Chapter Forty-Seven: Death
Boundless killing intent surged wildly within his chest.
Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes instantly turned crimson!
A thousand miles of scorched earth, corpses strewn everywhere, and people eating each other!
These were merely a few casual sentences in history books, yet they were sights he had personally witnessed during the chaotic late Yuan dynasty.
He had truly seen people exchanging their children to eat.
He had seen human meat markets as well.
Those left an extremely profound impression on him.
Yet none of them impacted him as deeply as the scene before his eyes right now!
Because that was the late Yuan, and this was the Great Ming!
He had believed that after years of toiling day and night, such circumstances would no longer occur.
And yet, here he was, witnessing this sight once more!
Moreover, it was happening right inside the Central Capital!
These commoners could have been spared from all of this.
They could have remained in their hometowns, reunited with their parents, wives, and children.
Instead, for the sake of selfish desires, certain individuals artificially manufactured this catastrophe!
They ruthlessly transformed the Central Capital into a living hell on earth!
They brutally forced good people to become vengeful ghosts!
In his past life, he had not witnessed such a scene in the Central Capital.
It was only after a period of time had passed since the events of the Central Capital concluded that he received a report stating Li Shanchang and the others had secretly detained many of the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in order to welcome his arrival and prevent him from seeing them.
That action had resulted in the deaths of countless commoners.
No mention had been made of cannibalism.
In this lifetime, he had acted swiftly enough; from announcing his journey to the Central Capital to arriving here, it had taken him only a little over three days.
Yet he was met with such a tragic spectacle!
One could only conclude that the events of his past life were likely even more cruel!
Because back then, from announcing his decision to arriving at the Central Capital, it had taken him about five days.
And he had stayed here in the Central Capital for another three days before departing...
Zhu Biao’s face turned ashen, and he immediately vomited.
After retching, his eyes turned bloodshot.
Whether his eyes turned red from the vomiting or from something else remained unknown.
Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Di, the three brothers, were also doubled over, retching violently.
Not only did they throw up the flatbread they had just eaten, but they even vomited up their bile!
The rest of the entourage were dumbfounded as well.
A chorus of vomiting echoed through the air.
Some individuals were so terrified that their faces turned pale and their legs went weak.
Others kept muttering inwardly to themselves, it’s over, it’s over, everything is completely over...
"LI! SHAN!! CHANG!!!"
Zhu Yuanzhang turned his head, his bloodshot eyes locked onto Li Shanchang, speaking each word with a distinct pause.
His voice carried a bone-chilling, piercing killing intent!
Li Shanchang’s face turned pale as well.
Some matters, if unseen, were dismissed as lightly as a fart.
Yet once exposed, especially when the sovereign deliberately chose to pursue the matter, it weighed heavier than a thousand catties!
He sighed inwardly, completely letting go of his final shred of illusion.
The Central Secretariat was truly beyond his reach now, and building the Central Capital would yield no merit; it would merely balance out his faults and achievements.
This fellow Zhu Yuanzhang truly had impressive methods to avoid rewarding him while making him work for free!
What a brilliant scheme!
Fortunately, however, Zhu Yuanzhang still intended to relocate the capital. As long as that endeavor could be accomplished, he would not be considered a total failure.
That was what mattered most to him!
"Your Majesty, this subject deserves death. This subject... this subject never expected that such a thing would occur.
It was entirely due to my acting without authorization that these disastrous consequences were brought about!
I shall issue a proclamation to the realm declaring this to be my fault.
I shall bear the infamy, I shall shoulder the responsibility, and none of it has anything to do with Your Majesty!"
Li Shanchang knelt on the ground once more, speaking frankly with an unyielding attitude.
He appeared to shoulder responsibility readily.
Upon hearing these words, however, Zhu Yuanzhang’s fury surged straight to his skull.
He stepped forward twice and delivered a ferocious kick directly to Li Shanchang’s chest, sending him sprawling to the ground, sliding backward a short distance.
"You will shoulder the responsibility? You will bear the infamy?
How many human lives is this!
How many families!
You forcefully turned living people into ghosts!
Can you bear this? Can you shoulder this? Damn your mother!
Is this the Great Ming? How in the hell does Your Servant feel like we’ve returned to the damn late Yuan?
When We had not yet founded the Great Ming, people ate each other; now that the Great Ming is founded, people still eat each other. If so, did We not found this Great Ming for nothing?
What bloody use is it that We founded this Great Ming?!"
Zhu Yuanzhang roared in fury, raining kick after kick down upon Li Shanchang.
