Done! Your Majesty is going to prostitute me for free!

During the days when Lang Jiwu was the commander, he seemed to have become a shadow of the East Factory, silent but omnipresent, obeying the orders of his superiors, and his subordinates followed suit, like a group of puppets who had lost their self-awareness. On weekdays, when people from the East Factory came to the Jinyiwei, no one dared to stop them, and no one dared to neglect them in the slightest; this time, the East Factory commander Gu Chaosheng came in person, and he was like entering an empty land, with no obstacles.

Gu Chaosheng was used to this, and he didn't even wait for the Jinyiwei to report, and just barged in, as if this was his territory. Gongsun Yuchun raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of barely perceptible disgust flashed in his eyes, but then he smiled and greeted him: "Admiral Wang, I am sorry that I didn't come to greet you from afar. I am sorry." Although Gongsun Yuchun was full of contempt and dissatisfaction with Gu Chaosheng, he still had to smile. After all, he couldn't offend this person.

"Commander Li, you're too polite." Gu Chaosheng sneered, as if he had already seen through Gongsun Yuchun's inner struggle. "Come here, bring the things in." After saying that, two factory guards came in carrying a large box. The box was heavy, as if it was filled with something heavy.

"What's in it?" Gongsun Yuchun asked curiously, but he felt vaguely uneasy.

"Commander, please don't refuse. This is a small gift from me. Congratulations to Lord Li on his promotion!" Gu Chaosheng replied with a meaningful smile on his face.

Gongsun Yuchun wanted to refuse, but suddenly remembered the emperor's words: If someone gives you a gift, accept it and then pass it on to me. So he nodded and forced a smile: "Admiral Wang, you and I both have important responsibilities, so just say whatever you want to say."

Gu Chaosheng laughed dryly twice, with a fierce look in his eyes: "What crime did Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen commit? Why was he detained?"

Gongsun Yuchun was stunned. He did not expect Gu Chaosheng to ask such a direct question. He pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Duke Cheng was convicted of deceiving the emperor and was detained by you. Why did Admiral Wang ask this?"

"Just because you are afraid that the emperor will ask for money, you lie that you are poor and that is deceiving the emperor. Can this reason convince the people?" Gu Chaosheng questioned, his tone full of disdain.

Gongsun Yuchun was stunned, and he could not help but look at Gu Chaosheng. Indeed, it seemed a bit far-fetched to imprison and confiscate his property for this reason. At that time, the court was in chaos, and no one spoke for Zhu Chunchen. Now that his fate was decided, those noble ministers would definitely try to fight back. He thought about it secretly in his heart, but did not dare to show it.

"What does Admiral Wang mean...?" Gongsun Yuchun asked tentatively, already vaguely guessing Gu Chaosheng's intention.

"Zhu Chunchen could be the murderer who assassinated the emperor!" Gu Chaosheng answered firmly, his tone full of determination.

Gongsun Yuchun was shocked and kept silent. He did not expect Gu Chaosheng to be so bold to come up with such an idea. It was clear that he wanted to put the blame on Zhu Chunchen in order to please the emperor.

Gu Chaosheng smiled slightly, as if he had seen through Gongsun Yuchun's thoughts: "If the emperor wanted to kill Zhu Chunchen, he could have beheaded him in the court yesterday. If he didn't want to kill him, he could have just confiscated his property. Why must he be sentenced to death for deceiving the emperor?"

"Why don't you kill him or let him go now?" Gu Chaosheng asked again, with a cunning light in his eyes.

Gongsun Yuchun remained silent. He knew that Gu Chaosheng was forcing him to express his opinion. However, he did not want to get involved in this political storm.

"The emperor did not kill him, he just feared that the charges were not sufficient! Commander Li is a smart man, he should know what to do!" Gu Chaosheng said, his tone full of threats and inducements.

Gongsun Yuchun narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu Chaosheng deeply. He finally understood Gu Chaosheng's sinister intentions. The emperor ordered him to solve the case in a short period of time, and when he couldn't solve the case, he wanted to put the blame on Zhu Chunchen. This way, he could solve the case and please the emperor. It was a good strategy that killed two birds with one stone!
However, Gongsun Yuchun did not want to be Gu Chaosheng's pawn. He shook his head gently: "Admiral Wang is worrying too much. Zhu Chunchen is in your custody, and the assassination case is also handled by the East Factory. You can try him if you want. What does it have to do with the Jinyiwei?"

Gu Chaosheng frowned, obviously not satisfied with Gongsun Yuchun's answer. He snorted coldly: "Commander Li seems to have misunderstood me. I came here this time just to ask two questions."

"Oh? Please go ahead." Gongsun Yuchun said, mentally prepared to respond.

"The first question is, when Zhu Chunchen was trapped in the Qianqing Palace and before the emperor was assassinated, did anyone visit him?" Gu Chaosheng asked, with a probing gleam in his eyes.

