Chapter 110: In This World There Are Actually Such Brazen, Shameless Scoundrels

Hearing the question Chongzhen asked, Kong Xingxie grew more certain of his own suspicions. Yet now he was unarmed, and behind Chongzhen stood a strapping, dead-eyed eunuch watching him like a hawk; beyond that, a host of Embroidered Uniform Guard escorts waited outside.

Even if he wanted to stake everything on one desperate gamble, he feared the only outcome would be death, nothing more.

Besides, Chongzhen had once personally led a campaign, pursuing the Jianzhou barbarians beyond the passes — who in the realm did not know that the reigning Son of Heaven possessed superb martial skill?

Thinking it through to this point, he realized that only his status as the next-generation Yansheng Duke could possibly save his life.

Kong Xingxie answered Chongzhen's question in a trembling voice: "Replying to Your Majesty, the ancestral sage's meaning was to praise Guanzi for assisting Duke Huan of Qi and safeguarding the royal house of Zhou.

Had it not been for Guanzi, the Zhou lands would likely have been overrun with barbarian stench, and the divine realm would have sunk into ruin."

Chongzhen gave an "mm" and said, "Quite right. From this we can see that the Sage Confucius placed great weight on the distinction between Hua and Yi. Have We spoken incorrectly?"

Kong Xingxie said, "Your Majesty's words are perfectly correct. The distinction between Hua and Yi — this is the great boundary."

Chongzhen said, "Indeed. In the former Tang, Wei Zheng also said: the Yi and Di are not of our kind; their hearts must differ.

When strong, they will surely plunder and raid; when weak, they cower and submit. They disregard grace and righteousness — such is their inborn nature.

Even the Song scholar Su Shi once remarked that the Yi and Di cannot be governed by the governance of the Central Kingdom; they are akin to beasts and birds."

He paused, giving Kong Xingxie a moment to think, then continued: "So We are very curious — what was Yuan Haowen thinking? Hm?!

To honor Kublai as Grand Master of Confucian Learning? If the Ultimate Sage and First Teacher knew of this beneath the springs, would he not be so enraged by you lot that he'd die all over again?

Hm?!"

Kong Xingxie knelt on the ground, already drenched in sweat. Though Chongzhen was speaking of Yuan Haowen, he was surely speaking of these men of the Northern Kong lineage as well.

Judging by the implications threading through Chongzhen's words now, the Northern lineage would have a hard time coming out of this well.

Before Kong Xingxie could devise any excuse, he heard Chongzhen continue: "We have pored through the histories and discovered that beginning with Kong Zhen, it was by accepting the Mongol Yuan's investiture that your line inherited the Yansheng Duke title, while the line of the original Yansheng Duke, Kong Zhu, crossed south.

We are also very curious: both faced Mongol Yuan investiture — how was it that Kong Zhu's line could cross south, while your Kong Zhen line accepted the Mongol Yuan's investiture with such perfect peace of mind?"

Without waiting for Kong Xingxie to speak, Chongzhen went on: "If one said that Kong Shixing endured humiliation and bore a heavy burden in order to preserve the ancestral lands of the Yansheng Duke line, We could accept that.

But since he accepted the investiture of the barbarian caitiffs, how then, after the Exalted Emperor, our Great Ancestor, ascended the throne, did he accept the investiture of our Great Ming — yet never once breathe a word of yielding the title to the Southern lineage?"

Kong Xingxie was left speechless with shame, but Chongzhen pressed on regardless: "We know well that Our own learning is not profound, and so We choose to read widely. The Gongyang Commentary, Fourth Year of Duke Zhuang: 'Can vengeance be exacted after nine generations?

Even after a hundred generations, it may be.' Even Emperor Xiaowu of the Former Han praised Duke Zhuang, saying: 'Duke Xiang avenged a wrong nine generations old; the Spring and Autumn Annals magnify him.' We wish to ask you, Master Kong — when the Exalted Emperor, our Great Ancestor, drove the Mongol Yuan northward, what exactly did your Northern lineage do?"

As he spoke, Chongzhen grew inexplicably furious and roared: "Fine. Every man in your Northern lineage is a frail scholar who couldn't truss a chicken — you never took up arms and served. We do not blame you for that. But what about now? Hm?!"

Startled by Chongzhen's sudden explosion of rage, Kong Xingxie could bear it no longer; a warmth spread between his legs, and he lost control of his bladder then and there.

Seeing Chongzhen cover his nose and step back, Kong Xingxie finally realized he had committed a gross breach of decorum before the sovereign.

Caring nothing for the discomfort of his soiled clothes, he hastily kowtowed and said: "This student has been indecorous before the sovereign — a crime deserving ten thousand deaths. I beseech Your Majesty's forgiveness."

