Chapter 6 Mysterious Case: The Secret Case of the Murder of the Prince in the Five Palaces

The spring in the 43rd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1615) seemed to come very late. It was already the beginning of May in the lunar calendar. The flowers such as pantao and longevity in the Forbidden City began to bud. The leaves of the flowers and trees still look light yellow and tender, without any signs of spring fading.The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and the eunuchs of the Supervisor of Rituals and the Imperial Supervisor have already decorated the courtyards of the harem in a festive atmosphere.Lots of calamus and moxa pots were placed beside the gates of the palaces, and long hanging screens with stories of heavenly masters and fairies conjuring the five poisons were hung on the gates of important palaces. Fragrance of mugwort and calamus.The palace people all put on the mended python clothes with "five poisons", ai and tiger, and purses filled with realgar and cinnabar hanging around their waists, which added to the festive atmosphere in the palace.

It was a cloudy day on the fourth day of May, and dusk enveloped the palaces of the Forbidden City unconsciously.The Ciqing Palace, where Prince Zhu Changluo lived, seemed unusually quiet today. The 34-year-old Zhu Changluo had a gloomy personality. Although tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival, he didn't seem to feel any joy in the festival.In the afternoon, I listened to the Taifu's two passages of "Li Sao" in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and my mood seemed to be even more depressed, so I went back to the palace before finishing listening.At dusk, he checked the pre-holiday arrangement of the Ciqing Palace as usual, and entered the Xinuang Pavilion with his hands behind his back, making the inner eunuchs puzzled and didn't know how to arrange it.Even the chief eunuch who presided over the affairs of the East Palace felt panicked, so he had to ask everyone to keep their duties and wait on them carefully.

It was getting dark gradually, and the copper street lamps on both sides of the Royal Road were dotted with a faint light, dotted with the palace courtyard as deep as the sea.Li Jian, who was guarding the palace gate, leaned against the half-closed palace gate and closed his eyes slightly because he was not feeling well.Suddenly, the sound of rustling footsteps aroused his vigilance, and he opened his eyes to look outside the palace gate, only to see a black shadow nimbly sticking to the palace wall and rushing towards the palace gate.The Ciqing Palace is located deep in the imperial city, and it is a restricted area that outsiders cannot set foot in.It is now dusk, and someone actually sneaked in, it must not be a good person.Li Jian's drowsiness disappeared, and he asked loudly, "Who?" After he finished speaking, he saw that black shadow was already striding toward him.Li Jian was originally in charge of the Military Bureau of the Inner Mansion, and had also practiced martial arts a few times, so he dodged sideways lightly, but heard a "click", and the jujube stick in the visitor's hand had already hit the palace gate viciously.Li Jian was still in shock, and the jujube stick came down from the top of his head with the wind.Li Jian shrank his head and back to avoid the head of the stick, and shouted loudly: "There is an assassin!" The assassin seemed to be even more angry when he heard the shout, and he rode three times in a row, the stick was pointed at Li Jian's vitals, and it was too late to speak. Hurry up, before the guards from each room came out, Li Jian was knocked down heavily.The assassin seemed to have a plan in mind, and he didn't get entangled with Li Jian. He flew straight to the main hall where the prince lived, and opened the door of the hall with a stick.I'm about to rush in.At this time, the servant Han Benyong rushed to the eaves with more than 20 palace guards and surrounded the assassins.Seeing that the situation was not good, the assassin frightened everyone away with a sweeping blow, and ran back.But in the palace forbidden area, where he was allowed to escape again, countless servants crowded out from all directions. Although the assassin was tall, he was eventually outnumbered and was captured alive by Han Benyong and others.

It was really unexpected that someone assassinated the prince in a place where the palace was forbidden.Frightened, Zhu Changluo ordered the assassin to be handed over to the guards of Donghua Gate. He rushed to Qianqing Palace overnight to report to his father, Emperor Wanli Zhu Yijun.The Emperor Wanli was lazy and cowardly by nature. When he heard that there was an assassination case in the East Palace, his heart started to beat wildly. On the one hand, he ordered the strengthening of the imperial confinement, and on the other hand, he ordered the criminal to be handed over to the Imperial City Justice Department for strict interrogation. .

Liu Tingyuan, the imperial censor inspecting the imperial city, heard about the assassination of the Eastern Palace in the middle of the night; after hearing the news, he broke out in a cold sweat, because he supervised the defense of the imperial city that day, and he would never have thought of it anyway. In the Forbidden City, where the palace is strictly forbidden, some people will rush to the Ciqing Palace to commit murder.Hearing that the crown prince was safe, he was secretly glad, but someone in the deep palace went beyond the layers of security to murder the crown prince, and he was responsible for the judicial duties of the imperial city, and he didn't know anything about it beforehand. are to be severely punished.So he hated the assassin to the core, and started interrogating the assassin overnight.

