Chapter 123: Please, Holy Ruler, Define Confucian Righteousness, Condense Qi with Virtue, and Scold Thirty Thousand Scholars!

Da Xia Capital.

Outside the North City Gate.

Tens of thousands of scholars have gathered here.

They wear mourning clothes, hang banners, looking exactly like a mob demanding retribution; some wail in grief, some curse Gu Jin Nian, while most stare coldly.

Because on the North City Gate.

Gu Jin Nian's figure suddenly appears before everyone's eyes.

"It's Gu Jin Nian."

"He is indeed Gu Jin Nian."

"Look, Gu Jin Nian has arrived."

As dark clouds cover the North City Gate, voices rise in succession; someone who sees Gu Jin Nian points at the gate and shouts loudly.

Upon seeing Gu Jin Nian, the scholars instantly become agitated.

On the city wall, the commander in charge of troop deployment immediately bows to Gu Jin Nian.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince."

"We act on the emperor's orders to maintain order; Your Highness need not come here, lest you be defiled by these petty men."

The military leader also knows what has happened; he harbors no goodwill toward these people, so he hopes Gu Jin Nian will not be disturbed by them.

"Does the emperor have any other orders?"

Gu Jin Nian looks at the other party and asks calmly.

"The emperor has issued a verbal edict, telling us not to harm anyone."

The commander speaks, giving a reply.

"Very well."

"Let this matter be handled by this Crown Prince."

Gu Jin Nian nods, then takes a few steps forward, stands atop the high wall, overlooking the scholars in mourning clothes.

Most of these scholars come from Jiangnan Academy; at this moment they stare at him like tigers, as if they could devour him whole.

As if a heavenly grudge were at play.

"Gu Jin Nian, you must answer for your life."

"Gu Jin Nian, you deserve death."

"Gu Jin Nian, restore my master's life."

In an instant, as Gu Jin Nian appears, a chorus of curses erupts; the scholars' voices are chaotic, each shouting over the other, yet everyone can hear the anger in their words.

And they truly wish Gu Jin Nian dead.

"Clang."

At that moment, a bell rings from the wall, instantly suppressing the scholars' clamor.

Gu Jin Nian glances at the commander beside him, then slowly says a sentence.

The latter then takes a deep breath, stands atop the gate, and roars loudly.

"The Crown Prince commands."

"Send ten men forward to converse with him; you all shut up and stop embarrassing yourselves here."

The commander speaks, scolding the crowd.

The words cause the scholars' faces to turn sour instantly.

"You order us to step forward, and we will? Then die."

"What audacity! You forced Sun Ru to death, yet you still dare say that?"

"Truly arrogant to the extreme; we thirty thousand scholars have gathered here—if you have the skill, kill us."

"Everyone, ignore him, keep shouting; I want to see whether Gu Jin Nian dares to act against us."

Voices rise; they don't care about Gu Jin Nian at all—if you have the ability, kill him; over thirty thousand scholars here exert terrifying pressure.

Not even Gu Jin Nian; even the current prime minister would not dare to act against them.

In fact, civil and military officials have long known of this, observing covertly; should any irregularity arise, they will intervene immediately.

At this moment Gu Jin Nian must not act recklessly; if he truly kills these thirty thousand scholars, disaster will follow.

The overwhelming shouts echo throughout Da Xia Capital, audible to everyone inside.

Facing such shouts, Gu Jin Nian remains calm, speaking only to the commander beside him; he does not wish to shout, letting the commander speak for him.

Soon, the leading commander speaks again.

"The Crown Prince commands: you scholars, gathering without cause and plotting rebellion; if you ignore discipline, we will report to the emperor and punish you three generations, barring you from official service."

The commanding officer speaks, gazing at the scholars, echoing what Gu Jin Nian just said.

Upon hearing this, the crowd indeed fell silent.

Gu Jin Nian is now an Inspector Commander; the six ministries must be handled with priority.

In other words, if you haven't erred, Gu Jin Nian can still disgust you.

If you have erred, then sorry, Gu Jin Nian can not only disgust you but also bring you misfortune.

The gathering of thirty thousand scholars without cause is no small matter; although they can argue for justice.

But is this the way to demand justice? Can't they report first? May I ask whether the county magistrate refuses your request, or the prefect refuses?

