Chapter 37 fourth quarter

Today's meeting, although presided over by Prince Gong, is actually all undertaken by the Ministry of Punishment. Zhao Guang, the so-called Minister of Punishment who "handled autumn Cao", wanted to speak a long time ago. He wanted to let the three prime ministers express their opinions first for the sake of politeness. Now that Zhou Zupei named him for consultation, why be polite?Zhao Guang coughed, cleared his throat, and said a few words in his strong Kunming accent. "The regulations of the Qing Dynasty are very clear!" He said, "Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun are all accused of 'lingchi execution'."

Although the Yunnan accent was heavy, it sounded calm and powerful, so when Zhao Guang said these two words, everyone's heart was shocked. For the prisoner himself, there is no severer punishment than "execution by Ling Chi"! Seeing everyone's serious faces, Prince Gong asked instead: "Ling Chi, isn't it too heavy? Can't you reduce it a little?" "It can't be reduced!" Zhao Guang replied firmly: "The laws and regulations are clearly uploaded. There are a total of twelve crimes of 'death by death', and the first one is 'rebellion and treason. Ling Chi, if it wasn't for this one, he wouldn't die at all, then there would be no talk of Ling Chi!"

Zhao Guang talked about the law as an official of the Ministry of Punishment, and no one dared to argue with him easily. In fact, it was unnecessary to argue. When King Gong announced the crime, he knew that Zaiyuan and the three of them were already dead.But Ling Chi's execution was too cruel after all. As far as Sushun was concerned with the eight charges, it was only fair that Zaiyuan and Duanhua's sentence should be commuted. "Zaiyuan and Duanhua were hijacked by Sushun," Wen Xiang said slowly, "There are also leaders and followers in the rebellion. It seems that they cannot be generalized. Please discuss it."

"It's a generalization," Zhao Guang replied. "The law clearly states, 'Conspiracy against a great treason, regardless of leader and follower, all will be put to death immediately.' There are no exceptions!" Zhao Guang insisted on the law, the prince broke the law, and the common people were guilty of the same crime, and no one could intercede for them.Moreover, the crime of "rebellion and treason" does not apply the principles of "discussing relatives" and "discussing nobles" in the "Eight Discussions", so although everyone feels that Zaiyuan and Duanhua are more wronged than Sushun, they can only secretly Just sigh.

"Then, what about the other five people?" Prince Gong asked again, which meant that the crimes of those three people had been convicted. The crimes of these five people should have been different in severity. Du Han echoed Sushun, the most obvious sign, and Sushun also regarded him as a confidant, and discussed with him on confidential matters. It means that it is impossible for Duhan to stay out of the matter, so some people are sweating for him. Fortunately, Prince Gong had other intentions. First, he wanted to protect his close relative Jingshou, and he didn't want to be demanding.Secondly, Du Han was honored by his father, Master Du.It is well known that Du Shoutian fulfilled his responsibilities as the assistant prime minister, so that Emperor Daxing could inherit the Datong. King Gong was afraid that people would have such a misunderstanding: it was because of Du Shoutian that King Gong didn't get the throne at the beginning. Shi, revenge on his son.Therefore, knowing that Du Han played a lot of tricks for Sushun and was different from the other four, he didn't want to deal with him alone.

Therefore, as a result of the meeting, the five people were dealt with in the same way: dismissed from their posts and exiled to Xinjiang.A big prison, so far the case has been finalized, the six departments of Jiuqing, Han Zhan Kedao, have dispersed one after another.The draft of the results of the conference was sponsored by the Ministry of Punishment. Zhao Guang personally urged Feng Tiansi's palm seal doctor to borrow the place of the cabinet classics hall to handle it nearby, so that Prince Gong could present the draft on the same day. During this time of waiting, Prince Gong happened to discuss changing the Yuan with the three great scholars.When ascending to the throne on the ninth day of October, the new emperor's year title, the word "Qixiang", must be announced, which has already been decided to be cancelled.Zhou Zupei advocated the use of "Xi Halogen" or "Qianxi" and was not liked by Prince Gong, so after discussions with Wen Xiang, Bao Jun, Cao Yuying and others, he proposed the word "Tongzhi". At this moment, Prince Gong personally proposed it and consulted the cabinet Views.

