Hidden behind the closed doors of a seemingly peaceful home, the body of a government official has been found. He was one of thousands to be murdered by Emperor Hongwu. It was only months earlier when the first death occurred. Prime minister, Hu Weiyong was found in the office of his eldest son, stuffed and hung from the ceiling. His head was later discovered spiked onto a pole as a “reminder” to others that rules must be obeyed. The paranoia that led to the murder immediately escalated to a killing rampage. Thousands of bodies can be seen dotting the landscape and blowing in the wind. “I’m terrified,” admits the wife of an official. “My husband is on close terms with the emperor but one wrong move could easily lead to a new decoration on my fence post. I don’t want to come home to a gruesome surprise.”
Though many commoners are worried that the emperor’s harsh penalties are unfair and extreme the emperor assures his people that those who receive the death penalty are deserving criminals. There is, however, a difference between the death penalty and the public display of stuffed, beheaded corpses. The emperor explained that this too, was necessary to serve as warnings. “If people feel that plotting and slyness is okay, our country will fall apart. We need control and structure!”
Empress Ma, bound by marital loyalties, defends her husband saying,“ He’s a good man under a lot of stress. The weight of running a country can take a toll on a person, especially when that person comes from peasant background. Sometimes he gets a little anxious, or suspicious, but we all need to take the circumstances into consideration.”
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