It seems none of them do, right?

It's just that you called friends together and gathered, right?

Whoever is behind this doesn't matter; punishing this crime is nothing.

Barring three generations from official service is a bit exaggerated; the Ministry of Rites and Ministry of Personnel likely won't agree, but prohibiting entry for three to five years poses no major issue.

For a moment the crowd fell silent; they knew in their hearts that if this continued they would have to gamble their own futures.

This move was formidable; the crowd dared to be angry but not to speak.

"I'll step forward; everyone, please remain silent. Gu Jin Nian only has this little skill."

"Right, don't be afraid; I will advance together with Brother Chen."

"Gu Jin Nian can only dare this; he forced Sun Ru to death, what else is there to say? I will also go with Brother Chen."

For a moment the crowd indeed fell silent; a few troublemakers spoke up, stepping forward to confront Gu Jin Nian.

After about half an hour, finally ten people stepped forward and arrived beneath the city gate.

All ten were outstanding youths; standing at the foot of the city, they were neither servile nor arrogant, lifted their heads, stared at Gu Jin Nian, their gazes filled with anger, contempt, haughtiness, and coldness.

Each was different.

On the city wall.

Gu Jin Nian glanced; he felt a chill. He had originally intended to pursue enlightenment, but never expected this to happen.

If left unresolved, it would remain a trouble; now he must cut the Gordian knot and eliminate these people.

"Gather thirty thousand scholars and state your purpose."

On the city wall, Gu Jin Nian spoke, his gaze icy toward them.

"Gu Jin Nian, stop playing dumb here; you forced Mr. Sun to death, you cannot be unaware of this. Speak—how should it be dealt with?"

"Gu Jin Nian, do not put on a false front here, pretending innocence. How will you take responsibility for Mr. Sun's death?"

They spoke, especially a man in his early twenties, dressed in mourning clothes, handsome, surrounded by talent; at this moment he stared at Gu Jin Nian, his eyes filled with hatred and anger.

His voice was the loudest; he was the leader.

"Has Sun Zhengnan died?"

Gu Jin Nian looked at the other party, his tone calm.

"Mr. Sun's coffin is still at Jiangnan Academy; do you expect us to lay his remains before you before you will believe it?"

Someone, angry, said so.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Receiving this reply, Gu Jin Nian said "good" three times in succession.

For a moment, this caused the crowd to be taken aback; they did not understand Gu Jin Nian's meaning.

"Die well."

"Such a corrupt scholar should have died long ago."

But what Gu Jin Nian said next made this group instantly boil over.

"What are you saying?"

"Gu Jin Nian, are you still human?"

"Humiliation, humiliation—this is a disgrace of disgrace."

"Gu Jin Nian, how could you utter such words?"

"Arrogant, arrogant—what kind of arrogant person would speak such remarks?"

Voices rose one after another.

Everyone could not believe that Gu Jin Nian could say such words; it was pure, outright provocation.

"Silence."

On the city wall, hearing the crowd's angry rebuke, Gu Jin Nian's voice rose as well.

His roar instantly drowned out everyone present.

"Sun Zhengnan, as a Great Scholar, cannot distinguish right from wrong, leans on seniority, and I stripped him of his Great Scholar title; he should have repented and corrected himself, comprehended the Way of the saints, yet I never expected his murderous nature to persist, using suicide as a means to pressure the Crown Prince."

"Did the Crown Prince say something wrong? Shouldn't such a person die?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

Regarding Sun Zhengnan, he harbored little malice, only feeling that such a person cannot discern right from wrong and clings to seniority.

He believed removing his Great Scholar title was without fault.

He thought his character was straightforward; he said whatever came to mind, speaking bluntly about anything he saw as wrong.

He was also smug, believing his actions upheld justice.

If he said something unflattering, it would merely be clinging to seniority; if he spoke righteously, upholding inner justice, Gu Jin Nian still respected him a bit.

But during the Da Xia Academy period, this Sun Zhengnan could not tell right from wrong; upon seeing him, he would be immediately berated.

Moreover, he deliberately tried to humiliate him.

"Is this the proper demeanor of a Great Scholar?"

