On the top of Chengtian Gate, seeing the prince kneel down, the officials knelt down in confusion. Zhu Di sighed coldly and said in a low voice: "This ability to win people's hearts is really unique in the world..." Although the emperor
There is no subject, but no one knows who he refers to.
Seeing that the situation was showing signs of being under control by the prince, Zhu Zhanji secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't like to see his father in the limelight, he could still distinguish the priorities clearly.
"If he can persuade these people to leave," Zhu Di glanced at him and saw through his grandson's thoughts, but laughed strangely: "I will abdicate my throne in favor of him..."
"Grandpa Huang! You must not do this!" Zhu Zhanji exclaimed. After speaking, he realized that this was just a joke from the emperor. He secretly observed Zhu Di's face and whispered: "Grandpa Huang doesn't believe they can be persuaded to leave.
?”
"I have been dealing with these people for forty years, how can I not know who they are?" Zhu Di gritted his teeth and said: "If I can persuade them, why should I bother the ten tribes of Yi Fang Xiao Ru?!"
Zhu Zhanji nodded. Hearing that the situation downstairs had changed again, he hurriedly looked down. He heard the leading officials kowtow to the prince and sob: "Your Highness's will, the ministers and others have to listen, but the ministers of Jiangshan Sheji and others also have to listen.
We can’t ignore it, Your Highness... please don’t embarrass us..."
"Everyone..." Zhu Gaochi said with red eyes: "The matter has not been investigated clearly yet, so don't rush to conclusions yet..."
"This sounds like a human saying." Zhu Di, who was on the city gate tower, actually expressed his approval to the prince, which surprised Zhu Zhanji. "But he is still playing the piano to a cow..."
Zhu Gaochi was trying to persuade him when he suddenly heard Ma De yell loudly: "The incense sticks are burned out!"
Only then did everyone remember that there was such a problem. Sure enough, the incense stick had turned into ashes, and the ashes were dancing in the north wind...
"Retreat or not?!" Zhao Ying said a few more words between his teeth!
"Don't retreat! I will never retreat until I die!" Thousands of officials' voices sounded in unison, and their momentum completely overwhelmed Zhao Ying.
"Fight!" Zhao Ying waved his hand and the last word came out from between his teeth!
Dongchang Fanzi, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately rushed out after hearing the order, raised his stick and whip, and fell hard! It was like a tiger among the sheep. Before the officials could react, many people were knocked down.
On the ground, blood burst out with screams!
"Don't hit people!" Zhu Gaochi came to his senses and hurriedly stopped Zhao Ying and said: "I order you to tell them to stop immediately!"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Zhao Ying glanced at him and said calmly: "You are not the emperor yet..."
"Then beat me too!" Zhu Gaochi simply rushed into the beaten crowd and said angrily: "Beat Gu to death first!"
The people in Dongchang did not dare to attack the prince unless they took action against the prince, but there were too many officials asking for orders. Except for the main halls of various ministries that did not participate, almost all the officials in the capital were here... The prince could risk his life to protect just a few of them.
?
"Idiot, just avoid him!" Mader warned loudly.
The Dongchang fans woke up from a dream, and went around the prince to beat others! Wherever the prince went, they stopped temporarily, but where the prince just walked, the atrocities immediately resumed as before...
One Zhu Gaochi simply couldn't protect so many officials. In the short time of tea, all the officials in front of Chengtian Gate were lying down. Some of them had broken heads and bleeding, some of them had broken bones and tendons, and even more serious ones were already lying on the ground. They didn't know whether they were alive or dead...
Behind Chengtianmen, the fire has been reduced a lot, but the smoke is even heavier, billowing up and covering the sky!
Upstairs at the city gate, Zhu Di remained expressionless, as if the beatings at the city gate were nothing but child's play to him...
When there were only groans from the city, and there were no more curses or admonitions, Zhu Di spat softly and said: "It's so disappointing for me to be so vulnerable..."
"Grandpa Huang," Zhu Zhanji said in his heart that those officials are unarmed and have no strength to restrain a chicken. How do you expect them to fail in a fight with the wolves and tigers of Dongchang Fanzi? It's not too sentimental.
Reason, it was time for him to say something for them at this time: "That's almost enough, right? It wouldn't be good if someone lost his life?"
"Are you begging for mercy on their behalf?" Zhu Di glanced at Zhu Zhanji coldly, and His Highness Taisun felt a wisp of cold air coming from the soles of his feet to his forehead.
"This..." Zhu Zhanji's back was covered with sweat, and he quickly weighed the pros and cons. He thought that if he changed his mind at this time, he would let Grandpa Huang see him clearly. He made up his mind and said, "Yes. My grandson doesn't realize it."
I think they are right, but I am afraid that if someone loses their life, this will not be recorded in the history books."
"Return the history books?" Zhu Di laughed at himself sadly: "I have been a laughing stock for thousands of years, so what if I get this one more?!"
"Grandpa Huang, I won't..." Zhu Zhanji knew Zhu Di's thoughts best. He was determined to be the emperor for eternity, but now he said such words, it can be seen that the burning of the three palaces was a heavy blow to the emperor...
…
"Huang Yan." Zhu Di didn't want to continue this topic and looked at the eunuch beside him tiredly.
"Slave is here, what are your orders from the master?" Huang Yan responded hurriedly.
"Go down and pass the order and let Zhao Ying's people come back." With the support of Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Di returned to the bed and sat down. He paused and said: "Just say that His Highness Taisun begged for them..."