Gongsun Yuchun thought for a moment and recalled yesterday's scene. Yesterday, the emperor asked for money and named five people: Tang Xingjia, Zhu Chunchen, Zhang Jinyan, Wang Zhengzhi, and Cheng Qinghua. Except for Tang Xingjia who was beheaded, the other four were left in Huangji Hall. Those whose property did not match what they said were imprisoned. When the emperor was assassinated, Zhu Chunchen was still in Huangji Hall. But before that, someone did go to see him... That person was none other than Lang Jiwu, the former commander of the Jinyiwei.

Gongsun Yuchun's expression became complicated: "Yes, Lang Jiwu went to see him."

Gu Chaosheng was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting this result. He recovered after a moment and continued, "Second question, I want to know if the emperor mentioned Duke Dingguo in person?"

He was afraid that Li Ruolian would misunderstand, so he hurriedly explained: "Don't misunderstand, Commander, I just want to know whether the emperor suspects Duke Dingguo, not to find out what the emperor said or did!"

"The assassin's body was found in Duke Dingguo's mansion, and there was no evidence left on him. My men searched the capital with the portrait, but no one knew his identity. Logically, Duke Dingguo is the most likely suspect," said Gu Chaosheng, his tone full of doubt and confusion.

"But why didn't the emperor detain him for interrogation, but instead just ordered the guards to surround his mansion?" he asked again, obviously still bothered by this issue.

"What does Admiral Wang mean?" Gongsun Yuchun asked, already vaguely guessing Gu Chaosheng's intention.

Gu Chaosheng said seriously, "I think the emperor has already determined that Zhu Chunchen is the assassin, but there is no evidence. We all work for the emperor, and sometimes we can't stick to the rules." He paused and continued, "Zhu Chunchen is the murderer! Lang Jiwu is his accomplice!"

Gongsun Yuchun could no longer describe his feelings with the word "shock". Gu Chaosheng was so bold that he actually told Zhu Chunchen the process of the false accusation in person. What on earth did he want to do? Did he really want to put Zhu Chunchen to death?

Gu Chaosheng stood up and said nonchalantly: "I tell you this not for anything else, but just to communicate with you." He paused and continued: "This is my style of doing things, and it is also the style of the East Factory. As long as you follow the East Factory, I guarantee that you will be rich and prosperous."

Gongsun Yuchun sneered in his heart. The fact that the emperor gave him such a task showed that the East Factory was not above the Jinyiwei. He smiled and shook his head: "Admiral Wang, Commander Lang used to follow your East Factory, and it seems that his end was very miserable. He became an accomplice of Zhu Chunchen!"

Gu Chaosheng was startled, obviously not expecting Gongsun Yuchun to refute him like this. But he turned around and said seriously, "Do you think the emperor will trust you incompetent Jinyiwei or us eunuchs?" He paused and continued, "You can choose not to go with the East Factory, but you will bear the consequences at your own risk!"

After saying that, Gu Chaosheng turned around proudly and walked out with a step that didn't recognize any relatives. His back looked so arrogant and insolent, as if the whole world was under his control.

Gongsun Yuchun clenched his fists and stared at his back, with murderous intent in his heart. He had never been so angry, and he had never wanted to kill someone so much. However, he knew that he could not act impulsively. He had to calm down and think about how to deal with this tricky situation.

……

In the Qianqing Palace, Lin Xiaofeng sat on the dragon chair and ordered people to go to the Silijian to fetch the recent memorials and memorials. There were only a few dozen memorials, and more than a hundred memorials. He knew that many of these memorials must be about Zhu Chunchen, the Duke of Chengguo.

All memorials in the Ming Dynasty had to be sent to the cabinet first, and the ministers would read them and write a summary of the content, which was called "Yin Huang". Then, the cabinet ministers would write down their response plans to the memorials on small tickets, which was called "Piao Ni". The ministers would then paste "Yin Huang" and "Piao Ni" on the memorials and present them to the emperor. The emperor would write instructions on the memorials written by the ministers with a red pen, which was called "Pi Zhu". In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Zhu Pi was mostly done by eunuchs holding pens, and the emperor only needed to give verbal instructions. But as an emperor who had just ascended the throne, Lin Xiaofeng would naturally not let go of the power of red Pi.

He held a red brush and flipped through the memorials one by one. Guo Tianyang stood aside, responsible for delivering the memorials. After Lin Xiaofeng finished reviewing the memorials, he began to review the memorials. The first one was a petition for the Duke of Chengguo, earnestly mentioning the hard work and great contributions of the Duke of Chengguo's ancestors, and hoped that the emperor would forgive him for his friendship with Emperor Chengzu in the wars of conquest. The second one was also a petition for mercy. Then came the third, fourth...more than a hundred memorials, all of which were petitions for the Duke of Chengguo.

Lin Xiaofeng thought to himself that the fact that these ministers were so united in pleading for Zhu Chunchen showed how much influence he had in the court. However, he could not let Zhu Chunchen off easily just because of the ministers' pleas. After all, the assassination case had not yet been fully investigated, and he had to give an explanation to the court officials.