"After waiting three days, is there anger? After Gu Jin Nian's appearance, there was no disrespect, right? Moreover, with his feud against the Kong family, everyone knows it's not about denying Sun Zhengnan face, but denying the Kong family face."

Sun Zhengnan came together with the Kong family; he knew the purpose, but simply did not speak of it outwardly.

To put it bluntly, if Gu Jin Nian had met Sun Zhengnan and the others immediately, the result would have been Sun Zhengnan offering a couple of gentle admonitions; if Gu Jin Nian refused to hand over the sacred artifact, the outcome would not have changed.

They would deem Gu Jin Nian selfish.

Thus they would criticize.

Therefore, it's best for such a person to die.

"Gu Jin Nian, you truly are a beast."

The scholars below roared in fury, as if they wanted to kill Gu Jin Nian.

"Sun Ru came to visit you, you ignored him, making Sun Ru wait bitterly for three days; that would have been enough, but because of a few harsh words, you stripped Sun Ru of his title, forced him to suicide, and now you still utter such words here."

"You really aren't human."

The other party, furious and frantic, pointed at Gu Jin Nian, his fingers trembling.

It wasn't just him; tens of thousands of scholars were also furious. One would have thought that with so many people, Gu Jin Nian should be a little fearful, but unexpectedly, Gu Jin Nian not only showed no fear at all, but remained as arrogantly as ever.

How could they not be furious?

"Force him to commit suicide?"

"Crown Prince, then, I must ask: what method of coercion is this?"

"Do you all know the whole story, the ins and outs of this matter?"

"Do you actually know what really happened?"

"In the end, you are nothing but hearsay, then consider yourselves righteous, trying to use this opportunity to attack the Crown Prince, trample him beneath your feet, to satisfy your own hypocrisy."

"Did the Crown Prince say something wrong?"

Gu Jin Nian looked at the crowd and asked coldly.

Knowing nothing, they come to cause trouble for me; among these over thirty thousand people, ninety‑nine percent are blindly following the trend.

"What grievance?"

"What fairness? Before a matter is fully understood, who has the right to speak? Raising doubts is fine, but without complete knowledge, to arbitrarily conclude—if you're right, fine; if you're wrong, what then?"

"Will you come forward to apologize? Will you understand your mistake?"

The final outcome might just be a sigh of "So that's how it is."

"Or perhaps, even though we misunderstood, you indeed were at fault, and you could have simply told us, explained everything clearly—wouldn't that be enough? Ignoring the facts, do you think Gu Jin Nian has no fault? A typical punching‑in‑the‑air act."

"Ridiculous, absurd."

"That's what you think."

"Since His Highness the Crown Prince is so dissatisfied, then please, Crown Prince, clarify exactly what happened."

"Ridiculous—regardless of what happened, Sun Ru is already dead; you must be responsible for his death."

"That's correct. No matter what Gu Jin Nian says, Sun Ru is dead, and it was Gu Jin Nian who forced his death. Stop using us as scapegoats; what you're speaking of is your matter, not ours."

"We have no guilt in our hearts, and only someone like you, a petty person, would think we harbor ill intent."

A voice rang out, and the Capital boiled once more.

Just as Gu Jin Nian had guessed, the crowd, as if their hearts had been pierced, began to deny and then shifted the topic back onto Gu Jin Nian.

That's normal; ninety‑nine percent of them are just following the trend, though some have motives—to sully themselves, to fall into a mire, and later use that as bragging capital.

The remaining portion simply aim to deliberately steer this atmosphere; they have purpose.

Put bluntly, they want to harm themselves.

Someone backs them from behind, though who is unknown; the Kong family certainly can't escape, but it's definitely more than just the Kong family.

Listening to these abusive shouts.

The commander beside them couldn't help but frown; over thirty thousand people were hurling insults together—this scene was far from ordinary. Even when the insults were aimed at Gu Jin Nian rather than themselves, the leading commander found it grating.

If it were us, they'd probably have already started cutting people down.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, these damned dogs are no longer reasonable; let me, the Young General, escort you back. The remaining matters, leave them to me."

The commander spoke, hoping Gu Jin Nian would leave so as not to be disgusted by these people.

"No problem."

Gu Jin Nian replied calmly, waved his hand, and stood atop the city gate, listening to their insults.

At the same time, he was pondering something.

