After Zhu Yijun gave the order, Liu Shun immediately obeyed and went to make arrangements. Then, Zhu Yijun asked Fang Shoushi and Sun Chengzong to stand on his left and right. He seemed to be a little scared and wanted to seek psychological comfort.
Shen Yicheng, Luo Sigong, and Xiao Daheng, who were tied up, were quickly escorted by Liu Shun and his men.
The three of them had different expressions.
Shen Yicheng's face was calm, and his eyes were calm, like an ancient well without ripples. It was as if he had seen through all the noise in the world.
Xiao Daheng's face was deathly still, as if he had lost the will to live.
Luo Sigong's face was full of tears, and he cried very hard.
In fact, when Liu Shun suddenly attacked, Shen Yicheng was also the calmest, as if he had long expected it. Xiao Daheng resisted a few times and only became obedient after being punched a few times. Luo Sigong resisted the most fiercely, drawing his sword and fighting, but he was taken down by three to five Imperial Bodyguard experts.
They were very dissatisfied with the fact that Luo Sigong led them to death and labeled them as traitors. As Xiao Ruxun progressed smoothly, the resentment of the Imperial Bodyguard against Luo Sigong grew. The ordinary members of the Imperial Bodyguard were planning to kill Luo Sigong.
The two hundred people led by Liu Shun all agreed to cooperate with Liu Huangchang to kill Luo Sigong in order to survive.
Luo Sigong thought that he could control the situation of the Imperial Bodyguard. Although he was very clear that Shen Yicheng had also extended his hand into the Imperial Bodyguard, he believed that Shen Yicheng could not shake his foundation. However, it was not Shen Yicheng who shook his foundation, but himself.
After losing the ability to resist, Luo Sigong knew that he was going to die. Thinking of his wealth and the things that he had yet to enjoy, he felt extremely sad. He regretted taking this path. He was filled with regret and hatred, so he couldn't help but cry bitterly.
In contrast, Shen Yicheng was much calmer.
He just didn't expect that Liu Huangchang, whom he thought highly of, was actually the one who planned this, and he didn't know that Liu Huangchang was the one who sounded the death knell for him.
Seeing Zhu Yijun sitting on the throne, Shen Yicheng was incomparably calm. He silently looked at Zhu Yijun and then lowered his head.
"Old subject Shen Yicheng greets Your Majesty. Please forgive me for not being able to greet Your Majesty."
Zhu Yijun sneered.
"We do not dare to have Pavilion Elder Shen bow. If the price of having Pavilion Elder Shen bow is for us to abdicate and be imprisoned, then it is best for Pavilion Elder Shen to stand in front of us."
Shen Yicheng sighed.
"Why are you sighing? Are you regretting it?"
Zhu Yijun asked.
Shen Yicheng shook his head. "I don't regret it. I'm just reflecting on how many mistakes I've made."
"You dethroned the Emperor and imprisoned me. You still don't regret it even when you're at death's door?"
Zhu Yijun glared at Shen Yicheng. "Where did all that poetry and etiquette go? Did Confucius ever teach you to betray your master?! "
"This all started with Your Majesty. If Your Majesty didn't want to launch a mutiny against us, why would we strike first to gain the upper hand?"
Shen Yicheng said, "There have been many officials like us in the past, but Your Majesty is the first to force us to this step."
"Insolence! You have the right to rebel? You deceived your superiors and your subordinates, embezzling the national funds. You don't even have money in the national treasury! You don't even know how much Daming's taxes have been swallowed by you! Just this alone is enough to wipe out your entire family! "
Shen Yicheng faced Zhu Yijun's anger.
"Isn't this what the Emperor needs?"
"What did you say?"
Zhu Yijun glared at Shen Yicheng.
"What the Emperor wants is for us to be corrupt and take bribes. Once he has a handle on us, he can easily control us. If anyone disobeys him, he can use anti-corruption measures to take them down. Not only will he receive substantial benefits, but he will also gain fame and prestige. He doesn't even need to pay a lot of salary. All the previous emperors have been doing this, and Emperor Taizu's was the best of the best. This was the reason why he quickly gained fame and stabilized the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yijun didn't say anything, but the veins on the back of his hand bulged.
