"The evidence is irrefutable. Prince Fu's actions have been thoroughly investigated. I believe he should be exiled to Fengyang to guard the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu, stripped of his title, and all his property confiscated by the state treasury."
Several people looked at Huang Kezun in surprise again, and the meaning was very clear: don’t you think it’s too cruel?
Depriving a prince of his title, sending his entire family to Fengyang to guard the mausoleum, and confiscating all his property were some excessive punishments.
The room fell silent again.
After a while, Sun Chengzong spoke up. He said slowly, "Why not formulate two strategies?"
"One option is to punish severely, as Elder Huang has suggested. The other option is to be lenient. Your Majesty will issue an order to punish Prince Fu. All officials, stewards, and guards in Prince Fu's palace who were involved in this case will be severely punished. Prince Fu will also be ordered to return all his land to the people and provide compensation."
After saying this, Sun Chengzong glanced at the others and said, "As for what to do in the end, let Your Majesty make the decision."
After Sun Chengzong finished speaking, Xu Guangqi frowned. He didn't know why Sun Chengzong made such a suggestion.
It sounds nice to say that His Majesty is making the decision, but in reality, it's putting the blame on His Majesty. Did Sun Chengzong think His Majesty wanted to exonerate Prince Fu? It was just too difficult for him to say so, so he wanted his own ministers to intercede for Prince Fu?
You never mind, it's really possible.
Xu Guangqi wasn't the only one who had this idea; several others had also suddenly thought so. Under such circumstances, it would be inappropriate to take sides.
After thinking for a while, Han Yu said, "Let's do it this way."
So the cabinet came up with its own draft opinion, which was to severely punish all officials, big and small, in Henan Prefecture; for Prince Fu, they gave two types of punishment, light and heavy.
If the punishment is severe, he will be exiled to Fengyang, stripped of his princely title, and all his property will be confiscated.
If the punishment is lenient, then an imperial edict will be issued to reprimand him, and the people in the palace will be severely punished. At the same time, Prince Fu will be asked to take out part of his property to compensate the people and return the land to them.
The cabinet's opinions were quickly sent to Xiyuan and handed over to Zhu Youxiao.
After reading the cabinet's opinions, Zhu Youxiao felt that it was not beyond his expectations. It would be strange if these cabinet elders could let off the officials of all ranks in Henan.
There was a delicious dish there, and the best option for them was to pounce on it and chew it up.
Henan Governor Zhang Woxu, the son of Zhang Guoyan, is far inferior to his father.
Zhang Guoyan, a Jinshi in the 41st year of the Jiajing reign, was appointed magistrate of Xiangling. Due to his outstanding political achievements, Zhang Guoyan was repeatedly promoted, and eventually became the assistant minister of the Ministry of War. Later, he led his army to defeat the "barbarians" outside the northern border, and was ranked first in merit and promoted to the minister of the Ministry of War.
After leading his army to suppress the Taohe Rebellion in Gansu, Zhang Guoyan was awarded the title of Prince Taibao for his "merits to the country", and was given an official uniform embroidered with a flying fish pattern and enjoyed a first-class salary.
Zhang Guoyan was a man of both civil and military talents, and could be considered a capable official among the Ming Dynasty officials.
But his son was not that capable, and his path to becoming an official was similar to his father's.
In the eighth year of the Wanli reign, he became a Jinshi (Jinshi) and was appointed Magistrate of Song County. He served as an official in the Ministry of Rites, Governor of Henan Province, and Governor-General of Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces. While serving as Governor-General of Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces, he was nearly dismissed due to a military defeat.
Later, he attached himself to Wei Zhongxian and was promoted to the Minister of Revenue and the Prince's Tutor.
However, Zhang Woxu was also a capable person. After Wei Zhongxian was purged, Zhang Woxu was only dismissed from office and sent home. He did not lose his life and lived to be over 80 years old.
But it seems that this time it will be disastrous. Zhang Woxu is now the governor of Henan, and he will definitely not be able to escape unscathed this time.
Zhu Youxiao thought for a moment, then waved to Chen Hong and said, "Have the Tongzhengsi convey the order to Chen Sihai. Let him handle Henan on his own."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will do it right away." Chen Hong quickly bowed and agreed.
After Chen Hong left, Zhu Youxiao tapped the armrest lightly with his hand, and there was a hesitant expression on his face.
He was thinking about the matter of Prince Fu. It was definitely impossible to give him a lenient punishment; but a severe punishment would be too harsh, and he couldn't set a bad precedent.
You have to know that Prince Fu represents more than just Prince Fu, he represents the princes of the imperial court. If you want to take action against other princes, you can't do it too aggressively, otherwise there will be resistance later.
Although they might not be able to resist, who knows what they might do. He already had enough troubles, and the things he would face later would be enough to make him overwhelmed, so Zhu Youxiao thought he should find a more moderate way.
Bringing Prince Fu to the capital might be the best solution.
After thinking about it, Zhu Youxiao decided to do what he wanted. The cabinet didn't give him any good ideas, but that was fine. They gave him two light and one heavy suggestions, and he could just mediate between them.
So Zhu Youxiao ordered someone to call several cabinet ministers.
After everyone arrived, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Alright, no need to be polite. Find a place to sit down. I called you here because I have something to discuss with you."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Han Yu and others quickly agreed, and then each found a place to sit down.
After they were all seated, Zhu Youxiao slowly said, "Prince Fu is my uncle. Although he made mistakes, I really can't bear to punish him harshly. Because when I think of my uncle, I will think of my father."
Having said this, Zhu Youxiao paused for a moment, looking sad.
The four university scholars present all looked a little strange.
What is the relationship between Prince Fu and the late emperor?
Although they haven't experienced it, they have heard of it. Are you sure that when you think of the late emperor, you don't think of killing Prince Fu?
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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