Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 85: Please Kill the Ten Clans
Li Dongyang laughed, "Whether it's nonsense or not, we'll know when the Jinyiwei go to my house and take out the evidence hidden under the pair of Ru kilns in Chasongtang. Judge Liu, even though you did it perfectly, you can't escape the unpredictable world. You got the medicine from Anrentang, and Anrentang is my property!"

After hearing what Li Dongyang said, Liu Wentai lowered his head in frustration, and then shouted to Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty, I want to expose you. I have exposed Li Dongyang. Not only did Shao Daxia threaten my family's lives, but he also used this to threaten me to frame the late emperor!"

Zhu Houzhao felt a little headache. He was not in the mood to care who was more excessive between Liu Wentai and Li Dongyang. He quickly gave Ma Wensheng a look, meaning that Ma Wensheng should speed up the interrogation process.

Ma Wensheng understood and asked Zhang Yu: "Zhang Yu, why did you plot to murder the late emperor?"

Zhang Yu glanced at Li Dongyang and said, "The reason is very simple. The previous emperor was too frugal and kept cutting the expenses of the inner court, so that we eunuchs have little money. Even our ancestors are dissatisfied with this, but we can't say it out loud. If your majesty continues to be a good emperor, I, Zhang Yu, will not be the only one who wants to harm him."

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he couldn't help but complain in his heart. Is it wrong for the emperor to be frugal?

At this time, Zhang Yu continued to say:

"Of course, the most direct reason is that when I was in charge of the Imperial Stables, I sold firearms to the Tartars privately, which was discovered by Ma Wensheng's disciples. The memorial was submitted to the Imperial Household Department. Fortunately, the ministers and the old ancestor intercepted it, otherwise the late emperor would have demoted me if not killed me!

But after all, the death of the late emperor was not something that I, an old slave, participated in alone. If I were the only one involved, I would not have the courage to murder the late emperor. Cabinet Grand Secretary Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, Minister of War Liu Daxia, Imperial Eunuch Lu He, and Imperial Stable Eunuch Zhang Zhao were all involved in this!
I am worried that they will blame me for the death of the late emperor, and even sacrifice their pawns to save their king. I asked my ancestors to get a letter of commitment for us. This letter of commitment has their handwritten signatures and seals. Your Majesty can order someone to use their notes as a reference for the memorial. If it weren't for their guarantee, I would never dare to do such a treasonous thing!"

As Zhang Yu spoke, he took out a piece of document that was stuck tightly inside his inner garment.

Chu Ke, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, hurriedly took it and handed it to Ma Wensheng.

Ma Wensheng personally handed it to Zhu Houzhao after reading it, then walked down and asked Li Dongyang: "Li Dongyang, can you now tell me why you killed the late emperor?"

"Now that there are witnesses and evidence, Li can't deny it. Yes, the death of the late emperor is indeed related to Li, or Li participated in the regicide case. But Ma Wensheng, it is unnecessary for you to ask me why I killed the late emperor.

The late emperor has passed away and has returned to the dust. The worst that can happen to me, Li Dongyang, is that I can sacrifice my life for him. What can he do to me? He can only exterminate my entire clan. Could it be that there really is an underworld, and he can really make me die a miserable death in the underworld?"

As Li Dongyang spoke, he burst into hysterical laughter.

At this time, Ma Wensheng was already very angry: "You, you, you are too much! When treacherous ministers are in power, the emperor's mausoleum cries at night, and seven prefectures are shaken. It's treacherous ministers like you. If the spirit of the late emperor was not in heaven, there would naturally be no such prophecy circulating in the world!"

Li Dongyang snorted: "The night cry in the imperial mausoleum is just the cry of crows. If there really are gods, if the late emperor can really make me die a miserable death in the underworld, why doesn't he cause an earthquake in the seven prefectures!"

"Report! The prefect of Yingtian Prefecture reported that an earthquake occurred in Nanjing in September!"

"Report! The Zhenjiang prefecture reported that there was an earthquake in Zhenjiang in September!"

"Report! Fengyang Zhongdu garrison reported that Fengyang had an earthquake in September!"

"Report! The prefect of Yanzhou reported that there was an earthquake in Yanzhou in September!"

"Report! The prefect of Dongchang reported that there was an earthquake in Dongchang in September!"

"Report! The prefect of Ruzhou reported that there was an earthquake in Ruzhou in September!"

"Report! The prefect of Dengzhou reported that an earthquake and tsunami occurred in Dengzhou in September!"

