"Your Majesty, when we heard that Your Majesty was assassinated yesterday, we were so frightened that we couldn't sleep the whole night…"
All the civil and military officials heard Zhu Houzhao's question and quickly responded.
Zhu Houzhao scoffed at their perfunctory words.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings. What's the use of me raising you!”
In the palace of propaganda in the Forbidden City.
Zhu Houzhao reprimanded the officials.
The civil and military officials bowed and did not dare to speak. They were afraid that they would anger the Emperor and be punished.
His Majesty's most trusted Governor of the East Chamber, Cao Zhengchun, was put on death row. His Majesty accused Cao Zhengchun of not doing his job well and would behead him in a few days!
From this, one could tell how furious His Majesty was.
The entire capital was on tenterhooks.
That night, the Imperial Army and the foreigners of the East and West Facades searched for the remaining members of the White Lotus Society. In one night, more than thirty thousand people were captured.
All the city gates were also sealed by the Brocade Guards. No matter if it was officials or commoners, they were not allowed to leave the city.
The capital was under martial law and no one was allowed to enter or leave!
The citizens of the capital had also heard the news of the White Lotus Society assassinating Emperor Zheng De at the fireworks festival. The citizens of the Ming Dynasty were agitated. They took to the streets and reported the families of the White Lotus Society to the government.
His Majesty is virtuous and virtuous, yet you dare to assassinate His Majesty!
The commoners wished they could eat their flesh and gnaw their bones in front of the White Lotus Society!
They had been looking forward to the Sage King for so many years, and now, the Sage King had finally descended. The damned White Lotus Society actually tried to assassinate His Majesty!
This evil sect really deserved to die!
……
In the imperial court, Zhu Houzhao suppressed the anger in his heart and walked back to his throne!
Bang!
He stabbed the Emperor's Sword into the Dragon Book.
Today, they were destined to go on a killing spree!
It had been a long time since the Son of Heaven Sword had been stained with the smell of blood…
Zhu Houzhao looked at the bowing officials and said,""All of you, get up. Let me see what kind of expression you have.”
"We dare not!"
All the officials in the court replied to the Emperor and stood up straight. They looked up and saw the murderous Emperor Zheng De in the court.
When the officials saw the Emperor's Sword stuck in the Dragon Book, they felt their lives darken.
In the Xuanzheng Hall, the sound of a needle falling could be heard. Zhu Houzhao did not speak, and the civil and military officials of the court did not dare to speak.
Zhu Houzhao looked at the officials and said,""If you have any memorials, you can submit them first. I'm afraid that after these four hours, you won't have the chance to submit any more memorials!”
All the officials raised their heads in confusion."Why didn't you have the chance to submit the memorial?"
Zhu Houzhao looked at the officials and tried to suppress his anger."Perhaps in two hours, the members of the White Lotus Society will attack the court and kill me here. Who will read your memorial?”
"We failed to protect the emperor and deserve to die!”
All the officials knelt on the ground, propping their heads against the ground. Their expressions were as if they were willing to sacrifice themselves for the emperor!
The courtiers in the hall seemed to be loyal officials who could die for the king!
"Announce it."
Zhu Houzhao couldn't be bothered to look at the pretentious officials. To be able to stand in the Xuanzheng Hall, which one of them wasn't a schemer?
As soon as Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, all the civil and military officials stood up. Liu Jian, the chief assistant of the cabinet, took the lead and said,"Your Majesty, I have a report.”
"Allow!"
"Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to pardon Cao Zhengchun and let him continue to take charge of the East Chamber…" Liu Jian cupped his hands together and said.
As soon as Liu Jian finished speaking, all the civil and military officials were shocked.
Everyone knew that the cabinet and the East Chamber were not on good terms.
Liu Jian, the chief assistant of the cabinet, and Cao Zhengchun of the East Chamber were at loggerheads and did not communicate with each other.
The civil and military officials looked at Liu Jian with confused expressions. They did not know what Liu Jian was planning.
Zhu Houzhao looked at Liu Jian and said,""Cao Zhengchun, as the supervisor of the East Chamber, did not find the whereabouts of the White Lotus Society in time. His crime is unforgivable and he should be executed!”
Zhu Houzhao's voice was terrifying to the other officials.
Cao Zhengchun had always been the Emperor's lackey. However, Cao Zhengchun had messed up something, and the Emperor wanted to kill him.
The courtiers in the hall once again deeply felt what it meant to accompany the emperor like accompanying a tiger!
Liu Jian raised his head and cupped his hands." Your Majesty, I would like to defend Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the East Chamber. Please allow me to report to Your Majesty!"”
Zhu Houzhao looked down at Liu Jian and said,""Haven't you always wanted to bring Cao Zhengchun down? Now that Cao Zhengchun has been imprisoned, isn't that what you want?”
" Your Majesty, although I don't agree with Cao Zhengchun's political views, I don't deny that the East Chamber under Cao Zhengchun's command is the organization with the most information and means in the Ming Dynasty. Now that the White Lotus Society is causing trouble, the court needs the East Chamber's eyes and ears. Therefore, I must give up my estrangement with Cao Zhengchun and face the White Lotus Society together!”
