Chapter 72 The fall of the Ming Dynasty under the Great Ancestor was not a sudden event…

Early that morning, just as dawn was breaking, the county government office was still quiet.

Jiang Ge, however, was already sitting leisurely in the office, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands, a faint smile playing on her lips. She had gotten up especially early today, eager to see what the show was about to do.

hey-hey.

The others arrived one after another. Wei Zhongxian arrived late. The old eunuch was unusually energetic today. He walked in with his head held high and his smugness made him look like a general who had just won a battle.

Wei Zhongxian has now completely figured things out.

That young Emperor Chongzhen didn't realize how important Wei Zhongxian was to the Ming Dynasty. Now, he's shown us what it means to "eat hairy pigs without Zhang the butcher."

He vanished in the blink of an eye from Emperor Chongzhen. That move was enough to give that kid a hard time. Anyone with a brain wouldn't dare to mess with Wei Zhongxian so easily.

What is this called?

This is called being afraid to act rashly! Perhaps in a few days, Emperor Chongzhen will have to grovel before him and ask for favors.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhongxian was overjoyed; the wrinkles on his face stretched into a wide smile. He loved seeing people's frustrated expressions—their teeth itching with hatred yet utterly helpless against him.

Seeing that Zheng He hadn't arrived yet, Wei Zhongxian perked up even more, sitting up straight with his chin held high, looking like a victorious rooster. Although everyone else ignored him, it didn't stop him from shamelessly greeting them one by one.

Good morning, Marquis Champion!

"Prime Minister Zhuge looks quite well!"

"Did you sleep well last night, Lord Zhou?"

The warmth was so intense, it felt like meeting an old friend I hadn't seen in years.

After Wei Zhongxian finished his rounds, Jiang Ge slowly spoke up: "Oh, Eunuch Wei seems to be in a good mood today?"

It's more than just good.

If Wei Zhongxian were a peacock at this moment, he would probably have already spread his tail feathers, which would be pointing skyward. However, when facing Jiang Ge, he immediately put on a respectful expression, bowed and replied, "Thanks to Lord Jiang, I have come to a realization. With a righteous official like you in charge of Songyang County, what do I have to fear?"

Wei Zhongxian still feels lingering fear when he recalls the battle yesterday.

Especially Zheng He, his eyes looked like he wanted to devour someone. Yesterday I was terrified, but today is different. They're all eunuchs, who's more noble than the other?

If they really fight, it's hard to say who will win.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ge gave a meaningful "oh," tapped his teacup lightly with his fingers, and said with a half-smile, "Is that so?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a white light flashed.

Everyone closed their eyes in shock, including Wei Zhongxian, who thought it was Eunuch Sanbao who had come.

Unexpectedly, it was...

Zhu Yuanzhang!

Upon arriving at the clerk's office, before even having a chance to greet Magistrate Jiang, he immediately began searching for Wei Zhongxian among the crowd. It was easy to spot; the only eunuch among them was Wei Zhongxian.

Lock onto the target directly.

"Where did this castrated man come from?"

Wei Zhongxian's hand trembled, and the teapot he had intended to use to refill Magistrate Jiang's teapot crashed to the ground. He looked up and was met with a dark, square face, the deep lines between the brows seeming capable of crushing ten corrupt officials.

This…this portrait is clearly…

"Great-Great Ancestor?!"

Old Zhu grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "You recognize us? That makes things even easier."

He slumped into a chair with an air of superiority, shards of porcelain still clinging to the soles of his boots from the pieces Wei Zhongxian had just smashed. "I heard you call yourself 'Nine Thousand Years'?"

Wei Zhongxian's knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud. Broken porcelain shards embedded themselves in his flesh, but he didn't dare utter a sound.

"This servant...this servant is..."

“Back then, we established the rules.” Old Zhu slowly unbuckled his belt. “Even eunuchs who could read were considered to be violating the rules.” The leather belt bent into a terrifying arc in his hand. “And you, you’ve gone and directly defecated on the emperor’s head?”

With a whooshing sound as the belt was pulled off, Django silently took half a step to the side.

"Your Majesty, spare my life! This servant will never dare to—"

"Dare not?" Old Zhu stepped on his back, pressing Wei Zhongxian's face directly into the pile of broken porcelain. "When the Eastern Depot was making false accusations, how dare you?"

As blood seeped from between Wei Zhongxian's fingers, Old Zhu turned to Jiang Ge and asked, "Magistrate Jiang, what's the point of keeping this scourge of the country alive? We'll behead him for you!"

Upon hearing that he was to be beheaded...

"Magistrate Jiang, save my family! Please save my family!" Wei Zhongxian almost cried out. Although the founding emperor looked old, he was still strong and healthy, and Wei Zhongxian beat him until he was dizzy and disoriented.

Not only did Wei Zhongxian forbid beheading, but even Jiang Ge disagreed.

“No.” Jiang Ge immediately called for a stop. “They still have a use for us. Killing colleagues is forbidden in Songyang County.”

"You got off easy." Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, but he showed no mercy in his hands, swinging his fist, which was as big as a casserole dish, and smashed it twice into Wei Zhongxian's face.

