Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 22

Qin Ji saw that Zhu Youtang wanted to stop eating because of a court lady, so he couldn't help dissuading him anxiously: "Your Majesty, it's important to have lunch now, just leave this kind of trivial matter to the people below to pass the order!"

"Qin Ji, are you teaching me how to do things?" Zhu Youtang saw that Qin Ji hadn't set his position properly so far, so he couldn't help but snapped.

Tan Conggui saw that Zhu Youtang was already angry, and couldn't help looking at himself, his godfather, worriedly.

Although I don't know why Long Live God's temperament has changed so much, but Long Live God is their master, and he and his godfather seem to have forgotten this relationship.

Feeling Zhu Youtang's sharp eyes, Qin Ji finally realized that he was no longer the docile and benevolent prince in front of him, but shook his head in fright and said, "I dare not!"

Zhu Youtang didn't care about Qin Ji, and found that the atmosphere in the palace really needed to be rectified.

Although my instructions were not clear yesterday, judging from the current feedback on Niu Mengmeng's punishment, it was a naked provocation to my emperor's prestige.

A dark cloud was blocked by the noon sun, and the entire magnificent palace lost some color.

The Department of Punishment, this is a yamen dedicated to punishing palace officials.

The most important thing in the palace is the rules. Even if a wild tiger enters here, the people here can train the wild tiger into a puppy.

It’s just that this kind of near-inhuman torture in the palace made many court ladies unbearable and chose to commit suicide by throwing themselves into the well, so that the mouth of the well in the Forbidden City is very narrow now.

Among the various punishments, the torture of the body is still a trivial matter, and being locked in a small dark room is undoubtedly a very serious torture to the human spirit.

A court lady with a puffy face was lying on the haystack in the small black house, her beautiful big eyes looked blurred, she was staring at the only bright spot on the roof, but the bright spot suddenly became much darker.

Ever since I was slapped with a board and thrown here yesterday evening, I don't know how long it has passed now?
She was hungry and thirsty now, and she couldn't help thinking about that time when she was a child.

At that time, the family was very poor, and I originally had an older sister, but she passed away after being unable to eat.I am relatively greedy, always thinking about my mother saying that my father would bring back meat buns when he came back from the battlefield, but he lived on in a daze.

I don’t seem to be as hungry now as I was then!
Niu Mengmeng recalled the hungry days when he was a child, and couldn't help but make a simple comparison with the present, but soon came to a conclusion.

It's just that when she thought of her sister, she couldn't help but shed tears on her cheeks.

Her memory of her sister has gradually blurred, but she always has such a regret: if she had given her sister a little more porridge back then, then her sister might have survived, and she could even be selected as a maid here together.

Just as her eyes were flooded with tears, the door that had been tightly closed suddenly flashed a light, and the figure standing at the door looked somewhat familiar.

Zhu Youtang looked at Niu Mengmeng who was lying on the haystack, seeing that Niu Mengmeng's eyes were full of tears at the moment, he couldn't help but feel anxious in his heart.

This girl who had been treated on behalf of others out of kindness unexpectedly ended up in such a miserable situation. The king of his own country obviously wanted to protect her, but it turned out to be ineffective.

At this moment, he knew that the emperor was only a noble status given to him by God, and he had to fight for it himself if he wanted to become an emperor who promised everything.

"Niu Mengmeng, is it impolite to see His Majesty?" Huang Pan saw that Niu Mengmeng was still lying in the haystack, so he stood up and reprimanded him.

Niu Mengmeng just woke up like a dream, when His Majesty arrived here, he was ready to get up and kneel and said: "Long live?"

"Mianli, are you okay now?" Zhu Youtang noticed that there was a lot of blood on the clothes on Niu Mengmeng's buttocks, so he stopped him and said with concern.

Niu Mengmeng met Zhu Youtang's concerned eyes, and protested very aggrieved: "I... I'm hungry, and they don't even bring me food here!"

Whether it's hitting the board or closing the small black room, she can actually accept it.It's just that there is no shortage of food in the palace, and the people from the Punishment Department don't bring food to her, which is really unacceptable to her.

This……

An eunuch of the Punishment Department who followed in couldn't help but look at this carefree court lady, but she didn't know where she came from, and even the Punishment Department never knew what to do?
"You go back to Qianqing Palace with me, and I will reward you with food!" Seeing that the woman cared most about food, Zhu Youtang promised helplessly.

Yesterday, he actually wanted to get rid of the punishment of this lively court lady directly. He just thought that it would be a good thing for Niu Mengmeng to receive a little punishment, but he didn't expect to be punished so severely, so he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. .

"Long Live Lord, I don't have to close it for three days? Can I still get the imperial gift now?" Niu Mengmeng's eyes lit up slightly, and he asked excitedly to prove it.