Everyone, including Zhou Zupei, said that these two characters were well drawn.But, fortunately, no one has said anything about it.Because the beauty of these two words can only be understood, and each has its own interpretation. From the perspective of the queen mother, it means that the two palaces are governed together; It is enough to appeal to people's hearts, and it is much better than Li Ciming's following the story of the Song Dynasty and suggesting the use of "Xi Hao" or "Qianxi". Sure enough, this year name was greatly appreciated by the Empress Dowager Cixi, because the two palaces were ruled together, which meant that the two palaces were respected equally, and there was no distinction between the concubine and the concubines.Of course, she can also understand the meaning of the monarch and ministers governing together, especially the title of "Prince of Discussion" of King Gong, which happens to be the annotation of the reign title of Tongzhi.

When the matter of the reign was finalized, Prince Gong then made a personal statement in the cabinet meeting to determine the circumstances of the charges against Gu Ming's eight ministers, and at the same time handed over the memorial sponsored by the Ministry of Punishment. Hearing that she was going to kill someone, the Empress Dowager Ci'an's chest suddenly jumped wildly, her hands and feet went limp.The Empress Dowager Cixi was naturally a little nervous, but she never wanted to show the weakness of "a woman's benevolence" in front of King Gong, so she read the memorial calmly, frowned slightly and said, "Sixth Master, Ling Chi will be executed soon. It seems a bit too powerful." Before King Gong could reply, Empress Dowager Ci'an exclaimed, "What! Are you still going to be cut?"

"This is handled according to the law." King Gong repeated the law cited by Zhao Guang: "'Conspiracy against a great treason, regardless of whether the leader or subordinate is executed, Ling Chi'." "This is not good, this is not good!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an shook her head, "Killing people is nothing more than nodding, why are you torturing people to death." Prince Gong's original intention was to just kill Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun. Since the two empress dowagers did not advocate Lingchi, he said: "As for their crimes, Lingchi's death is not wrong. Now the two It's not out of the question for the Empress Dowager to ask for grace to commute her sentence."

"Grace must be given." The Empress Dowager Cixi said in a benevolent tone, "However, the crime depends on the size of the crime, and the punishment must also vary. Anyway, Sushun came up with any bad idea, so I mean, Zaiyuan and Duanhua should be different from Sushun." It seemed that she hadn't finished her words, so Prince Gong followed up the lingering sound and said loudly: "No matter what, I will die!" "Then let's reward Zaiyuan and Duanhua's whole corpses." "Yes!" King Gong agreed, and added: "Sushun beheaded, Zaiyuan and Duanhua, and gave orders from Jing." One queen and one king seemed to have disposed of three lives in the midst of gossip, making the The other empress dowager sitting on the east side was inexplicably shocked!For a woman to hold the power of life and death, it is inconceivable and abnormal that a single sentence can kill a person, but this power of life and death is in Cixi's hands, and killing is like a slap in the face. It's terrible to kill mosquitoes so indifferently!He still remembered that in October of the eighth year of Xianfeng, under the insistence of Sushun, the Emperor Daxing, with the ink pen, had the great scholar Bai Ling out, and returned to the Tongdao Hall of Yuanmingyuan with a pale face and dripping cold sweat, as if he had suffered a serious illness. Yes, for the next two or three days, I was still depressed and couldn't let go of that matter.Now that not only one minister has been killed, but also two hereditary kings with iron hats, it is even more unbelievable that Cixi did this tricky job without paying attention!