In the interrogation room, the candles were flickering, and the dim candlelight made a hut less than 20 square meters miserable, adding a bit of horror to the atmosphere.The assassin was pushed in by all kinds of people, Liu Tingyuan quickly took a look at the murderer, and unconsciously took a breath.The prisoner was about seven feet tall, with a solid build, a big square face full of murderous looks, showing a ferocious look, but the clothes on his body were completely peasant clothes.Look at the murder weapon he was carrying, it was a jujube wood stile with the thickness of the mouth of a bowl, more than one foot long, and it weighed no less than thirty catties.Liu Tingyuan thought secretly, if there were not a few servants in the Palace of Compassionate Ning who had learned boxing and kicking, the crown prince might have died under this jujube stick today.The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became, and the more afraid he became, the angrier he became, he couldn't help but slapped the gavel, and asked sharply: "Bold and tricky, where are you from? Why did you break into the palace and assassinate the prince?" The assassin seemed not to hear the question, and lowered his head. The head said nothing.Liu Tingyuan became more and more annoyed, and gave an order to "beat!" The eunuch who had already suffocated his energy, immediately pushed the assassin down, and beat him down with a stick.Under this well-trained stick, the assassin was bloody and bloody, begging for mercy repeatedly.Liu Tingyuan stopped the servant who was executing the execution, and shouted: "Are you talking or not?" The assassin's fierce flames had been completely suppressed, and he said tremblingly: "The master is calm, and the villain is willing to speak. The villain's surname is Li, and he is from Fangshan County." Renshi...", Liu Tingyuan immediately refuted the case: "Nonsense, listening to you speak Jingdong voice, how could you be from Fangshan in the west of Jingdong? It seems that you are not willing to confess without imposing a severe punishment. Come! Give him I'll pick it up!" The execution eunuch yelled, and threw the stick in front of the assassin, and the assassin really panicked this time, and kowtowed his head like pounding garlic and said: "Don't hit, don't hit, the villain is the truth, the villain In fact, he is from Jixian County in the east of Beijing. His name is Zhang Cha. He works in agriculture. He usually eats vegetarian food and prays to Buddha and has never done anything wrong. Today he strayed into the imperial city and lost his way. When he saw someone blocking him, he was afraid that he would be caught and beheaded, so he decided to kill him..." , Liu Tingyuan asked again: "How did you sneak into the Forbidden City, and how did you come to the East Palace?" Zhang Cha hesitated for a long time and didn't understand it. Judging from his incoherent embarrassment, there seemed to be something unspeakable hidden in it.

At this trial, Liu Tingyuan felt a shock in his heart. He had worked in the imperial city for a long time and knew the situation in the palace well.The four gates of the Forbidden City are strictly guarded, and even a civet cat can't get in on weekdays. This guy is a seven-foot man with a mace in his hand. How could he sneak into the palace so easily?Even if they managed to sneak in, how could they escape the patrolling guards one after another, and rush to the Ciqing Palace in Da Nei as if they were in no one's land?Judging from his hesitant attitude, it was clear that someone ordered him, but who was the instigator?Liu Tingyuan also knew that the crown prince was born to Concubine Wang Gong, and Concubine Wang Gong was born as a court lady, so the crown prince was not favored by the emperor, but the third prince Zhu Changxun, who was named King of Fortune a few years ago, was the most favored by the emperor, and all civil and military officials in the court knew that The emperor had long intended to abolish the elders and establish the younger ones, and put the third prince on the throne of the crown prince.Especially in recent months, Concubine Zheng, the mother of Fu Wang, has been more and more favored by the emperor. There are rumors outside that the crown prince of the East Palace will soon be removed from the head of the eldest son of the emperor and put on the head of Fu Wang. It happened at this time Could it be that there is something in this elusive stiletto case... In the late Ming Dynasty, the disputes among the courts in the court were very fierce. The cabinet ministers, servants, concubines, princes, and relatives competed for power. Power grabs have become the norm.Every time an official handles a matter, he always has to think before and after, and weigh it repeatedly, so as not to miss the opportunity and make mistakes.Liu Tingyuan is naturally well aware of the truth. Now facing the assassin, he felt hesitant in his heart. If he chases after him to the end, if the matter is extended to the emperor or Concubine Zheng, he will undoubtedly end up exterminating his entire family. But if you don't go into the details, if the criminal has nothing to do with the palace struggle, you can't escape the charge of ineffective trial and connivance with the murderer. It's really a dilemma.Faced with this dilemma, the only way out is to push the criminal to others for trial.But how to push it out?Liu Tingyuan was no longer interested in listening to the assassin's rambling confession. After much deliberation, he came up with a good idea that had both ways.So he interrupted Zhang Chai's confession, and wrote a memorial at his desk, to the effect: "Assassin Zhang Chai, his eyes are straight, his speech is incoherent, and he seems to be insane, but his behavior is cunning. Inside the imperial city If you can’t manage the organization, I’m afraid the truth will come to light, so I’ll submit it to the court’s judicial department for a strict investigation.” This memorial can really be regarded as a typical example of prevarication official documents in the late Ming Dynasty.To say that the assassin is insane is to open a door for his messengers. If the emperor means not to get to the bottom of it, then insanity is the best excuse. To say that the assassin is "cunning" is to leave a way out for himself. Once someone finds out the truth , then I have already pointed out his cunning, who can accuse me of indulging the murderer?

