Chapter 11: The Emperor Declares: Kill! Kill! Kill!

As chest after chest of shimmering silver was hauled out, Zhou Kui felt a chill seep through him from head to toe.

Throughout his life, fortune had favored him to an absurd degree. Even when he brought silver home, he only made a cursory effort to hide it, never once imagining that one day the emperor’s own son-in-law would come to confiscate his property!

Just how lucky was Zhou Kui? He had started out as a charlatan fortune-teller in the capital, deceiving people with slick words. In his youth, he managed to charm a beautiful wife, then fathered a lovely daughter who would later marry Prince Xin, catapulting the family into power overnight.

Most astonishingly, the Emperor Tianqi happened to drown, leaving no heir, making his own brother, Prince Xin, the first in line to the throne!

And this son-in-law of his, not only did he not guard against Zhou Kui, he even laughed off Zhou’s evident profiteering, never holding him to account.

It was as if destiny itself had chosen him!

But now, faced with Chongzhen’s icy gaze, Zhou Kui was shaking uncontrollably, gripped by a cold terror. He had never seen Chongzhen like this.

Even if he had hoarded a bit too much silver, it shouldn’t be a capital crime, should it? At worst, he could grit his teeth and donate another five thousand taels, he thought, clinging to hope.

“Your Majesty, we have uncovered four secret letters of surrender! Aside from Zhou Kui, there is one each from the Vice Minister of Works, the Vice Minister of Rites, and Duke Cheng, Zhu Chuncheng. All entrusted Zhou Kui to deliver these to the rebel Li Zicheng!” Wu Mengming stepped forward to report.

“Bring them here!” Zhu Youjian glanced at him, nodding with evident satisfaction.

As he read through the letters, Zhu Youjian’s expression grew darker with each line. Not only were the words brazenly insulting, but the writers even debased themselves to drag down Chongzhen’s dignity further—anyone who read them would be incensed beyond measure!

“To the Great Shun Sovereign, this humble subject, Zhou Kui, the false Imperial Father-in-law of the so-called Ming, kneels in audience. May Your Sacred Majesty’s health be preserved! The illegitimate Ming Emperor Zhu Youjian is cruel and immoral—a feeble, inept ruler. Under your army’s might, the city will collapse without a fight!”

“The ministers and people have suffered the false Ming court for too long! The masses long for liberation! The Shun Emperor’s virtue surpasses the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors! When your army arrives, the people of the capital will sing your praises and welcome you, wishing Your Majesty swift victory and the destruction of the false Ming, uniting all under heaven!”

Zhu Youjian trembled with uncontrollable fury. This was the so-called Imperial Father-in-law of the Ming, his own father-in-law, who had written such a shameless letter of surrender! How could there be such a brazen traitor?

“He deserves death!”

“Your Majesty, we have discovered seventy-two thousand taels of silver, nineteen thousand taels of gold, countless pearls and jewels, antiques, and paintings!” Fu Youde reported.

“Your Majesty, you cannot take this silver, you must not! I am willing to donate another five thousand—no, ten thousand taels!” Zhou Kui wailed in despair, pleading bitterly.

“You old scoundrel! You’ve amassed a fortune of over a million taels, yet you dared to claim poverty before me? Truly outrageous! You deserve a thousand cuts!”

Watching Zhou Kui still throwing a tantrum at this point, Zhu Youjian’s anger only deepened.

Only days ago, the imperial treasury was empty, with no money to pay the soldiers. As Li Zicheng’s army approached the city, Chongzhen hoped to inspire his soldiers to resist—if they could hold out for a few months, reinforcements from loyalists might arrive, offering the Ming a sliver of hope.

But without pay, the soldiers were hungry and unwilling to fight; they had no will to defend the city.

At this moment, if the nobles and officials had united in their donations, perhaps the Ming could have endured a few more years. Yet, Zhou Kui, fully aware of the crisis, refused to part with a single coin, forgetting completely who had bestowed his wealth and status.

Zhou Kui set a terrible example; the officials in court all followed suit, suddenly declaring themselves penniless. Even the Grand Secretary only donated five hundred taels!

“Extreme punishment—death by slow slicing!” Zhu Youjian pronounced without mercy.

Zhou Kui was dumbfounded, hurriedly protesting, “Your Majesty, the law has long abolished execution by slow slicing! And this silver was all gifted by your ministers, not embezzled. At most, it’s bribery! As for the letter, it was just expediency, a matter of circumstance!”

“I am the law!”

Zhu Youjian did not spare him another glance, seating himself in his palanquin and ordering the procession on to the next residence.

Since the nobles and officials were unwilling to give up their wealth with dignity, he would help them do so.

“Commander Wu,” he ordered, “take him away—off to the Imperial Prison!”

The confiscation continued.

A procession of over a thousand men blocked the street, marching grandly toward Duke Cheng’s residence.

At that moment, Duke Cheng, Zhu Chuncheng, had just learned that the emperor, in a fit of madness, had executed his own father-in-law by slow slicing!

He was deeply alarmed. Seeing the imperial palanquin approaching, he rushed forward and bowed deeply. “Your servant greets Your Majesty—may you enjoy good health!”

His ancestor had been the founding hero Zhu Neng. The family kept five hundred private guards, all now kneeling in the street, a vast mass that brought Zhu Chuncheng some comfort.

“Wu Mengming, search the premises!” Zhu Youjian ordered without preamble.

“At your command! Men, follow me!” Wu Mengming, delighted, led a large force of Embroidered Uniform Guards into the residence, ignoring Zhu Chuncheng’s frantic signals from the ground.

Soon, an officer came rushing back with news.

“Your Majesty! In the east wing, we discovered a secret chamber packed with gold, silver, and military arms!”

Chests of gold, jewels, antiques, paintings, and even firearms and heavy crossbows from the Shenji Camp were carried out, filling the streets. The quantities were even more staggering than Zhou Kui’s hoard.

“Your Majesty, I am terrified! This wealth is a legacy from my ancestors—I do not know what crime I have committed to suffer such disaster!” Zhu Chuncheng wailed.

A letter of surrender was flung in his face, silencing his cries. Cold sweat streamed down his brow as he stammered, “Your Majesty, this—this was not written by me!”

Zhu Youjian looked down on him coldly and uttered a single sentence:

“Chuncheng is not pure—your guilt exceeds measure!”

With that, two Embroidered Uniform Guards stepped forward, drew their Spring Glory Blades, and beheaded the dazed Zhu Chuncheng on the spot.

“Break up these private guards and draft them into the army!” Zhu Youjian commanded.

Seated in his palanquin, he considered the scores of noble and official households in the capital. Going door to door was not feasible.

“General Fu, take your troops and seal off the residences of all officials of fourth rank and above. Wu Mengming, lead the Embroidered Uniform Guards to search each house in turn. If you find letters of surrender or more than ten thousand taels of silver hoarded, execute the main offender and exile the family!”

“Remember, do not touch the loyal and virtuous—if you do, you will answer to me!”

In the capital, almost every noble family kept private troops, from dozens to several hundred. Zhou Kui’s Marquis of Jiading estate was an exception—he was too stingy to maintain guards. That was why Zhu Youjian had chosen him as his first target: much money, few soldiers, and a weighty example.

If he could behead his own father-in-law, he could certainly deal with the rest. Let them bare their necks quietly—there was no need for further argument.

“At your command!” Wu Mengming bowed low, suppressing his own ambitions.

“At your command!” General Fu Youde echoed.

Quickly, squads of soldiers fanned out across the city, following a single imperial order.

The Emperor said: Kill! Kill! Kill!