"It has been confirmed that I am the prisoner on death row, Hu Tianci." After the old clerk of the Zhaomo Office of the Ministry of Punishment confirmed that it was correct, the signature was postponed, and Zhaomo sang loudly and signed his own name.
"..." Zhao Zhu and the supervising censor breathed a sigh of relief. There were no unforeseen complications in this level, and the rest would be a matter of course.
One of the principals presented the crime card, and Zhao Butang wrote it himself.
Mr. Hu You said heartbreakingly like a suicidal pig: "I am serious. You are mistaken. Go and tell my father that his son is going to die!"
"Stop his mouth." The censor said solemnly.
Then a police officer grabbed a handful of straw from the ground and stuffed it into Mr. Hu's mouth. He could only whine...
Zhao Butang frowned slightly, wondering why this fool suddenly stopped being stupid?
But he didn't stop it. It was already at this point, and many people would die due to the unrest. The first to bear the brunt was his whole family...it was definitely better to do less than to do more.
So Zhao Butang didn't think too much. After writing down the crime cards, he turned around and left the prison.
He didn't even look at the desperate Mr. Hu again.
~~
In the early morning, Zhao Zhu went out to report to the emperor.
"The imperial convict Hu Tianci is scheduled to be executed today!"
As soon as these words came out, all the officials couldn't help but look at Prime Minister Hu. They saw that his face was pale and he was holding a bamboo stick in his hand, motionless.
Alas, what happened in the Hongwu Dynasty was really outrageous.
Then there are dog legs... Oh no, Yan Guan came out to remonstrate:
"Your Majesty, the prime minister is in court and his son is executed. Where does the body exist? Where does the state exist? I respectfully invite the emperor to think that since Prime Minister Hu has worked hard for the country all his life and has made great contributions to the country, I will show mercy outside the law. Please forgive me.
It’s his son’s fault!”
"Yes, Your Majesty, a gentleman will benefit his descendants. Although Prime Minister Hu is bound to die, his merits are not inferior to those of the other princes. He is the only one who has a son at an old age. How can the Emperor bear to see the meritorious minister lose his heir? Please, Your Majesty.
Be merciful and leave a queen for Mr. Hu..."
"Please, Your Majesty, give Hu Xiang a queen..."
"Save it for later..." The ministers went out to kneel down one after another to ask.
"Damn, it's like we can give Hu Xiang a child..." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at these civil and military officers who were becoming more and more skilled in forcing the palace with a blank face, and cursed angrily, and the stern-faced prince beside him couldn't help but huff.
There was a sound.
He was professionally trained, but he couldn't help it anymore.
The ministers also looked at each other in confusion. The atmosphere was originally quite tragic, but the emperor's behavior made it feel wrong.
"Hu Weiyong, everyone is begging you, and we think what they say is not unreasonable." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the haggard Hu Weiyong again, and said in a slow tone: "What do you think, if you also beg me to let your little beast go?"
One horse, we might not consider it."
"Your Majesty is so kind..." All the civil and military officials were overjoyed and looked at Hu Weiyong. In fact, they didn't have much hope. Can they get it if Boss Zhu wants to kill someone?
Their coy posturing was mostly for Hu Weiyong to see. This kind of pleading for their superiors can get high scores.
Who would have thought that there is such a way? The sun is really shining in the west...
Hu Weiyong also looked up at the emperor with a shocked face. He had served the emperor for so many years and knew Boss Zhu's temper very well. He was definitely a model of jealousy and ruthlessness.
He will never forget his eldest brother Hu Dahai. The commander-in-chief who was tied with Xu Da at the time guarded eastern Zhejiang for Zhu Yuanzhang and was responsible for half of the country. It is no exaggeration to say that once Hu Dahai rebelled, Boss Zhu's regime would probably collapse.
.
But for such a key figure, his eldest son Hu Sanshe violated the ban on brewing wine in Wuzhou and was punished with death. Many people advised Zhu Yuanzhang not to kill him to avoid Hu Dahai's mutiny.
But Boss Zhu said: 'I would rather let Hu Dahai rebel than have my military order fail to be implemented.' In the end, Hu Sanshe was executed with his own hands...
After that, he never had the extravagant hope that Boss Zhu would be merciful outside the law.
Therefore, after the Hu Tianci incident happened, Hu Weiyong never thought about interceding with the emperor...
But he never expected that the emperor would relent.
Hu Weiyong's head was buzzing. He didn't know whether it was because he was too proud, or because the tiger stopped biting when he got old? Or was he just testing himself?
But there was no joy in his heart, only regret and sorrow.
Thousands of emotions turned into four words - You are kidding me, right?!
‘I have already killed my son with my own hands, how can this grace still be grace? The most cruel punishment is almost the same!’ Hu Weiyong’s chest was about to explode with anger. With so much regret, he finally couldn’t help but ask Boss Zhu:
'Your Majesty, if you really wanted to show mercy, why didn't you say so earlier?!'
Boss Zhu smiled and said charmingly: "You didn't even ask us..."
"This...that's because I didn't expect it..." Hu Weiyong was heartbroken, what kind of plot is this? Guan Hanqing praised it, and Dou E said that I am not unlucky after seeing it.
!
"It's not too late to say it now!" "Thank you quickly, Prime Minister Hu." The officials were still urging Hu Weiyong. If he didn't kowtow to thank him quickly, he would be a cow and a horse for the rest of his life. Why would he still be here to pester the emperor to show mercy sooner or later?
"It's too late, it's too late..." Hu Weiyong was mute and ate coptis. He couldn't tell the pain and could only say God's uncle over and over again.
"Why, Mr. Hu doesn't want to say this?" Zhu Yuanzhang was not a patient person, so his face turned ugly. "Do we still have to beg you?"
"Hu Xiang, Hu Xiang..." the officials whispered anxiously.
"Your Majesty is so kind to me, I appreciate it," but after hearing Hu Weiyong pause for a while, Fang choked up and said, "As the father of a son, I am naturally willing to give him life."
As he spoke, he changed the subject and said: "However, as the prime minister of a country and the teacher of hundreds of officials, I know very well that a thousand-mile embankment can be destroyed in a single hole. Let your country's laws be ruthless and your officials' laws like a furnace. Once this happens,
, will lead to the laxity of laws and regulations. From then on, the trend of people taking chances and begging for favors has gradually increased. The emperor's ten years of harsh punishments and laws have only established laws and regulations, which will be destroyed in one day."
As he spoke, he took a deep breath, cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty Hu Weiyong, please behead your son, God-given, to uphold the laws of the country and enforce discipline, so as to serve as a warning to others! If one or two dignitaries can know that it is difficult to break the king's laws, and those who break them will be killed, that can be considered.
Nizi’s death is worth something..."
There was a dead silence in Fengtianmen Square. The ministers looked at Hu Xiang in stunned silence, thinking that he had taken the wrong medicine? What kind of righteousness could he use to kill relatives at this time? Besides, Hu Xiang didn't look like such a person...
Is it a sequelae of stroke?
"Listen, listen carefully. This is why, even though Hu Xiang's son has committed a capital crime, we still use him as prime minister!" Zhu Yuanzhang said happily:
"Because he can always withstand the test in the face of great right and wrong!"
