Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 112 Ma Wensheng cuts down officials
In Wang Shu’s mansion.

The imperial physician had already prepared medicine for Wang Shu, and Wang Shu could only sit and lie on the couch, watching Zhu Houzhao and others coming over:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being so rude. I cannot stand up to greet you!"

Zhu Houzhao made a special trip to visit Wang Shu. After all, Wang Shu was a key figure in his administrative reform.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to be so polite. Is there anything serious?" Zhu Houzhao asked.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It's not a big deal. I'm just afraid that I will have to be carried by others in the future," said Wang Shu with a smile. He was more optimistic than everyone else.

"That's good. These villains are used to using such despicable means to harm others. This is undoubtedly an act of hostility towards me!"

Zhu Houzhao said: "I have ordered the Jinyiwei to conduct a thorough investigation. As long as the real culprit is found, there will be no leniency!"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My old body is not worth your anger. The villains can't scare me. They think I will stay away from court because of my illness, but I won't. I will fight them to the end! Therefore, I ask Your Majesty to allow me to govern with my illness. The reform of the civil service system is urgent. I don't want to have any regrets before I die!"

After Wang Shu said a few words with a smile, he clenched his fists, his eyes widened, and then there was a hint of pleading in his tone.

"It's rare for a prince to devote himself to the country so wholeheartedly. I approve!"

Zhu Houzhao then said, "Issue an order that from now on, the three current cabinet ministers and the Minister of Personnel Wang Shu will be allowed to ride in sedan chairs when they come to court, and each will be given an additional 100 guards!"

Wang Shu couldn't help but shed tears when he saw this: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Ma Wensheng, Jiao Fang, Xu Jin and others behind Zhu Houzhao were also deeply moved.

At the same time, Zhu Houzhao also gave Wang Shu the residence of the former eunuch Wang Yue in Chongwenmen, and ordered the imperial physician to take care of Wang Shu at any time every day so that Wang Shu could recover soon.

After all, now that Wang Shu is willing to take charge of the Ministry of Personnel despite his injury, it means that the official selection examination system can still be carried out. As for the obstruction of the two officials, the Langzhong of the Wenxuansi and the Jieshizhong of the Like, Zhu Houzhao is not worried. At most, he can just replace someone obedient. However, if he wants the subsequent officials to be obedient, naturally those who opposed him before will be punished.

……

Zhu Houzhao had just returned to the cabinet and the Silijian duty room to listen to government affairs when he saw Jinyiwei Guo Rong coming to report: "Your Majesty! Censor Liao Yiming and Li Keshizhong Zuo Dongxiu have all confessed. This matter was indeed caused by the Langzhong of the Wenxuansi who was dissatisfied with the official selection examination and asked Censor Liao Yiming to impeach him. At the same time, Li Keshizhong was bribed by him and rejected the imperial edict issued by the cabinet!"

Here, as soon as Guo Rong finished speaking, Ma Wensheng couldn't help but look at Jiao Fang and Zhu Houzhao in horror, and asked hurriedly: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask when did you arrest Zhao Botao and others? Arresting ministers without any reason like this will easily lead to dissatisfaction among officials and damage your Majesty's reputation!"

Ma Wensheng was not on duty today, so he only rushed to Wang Shu's house after knowing that Wang Shu was attacked and learned that the official selection examination system had been rejected and Zhao Botao, the doctor of the Ministry of Literature, had been impeached. Naturally, he also saw the trick and was very angry, but he did not expect that Zhu Houzhao had already ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest people!
Ma Wensheng didn't know why the current emperor couldn't learn from the previous emperor and use soft yet firm tactics, but instead liked to use people like the Jinyiwei and the Dongchang. Little did he know that this would make the relationship between the monarch and his subjects more tense, especially affecting the monarch's reputation.

Therefore, Ma Wensheng did not want Zhu Houzhao to let the Jinyiwei directly arrest people without going through the judicial boundaries.

Jiao Fang had different political ideas from Ma Wensheng. In his opinion, the approach taken by Emperor Hongzhi was completely useless because as long as there was reform, it was impossible to expect those whose interests were harmed to calmly endure the losses brought to them by the reform. It was better to use drastic measures directly and major matters should never be delayed. He remembered that in order to get Peng Hua to choose him as a Hanlin, he did not bribe him with gold and silver but threatened him with his life.

Therefore, at this time, Jiao Fang said: "Prime Minister, reform cannot be delayed. This is a truth that you and I both know. If these opposing officials are not severely punished at the beginning, they will only make more trouble later and have no scruples. How can such a big thing be accomplished! Your Majesty is doing this for the new policy. As for your reputation, please save it for your Majesty once more! This is what a minister should do!"

As Jiao Fang spoke, he bowed to Ma Wensheng.

Zhu Houzhao knew what Jiao Fang meant, and he just wanted Ma Wensheng to take the blame for him. However, Zhu Houzhao was not afraid of taking the blame like Chongzhen, so he said directly: "It's nothing more than being infamous as a tyrant. There's no need to make such a fuss! For the sake of opening up new policies to benefit the people and strengthening our Ming Dynasty, why should we be afraid!"

