Chapter 326: Qufu's Kong Mansion

But at this moment, Xu Guangqi couldn't very well raise the matter of money with Zhu Youxiao, because there was truly no way to say it.

Was he to tell Your Majesty that his methods were excessive and there was no money to give?

What kind of talk was that?

He could only go back and think of other ways, to see if he could scrape together some funds.

However, Zhu Youxiao did not share Xu Guangqi's concerns. He had never intended to spend a single coin of his own on this trip out of the capital. Someone else would pay the money, and they would have no choice but to pay.

Zhu Youxiao only looked at the refugees from a distance and did not go over for an on-site inspection. It wasn't that he didn't want to go over, but rather that it was truly inconvenient; and even if he did go and look, what difference would it make?

The refugees' lives were what they were; they would not change just because Zhu Youxiao went to look at them. What Zhu Youxiao wanted to examine was something else, and the things he did had to be kept behind the scenes.

As for running around to build up his reputation and presence, Zhu Youxiao had no interest in that. Even if he maxed out his presence here, it wouldn't be of much use. The Great Ming's problems did not lie in this link of the chain, but in other issues.

Knowing that Liu Mao hadn't lied, knowing that he had truly done things — that was already enough.

What Zhu Youxiao wanted to inspect was the officials. What could an Emperor's visit represent? Only officials could represent the Great Ming.

The common people of this era had not yet awakened to knowledge, and some practices at certain times were not of much use. In a few days, once the grain and money were distributed, Zhu Youxiao could go out and show his face, letting the people see that the Emperor had given them grain.

Going over now, aside from making empty promises, would serve no great purpose.

"Alright, let's head back." Zhu Youxiao glanced at the ministers beside him and said expressionlessly.

The crowd dared not say much of anything. No one knew what His Majesty was thinking at the moment, and under such circumstances, not speaking and not acting was the most appropriate choice.

And so the crowd followed Zhu Youxiao back.

Early the next morning, Liu Mao came running over to request an audience.

Looking at Liu Mao with his dark circles, Zhu Youxiao knew that Liu Mao hadn't slept at all. This Prefect of Dezhou had probably gone back and worked the entire night without doing anything else.

"Your subject Liu Mao, paying respects to Your Majesty." Upon seeing Zhu Youxiao, Liu Mao hastily knelt and bowed.

"Enough, rise." Zhu Youxiao looked at Liu Mao and said: "Judging by your appearance, you must have worked all night. Disaster is like fire, and the victims are crying out to be fed. You work with dedication — this is very good."

"Your subject has only fulfilled the duty of a minister." Liu Mao said hastily.

For Liu Mao, receiving such praise from His Majesty was already enough to fill his heart with joy. He quickly raised the memorial in his hands and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, this is what your subject drafted last night. Time was somewhat rushed, so there may be shortcomings. I beg Your Majesty to correct it."

"Present it." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.

Chen Hong hurried over to receive the memorial, then quickly walked back to Zhu Youxiao's side, holding the memorial up before His Majesty with both hands.

Reaching out to take the memorial from Chen Hong's hands, Zhu Youxiao quickly flipped through it.

In this memorial, Liu Mao had formulated a very detailed plan centered on "relief through work." From the repair of the docks to the dredging of the canals, to the restoration of the river embankments, and the mending of roads within the prefecture — everything was arranged.

According to Liu Mao's account, the projects would begin one by one, starting with the most urgent. If the refugees stayed in Dezhou for a long time, then all the projects would be done; if they stayed only briefly, then the urgent ones at the front would be completed.

Even at the end, he had clearly written out how to coordinate personnel and how to distribute grain and silver — all laid out in perfect clarity.

From this memorial alone, one could already discern certain things. Zhu Youxiao found that this Liu Mao indeed had some ability; he was not an official who just muddled through his days.

Zhu Youxiao said: "Well done. Have you already started mobilizing?"

"For the initial phase, use the grain and silver from Dezhou's prefectural treasury to hold things together. Later, I will have people send you silver and grain. Additionally, prepare some grain — I will bring it to the refugees shortly and distribute it all to them so they have a few days' rations, and then you can lead them to work."

"Your subject understands. I will go prepare at once." Liu Mao hastily agreed.

His Majesty was clearly trying to win people's hearts — Liu Mao could see that. But this matter had to be cooperated with fully, letting His Majesty win hearts completely; otherwise, his own troubles would be great.

Such things could only be done by His Majesty. Liu Mao would never dare do them himself.

After returning, he would arrange for the yamen staff to spread word among the refugees, telling them that His Majesty had arrived, bringing them grain and also bringing them work. As long as they listened to the court's instructions and did things according to the court's arrangements, they would receive grain and wages.

These things were all brought to them by His Majesty. At the same time, the refugees should be organized to kowtow and give thanks to His Majesty. Such occasions also needed to be grand in scale — some local gentry and rural gentry should be invited to donate money and grain, expressing their support for the court and His Majesty.

At the same time, some scholars and literati should be found to record this event and write articles extolling virtues and praising merits, to be presented to His Majesty together later.

In Liu Mao's view, this was his opportunity.

The matter had to be handled beautifully, and the flattery also had to be loud enough.