……

As soon as Li Dongyang finished speaking, officials came running from the Imperial Household Department and started reporting directly in front of Zhu Houzhao.

There is no such process according to normal procedures.

These were naturally arranged by Zhu Houzhao at the Ministry of Public Administration. Zhu Houzhao had received these reports one after another long before this, but he deliberately arranged to bring them out when interrogating Li Dongyang and others.

Earthquake in seven prefectures!

There are exactly seven prefectures!

The officials present were speechless and horrified.

Even Ma Wensheng was surprised, thinking that the former emperor was indeed murdered! And the former emperor's resentful spirit was still in the world!
Not only Ma Wensheng believed it, the officials present were even more convinced in their hearts, because the emperor's crying at night could be faked, but the earthquake in the seven prefectures could not be faked!

Li Dongyang himself was also very surprised, and suddenly he felt really scared: "What is going on? How could there really be an earthquake? Is there really retribution from the underworld? The late emperor really still has a soul, and I will be punished even if I die!"

No matter how smart and cunning people of this era were, they were still full of awe for some natural phenomena. Even Confucian disciples like Li Dongyang, who did not believe in ghosts and gods, had to believe in natural phenomena that they could not understand, especially those that occurred by coincidence. Otherwise, there would not have been so many cases in history where officials had to reflect on themselves every time a major disaster occurred.

Li Dongyang was really panicking, thinking: "No wonder Zhu Houzhao suspected me and my people of murdering the late emperor from the beginning. Could it be that the late emperor really appeared in his dream? Could it be that the late emperor's ghost is still lingering around?"

Thinking of this, Li Dongyang couldn't help crying: "Emperor! I am guilty! But I have no choice! Please forgive me, please forgive me!"

At this time, Ma Wensheng continued to ask Li Dongyang loudly: "Li Dongyang, do you plead guilty?"

Li Dongyang no longer had any confidence. He began to feel that the spirit of Emperor Hongzhi was watching him from the dark. He began to tremble and hurriedly said, "I plead guilty. I plead guilty!"

Upon seeing this, Ma Wensheng hurriedly asked Li Dongyang, Zhang Yu, Liu Wentai and others to sign and seal the document.

Then, Ma Wensheng personally came before Zhu Houzhao and bowed, "Your Majesty, there is solid evidence that Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, Wang Yue, Zhang Yu and others murdered the late emperor. To comfort the spirit of the late emperor and to maintain the majesty of the monarch, I ask Your Majesty to execute these traitors and their entire clans!"

Zhu Houzhao did not immediately agree to Ma Wensheng, but said calmly: "If the plan failed, the nine clans can be executed. If the plan was executed, the fate of our Ming Dynasty may be greatly affected. A wise monarch ended up as an innocent soul. For me, it is the hatred of killing my father, and for the country, it is the hatred of killing the monarch. How can nine clans be enough! If only nine clans are executed, that is for the likes of Shi Heng and Cao Jixiang. As for Liu Jian and others, I am afraid that the soul of the late emperor will still not rest in peace! His disciples and old friends should also be listed as a clan, the tenth clan, and be executed!"

Ma Wensheng was also afraid that the late emperor would cause another earthquake, so he did not oppose Zhu Houzhao. He just replied, "In this case, I ask Your Majesty to execute ten clans of these traitors! If you don't execute ten clans, I will kneel down forever!"

"I beg Your Majesty to execute all ten clans of these traitors!" Jiao Fang also lifted his robe and knelt down.

"I request Your Majesty to execute these traitors and their entire clans!" Xu Jin also responded.

"I request Your Majesty to execute these traitors and their entire clans!" Liu Jin and others also responded.

"I ask Your Majesty to execute all ten clans of these traitors!"

The other civil servants present also responded. They were indeed afraid that the spirit of the late emperor would be disturbed, especially after learning that the earthquake in the seven prefectures had really occurred. However, some officials began to feel uneasy because they were among the ten clans of these rebels!

Thanks to the book friend SHAJIA for the 100 starting coins reward. Thank you to the book friend GO YOU NO 500 starting coins reward. Thank you to the book friend 浅痕01 for the 100 starting coins reward. The historical record of the seven prefecture earthquake is: Yichou (September of the th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty), Nanjing and other seven prefectures were hit by an earthquake. On October th of the Gregorian calendar, there was an earthquake of about magnitude in the Yellow Sea. The protagonist used this event here. It is estimated that the reports of these earthquakes arrived in Beijing in December, and the protagonist just used it to connect with the murder of Emperor Hongzhi.

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(End of this chapter)