Chapter 111: The Southern and Northern Lineages

After cursing out Kong Xingxie, Chongzhen felt considerably better. The descendant of Sage Confucius — before the founding emperor of the later Celestial Dynasty knocked Confucius off his pedestal, who under heaven did not show the Kong clan three parts of deference?

Now he had not only cursed him but also gleefully planted a kick on him. Even though he had grown accustomed to viewing matters from an emperor's perspective, he still felt a secret thrill.

Yet when he thought about the grand court assembly the next day, Chongzhen's head began to throb faintly once more.

The stunt he had pulled — in a later era, it would be textbook entrapment, the kind of thing that gets you featured on a legal affairs program.

Of course, now he was the Son of Heaven, enthroned in the supreme dignity of the Nine-Five. He could entrap however he pleased, and nothing anyone said would matter. Anyone who dared spout nonsense had better watch out — We would send them off to keep Huang Liji company!

The only problem was that this fellow Kong Xingxie's status was just too damn awkward — son of Kong Yanzhi, the sixty-fourth-generation Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage, and the undisputed heir to the sixty-fifth-generation dukedom.

But when he thought about the guy's father, Chongzhen felt even more aggrieved and even more disgusted. What kind of creature was this Kong Yanzhi?

Enfeoffed as Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage in the first year of Tianqi, yet by the seventh year of Tianqi, Kong Xingxie had already been detected as problematic by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Under a meticulous investigation that unraveled every thread, all the matters slowly surfaced.

First, the great merchant magnates of the south were no longer content with their status as fat sheep, or rather, fat pigs — it had only been two hundred years since Shen Wansan; the richer you were, the faster you died!

The magnates, severely lacking any sense of security, had long since begun grooming their own political spokesmen. The Donglin Faction was the bizarre product born of this background.

Next, when the Donglin Faction had been battered by Wei Zhongxian to the point of gasping its last breath, these people's gaze shifted to the high officials at court and to Liaodong.

The Donglin leader Qian Qianyi — the very fellow who later found the water too cold and, in this world, was sliced to death by Chongzhen early on — stirred up storms at court, colluding with Li Sancai, Ye Xianggao, Zhou Yanru, Hou Xun, and others to weave an enormous protective umbrella for the Donglin Faction.

Even Wei Zhongxian's venomous cunning could not completely finish off the Donglin Faction.

Zhou Yanru, in fact, was the massive chess piece these people had prepared to launch an assault on the position of Chief Grand Secretary; only, before the plan could be carried out, he was sliced up along with the rest by Chongzhen.

And after Qian Qianyi was dismissed from office and stripped of his post, he used his status as Donglin leader to quickly establish a connection with Kong Xingxie of the Kong residence in Shandong.

The people of the Kong Northern Lineage, long accustomed to groveling, never even considered what the Jianzhou barbarians would do to their family after they entered the pass — even a generation's ruthless hero like Kublai Khan still had to enfeoff their family as Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage, did he not?

Thus, the two parties, one willing as the lover and the other as the beloved, hit it off at once — the Kong Northern Lineage, as the line of the Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage, would provide an even greater protective umbrella at court for the Donglin Faction's smuggling activities, or rather, treasonous activities.

For example, Wen Tiren, even as the honored Chief Grand Secretary of the current court, could not lightly utter any words of refusal to Kong Xingxie, the young master and next-generation duke of the Kong Northern Lineage.

After all, every scholar under heaven was a disciple or follower of this family; if one offended this family, one's reputation would be utterly finished.

And the Donglin Faction, or rather, those magnates of the southeast, would provide the Kong Northern Lineage with more silver, letting the Northern Lineage people send it back to Qufu to fill their graves.

Although all the affairs had Kong Xingxie as the central go-between, to say that the current Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage, Kong Yanzhi, was completely ignorant — Chongzhen felt that was damn well like burning paper money at a grave: who the hell are you trying to fool?

After emerging from the Imperial Prison, Chongzhen thought it over and simply instructed Wang Cheng'en: "Send someone to collate all the materials concerning the Kong Northern Lineage, especially those that are less than glorious, and deliver them all here. We wish to read them.

Also, send someone to the Empress and tell her that We will be reviewing memorials through the night and that the Empress should retire early."

After a moment's thought, Chongzhen added: "And for Consort Tian and Consort Yuan as well — send someone to inform them too."

