Chapter 49 Skin-Peeling Daylily
"Your Majesty, this..."
Hearing Shen Jing's words, Li Shanchang felt his hair stand on end, and he immediately wanted to speak out, trying to stop Shen Jing from continuing.
Perhaps due to his experiences in the turbulent times of war, Li Shanchang was fiercely protective and caring toward his close relatives. Li You was his own nephew, and in his heart, he held an even higher position than Ding Bin, the nephew who had actively stepped forward to take the blame.
"Stand up and speak, there is no need to kneel. If you have any grievances, just tell Us, and We will surely dispense justice for you!"
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Shen Jing, completely ignoring Li Shanchang standing right beside him.
Li Shanchang froze for a moment, and with a complex expression, he had no choice but to close his mouth, forcing the remaining words back down his throat.
"This commoner thanks Your Majesty!"
Shen Jing rose from the ground, his voice trembling slightly with agitation.
"This commoner is a member of the Shen family from Jiangnan. Complying with Your Majesty's decree, my entire family brought our wealth into Zhongdu to help populate and enrich the central capital. Yet, upon arriving here, we discovered that we had merely been turned into fattened livestock for the nobility!"
Li Cunyi cast a fierce, stealthy glare at Shen Jing, but this ant whom he could once crush at will now completely ignored him!
"...The nobles sent their servants to our doorsteps to humiliate us at will, sucking the marrow from our bones... My uncle and the others could no longer endure such cruelty and intended to go to Yingtian to strike the grievance drum and appeal directly to the throne. Yet, no sooner had they set out than they encountered wandering bandits, and not a single one survived; every last one of them died! Their corpses were even thoughtfully delivered to our doorstep by Fengyang Prefect Zhu Xiang, who claimed that while the bandits were not caught, he had helped us retrieve the bodies of our loved ones..."
"...A few days ago, Li You personally led men to our home once more. Even though our family had already lost seventy percent of our wealth, he demanded another two million guan to continue supporting the construction of Zhongdu. My family truly could not produce such a massive sum of money. Consequently, many members of my family were seized and forced into labor here in Zhongdu, and I... my concubine mother and my younger sister were dragged to his estate by this brute Li You... and subjected to wanton violation! He... he even told me that my concubine mother and younger sister... were quite tender! The grand mansion belonging to Li You also far exceeds the regulations set by Your Majesty. This newly built estate covers an area of over two hundred mu. The materials used throughout are exquisitely refined, the craftsmanship meticulous, and it is the pinnacle of luxury! Yet, Li You and Li Cunyi spent practically nothing of their own money to build this grand estate; it was all constructed using materials and artisans meant for the building of Zhongdu!"
When he finished speaking, Shen Jing's eyes were completely bloodshot. He turned his head to glare fixedly at Li You in the crowd, wishing he could devour his flesh alive!
Li You's face was as pale as paper; gone was any trace of his former arrogance and overbearing demeanor! He wanted to defend himself, but at that moment, he was too terrified to utter even a single syllable.
"Li You, flay him and stuff his skin with straw!"
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's chest heaved violently, and without a moment's hesitation, he assigned Li You a most splendid treatment.
Upon hearing these words, Li You could no longer hold on; he collapsed limply to the ground, so terrified he soiled his trousers, and promptly passed out cold.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This... this is utter slander! He is fabricating falsehoods and spitting venom! My son has never done such things! I beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate and discern the truth!"
After all, Li Cunyi had seen more storms than his son, and driven by a desperate love for his child, he immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing and crying out against the injustice while defending his son.
"Utter one more word, and we will have your skin flayed and stuffed with straw as well!"
Zhu Yuanzhang cast a disgusted glance at Li Cunyi. As the younger brother of the Duke of Hanguo and effectively the second-in-command in Zhongdu, Li Cunyi instantly clamped his mouth shut, not daring to let out even a squeak.
If any other emperor uttered such words, it might just be angry venting, empty talk. But the man before them was Zhu Yuanzhang, that ruthless emperor! Once he said such things, he was entirely capable of carrying them out!
"Father, we cannot be so hasty; we must still act in accordance with the laws. How can we rely solely on one side of the story? Matters must be grounded in evidence, otherwise the people will not be convinced."
Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who had been relatively quiet until now, finally spoke up.
Upon hearing Shen Jing recount Li You's atrocities, a murderous intent had surged within him as well, yet he still stepped forward to offer these words. Throwing Ding Bin directly to the laborers earlier was one thing, as those laborers had indeed suffered unimaginably wretched fates. But now, he had to step forward; he could not allow his imperial father to execute Li You without a thorough investigation. The laws of the nation could not be treated as mere decorations, or the consequences would be even more disastrous!
Hearing Zhu Biao's words, Li Cunyi felt as though blessed relief had descended from the heavens, and he desperately wished he could immediately kowtow heavily to the Crown Prince on the spot. He truly never expected that, in a situation where he had felt utterly hopeless, the Crown Prince would actually intercede for his son! The Crown Prince was truly benevolence personified! Given the Crown Prince's standing in the heart of that ruthless emperor, with these words spoken, his son's life would surely be spared!
