The confiscation of property in the Ming Dynasty, also known as the seizure of assets and land, was carried out with more ruthlessness than in any previous dynasty. The most brutal aspect was the confinement of the female family members of convicted officials to the Jiaofangsi (a government institution that managed female entertainers and performers).
This practice was not initiated by Emperor Taizu but was a scheme devised by Emperor Yongle to punish rebel forces. Emperor Yongle's profound resentment stemmed from his deep hatred for the Confucian officials. These officials, like Huang Zicheng, advocated for empty and abstract systems of sage rule, completely disregarding reality, which ultimately led to widespread chaos. Emperor Yongle, in turn, devised the most humiliating means to deal with such individuals.
Therefore, Huang Zicheng can be considered the most tragic figure among convicted officials in the Ming Dynasty, followed by Zhang Juzheng. The stories of Huang Zicheng's family suffering torment in the Jiaofangsi and Zhang Juzheng's descendants starving to death or his female family members being humiliated were popular themes in民间抄书 (unofficial transcriptions of books). Coincidentally, Huang Zicheng's downfall was due to his adherence to Confucianism, while Zhang Juzheng was retaliated against by Confucian officials. Their fates, at the beginning and end of the dynasty, perfectly bookended the Ming era.
At this very moment,
Zhu Mo looked at Dong Fen, who was being held down on the ground, and thought about these matters.
"Do I really need to be so absolutely ruthless...?"
"Damn it, if I don't punish him, I'll be letting myself down..."
Please note that the original text is from the Tadu Novel App. For more free good books, please download the Tadu Novel App.
Understand this,
Zhu Mo had almost been made the most socially disgraced person in history by them. His resentment was immense. Despite cultivating the Dao since childhood, his vital energy had been surging recently, and at this moment, he was filled with malevolence, wishing he could immediately beat him severely.
And just then,
Lu Kun and Zhang Dashou had found the crucial evidence.
Zhang Dashou held a stack of letters, selected a few, and placed them on the tea table beside Zhu Mo, whispering, "Scholar Zhu, we've found it, this is it..."
Zhu Mo read them carefully three times and confirmed that it was indeed Dong Fen who had instigated the slave rebellion. There were three letters related to the matter, all sent by his son, Dong Daochun. Although Dong Fen's original copies were missing, the replies alone indicated that the true reason for the slave rebellion was Dong Fen's desire to actively deal with the troublemakers among the tenant farmers. The reason he wanted to deal with these tenants was to seize their land and not return it.
Dong Daochun, concerned about the family's reputation, found it inconvenient to act himself, so he found a distant nephew, Dong Hong. Dong Hong was from a declining branch of the clan and saw this as an opportunity to rise. This led to the unbelievable case of a drunken man forcing himself upon a virtuous woman...
With a bang!
Zhu Mo slammed the table and roared, "Dong Fen! You are truly a beast in human clothing!"
At this moment, his malevolence and resentment erupted all at once. His expression changed drastically in an instant, startling everyone. Dong Fen looked up in panic, wanting to speak but unable to utter a single word.
This article was first published on the Tadu Novel App. Welcome to download the App for free reading.
Lu Kun grabbed Zhu Mo's left arm and urged, "Zi Xuan! Not so!"
Zhu Mo's mind cleared instantly. He calmed down, his chest still heaving. He thought to himself: If I kill him, it would be counterproductive. I am a true cultivator of the Dao, I won't stoop to the level of these people...
He let out a long breath,
Zhu Mo turned and walked away, calling out loudly, "Dong Fen, go to where you belong... I will personally deliver these matters to His Majesty..."
His emotions were still churning. He walked a considerable distance before his breathing finally calmed down.
Lu Kun caught up with him and, seeing his composure, nodded. "Zi Xuan, people have always had good and evil. It's nothing strange. Good people don't always receive good rewards, but evil people will surely meet their end... You bear a great responsibility, you must not act impulsively..."