Zhu Houzhao then directly ordered Guo Rong: "In this case, immediately send Zhao Botao, the doctor of the Ministry of Literature, to the Jinyiwei prison. He dared to form a clique for personal gain. Such a crime must not be tolerated! Execute the three of them immediately to serve as a warning to others!"

"According to the order!"

Guo Rong was about to leave when Ma Wensheng shouted, "Wait a minute!"

Immediately, Ma Wensheng sighed and said, "Well, I have already submitted a petition to execute the ten clans of the regicide rebels. What should I be afraid of if I kill three more court officials? For the new policy of the Ming Dynasty, I will only be ruined!"

As he said this, Ma Wensheng bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said, "But please, Your Majesty, grant me the power to judge these three people, and I will kill them!" Zhu Houzhao was a little hesitant. He didn't know why Ma Wensheng cared about his reputation as an emperor more than he did.

At this time, Jiao Fang also hurriedly advised: "Your Majesty, please approve the appointment of the Prime Minister. It is not because we are blindly loyal, but because we do not want to give those with ulterior motives the opportunity to take advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos or even rebellion."

Zhu Houzhao finally nodded: "Alright! Liu Jin, you will execute these three people, and the Jinyiwei will cooperate, but you must obey the orders of the Grand Tutor!"

"According to the order!"

Liu Jin, Ma Wensheng and others left the Cabinet and the Silijian duty room and came to the execution place, waiting for the Jinyiwei to bring in three people including Zuo Dongxiu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel.

Not long after, Zuo Dongxiu, a member of the Ministry of Personnel, and three others were brought before Ma Wensheng and Liu Jin by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Since Ma Wensheng was the presiding judge, he sat directly in the first seat, while Liu Jin stood aside.

Zuo Dongxiu, the official in the Ministry of Personnel, saw that although there was an eunuch Liu Jin, there was also a civil official Ma Wensheng, so he thought that there would not be too serious consequences, so he just bowed and said, "This humble official greets the Prime Minister and the eunuch Liu in the inner court."

"You should know why you were brought here, so I won't waste my words on it. But what I really don't understand is why you insist on going against the court. Changing the selection of officials by the Ministry of Personnel to selecting officials by examination is actually a good policy, but you are obstructing it! I have asked His Majesty for permission to judge you. As long as you are willing to admit your mistakes and show your weakness, I can let you go on His Majesty's behalf!"

Ma Wensheng said with some anguish, and then asked Zhao Botao, who used to be quite respectful to him in the Ministry of Personnel: "Doctor Zhao, are you willing to submit a memorial to repent, stop forming cliques for personal gain, and be willing to make meritorious contributions while serving your sentence, and immediately complete the selection examination?"

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, I can accept the opportunity to make amends for my crimes, but I cannot obey your order to select officials through examinations!" When Zhao Botao saw Ma Wensheng asking him, he thought there was still room for redemption, so he directly expressed his true thoughts. However, what he didn't know was that this was the last chance Ma Wensheng would give him.

Ma Wensheng just waved his hand and said, "Chop it off!"

"Chopped!"

Liu Jin repeated it, and two Jinyiwei dragged Zhao Botao away.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, Your Excellency the Prime Minister, I am just..." Before Zhao Botao could finish his words, the Embroidered Spring Sword had already chopped down from the air and chopped off his head!
Ma Wensheng came to the censor Liao Yiming again and said, "Censor Liao, are you willing to submit a petition to the court, confess your guilt, and ask for your resignation or be demoted to a prefecture or county?"

"My Lord Prime Minister, can you please not demote me or resign?" Liao Yiming did not want to lose his position as censor, so he started bargaining.

Seeing this, Ma Wensheng shook his head helplessly, turned around and ordered: "Chop it off!"

"Chopped!"

As soon as Liu Jin finished speaking, Liao Yiming's head fell to the ground!

Ma Wensheng came to the Li Ke Jie Shi Zhong Zuo Dongxiu at this time, and before Ma Wensheng could say anything, Zuo Dongxiu questioned Ma Wensheng: "Ma Junzhou! Are you going to cut yourself off from the literati community?"

Ma Wensheng knew that it was useless to say more, so he said, "Chop it off too!"

"Listen to the Grand Tutor and chop him off!" Liu Jin said with a smile.

The Li Ke Jie Shi Zhong Zuo Dong Xiu was also dragged away, but he still cursed: "Ma Junzhou, you will not die a good death!"

Click!
Zuo Dongxiu's head fell to the ground, and the whole world became quiet.

Immediately afterwards, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel quickly appointed new officials to fill the vacancies, and Zhang Cai was appointed as Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office, and the central civil service selection examination was carried out smoothly.

But this time, the Jinyiwei arrested people for no reason, and even Ma Wensheng killed people directly, which made the civil officials very angry!

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(End of this chapter)