Chang Sheng, who seized the official position and cut the knighthood, became the only survivor of the Lan Yu rebellion case and was sent to the border of Longzhou, Guangxi.

The birds are all gone, and the good bow is hidden; The cunning rabbit dies, and the lackeys cook.

When the court was full of grievances, Emperor Hongwu personally created the "Four Great Cases of the Ming Dynasty" - the empty seal case, Hu Weiyong's rebellion, Li Shanchang's rebellion, and Lan Yu's rebellion.

For a time, the invincible brocade clothes and guard trees fell and scattered, like rats crossing the street, and everyone shouted and beaten. In the capital, I can no longer see the brocade guards wearing flying fish suits and embroidered spring knives.

Mao Xiang endured all the anger and resentment alone, and the courtiers rushed up, eager to tear Mao Xiang alive! Even the widowed Princess Lin'an stood up to Mao Xiang to blame the death of the concubine Li Qi.

Mao Xiang is embattled, Mingyue and Ji Gang secretly contact Mingjiao to discuss the rescue of Mao Xiang. Soon, the Criminal Department sentenced Mao Xiang to Ling Chi on charges of dereliction of duty, framing of bribes, and forming a party for personal gain.

In the imperial study, Emperor Hongwu's headache became more and more serious, to the point that he had a splitting headache when he opened his eyes and read a book, he spread out his hair in a bun, closed his eyes, and lay on the dragon couch, with several silver needles tied on his head to relieve the pain.

The female officer, Hu Shanwei, opened the recital and read the sentence of the Criminal Department against Mao Xiang in a calm tone.

The silver needles pierced on the temples trembled slightly, the shrunken eyelids rose and fell, as if there were waves rolling in the eyeballs, and the hands twitched slightly like dry wood, as if half of the soul was split, struggling, convincing the other half.

After Hu Shanwei finished reciting, Emperor Hongwu's undulating eyelids finally quieted down, and he spit out two words, "Quasi-play." ”

This is Mao Xiang, the righteous son you have raised for more than 40 years!

Hu Shanwei's heart turned over the river, she entered the palace as a female official for many years, and served the royal family with Mao Xiang, the two cooperated tacitly and had the feeling of colleagues. At this moment, seeing that Emperor Hongwu was about to abandon Mao Xiang, Hu Shanwei had the courage to remind, "Your Majesty, the sentence of the Criminal Department is Ling Chi's punishment." ”

Emperor Hongwu is still two words, "quasi-play." ”

Hu Shanwei was helpless, mentioning the martyrdom of King Qin sixteen years ago in Zhu Pen, and Deng Ming died together, the three princes of King Jin rebelled under the anger, and aimed the artillery at the filial piety tomb of Jiming Mountain, at the critical moment Hu Shanwei protected Emperor Hongwu with his body, his back was burned by gunpowder, and he was raised for half a year before he got better.

Since then, Hu Shanwei has won the trust of Emperor Hongwu, and from time to time he writes for the king, and criticizes and folds according to Emperor Hongwu's wishes.

The red vermilion pen moved slowly at the end of the notebook, and Hu Shanwei felt that the fluttering brush in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand catties, and he wrote a small "quasi" character, using up his life's strength.

Each stroke is like a knife, cutting through the white paper and cutting Hu Shanwei's soul.

Hu Shanwei knew that persuasion was useless. Last time, Mao Xiang was suspicious and sympathetic to Lan Yu because he helped Lan Yu convey a sentence before he died. At this time, he interceded for Mao Xiang, not only could not save him, but trapped himself in it.

