angry. This servant is only doing this for your own good."
Having spoken, he then bowed and withdrew.
He said expressionlessly: "Put it down, handle it properly, remember, she died by hanging herself"
Your Majesty, how naive you are. Consort Zheng was the most favored concubine of the late Emperor, and she is, after all, your elder. How can you act so recklessly towards her?
Imperial Concubine Zheng, you have tormented my mother and son for the sake of Prince Fu, so what is wrong with me dealing with your precious son
In the southwest direction, although the Yang Yinglong Rebellion in Bozhou has been quelled, local chieftains remain restless, showing signs of a potential uprising, taking advantage of the court's preoccupation with other matters.
What are you doing
Tai Chang淡淡说道: "You ask, is the will personally written by Xi Li enough?"
Soon, Wei Zhongxian entered, holding the confession and bowing respectfully.
Xi Li continued to point at his nose and scolded, "You wretched creature, you claim to care for me, yet you go and become a traitor, betraying me, all in the name of caring for me?"
Alas, if only I had money, as long as there is money, all these problems would be easily resolved
Wei Zhongxian pretended to comfort her, saying: "Your Highness, do not worry. I have already explained the situation to the Emperor on your behalf, and he is not as angry with you now. At this moment, if you could assist the Emperor, he should be able to change his mind."
Suicide note
At this moment, the Ke family had unexpectedly brought the Crown Prince Zhu Youjiao and Prince Xin Zhu Youjian to the door
This play has also concluded, and he should go report back now
He secretly gave a glance to the Ke family, and the Ke family immediately stepped forward to embrace the tearful Crown Prince and Prince Xin, softly comforting them for a moment, and then led them back.
Ah?
She twisted her neck a few times with great effort, kicked her legs a few times, and then there was nothing more to follow
Immediately afterwards, a eunuch drew out a long piece of white silk, slipped one end around her neck, tightened it into a dead knot, and then forcefully threw the other end upwards, allowing it to loop over the beam and hang down.
This is what you said; I did not say that
I am a foolish pig, having been used by Consort Zheng, and as a result, I have lost the Emperor's favor
By the way, Prince Fu
Finally, Xi Li understood what Wei Zhongxian intended to do, but unfortunately, it was already too late
Tai Chang immediately replied without hesitation: "Announce it."
To the northeast, the main force of the Ming army was recently defeated at Sarhu, and the Manchu forces surged forward, invading Liaodong. Although Governor Xiong Tingbi had some strategies, he was constrained by insufficient supplies and a shortage of troops, leaving him unable to launch a counterattack. He could only hold the line at Shenyang and Liaoyang.
As long as the Prince of Fortune's residence is seized, it should be sufficient to deal with the money from the Jian slaves, not to mention pacifying the four corners.
She said somewhat vexedly: "Now that it has been done, and the Emperor is already aware, what do you suggest we do?"
Wei Zhongxian waited for quite a while, until the entire white silk was completely still, and then he stepped forward to check the breath of Xi Li
Wei Zhongxian smiled faintly and immediately ordered someone to bring forth the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone that had been prepared in advance
Yesterday he was still wagging his tail in front of others, and today he turned hostile and killed someone
Upon hearing this, Xi Li could not help but ask curiously, "How can I assist the Emperor?"
At this time, the annual tax revenue of the Ming court is only over 4 million taels, while the Ming dynasty has hundreds of prefectures and over a thousand counties across its two capitals and thirteen provinces. The salaries of officials at all levels alone require over 4 million taels. Where, then, would the Ming dynasty find the funds and provisions to wage war?
The eclectic has tolerated you for a long time!
This is retribution
Upon hearing this, Xi Li hesitated for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth and said: "Very well, I shall prepare the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
How dare you, a mere selection attendant, act so arrogantly in front of me? I am now the Chief of the Imperial Censorate and the Deputy Director of the Eastern Depot, do you not know that?