Confucian Dao.

Indeed, as Gu Jin Nian listened to the shouts, the matter spontaneously surfaced in his mind.

Confucian Dao System.

The Confucian Dao System divides into seven realms.

The first realm is Reading Qi Condensation.

As the name suggests, it means to study, comprehend principles, and then condense talent Qi.

The function of the Exquisite Sacred Ruler is to redefine the Confucian Dao realms.

Gu Jin Nian had previously thought that directly altering the first realm wasn't merely about condensing talent Qi, but about gathering vast righteous Qi.

But on second thought, he felt the difficulty was too great.

For the first realm to produce vast righteous Qi, the process is arduous.

Undoubtedly it would crush scholars' confidence and trap the Confucian Dao in a dilemma; after all, many things change qualitatively through quantitative change, so the first stage shouldn't be so harsh.

Now, Gu Jin Nian will not raise the difficulty of the first realm of the Confucian Dao because of these insults.

But he intends to define.

The true definition of Confucian Dao.

The insults rose and fell; over thirty thousand people, each taking turns, cursed for a full half‑hour.

And Gu Jin Nian listened for half an hour.

Half an hour later.

The crowd grew hoarse and parched, the common folk became numb from listening; they had shouted for three whole hours, which was somewhat excessive.

"Gu Jin Nian, why aren't you speaking?"

"Are you scared? Or are you feeling guilty?"

"Your silence—do you think we are all right? Are you speechless?"

A voice rang out, full of coldness.

But Gu Jin Nian ignored the voices, raised his hand, and at that moment Wen Mansion appeared behind him, surrounded by stars; five jade carriages, like imperial mounts, led out a thousand troops and countless horses.

The anomaly at Gu Jin Nian's Wen Mansion drew many people's amazement.

Yet some pointed at Gu Jin Nian and shouted angrily like thunder.

"Gu Jin Nian, do you also intend to cut our talent?"

"We are unafraid, gentlemen; we want to see whether Gu Jin Nian dares to cut all of our talent away."

"We, thirty thousand scholars, do not believe a single you could finish cutting."

"That's right; you foolishly try to frighten us with this move."

They shouted loudly, while some voices hid in the shadows, letting everyone stand forward, yet they themselves concealed themselves.

Nevertheless, it must be said that the effect worked, for Gu Jin Nian's talent is ultimately limited.

The combined talent of those thirty thousand people is certainly not something Gu Jin Nian can completely cut away.

However, Gu Jin Nian had no intention of cutting their talent; first, it is indeed insufficient, and second, those people are unworthy.

"I, Gu Jin Nian."

"Today, I summon the Sacred Ruler to reveal itself."

"Define the First Realm of Confucian Dao."

At the North City Gate, Gu Jin Nian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the scholars and speaking thus.

The words caused the crowd to gasp in astonishment.

"Define the First Realm of Confucian Dao? What does that mean?"

"What nonsense is he spouting?"

"Why can't I understand? What is he trying to do?"

"What is Gu Jin Nian up to now?"

The majority were confused; they had only heard of the Exquisite Sacred Ruler and knew its basic function—to cut talent—but were unclear about its true power.

Yet some people's faces instantly turned extremely grim.

"He intends to revise the standards of the First Realm of Confucian Dao, aiming to suppress us fundamentally."

Someone, with a sour expression, explained what Gu Jin Nian intends.

The remark instantly caused an uproar.

"Revise the standards of the First Realm of Confucian Dao? What right does he have to do so?"

"Is this the power of the Sacred Ruler?"

"Changing the standards of the First Realm of Confucian Dao? The Exquisite Sacred Ruler possesses such might? No wonder it is called a holy artifact."

The people were amazed, some unwilling to believe, yet the facts before them forced them to accept.

"If Gu Jin Nian arbitrarily revises and sets an unattainable rule, what then? Would we be unable to step onto the Confucian Dao?"

"Gu Jin Nian is truly vicious, using this move to force us to comply."

"The realm of Confucian Dao was established by Heaven and Earth, refined by generations of sages and ancestors; now Gu Jin Nian dares to forcefully alter it—how detestable."

"Gu Jin Nian, are you worthy?"

Shouts rose; some remained angry, some fearful, and others showed terror, for the Confucian Dao realm was hard‑won through their cultivation.