"Bang! Bang!"

Wei Zhongxian was beaten until he saw stars and his nose bled profusely, but he didn't dare to utter a sound, only shrinking back into the corner. Old Zhu shook his wrist and spat, still not satisfied: "Today, for the sake of Magistrate Jiang, I'll spare your dog's life for now."

Everyone watched this scene in silence. Little Liu peeked out from behind Huo Qubing and said, "It looks so painful."

Wei Zhongxian, covered in blood, huddled in a corner, looking rather pitiful. But apart from the three children, no one present felt any sympathy for him.

Given his actions, this beating was too lenient on him.

"Let's get to work." Watching Wei Zhongxian has been delaying my work time.

Although he was saying he was going to work, Zhu Yuanzhang still had a few things to say.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared coldly at Wei Zhongxian, who was huddled in the corner, his gaze as sharp as a knife. Wei Zhongxian trembled all over, his bruised and swollen face filled with fear.

"You eunuch, listen up." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was like muffled thunder. "I have a few words to say to that brat Zhu Youjian, and you must deliver them to him word for word."

Wei Zhongxian immediately knelt up and repeatedly agreed.

"First," Zhu Yuanzhang held up a thick finger, "tell him that our Zhu family's empire cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness. If he dares to neglect state affairs again, we'll climb out of our coffins and whip him!"

The office was completely silent, except for the sound of Wei Zhongxian's teeth chattering.

How could he tell Emperor Taizu that Emperor Chongzhen was not negligent at all, and that he was simply powerless to reverse the situation?

"Secondly," Zhu Yuanzhang raised another finger, "stop all those filthy dealings of the Eastern and Western Depots! The Ming Dynasty needs integrity and incorruptibility, not eunuchs like you wielding power!"

Wei Zhongxian pressed his forehead to the ground, cold sweat mixed with blood dripping onto the floor; this was going to kill him.

“Third,” Zhu Yuanzhang’s voice suddenly lowered, “tell him… we know it’s not easy to be an emperor. But since he’s in this position, he has to live up to the expectations of the people.”

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became somewhat complicated. He turned to look out the window and remained silent for a moment.

"As for you," he suddenly turned around, startling Wei Zhongxian, "from now on, work hard for us! If you dare to play any tricks again..." Zhu Yuanzhang clenched his fists, his knuckles making a terrifying cracking sound.

Wei Zhongxian kowtowed repeatedly: "This servant understands! This servant will definitely repent and start anew!"

"Hmph!" Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly. "Magistrate Jiang, if this eunuch dares to misbehave, we'll..."

Jiang Ge smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Eunuch Wei will probably behave himself from now on."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Wei Zhongxian: "Listen, we'll give you a chance to make amends. If you serve the Ming Dynasty wholeheartedly from now on, we might spare your life."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and immediately kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace! This servant will certainly repay Your Majesty's kindness in sparing my life with my life!"

"Stop with the empty talk!" Zhu Yuanzhang kicked him in the shoulder. "We want to see your actions!"

Wei Zhongxian staggered from the kick, but dared not cry out in pain. He quickly straightened up and said, "Yes, yes, this servant will go castrate the pig right away..."

"Wait a minute!" Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes. "I'm asking you, what are the names of your cronies in the court?"

Wei Zhongxian froze, cold sweat beading on his forehead. This...this meant he was being asked to reveal the entire network of relationships he had cultivated over the years!

"What? Reluctant to part with it?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, pulling a dagger from his waist and toying with it in his hand. "Want me to help you remember?"

"No, no, no! This servant will tell you right now!" Wei Zhongxian was terrified and rattled off a string of names like beans spilling from a bamboo tube, "There's Cui Chengxiu, Tian Ergeng, Xu Xianchun, Sun Yunhe, Yang Huan..."

They even mentioned his position.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned more and more as he listened, then suddenly roared, "Enough!" He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to jump three inches high. "You, Wei Zhongxian, have replaced the entire Six Ministries of the court with your men!"

Wei Zhongxian lay prostrate on the ground, trembling, not daring to raise his head.

"Write it down for me!" Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed paper and pen from the table and slammed them in front of him. "Write down all the crimes of these people clearly, without omitting a single one!"

Wei Zhongxian's hands trembled as he took the pen, ink dripping and spreading across the paper. He gritted his teeth and began to write. Each name he wrote felt like tearing out a piece of his own heart—these were his loyal followers whom he had cultivated for years!

Jiang Ge watched coldly from the sidelines, secretly amused. This old eunuch has really met his end today; the Great Ancestor is going to uproot his entire power network.

"Finished writing?" Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed the confession paper, glanced at it, and suddenly laughed angrily. "Good! Cui Chengxiu alone embezzled 300,000 taels of military pay! You're treating the Ming Dynasty like a piece of fat meat to be divided up, aren't you?"

Wei Zhongxian's face turned ashen; he knew that all was lost.

Zhu Yuanzhang carefully folded the offering paper and tucked it into his robes, then suddenly changed the subject: "I've heard you have good calligraphy?"

Wei Zhongxian was taken aback, unsure of what the Emperor Taizu was up to, and could only honestly reply, "This servant...this servant did indeed practice calligraphy for a few years..."