At this point, Wei Zhongxian said with a sinister tone, "Your Majesty, if I understand correctly, you want Xi Li to write a letter of repentance to you, and then...".
It has to be said that his acting skills are truly remarkable. The Crown Prince and the Prince of Xin looked at him with grateful expressions.
Kill if you must, as long as you hold the power, what does it matter if you are infamous!
Because the Ming Dynasty had more than 2 million troops stationed, as long as there were sufficient provisions, organizing all these troops and dispatching some capable and experienced generals to train day and night would likely be enough to sweep through the six directions, making the pacification of the four corners naturally unproblematic
The Ming Dynasty's two capitals and thirteen provinces, the basic reports submitted by the governors, governors, provincial governors, and chief judges are mostly not good news. The Ming Dynasty can be said to be full of problems and turmoil, with wars and conflicts everywhere.
Do you still care about the opinions of others in the world?
In the northwest direction, the drought that has persisted for over ten years shows no signs of improvement; on the contrary, it is becoming increasingly severe, with a clear trend of spreading from Guanzhong to Shanxi and Henan. Many local residents are unable to endure hunger and thirst, becoming refugees, and banditry has consequently risen.
West Li has already left ironclad evidence, we can hit the road now!
Upon hearing this, Xi Li was stunned.
Upon seeing the situation, Xi Li couldn't help but scream in horror, "Li Jinzhong, you scoundrel, what do you think you're doing?"
Xi Li is only good at talking. How could a woman who is powerless even to catch a chicken with her hands possibly go and kill someone? The one who actually did it was naturally her most trusted confidant, Li Jinzhong, who is also Wei Zhongxian.
Just in time!
At this moment, Xi Li is still angry.
He has no money, but Fu Wang is rich!
What happened to the agreed upon plan of the Crown Prince assuming power behind the scenes?
However, if he doesn't do it this way, he may lose the favor of the emperor.
At this thought, a hint of madness flashed in Taichang's eyes.
It has to be said that the reason why Xi Li was able to gain the favor and trust of Wanli and Zheng Guifei is also due to a reason. Her handwriting is quite good, and she also has a little bit of literary talent. With the guidance of Wei Zhongxian, she quickly wrote in detail how Zheng Guifei was deceived by sweet words, how she plotted against the emperor behind her back, how she helped Fu Wang ascend to the throne, and how she regretted it, and so on.
Wei Zhongxian shamelessly said: "Your Highness, you should know how the former Imperial Concubine treated the Emperor and his mother. Now that the Emperor has ascended the throne, he naturally seeks revenge. The Imperial Concubine, fearing the Emperor's retribution, intends to harm him. This is entirely a matter of enmity between the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine! Your Highness, I must speak candidly, please do not be angry. You have been used by the Imperial Concubine, do you understand? Cui Wensheng has already confessed; the Imperial Concubine wants to harm the Emperor and elevate Prince Fufu to the throne. You have exhausted your efforts for nothing!" Your Highness, I must speak candidly, please do not be angry. You have been used by the Imperial Concubine, do you understand? Cui Wensheng has already confessed; the Imperial Concubine wants to harm the Emperor and elevate Prince Fufu to the throne. You have exhausted your efforts for nothing!"
Although Cui Wensheng is already dead, and there is no way to verify his death, it is utterly unreasonable for you to take action against the esteemed Zheng Guifei based solely on a forged confession
Upon catching sight of them, Wei Zhongxian's expression instantly turned to one of grief and indignation, as he spat at the corpse of Xi Li, exclaiming: "Li Xuan-shi, you venomous woman, did you ever consider this day when you caused the deaths of Empress Wang and Consort Liu? Your Majesty, the Empress, and Your Highness, the Consort, I, your servant, have endured for many years and have finally avenged you!"
Hmph, "A man of virtue does not engage in petty actions; a true man is not without his poison"
He waved his hand decisively and shouted sharply, "Come here!"