He continued to look through the memorials and found that in addition to the memorials pleading for Zhu Chunchen, there were also some about the former Minister of War Zhang Jinyan and the former Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Wang Zhengzhi. But the number of these memorials was far less than the memorials pleading for Zhu Chunchen.

Most of the cabinet's drafting opinions came from Li Banghua. The power of drafting should have been collectively drafted by the cabinet ministers and then handed over to the emperor, but in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, this power fell into the hands of the chief minister. Lin Xiaofeng understood that Li Banghua, as the chief minister, had a lot of opinions.

Lin Xiaofeng carefully reviewed all the proposals, his brows knitted, his eyes revealing an unquestionable determination. He carefully considered each proposal, but rejected them one by one, indicating that the cabinet needed to re-examine them. He advocated that Zhu Chunchen should be beheaded as a warning to others, and that Wang Zhengzhi and Zhang Jinyan should be exterminated to show the power of heaven. In his opinion, compared with the evil deeds of Zhu Chunchen and Wang Zhengzhi, Zhang Jinyan's crimes were more serious! Zhang Jinyan was at least half responsible for Lin Xiaofeng's death! His fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if making the final judgment on the fate of these sinners.

Recalling that in February of the 17th year, when Li Zicheng approached the capital, Zhang Jinyan, as the Minister of War, should have stepped forward to defend his country. However, he was like a turtle. Not only did he not urgently recruit soldiers to defend the city, he also did not summon troops from all over the world to come to the king. Instead, he concealed military intelligence and was selfish. When Li Zicheng captured the capital, Zhang Jinyan and Tang Xingjia led hundreds of officials to congratulate and welcome him. Their behavior was outrageous. After the Eight Banners soldiers entered the pass, Zhang Jinyan fled back to his hometown like a lost dog. Hearing that Prince Fu was guarding in Jiangning, he deceived Prince Fu that he had gathered the righteous army, so he was appointed as the governor of Hebei, Shanxi, and Henan military affairs. However, when Duoduo led the Eight Banners soldiers to capture Henan and Jiangnan, Zhang Jinyan fled again without any loyalty. In the end, he surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and became a traitor to the nation. If you don't destroy his clan, how can you calm the anger!
As for Wang Zhengzhi, his name was prominently listed among the top ones in "Bi Chen Zhuan". He assisted the Qing Dynasty in committing atrocities and committed numerous evil deeds. He was simply a scum of the world!
The cabinet's proposal was submitted again, but Li Banghua did not follow Lin Xiaofeng's wishes. He believed that Zhu Chunchen's crime was not punishable by death, so he was only detained and punished. Wang Zhengzhi was sentenced to extermination for deceiving the emperor and embezzling military pay. Zhang Jinyan was also sentenced to extermination for lying about military intelligence, embezzling military pay, and deceiving the emperor.

Although Lin Xiaofeng was dissatisfied with Li Banghua's proposal, he also understood the reason. After all, everyone has a different identity and is under different pressures. In the eyes of those ministers, Zhu Chunchen was just greedy for money, not a treacherous and evil person, so he was not guilty of death. However, the cabinet forgot that the position of the first-class duke is not only a right, but also an obligation! Enjoying the royal reward, but not lending a hand when the royal family is in trouble, shouldn't such a person be killed? When Lin Xiaofeng thought of this, an indescribable grief and indignation surged in his heart. He once again ordered the cabinet to review the proposal, determined to get rid of the treacherous for this land.

After finishing the political affairs, it was almost the end of the day. Lin Xiaofeng walked out of the study and saw the bright sunshine and breeze outside the window, but he felt heavy in his heart. He instructed: "Guo Tianyang, let the queen bring a hundred smart palace maids and a hundred eunuchs here. At the same time, order the Jinyiwei and Yongweiying to prepare carriages and horses. The queen and I may leave the palace at any time."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Guo Tianyang replied, but he was a little confused in his heart. He didn't know why the emperor made such arrangements.

In Kunning Palace, Empress Zhou is weaving. Since Lin Xiaofeng ascended the throne, the harem has been following Empress Zhou's wishes to cut down on expenses. Whether it is food, clothing, housing or transportation, they try to save as much as possible. Even the part that cannot be saved will be carefully calculated. Although Empress Zhou is an empress, she often wears cloth and eats vegetarian food. She is good at cooking and weaving, and she does it all by herself. Such an empress who can cook, wash clothes and weave gauze is rare in history.

While she was weaving, she was thinking about the contents of the newspaper. Whenever she thought of a suitable sentence, she would write it down on the paper. Soon, the paper was densely covered with words. Her face was gentle and firm, and her eyes revealed an unyielding light.

