Chapter 157: The Officials of the Hongzhi Era: We're Just Used to Being Stubborn!

Two figures stepped out from behind the Hall of Culture.

The remark had come from the foremost of the two.

Old Zhu Di was dressed in a crimson everyday robe. His noticeably younger face bore an expression of utter indifference, radiating an overbearing majesty that towered above all else—the imperial aura forged from over two decades of ruling the universe!

Frowning, he glanced at Zhu Youjian, who was surrounded by kneeling Brocade-Clad Guards and flushed red with frantic anxiety, and said in a deep voice, "The Brocade-Clad Guards are the emperor's personal bodyguard. If you cannot even command them, how are you any different from a puppet?"

Who was this person radiating such magnificent majesty as he barked questions? From the recent conversation between his imperial father and Youjian, Zhu Youjian had already deduced his identity.

Emperor Taizong Wen!

Understanding dawned in Zhu Youjian's heart, and he lowered his head in shame for bringing disgrace upon his ancestors.

During the Hongzhi reign, Minister of Personnel Ma Wensheng had previously served as Minister of War. Not only did he forbid the emperor from meddling in military power, but even the appointments of the Brocade-Clad Guards had to be deliberated and endorsed by the Ministry of War; the emperor was not permitted to grant approval privately.

Emperor Taizong was right. He truly was a puppet in the flesh—devoid of political power, military power, and financial power, lacking even the authority to select imperial concubines!

The only thing he could do was put on a facade before his son, pretending to be deeply in love with the empress.

In reality, he too desired women. Having once made a fuss about it, Lady Zhang grew utterly annoyed and finally allowed him to sleep with palace maids and attendants, though without granting them any official titles.

His experience as emperor was stifling to the extreme!

"Grand Ancestor, this unworthy son of mine lacks competence. Please bear with him!" Zhu Jianshen said, bowing with an amiable smile.

Grand Ancestor?

Ma Wensheng, Li Dongyang, and the others changed color. They had harbored many guesses as to why the late Emperor Xianzong had manifested as a divine presence, and were even quite certain that the man before them was indeed Xianzong.

Yet Xianzong’s very first sentence upon appearing had left them no room for maneuver. Once Xianzong’s divine manifestation was acknowledged, everyone involved in poisoning the current emperor to death would have their entire clan executed down to the third degree!

The scope of the fallout was simply too vast!

Therefore, this Xianzong had to be a mere imposter hired by the current court. Whether he was or wasn't didn't matter; after all, the current emperor had no say in the matter anyway!

But Emperor Taizong Wen was an entirely different story!

This was a sovereign who had fought on horseback. Who knew whether he brought an army with him or not?

Zhu Di walked up to Mou Bin, commander of the Brocade-Clad Guards, and let out a cold snort. "What? You still wish to make a move against Us?"

"N-No, I dare not!" Mou Bin was so heavily suppressed that he could not even lift his head, whimpering in terror.

"Failing to bow before the emperor shall be treated as treason!" Zhu Di said calmly.

Bang!

The moment the voice fell, a gunshot rang out from an unknown direction. Mou Bin crashed to the ground, red and white matter oozing steadily from his brow, staining the golden bricks that paved the grand hall.

What a formidable firearm!

The eyes of all the officials nearly popped out of their skulls.

Immediately following, a large formation of firearm-wielding guards, expressionless and marching in unison, poured into the hall.

Zhu Di gave a subtle hand gesture.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every single Brocade-Clad Guard in the hall was executed on the spot by gunfire!

Thud!

Ma Wensheng, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, and the others dropped to their knees without the slightest hesitation. With weak legs and chilled hearts, how could they not kneel? Trembling, they cried out at the top of their lungs:

"Your ministers pay homage to Emperor Taizong Wen! We pay homage to Emperor Xianzong!"

Zhu Youjian’s face turned pitch black. These people hadn't even included him in their instinctive kowtows; it was utterly arrogant and disrespectful. He looked pleadingly at Zhu Di. "Grandfather Taizong..."

"Go ahead and interrogate them. The firearm guards are at your imperial father's disposal," Zhu Di waved a hand and pulled Zhu Youjian aside to question him.

The topics were mostly whether Jiajing had been born yet, whether he should still be allowed to be born, and when he would go to 'favor' him with his presence.

Backed by Taizong and his imperial father, Zhu Youjian instantly grew a spine and flew into a furious rage. "Ma Wensheng, you bastard! Your crimes are monstrous, bringing humiliation upon our Great Ming and making us the laughingstock of all ancestral vassal states. Do you know your crime?"

"Your minister, your minister..."