When she was alone in such ups and downs and excited, the Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong had already talked about the other five ministers of Gu Ming, she first excused Jing Shou to show favor to Prince Gong, "The six foreheads are pitiful! Sister," she turned her face to discuss with the Empress Dowager Ci'an: "Should you forgive the punishment for the sixth son-in-law?" Empress Dowager Ci'an was still at a loss for a moment: "What's wrong with the six foreheads?" "Isn't it just one case?" The Empress Dowager Cixi replied: "The five of them were all convicted of dismissal and exile into the army. It can't be so general! The sixth forehead is an honest man, and he was wronged. .” "That's for sure." The Empress Dowager Ci'an said, "Not only the six forehead consort, but also the rest if possible! Be kind and auspicious, don't go too far!" The Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong nodded together. Sushun was the only one who was willing to get what they wanted. Empress Dowager Yu Ci'an's words "harmony leads to prosperity" fit the essence of the reign title "Tongzhi", so everyone agrees. However, they all knew that if the decree issued to the world should be put on the table for comment, since Jing Shou was spared, he had to find another person to aggravate his crimes as a foil for comparison.As for the sacrificed person, Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong had different views. The Empress Dowager Cixi was deeply dissatisfied with Du Han, thinking that he should be exiled into the army, but King Gong's views were far-reaching. The situation was such that Du Han could not be singled out for crimes. Exile.That would cause an uproar, and even the killing of Sushun and the others would be intolerable by Qing Yi if the verdict was reversed. Therefore, Prince Gong brought Du Shoutian out again, and said this while looking at the Empress Dowager Ci'an: "Du Han is Master Du's son." Just this one sentence, both palaces understood, the Empress Dowager Cixi curled the corner of her mouth and made a contemptuous expression. In order to make the decree of the Dao Ming canon punishment more grandiose, while extending the power of heaven, there is also the meaning of extrajudicial benevolence, so besides Mu Yin, who advocated the longest military service, Prince Gong should be more serious than the other four. In addition to the charges, it is also suggested that the empress dowagers of the two palaces summon the relatives and princes, the minister of military affairs and the academician to consult in person, and then announce that the sentence will be reduced respectively. Let the subjects of the world know that kindness comes from above, which is what the Empress Dowager Cixi most approves of, and it will be played immediately.Then he asked about the preparations for the ceremony, as well as the morale of the people outside, and the reaction to the arrest of Zai Yuan and others. When the lights were about to be turned on, Prince Gong withdrew. The Hall of Mental Cultivation is right, although eunuchs are not allowed to be around, unless there are imperial ministers or imperial guards who strictly implement the measures of closing and guarding, otherwise the leakage of heavenly words is inevitable, so at this time the palace is already discussing the matter. Yuan, Duanhua and Sushun will be executed by Ling Chi.Many eunuchs and court ladies don't know what "Ling Chi" is, but when it comes to "cutting" in "thousands of cuts", there is no one who doesn't understand. I understand it, but no one has seen it.Therefore, in the imperial teahouse, where the eunuchs gather to rest, they all take this as the topic, and gather around the well-informed eunuchs in their sixties and seventies who look like old women to ask for advice.They haven't seen it either, they just hear it from hearsay, add their own imagination, and they speak vividly, but when they encounter another different theory, it is inevitable that there will be fruitless disputes. There is a saying that the punishment of "cutting" is called "fish scale cutting". A piece of fishing net is used to cover the body of the tortured person, wrapping it tightly so that the skin and flesh protrude from the mesh, and then using a very sharp knife, Piece by piece, cut carefully until death. The other said it was not true, the execution by cutting was not that troublesome, nor was it that cruel, it was just "eight knives", two knives on the forehead, two pieces of skin were cut off, just hanging down to cover the eyes, two knives on the breasts, If the prisoner's family has spent enough money, the executioner will secretly stab a knife in the heart of the tortured person at this time, resulting in his life. After the knife is stabbed in both arms and thighs, he will be unconscious and feel no pain. It seems that the "eight knives" is more reasonable and credible, but the other one is also justified and has a reason, so they started to argue and turned into a quarrel. When the quarrel