After hearing Lin Xiaofeng's order, Empress Zhou immediately dressed up and looked for palace maids and eunuchs as instructed. She came to the Qianqing Palace and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"

"No need to be polite, the Queen has been working hard these days." Lin Xiaofeng looked at this delicate beauty, and his gloomy mood immediately disappeared. Among all the queens in history, there were only a few who could surpass Queen Zhou in virtue; and in terms of household management ability, she must be among the top three, even not inferior to Queen Ma.

Empress Zhou was wearing a white dress that fluttered in the wind, looking a little shy, like a fairy descending from the earth. The eunuchs and palace maids accompanying her all knelt on the ground, and in a moment the Qianqing Palace was full of people kneeling. They lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at the emperor's majesty.

Lin Xiaofeng asked casually, "Zitong, how is the writing of the court report going?"

"Your Majesty, I have not finished yet." Queen Zhou replied with a hint of apology in her voice.

"In that case, among the six areas, you are only responsible for writing the contents of the three areas of people's livelihood, stories, and finance. Let Guo Tianyang write the rest. He is more familiar with the affairs of the court and will be able to write faster." Lin Xiaofeng seemed a little anxious, because the earlier the newspaper was published, the sooner it could occupy the high ground of public opinion, and recruiting soldiers would also be smoother.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have delayed your important affairs." Queen Zhou said self-reproachfully, with a trace of guilt flashing in her eyes.

"Don't blame yourself, Zi Tong. I'm afraid I've implicated you." Lin Xiaofeng said as he reached out to hold Empress Zhou's slender hand, and pulled her in front of him with a little force. His eyes were full of tenderness and determination, as if he wanted to pass all his strength to her.

Queen Zhou was a little surprised, thinking that Lin Xiaofeng wanted to be intimate. Although they had been married for more than ten years, it was the first time for them to be so intimate in front of so many palace maids and eunuchs. She did not dare to resist, and her fair cheeks suddenly turned red.

Lin Xiaofeng chuckled and whispered in her ear, "Zi Tong, can I borrow your hairpin?" His voice was low and gentle, with an indescribable charm.

Hmm? Queen Zhou's cheeks turned even redder. At a time when the country was in danger, she was still thinking nonsense. Damn it! She cursed herself in her heart, but didn't dare to show it.

Lin Xiaofeng slowly took off the hairpin on Queen Zhou's head. It was an exquisite golden hairpin with intricate patterns carved on it, shining brightly. He gently patted Queen Zhou on the back, signaling her not to be nervous.

Queen Zhou was trembling, not knowing what Lin Xiaofeng was going to do. She only felt her heart beating faster, as if it was about to jump out of her chest.

Lin Xiaofeng winked at Guo Tianyang, who immediately understood what he meant. "Little guys, raise your heads, the emperor has something to say." Guo Tianyang shouted loudly, his voice revealing a sense of majesty.

The palace maids and eunuchs were stunned for a while, then they all looked up. They saw Lin Xiaofeng wearing armor, a red and yellow round-necked robe with round patterns, and a red cross-collared robe with auspicious cloud patterns. He had a thin face, dragon eyebrows and phoenix eyes. With the blessing of the emperor's aura, he looked majestic and solemn, and people dared not look directly at him.

When everyone wanted to lower their heads to avoid his gaze, Lin Xiaofeng raised the golden hairpin in his hand and asked, "Do you know what I am holding in my hand?" His voice was loud and powerful, as if it could penetrate people's hearts.

"It's the golden hairpin on the Queen's head!" a palace maid answered in a trembling voice, with a hint of fear in her voice.

Queen Zhou's heart was in a knot, and her eyes never left the hairpin. It was the first gift Lin Xiaofeng gave her, and it was also the most precious thing in her life. She didn't know why Lin Xiaofeng took it away, but she believed he must have his reasons.

"How much do you think this hairpin can be sold for?" Lin Xiaofeng asked, with a strange light flashing in his eyes.

The palace maids and eunuchs looked at each other, not knowing how to answer. This golden hairpin was the queen's favorite. Let alone selling it, they would be reprimanded if they accidentally touched it. They secretly wondered what the emperor was going to do? Was he really going to sell the queen's golden hairpin?

The maids and eunuchs knelt on the ground in silence. They did not dare to speak easily for fear of angering the emperor. Guo Tianyang blinked and said, "Your Majesty, this golden hairpin is a priceless treasure and cannot be sold!" There was a hint of anxiety and worry in his voice. Lin Xiaofeng nodded and said, "You are right. Some things in the palace can be sold and some cannot. I cannot decide whether to sell them or not. It must be decided by the queen. The queen will point out the things that can be sold in the palace in a while. You can move these things out and follow me out of the palace to set up a stall near the Xisi Archway to sell them. The money earned will be used as military pay!" His voice was firm and powerful, as if he had made the final decision.

"Setting up a stall?" The palace maids and eunuchs looked at each other, not understanding why the emperor did this. They were full of doubts and puzzlement, but they did not dare to ask.

Guo Tianyang stood behind Lin Xiaofeng and whispered, "Your Majesty, no! If this gets out, it will damage the reputation of the royal family!" There was a hint of anxiety and worry in his voice.

