Daming: The most ruthless tyrant in history

Chapter 716 Bloodstained Capital

This year's New Year's Day holiday is much longer than in the past. It is not until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month that the holiday is truly over. People should be happy to have a few more days off and rest at home. However, for the officials at the central government, no one is happy. On the contrary, they are worried and uneasy.

This is what people are like.

Complex people.

In the Ming Dynasty, apart from officials, how could there be paid vacation?
Let them just work hard at their jobs. They all complain that they are too tired and want to do less work. After all, as an official, you can't always work, right?

There is so much to do, so it’s okay to do it slowly.

But if they really don't get a good rest, they will become restless again and want to get to the yamen early to do their work. However, only they themselves know whether what they are doing is true or false.

Forbidden City.

Outside the Meridian Gate.

"What exactly does His Majesty want to do with the decree he issued? All officials above the fifth rank in the capital must rush to the Meridian Gate. Officials of the fifth rank and below, as well as officials from the cabinets, temples, and other departments in the capital, must go to the various districts inside and outside the capital to divide the areas. The rest period has just ended, and there are a lot of matters to be dealt with..."

"You should talk less. There was a commotion in the capital a few days ago. Are you really unaware of it, or are you pretending to be ignorant? This must be related to that incident."

"Yes, I have heard that since the joint arrest began, hundreds of people have come to the Shuntian government office to complain about their grievances. Even Han Yiliang, the great Jingzhao, has stayed in the government office."

"These guys are really bold to mint counterfeit coins. I heard that they stole the coin molds from the Mint and the Qingli Division under the jurisdiction of the Shaofu. This is really incredible."

"Look, a matter like the money law that involves the foundation of the country cannot be handed over to the Shaofu to handle. When this matter is over, I will submit a memorial to impeach him!"

Outside the Meridian Gate Tower, a huge crowd was surging. Officials wearing red and green robes gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to each other with different thoughts.

There is snow in the sky.

The cold wind howled.

It’s just that there are so many people gathered here that it doesn’t seem so cold here.

The most vocal among the crowd were the ministers in office in the cabinet, the ministers in the capital, the officials in the court, and the nobles in the capital. They all had solemn expressions, stood in place with their hands hanging, and ignored the various discussions that were heard behind them.

No one knew why the emperor wanted them to come here, but everyone knew one thing: things were by no means that simple!
After all, during the New Year's Day holiday, they knew more or less what happened in the capital, the surrounding areas, and even in the prefectures, counties and districts under the jurisdiction of Northern Zhili.

"The Meridian Gate has rarely been so lively."

Compared to the hustle and bustle outside the Meridian Gate, it was much quieter on the Meridian Gate Tower. Wearing mountain-patterned armor and a goose-feather sword on his waist, Wei Shitai looked down at the crowd below the city with a complicated expression, "Such a big commotion at the beginning of the year. It seems that His Majesty is really angry this time. But if this thing is really done, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Zhang Qingzhen, who was dressed in the same way, glanced at Wei Shitai and raised his eyebrows slightly, saying, "What time is it now? Your Majesty has made the decision, so it is not for us to discuss it privately."

Wei Shitai was speechless for a moment.

This was not a private discussion. He felt that even if he wanted to do this, there was no need to do it in the Forbidden City. At least it would disturb the inner court.

"Crack~"

At this moment, a crisp whip sound was heard, and the sound of whips began to echo here.

The tightly closed Meridian Gate slowly opened.

A harsh sound sounded.

Under the gazes of many people in surprise, teams of people dressed in novel clothes, carrying Hongwu style flintlock rifles on their shoulders, walked out of the Meridian Gate in an orderly manner.

"Bang...Bang..."

The sound of footsteps echoed in the Meridian Gate.

this! !

The civil and military officials gathered outside the Meridian Gate were surprised to see the teams of people dressed in novel costumes and carrying Hongwu-style flintlock rifles on their shoulders.

As the teams of athletes marched forward with their heads held high, led by their chief officers, they stood guard in various places. Then, they saw people in prison uniforms being escorted out of the Meridian Gate. "Li Hongji!!"

In such an occasion, among the crowd gathered outside the Meridian Gate, someone with sharp eyes shouted, causing the atmosphere here to suddenly change!

No way.

No way.

At this moment, many people's hearts were filled with shock. Although they had guessed something, their only rationality, mixed with complex thoughts, told them that this was impossible.

"The case of counterfeit currency has been designated by the emperor. The detective team is supervised by the emperor. The three battalions, the Beijing Garrison Commander's Office, the Minister of the Imperial Household, the National Taxation Bureau, the Baoding Garrison Commander's Office, the Tianjin Garrison Commander's Office..."

While many people were shocked, the royal guards on duty at various locations on the Meridian Gate Tower, under the command of their officers, sang in unison.

The sonorous words that echoed outside the Meridian Gate made many of the people gathered there feel fear from the bottom of their hearts. The feeling was truly too shocking.

It has never appeared in the Ming Dynasty before.

“…The counterfeit currency case has been thoroughly investigated. All prisoners who violated the laws of the Ming Dynasty, usurped the prestige of the Ming Dynasty, and disrespected the majesty of the imperial court will now be taken to various places for execution!!”

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As the word "execution" echoed, powerful shouts followed.

"Prepare!!!"

The shouting was so loud that many timid people began to tremble uncontrollably.

No way, are you going to kill me now?
This is the Meridian Gate!!
Many officials who heard and saw it still could not believe it was true. After all, it was extremely rare to have such a grand event outside the Meridian Gate.

Even though there had been imperial canings at the Meridian Gate, that could not be compared with the other.

Under countless gazes, one by one, members of the detective team were seen, some escorting prisoners to be executed, some stepping forward to remove the wooden signs, and some stepping forward with guns.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!"

Many of the prisoners who were about to be executed struggled hard, but no matter how hard they struggled, they could not break free from those powerful hands.

They couldn't even utter a word because something was stuffed in their mouths. Under the approaching threat of death, their faces turned red and veins even bulged on their foreheads.

"Raise the gun!!"

But no matter how they struggled, the execution process was carried out step by step. As the shout was rang out, the armed detective team members raised their Hongwu style flintlock rifles, and under the shocked gaze of the civil and military officials gathered outside the Meridian Gate, they stepped forward with their guns and put them against the back of the heads of the prisoners in front of them.

"No way!!"

Shouts began to appear in the crowd.

How could such an important place as Wumen become a place for execution? This is an ominous sign! !

"shooting!!"

Amid the chaos of the crowd, a cold shout was heard, and scattered gunshots echoed here, spurting blood, limp corpses, and the white snow was dyed red.

"hurry up!"

"Follow!"

Then shouts were heard one after another, and from the small doors on both sides of the Meridian Gate, eunuchs from the inner court were seen driving horse-drawn carriages, carrying wooden barrels and holding brooms, and moving forward at a very fast speed.

"Physical examination!!"

Amid the shock of the civil and military officials gathered outside the Meridian Gate, the detective team members in charge of the execution, under the command of their chief officer, began to examine the bodies of the executed persons.

Everything was so orderly, as if it had been rehearsed countless times beforehand. The detective team members and the eunuchs in the inner court were very busy, but the scenes before their eyes had an extremely strong visual impact on the civil and military officials gathered outside the Meridian Gate to watch the execution. They had never thought that the emperor would actually execute people outside the Meridian Gate, and it was not a capital punishment like lingchi, but the shock brought by the shooting was even stronger than capital punishment! !

(End of this chapter)