Liu Tingyuan's method really worked, and he easily pushed the East Palace attack case to the Ministry of Punishment.Seeing the seriousness of the case, the officials of the Ministry of Punishment did not dare to neglect, and immediately appointed Langzhong Hu Shixiang, Yuanwailang Zhao Huizhen, and Lao Yongjia to interrogate the three people in order to investigate clearly.And the three interrogation officials, who are also old Beijing officials who have lived in the Ministry of Criminal Justice for a long time, knew in their hearts after receiving the case file that this was a big burden that a trial could not be tried, and could not be pushed back.They knew better than Liu Tingyuan that according to the emperor's wishes, it was only a matter of time before the prince of the Eastern Palace was abolished, while Zheng Guifei's family was getting more and more favored.That Concubine Zheng is not only beautiful, but also deeply sympathetic to Wanli's thoughts, and has become a person who Wanli can't leave for a moment.In addition, her father and brother are both high-ranking officials in the court, and her son Fu Wang is Wanli's favorite prince who grew up in his arms.Up and down the temple, there is almost no one who is not impressed by the popularity of this family. Even Fang Congzhe, the chief assistant of the cabinet, has to follow the eyes of Concubine Zheng.Now Zhang Chai dared to assassinate the Crown Prince in broad daylight, and if no one instructed him, he would not dare to go if he borrowed some courage.Who is the instigator?Apart from Concubine Zheng, it is the emperor himself, and the trial has come to the head of the emperor and concubine. Isn't this a joke with his own head?But what if you don’t pursue them?It doesn't seem to work, because once the case was revealed, the government and the public were shaken, and many honest officials wrote letters, asking for the truth to be found out. If the delay continues, not only all officials will gang up to attack, even the officials of the Ministry of punishment will not agree.Therefore, before contacting the criminal, the three of them got together to discuss what would be a suitable ending.

Among the three presiding judges, Hu Shixiang was the smartest. From the Yiwen transferred from the imperial city, he found Liu Tingyuan's memorial saying that Zhang Cha was a lunatic. This is really a wonderful excuse.Just give him a smooth ride, insisting that Zhang Cha is a lunatic, and a lunatic does crazy things, not to mention the crown prince, even Long Live today, maybe he would dare to fight.The three of them have negotiated and decided to act separately. Fortunately, they are all veterans of the Criminal Ministry. If they want to make a false confession, there is still a way to tell a big lie.It's hard for these three people, I don't know how they cooperated, and the first trial in the lobby the next day "cleared" the ins and outs of the "lunatic". According to their report: "Zhang Chai was originally a firewood seller. He offended someone and was burned all the firewood he had accumulated over the years. Zhang Cha was so angry that he lost his mind. In April, he went to Beijing to file a complaint with illness. On the way, he met two unknown people. He was injustice, and pointed him out that if he wanted to sue, he should go to the emperor Lao Tzu. If there was no pleading paper, he could take a big wooden stick as a sign, so that the people in the palace would not stop him. Zhang Chai was eager for revenge, so he took the stick and walked out of Donghua Gate Sneaked into the palace, and mistook the Ciqing Palace as the residence of the emperor because he didn’t know the way, which caused a false alarm.” The context of the case was clear, and Zhang Chai drew a pledge, and the judges agreed that it was reasonable.Zhang Chai wounded the eunuch in Da Nei with a murder weapon and frightened the prince. This crime cannot be punished and should be executed immediately.The result of the trial was reported to the Ministry of Criminal Justice very quickly. The next step is to transfer it to the emperor from the Ministry of Criminal Justice, and the case can be closed after getting Zhu's approval. It was a stroke of genius that a huge case that was earth-shattering disappeared in an instant.Not only the three judges were complacent, but even Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment was secretly amazed.Unexpectedly, the report has not been approved yet, the news has spread like wildfire, the government and the public are in a turmoil, and various officials have come to the book, accusing the Ministry of Criminal Justice for being too unclear about such a major case, and demanding that it must be investigated The instigator behind the scenes dragged the case down again.