If the emperor sold his property to pay for the army, how would the Ming Dynasty maintain its reputation? He thought to himself but did not dare to say it out loud.

"Are you questioning me?" Lin Xiaofeng asked sternly, his eyes revealing an unquestionable majesty.

Guo Tianyang fell to his knees with a plop and dared not speak any more. Lin Xiaofeng only gave him a verbal warning and did not really punish him. Because what Guo Tianyang said was not without reason. Setting up stalls would indeed damage the reputation of the royal family. But doing so would gather the hearts of the people and make them think that the emperor was also a victim of corrupt officials. In this way, they would truly support the emperor and the court! Lin Xiaofeng thought to himself, but did not say it out loud.

"If you sell a lot, I will reward you; if you don't sell a penny, I won't blame you. Do you understand?" Lin Xiaofeng asked, his voice carrying a hint of majesty and unquestionableness.

"The servants understand!"

In the capital, there is a place called Xisi Pailou. It is quietly located in the northwest of the imperial city, only four miles away from the majestic imperial city. Since Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, Xisi Pailou has carried a heavy history and vicissitudes. It has witnessed countless changes and has become the place where criminals were beheaded in successive Ming dynasties. The cold stone road seems to still echo the wailing of the past. However, times have changed. The iron hoofs of the Qing Dynasty trampled on the tranquility of the Central Plains. The ceremony was also moved to Caishikou. Xisi Pailou gradually faded out of people's sight, but it was unexpected that today, it has once again become the focus of everyone's attention.

At this moment, the Xisi Pailou was surrounded by a crowd of people, like a boiling ocean. People flocked to the streets to witness this lively scene. Today's excitement was very different from usual, because the emperor was going to personally supervise the execution of an official, which was no small matter. Those who were beheaded were often those noble officials who were high above on weekdays. They held great power and controlled the life and death of the people. Now, these former dignitaries were like phoenixes with broken wings, and they were reduced to prisoners. The long-suppressed resentment in the hearts of the people finally found an outlet for venting. They were eager to see these corrupt officials receive the punishment they deserved to relieve their hatred.

As Emperor Lin Xiaofeng arrived, the entire Xisi Archway Square instantly became silent, as if even the air had frozen. The Wucheng Bingmasi, Jinyiwei, and Dongchang guards were on high alert, driving the people thirty-five steps away and surrounding the city. The cold weapons flashed in the sun, making people shudder. On one side of the open space, there was a row of tables and chairs, which looked particularly solemn. They were prepared for the upcoming trial.

Zhang Xin, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple Minister, and the Left Censor-in-Chief sat in a row, wearing official uniforms and looking solemn. Seeing Lin Xiaofeng coming in person, they all stood up to greet him, performing the ritual of kneeling three times and knocking nine times to show their respect. After the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects was over, Lin Xiaofeng's face was cold and his eyes were like torches. He ordered: "Bring the prisoners up." At the command, the factory guards and the Jinyiwei were like wolves and tigers, and they took Zhang Jinyan and Wang Zhengzhi to the center of the execution ground. At the same time, more than a hundred soldiers also took more than a hundred people from the three clans of Zhang Jinyan and Wang Zhengzhi to the side. The scene was solemn and murderous, and the air was filled with an ominous atmosphere.

Although Gu Chaosheng has found evidence that Zhu Chunchen assassinated the emperor, Lin Xiaofeng has no intention of killing him today, because the court is too complicated and undercurrents are surging. He needs to let the bullet fly for a while and see how the situation develops before making a decision.

"Bring Zhang Jinyan and Wang Zhengzhi!" Zhang Xin, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, shouted loudly, with unquestionable majesty in his voice. Two Jinyiwei pushed Zhang Jinyan to the execution platform. Zhang Jinyan's face was pale, and there was a gleam of despair in his eyes. Zhang Xin asked: "Zhang Jinyan, Wang Zhengzhi, do you plead guilty?"

"Unjust! Unjust!" The two men shouted almost at the same time. Although their voices were hoarse, their tone was firm, like the last roar of a dying beast. The onlookers were very surprised when they heard this. They looked at each other, their hearts full of doubts. The emperor personally supervised the execution, but someone cried out for injustice on the execution ground. Did these two people refuse to admit their guilt, or were they really wronged?

Zhang Xin's mouth flashed a sly smile, he snorted coldly, and said: "You two have committed heinous crimes, and you still refuse to admit your guilt. You are really stubborn and deserve to die!" After that, he was about to order the execution of the two. However, at this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "Sir Minister! If he has grievances, why don't you let him speak out? Is this how the court does things?"

"If we are falsely accused one day, will we suffer the same fate?"

"The bandits are coming. We can't let a bad guy go, but we can't kill a good guy by mistake! If we kill him by mistake, we'll be digging our own grave. How can we just sit back and do nothing?"