Having served as an official for so many years, Liu Mao knew very well that talking without doing wouldn't do, and doing without talking wouldn't do either. Especially when facing His Majesty — one's words had to be polished, and one's deeds had to be polished as well.

Zhu Youxiao gave Liu Mao a deep look and said: "Alright, go prepare."

After Liu Mao left, Chen Hong quietly came to Zhu Youxiao's side and said: "Your Majesty, Xu Xianchun, the Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has arrived."

"Let him in." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.

Before long, Xu Xianchun walked in from outside.

His expression was very serious. Upon seeing Zhu Youxiao, he hastily bowed and said, "Your subject Xu Xianchun, paying respects to Your Majesty."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "Report on the situation."

"To answer Your Majesty, Liu Mao, the Prefect of Dezhou, did indeed organize people to donate money and goods, and did indeed relieve the people. He can be said to have done some practical work."

"However, there are also many people in Dezhou city who have profited from this. They took the opportunity to hoard supplies, drive up prices, and transport grain to the disaster areas to sell at high prices."

"But your subject has uncovered one thing — the grain they transported was never sold by themselves, but was instead transferred to a merchant house called Hongsheng."

"Right now, virtually all of Shandong's grain is held in the hands of this merchant house. Especially in the disaster areas, this merchant house has been hoarding goods on a grand scale and driving up prices."

"Grain prices throughout the disaster-stricken Jizhou Prefecture are extremely high. At the same time, people are buying up the refugees' farmland on a large scale and issuing loans aggressively, forcing the refugees to sell their sons and daughters."

Upon hearing this, there was no surprise on Zhu Youxiao's face.

At a time like this, if one didn't make a fortune, how could that be worthy of those people's consciences?

Having such things happen was only normal; otherwise, the Great Ming would not be the Great Ming.

Zhu Youxiao's focus was not on this matter. He went on to ask: "Why would these merchants be willing to sell their grain to this merchant house called Hongsheng?"

One had to understand — this was an opportunity to get rich. No one would give away money that had come into their hands. If, when faced with such an opportunity to get rich, they were willing to give away the money in hand, then that could only mean one thing: they had no choice but to give it away.

This money had to be let others earn. Others ate the meat, and they could only follow along and drink a bit of the soup.

"To answer Your Majesty, it's actually very simple — because behind this Hongsheng merchant house stands Qufu." Xu Xianchun said without the slightest hesitation.

For Xu Xianchun, no one was more important than the His Majesty before him.

His Majesty had shown him the favor of promotion, and he was also a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard — there could be nothing else in his eyes.

His predecessor Luo Sigong had lost his post precisely because there was something else in his eyes. He had not come to his current position easily, and he could not make such a mistake.

Zhu Youxiao was not surprised either, and nodded lightly, saying, "Not unexpected."

Shandong is the hometown of Confucius, but it is also a place with a long history of rebellion. In the Three Kingdoms period there was Huang Chao, and by the Ming Dynasty, Shandong had seen no shortage of uprisings either.

During the Yongle era, Tang Saier rebelled in Shandong, and now Xu Hongru was preparing to rebel as well. The people of Shandong live very bitter lives—why is that?

Zhu Youxiao looked up at Xu Xianchun and said, "Go investigate something for me—find out exactly how much land the Kong family of Qufu holds in Shandong. Do not alert the local officials of Shandong. Report back to me once you have the answer."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will investigate immediately." Xu Xianchun hurriedly bowed in assent.

"Very well, go." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand.

After Xu Xianchun had left, Zhu Youxiao let out a sigh.

Qufu—this was a place-name that could not be avoided in the Ming Dynasty.

In the sixth year of Zhengde, the peasant rebel army led by Liu Liu and Liu Qi of Hebei "breached Qufu, burned several hundred official buildings and civilian homes, and reduced the county seat to ruins."

Emperor Wuzong Zhu Houzhao issued an edict ordering the Governor of Shandong to build a new city at the southwest corner of the old Lu capital, centered on the Confucius Temple—this is the existing Ming-era old city.

And within Qufu lay the Kong Mansion!

During the Hongzhi reign, the Confucius Temple suffered a fire.

In the sixteenth year of Hongzhi, Emperor Xiaozong decreed a major renovation of the Queli Confucius Temple and the Duke Yansheng's Mansion, with Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat and Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent Li Dongyang overseeing the works, after which the Kong Mansion was rebuilt once more.

Before the Zhengde era of the Ming, the Kong Mansion was not located within the city walls of Qufu, but outside the county seat, ten li from the city.

During the Jiajing reign, to protect the Kong Mansion and Confucius Temple, Emperor Shizong ordered the relocation of Qufu County town, moving the city to guard the temples. After ten years of construction, the new city of Qufu was completed, with towering city walls and a deep moat outside. The Kong Mansion and Confucius Temple stood at the heart of Qufu, establishing the scale of the Kong Mansion.

Coming to Shandong, what he could not avoid was Qufu, and equally unavoidable was the Kong Mansion. On the ground of Shandong, the words of the Kong Mansion probably carried more weight than his own imperial edicts.

This time, most of the disaster-stricken areas surrounded Qufu, and Xu Hongru's rebellion was also centered around Qufu. It had to be said—this was an interesting matter.