Emperor Wanli, who lived in Kunning Palace, got up very late every day, but after the attack on the stile in the East Palace, he couldn't sleep well for a few days.It wasn't that he was worried for the Crown Prince, but that the most favored Concubine Zheng cried every day and urged him to close the case quickly.In all fairness, Wanli knew nothing about the inside story of the attack before it happened.Even after the accident, he didn't have any associations. He only handed over the prisoner to the Ministry of Punishment for strict investigation. His intention was to get to the bottom of it.However, after the case was transferred, Concubine Zheng complained why he didn't try it in person?Soon, memorials from court officials asking to trace the culprit flew into the palace courtyard like snowflakes.This made Wanli faintly feel that the conspiracy to attack the crown prince had something to do with Concubine Zheng.As a result, he himself panicked, because Concubine Zheng has become an indispensable figure in his life.He felt that there were three thousand women in the harem, although the ring was fat, the swallows were thin, and there were various styles, but Concubine Zheng's beauty was incomparable.The most commendable thing was Concubine Zheng's tenderness and consideration for him, which made him wish he could give everything to Concubine Zheng.He had also promised to make the third prince born to Concubine Zheng the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, but he was strongly opposed by all the officials, and it dragged on for more than ten years. Zhu Changxun, the third prince born to him, was named King Fu.This already made him feel very sorry for his concubine.Now if Concubine Zheng really directed this murder case, if it was exposed, she would have no hope of surviving, so how would she spend the rest of her lonely life?So Wanli has become the person who is most afraid of the expansion of the situation at this moment.This morning, he just woke up when Yin was handed in, and the first thing he said when he opened his eyes was: "Has the trial result from the Ministry of Punishment come up?" The eunuch who was waiting by his side replied: "It was sent to the palace last night." Wanli sat up all of a sudden, put on his clothes hastily, and held up the memorial in front of the dragon case.Looking at the memorial, he couldn't help but feel elated, and kept muttering in his mouth: "Officer, official, really my official." Then he brought up the ink pen and was about to reply, but when he looked again, the dragon case was full of people. The chief officer of Da Die made a memorial, as if he was specifically trying to get along with him, and they all demanded to track down the culprit.The memorial pointed out: Zhang Chai entered the palace to commit murder, there must be internal response, and there must be instigation behind the scenes, and the Ministry of Punishment only executed Zhang Chai alone, and the plan was fast, obviously intending to kill people and cover up the culprit.Others pointed out: Zhang Cha is by no means insane, as long as he is severely punished and tortured, the truth is not difficult to verify, and he asks that the instigator behind the scenes be severely punished at the right time, so as to suppress the palace. Doesn't "Yisu Gongwei" directly point out that the person behind the scenes is in the harem?Wanli's anger welled up, he really wanted to kill these annoying speech officials, but he knew that killing the speech officials at this moment would be like adding fuel to the fire, making the group's anger bigger and bigger.Wanli leaned dejectedly on the back of the dragon chair and had no idea for a while. At this time, the eunuch Bingbi, the supervisor of ceremonies, had come to Kunning Palace and asked for an explicit explanation of the memorial submitted last night. Wanli had to use his old method to put All the memorials were kept, and a special decree was issued, ordering the Ministry of Punishment to keep Zhang Chai under strict supervision and not to allow him to contact any outsiders.

