Chapter 54 Has the Emperor Given Up on Living?
Li Shanchang froze in place, his expression turning pale with shock in an instant!
He violently sprang up from his chair, resembling a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Gone was his previous composure, gone was his master-strategist self-assurance!
"What did you say? Say it again!!!"
He took a few strides forward, completely discarding all decorum, grabbed the messenger by the collar of his robe, and barked the question with glaring eyes.
His imposing aura was terrifying.
The messenger had been a loyal, long-serving aide to Li Shanchang for many years. When had he ever seen his master—who was usually so unflappable that even if Mount Tai collapsed before him his expression would not change—look like this?
He trembled with fear.
Yet he knew that now was not the time for hesitation.
The most urgent task was to clearly convey the situation to his master.
"Master, after the Emperor... dealt with Young Master You, the crowds of lowly commoners began to cheer, shouting 'Long live the sage ruler!'
And the Emperor shouted, 'Long live the common people!'"
Li Shanchang’s eyes widened, losing focus for a brief moment.
His entire body involuntarily shuddered.
Zhu Chongba actually shouted, "Long live the common people"?!
He had originally thought that merely giving up the relocation of the capital to the Central Capital was shocking enough.
Who could have imagined that this bastard would actually shout "Long live the common people"!
He was an emperor! What kind of mindset led him to utter the phrase "Long live the common people"?
Long live the common people! This was the very first time since the creation of the heavens and earth!
What on earth was Zhu Yuanzhu thinking to shout such words?
Had he forgotten his own identity?
He was the emperor! How could he possibly shout "Long live the common people"?
Those mud-legged peasants, those beings as humble as ants, were they worthy of being called "ten thousand years"?
"The Emperor... the Emperor also said that he does not want a capital built upon the white bones of the common people, for fear that he would not be able to sleep at peace.
He also said that the construction of the Central Capital is to be halted immediately, and that compensation must be given to the laborers who built it so they can return home.
Furthermore, people are told to go to the Prefect of Fengyang to lodge their grievances. Whoever dares to secretly scheme and persecute the accusers will be... will be skinned and stuffed with straw, without exception..."
The messenger’s voice grew softer and softer as he spoke. By the end, his voice was trembling and his mouth was dry.
Every single word spoken by the Emperor was enough to make one's heart leap in terror!
Terrified out of one's wits!
Li Shanchang’s hand, still clutching the man’s collar, tightened unconsciously, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
It looked as though he intended to strangle the man to death.
With every word the messenger uttered, his mind suffered a violent shock.
Zhu Yuanzhu, how dare he?!
Just as the messenger felt he was about to be strangled, Li Shanchang finally released his grip.
His facial expression changed rapidly, and he panted like an ox.
Standing nearby, Li Cunyi no longer cried out to his elder brother about his son being skinned.
The shock brought by the news he had just heard completely surpassed the grief of his son being skinned alive!
"What is Zhu Yuanzhu playing at? Is he flipping the table and refusing to play anymore?!"
Li Cunyi flew into a rage.
Yet in the next moment, his bluster betrayed his inner cowardice: "Brother, this... what should we do now?"
"I am going to see His Majesty. He must retract his decree!
The Central Capital must be built!
We must make the Central Capital our seat of power! No one can change this!"
Li Shanchang drew a deep breath, his expression looking utterly resolute, and turned to stride outside.
"Prime Minister, wait a moment!"
Wu Liang, the Marquis of Jiangyin, who had remained silent all this while, reached out and grabbed Li Shanchang's arm.
"His Majesty cares most about his pride. At this moment, with so many common people still present and him having just made such declarations,
if you go over now and openly defy him, I fear it might not go well.
Why don't we wait a little longer..."
Wu Liang’s expression also appeared unnatural; he too was stunned by the series of events orchestrated by Zhu Yuanzhu.
However, since he was not at the very center of the vortex, he was able to maintain a degree of calm compared to Li Shanchang.
Hearing Wu Liang speak thus, Li Shanchang calmed down slightly.
He stood there in deep thought for a moment, then obeyed and returned to his seat.
Wrapping his robes tightly around himself, he remained silent, his expression ominously dark...
