After Yang Xian fell from grace at the imperial court, the Yang family's downfall followed swiftly.
The entire Yang family, comprising dozens of households, had their assets confiscated and turned over to the state, leaving them with nothing. It was estimated that three generations would be purged, encompassing paternal and maternal relatives, numbering over a hundred individuals who would not escape. It could be said that anyone surnamed Yang had suffered immense misfortune.
Li Shanchang's swift and brutal retaliation was truly terrifying. Many officials who had offended him during his period of disfavor now found themselves in a state of panic. These individuals, accustomed to preying on the weak and fearing the strong, began to seriously consider how much silver they would need to offer as an apology and plea for mercy to Li Shanchang.
However, Li Shanchang no longer required such authority or reverence. He was already contemplating his escape route. He attributed all the credit for this matter to Hu Weiyong.
...
Thus, due to the Yang Xian affair, Hu Weiyong's prestige within the imperial court was initially established. Coupled with Li Shanchang's delegation of power, Hu Weiyong's ascent in the officialdom was significantly faster than Yang Xian's had been. It wasn't long before Hu Weiyong became the leader of the Huai Xi faction of officials, assuming the position of Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat. His power was immense, surpassing that of the once arrogant Yang Xian by a considerable margin.
As is often the case in life, where there is laughter, there is also sorrow. On the other side, Yang Xian's situation was dire. It had been five years since Yang Xian took on the role of Prefect of Yangzhou and subsequently rose to the position of Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat. During these five years, Yang Xian himself remained incorrupt and refused bribes. However, his younger brother, Yang Fan, under the guise of his brother's authority, had engaged in numerous acts of plunder and extortion, amassing wealth with ease. The Yang family rapidly became one of the most prominent influential families in the Great Ming Empire, possessing fortunes of tens of millions of guan, vast tracts of fertile land, and numerous shops. Even in the bustling capital, renowned for its wealth, the Yang family ranked among the foremost. The Yang family's descendants lived lives of unparalleled luxury and extravagance. Yet, in the span of a few days, the Yang family's glory had come to an abrupt end!
Just five days prior, Imperial Commissioner Chi Ling had arrived at the Yang mansion and, on Yang Xian's orders, announced the investigation and trial of Yang Xian's various crimes. Logically, handling the case of a high-ranking official like Yang Xian should have involved meticulous procedure: repeated investigations, thorough evidence gathering, covert inquiries, and opportunities for rebuttal and confrontation... After considerable wrangling among the various factions, the process would undoubtedly have been drawn out, taking at least half a year, or even a year, to conclude. At the very least, the basic procedures would need to be completed before Yang Xian could be convicted. However, under a tacit understanding among all parties, the matter was resolved with astonishing speed. All investigative procedures were completed within a mere three days. The pace of action was decisive, directly confirming all of Yang Xian's charges!
Although the proceedings were hasty, Chi Ling knew that no one would blame him! After all, Yang Xian's downfall benefited everyone except the Yang faction! With Yang Xian and his cronies removed, officials saw prospects for further promotion. The Yang mansion's assets would be returned to the national treasury, and Zhu Yuanzhang would be pleased... Chi Ling himself, and Hu Weiyong behind him, stood to gain considerable advantages! Therefore, no one questioned Chi Ling's arbitrary handling of the case. Perhaps Yang Xian and his family felt indignant. But in their fallen state, no one cared about their feelings. Once Yang Xian's affairs were concluded, Chi Ling, without delay, led a large contingent of soldiers to the Yang mansion to begin the confiscation of property! This was Chi Ling's true objective; the so-called trial and conviction were merely symbolic actions.
The Yang family faced an unprecedented catastrophe. The once opulent Yang mansion was now in disarray. The Yang family members, who had lived lives of privilege, were all detained in the rear courtyard of the mansion... The servants, who had once acted with the arrogance of their masters, were now forced to kneel around the premises, trembling as they watched Yang Fan. Everyone in the Yang mansion felt that doom had befallen them, that their end had arrived. As for Yang Fan himself, his face was devoid of expression, save for a sense of numbness. He did not attempt to resist, merely watching the unfolding events in silence.
A large number of Embroidered Uniform Guard entered the Yang mansion and began a thorough search. The mansion was filled with the sounds of kicking doors, rummaging through cabinets and chests, as well as coarse shouts and the clatter of hurried footsteps. The Yang mansion, sprawling across dozens of mu, was enveloped by an atmosphere of misery and terror. The Embroidered Uniform Guard searched from room to room, seizing all valuable possessions and discarding anything of lesser worth on the ground! Anyone in the Yang household who dared to resist was met with a beating. The Yang family had fallen from grace, reduced to a state worse than that of a commoner. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, known for their ruthless methods, certainly showed no leniency.