Ma Wensheng’s body had gone cold halfway through. Shivering violently, he dared not reply. Before heading the Ministry of Personnel, he had served as the Minister of War; naturally, he knew full well what he had done.

"Tell your father what he has done," Zhu Jianshen said softly as he seated himself upon the dragon throne.

With Zhu Di having taken control of the situation, he had pulled Zhu Youjian off to a side hall to discuss state matters, leaving Jianshen as the highest authority in the main hall.

With a grievance-laden expression, Zhu Youjian stated, "This man's incompetence has caused the Great Ming to suffer prolonged bullying, and his personal morality is even more deplorable..."

During the Chenghua reign, the Jurchens of Liaodong were beaten to the brink of extinction, the Mongol royal court was smashed to pieces, and the remnants remained unaccounted for to this day. The four barbarian tribes submitted in submission, and ten thousand nations came to pay court!

The Ming dynasty fought so fiercely that even its designations for the northern nomads changed. Previously addressed as kings or grand tutors, the northern khans were now uniformly dismissed as 'little princes,' while the grand tutors were directly relegated to mere tribal chieftains.

Yet Ma Wensheng, who had controlled the Ministry of War for over a decade, allowed the military preparations across the Nine Garrisons to fall into utter ruin, leaving devastation everywhere!

During the repeated border raids and provocations by the Mongol Little Prince—the very Dayan Khan claimed to be the second Genghis Khan whom Emperor Wuzong would later slay in battle—Ma Wensheng could offer nothing besides strong condemnations, leaving him completely helpless and plunging the Great Ming into total loss of face!

Any frontier general who dared listen to the emperor either died of sudden illness or was stripped of office. Once Ming civil officials seized military power, they invariably shrank the empire's borders. To prevent the emperor from meddling in military affairs, they simply abandoned the Northwest region and the Hetao area.

They would rather lose territory than let the emperor touch the military!

The so-called Hongzhi Restoration, whitewashed by the civil official faction, could well be described as an era of forfeiting sovereign rights and bringing disgrace to the nation!

A folk rhyme went: *A broom star in the heavens, Tatar soldiers in the earth; if you wish to be rid of both plagues, you must slay Ma Wensheng!*

Even the common folk could no longer stomach it!

Aside from his incompetence, Ma Wensheng failed to discipline his son, indulging his offspring Ma Jie in unbridled extravagance and lawless tyranny across the countryside. Ma Jie had beaten innocent civilians to death in broad daylight, violated women, and committed every imaginable evil.

Ultimately, Xiaozong’s uncle, Prince Hui of Anhui, could no longer tolerate it and personally reported the matter to the imperial court!

For a prince to personally report a commoner showed just how vast Ma Jie’s influence truly was. After the Three Judicial Offices reviewed the case, they sentenced him to death by hanging!

Yet with a single word from the all-powerful Ma Wensheng, Ma Jie was released. Neither father nor son faced any punishment, and the matter was swept under the rug.

One could say they were incompetent outwardly yet adept inwardly, having mastered the art of bullying their own people to perfection.

Ma Wensheng’s entire body went cold, and he screamed in absolute terror, "Emperor Xianzong, Your Majesty, this old minister is wronged! This old minister has poured his heart and soul into the Great Ming for eighteen years; even without merit, I have endured much bitter toil!"

"You old scoundrel! You still have the gall to speak!"

As Zhu Jianshen listened, veins bulged on his temples and murderous intent flashed in his eyes. Four words spat from his lips: "Lingchi the entire clan!"

"Xianzong..." Feeling a shared sorrow for one another as fellow officials, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, Liu Daxia, and others stepped forward to offer counsel and dissuasion.

Zhu Jianshen swept an icy gaze across them. "Now you acknowledge that I am Emperor Xianzong?"

The righteous officials of the Hongzhi court fell silent as cicadas in winter, lowering their heads deeply as they murmured, "We... we were simply too stubborn of tongue..."

Zhu Youjian walked back alone, patted the shoulder of the teenage Zhu Youzhao, and softly remarked, "Look at that? After you ascended the throne, that Xie Qian took the lead in shielding Imperial Physician Liu Wentai—the very man who prescribed the medicine that poisoned your imperial father to death—and stopped you from avenging him."

The entire Hongzhi court was filled with villains!

Whether viewed from the perspective of the emperor or the common people of the realm!

Teenage Zhu Youzhao paused for a moment, an oppressive murderous aura blazing in his eyes. Without a word, he strode forward, picked up the panicked Xie Qian with one hand, and dragged him outside the palace to beat him to death on the spot.

Even Zhu Jianshen was left dumbfounded by the sight.

Zhu Youjian stroked his chin in thought. "Father, this child has never held his father in any regard since he was little. You'll get used to it."