In Beijing in the fifth month of the lunar calendar, it is already half summer.The midday sun was scorching hot, making people's skin ache.In the Ministry of Criminal Justice Prison, the windows were still closed and airtight. The prisoners were panting from the heat, and some of them were rotting from torture, and the pain was unbearable, and they couldn't help moaning loudly.Several jailers held whips and shouted that the prisoners were not allowed to moan, but the cell was only quiet for a while, and then the moans came out again. In the duty officer's room of the custody room, a middle-aged man in his early forties was covering his ears with his hands, leaning on the table and meditating.His name is Wang Zhitang, and he is the head of the Ministry of Punishment. Although he is only a sixth-rank official, he is quite capable, with an upright personality and upholding justice, so he is highly respected by his colleagues.After the Donggong stiletto case happened, Wang Zhitang had been observing the progress of the trial with calm eyes.For many years, like some upright ministers in the court, he was very sympathetic to the crown prince who was neglected by the emperor.Since the news came out in the palace that Wanli was going to abolish the elders and establish the younger ones, he was worried on behalf of the crown prince.When the attack happened, the government and the public were shocked. Yi Wang was alert and had already seen through that Concubine Zheng was playing tricks inside.He very much hoped that the interrogators of the Ministry of Punishment could find flaws in it, pursue it to the end, and expose the scandal of Concubine Zheng to the world.But he didn't expect that Hu Shixiang played a trick and suppressed the storm, and he felt very angry.However, he was not ordered to try the case.Unable to interrogate assassins.In order to reveal the facts, he decided to investigate the case privately.If you want to visit, you must contact the prisoner. In recent days, the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs has suddenly strengthened its security. The cage of Zhang Chai is even more tightly guarded. Not to mention visitors, even the officials of the Ministry of Criminal Justice must hold a special tiger head card to set foot in. This creates an insurmountable obstacle to the investigation of the truth.Wang Zhitang racked his brains and finally came up with a good way to get close to the criminal.He knew that although the prison was heavily guarded, prisoners always had to eat, and if he got a job as a prison manager, it would be much more convenient to go in and out of the prison by himself.So he paid a visit to Zhang Wenda, the servant of the Ministry of Punishment, and successfully got the job of managing the prison.Ten days since he took office, he has personally led the guards to deliver meals to the prisoners, and secretly observed Zhang Cha's situation.He found that although Zhang Cha was bruised all over his body, he was very edible, and the prison food he was given every time seemed to be not enough to fill his stomach.There is another point that makes Wang Zhi very happy, that is, Zhang Chai usually behaves very sensitively, and he does not look like a person with madness, which proves that his judgment in the previous paragraph is correct.Today, he is going to start a risky operation, which is to use the meal time to interrogate Zhang Cha unexpectedly.Since he is not a statutory judge, he will be convicted if he interrogates prisoners at will in prison.What's more, Zhang Cha is a key criminal. If the trial is not good, not only will he fail to achieve the expected purpose, but he will also be spared.The interrogation time should not be too long, in case the superior finds out and comes to interfere, the interrogation method must be appropriate so that the truth can be revealed.Sitting in the duty room, Wang Zhitang racked his brains and thought over his interrogation plan over and over again. He didn't stand up until he thought it was flawless, and ordered to prepare dinner. Only the meal time in the cell is the most active time.Today, Wang Zhitang specially took care of him, and added a few slices of stewed meat to the simple meals. When the cart full of prison meals was walking between the prison cells, there was an enticing smell of meat in the cell.The prisoners hadn't seen meat for many days, and they were already hungry as soon as they smelled the smell of meat.Wang Zhitang, as in the past, personally supervised the delivery of meals to each cell.But he specifically reminded him not to deliver food to Zhang Cha. The prison meals for each cell number were all distributed, and the prisoners were munching on the bouillabaisse with great relish.However, the single cell where Zhang Cha lived was still closed and no one paid any attention.Lured by the smell of the meat, Zhang Cha was drooling, and he waited and watched by the prison door several times, but there was no sign of delivering food to him.Hearing the sound of gobbling food in other cells, his intestines almost turned over, and he didn't feel like knocking on the cell door and shouting: "I haven't brought me food yet!" When he was exhausted from shouting, the cell suddenly opened, and Wang Zhi Leading a few jailers and a clerk-like official came in.The smell of meat came out of the wooden barrel carried by the jailer. Zhang Chai fixed his eyes on the wooden barrel and murmured: "Meat, meat...".Wang Zhi couldn't help but "boom boom" in his heart. He was really worried that a sudden attack he had carefully prepared would fail disastrously. The Ministry of Punishment admitted that it was a crime of