After a month of waiting, the actions of all parties have finally come to an end.
The main members of the Kong family in Qufu, a total of thirty-two people, have all been escorted to the capital by Xu Xianchun in the name of invitation.
At first, many officials wanted to meet the Kong family under various names.
But how could Zhu Youxiao give them this opportunity?
Anyway, there were civilian officials accompanying us all the way to monitor, and most of them were elected by their own votes.
What the Jinyiwei people have done is reported every day, and they can all see it.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao is not afraid that they will spread rumors in the future that he is operating behind the scenes or that the Jinyiwei people are up to something.
Especially after Zhu Youxiao informed the world, and with the support of public opinion in the Ming Dynasty Daily, people who did not understand the real situation thought that they were trying to exonerate the Kong family.
As for the rest of the Kong family, they were all gathered into Duke Yansheng's mansion and put under centralized supervision.
For this reason, Zhu Youxiao also ordered Shen Yourong to personally lead three thousand sergeants to coordinate with Xu Xianchun's Tiqi to station in Qufu.
When it came time to raid the house, he just gave an order to avoid having to move troops around.
The officials, businessmen and people who had a close relationship with the Kong family were all captured by Yang Huan.
After everything was ready, on February 25, Zhu Youxiao held a court meeting in Huangji Hall.
All the civil and military officials in the capital were absent. Most of them didn't even sleep and were waiting outside the imperial city early.
Xu Guangqi and Wang Zaijin even gathered together for a drink to speculate on what would happen today and whether the Kong family would be safe and sound.
When the bells in the imperial city rang, the imperial guards opened the gate.
Officials with different thoughts walked this familiar road in an orderly manner and arrived outside Huangji Hall to wait for the emperor's arrival.
And Zhu Youxiao of Qianqing Palace also paid special attention to today, and put on the imperial robes that he could only wear a few times a year.
Ma Xianglin was also specially sent to the Ancestral Temple to bring over the ancestral tablets.
When the time came, he went to Huangji Hall under the protection of hundreds of guards and guards in brocade clothes.
When Zhu Youxiao walked through Huangji Gate, crossed the square and reached the steps outside Huangji Hall.
The great eunuch with the palm of the Royal Horse Guard waved his whip in his hand, and it made a crisp sound instantly.
The eunuch in charge of the ceremony immediately shouted loudly:
"All ministers salute."
All civil and military officials immediately knelt down and worshiped, shouting in unison:
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor. Long live the Emperor."
After the official ceremony is completed, it means that the foreplay of the court meeting is over and the main theme begins.
Zhu Youxiao was the first to walk into the gate of Huangji Palace, followed by senior officials from the Sixth Cabinet and Nine Ministers, as well as military generals and nobles.
As for other people who are not of sufficient rank or have no title, they are not qualified to enter Huangji Palace at all. They only need to wait for the results outside the palace.
"Today's court meeting, there is a big matter to be dealt with, I guess I don't need to say anything more, you all know it."
"And not only you know this, but officials and people all over the world also know it and are waiting for the results every day."
"I won't stop talking nonsense. It has been more than two hundred years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. I didn't expect that in my dynasty, the rebellion of the Confucius family in Qufu would happen."
"You don't believe it. In fact, I don't believe it either. But now that it has happened, the news has spread."
"Then it's not a matter of belief or disbelief. It's about argumentation and evidence. Since argumentation is required, it must be open, fair and just."
"Fortunately, things have been brewing for so long and no accidents have happened yet."
"So today, in this Huangji Palace, at this great meeting, in front of all the ministers and me, we will demonstrate."
"Xu Xianchun, bring Xu Ni and the entire Kong family over."
Xu Xianchun, who was at the head of the emperor, immediately accepted the order with clasped fists, and then quickly rushed to the imperial prison with dozens of imperial guards to escort Xu Hongru.
As for the Kong family members, Yang Huan had already taken them to wait outside the Meridian Gate.
Not long after, the leader of the White Lotus Sect led by Xu Hongru, Yanshenggong Kong Yinzhi and other members of the Confucius family all arrived.
In fact, now, everyone in the Kong family also understands why the emperor ordered them to enter the capital.
For this reason, he also secretly reconciled his confessions with the others. Anyway, he just didn't know anything when asked, and just pretended to be stupid.
But as day after day passed, Kong Yinzhi gradually became uneasy and had no confidence.
It had been seven or eight days since they arrived in the capital. The emperor did not summon them immediately, but they were even banned.
In the name of protection, he was imprisoned in Prince Yuan Xin's palace and could not leave even an inch. Apart from the Jinyi guards, he could not see any outsiders.
How did they know that it was simply because Yang Huan was delayed for some time and not all people were arrested, so they waited until today.
Being summoned to the palace today, Kong Yinzhi originally thought it was just a question, and he would just go through the motions with some quibbles, confident that he could escape unscathed.
But when he looked at Xu Hongru and others who were dressed in dirty prison uniforms and exuded a disgusting stench, he immediately reacted.
Wouldn't the emperor want to interrogate him personally in full view of hundreds of officials?
Unfortunately, he had no time to think now, so he could only salute the emperor sitting on the dragon throne with an uneasy heart.
After everyone in the Confucius family had performed the grand ceremony, Xue Zhen, the Minister of Punishment, immediately came out of the procession and asked Kong Yinzhi:
"Mr. Yansheng, regarding Xu Ni's accusation, is it true or false that he was instigated by you, and that the Kong family in Qufu secretly funded the White Lotus Sect's rebellion with money, food, weapons and other supplies?"
Kong Yinzhi did not know Xue Zhen, but seeing where he stood and his official uniform, he could tell that he was one of the six ministers.
Then he glanced at the emperor at a very fast speed. Seeing that the emperor was silent, he had no choice but to reply:
"Of course it's fake."
"I, Mr. Kong, have received a salary from the Ming Dynasty and received favors from the country. How could I do such a treasonous act?"
"I hope Your Majesty and all of you will not listen to the rumors."
Seeing that Kong Yinzhi was calm and composed, the officials who supported the Kong family were no longer so nervous.
If they just asked this question, then they would definitely win.
It is a pity that Zhu Youxiao is a staunch materialist, and he has no reverence and admiration for the Kong family. He wants to personally skin the entire Kong family.
Therefore, before Xue Zhen could ask again, he spoke:
"Whether this matter is true or false, I will not just believe what one family says. Kong Yinzhi, Thief Xu is right in front of you now. I want you to confront him face to face."
"As for Thief Xu, Dali Temple, the Ministry of Punishment, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, including my Jin Yiwei, have all taken turns to interrogate him, and hundreds of officials have reviewed him, and they all have no objections."
"Just answer them one by one according to the accusations in this confession."
"And Thief Xu is also in front of you. If he really slandered the Kong family, he can explain it clearly and give an explanation to the world."