allonlinenovel Chapter 639 Massacre
Chapter 639 Massacre
Inside the Fengxian Hall, the tablets of all the emperors of the Dasheng Dynasty were lined up in rows and columns. Emperor Shenwu knelt before the ancestors of Dasheng, eyes closed for a long time without speaking. Behind him on the left were the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince, and to his right were the First, Second, and Fifth Princes.
The hall's décor was understated and luxurious, housing the tablets of successive emperors and empresses, a testament to the royal family's dignity and grandeur. Emperor Shenwu, having completed his offerings in Fengxian Hall, finally opened his eyes. He looked up at the tablets of his ancestors. Outside, civil and military officials knelt in orderly formation.
Fireworks curled in the Fengxian Hall, and the Shenwu Emperor's expression was solemn and dignified. "Ancestors, I, Zhou Xuheng, a descendant of the Zhou family, respectfully present my presence. I have recently tamed the various tribes on the grasslands, which will ensure peace for our Dasheng Dynasty for at least another fifty years! Today, I respectfully inform our ancestors that the Dasheng Dynasty will surely prosper and last for thousands of years! However, while I was away fighting, my unfilial descendants, the Third Prince Zhou Chengluo and the Fourth Prince Zhou Chengyu, took advantage of the Imperial City's emptiness and rebelled. All the people of the Dasheng Dynasty are responsible for the powerful external enemies! Soldiers defend their homes and country, and the people of Dasheng protect their homes. Zhou Chengluo and Zhou Chengyu's actions are not only unworthy of being members of the royal family, unworthy of being descendants of the Zhou family, but even less worthy of being citizens of Dasheng! They are not even worthy of being called human beings! They seized cities through internal strife, murdered their brothers and sisters, and even attempted to kill their own relatives. This act is abhorrent to both humans and gods, and is intolerable to heaven and earth. It is tantamount to treason!"
The ministers bowing in worship outside the hall were all shocked by the Emperor Shenwu's powerful admonition to his ancestors. Judging from the hidden meaning in His Majesty's words, they were afraid that the Third and Fourth Princes would finally be doomed this time. However, none of the civil and military officials kneeling in rows outside Fengxian Hall dared to speak. With such a serious crime, who would dare to plead for mercy?
Even the Crown Prince, standing to the left of Emperor Shenwu, had a look of shock in his eyes. He had thought about many things and speculated, the most plausible being that his father would spare the lives of the Third and Fourth Princes, waiting to deal with them upon his ascension. After all, an emperor whose hands were stained with the blood of his own sons would be a source of disgrace and intimidation, especially among outsiders, who would fear and misunderstand them. Even his own grandfather had merely exiled or demoted his two rebellious sons to commoner status, sparing their lives.
"Today, I have reflected deeply on this matter and hereby issue an edict: The Third Prince Zhou Chengluo and the Fourth Prince Zhou Chengyu shall be put to death without mercy! They shall be removed from the imperial clan register and their names removed from the Imperial Register. The Grand Princess Zhou Chengqiong assisted in this evil act. Knowing that she was a traitor to the state, she committed treason and attempted to assassinate the Queen Mother. I hereby decree that her titles be stripped, her clan register be removed, her names be removed from the Imperial Register, and she be demoted to a commoner! For the rest of her life, she shall be subject to vegetarianism, chanting Buddhist scriptures, and consecrating them to the ancient Buddha in Xi'an Temple to atone for her sins! The Great Sheng Emperor Zhou Xuheng respectfully issues this notice!"
For a moment, there was silence inside and outside the hall, and you could hear a pin drop. In the early years, Emperor Shenwu had his hands stained with the blood of his brothers. He also imprisoned and killed his own brothers who were of the same father and mother and of the same bloodline. The crimes were also rebellion and disobedience, but none of them were as serious as the crimes he committed against his two sons today. He was merciless and convicted whoever he wanted and killed whoever he wanted without mercy!
Li Xiang, with a solemn expression, held the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand and trotted past the kneeling civil and military officials. Following him were several eunuchs delivering the edict. Their destination was naturally the imperial clan prison where the Third and Fourth Princes were imprisoned, and the palace where Princess Mingzhu was imprisoned.
Once the imperial edict was read out, it would not be changed. Some of the Censorate, civil officials and military generals were on the border dealing with the aftermath and did not return to the imperial city. They were all close confidants of Emperor Shenwu. Some of the confidants who remained in the imperial city were shocked and had no chance to persuade Emperor Shenwu, because Emperor Shenwu's edicts were issued immediately, and royal relatives like Prince Ding had no chance to speak at all. Prince Ding thought about it for a long time, and finally shut his mouth to his ancestors.
Emperor Shenwu ordered the Crown Prince to the Imperial Clan House. He believed he had done all he could for his two sons, and he pardoned their heirs and their wives' families. However, considering the Third and Fourth Princes were of royal blood, he ordered them to commit suicide with poisoned wine. The Crown Prince personally visited the Imperial Clan House prison and gave his two brothers their final farewell.
Emperor Shenwu also slaughtered the other rebellious generals.