Now that they are told of a redefinition, how can they not fear? "The problem won't be great; even if he redefines, only later followers are affected, we will remain untouched."

In the critical moment, someone spoke, revealing a secret.

The words instantly sparked curiosity among many.

"Are you sure we won't be affected?"

"If it only affects later ones, that's fine; but if it impacts our current realm, then Gu Jin Nian truly deserves ten thousand deaths."

"I think it's likely, for even the Sacred Ruler's power, however great, cannot be boundless; there must be limits."

Voices rose one after another; after someone pointed out the drawbacks of the Sacred Ruler, the crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

If Gu Jin Nian redefines the First Realm of Confucian Dao and it affects them, that would truly be a loss.

Only, at the North City Gate.

Listening to these remarks.

Gu Jin Nian's face remained expressionless.

The Sacred Ruler materialized, and the Exquisite Sacred Ruler radiated light.

At that moment, Gu Jin Nian closed his eyes, and the Way of the Saints and Sages flashed in his mind.

About a quarter of an hour later.

The instant Gu Jin Nian opened his eyes, the Exquisite Sacred Ruler trembled wildly.

"The First Realm of Confucian Dao."

"Condense Qi through virtue."

"All virtuous persons can condense Qi, forming the vast righteous Qi."

"Those without virtue, whose conduct is corrupt and hearts narrow, cannot condense Qi; having read ten thousand books does not grant entry to the Confucian Dao."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

This is his definition of the First Realm of Confucian Dao.

Only the virtuous can condense Qi.

This virtue does not require you to become a saint; it means having clear love and hate, knowing something is wrong yet refusing to do it, and not using jealousy as an excuse to attack or harm others.

Such a person lacks virtue.

Scholars as well,

or gentlemen,

even a pig‑slaughterer, if he possesses virtue, can condense Qi, and the Qi gathered is still the vast righteous Qi.

The righteousness in one's heart.

Without virtue, even if one reads ten thousand sage's books, one absolutely cannot step onto the Confucian Way, and absolutely cannot condense vast righteousness.

Virtue.

Most important, unrelated to origin, unrelated to background.

Gu Jin Nian's indeed indeed raised the standard, but he did not forcibly raise the standard; rather, he defined it based on a person's words and deeds.

Upon these words.

The Holy Ruler emitted a terrifying roar.

The next moment, light shot up to the heavens, shaking the clouds.

The exquisite Holy Ruler shot up to the firmament, golden ancient characters emerging one by one from within it; this is the sage's great Dao, turned into characters, flooding the Da Xia Capital.

The Holy Ruler possesses spirit, currently judging the Confucian Way realm established by Gu Jin Nian, whether there is any problem.

This moment.

All gazes gathered upon the Holy Ruler.

Half an hour later.

The Holy Ruler trembled. The next moment, strands of Xuanhuang light fell from the heavens like the Milky Way, directly dropping into the Holy Ruler.

Immediately after, the Holy Ruler burst forth with billions of divine rays, strands of light sinking into the earth, signifying the heavens' approval.

Approving Gu Jin Nian's defined realm.

"Although the Holy Ruler has the ability to define the Confucian Way realm, it still depends on the circumstances; the Crown Prince's words indeed convey the heavens' intent, truly unbelievable."

Within the capital, a Great Scholar spoke up, praising Gu Jin Nian's conduct.

"The Crown Prince did not, because of these scholars' slander, act recklessly; condensing qi with virtue—these words are excellent. Nowadays, contemporary scholars are all eager for quick results, only knowing to read and condense qi, forgetting the two words 'virtue'; today's actions are truly good."

"If one lacks virtue, what cultivation is there to speak of? Let alone becoming a Confucian."

"Condensing qi with virtue, what a fine way to condense qi with virtue."

At this moment, voices rose within the capital, many Great Scholars praising Gu Jin Nian's conduct.

After all, this is quite reasonable, with no problem at all.

Condense qi with virtue.

But just at this moment, the Holy Ruler burst forth with strands of light, each strand forming a miniature Holy Ruler, sinking into the scholars' bodies.

Not only them; even Gu Jin Nian's body received a Holy Ruler.

These lights permeated the capital; not only the scholars, but all common folk received a Holy Ruler.

