Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 98 Go to the late emperor and beg for mercy

Three thousand six hundred dollars?

Wang Yue couldn't believe his ears!

The maximum penalty for Ming Dynasty was lingchi, which involved three thousand three hundred and fifty-seven cuts, but Zhu Houzhao sentenced him to three thousand six hundred cuts!

Not only that, but all the eunuchs must eat his own flesh!
You know, Wang Yue was once the Prime Minister!
Wang Yue really couldn't imagine how humiliating it was for him to let those eunuchs, who used to only call him "ancestor" and wouldn't dare to say a word even if he killed them, eat his flesh!
Wang Yue found it hard to accept such humiliation!
He couldn't even tolerate Liu Jin, the emperor's personal eunuch who might threaten his position, let alone the fact that he was now going to be eaten by those more than 3,000 eunuchs!
Wang Yue has always been inferior in his heart. Influenced by the times, as a person born in the Inner Academy, he naturally looked down on eunuchs!
Naturally, she couldn't stand being eaten by a eunuch!

Although he himself is a eunuch, he always feels that he is different from ordinary eunuchs. Although he has the body of a eunuch, he has the heart of a scholar!
In his eyes, the eunuchs in the inner court were all lowly and lowly people! And he himself was the high and mighty seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, an elegant man whom all the officials in the outer court had to address as a prince!

But now Zhu Houzhao wants the eunuchs to eat his flesh and watch him being tortured to death!

Wang Yue felt that this was a huge insult to himself!
Why is this happening!

Why punish yourself like this!
This is so brutal!

Wang Yue was shocked and angry and roared: "Your Majesty! Why are you doing this to me! Even if I am guilty, I didn't really kill you! Why are you so ruthless! Besides, I didn't really kill the late emperor, and I served him for decades. How can you be so cruel!"

"You have to blame yourself for this. My original intention was to let you commit suicide, but you reminded me. If I want no traitor to kill me in the future, I can only severely punish the thief who is trying to kill me and force me to abdicate! You, Wang Yue, are my slave. Your crime is ten times more serious, so your punishment must be more severe! Take this traitor to his master and regicide away!"

Zhu Houzhao said lightly.

Wang Yue clearly felt fear and terror, and couldn't help but shout in his heart: "I am an old minister who has served the late emperor for many years! I should be second only to the emperor and above everyone else. How can I be humiliated like this? No! Absolutely not!"

Wang Yue now understood that the emperor Zhu Houzhao in front of him was not someone who could be frightened, nor was he a kind-hearted person. He knew that he could only show weakness now.

Therefore, before Wang Yue and his Jinyiwei arrived, he suddenly kowtowed to Zhu Houzhao, and he knelt down in front of Zhu Houzhao with his knees so heavy that they seemed to break. "Your Majesty! I know my crime. I beg Your Majesty not to let me be eaten by eunuchs. Please let me commit suicide instead!"

Wang Yue started crying as he spoke, and his tears immediately poured down like a torrent of water, and his head hit the ground heavily as if it had hit a golden bell!

Bang bang bang!
"I know that the emperor hates me deeply. As long as the emperor can calm down and forgive me, I am willing to kowtow to death in front of His Majesty!"

boom!
Wang Yue cried bitterly and knocked hard, until the gold bricks were broken into pieces and cracked!

The entire hall seemed to be shaking!
"Put it down!"

At this time, two Jinyiwei had already pulled Wang Yue up, but Zhu Houzhao did not choose to forgive. He believed that if he was really forced into a desperate situation by Wang Yue that day, Wang Yue would not show mercy. Moreover, he wanted to do it for Liu Jin, Ma Yongcheng and others to see.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Wang Yue was still struggling and calling out to Zhu Houzhao desperately, but it was of no avail. Zhu Houzhao simply ignored him.

Zhu Houzhao now only looked at Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian: "Do you three feel remorseful now?"

Frankly speaking, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian were indeed shocked by the fact that Zhu Houzhao had ordered Wang Yue to be tortured to death with 3,600 cuts.

They had to admit that their emperor was really cruel! Not only did he execute ten clans, but he also punished the main culprit more harshly than Taizu!

Liu Jian kowtowed first: "I repent! I beg Your Majesty to forgive my sins!" Liu Jian was completely submissive. After all, he didn't want to be stabbed 3,600 times like Wang Yue.

"I, the guilty minister, have also repented. I have sinned against the late emperor and Your Majesty! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Li Dongyang even wiped his tears and began to kowtow to Zhu Houzhao.

Xie Qian suddenly burst into tears and shouted, "Your Majesty! I really know I was wrong! I will definitely reform myself! I only ask Your Majesty to forgive me. If Your Majesty really cannot forgive me, please allow me to commit suicide, wuwu!"

Zhu Houzhao didn't expect these three people to change their minds so quickly, and he felt speechless.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the sky and seemed to start raining again. This made him think of what happened a few days before and after the funeral of Emperor Hongzhi.

"You didn't kill me, you killed the late emperor. I have no say on whether I can spare you or not. As a son, I want to avenge my father's murder. I would not be satisfied even if I cut you into pieces, let alone forgive you. Of course, if the late emperor wants to spare you, I naturally have nothing to say and can only obey my father's wishes!"

Zhu Houzhao said.

After hearing what Zhu Houzhao said, Liu Jian hurriedly said, "Your Majesty! If the late emperor were still alive, he would definitely forgive us, because the late emperor has always been kind and benevolent. Please understand the late emperor's kindness and forgive us!"

"Your Majesty, please understand the late emperor's kindness and forgive us!" Li Dongyang and Xie Qian also hurriedly begged for mercy.

Zhu Houzhao didn't expect that these three people would actually become so arrogant and bring up the late emperor to bargain with him.

Zhu Houzhao then laughed and said, "Although the former emperor was lenient because you were not evil, but now you have committed the crime of regicide. As a wise ruler, how could the former emperor tolerate such rebellious things? Otherwise, there would not have been an earthquake in seven prefectures.

How about this, if it happens to start raining today, winter rain usually won’t stop until a few days have passed. Last time the late emperor was buried, you didn’t kneel, which probably angered His Majesty. Now I’ll give you a chance, kneel in front of the late emperor’s tomb for two days. If within two days, the late emperor appears in my dream and asks me to forgive you, I’ll forgive you!”

Then Zhu Houzhao smiled and asked, "I have done my best, haven't I?"

Zhu Houzhao continued to ask Liu Jin and Ma Yongcheng: "Am I very kind to them? Am I a benevolent emperor?"

Liu Jin laughed and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is far superior to that of Yao and Shun, and is comparable to that of the late emperor. It is a blessing for these traitors to have the presence of Your Majesty in our dynasty!"

Ma Yongcheng also quickly followed suit: "I think the emperor is the most benevolent king in history! There is no one before him and no one after him!"

Zhu Houzhao looked at Liu Jian and others: "What do you think?"

Liu Jian and others smiled awkwardly: "Yes! Your Majesty is indeed the most benevolent emperor!"

But Liu Jian and others also understood that Zhu Houzhao had no intention of forgiving them. He clearly wanted them to suffer again before they died!

They had to kneel in such a cold place like the Imperial Mausoleum for two days and two nights. This was more painful than killing them directly! Moreover, they were all elderly people!
Therefore, Xie Qian started to howl again: "Your Majesty! Can you spare me the punishment of kneeling because of my old age? I am willing to commit suicide. How about letting me commit suicide?"

Xie Qian knew that he was now notorious in the village and clan, and naturally knew that there was no point in living, so he just wanted to suffer less before he died.

(End of this chapter)