Chapter 145: Severe Punishment for Zhu Gaoxu to Serve as a Warning for the Future!

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed, placing his large hand on the solid wood desk, and said with a genial smile:

"When did I ever say I would give you a chance to prove your innocence? Fighting fiercely before the imperial throne, civil officials embezzling and breaking the law, military generals showing complete disregard for superior and subordinate—this clearly shows that all of you have long harbored rebellious intentions. You deserve execution! Your clans shall be exterminated and your estates confiscated!"

Led by Li Mu and Li Changfu, the civil and military officials turned pale with fright and hurriedly pleaded, "May the Founding Emperor appease his wrath! In our panic, we spoke nonsense and committed foolish acts. We beg the Founding Emperor to show mercy!"

"We beseech the Founding Emperor to think twice! If this matter is recorded in the history books, it will damage the majesty of our imperial house! Slaughtering loyal officials and making the common people lose heart will leave the nation in ruins!"

"Your Imperial Majesty, the Founding Emperor, this subject submits that—"

"You need not submit anything!" Zhu Yuanzhang resolutely refused, interrupting the spell-casting.

Am I afraid of you writing history books?

Hah, how would history books record this?

The tomb-guarding eunuch Niu Yu neglected his duties, the Founding Emperor's coffin lid failed to hold him down, he crawled out from underground, and then chopped off all the ministers of the Six Ministries in Nanjing?

Would anyone believe that? Could you even bring yourself to write it?

That makes even less sense than A Dou [Liu Shan] and Zhao Yun charging in and out of Changban slope seven times.

Cold sweat poured from the civil and military officials. How many officials had the Founding Emperor slaughtered? The four major cases of the Hongwu era left hundreds of thousands of officials floating in a sea of blood; they really wouldn't make much difference to that head count.

They cast urgent glances one after another at their leader, Li Mu, fearing that if they didn't make a move soon, all of them would collectively become extinct.

Li Mu gathered his thoughts and tearfully sobbed in a low voice, "This subject has served through four reigns, wholeheartedly dedicated to the country and the people. In the fourth year of Zhengting, I was promoted to Academician-in-waiting of the Hanlin Academy... and successively appointed as a Censor-in-Chief. In the sixth year of Chenghua, I unworthily assumed the post of Vice Minister of Revenue in Nanjing and have served until now, never harboring a single selfish thought!"

"May the Founding Emperor examine this clearly, may all the emperors examine this clearly! This subject earnestly begs the Founding Emperor to honor my humble residence with an imperial visit and see for yourself—to this day, this subject's household has no surplus wealth left!"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly said, "Very well."

"Grandson, let's go now."

"Understood, Grand Patriarch."

Zhu Youjian nodded, casually tossing the little Zhu Youjian into the micro-world, and vanished on the spot along with the terrified swarm of civil and military officials.

What?!

Leaving just like that? Our households haven't even been tidied up yet!

Immediately, all the ministers fell into utter despair.

Their mansions were built around the imperial city. At least ten percent of their gold and silver was buried in underground vaults, and their estates were decorated with priceless treasures without any attempt at concealment. After all, the emperor stayed in the capital every day; where would he ever go to inspect the sentiments of the officials?

Besides, the Chenghua Emperor was reluctant to leave the palace.

This was because leaving the palace for emperors of the Ming dynasty usually meant they might not be able to return.

To maintain stability in the Jiangnan region, ever since the Jingtai era, the civil officials had stopped fussing about moving the capital back to Nanjing. Following the Tumu Crisis under Emperor Fort, the only opportunity to move the capital back to Nanjing was right when Zhu Qiyu had just ascended the throne.

Although there were voices of opposition from the hundred officials, the ultimate reason it didn't happen was that Empress Dowager Sun refused. After all, it was true that you civil officials had your homes in the south, but her ladyship's hometown was in Shandong.

By the Chenghua era, that idea was completely abandoned, because the retired officials living out their old age discovered that Jiangnan without an emperor was much more comfortable!

Affairs of the empire could only reach their ears through the intelligence networks of civil officials, eunuchs, and the Brocade Guard.

Although civil officials belonged to different factions and frequently impeached one another, they rarely brought matters of personal enjoyment out into the open. After all, none of them was any cleaner than the rest—it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

If you exposed someone for extravagant spending, would you stop living your own lavish life? Were you going to keep your money locked up just to let it breed?

Therefore, if someone really went to inspect their homes, it would all be over!

...

The group of people abruptly materialized in the front courtyard of the Li residence. To Li Mu's relief, his descendants were quite clever and had already started transferring their assets in advance.