Zhu Mo smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, I've thought it through. We can't eliminate all these people. We must employ long-term strategies and eternal methods..."
Indeed,
Lu Kun looked at him with admiration and stated firmly, "Yes! This is what we must do. From chaos to order, from order to ascension, by establishing eternal laws, we can fundamentally eradicate such villains and restore peace to the people..."
Zhu Mo, seeing his determined expression, his fearless gaze, and his genuine yearning for the governance of the dynasty, felt immense satisfaction. Even if nothing could be accomplished, having these people strive for it was enough.
This article was first published on the Tadu Novel App. Welcome to download the App for free reading.
...
Back in his study at the Wenyuan Pavilion,
Xu Shi and the others had also confiscated the properties of Guo Pu and Yuan Wei.
They all tallied the results together. This endeavor had truly been worthwhile.
Dong Fen had evidence for both the slave rebellion and the academic case. Guo Pu had received letters from Gao Gong asking him to collude with Beijing officials. Yuan Wei was the most remarkable; in this academic case, he had accepted gifts totaling over three hundred thousand taels of silver from gentry and scholars from various regions.
Everyone laughed, thinking that Yuan Wei, who always appeared incorruptible, was actually the best at doing business. While others lost money, he had made a considerable profit.
Xu Shi and the investigators from the Ministry of Justice conferred until noon and had basically clarified the case. Xu Shi handed a briefing to Zhu Mo and said with a smile,
"Scholar Zhu, it's true that you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your children... The evidence against these three is almost conclusive. Both supervising secretaries believe there are no issues, and the Censorate and Dali Temple will approve it..."
"Excellent!"
Zhu Mo pondered for a moment and thought: The cases of these three individuals can be concluded. Zhu Qi's investigation into Yan Shifan, however, cannot be made public...
This article was first published on the Tadu Novel App. Welcome to download the App for free reading.
"Shujian, draft a memorial report, and then hand over the case to Elder Xu."
After several more busy days,
The case was finally concluded.
...
As darkness fell one day,
Not long after Zhu Mo returned home, Zhu Qi also arrived.
"Young master, I've found something!"
Zhu Mo saw his excitement and asked curiously, "Found what?"
Zhu Qi smiled slyly and scoffed,
"Those hypocritical fellows are indeed all scoundrels! Master Wei Liangbi, this scoundrel, has hired a courtesan at Lugou Post Station during this time, how bizarre... Yan Shifan told him to leave, but he was lingering at Lugou Post Station. Zhao Wenhua caught up and killed him. His page boy narrowly escaped death and ran back to the capital, hiding in Yue Tan Temple in the western suburbs... A few days ago, my men found this page boy and retrieved Wei Liangbi's belongings. It's this!"
For more high-quality free novels on the Tadu Novel App, read online for free without ads!
Zhu Mo opened it and found almost all the evidence for instigating rebellion and sedition, including vouchers from Yan Shifan's Tonghai Money Shop. The letters connected over forty officials, gentry, and scholars.
He was overjoyed and said,
"Good, good... Old Qi, let's follow the clues and investigate everyone we can. Tomorrow I'll go to the Ministry of Justice to find people. Then we'll have Zhang Dashou interrogate them. It would be even better if we could catch them all in one go!
Also, where is that page boy? Make sure to protect him... I don't think anywhere else is safe. Why don't you take him to Chaotian Temple? With the witness and evidence present, Zhao Wenhua won't be able to escape."
This investigation,
Spanning about twenty days, had largely clarified the situation.
Zhu Mo thought it was mainly due to the other party's carelessness. However, considering the atmosphere and circumstances at the time, who could have predicted a comeback? Seeing that victory was assured, these people acted recklessly, thus leaving behind so many loopholes.
Ultimately, it was their own doing.
Readers, please show your support! Golden tickets, silver tickets, collections, all kinds of requests!