"Biao'er is right; evidence is indeed required, and we cannot simply listen to one party's accusations."
Seething with rage, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded upon hearing Zhu Biao, acknowledging that his son was correct.
"Then go immediately and ransack his estate! Once the evidence is found, then we will flay him and stuff his skin with straw!"
Zhu Yuanzhang knew that his Biao'er was not deliberately opposing him, but rather reminding him not to disregard the law or leave room for gossip and criticism. While he currently cared little for gossip and was not afraid of being shattered to pieces, Biao'er's reminder about following proper procedures and upholding the law was timely. If he wished to win the greatest possible public support and maintain stability, many matters had to be handled according to the rules.
Li Cunyi, who had just been rejoicing and convinced that his son would escape being flayed and stuffed with straw, froze when he heard Zhu Yuanzhang's words.
Was this ruthless emperor Zhu Yuanzhang truly this savage? Ransacking a home at the slightest disagreement? His family simply could not withstand a search or an audit!
He wanted to say something to stop it, but he remembered Zhu Yuanzhang's warning that speaking another word would result in him being skinned and stuffed with straw as well. He could only cast desperate glances toward his elder brother, Li Shanchang, who had been kicked black and blue by Zhu Yuanzhang—looking like a pathetic dog pleading with its master.
Li Shanchang gave him a slight, imperceptible shake of his head, then lowered his gaze and remained motionless, lost in some unfathomable thought...
Li Cunyi was left utterly stranded and helpless!
"Seize Fengyang Prefect Zhu Xiang and bring him to Us! We shall interrogate him thoroughly. Execute those who deserve death, and exile those who deserve banishment!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's blade-like gaze landed on Zhu Xiang, causing the man to tremble like a sieve. As Zhu Yuanzhang pronounced his sentence, Zhu Xiang collapsed to his knees.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! We are relatives! My father was your uncle-grandfather! You cannot treat me like this! Your Majesty, I was wrong, please give me another chance..."
"Relatives? My own nephew committed crimes, and I had him executed according to law! You, a distant relative beyond five degrees of mourning, shall likewise be executed according to law! Now you remember you are my relative? When you deceived your superiors, concealed the truth from Me, and kept Me completely in the dark about the true state of affairs in Zhongdu, why didn't you remember it? When you helped others intercept and murder those journeying to the capital to appeal to the throne, why didn't you remember that we were relatives?!"
Zhu Xiang was left entirely speechless by Zhu Yuanzhang's stern reprimand...
With Zhu Yuanzhang's orders enacted, both inside and outside the city of Zhongdu quickly grew bustling with activity.
Numerous imprisoned laborers were rescued and set free, and sack after sack of grain was transported to various locations. Within the shortest possible time, large pots of water mixed with chopped meat were set up to boil porridge. Doctors summoned from all directions, carrying medicine chests and tools, began treating the sick and wounded. Warm winter clothing was also rushed to the scene and distributed among the laborers...
Many of the weak and imprisoned laborers had already given up all hope, resigning themselves to death. Yet now, encountering such unimaginable mercy happening to them, they were simultaneously startled, overjoyed, and overwhelmed by a sense of unreality.
Through the explanations of the soldiers helping to boil the porridge, they learned that the Emperor had arrived. The very moment he arrived, he had rescued them—these ill-fated, imprisoned wretches—and even thrown Ding Bin into the midst of the laborers to let them tear him apart with their bare hands...
Upon learning of these events, many laborers, tortured until they scarcely looked human, fell into a profound silence before suddenly bursting into tears...
...
The moon of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month rose into the sky, casting its pristine, silvery light across the earth.
The fireworks originally arranged by Li Shanchang were never lit, and the dragon dances, lion dances, Yangge performances, and lantern displays were all canceled. There was not a shred of festive atmosphere for the Lantern Festival. Instead, the scene everywhere was one of massive cauldrons set up to boil meat porridge, which was then distributed to the multitude of laborers.
For the high-ranking officials and nobles of Zhongdu, this was the most harrowing Lantern Festival they had ever experienced. But for the countless laborers, it was the finest Lantern Festival they had spent in years!
Most importantly, they realized that their Emperor had not abandoned them after all, nor did he fail to view them as human beings. Many eagerly anticipated how the Emperor would subsequently deal with these officials and nobles who had acted less than human...
...
Tang He, his armor stained with blood, approached the city walls of Zhongdu beneath the bright moonlight.
He drew a deep breath and continued his march forward into Zhongdu...
...
Inside the city of Zhongdu, Zhu Yuanzhang finally returned to the imperial palace, bringing along this group of terrified nobles—who were starving so badly their chests pressed against their backs and could barely walk—to attend a banquet.
Hearing that the feast was finally beginning and they could finally eat something to fill their stomachs, quite a few people nearly wept with relief. Many of them had not experienced such hunger in all their years.
When hunger reaches its absolute depths, everything else can be set aside; eating becomes the only thing one truly craves.
However, upon arriving at Xingfu Palace, expecting to gorge themselves, many stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded by the scene before their eyes!