Chi Ling, who was overseeing the confiscation, wore a triumphant expression. He surveyed the magnificent Yang mansion, mentally calculating the immense benefits he would reap from this operation. After the extensive looting, Chi Ling discovered treasures in the Yang mansion valued at approximately eighteen million taels of silver. However, after deliberation between Hu Weiyong and Chi Ling, the reported amount was only eight million taels of silver. In this confiscation, they had embezzled over ten million taels of silver collectively.
Ultimately, Yang Xian was sentenced by the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Bi Deyang, to the gruesome punishment of being torn apart by five horses, with his three ancestral clans—paternal, maternal, and paternal relatives—totaling over five hundred individuals, beheaded. The execution took place in a desolate wilderness. Although Yang Xian was sentenced to be torn apart by five horses, Hu Weiyong, seeking further retribution, privately exercised his authority and replaced the five horses with five oxen.
It is important to note that in the Ming Dynasty, the punishment of being torn apart by five horses was a torture second only to being cut into ten thousand pieces. This method involved attaching five horses to a person's head and limbs, and then pulling them apart forcefully. During the execution, five individuals would whip the horses in five different directions. As the terrified horses ran apart, the victim's body would be ripped into five or six pieces. This was known as "wǔ mǎ fēn shī" (五马分尸).
The punishment of being torn apart by five oxen, however, was even more brutal than that of five horses. The victim's head and limbs would be bound to the shafts of five carts, with each cart pulled by an ox. The oxen would then be whipped, and as they moved, the person's limbs would be torn apart into five pieces. Oxen, while stronger than horses, were slower. Therefore, the suffering inflicted by this method was comparable to being cut into ten thousand pieces. Due to its extreme cruelty, the punishment of being torn apart by five oxen was rarely used in ancient times, with only three individuals in thousands of years having endured it. These three were Shang Yang, Lao Ai, and Li Cunxiao!
Dressed in plain white, Yang Xian walked numbly, escorted by two imperial guards to the execution ground. The location was desolate, with no one present except those involved in the execution. This was clearly Hu Weiyong's wish, to prevent too many people from witnessing the downfall of his political rival, or perhaps, his sole adversary in life.
In his final moments, Yang Xian's eyes, previously ashen, flickered with a brief return of consciousness. He spoke, "I... I am to die now?"
"And by the method of being torn apart by five oxen?"
"Hahahaha..."
"Truly, the victor becomes king, the vanquished becomes a bandit!"
Yang Xian wished to curse the executioners but found his throat too dry and devoid of strength. He turned his head and, at the position of the supervising official, saw his lifelong enemy, Hu Weiyong. Drawing upon some unknown strength, Yang Xian shouted loudly in Hu Weiyong's direction.
"What Marquis of Huaiyin said is not false: 'When the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is boiled; when the flying bird is gone, the good bow is stored away; when the enemy state is destroyed, the wise minister perishes.' The realm is pacified, and thus I am to be boiled!"
"My death today, who knows if it will not be your death tomorrow? Brother Hu, I shall await you in the eighteenth level of hell..."
"Hahahaha..."
"The time of noon has arrived, proceed with the execution!"
Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong's smile gradually faded. His face turned grim as he threw down his token and declared, "Proceed!"
The five individuals responsible for the execution, receiving the command, did not hesitate. They cracked their whips against the oxen's hindquarters, causing the five oxen to surge forward simultaneously. Piercing screams of agony emanated from Yang Xian's mouth. As the five ox carts slowly pulled in five different directions, blood spurted from Yang Xian's neck and limbs, staining his clothes. The five ox carts continued to move forward at a deliberate pace, propelled by human intervention? The ligaments connecting Yang Xian's neck and limbs separated first, followed by bones, and finally, flesh and skin. With a "splat," Yang Xian's head fell first, followed by his two legs, and then his two arms.
Hu Weiyong, who had initially felt immense satisfaction witnessing Yang Xian's suffering, found his heart stirred by the thought of the "cunning rabbit, hunting dog" scenario Yang Xian had mentioned upon seeing the five unevenly sized pieces of flesh. He stood in silence for a long time before slowly departing.
During this search, the majority of the Yang mansion was handled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. However, certain critical areas, such as Yang Xian's study, private chambers, and storerooms, were personally inspected by Yu Qian, the Director of the Eastern Depot. As their search areas were fewer, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's search concluded first. A leading commander from the Eastern Depot entered the conference room swiftly. Without speaking, he glanced at the Embroidered Uniform Guard members stationed around the room. Understanding his intention, Yu Qian waved his hand, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard members, acting in unison, departed, leaving only the eunuchs of the Eastern Depot in the room.