Holy Ruler enters the body.

All past events were instantly reflected.

In an instant, all scholars beneath the city showed looks of astonishment.

"Why is my talent disappearing? Gu Jin Nian, what trick did you use?"

"What is happening? Why has my talent diminished so much?"

"I was in the Knowing Sage Establishing Speech Realm; how did I suddenly fall to the Nurturing Qi Realm?"

"What is going on? Gu Jin Nian, what trick are you playing again?"

They were astonished, voicing questions, their expressions extremely panicked.

Although they are not Great Scholars, they still cherish their Confucian Way realm immensely.

Now, of these over thirty thousand scholars, the vast majority were reduced by one realm, while only a small portion lost a large amount of talent.

How could they not panic? Moreover, within the city, some scholars had their talent reduced, their faces grim.

But an astonishing scene occurred.

Some who were not scholars condensed a strand of vast righteousness within their bodies, emitting a faint light.

This drew waves of exclamations.

"Talent is what countless people dream of; possessing talent signifies entry into the Confucian Way."

"They are scholars."

In the capital, many people inexplicably gained talent, even some women obtained it.

This attracted various curiosity and shock.

"You all, be silent."

But at this moment, a resonant voice sounded.

It was Yang Kai's voice.

At this moment, he arrived at the north city gate, wearing official robes, his gaze toward these people filled with coldness and contempt.

Yang Kai is the Minister of Rites, moreover a contemporary Great Scholar; his reputation is no less than Sun Zhengnan's, and in some sense his standing surpasses Sun Zhengnan's.

Precisely because he is the Minister of Rites, and the Ministry of Rites is the institution overseeing all scholars within Da Xia.

As Yang Kai spoke, these scholars dared not continue shouting, each becoming obedient.

"This is the Holy Ruler judging virtue; you have no virtue in your hearts, so under its judgment your talent is cut."

"At the slightest incident, you think this is the Crown Prince's doing; are your eyes blind? You didn't see the Holy Ruler also enter the Crown Prince's body?"

"Condensing qi with virtue, you hardly anyone can condense talent; this proves you lack virtue, gathering today either because you were misled by others or harbor ill intent."

"Someone, convey my order: imprison these thirty thousand scholars outside the city, record their identities, and bar them from participating in the three examinations."

Yang Kai spoke; just now he too had the Holy Ruler enter his body, and lost some talent, but not much, impact minimal.

Even so, Yang Kai did not blame Gu Jin Nian.

This is his own problem, unrelated to Gu Jin Nian.

But hearing these scholars again shouting and blaming Gu Jin Nian, he could no longer endure, directly mounting the city gate and denouncing the myriad scholars.

Listening to Yang Kai's words, those scholars all turned deathly pale.

I had thought that even if Gu Jin Nian defined the Confucian Dao realm, it wouldn't affect them, but I never expected that they would still end up getting struck.

Even saying that all scholars in the capital were struck for no reason, fortunately, the scholars within the capital still upheld their conscience; some had their talent reduced, but the impact was not great.

But this is not a bad thing; the talent that was cut was undeserved talent—there were faults, but they can be corrected. Going forward, condensing the Vastly Righteous Qi is fundamental, and the future holds limitless prospects.

Of course, there is another reason for Yang Kai's appearance: fearing that Gu Jin Nian might truly fly into a rage and do something he shouldn't.

So he deliberately came up to vent this anger for Gu Jin Nian.

"His Highness the Heir Apparent, redefining the Confucian Dao realm for scholars worldwide is the utmost merit."

"From now on, those lacking virtue may not tread the Confucian path."

"Whether for the common people or for the realm and state, His Highness the Heir Apparent has again established immortal merit."

"Please accept this old man's bow."

At this moment, Yang Kai bowed deeply to Gu Jin Nian.

This is not hypocrisy, but a bow from the heart.

Gu Jin Nian did not, because of these people's actions, haphazardly define the Confucian Dao realm; instead, he condensed Qi through virtue, perfectly embodying the way of a gentleman.

Just this breadth of mind and heart makes it impossible not to admire him.

Moreover, he did not speak nonsense.

Starting today, all scholars who have not condensed Qi must retrain; they need to cultivate virtue.

Only with virtue can one condense Qi.