"That's perfect." Zhu Yuanzhang grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth. "From today onward, copy the Great Ming Code ten times every day, and I will personally check it."

"Huh?" Wei Zhongxian was dumbfounded. The Great Ming Code was a huge, thick book!

"What? You think it's not enough?" Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him.

"No, no, no! This servant obeys!" Wei Zhongxian hurriedly agreed, but inwardly he was groaning. Now, let alone causing trouble, just copying books would take half his life.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction and turned to Jiang Ge: "Magistrate Jiang, let's go to the brick kiln now so as not to delay the work."

Jiang Ge suppressed a laugh: "Let's go." She glanced at Wei Zhongxian, who was slumped on the ground, and deliberately raised her voice, "By the way, Eunuch Wei, don't forget to teach him about the pig castration."

Wei Zhongxian was on the verge of tears but could only nod and agree.

Once Zhu Yuanzhang and Jiang Ge were out of sight, the people in the clerk's office finally breathed a sigh of relief. Huo Qubing, arms crossed, walked up to Wei Zhongxian and looked down at him: "If you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"

Wei Zhongxian smiled wryly, "Your Excellency is right..."

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and said leisurely, "Lord Wei, judging from your face, there will be a great change after today. If you can sincerely repent, it may not be a bad thing."

The fact that he was spared execution suggests he still had value. As a crucial link in the late Ming Dynasty, Wei Zhongxian played a vital role, and Zhu Yuanzhang certainly wouldn't kill him.

Wei Zhongxian paused, seemingly lost in thought.

On the other side, Zhu Yuanzhang followed Jiang Ge through the backyard of the county government office and arrived at the brick kiln. Several craftsmen were taking bricks out of the kiln, and they quickly bowed when they saw the county magistrate arrive.

Before anyone could even lift their waist.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already rolled up his sleeves and squatted down to examine the freshly fired bricks: "The firing is still a bit off; next time, add half a load of firewood." He turned to Jiang Ge and said, "These bricks are perfect for building the wall."

That's what professionalism is all about.

Around noon, Wei Zhongxian, carrying a thick stack of books, nervously arrived at the brick kiln. There he saw Zhu Yuanzhang, shirtless, moving bricks with the craftsmen. Sweat beaded on his bronze skin, his muscles clearly defined—he hardly looked like a sixty-year-old man.

Wei Zhongxian's hands trembled slightly as he held the tea tray, the celadon teacups clinking in the tray. He took a deep breath, stopped in front of the brick kiln, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Master Zhu, your servant has brought you tea." Wei Zhongxian bowed, his voice even more delicate than a female opera singer.

Zhu Yuanzhang was squatting beside the pile of bricks, inspecting their quality. Upon hearing this, he didn't even look up and said, "Just leave them there."

Wei Zhongxian dared not be negligent. He carefully placed the tea tray on the low table beside him and then took out a brand-new handkerchief: "Master Zhu, it's hot today, so I've prepared a new handkerchief for you..."

Zhu Yuanzhang took the handkerchief and weighed it in his hand: "It's a fine piece of material." He suddenly sneered, "Back in the palace, you must have received quite a few of these as tributes, right?"

Wei Zhongxian's knees buckled, and he almost knelt down again: "This servant dares not! This servant..."

"Alright!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand. "Go and turn over that pile of bricks by the west wall. Make sure they are dried evenly."

"Yes, yes, yes, this servant will go right away!" Wei Zhongxian felt as if he had been granted a pardon and ran off.

As the sun set and work was winding down, Wei Zhongxian was so exhausted he could barely stand, his hands blistered. Zhu Yuanzhang, however, was full of energy, discussing tomorrow's work with the craftsmen.

"Old Zhu, your craftsmanship is amazing!" The foreman gave a thumbs up. "I've worked in the kiln for thirty years, and I've never seen anyone as skilled as you!"

This was a newcomer who hadn't met Zhu Yuanzhang before, but after hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily: "That's right! We..." Suddenly noticing Wei Zhongxian slacking off, he immediately hardened his face, "You eunuch! Still slacking off? Copy the Great Ming Code a few more times!"

Wei Zhongxian shuddered and looked mournful.

"Then hurry up and go!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared, scaring Wei Zhongxian so much that he scrambled away.

Jiang Ge, watching from the side, shook his head: "Old Zhu, you're going to torture him to death."

Zhu Yuanzhang wiped his sweat, but his expression turned serious: "Magistrate Jiang, this man has committed too many sins and ruined our Ming Dynasty." He spoke with a tone of gritted teeth and hatred.

well.

Jiang Ge shook his head and sighed: "The fall of the Ming Dynasty was not a sudden event. If we compare it to a big tree, people like Wei Zhongxian were just insects that gnawed at the trunk, but what really made the roots rot was the soil, the climate, and the gardener's dereliction of duty."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Going to work is so disgusting! My colleagues are disgusting too. I've been consistently on the worst-performing charts lately; my favorites are dropping instead of rising. I really want to update 10,000 words a day, but work is just too tiring and it affects my mood. [heartbroken][heartbroken][heartbroken]