"Does Your Majesty really think that the salary is enough to feed us and keep us warm? Does Your Majesty really think that the salary is enough to feed us and keep us warm? Do you really think that the salary is enough to feed us and keep us warm? After eating and wearing warm clothes, he would naturally need other things, but at this time, he found that he had no money.
Your Majesty, we are officials. We are the herdsmen of Your Majesty, and we have the power to get whatever we want. Why does Your Majesty think that we don't need money? How can money that is only enough to feed us and keep us warm be enough to satisfy people? It will never satisfy people, be it the officials or the people! They will always want more, more, more.
Your Majesty just wants to have something on us, so you only give us a small salary, but give us countless opportunities to be corrupt. Isn't this encouraging the officials to be corrupt? But Your Majesty, there is no limit to your greed. You will only want more, and you won't be able to stop!
Your Majesty uses this kind of power to control the officials. Are the officials stupid? Don't they understand Your Majesty's meaning? Are they willing to be Your Majesty's pawn? Your Majesty, why do you think the officials won't fight back? The Emperor has power, and the officials also have ways to deal with it. The world has never belonged to the Emperor alone, the world … "
"Shut up!"
Zhu Yijun shouted angrily, "I don't want to talk about how you are corrupt, but the military power can't be lost! You are trying to seize my military power and stop the Emperor from controlling the army. What are your intentions?! "
"It's just a struggle in the court, Your Majesty. How can the struggle in the court ever stop? The Emperor also hopes for the struggle in the court to maintain balance and maintain his position. It's just that back then, Emperor Yingzong failed. "
Shen Yicheng's tone was slightly sarcastic, "It's been more than a hundred years, and it's become second nature. This is already a rule, a convention. It's the key that the entire Daming Dynasty relies on to maintain its operation. Your Majesty wants to break it, and it's not just my life that you want. Otherwise, how can I get the support of so many people?"
Zhu Yijun was so angry that his whole body was trembling.
"It seems like you have no intention to repent for what you've done."
"Let's do it again. If I were in this position, I would still do the same thing. This is Your Majesty's coercion, and I have no choice but to accept it."
"If the Emperor wants me to die, I have no choice but to die!"
Zhu Yijun gritted his teeth and stared at Shen Yicheng.
Shen Yicheng faced him directly, "If the Emperor treats the officials like his brothers and sisters, then the officials will treat the Emperor like a confidant. If the Emperor treats the officials like a dog, then the officials will treat the Emperor like a countryman. If the Emperor treats the officials like dirt, then the officials will treat the Emperor like an enemy!"
"Impudent!"
Zhu Yijun pointed his finger at Shen Yicheng, "Your position was given to you by us. How dare you say such treacherous words!"
"This official relied on my own efforts to pass the imperial examinations, and also relied on my intelligence to survive in the Imperial Court. When did Your Majesty help me? When Your Majesty appointed me, wasn't it because you wanted to make use of me? At the end of the day, the relationship between the Emperor and the officials is just a transaction! Regardless of whether it's this old official or Xiao Ruxun! It's all the same! "
Shen Yicheng didn't seem to care about anything else.
This made Zhu Yijun even more furious.
"Impudent! Shen Yicheng! You deserve to die! Liu Shun, drag Shen Yicheng out and behead him in public! Execute his entire clan! "
"Yes!"
Liu Shun broke out in cold sweat when he heard this. He hurriedly ordered his men to drag Shen Yicheng out and find a place to behead him.
What Shen Yicheng left behind in the main hall was a burst of laughter.
Fang Shoushi was infuriated when he heard this.
Sun Chengzong felt a strong impact on his heart when he heard this.
As for Xiao Daheng and Luo Sigong, Zhu Yijun didn't have the strength to interrogate them or vent his anger. He was infuriated by Shen Yicheng.
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