It was not until the court assembly the next day, after the assembled officials had finished their formal obeisance, that Chongzhen very cheerfully drew his blade: "We have heard that after the Great Accomplished Ultimate Sage and Former Teacher, the line of the Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage divided into a Southern Lineage and a Northern Lineage.

Why did this division occur? We have read little and know not much.

Which beloved minister might resolve Our doubts?"

Seeing that no one replied, Chongzhen directly called a name: "Left Instructor of the Left Spring Quarter, Minister Kong — the minister is the current head of the Southern Lineage. Why not let the minister explain it to Us?"

Kong Zhenyun actually had no desire whatsoever to stick his neck out. The dogshit messes the Northern Lineage had gotten into — the Southern Lineage was not blind; how could they possibly not see?

Although they had long been displeased with the Northern Lineage, their own Southern Lineage's history was also a pile of chicken feathers and duck blood; neither was any cleaner than the other.

Seeing that Chongzhen had called him by name, Kong Zhenyun had no choice but to step out from the ranks and say: "Your minister Kong Zhenyun memorializes Your Majesty: After the former Song Emperor Gaozong crossed south, he performed the suburban sacrifice at Yangzhou.

My ancestor, the forty-eighth-generation descendant, Lord Kong, taboo name Duanyou, received the former Song Emperor Gaozong's edict to lead the clansmen south. This is the origin of my Kong clan's Southern Lineage."

"After Lord Duanyou led the clan south, the puppet Qi ruler Liu Yu, propped up by the false Jin, once enfeoffed Lord Duanyou's full younger brother, Lord Duancao, as Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage.

From this point, the Southern and Northern Lineages stood side by side. By the time of the former Yuan under Kublai Khan, the false khan Kublai Khan once issued an edict to enfeoff Lord Duanyou as Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage.

Because the false khan was a barbarian and not a Son of Heaven of the Han line, Lord Duanyou, on the grounds that he could not bear to leave the family temple in Quzhou, yielded the title to the Northern Lineage.

From this point, the Southern Lineage no longer inherited the title."

After hearing Kong Zhenyun's account, Chongzhen nodded inwardly. The Southern Lineage was at least a little better than the Northern Lineage.

Though the Southern Lineage also had its pile of scandals. Yet the current situation left him no room to sympathize with either Southern or Northern Lineage — abolishing them all was what served his interests.

There was no helping it; Kong Zhenyun's line would also have to suffer some grievances.

Having made up his mind, Chongzhen spoke: "Since the Southern Lineage was unwilling to accept enfeoffment from barbarians, that is worthy of some respect.

Yet We observe in the historical records that during the false Yuan dynasty alone, twenty-two members of the Southern Lineage served as education officials. Might Minister Kong have something to teach Us on this matter?"

Hearing Chongzhen speak thus, Kong Zhenyun simply covered his face with his sleeve and said: "Your minister is ashamed." In his heart, however, he thought: What was bound to come has come!

These shabby affairs of the Southern Lineage could not be concealed after all; there must be petty men in the palace whispering slander!

As he was pondering how to handle the coming interrogation, he heard Chongzhen continue in that lukewarm tone: "Forget it. After all, these are matters of the former false Yuan. If We pursued them, it would make Us appear too harsh and discourteous."

Although Kong Zhenyun could not fathom what Chongzhen was thinking, since matters had reached this point, he could only kowtow and express gratitude: "Your Majesty's profound grace — your minister is engraved with gratitude in his very marrow."

Yet Chongzhen had no intention of letting the matter drop so inconclusively. He continued: "Minister Kong, do not be in a hurry to express thanks. We have one more matter We wish to discuss with you."

Kong Zhenyun wondered what damn matter Chongzhen could possibly have to discuss with him. Could it be that he wanted him to inherit the title of Duke for the Perpetuation of the Sage?

That would be a good thing; after all, the scandals the Northern Lineage had gotten into were far too disgusting. The thought flickered through his mind and vanished in an instant.

Kong Zhenyun said: "Please instruct me, Your Majesty."

Chongzhen said: "We intend to strip the Northern Lineage of its title!"

I just got off the train this morning, and then had to reapply for my ID card, arrange heating for the apartment, and so on — I've been truly swamped. Only now am I updating; sorry, sorry.

Also, a word of advice to brothers who are about to renovate or will renovate in the future: absolutely do not renovate in winter. Even if you must do it in winter, remember to arrange heating. His mother's! This whitewash job is completely ruined; damn mold has grown all over it!

(End of Chapter)