Ma Ye naturally didn't believe it, "The thief cried thief, She Xiang, you are trying to deceive me. You, the Shuixi family, have been following Lord Mu like flies to collect debts, and have forced him to come to the Shuidong family. It was you who did it."
Half an hour ago, Madam Shexiang received a pigeon message from Liu Shuzhen on the other side of the river, asking her to send troops across the river immediately and stay in the rear. This could, firstly, delay time; secondly, with the Shuidong and Shuixi families joining forces, it would not be easy for Ma Ye to force his way in; thirdly, with the Shuixi family as witnesses, Ma Ye did not dare to act recklessly.
It would be best if the issue could be resolved peacefully. If Ma Ye is really stubborn and insists on using force, the Shuidong and Shuixi families would rather die in battle and fight with all their might than use their power as a ladder for Ma Ye to be granted the title of nobility or prime minister.
The two young widows, Liu Shuzhen and She Xiang, were able to become the rulers of Guizhou not by being merciful.
Madam Shexiang cried out: "Master Ma, once the creditor is dead, how can we spit out the bribes we took? What use is a dead Master Mu to us? We need a living Master Mu. So, when we heard that Master Mu was murdered, our Shuixi family immediately came to help the court army catch the real murderer. The terrain here is complicated, and our Shuixi family can assist Master Ma in searching the mountain."
The staff advised Ma Ye: "Dong Weng once whipped She Xiang naked on her back. How could she endure such a great humiliation? If he wants to take advantage of the mountain search to fish in troubled waters and take revenge on Dong Weng, don't be fooled. Don't doubt the person you don't want to hire."
Ma Ye thought it made sense and shouted, "The court has its own way of dealing with the assassination of an official, and we don't need your help. I didn't ask you to send troops to Shuixi, so why did you arm yourself and cross the river to come here? You are so brave! Why don't you retreat quickly!"
Madam Shexiang said, "Sir Ma, we really have good intentions. Please understand our intentions."
Ma Ye raised his whip and said, "You have violated military discipline and regulations by mobilizing troops tonight without authorization. However, considering your good intentions and your efforts to help the court, I will be magnanimous and will not bother with you. Take your troops and retreat quickly. Do not cross the Yachi River again without my order."
Once the Shuidong and Shuixi families join forces, even the 100,000 strong soldiers of Guizhou Guard will find it difficult to contend with them, so Ma Ye can only use the method of defeating them one by one, rewarding one as he strikes. Now, he has to deal with the Shuidong family and turn a blind eye to the Shuixi family. Ma Ye even became polite in his speech.
"I originally wanted to look up to the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the ditch." Madam Shexiang thought that time was almost up, and the Shui family had already made preparations. She sighed and shook her head, saying, "I will take my leave."
As soon as She Xiang left, Ma Ye planned to order the artillery to attack the city again, but before he could open his mouth, the city gate burst open.
Ma Ye didn't expect Liu Shuzhen to surrender so readily. Quelling a rebellion and killing the surrendered soldiers are two different things. Killing a general is not a good name. Moreover, with Mu Chun's status, she doesn't need to be "a beauty that overwhelms the whole country".
The staff urged: "Dong Weng, take advantage of the city's defenses being weak and attack quickly. It won't take any effort."
Ma Ye, as the most outstanding member of the Ma family, is not someone who can be easily influenced by others. He said, "No, for the sake of Mu Chun, we massacred the whole city and killed the surrendered soldiers and civilians. We don't have enough bargaining chips, and we will be self-defeating. If the emperor holds us accountable, I'm afraid both you and I will lose our heads."
As they were talking, two teams of soldiers filed out. One team was the Ming army, led by the resurrected Mu Chun, and carrying the flag of his "Mu" family. As soon as the other team's flag appeared, Ma Ye felt as if a basin of ice water was poured over his head, and his whole body was cold.
It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
The man in the lead had fair skin, beautiful looks and long legs. He was none other than Ji Gang, the famous "Jade-faced Rakshasa" of the Jinyiwei. He was the confidant of Mao Xiang, the commander of the Jinyiwei. He was cruel and ruthless, and everyone in the capital knew him.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards had clear flags, and their flying fish uniforms woven with gold thread were blinding enough under torches and the bright moon. Their embroidered spring swords shone with a cold glow, which was quite intimidating.
Ji Gang had no expression on his face. He rode forward and held up the imperial edict in his right hand. "I have an imperial decree! Kneel down and listen to it!"
The confidants led by Mu Chun dismounted first and knelt on one knee. Liu Shuzhen also wore military uniform and led the soldiers and civilians of Shuidong family to kneel down.
Ma Ye's whole body stiffened and he slowly bent his knees.
The emperor's order was as heavy as a mountain. The commanders all knelt down. Guizhou Wei was like a domino that fell. In an instant, a hundred thousand soldiers knelt down together. Even Lady Shexiang, who was on the periphery, led the "reinforcement" troops of Shuixi Family to stop retreating, knelt down and obeyed the order.