Zhu Houzhao listened to the words of the cabinet chief and said,""Permitting! Continue."
After hearing Liu Jian's words, the expressions of the officials in the court changed.
Was the cabinet chief hoping to show his magnanimity in front of His Majesty, or did he really want to save his political enemies?
Cao Zhengchun was the Chief of the East Chamber. He was a ruthless person. He would not repay others for their kindness. According to Cao Zhengchun's personality, even if Liu Jian pleaded for him and saved him, Cao Zhengchun would not be grateful.
It was not without reason that people described the East Chamber as wolves, tigers, and leopards.
However, this was exactly what the Emperor needed.
The Emperor needed the East Chamber, not the East Granary to repay his kindness. The Emperor needed the East Chamber that was only loyal to the Emperor!
The Emperor did not need the East Chamber to repay kindness with kindness!
If the East Chamber repaid kindness with kindness, then it would not be the East Chamber, but the ancestral temple, the Confucius Temple!
……
In the court.
Liu Jian stood up and said,"" Your Majesty, I investigated the case of the White Lotus Society's rebellion yesterday. Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the East Chamber, has already arranged for people to be stationed at the Lantern Festival. The West Chamber of Yuhuatian disguised themselves at the Lantern Festival at Cao Zhengchun's behest…"
"Are you saying that it was Cao Zhengchun's idea for Yu Huatian to prevent the fireworks from getting wet at the lantern festival yesterday?”
"Indeed!"
"Xuan Yu Hua Tian." Zhu Houzhao issued an edict.
"Xuan Yu Hua Tian!" The eunuch's voice rang out in the Hall of Public Announcement.
Not long after, Yu Huatian appeared in the Xuanzheng Hall.
"I, Yu Huatian, pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Zhu Houzhao looked down at Yu Huatian and said,"Zhen asks you, yesterday you arranged people at the Lantern and Firework Festival to prevent people from getting into the water.”
Yu Huatian raised his head and said," Your Majesty, Cao Zhengchun came to me and told me that the fireworks festival is too close to the palace. If it catches fire, it might affect the palace and disturb the emperor. That's why I arranged for the West Hall to be at the fireworks festival…"
Zhu Houzhao listened to Yu Huatian's reply and issued an edict,""Pass down my decree, transfer Cao Zhengchun from death row to the Xuanzheng Hall!”
"Yes." The imperial guards went to interrogate Cao Zhengchun.
Zhu Houzhao looked at Liu Jian and said,""This is not enough to exempt Cao Zhengchun from the crime of dereliction of duty!”
As soon as Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Li Dongyang stepped forward and said,""Your Majesty, I also plead for Cao Zhengchun. I don't want to explain Cao Zhengchun's past mistakes. I only hope that Cao Zhengchun can command the East Chamber and wipe out the remaining members of the White Lotus Society! I can't just sit by and watch the White Lotus Society assassinate His Majesty!”
All the officials understood what Li Dongyang meant.
It turned out that the cabinet did not do Cao Zhengchun any favor by absolving him of his crimes. The cabinet's intention was to restore the East Military Hall's vitality and use Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the East Military Hall, to deal with the remnants of the White Lotus Society.
In the eyes of the cabinet, the White Lotus Society, which attempted to assassinate the Emperor, was their biggest enemy. If they wanted to eliminate the White Lotus Society, the East Chamber's power was indispensable.
Without Cao Zhengchun from the East Chamber, it would be difficult to deal with the White Lotus Society, which had taken root in the East Chamber!
……
Outside the Political Announcement Hall, the sound of crying could be heard.
Cao Zhengchun's unique voice rang out from outside the hall.
Before he even arrived, the sound of crying could be heard." Your Majesty, are you hurt? This old minister is heartbroken. I wish I could shelter Your Majesty from the wind and rain and die for Your Majesty…"
"Your Majesty! I deserve to die!"
"Your Majesty, this old minister has failed Your Majesty's great trust. This old minister will die for it!”
Cao Zhengchun cried as he entered the Xuanzheng Hall. As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt on the ground and cried until he was out of breath.
When the officials saw Cao Zhengchun, who had fainted from crying, they felt as if they were being pressed to the ground.
They also wanted to show that they were worried about the emperor's safety in front of the emperor, but they did so in the main hall.
They had thought that they had performed very well.
It was only when they saw Cao Zhengchun, who had fainted from crying and fell to the ground, that they realized that their acting skills were inferior to Cao Zhengchun's.
They even began to believe that Cao Zhengchun, the supervisor of the East Chamber, was the one who was truly sad about the assassination attempt on the Emperor.
Even the Empress Dowager wouldn't be so sad that she would faint in the hall.
Zhu Houzhao watched Cao Zhengchun's performance in the main hall. Although he knew that Cao Zhengchun was just pretending to be sad, he liked this kind of performance for some reason.
Even if it was an act, it was so vivid that it was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. It made Zhu Houzhao want to laugh.
Cao Zhengchun was truly a living treasure. If he killed him, wouldn't his life be less interesting?
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。