Finally finished writing the word "quasi", Hu Shanwei was just about to put down his pen and read the next book. Emperor Hongwu said: "Wait. Shanwei, you draw up an edict of pardon for me and announce it to the world. Whether it was Hu Weiyong's rebellion in the past, or the current Lan Yu rebellion case, too many people died. In a hurry, some people were wronged, and they also cut off their heads in a daze, and now there are people in the court who keep reporting the Hu Party and the Blue Party, many of them are just to exclude dissidents and frame them, and in the long run, Daming may fall into an embarrassing situation where there are no officials available. Tell the civil and military officials that this is the end of the matter, except for the prisoners who have been imprisoned and on trial, I am not to blame for the past. ”

Hu Shanwei thought for a moment, she was quick in thinking, and quickly drafted a "Pardon Blue Party Hu Dang Edict", and read it aloud: "The courtiers and their disloyal and righteous Li Shanchang and others, yin and cause trouble, things are perceived, and people are punished." This year, the blue thieves are in chaos, plotting to vent and capture, and the clan has been punished by 15,000 people. Those who have not finished the rest have been pardoned. He is still worried about treacherous and ignorant, still has doubts, and is not at ease. ”

"Today, in addition to those who have committed crimes and have been taken to the official position, those who have committed crimes but have not been taken and those who have not committed crimes will be pardoned, regardless of whether they are blue party or Hu party."

Emperor Hongwu was a rough man, and he wrote the vernacular popular holy decree of "You are not afraid". Hu Shanwei's writing is exquisite, and it reads concisely and smoothly, Emperor Hongwu nodded and said, "Very good, just send it out according to this." ”

"Yes." Hu Shanwei responded and stamped the jade seal on the "Amnesty of the Blue Party Hu Dang's Edict".

The pardon was completed, and it was placed next to Mao Xiang's sentence verdict, which was particularly ironic: one death and one life are only between the emperor's thoughts.

Emperor Hongwu drew a line of life and death in this way, and his son Mao Xiang was the last minister to draw a line of death......

Hu Shanwei completed the edict of pardon and was about to read another note, when he saw two lines of old tears sliding down Emperor Hongwu's withered cheeks.

Emperor Hongwu was reluctant to let Mao Xiang go, but he had to kill Mao Xiang to take the crime, otherwise a single "Amnesty of the Blue Party Hu Dang Edict" was not enough for the people to be angry and resentful.

Hu Shanwei is extremely smart and empathetic, she knows that Emperor Hongwu is so strong, and she doesn't want anyone to see her sad and fragile side.

Hu Shanwei pretended to turn a blind eye to the two lines of old tears, and did not wipe them, as if the tears did not exist in the first place, she spread out the bright yellow thin quilt, gently covered the dragon body of Emperor Hongwu, quickly retreated, and quietly instructed the palace maids and eunuchs, "The emperor is asleep, don't bother." ”

Hu Shanwei walked out of the imperial study, the autumn breeze was bleak outside, and it was already late autumn.

Jinyiwei was disbanded, the edict prison was closed, and the former commander Mao Xiang was sent to the prison of the Criminal Department.

The phoenix that falls to the ground is not as good as a chicken. When Mao Xiang was the commander of the Jinyi Guard, he offended many officials and royal nobles, from the eldest princess Princess Lin'an to the unknown nobody, all hated Mao Xiang. Therefore, as soon as Mao Xiang got out of prison, he was bribed by the enemies and the jailers took turns to torture and abuse.

Whipping, tooth extraction, burning, nail pulling, scrubbing...... and so on, the previous means of execution in prison were applied to Mao Xiang one by one.

Many times Mao Xiang thought he was dead, he was in hell, and he was tortured by the imps to pay off the blood debt owed in his previous life.

Whatever, the debts owed must always be repaid, and Mao Xiang calmly survived one torture after another.

He just refuses to die.

Because that man hadn't let him die yet.

"Your Excellency."

"Lord Mao."

Two familiar voices sounded in his ears, and Mao Xiang struggled to open his left eye—his right eye was already swollen, and his eyelid was swollen into a red egg, and he couldn't open it at all.

The two poured some ginseng soup into Mao Xiang's mouth, and their vision gradually became clear.

It was Mingyue and Ji Gang who were wearing the clothes of the prison guards of the Criminal Department.

Mao Xiang said in a low voice: "Mingyue, Ji Gang? How did you get mixed up? Didn't you say that you should stay in the palace and be on duty, and don't ask me whether I live or die? Has there been a change in the court, and you have been driven out? ”

After the Jinyi Guard was disbanded, Mingyue and Ji Gang stayed in the palace and became the leaders of Emperor Hongwu's personal guards.