These sounds were like thunder, exploding above the Xisi Archway, and everyone present was moved. Zhang Xin's face suddenly changed, and he slammed the table and shouted angrily: "How dare you! Who is making a noise? Catch them!" The guards around immediately stepped forward, restrained more than a dozen scholars, and brought them in front of Zhang Xin.

"Who are you? How dare you disrupt the execution ground! According to the law, you should be beaten with fifty military sticks!" Zhang Xin was furious. He stared at the leading scholar as if he wanted to eat him alive. Although the scholar looked childish, he was not afraid at all. He stepped forward and shouted loudly: "We are tribute students from the Imperial College! We came to watch after hearing about this, and we stood up when we saw the prisoner crying out for justice!"

"Gongsheng?" Zhang Xin frowned. He didn't expect that those who dared to come forward were actually Gongsheng from the Imperial College. Gongsheng were people with meritorious service and enjoyed many privileges: no need to kneel when meeting the county magistrate, no need to be tortured during interrogation, and no need to be exempted from corvée. These privileges allowed them to be above ordinary people to a certain extent, but at this moment, they chose to stand at the forefront.

"Students are not allowed to discuss politics, have you forgotten? Leave quickly, otherwise I will report to the director of the Imperial College to set the record straight." Zhang Xin threatened, trying to use his power to suppress these young scholars.

However, the leading scholar was not afraid at all. He straightened his spine and said loudly: "Mr. Shilang, have you never heard the saying 'A gentleman can be reserved but not cowardly, and can speak out against injustice'?" Zhang Xin was stunned when he heard this. He subconsciously looked behind him and saw that the passion of the people was slightly reduced because of these words. Although they were happy to see officials killed, they did not want to see people being killed unjustly. Because no one dared to guarantee that they would not be the next victim.

Lin Xiaofeng saw all of this, and he couldn't help sneering in his heart. These officials didn't dare to come forward to plead for mercy, and actually let the students of the Imperial College to make trouble. They were really cowardly. He stood up and ignored others, looked directly at Zhang Jinyan and asked: "Zhang Jinyan, what grievances have you suffered? Tell me so that I can hear it."

Zhang Jinyan seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw. He swallowed hard to moisten his throat, then said with tears in his eyes: "Your Majesty! Yesterday in the court, Your Majesty borrowed money from civil and military officials to supplement the military pay. I was just confused and said the wrong thing, but I was accused of deceiving the emperor. I refuse to accept it! Although tens of thousands of taels of silver were found in my home, they were all accumulated by my ancestors, and some were borrowed by me for circulation. The loan agreement is still there, so how can it be said that I embezzled money?"

Hearing this, Lin Xiaofeng's face became even more stern. He raised his voice and said to everyone present: "I ask you, why did you lie to the emperor when you borrowed money? Are you afraid that I won't pay you back or are you hoping that the Ming Dynasty will perish?"

"I'm afraid Your Majesty won't pay me back!" Zhang Jinyan didn't care about much else. He just said whatever he wanted to say. If he didn't say it in front of so many people, he would have no chance.

"No! You are not afraid that I won't pay you back, but you are hoping for the Ming Dynasty to fall. Only when the Ming Dynasty falls will I be unable to pay you back." Lin Xiaofeng said coldly, his voice was as piercing as ice. "Do you think that I only convicted you of corruption for the money? You are greedy for more than just money, but also your career and your life! As far as I know, you have been colluding with the bandits and have become their running dog!"

"In February, the bandits conquered Taiyuan, captured Jin Wang Zhu Shenxuan, and killed Governor Cai Maode. You lied to me, saying Taiyuan was still being defended, causing me to delay summoning Wu Sangui to defend the country. In the same February, the bandits fought fiercely with our army at Ningwu Pass for several days, and captured Ningwu Pass at the cost of 70,000 casualties. Zhou Yuji and 7,000 soldiers died in the battle. You lied to me again, saying the bandits retreated to Ningwu Pass, causing me to miss the opportunity to recruit soldiers in the capital for war."

"Do you deserve my grace for repeatedly lying about military intelligence? Do you deserve the people of the capital? Do you deserve the soldiers fighting on the front lines? Do you deserve the people of the Ming Dynasty? Tell me!"

Lin Xiaofeng's series of anger made the entire Xisi Pailou extremely quiet, and even the wind seemed to have stopped blowing. Although there was only one Zhang Jinyan in the court, 70% of the people had the same idea as Zhang Jinyan. After Li Zicheng captured Beijing, 70% of the officials in the court surrendered. They didn't care who was the emperor, they only cared whether they could be officials and whether they could make money! Their hearts were dirty, and they would do anything to cover up, frame, intimidate, suppress, force, and even kill people.

Seeing the emperor in a rage, the people were quiet at first, and then burst into enthusiastic shouts: "Your Majesty, kill him!" "Zhang Jinyan must die, give justice to the Ming soldiers!" "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" Countless people were screaming and venting their anger in the distance. The emperor's words touched their hearts. The officials' greed for money was just an appearance, and behind the appearance was their filthy heart.