privately interrogating a prisoner by leaps and bounds, and sent him to the frontier to be exiled into the army.He tried his best to suppress his excitement, and said calmly: "Zhang Cha, the boss wants you to tell the details of the assassination today." After hearing this, Zhang Cha rolled his eyes and said, "I'm here to sue, what do you ask me for?" ?” Wang Zhi said, “I’m here to excuse you today. If you make it clear, I will try to let you out.” Zhang Cha pointed to the rice bucket and said, “Can we eat first?” Wang Zhi said, “ No way! The food is here, but I will give it to you only if I say it, and I will starve you to death if I don’t say it.” The jailer immediately stirred the broth with a spoon, and a scent rushed towards him.Wang Zhi simply sat down on the floor and motioned for the clerk to sit down as well. The jailer moved a small table and asked the clerk to open his pen and ink. Explain the reason clearly, and I will send you off lightly." Since Zhang Cha was arrested, all the officials he met had raised eyebrows, but this old man Wang always had a pleasant expression.He still remembered that he didn't have enough to eat yesterday, and it was the old man Wang who ordered another big bowl of rice. Today, he not only came to deliver the food, but also excused himself. He is really a good person.Thinking of this, Zhang Cha was already off guard.Wang Zhi was a county magistrate, so he had a good guess of the prisoner's mind. Knowing that the gap was about to open, he began to follow the procedure he had thought up, and raised all the key issues.Zhang Chai was eager to eat on the one hand, and hoped to be pardoned on the other, so although he sometimes hesitated, he explained the ins and outs of the general matter clearly. It turns out that Zhang Chai is indeed from Jizhou, nicknamed Zhang Wuer, who makes a living from farming. Because the harvest in the fields is hopeless this year during the Spring Festival Gala, he is thinking of going to Beijing to find a way out.It just so happened that he had a neighbor named Ma, who usually called him Uncle Ma, and introduced an eunuch named Li who was enshrined in the palace, claiming that he could find a job for him in the palace.Ten days ago, Eunuch Li brought an eunuch who did not want to reveal his name to see him, and told him that as long as he listened to this father-in-law, he would have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of his life.So Zhang Cha followed the eunuch into the capital and lived in a big house.There are eunuchs coming and going in this house, and I live here for a few days, eating and drinking, and not working.Before the Dragon Boat Festival, the eunuch who brought him told him to kill a man in dragon clothes in his thirties.He also said that he would be given a few acres of land after the matter was completed.Seeing that it was profitable, Zhang Cha agreed.The husband gave him a jujube stick, and led him into the palace through a big city gate, and was led to the gate of the palace where the beating was done. The palace break-in case... At this point in the trial, the whole case is completely clear.Wang Zhi further asked about the location of Zhang Chai's residence after he entered Beijing. He said that he only remembered that it was in the middle of a street, and when he asked about other details, Zhang Chai said he didn't know it at all.Seeing that it was getting late, Wang Zhitang didn't dare to stop for a long time, so he ordered the clerk to read the confession again, Zhang almost nodded in agreement, and took his fingerprints on the spot.Wang Zhishi comforted Zhang Cha with some kind words, led his followers, and left the cell in a hurry. Back home, Wang Zhitang's excitement did not subside for a long time.Regarding this risky action, he didn't even tell his wife in advance, and he was already prepared to lose his official position and be assigned. He didn't want to win today's battle, and the situation suddenly became very favorable.He carefully figured out Zhang Cha's confession again, and felt that there were no loopholes.In order to find out who was behind the scenes as soon as possible, he forgot about the heat and wrote a 3,000-word post in one breath, describing the cause and effect very clearly. There is no sign of insanity, there are guides in the palace, the case is unknown, it is intolerable, it should be the same as before, or the murderer will be interrogated in front of the Wenhua Palace, or the case files will be published in the Jiuqing Kedao and the Sanfa Division Survey, order the envoy to be caught in the net of heaven and earth. There is no way to escape." After writing, he stood up and pushed open the window casement, and an intoxicating fragrance immediately flooded into the room.Only then did he realize that summer was already deep, and a jujube tree with lush branches and leaves in the courtyard was covered with small pale yellow flowers... The Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City looked unusually quiet today, and the servants in the palace maids walked quietly, as if they were afraid of making a fuss. little noise.The sun slantly shone on the big bamboo curtain hanging on the palace gate, casting mottled shadows in the hall. Several large pots of pomegranates placed on both sides of the royal road were in full bloom. The red flowers like agate swayed among the branches and leaves, as if Listening to the sigh of Emperor Wanli in the hall.From morning to now, Wanli has lost his temper three times for no reason. The maids knew that he was troubled by dealing with the shooting case, so they all became more cautious, not even daring to vent their anger.Wanli