Ji Gang unfolded the imperial edict, "Ma Ye, the commander of Guizhou Guard, has been immoral, abused his power and harmed the country, disturbed the people's peace, insulted and beat She Xiang. Ma Ye is dismissed from his post as the commander of Guizhou Guard, and Mu Chun is ordered to take over Guizhou Guard. This is my decree."
At this moment, Mu Chun's face was serious and majestic. His usually lazy temperament changed. He showed a talisman made of iron with a round hole and tied with a red silk ribbon. It was engraved with two dragons on the top and two unicorns on the bottom. The characters were all decorated with gold powder. "This is the imperial talisman for dispatching troops. Whenever there is a military emergency, the envoys will be sent to wear it. Wherever the talisman orders, they must be carried out immediately. No mistakes must be made. Violators will be punished!"
There are a total of forty Zouma Fu, twenty of which are written in gold and twenty in silver. They are usually kept in the inner palace of the imperial city and are used by Emperor Hongwu when he dispatches troops and replaces generals.
Seeing the imperial edict and the horse-riding talisman, the staff member became very anxious and pointed at Mu Chun who was holding the horse-riding talisman: "The dead cannot be resurrected. He is a fake. Lord Ma, don't be fooled."
Mu Chun drew his sword and pointed it at his staff. "This is a rumor spread by spies! Who said I was dead? Who saw me die? Who saw my body?"
No one spoke.
They only heard about it, but didn't see it with their own eyes.
Mu Chun snorted coldly, "I guessed that someone wanted to kill me. He pretended to be crazy and stupid on the surface, but he was actually on guard against spies. He secretly changed his residence every night and never slept in the same room for two consecutive nights. Who told you that I was dead? This person is the one who spread rumors with ulterior motives!"
Ma Ye looked at the staff beside him with complicated eyes. It was the staff who first told him that Mu Chun had an accident at Shui Dongjia and had been killed. Could it be that he acted on his own and sent someone to cause this explosion
The staff member saw Ma Ye's suspicious look and knew that he might not be able to control this puppet. However, he did not give up and fought hard, saying:
"Master Ma, the emperor must have misunderstood you. You are the nephew of the empress. The emperor has always respected the empress. Everyone knows that the emperor and the empress have a harmonious relationship. How could he disregard the empress's face and dismiss you from your position and slap you in the face in public for a mere Guifang barbarian girl?"
Ma Ye was stunned. What the staff said made sense. I am the queen's nephew. The queen cannot ignore me. Is there any queen in the world who cuts off her own arm
The staff continued to fan the flames: "So, I suspect this is the evil plot of the barbarian woman, who secretly went to the capital to report your crimes. If you sit there and wait for death without any rebuttal or resistance, not only will you lose your head, but I'm afraid the entire Ma family will be implicated. My lord, a general is not subject to the orders of the emperor when he is away from home. I suggest you protect yourself first, keep your military power for the time being, and submit a memorial to defend yourself tomorrow. I will personally deliver the memorial to the capital and present it to the emperor."
After saying that, the staff member turned around and said to the officers and soldiers of Guizhou Guard: "Everyone, Lord Ma has been stationed in Yunnan and Guizhou since the 14th year of Hongwu to resist the invasion of barbarians and the invasion of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. He has been very kind to you. He has distributed all the spoils of war to you first and has never been greedy for himself. He has always asked for rewards according to the merits of all military achievements. Yunnan and Guizhou are remote and the roads are difficult to travel. The supplies and military pay have been in arrears. Lord Ma used his salary to advance the military pay. There are only two dishes for each meal. When the official robe was torn, he would sew it and patch it up. He was reluctant to buy a new one. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is as honest as water. Don't you think so?"
All the officers and soldiers agreed, and their depressed morale was boosted.
Because Empress Ma strictly disciplined her clansmen and advised Emperor Hongwu to give the Ma family generous money instead of official positions, the Ma family lived a prosperous life. Ma Ye did not have to be corrupt, and his family lived a good life. Therefore, he always remained honest and had a good reputation in the court. Only then did Empress Ma make an exception and disobeyed the principle of not allowing Ma family members to hold official positions, and allowed Emperor Hongwu to use this nephew.
However, Empress Ma did not see Ma Ye’s shortcomings: Ma Ye had no interest in money, but he wanted to get the title of Marquis Cheng’en that he deserved and to enhance his power and status.
Everyone is driven by desires, and someone took advantage of Ma Ye's desires.
The staff pointed to the fields in the distance and said, "Guizhou Guard has 100,000 soldiers stationed here. It is a huge number and the supplies are always insufficient. Although the Shuidong and Shuixi families donated horses and grain, it is just a drop in the bucket. Fortunately, Lord Ma personally rolled up his trouser legs and took a turn to open up wasteland and cultivate the land. He led the way and has stationed 8,000 acres of military land so far, solving the problem of food for the soldiers and being self-sufficient. The emperor does not want such a good official, but must let Mu Chun, who spends his days in debauchery and drunkenness, take charge of Guizhou Guard? Our emperor is wise! He must have been deceived by the villain and wronged Lord Ma, don't you think?"
Guizhou Guard was established by Ma Ye himself. It has always been self-disciplined and strong, and has great prestige. To be honest, except for the few hundred confidants brought by Mu Chun, the rest of the people in Guizhou Guard do not obey him, and think that he got his official position because of his father, the Marquis of Xiping.