was raging, someone shouted: "Xiao Anzi is here!" !" This shout, the noisy voice, disappeared immediately.An Dehai is now a big celebrity in the palace, even the head of the respect room has to give him three points, so when he arrives, everyone stands up one after another, the older ones call him "brother", the younger ones The low ones respected him as "Second Master", and no one dared to name him "An Dehai", let alone call him "Little Anzi" to his face. An Dehai also likes to chat the most. When he saw everyone's situation, he asked with a big face: "What did you just say?" "Nothing," a cautious one hurriedly replied, "Irrelevant idleness." "No way," An Dehai said with his eyes wide open, "I clearly heard something arguing, it was so loud! I was afraid that even the Compassion Palace could hear it." The forbidden wall is far away, no matter how loud the voice of the imperial tea room is, it cannot be heard in the Compassionate Ning Palace. This is obviously An Dehai's intention to bluff people, so a timid man told the truth: "We are talking about execution, and the other said yes 'Fish scale cutting', one said 'eight knives', don't you know what's going on?" "Who did you kill?" An Dehai raised his face and asked knowingly. "Aren't they Su Zhongtang and the others?" "Which one is Su Zhongtang?" An Dehai asked sharply, his goldfish eyes bulging out even more. Seeing his stern expression, everyone was surprised, but at the same time, he couldn't help being surprised. I don't know which sentence violated his taboo on which word? Facing the eunuchs who were overwhelmed in the room, An Dehai was full of complacency, and his arrogance became even worse. He sneered and looked around: "Those who have been dismissed from their posts and questioned, who are treacherous and about to be beheaded, don't worry about it." It's called 'Zhongtang', what do you mean? Hmph! Just wait and see! Those who flatter Sushun usually have to be careful!" Because of his words, some people ran to him to inform him in order to blackmail, seek glory, or get rid of their ties. This gave An Dehai a chance to please.In the evening, the Empress Dowager Cixi ate bird's nest porridge, and when she was about to go to bed, he quietly went to her side with a list in his arms. "Slave has something to go back to the master." He said, "There are spies in the palace." "Ah?" Empress Dowager Cixi was slightly taken aback, "How do you say?" "The slave is saying that there are many spies in the palace who are under the control of Su Shun'an." "By the way! You reminded me." The Empress Dowager Cixi put away her leisurely expression and lowered her face. "The first one is Wang Xiqing. He must be dealt with severely." "It's not just Wang Xiqing." "I also know that Wang Xiqing is definitely not the only one. Who else? Go and find out." "The slave has already come to inquire for the master." An Dehai took out the list from his arms and told her one by one: "Yuan Tianxi, the chief eunuch, has a few acres of land at home. For some reason, he has filed a lawsuit with someone and asked Sushun. Say good things to help him win the lawsuit." "hateful!" "There are also eunuchs Zhang Bao and Liu Ershou of the Imperial Dining Room, who often deliver food to Sushun's house. Every time, they get rewards from Sushun." "anything else?" "There is also Du Shuangkui from the 'clock office'. He repaired the two watches for Su Shun, and I have already handed over the first one." "Even if you hand it over yourself, you can't spare him!" Empress Dowager Cixi ordered: "Pass on my words, let the respect room tie up those people, send them to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and give me a good trial!" As soon as the Empress Dowager Cixi's edict was delivered, the Respect Office did not dare to neglect, and the next morning the five eunuchs listed on the list were tied up and escorted to the Department of Punishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for interrogation.At that time, Prince Gong was there, and when he knew about it, he was afraid that the eunuchs who had been arrested would bite their mouths indiscriminately, causing panic in the palace and causing other disputes, so he ordered the Punishment Department to take Wang Xiqing and others into custody for the time being. , When he comes back after seeing the queen mother, he will deal with it himself. When Prince Gong arrived at the military plane, he received a notice the afternoon before that all the people who were going to be summoned by the empress dowagers of the two palaces arrived except Gui Liang who was sick and asked for leave. "Old Five and Six Lords" Prince Hui, King Dun Yicong, Prince Chunjun Yiyi, Zhongjun Wang Yiyi, Fujun Wang Yiyu, Prince Rui Renshou, Minister of Military Aircraft Wen Xiang, Bao Jun, Cao Yuying, Grand Scholars Jia Zhen and Zhou Zupei.The Manchu and Han ministers of the Ministry of Punishments only called Miansen, because Zhao Guangzhu used a heavy code and deliberately did not call him, saying that this "imperial