"Yes." Huang Huan hurriedly went downstairs to deliver the order. After a while, Huang Huan's duck-like voice was heard from downstairs of the city gate: "Okay, stop fighting. Your Highness Taisun is kind and begged for mercy from the emperor."
, Eunuch Zhao, please stop."
"According to the order." Zhao Ying waved his hand, and Dongchang Fanzi stopped beating him like a tide and returned to line up in front of Chengtian Gate.
"Please, Your Highness, please clean up the situation." Huang Yan looked at the embarrassed prince, then turned around and went back to repeat the order.
Zhu Gaochi quickly asked people to carry the injured officials onto carts and take them to the Imperial Hospital for treatment. There were too many injured officials, and most of the manpower was fighting the fire. Zhu Gaochi's East Palace Guards went back and forth many times. It was almost dark before all the officials were put out.
Officials transported away….
The fire in the three main halls was completely extinguished at midnight. When Zhu Di came to inspect the building in the early morning of the next day, the magnificent three main halls were completely invisible, leaving only the ruins still smoking and standing in the smoke-stricken place.
On the dark white marble base...
The prince, Cheng Guogong, Anyuanhou, Yangwuhou, Wang Xian, Zhao Ying and other close ministers of the emperor knelt behind the emperor, sobbing endlessly.
Zhu Di turned his back to his courtiers, his back motionless as a mountain. Zhu Zhanji, who was standing beside him, could clearly see two lines of tears hanging on the old face of the emperor... The three main halls were burned into ruins, which was a real blow to the emperor.
It’s too big! The damage caused is secondary. After all, the Ming Dynasty has a huge business and cannot bear it. The key is that these are the three main halls! The symbol of the Ming Dynasty’s imperial power was completed less than a year ago and was officially opened only 20 days ago.
No! Being burned in a fire like this is really the cruelest trick to this proud emperor...
"Is it really true that I am to blame?" Zhu Di sighed and burst into tears.
"Your Majesty!" all the ministers cried: "It's all the fault of the ministers. Your Majesty, please don't blame yourself!"
"The three main halls that were just opened were burned to the ground. If I don't blame myself, how will I be different from Emperor Hui of Jin and Empress Chen?" Zhu Di said in a seductive voice: "I am going to issue an edict to sin against myself..."
"Your Majesty, you must not do this!" The ministers hurriedly exclaimed, and Anyuan Marquis Liu Sheng said: "It was obviously the White Lotus demon who rebelled and burned down the three main halls of the palace! How can it be blamed on the Emperor?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the ministers said while wiping away their tears, "the fault is that the ministers were too careless, which allowed the monster to take advantage of it!"
"Yes," Zhao Ying took a step forward on his knees and kowtowed: "It is a useless old slave who failed to protect the palace. Please punish me!"
"As a minister, I am also guilty." Zhu Yong, the Duke of Chengguo, also took a step forward and kowtowed: "I have betrayed the emperor's trust, please forgive me!"
"I am also guilty!" Liu Sheng, the Marquis of Anyuan, followed suit and kowtowed: "I failed the emperor's trust and asked the emperor to punish me..."
Seeing whether they were guilty or not, everyone rushed to plead guilty. Wang Xian knew that he, the person directly responsible, could not escape. He had no choice but to step forward, take off his black gauze and kowtow: "It has nothing to do with you sirs. They are all ministers who are ignorant."
, did not take good security measures, and allowed the demons to cause chaos unscrupulously, please the emperor, please kill me as a thank you to the world!"
Shuntian Prefecture Yin Li Pan also came forward to plead guilty. In fact, everyone knows that the biggest sinner this time is the emperor! If he had listened to Wang Xian and not allowed the lantern procession to enter the capital, or canceled the Shangyuan carnival, this would probably not have happened.
It's a tragedy... but the emperor is always wise and correct. As a minister, you have the responsibility and the obligation to take the blame for the emperor.
Seeing that the ministers were asking for forgiveness, the emperor's face looked a little better. He was so proud, how could he be willing to issue an edict to offend himself? It was just a gesture. After a pause, Zhu Di looked at the ministers and said calmly: "Why?
It's not the time to punish crimes, the top priority is to find out about this matter!" As he said that, the emperor couldn't suppress his anger and said angrily: "Have you caught the White Lotus Demon Girl?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Wang Xian. From the incident to now, Wang Xian had not slept a wink. His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse and unpleasant: "Back to the emperor, that night, there were too many people watching the lanterns, and the witch took advantage of the chaos and escaped.
…”
"I think she can fly in the air," Zhu Di said coldly, "Is there really someone in this world who can't fly?"
"This has been investigated clearly. A black rope was found on the pillar of the Aoshan lantern. She climbed on the rope, slid to the opposite roof, and then escaped." Wang Xian quickly explained: "It's not true.
Flying."
"But don't worry, Your Majesty, the city gate has not been opened yet," Li Pan added: "I have put the entire city under martial law and are searching every house. We will definitely bring that witch to justice!"
"Such a high-flying monster, how can a mere city wall trap her?!" Zhu Di groaned, knowing that such a thing could not be expected from civil servants, and turned his attention to Wang Xian and Zhao Ying: "You two stay here, and the rest
Everyone, please step back!"
"Yes." All the ministers hurriedly retired as if they had been granted amnesty, leaving only Wang Xian and Zhao Ying kneeling in front of the emperor.