Chongzhen, however, chuckled lightly: "What is Master Kong afraid of? We never said We were going to do anything to you, did We?"

Kong Xingxie caught the mocking edge in Chongzhen's tone, yet in his heart he suddenly felt a wave of relief.

In any case, no matter what, the worst that could happen was losing the Yansheng Duke title — but as for his entire clan, high and low, surely even Chongzhen would not dare slaughter them all.

With a bit more nerve now, Kong Xingxie steeled himself and said: "This student thanks Your Majesty. Only, this student also has one thing to say, though I know not whether it is proper to speak it."

Chongzhen said: "Speak!"

Kong Xingxie continued: "Your Majesty, ever since Master Zhu of the former Song, the Cheng-Zhu school of principle has held wide sway. Though it still honors my Kong lineage with the Yansheng Duke title, how can it be said to still be the family learning of my Kong clan?

Much within it contravenes the sacred precepts of our ancestor. Yet the times demanded it — how could my Kong clan stand against the great tide of the age?

I beseech Your Majesty's clear discernment."

Chongzhen sneered: "So by this reasoning, your Kong clan bears no blame?"

Kong Xingxie kowtowed again: "Your Majesty is sagaciously wise. This student believes that though my Kong sage has faults, the fault does not lie entirely with my Kong clan."

Chongzhen was thoroughly defeated by Kong Xingxie's eloquence — it sounded perfectly reasoned, yet was in truth utter nonsense. He sneered: "Then regarding Yuan Chonghuan, how does Master Kong explain himself?

And how does Master Kong explain the grain that vanished into thin air from the Ever-Normal Granary?"

Kong Xingxie argued: "Replying to Your Majesty, this student has never been acquainted with Governor-General Yuan, and therefore does not know what explanation Your Majesty requires, or what explanation that would be.

As for the Ever-Normal Granary, it is even less connected to my Kong clan. This student is dull-witted and cannot clearly grasp Your Majesty's meaning.

I beseech Your Majesty's forgiveness."

At this moment, Chongzhen felt as if ten thousand divine beasts of the steppe were stampeding through his heart. Apart from what he had seen in television and on the internet in his former life, he had never encountered such a brazen, shameless scoundrel: "You do not know?

That the grain from this Ever-Normal Granary all ended up with the son of Li Sancai in Tongzhou, just waiting to be shipped to Liaodong?"

No longer able to contain the fury in his heart, Chongzhen simply stepped forward and kicked Kong Xingxie in the shoulder, roaring: "In this entire Great Ming, from top to bottom, what affair can escape Our knowledge?!

What do you take the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern and Western Depots for? Decorations for Us to admire?

First Qian Muzhai, then Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai, Wu Weiye, then Yuan Chonghuan — to the west, the Eight Great Shanxi Merchant Houses, to the south, collusion with those great merchants who have neither family nor country — and your Kong clan at the center, liaising, all together digging a grave for the Great Ming.

Do you think We do not know?"

Not daring to dodge, Kong Xingxie was kicked sprawling to the ground. He scrambled back up and once more knelt properly with the utmost deference, wailing: "Your Majesty, this student truly does not know what matters Your Majesty speaks of.

All those things Your Majesty mentions — this student knows absolutely nothing of them, Your Majesty!"

After kicking Kong Xingxie, the fury in Chongzhen's heart subsided slightly. He continued: "If the Jianzhou barbarians enter the pass, it will be the affair of Mount Ya all over again.

Only, We wonder — when the former Song fell, a hundred thousand scholars still cast themselves into the sea together. When the time comes for our Great Ming, how many scholars will complain the water is too cold!"

Having vented all the rage in his heart in one burst, Chongzhen recovered some of his reason. He suddenly chuckled softly: "Enough. We met with you today simply to see what manner of creature your Kong clan truly is. So it turns out, nothing more than this."

"Holding neither state nor sovereign in your heart — that is disloyalty.

Betraying the teachings of your ancestors — that is unfilialness. In Qufu alone, the greater half of the farmland belongs to your house, heedless whether the common people live or die — that is uncharitableness.

Caring only to shirk responsibility, heedless whether your allies live or die — that is unrighteousness.

Learning nothing from the lessons of the former Song, secretly colluding with the Jianzhou barbarians, giving no thought at all to the catastrophe of the divine realm sinking into ruin once the barbarians enter the pass — that is unwisdom.

When matters come to a head, daring to act but not daring to own it — that is cowardice!"

"A wretch so disloyal, unfilial, uncharitable, unrighteous, unwise, and cowardly — what face has he to stand in this world?!"

"We shall see, once your Yansheng Duke title is stripped away, what face your Northern lineage has left to hold down the coffin lid of the Ultimate Sage and First Teacher!"

(End of Chapter)