meeting" was convened entirely to reduce the crimes of Zaiyuan and others. The court's relatives and important officials are almost exhausted here, and the military aircraft office, which is usually tightly guarded, is crowded with people and bustling at this time.Especially those top-notch dignitaries, such as Princes Hui and Rui, Xiangguo Jia and Zhou, etc., each brought three or four attendants with them, carrying bags, cigarette pouches, and kettles, to guard outside the Jingyun Gate. Waiting in the room on duty, he said for a while, fetch the ginseng soup of a certain prince, and said for a while that the middle hall is cold, and he needs to add a waistcoat. This messy situation can't stop for a while, because the results of the cabinet meeting yesterday have been leaked. The execution of the two kings and one prime minister is a big news that has never been heard in the capital. The minister of Gu Ming, who has been in power for many years, and Su Shun's arrogance is as high as the sky. Usually, many people look up to their colors, but at this time, they naturally have to take a look at their true colors.As for Sushun, it is especially necessary to look at his fate. Some people were wronged by Bai Yu, and some people were too strict because of the "Wuyuzi" official money fraud case. He hated Sushun to the bone, and planned to wait for his prison car to pass by and humiliate him. It was for this reason that Prince Gong couldn't "pass the sign" to see the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces for a while.The commander of the infantry, the Shuntian Mansion, and the yamen of the Ministry of Justice sent urgent reports saying that Zaiyuan and others were to be executed today, and the people of Nine Cities poured out of the alleys. Not easy to maintain.Afraid of causing trouble, Prince Gong is summoning Wen Xiang, Bao Jun, Cao Yuying, and Mian Sen to discuss a solution. Everyone has the same opinion. After the imperial meeting is over, the decree will be issued immediately, and the execution will be executed immediately. These three steps cannot be interrupted from the beginning. That is to say, it is more appropriate to wait a little beforehand and wait until the arrangement is completed before meeting the empress dowagers of the two palaces. The good thing is that although there are rumors outside, they don't know the truth. They all think that Zaiyuan, Duanhua and Sushun are imprisoned in the prison of the Ministry of Justice.The Ministry of Punishment is located on Xingbu Street between West Chang'an Street and Xijiangmi Lane. It is close to the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Dali Temple. Jinyiwei in the dynasty, among which the northwest and southwest are commonly known as "Tianlao" and officially called "Bei Suo" and "South Suo", they were originally the "Zhen Fusi" of Jin Yiwei in the Ming Dynasty, specializing in arresting people and killing people. As soon as the "driving post" came out, my soul flew away, and I don't know how many loyal ministers and righteous men died in it. However, the "abandoned city" of the Ming Dynasty's canon punishment is based on the downtown area outside Xuanwumen as the punishment. According to the rules, the prisoners are tied out of the prison, and they go through the Xijiangmi Lane through the back door of the Ministry of Punishment, along the Xichenggen of Zhengyangmen, to Xuanwu. The gate goes all the way to the south, and exits the intersection of Luomashi Street and Xuanwumen Street, a place called "Caishikou". The messy vegetable vendors are temporarily driven away, and an open space is cleared, which is the place of execution. Therefore, most of the people who watched the excitement that day concentrated in the area between Zhengyangmen and Xuanwumen. They didn't know that Zaiyuan and others were imprisoned in the clan's mansion in Dongcheng, so it was easier to handle. "You have to take a detour," Bao Jun suggested, "Isn't it the same when you leave Hada Gate and go from Luomashi Street to Caishikou?" Bannermen call Chongwenmen "Hadamen".Going out of Chongwenmen, heading west from Luomashi Street to Caishikou, all the same routes lead to the same goal. It is a good way to avoid the crowds, but the news must not be leaked, otherwise it will still be a waste of effort.Therefore, King Gong instructed Wen Xiang to inform the infantry commander Yamen and Shuntian Mansion that on the surface, they still suppressed the Xicheng area, and secretly launched a guard on Luomashi Street, and made a plan to attack the west. They were still discussing calmly, but the Empress Dowager Cixi got impatient and sent the eunuch, the leader of the internal affairs office, to urge them to ask.Prince Gong couldn't postpone it any longer, so he ordered Wenxiang and Baojun to notify the relevant yamen separately, and deploy immediately according to the agreed method. Before entering the palace gate, Prince Gong stood still and said softly to Prince Hui, "Uncle Wu, don't forget when it's time for you to speak