Zhu Yuanzhang rarely resorted to physical violence against his civil and military officials, especially veterans like Li Shanchang; he had never laid a hand on them before.
Yet now, Zhu Yuanzhang broke that precedent, unable to restrain himself any longer, delivering savage kick after savage kick.
As he kicked, he hurled furious curses.
This scene left the numerous Huaixi nobles who looked up to Li Shanchang utterly dumbfounded and paralyzed with terror.
Who could have imagined that Li Shanchang, whose status was as lofty and towering as a mountain blocking the sky, would be publicly cursed and beaten by the emperor like this!
In an instant, all dignity and face had been utterly lost.
"Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty!"
"These... these matters were all done by my own accord behind my uncle’s back!
I felt that when Your Majesty arrived, these people should not offend your eyes, so I had them locked away.
My uncle knew nothing of this.
Your Majesty, if you must punish someone, punish this general instead!
My uncle truly knows nothing, he is innocent!"
At that moment, among the kneeling crowd behind Li Shanchang, a man crawled forward on his knees, crying out loudly to defend him.
Zhu Yuanzhang stopped kicking and looked over, recognizing who this person was.
Ding Bin!
Li Shanchang’s nephew!
The primary executor of the inhuman atrocities in the Central Capital.
In his past life, because Li Shanchang and his faction had tidied things up so thoroughly, he had been unable to grasp any major leverage against them.
Thus, Ding Bin, who stepped forward to take the blame, received only a minor reprimand.
Later, under the maneuvering of the Huaixi nobles, he was quickly restored to his official post and promoted once more.
It wasn't until the twenty-some-years of the Hongwu era, when he committed another offense, that Li Shanchang repeatedly submitted memorials pleading for Ding Bin to be pardoned.
That completely infuriated him.
Ding Bin was subjected to strict interrogation, and under the pressure, Ding Bin confessed that Li Shanchang’s younger brother, Li Cunyi, had participated in Hu Weiyong’s rebellion.
After arresting Li Cunyi and his son, Li Cunyi in turn confessed against Li Shanchang...
Now, Ding Bin had popped up again over this matter, genuinely believing Li Shanchang could protect him this time?!
Did he think he would only face a minor reprimand again?
Many gazes fell upon Ding Bin, carrying expressions of shock, admiration, and more.
Even Li Shanchang appeared quite surprised.
Some individuals even wondered if Ding Bin had lost his mind.
Yet Ding Bin knew he had not lost his mind!
His uncle was the true pillar of support; if his uncle fell, none of them would come to a good end.
Rather than that, it was better for him to step forward first, taking the blame upon himself to mitigate his uncle's guilt.
As long as his uncle remained standing, there was a high probability he could still protect him.
As long as he survived, he would surely soar to great heights in the future!
His uncle, along with the multitude of Huaixi nobles, would be bound to remember his kindness.
Even if he truly died, his family would undoubtedly be extremely well cared for, enjoying endless glory and wealth!
He did not fear death!
"Good! You’ve got spine!
Even if you hadn't jumped out, We would have sought you out!
Since you willingly jumped out, then go die right now!"
Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes were bloodshot as he sentenced Ding Bin to death on the spot.
Ding Bin showed no trace of fear.
Because before he opened his mouth, he had already prepared himself mentally.
It was merely a matter of a blade's slash!
When he had charged into battle under the Prince of Kaiping, he had never been afraid, and naturally he was not cowed now either!
"Break his limbs for Us, strip off his clothes, and throw him among the laborers!"
Zhu Yuanzhang commanded, gritting his back teeth.
The moment this order was issued, the previously fearless Ding Bin was instantly struck with terror!
"Your Majesty, no! No! Your Majesty! Please grant this general another way to die! Even death by a thousand cuts would be fine!!!"
His voice completely cracked out of shape.
Yet how could Zhu Yuanzhang pay any heed to him?
Imperial guards immediately stepped forward, pinned him down, broke his limbs, and stripped away his garments.
They tossed him straight into the crowd of detained laborers who had endured three days of torment and no longer looked human.
Li Shanchang, blood streaming from his nose, desperately wanted to cry out in intervention, but in the end, not a single sound escaped his lips...
Among the laborers toiling in the Central Capital, who didn't recognize Ding Bin?
With bloodshot eyes glowing with rage, they surged forward toward Ding Bin in a tidal wave!
Even Shen Jing, who had previously restrained himself, fought desperately to push forward!
A series of miserable screams, entirely inhuman in sound, erupted; they grew increasingly faint before quickly dying away altogether...