Chapter 16: The Slow Execution of Ke Shi

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“Madam Feng, His Majesty summons you to accompany me!”
Within one of the palace chambers, Wang Cheng’en arrived, accompanied by several imperial guards dressed in embroidered robes.

“Wang Cheng’en, what does His Majesty wish to see me about?”

“I do not know, Madam Feng. Please hurry, so as not to keep His Majesty waiting.”

“Wang Cheng…”

“Madam Feng, are you forcing me to take action?”

Seeing Madam Feng’s hesitation, Wang Cheng’en’s face immediately grew cold. With a wave of his right hand, four imperial guards positioned themselves around Madam Ke, clearly signaling that any further delay would result in her being forcibly taken away.

“Wang Cheng’en, what are you doing? Do you know who I am? Are you not afraid of His Majesty’s punishment?”

“Take her away!”

With a gesture, Wang Cheng’en commanded the guards to escort Madam Ke out. Turning towards the palace, he spoke sharply, “Captain Wang, from this moment onward, this palace is under strict lockdown—entry only, no exit. Make sure you understand.”

“Understood!” came a firm reply.

This captain of the imperial guards, Wang Shoulin, was a trusted man personally recommended by Li Ruolian.

Amidst a string of curses, Madam Ke was brought to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Seeing the hall filled with officials and the sullen face of Wei Zhongxian, Madam Ke’s heart sank with a sense of impending doom.

“How dare you, Madam Ke! Why do you not kneel before His Majesty?”

“I… I, Ke Yinyue, pay my respects to His Majesty!”

Li Guopu, a senior minister of the cabinet, roared sharply, snapping Madam Ke out of her shock as she immediately dropped to her knees.

“Ke Yinyue, Qian Qianyi, the Left Vice Minister of Rites, and Cao Yubian, the Right Censor of the Supervisory Office, have impeached you on eighteen major charges. What do you have to say in your defense?”

With that, Wang Cheng’en handed over the evidence of Qian Qianyi’s accusations to Madam Ke.

She skimmed through the documents hastily, her face draining of color as tremors shook her entire body. “Your Majesty, they are slandering me!”

“Qian Qianyi and the others have just been ordered by me to be flogged to death. Ke, you should consider your response carefully!”

“Your Majesty, I am innocent!”

Chongzhen fixed his gaze on the kneeling Madam Ke and the bowed head of Wei Zhongxian, his mind filled with bitter amusement.

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“Ke, you are the wet nurse of my late brother. Ordinarily, I would not believe these accusations, but the law of the state is clear. Qian Qianyi and the others died upholding their loyalties, so I must investigate. If you confess truthfully, I shall take leniency out of respect for my brother. If you refuse, I will have the imperial guards investigate. You must have heard of the tortures of the interrogation bureau.”

“Your Majesty, I am wronged!”

Though fear flickered in her eyes, Madam Ke still refused to relent.

“Bring in all members of Ke’s family, imprison them in the interrogation bureau, and have the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Punishments, and the Supervisory Office jointly conduct the trial. The imperial guards shall assist. Anyone who dares to shield them shall be executed without mercy!”

“Today, I want justice!”

Madam Ke’s face paled dramatically as she desperately shouted, “Wei Zhongxian, beg His Majesty for mercy on my behalf.”

“Fool! His Majesty is enlightened and just; I believe he will not wrong anyone!”

“Captain Li, Madam Ke is causing a scene in the court. If you frighten His Majesty, can you bear the consequences? Take her away at once!”

Madam Ke, being dragged off by the imperial guards, was stunned with disbelief.

The eunuch who had sought to curry favor with her years ago had now abandoned her at this critical moment.

After a moment of stunned silence, Madam Ke suddenly screamed, “Your Majesty, I confess! I confess to everything!”

“Wei Zhongxian, since you have betrayed me, I will drag you down to hell with me.”

“Your Majesty, I admit to all eighteen charges. Most of them were Wei Zhongxian’s doing. Back then, he threw a banquet costing five hundred taels of silver with sixty dishes just to curry favor with me, and then…”

“Enough!”

Chongzhen’s face darkened like iron as he shouted, cutting off Madam Ke’s confession.

“Li Ruolian, take her away. Have her confess everything and prepare the evidence. I will wait here.”

With a wave, Li Ruolian signaled two imperial guards to drag Madam Ke out, leaving her mad laughter echoing through the hall.

Within the hall, the Donglin faction, previously filled with grief and indignation, now rejoiced openly.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhongxian and his faction wore sullen faces, mourning as if bereaved. They knew all too well what Madam Ke understood; if she revealed everything, their doom was certain.

At this moment, they could not even silence her by killing her.

Half an hour passed in utter silence within the Hall of Supreme Harmony. As the officials’ legs grew numb from standing, Li Ruolian entered, carrying a thick stack of papers.

“Your Majesty, Madam Ke has fully confessed to the eighteen charges impeached by Qian Qianyi and has signed the documents. Please review them.”

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Wang Cheng’en presented the confession to Chongzhen, who took it slowly, occasionally glancing at the assembled officials.

The ministers were filled with dread, stealing nervous glances at the emperor as he turned the pages, feeling as though each sheet was a death warrant.

“Li Ruolian, drag Madam Ke out. She shall be executed by slow slicing, her entire clan exterminated, and their property confiscated into the imperial treasury.”

“All palace members associated with Madam Ke shall be imprisoned in the Ministry of Punishments. The three offices will jointly try them. Anyone involved shall be executed without pardon!”

Long after, Chongzhen finally spoke.

Historically, Madam Ke died beaten to death at the Laundry Bureau, but this Chongzhen had no intention of letting her off so easily—he ordered slow slicing and clan extermination outright.

Though not as furious as imagined, the officials felt as if a thunderclap had struck in silence.

“This matter concerning Madam Ke ends here. From this moment on, I do not wish to hear that name again.”

The ministers were dumbfounded. What was this?

After all the turmoil and five ministers dead, the result was Madam Ke’s death and clan extermination—what kind of justice was this? A fifty-fifty strike between the eunuch faction and the Donglin faction?

The main culprit Wei Zhongxian had yet to be dealt with, and yet it was already closed?

Did His Majesty intend to continue favoring Wei Zhongxian?

Wei Zhongxian and his followers were baffled, unable to fathom Chongzhen’s intentions.

“Very well, this court session is adjourned. I am somewhat weary. You may all withdraw.”

“Regarding the vacant positions, each ministry shall submit names. After the Ministry of Personnel’s assessment, the final list shall be presented to me.”

“Minister Zhou, you must be diligent in overseeing this for me!”

Chongzhen said this as he descended from the platform. This was a gross breach of protocol, but at this critical juncture, no minister dared to object—lest they suffer the same fate as those recently executed.

Stepping out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the sunlight fell upon him, and a wave of melancholy lifted from his heart. Everything was proceeding according to plan.

Now, all that remained was to await the arrival of the White Pole troops in the capital; then he could finally act without restraint.

A quarter-hour later, Chongzhen returned to the Eastern Warm Pavilion. No sooner had he sat down than Wang Cheng’en entered.

“Your Majesty, Wei Zhongxian requests an audience!”