...
In the Central Capital, along Hongwu Avenue, Zhu Yuanzhu had already departed with the Crown Prince and the others, but the throngs of common people still gathered there, reluctant to disperse.
Today's events had completely rewritten their previous perceptions of the emperor.
The resentment bred by the construction of the Central Capital had entirely vanished.
Not only that, with an unforgettable experience like today's etched into their lives, if anyone dared to tell them in the future that the emperor was bad or indifferent to the lives and deaths of the common people, not only would they refuse to believe it,
they would spontaneously defend Zhu Yuanzhu as their emperor.
The emperor truly upheld justice for the people and genuinely held the masses of the world in his heart.
It was simply that there were too many corrupt officials below who kept the emperor in the dark while wreaking havoc!
...
Over at the Fengyang Prefecture office, things suddenly became bustling as well.
The situation Zhu Di had feared—that no one would dare lodge a complaint—did not happen.
The numerous people who came to file grievances packed the prefectural office to the point of complete gridlock.
The Emperor, accompanied by the Crown Prince and Imperial Princes, had personally overseen the execution, had Li You—nephew of Duke of Han, Li Shanchang—skinned and stuffed with straw, and had personally given them his solemn promise. This freed countless people from lingering fears,
emboldening them to come forward and report crimes.
Under the personal supervision of the newly appointed Prefect Zheng Shiyuan, the yamen operated at full throttle.
Accepting the grievances of the masses.
They even arranged for numerous scribes specifically to help the common people draft their legal complaints.
By imperial order, personnel from Linhuai and neighboring government offices were swiftly dispatched to assist with official duties.
With Zheng Shiyuan commanding from the center.
Some cautious individuals, seeing that the authorities were genuinely and seriously receiving their complaints—unlike before, when officials colluded with the powerful to suppress those seeking justice—
immediately followed suit and took action.
Upon learning the news, many victims of injustice from around the Central Capital rushed toward the city.
Seeing the sheer volume of plaintiffs, Zheng Shiyuan directly ordered the yamen staff to light lamps and fight through the night,
working round the clock.
Witnessing this scene with his own eyes, Zhu Di’s respect and admiration for his imperial father soared rapidly.
His father truly possessed both the decisive resolution and the statecraft.
Following his arrival, this heavy, chilling cage woven by Li Shanchang and his faction—one that seemed unbreakable—dissolved into nothingness in the span of a brief moment!
From these events, Zhu Di also distilled a very simple truth:
That often, speaking nicely does not work, and one cannot be too courteous toward officials.
If you have troops in your hands, smashing through opposition with sheer force is the most direct approach!
And yields the best results!
...
"Your Majesty, the Duke of Han requests an audience."
Grand Eunuch Wang reported cautiously to Zhu Yuanzhu.
"He came carrying a chastisement rod of thorns and is kneeling outside."
"Deny him! Tell him to get lost!"
Zhu Yuanzhu's reply was crisp and decisive.
What was he doing earlier?
If he hadn't harbored such heavy selfish motives and built the Central Capital according to royal specifications, how could today's events have ever happened?
Even though he had already come to the Central Capital and blown the lid off the entire affair,
Li Shanchang appeared submissive, but in his heart, he was still defiant and refused to admit he had done wrong.
He still relied on his backing, believing the Emperor would never abandon the Central Capital.
He had intended to use the Central Capital to blackmail the Emperor into swallowing bitter pills in silence.
Now that the Emperor had flipped the table, he was truly beginning to panic.
It was too late!
Grand Eunuch Wang withdrew cautiously.
"Duke of Han, please return. His Majesty will not see you."
Li Shanchang did not even lift his eyelids; he simply remained kneeling there with the thorn-bearing rod strapped to his back.
Like a statue.
As dusk fell, a biting chill surged, turning the air increasingly cold.
Li Shanchang's body trembled slightly and uncontrollably, his teeth chattering.
Yet he continued to kneel there, refusing to leave.
If the Emperor refused to see him and refused to continue building the Central Capital, he would kneel right here until he died!
Let's see if Zhu Yuanzhu could bear the consequences,
and whether he dared to let him kneel to his death!