received Wang Zhitang's post yesterday from Zhang Wenda, the Minister of Criminal Affairs, on behalf of him. The brief value of this small post is the reminder for Concubine Zheng Gui!At the same time, he also received a secret letter from Dongchang's spies, in which he wrote that Wang Zhitang's post had spread all over the capital, and there were many public opinions in the streets and alleys, accusing Concubine Zheng of murdering the prince.In a teahouse outside Zhengyangmen, someone even composed Wang Zhizhi and Zhang Chai into a tune and sang it in public, which made Wanli even more annoyed.The lovely Concubine Zheng came to Kunning Palace yesterday, silently greeted her and left. Wanli found her haggard, with tears on her face, and felt even more pity for her, but he had no idea how to get rid of her.This morning, when I came to Qian Qingguan, I found that the memorials for asking about this matter had piled up into a hill.Among them, the pedestrian Si Zhenglu Dashou has used the word "treacherous relative" in an unambiguous manner, and the target is directly directed at Zheng Guifei's family. It doesn't matter if they keep all these memorials, but what about the street discussions?What about the cabinet reminder?What if the prince came to cry and complain?Wanli Jianzhi was at a loss.At this time, the eunuch, the supervisor of ceremonies, came in to report again, and all the officials gathered outside the Meridian Gate, begging for long live to come to the court.Wanli waved his hand irritably and said, "Just say that the dragon is not in good health, don't see you!" The eunuch Bingbi asked softly again: "Then how to approve the Donggong stile attack case?" Trial by judges!" After the eunuch Bingbi withdrew, Wanli collapsed on the dragon chair like a deflated ball. In accordance with Wanli's will, the Ministry of Criminal Justice gathered officials from the Thirteenth Division, together with Wang Zhihu Shixiang, Zhao Huizhen and others who had a clearer understanding of the case, to conduct a general trial on Zhang Cha on May 21.In the severe atmosphere in the hall of the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Cha never had the courage to deny and evade, and confessed some more specific plots.For example, Uncle Ma’s name was Ma Sandao, and the eunuch Li’s name in Li Village was Li Shoucai. The eunuch who did not want to be named who led him to Beijing was Pang Bao, a servant who went to Jizhou to supervise the repair of the iron tile factory.The big house he lived in when he came to Beijing was located outside Chaoyang Gate, and the owner of the house was Liu Cheng, the eunuch in the palace.When asked who told him to enter the palace to beat people, he said without hesitation that it was Pang Bao and Liu Cheng, and he named him to kill the "young master" and told him "hit the young master. You can eat and wear I'm worried."In the end, after questioning his accomplices, he found out that it was a group of five people who went to Beijing to commit murder, including his brother-in-law Kong Dao.By the time the case was tried, it was already cleared up.Pang Bao and Liu Cheng are trusted eunuchs under Concubine Zheng's subordinates. As for the "young master" they ordered to beat, it was the eunuch's customary name for the prince of the East Palace.There is no doubt that Zheng Guifei instigated the murder, but in order to provide real witnesses, the Ministry of Criminal Affairs also suggested that Dali Temple and the Metropolitan Procuratorate invite Long Live to allow Pang Bao and Liu Cheng to be arrested in the inner court for confrontation. After the news reached the imperial city, Concubine Zheng could hardly bear it anymore.She worked hard to plan for several years, and finally came up with such an assassination plan. She didn't want to be made like this by Pang Bao, Liu Cheng and others.Concubine Zheng knew Pang Bao and Liu Cheng very well. These two idiots were harsh by nature. Once they were arrested and interrogated, how could they withstand the severe questioning of the three judges?At that time, it doesn't matter if I lose my reputation, even my father and elder brother will be wiped out, the consequences are really unimaginable!After thinking about it, she felt that there was really no way out. At present, she could only pin her hopes on the Emperor Wanli who trusted her the most, and tried every means to ask him to mediate.But she felt that it was really hard to say that.At the moment of embarrassment, the sound of footsteps came from outside the hall, and a palace lady walked in gently to report "the holy car has arrived".Concubine Zheng Gui felt great relief in her heart, she hastily wiped off the tears, and lightly applied some rouge on her face, immediately she looked handsome and charming.At this time, Wanli had already entered the Nuan Pavilion. Concubine Zheng Guifei had been neglected by the emperor since she was a child, and grew up in a lonely environment, forming a cowardly and sentimental character.On the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, he was scared out of his wits by Zhang Chai's assassination, and he was disturbed by outside public opinion these days.Although the ministers' remarks were all to protect him, and although he knew that the murder case was related to Concubine Zheng, he always felt that those memorials unconsciously put himself and his father in opposing positions. Come on, even if Concubine Zheng is punished, she can only end up in a feud with her father.So he hoped that the officials would stop chasing after the culprit, as long as the matter was calmed down and all aspects were in peace.Therefore, he kept discussing