The bad news was that they weren't clever quite in time.

Because at this moment, the gold and silver had just been dug out of the underground vaults and hadn't yet been moved away.

It was all laid out in the courtyard, piled up like mountains!

At this sight, not only was Li Mu dumbfounded, but the members of the Li family who were swinging shovels and frantically digging up the earth were all dumbfounded as well.

You arrive without even giving a warning?

The eldest young master of the Li family looked at his old father, his face drenched in sweat and his mind filled with question marks.

Utterly hollowed out by despair, Li Mu said nothing, unable even to curse his unfilial sons.

He was tired; let destruction come.

What was the use of scolding his sons? Who knew whose son he would be in the next lifetime.

At a given gesture, Zhu Gaozhi sneered and said, "Splendid, Li Mu! The moment this prince stepped in, I saw your Li family digging up silver. And you still dare claim you are not corrupt?!"

The emperors of the Ming dynasty swept their cold gazes across the pale faces of the officials.

Astonishingly, they couldn't find a single one who didn't feel a guilty conscience.

Did they even need to visit the next household?!

It was all written right across their faces!

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened like coal. With his hands clasped behind his back, he said grimly, "Fourth child, let's head out. Leave your second son behind to stay here for a while."

"Understood, Father Emperor," old Zhu Di replied with a nod, casting a meaningful glance at his second son before following closely behind old Zhu.

The crowd of Ming emperors and crown princes followed right behind them, leaving behind only a squad of spearmen.

Zhu Gaozhi walked over with a sinister grin plastered across his face. "Heh heh heh, do not be nervous, you esteemed paragons of purity. Take a deep breath; feeling dizzy is completely normal."

Since he had finally received a task assigned by His Imperial Grandfather, he naturally had to muster twelve-tenths of his energy and put on a thoroughly dedicated professional attitude!

"Y-Your Highness the Prince of Han, please do not be impulsive! We can discuss everything reasonably—do not come any closer!"

"This old man has served in government all my life. Although I conformed to the secular world, I am not cowed—ow!"

"Not the face! Have mercy, Your Highness the Prince of Han!"

Wails of grief echoed among the civil and military officials of Nanjing as they scurried around the courtyard holding their heads. Following this campaign, hundreds of shops, merchant caravans, and fleets in Jiangnan successfully transformed into state-owned enterprises.

For the crime of slaughtering loyal officials and beating up court pillars with his fists, Zhu Gaozhi was severely penalized with three heavy toasts of wine under an imperial decree from the Founding and Founding-Ancestor Emperors, as a warning to behave better in the future.

Outside the Li residence:

"Zhanji boy, you stay here with your second and third uncles to collect the silver."

"Understood, Imperial Great-Grandfather." The Xuande Emperor, Zhu Gaozhi [Zhu Zhanji], respectfully accepted the order.

Zhu Yuanzhang gave a casual instruction, turned to look at his eldest grandson, and said, "Let's go, Grandson."

"Very well."

Zhu Youjian nodded, and the group vanished from Jiangnan. When they reappeared, they were already back in the capital.

...

Back in the capital:

Zhu Qizhen climbed onto the roof of the South Garden, sitting on the eaves with his head cupped in both hands, wearing an expression of deep contemplation.

A hint of desolation hung about his solitary figure.

The Chenghua Emperor, Zhu Jianshen, shook his head and sighed, "It has been more than half a month. I'm afraid the ancestors have forgotten all about me, their living father."

During these past few days, Emperor Fort had snuck back to revisit the scenes of his past in the Southern Palace several times. After all, roaming around wildly in his son's inner palace seemed somewhat improper, so he had sensibly returned to the Southern Palace.

The benefits were also visible to the naked eye: the civil and military officials were exceptionally docile. As long as the demands weren't too outrageous, they would obediently comply, terrified that the Emperor would cast aside martial virtue and release the former emperor upon them once more.

Deeply touched, the Chenghua Emperor, Zhu Jianshen, recalled the days back when Emperor Fort was restored, and how he had wept bitterly and acted submissively while hugging his biological father's legs just to preserve his position as crown prince.

Lifting his head, he asked softly, "Father Emperor, what are you thinking about?"

Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen snapped out of his reverie, tilted his head to look at him, and after a moment of pondering, said, "I am wondering what to have for lunch."

"..."

Zhu Jianshen fell silent. He opened his mouth, but ultimately forced out a smile: "Whatever you wish to eat, you shall have. This son will go arrange it for you."