Zhang Jinyan was frightened by the people's reaction. He knelt on the ground and trembled constantly, as helpless as a leaf in the autumn wind. Lin Xiaofeng stared at him and asked, "I ask you, do you plead guilty?" "I am innocent." Zhang Jinyan was stubborn and said the same thing, but his tone was no longer as firm as before.

Lin Xiaofeng smiled coldly, and a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes. He ordered: "Zhang Jinyan embezzled military pay, lied about military intelligence, deceived the emperor, and betrayed the country. He should be executed! Come, identify Zhang Jinyan, cut him into pieces, exterminate his three clans, and take his confiscated property to the Ministry of Revenue as military pay." With Lin Xiaofeng's order, Zhang Jinyan's fate was sealed.
"Is my judgment fair?" Lin Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a trace of imperceptible fatigue, but still as sharp as an eagle, and asked the tribute student from the Imperial College. The sunlight shone through the sparse clouds, sprinkling on his dragon robe in patches, and the golden silk threads sparkled in the sun, as if a thin layer of brilliance was coated on his body.

The tribute student lowered his head, his face as pale as paper, and answered in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty... I have realized my mistake." His eyes were full of regret and fear, his hands were clenched into fists, and his nails dug deeply into his palms.

"Okay, when you go back, copy the Ming Code a hundred times, remember it in your heart, and don't make the same mistake again." Lin Xiaofeng's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty.

"Yes, yes, as you wish." The tribute student kowtowed and thanked the emperor as if he had been pardoned. He stood up with staggering steps, as if he had lost his soul, and plunged into the crowd, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

The problems of scholars should be solved with books. Lin Xiaofeng thought to himself that a mere tribute student from the Imperial College could not arouse much interest in him, not to mention that at this critical moment of defending the city, every useful person was particularly precious.

With screams, dozens of heads fell to the ground. Zhang Jinyan's three clans were slaughtered. The blood was boiling in the West Four Archway. The stench and the smell of rust mixed together and filled the nose, making people feel both terrified and inexplicably excited. Lin Xiaofeng's eyes were like torches, sweeping over everyone present, and finally fell on Wang Zhengzhi. His eyes became more fierce, and he raised his voice and asked, "Wang Zhengzhi, do you plead guilty?"

Wang Zhengzhi was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, incontinent, with dirty things flowing down his robes. The people around him couldn't help but feel nauseous and took a few steps back, away from this once powerful official.

"Your Majesty, I plead guilty and beg for forgiveness!" Wang Zhengzhi's voice was filled with tears, and he had lost all his former majesty.

"I know I'm wrong, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" He kowtowed and begged, the blood and dirt on his forehead made him look particularly miserable.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I beg Your Majesty to spare my family for my hard work for the country." His voice was hoarse, and he was almost roaring with all his strength.

Lin Xiaofeng sneered, his eyes were like knives, and he looked at him coldly: "If I spare your family, how will the families of the soldiers who died in the battle look at me? They are short of money and food at the front, but they are still fighting bloody battles. What did you do in the rear?"

"You first served as the Minister of the Imperial Household Department, and later as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. You committed corruption for personal gain, embezzled military funds, deceived the emperor, spread rumors and disrupted the government. Your crimes are heinous! My soldiers did not die at the hands of the enemy, but at the hands of you, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!" Lin Xiaofeng's voice resounded through the sky, and every word was like a hammer, hitting everyone's heart heavily.

"Come here, verify Wang Zhengzhi's identity, behead him in public, execute his three clans, and confiscate his property and send it to Shuntian Prefecture to help the people of the capital treat the plague." Lin Xiaofeng's orders were concise and cruel, and every word revealed an irresistible power.

After hearing this, Wang Zhengzhi finally fainted, his body like a puddle of mud, and he collapsed to the ground. The emperor's order had been given, and the executioner immediately carried out the execution. In an instant, blood splattered on the execution ground, corpses were scattered all over the ground, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

The officials around him all covered their mouths and noses, their faces showing disgust or fear. Some bowed their heads in silence, while others secretly looked up to see the emperor's expression, each with their own thoughts in mind. The people, on the other hand, were already boiling with excitement. They waved their fists and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Well done! These corrupt officials deserve to die!" The voices of the people rose one after another. They raised their right arms, clenched their fists, and waved them above their heads. At that moment, the sound shook the sky, as if even the sky was moved.

The soldiers on guard all changed their expressions. Faced with so many people, they were filled with fear. This fear spread like a plague. As the cheers of the people grew louder, their hands holding the weapons began to tremble and their bodies shook.

Lin Xiaofeng witnessed all this and was speechless. The momentum of these soldiers was suppressed by the common people, which showed their fighting power! He stretched out his hands and signaled everyone to be quiet. The West Four Archway instantly became silent, with only the sound of the wind blowing the flags.