Liu Jin is obviously better at observing words and expressions than Huang Pan, and has already stepped forward to help Niu Mengmeng up, and at the same time spoke for Zhu Youtang: "How could your majesty lie to you! Just now, your majesty was having lunch and learned that the dog slave here has treated you Severe punishment was imposed, His Majesty rushed over without even eating!"

When Niu Mengmeng learned that Zhu Youtang had left his food and ran here, he couldn't help feeling warm in his heart.

Hearing Liu Jin's words, Zhu Youtang remembered that he was here to settle accounts, so he turned angrily and left the small black room, and went directly to the courtyard of the Department of Punishment.

The Punishment Division is a peculiar institution. Although the highest person in charge here is the eunuch, there is also a staff of female officials. At this time, there are more than a dozen eunuchs and female officials kneeling here.

Zhu Youtang's eyes fell on Zhang Zhong, the eunuch in charge of the Department of Punishment, and immediately asked: "Did you ignore the words I brought here?"

Zhang Zhong glanced at the older female officer next to him, and immediately explained: "Your Majesty, I don't dare! It's just that the crime Niu Mengmeng committed is too great, and the villain has already followed your instructions and given her a lighter sentence! "

Liu Jin saw that Zhang Zhong, who was kneeling on the ground, was so sophistry, and thought that he was about to lose his honor, so he stepped forward and kicked Zhang Zhong angrily, "Don't talk nonsense! I told you yesterday Make it clear and clear, Your Majesty wants the Department of Punishment to give Niu Mengmeng a light sentence, you dare to impose such a heavy punishment, you are clearly ignoring Your Majesty."

oops……

Zhang Zhong, the eunuch in charge of the Department of Punishment, did not dare to resist, so he took the kick firmly, but he still defended himself, saying: "Your Majesty is clearly aware! The slaves and servants really follow the rules! Yesterday was the day of the enthronement ceremony, and Niu Mengmeng actually For such a big mistake, this servant has indeed been punished lightly!"

Huh?
Although Zhu Youtang knew that the other party was actually trying to shirk, it was just that there was really no standard for "lenient punishment", and Zhang Zhong decided to take advantage of this loophole.

I have to admit that in this era, no one has much higher IQ than anyone else, and those who can climb to high positions in the palace are already very shrewd people.

"How dare you make up things in front of His Majesty! Fifty boards and a three-day hunger strike, five out of ten can't survive. Your punishment clearly wants Niu Mengmeng's life. Where did you get the lenient punishment? "Liu Jin kicked Zhang Zhong again, pointing out the flaw viciously.

Zhu Youtang found that Liu Jin is really a person who can do things, so it is no wonder that he can be reused by Zhengde.

Zhang Zhong didn't expect to be fooled, so he immediately kowtowed heavily to Zhu Youtang and said, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong, this is my negligence, please forgive me this time!"

"Aren't you going to tell me the whole truth?" Zhu Youtang initially thought it was the eunuch's ignorance of the emperor's prestige, but now he realized that someone might be behind it.

Zhang Zhong was slightly taken aback for a moment, then gritted his teeth and continued to kowtow: "Your Majesty, this matter is caused by the failure of this servant to comprehend the holy will. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

"Is it really nothing to do with others that you violated my will this time?" Zhu Youtang asked the last chance.

Zhang Zhong hesitated for a moment, then nodded cruelly: "Yes!"

"That's the case! Fifty slaps with a cane, three days of hunger strike, and distribution to the Clothes Bureau!" Zhu Youtang said when he saw that Zhang Zhong was going to be charged with the crime, he immediately punished him.

Although this matter may also be due to his own overthinking, it really has nothing to do with other people, but the result of Zhang Zhong's arrogance.It's just that what I want now is prestige, no matter whether the other party is blamed or deserves it, I have reasons to punish it.

Hearing this severe punishment, Zhang Zhong couldn't help being dumbfounded. Is this still the benevolent prince?Is it still the prince who likes to send good people cards?
It's just that there is no room for maneuver now. He will fall from the high eunuch in charge of the Punishment Department to the clothes washing bureau, and become the eunuch who washes clothes every day.

It was also a coincidence that when Zhu Youtang finished handling the matter and returned to Qianqing Palace, the sun hidden in the dark clouds reappeared, making the resplendent and resplendent Qianqing Palace look dazzling.

Zhang Zhong, the eunuch in charge of the Punishment Department known for his black face Yan Luo, was dealt with by the new emperor. It was a sensational event for the entire inner court.

At this moment, people outside the palace might continue to ignore the Ming Emperor in the Qianqing Palace, but the people in the palace realized that the person living in the Qianqing Palace was a courageous and cunning Emperor of Ming.

(End of this chapter)