with the Taifus, trying to find a method that could calm the anger of the public and not offend the emperor, but he hadn't thought of consummation yet.He was worrying, but there were reports from outside the palace gate: "Madam Zheng is here." He didn't understand why this Concubine Zheng, who had been cheating on him for twenty years, came to him.Before she got up, the curtain cage had been raised high, and Concubine Zheng walked in, surrounded by a large group of maids of honor.The prince did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly got up to greet him. Concubine Zheng wore a pale green narrow-shouldered jacket embroidered with hundreds of birds facing the phoenix today, a goose yellow pleated skirt with flowers sprinkled under it, and gold silk and emerald pearl hairpins on her hair. eye-catching.When she entered the palace, the prince waved his servants to avoid her.When there were only two people left in the hall, Concubine Zheng bent her knees and bowed deeply to the prince.The prince didn't expect that she would bow down, so he also knelt down hastily, and supported the noble concubine with his hands, but he saw that Concubine Zheng stretched out a pair of small, pointed hands like jade onions, and helped herself up.The crown prince admired secretly: "What a peerless beauty." Concubine Zheng gently parted her vermilion lips and whispered.He explained that for the past twenty years, he had respected the prince in every possible way, and the case of the attack had nothing to do with the Zheng family. Now the ministers are discussing and talking differently, making it hard for him to defend himself, and he has no choice but to come to the prince. Show your heart, and ask the prince to save her for the sake of the emperor.Speaking of this, Concubine Zheng was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.Zhu Changluo was bewildered by Concubine Zheng's crying. He was a kind-hearted person, and he had long hoped to end this annoying case, so he said very sincerely: "Don't worry, Queen Mother, I will definitely come forward in person to persuade you The ministers should stop chasing those who are behind the scenes." Concubine Zheng was still not at ease, and implored the crown prince to write an order.The crown prince did not refuse, and immediately passed the eunuch Wang Anjin who was studying with him to the palace, and drafted a document stating, "Since Zhang Chai, the culprit in the attack case, has been captured, it is enough to execute him. As for the so-called behind-the-scenes people, there is no one in the first place." , the officials don’t need to pester you any longer.” After writing the document, let Concubine Zheng read it, and immediately printed it out.Only then did Concubine Zheng burst into laughter, bid farewell and returned to the palace with a thousand gratitude. Now that the matter has developed here, it seems that it can be settled, right?However, the officials were not satisfied with the crown prince's edict, and some people suspected that it was the result of Zheng Fei's pressure on the prince, and felt even more aggrieved.The chapter that insisted on chasing the culprit continued to be passed up, until at last even Fang Congzhe, the first assistant, couldn't hold back, and even wrote a sentence like He Shijin, Wang Shichang, the prime minister of Dali Temple and others in the incident: Strictly investigate the chief envoy, and don't let it go easily".All of a sudden, there was an uproar in the court, forcing Emperor Wanli to come out in person to end the situation. In mid-June, an imperial decree suddenly came down in the Forbidden City, and the Lord Long Live wanted to summon all the officials in the Palace of Compassion and Ning to reveal the truth about the masonry attack.This is really unprecedented news, because the Emperor Wanli was tired of government affairs and had not seen his officials for twenty-five years.This time, for the court homicide case, he competed to come to the court in person, which shows that the matter of this case is of great importance.But how would the emperor settle the case?The ministers couldn't find any news. In the 40th year of Wanli (1615) on June 18th of the lunar calendar, there was a solemn and solemn atmosphere in front of the Palace of Compassion. Fang Congzhe, the first assistant minister, and Wu Daonan, the cabinet minister, led the six ministries, nine ministers, three divisions, and Ke Dao civil and military officials to file into the Palace of Compassion .Wanli sat on the main seat of the Palace of Compassion and Ning, the crown prince stood beside him, and the three grandsons of the emperor were also summoned to stand on the steps on the left.After the ministers paid homage, Wanli ruled the people first, and blamed the ministers for their efforts to arrest the culprit, which was to separate their father and son.Then he said that the attack case was nothing more than the internal servant Pang Bao and Liu Cheng using a lunatic to assassinate, and there was no background.既然凶犯已经查出，只要把他们定为斩罪就算了，不要小题大作，肆意株连。接着又用手拉着皇太子说：“太子对朕很是恭顺，朕极喜爱他，如果朕有意废他，何不早降圣旨？况且目前福王已出居洛阳，你们哄传朕要废长立幼，那福王不经宣召能插翅飞回京城来？今天太子也来了，你们如果有什么不明白，可以问他。”最后把皇太子拉到群臣面前说：“群臣都在，你有什么要说的可以说说，不要有什么顾忌。”皇太子见父亲点了自己，也不再推辞，首先申明了自己与父皇自小就十分融洽，自册封为太子后关系更加亲近，又强调张差确是个疯子，杀掉算了，再无缘无故地抓什么元凶，就实在过火了，要求群臣回去后，千万不要再纠缠不休。至于郑娘娘，一向与自己非常和顺，自己对这位额娘也十分尊敬。怀疑郑娘娘是幕后主使是没有根据的，今后千万不要再提。皇太子的话十分恳切，群臣听了，明知这是息事宁人，庇护郑妃，但也不好再多说了，恭恭敬敬地退出了宫院。 次日张差被押往西四牌楼正法，两天后在文华殿前，审理了庞保、刘成，由于张差已死，没有招对，二人把所有责任都推了个干净，依郑妃的意思还要保全他们的性命，但万历感到留着他们终究是个祸根，还是传旨把这两个走卒处死了。 一场宫廷大案就这样被万历父子一场双簧戏子息了下来。被处死的不过是几个牺牲品，而真正的策划人却在各种矛盾犬牙交错的形势下被保护下来了。但这个案子并没有彻底了结，天启、崇祯年间，“梃击”案和稍后的“红丸”案、“移宫”案一起，几经反复，又有一大批人在反复中丧生。这充分说明了明末社会政治制度的腐朽。