The soldiers were reluctant to let go of their superior Ma Ye, and they raised their weapons and shouted: "Unjust! Unjust!"
The staff raised their arms and shouted: "Master Ma is innocent! I will go to the capital to appeal for Master Ma's injustice and ask the Queen to seek justice!"
Now even Ma Ye looked eager to try, and his ambition was rekindled.
Seeing that a mutiny was about to break out, Mu Chun smiled coldly, "I knew they would use the Empress to make trouble. Come, please invite Hu Siyan."
Hu Shanwei, wearing a black gauze hat and an official robe, walked out slowly from the center. Mu Chun was on the left, and Ji Gang was behind her. Two senior military generals surrounded her to show her status.
Hu Shanwei opened the bright yellow imperial edict and said, "I am a female official of the Shanggong Bureau beside the Empress. I have been ordered by the Empress to come to Guizhou to convey the imperial edict. Guizhou Xuanwei Mansion Co-Governor She Xiang and the guilty minister Ma Ye, please listen to my order!"
Ma Ye was a relative of the Empress Ma and was often summoned to the palace by Empress Ma for admonition and education. He knew that the female official Si Yan was Empress Ma's mouthpiece and was specifically responsible for conveying the Empress's ideas.
Ma Ye's last glimmer of hope was shattered with the appearance of Hu Shanwei. He bent his waist, which had just been straightened by the instigation of his staff, again and bowed, saying: "The guilty minister Ma Ye listens to your order."
Madam Shexiang was well prepared. She rushed over, knelt down and said, "Your humble servant, Shexiang, will obey your order."
Hu Shanwei said, "I was shocked to hear that Liu Shuzhen, the envoy of Xuanwei Mansion, went to Beijing to file a complaint. My nephew Ma Ye, relying on his power as a relative of the emperor, abused his power and harmed the country, disturbed the people's peace, insulted She Xiang, and aroused the anger of the people. This palace is deeply worried. The 100,000 soldiers of Guizhou Guard and the Yi people of Shuidong and Shuixi are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty. All citizens of the Ming Dynasty shall not kill each other. This palace specially dispatched a female official of the Ministry of Prosecutions to Guizhou to appease the Shuidong and Shuixi families with generous gifts. She Xiang is a minister of the court and also a lady of imperial decree. This palace summons Madam She Xiang to Beijing to meet with the emperor, and orders my nephew Ma Ye to tie himself up and go to Beijing together to confront Madam She Xiang, waiting for the Ministry of War to find out the facts and punish her according to military regulations."
The imperial edict of Emperor Hongwu and the imperial decree of Empress Ma were one firm and one gentle, and they complemented each other. Emperor Hongwu used thunderous means to remove Ma Ye's military power; Empress Ma was kind and sincere, reasonable, fair and just, appeased the Yi people, and also calmed the resentment of Guizhou Wei.
Even Empress Ma, the last supporter, had fallen. Ma Ye's desire for fame and fortune was gone, and he immediately took off his armor and helmet, "I obey your order."
The game is over!
The staff looked coldly at Ma Ye, who was kneeling on the ground like a turtle and trembling: What a hopeless person! The queen overestimated his ambition. This man was a man with high aspirations but low skills. The emperor was far away and he could still show off his power and take a risk. Once the power of heaven came, Ma Ye did not even have the courage to give it a try. He was suppressed by an imperial edict, a horse-riding talisman, and an imperial decree.
After more than a year of scheming, this is the result... Never mind, luckily I still have one last trick up my sleeve to protect my colleagues and the Empress.
The aide suddenly drew his sword with lightning speed and slid it towards Ma Ye's neck!
Ma Ye was completely unprepared. As the commander of Guizhou Guard, he was actually murdered by his staff. His trachea was cut and he died instantly!
Ji Gang had been standing in front to protect Hu Shanwei, so he was closest to Ma Ye and arrived first. He tightly grasped the aide's right hand holding the dagger, and with a beautiful back throw on the spot, he subdued the aide and took away the dagger.
But the aide suddenly foamed at the mouth, his body convulsed violently, his neck stiffened, and he died. It turned out that he had taken poison before the assassination, and he wanted to die. He wanted to drag someone down with him.
The author has something to say: I went back to my hometown to attend various banquets these two days, so I was busy during the day. I have finished updating again, so I will give out 100 red envelopes tonight to appease you all.
There is also news about the tomb of a person related to this article. The first person to answer correctly will receive a 100-point red envelope. The tomb of Wang Ning's wife, Princess Huaiqing, was discovered by archaeologists. It had been robbed, but the structure of the tomb was still intact. Some cultural relics were also unearthed, including epitaphs and other cultural relics that indicate key information about the identity of the tomb owner. Where is Princess Huaiqing's tomb in Nanjing
ps: The answer can be found in Mulanzhou's Weibo, which contains photos of Princess Huaiqing's tomb, burial objects, epitaph cover, etc.
Zhongshan
Niu Shou Mountain
Qingliang Mountain
Lion Rock