Seeing that Mao Xiang was beaten into an inhuman shape, Mingyue's heart was sour, and she said: "My lord, thanks to you for entrusting Hu Shanwei to take care of us, Ji Gang and I were not bullied in the palace, but the other Jinyi guards are not as lucky as us." They are scattered, degraded and degraded, and their lives are not peaceful. ”

Ji Gang simply burst into tears and choked up: "Bastard thing! How dare you abuse Lord Mao like this. My lord, I heard Hu Shanwei say that the emperor agreed to the sentence of Ling Chi sentenced by the Criminal Department, and it will be executed the day after tomorrow. It's a skeleton that's still panting, and it's better to live than to die. ”

"Drink this, sir." Ji Gang took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, "This is what Princess Yan gave us, after drinking it, the body stiffened, and the breathing almost stopped, which was like death." The dungeons of the Ministry of Punishment were afraid that the corpses would rot and cause a plague, so they would carry the dead prisoners to remote mass graves and throw them away. At that time, Mingyue and I would replace a similar male corpse halfway, feed the antidote, and secretly send it to a safe place, so that we could live incognito and live the life of ordinary people, so as to avoid the cruel punishment of Ling Chi. ”

Mao Xiang took the porcelain bottle and opened the cork, but the bottom of the bottle was facing up, and the fake death medicine was emptied, and it was all spilled on the ground.

"Your Excellency!" Mingyue and Ji Gang were in a hurry, "This medicine is incomparably precious, only this bottle!" ”

"I know, so I don't give you the opportunity to force it on me." Mao Xiang threw the porcelain vase to Ji Gang, and the one-eyed on the left stared in the direction of the palace, "Since the monarch wants the minister to die, the minister should go to the death and must not shirk." ”

Ji Gang was so anxious, "You're too dead-eyed!" If the emperor wants you to die, you must die? Obviously there is a stand-in, everyone in the world thinks you are dead, and you have calmed your grievances, exactly the same ending, why do you have to suffer the punishment of Ling Chi? ”

Mingyue also said: "My lord, you would rather endure Ling Chi's torture than fulfill the fate of the righteous father and righteous son in this life, and you can understand your feelings." If one day adults want me to die, I will die for you without blinking. But do you know? Just after the emperor agreed to the verdict of Ling Chi of the Criminal Department, he immediately wrote the "Edict of Amnesty for the Blue Party Hu Dang", announcing that the world would be amnesty and that other officials would no longer be pursued. It's not fair! ”

Ji Gang hurriedly said: "Yes, my lord, you regard the emperor as your own father, you never dare to disobey half a point, everything is in the interests of the emperor, you gave up starting a family and starting a business, and you didn't even leave a single heir, just to not be distracted, and you have always been loyal to the emperor." Yes, you killed a lot of people, but you were just a knife that you couldn't help yourself, and it wasn't your fault. ”

Mao Xiang said calmly: "You don't understand, my parents died when I was young, and I was almost roasted alive by the hungry people on the way to wander, but it was the emperor who saved me, raised me, taught me martial arts, taught me to read and write, and recognized me as a righteous son." In my more than 40 years of life, I have spent more time with the emperor than any prince or grandson. The emperor does not regard me as a son, and I have long respected and obeyed the emperor as a father. I will not betray the emperor's wishes, even if I die, I will die as I deserve. ”

Three days later, Mao Xiang went to the execution ground, and there were a large number of onlookers, almost all of whom had relatives and friends who died at the hands of Mao Xiang. Even Princess Lin'an watched the execution at the scene, and the enemies were very red when they saw each other.

With each cut, the executioner threw the minced flesh at the onlookers, and the crowd snatched the flesh and blood of the enemy and took it to the grave of the relatives to worship in order to comfort the souls of the heavens.

After cutting a thousand knives, Mao Xiang has been cut into a humanoid skeleton. He knelt down in the direction of the palace and muttered to himself, "Long live my emperor." Your Majesty, Mao Xiang is gone. ”

The executioner waved the decapitator, and the head rolled down the execution ground, setting off a new round of looting...... 166 Reading Network