Lin Xiaofeng pointed at the people below the stage and said loudly: "Since I ascended the throne, I have destroyed the eunuch party, defended Liaodong, resisted natural disasters, and fought against bandits. I do not seek merit, but only hope to be worthy of the people of the Ming Dynasty and this country!" His voice was deep and powerful, and every word seemed to carry a thousand pounds of force, deeply imprinted in everyone's heart.

"The bandits are now so powerful that they are approaching the capital. The capital is in urgent need of help! Why does the court call them bandits? Because they keep saying they will treat the people well, but when they charge, they let the people walk in front, and when they flee, they let the people stay behind. Wherever they go, there is a mess. They hold up the banner of equal distribution of land and exemption of grain, but they force good people to become bandits, slaughter children, and even rape, rob, kill, and burn. They do all kinds of evil."

At this point, Lin Xiaofeng's tone became particularly heavy, and his eyes swept across everyone present, as if to carve these words deeply into their hearts. "Are you willing to become bandits?" His voice resounded through the sky, carrying an irresistible force.

The onlookers were stunned at first, not knowing whether they should answer the emperor's words. They looked at each other, their eyes showing both confusion and expectation. Lin Xiaofeng continued, "I could have moved to Nanjing for refuge, but I couldn't leave the millions of people in the capital. So I decided to stay in the capital and wait for the troops to come to the emperor's defense."

His voice was sonorous and powerful, and every word seemed to carry a great force, deeply imprinted in everyone's heart. "Although there are many bandits, I have millions of Ming people behind me. Even if the enemy has a million strong army, I am not afraid. If they dare to come to fight, the capital will be their burial place!"

At this point, Lin Xiaofeng changed the subject and his voice became more passionate: "In the name of the Son of Heaven, I announce to the capital that from now on we will begin recruiting soldiers and preparing for war to resist the bandits!" His voice resounded through the sky, as if even the sky was moved.

……

After Lin Xiaofeng finished his impassioned speech, the Xisi Archway was first silent, and then there was a deafening cheer. The people were extremely excited, and they vented their emotions with roars and exaggerated actions. They waved their fists and cheered loudly, as if they wanted to pour out all their anger and expectations.

At this moment, they have been waiting too long. Before this, they were confused and at a loss, not knowing who they should fight for. They even thought that the arrival of the bandits was a good thing, which could help them get rid of corrupt officials. In their hearts, the emperor is kind and should be loyal to. However, these officials in the court are evil, oppressing the civilians, taking bribes and bending the law, and doing all kinds of evil. Can't the emperor see it? If he saw it, why didn't he punish them? Why didn't the punishment have any effect?
The people were confused, their hearts were full of doubts and puzzlement. Lin Xiaofeng's words today rekindled their bloodiness and made them see hope and the future. They waved their fists and cheered loudly: "Recruit soldiers and prepare to fight against the bandits!" Their voices resounded through the sky, as if even the sky was moved.

Lin Xiaofeng nodded with satisfaction, his eyes revealing a hint of relief and satisfaction. He knew that his words had deeply touched the hearts of these people, rekindling their hope and expectations for the future. He ordered Guo Tianyang to stay and set up the stall while he returned to the palace to rest. As the emperor's carriage slowly left, the eunuchs and palace maids began to shout: "Come and take a look! The royal items are being sold at a low price!"

"The spittoon, writing brush and eating chopsticks used by His Majesty can be taken home if the price is right!" Their voices rose and fell, full of enthusiasm and vitality.

"Don't miss it if you pass by. The first ten people who spend the most can visit the imperial city for free!" They shouted and waved the items in their hands to attract the people around them.

"Don't worry if you are not qualified. You can tour the imperial city for half a day for only one thousand taels of silver! Royal products must be top-notch, suitable for all ages and fair to all!" Their voices became louder and louder, as if they were going to wake up the entire capital.

As the hawking sounded, the nearby people gathered around to watch the fun. The rich people took out the silver they had prepared to buy, they wanted to take home some royal atmosphere and glory. The poor people stood in front of the stalls and kept observing and touching them, their eyes full of curiosity and yearning.

The guards were maintaining order while looking in curiously. After all, ordinary people rarely come into contact with royal items in their lifetime, and they also wanted to see what was so special about these royal items.

Zhang Xin, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, Ling Xiqu, the chief judge of the Supreme Court, and Shi Bangyao, the right censor-in-chief, who were supervising the execution, looked at each other with different expressions. Ling Xiqu and Shi Bangyao were worried, fearing that the news would damage the reputation of the royal family; while Zhang Xin, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, was indifferent with a hint of joking. He wondered if there had ever been an emperor in history who set up a stall to sell things? Yes, and most of them were incompetent emperors, such as Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty Liu Hong, Emperor Shao of the Song Dynasty Liu Yifu, and Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Houzhao. With these role models in front of him, what will Lin Xiaofeng do? It seems that the Zhu Dynasty is going to go the old way! His heart was filled with worry and uneasiness, wondering where this young emperor would lead the Ming Dynasty. (End of this chapter)