later!" "Really! Sixth," Prince Hui replied, "You really think I'm seventy or eighty, and confused?" "I'll just mention you." Prince Gong smiled and said, "Your old leader, please!" When the eunuch opened the curtain, the "Old Fifth Master" Prince Hui entered the East Nuan Pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation first. He is the uncle of the Emperor Daxing, and he belongs to the respected relatives. , In addition, King Gong took the lead, and Lie Ban knelt down and kowtowed.The empress dowagers of the two palaces respected the veterans and had ordered the eunuchs to help the oldest Jia Zhen and Zhou Zupei up.Then it is divided into two columns, east and west, and waits for the Queen Mother to declare. This is the first time that the empress dowagers of the two palaces have summoned so many relatives and important ministers, so they are unavoidably nervous. The opening remarks that the empress dowager Ci'an had planned were all forgotten, and she had no choice but to look to her right and whispered : "Sister, tell everyone about it!" As long as she didn't say that, the Empress Dowager Cixi was ready to speak.She covered her mouth with a big handkerchief, coughed slightly, and looked from the "Old Fifth Master" to the end. The official didn't recognize him, so she picked up the "green-headed sign" commonly known as "San Pai" on the silver plate to look at it. After looking at it, it was in Manchu which I didn't know, and then I looked at King Gong and said: "In the future, the meal board must also be written in Chinese characters." "Yes!" Knowing what she meant, Prince Gong turned his face and said, "Miansen, you just kneel down and sign up for the two empress dowagers." "Cha!" Miansen agreed loudly, bent over and took a few steps quickly, knelt down in the middle, reported his resume for three generations, and then returned to the original place. So the Empress Dowager Cixi picked up the memorial and said: "Our sisters have already read the cabinet meeting. Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun, you all saw with your own eyes how domineering and domineering they were in Rehe. Thank you With Prince Gong staying behind in Beijing, Sushun and the others still have scruples. Otherwise, where is today?" This is a compliment to King Gong, so he naturally had to be modest: "It's all the blessings of the ancestors and Emperor Daxing's spirit in heaven, how dare I be a reward from the Holy Mother and Empress Dowager?" "I'm telling the truth." The Empress Dowager Cixi said again, "We sisters all know who is a traitor and who is a loyal minister. It is not a day since Sushun and the others have been lawless. At that time, Emperor Daxing was in a bad spirit. There is nothing you can do about it. You have to be considerate of Emperor Daxing today, if you think that Emperor Daxing favors and trusts them, you are wrong." Everyone agreed in unison: "Yes!" "It's not bad for you to convict at the meeting and deal with it according to the laws of the Qing Dynasty. However, I can't bear to execute Ling Chi. Now I want to ask everyone: Is there anything wrong with Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun? Where can I forgive?" So Prince Gong glanced at Prince Hui, and the "Old Fifth Lord" spoke on behalf of his relatives: "Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun committed heinous crimes, and they should be dealt with according to the laws of the country, which cannot be forgiven. Dare to speak out." "Mmm, yes!" Empress Dowager Cixi nodded, then pointed to Jia Zhen and Zhou Zupei and said, "You two are veterans of the three dynasties, you can talk if you have something to say!" The two great scholars glanced at each other, and Jia Zhen said: "I have no objection." "Where is the king of politics?" Prince Gong thought to himself, Empress Dowager Cixi really doesn't need to ask any more questions, maybe she has another idea after asking so many questions?Why don't you make a hint first, so you replied implicitly: "The prince's abandonment of the city seems to be an obstacle to the national system. As for how to add grace, please ask the two empress dowagers to judge." In this way, the Empress Dowager Cixi knew that it was time to make a conclusion, so she turned to the Empress Dowager Ci'an for advice: "Zaiyuan and Duanhua, let them make the conclusion by themselves!" "En!" The Empress Dowager Ci'an replied with a dismal expression. "Sushun can't be like the two of them." Empress Dowager Cixi looked at Prince Gong and said, "He's not a prince, so it doesn't matter if he's tied to Caishikou." "Yes. That's 'decision'." "By the way, make a decision!" Cixi turned her face and asked, "Fifth Uncle, look, is it appropriate to deal with this?" "It is the grace of the two empress dowagers to discuss relatives and nobles." Prince Hui replied: "As for the crimes of the rest of Mu Yin and others, the military plane will handle it according to the order, and the ministers do not need to participate." "Okay! The military plane stays. Kneel down!"