This is a good thing for the realm and state.

Going forward, judging whether a person is good or bad will be easy; for example, within the Da Xia Capital, even some ordinary commoners have condensed the Vastly Righteous Qi.

Although few, just a single thread, it can represent that this person possesses virtue; a gentleman has what he should do and what he should not.

Possessing virtue makes one a gentleman; such a person will naturally be respected by the surrounding commoners, accumulate prestige, and become a role model.

As for the court, officials can be selected directly by judging their Vastly Righteous Qi; an official lacking virtue cannot bear important responsibilities.

This can save a great deal of pointless disputes.

"Mister Yang, your words are weighty."

"This heir apparent speaks only from the heart."

Gu Jin Nian did not become proud or self-satisfied; the Holy Ruler entered his body, and in fact it also trimmed a small portion of his talent.

He also has some things he hasn't done well, but this is not a major issue; after all, he is not a sage, and once he understands the situation, Gu Jin Nian will also make corrections.

Gradually learning from the sage, this is the Confucian Dao.

No one is perfect.

However, Gu Jin Nian's gaze fell upon those people down below the city.

His expression also turned completely cold at this moment.

"The Holy Ruler is here."

"This heir apparent will ask you three questions today; those who dare not answer will have their talent cut and be reduced to useless persons."

"Those who act against their conscience are devoid of virtue and will receive punishment from the Holy Ruler."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

This matter is not yet over.

He redefined the First Realm of Confucian Dao—not only because the timing was ripe, but mainly to use this opportunity to deliver a certain counterstrike.

Otherwise, letting these people continue their chaos would make even the white turn black.

Rumors are fearsome, many voices can melt gold—this principle Gu Jin Nian understands.

Therefore, he today simply wants to get a clear answer.

Boom.

As Gu Jin Nian's words fell, the Holy Ruler hovered outside the city, standing above the heads of those scholars, bursting forth with light.

If they refuse to answer, their talent will be cut directly; if anyone dares to act against conscience, they will suffer punishment from the Holy Ruler.

At this moment, over thirty thousand scholars stared at each other, some finding themselves unable to dismount the tiger.

I had thought that sheer numbers would be enough to make Gu Jin Nian wary, but I never expected that at the critical moment, Gu Jin Nian would unleash the Holy Ruler, instantly overturning the situation.

The Holy Ruler represents sacred will, representing heavenly will.

No matter how they speak or contend, before heavenly will they are unable to withstand a single blow.

"First question."

"Did you come to the capital out of jealousy in your hearts?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

The question is extremely sharp.

He simply wants to publicly make these people lose all face—whether they are scholars or not, without such tactics, if something happens later, can they just spread rumors at will?

Upon these words, the scholars fell silent for a moment, each with an unpleasant expression.

But some also took a deep breath and gave an answer.

"No jealousy, only for justice,"

A voice sounded, but the number was not large, scattered, only about one or two hundred.

"Step forward thirty paces."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, letting these people move forward.

At once, the crowd didn't waste words, directly moving forward; they had a clear conscience and weren't afraid that Gu Jin Nian would remember them and give them petty shoes.

As for the others, they also silently gave their answers.

"Yes."

"Some jealousy."

"Partial jealousy."

There were many such answers; although their voices were small, they could not drown out the shouts of the many.

The commoners watched closely, and after receiving this answer, a roar of curses thundered all at once.

"Fine, so it is indeed jealousy of the Crown Prince, running to the capital and wailing to the heavens."

"These beasts, are they even scholars?"

"Who gave birth to such people? Their ancestors must be fuming in smoke."

"Is this still called a scholar? A disgraceful sight."

Voices rose one after another, the commoners swearing loudly; they had suspected a problem before but could not get involved or produce evidence.

The men say the men are right; the women say the women are right.

Now that the Holy Ruler is in effect, are you jealous and willing to admit it yourself?

After admitting, naturally a flood of curses erupts.

"Raise your voice."

At the North City Gate, Gu Jin Nian's voice boomed like thunder.

Wasn't the voice especially loud just now?

Why is everyone suddenly mute? Speak up.

Call out.

Why the silence? As Gu Jin Nian spoke, voices rang out immediately.

"I harbor jealousy."

"I am somewhat jealous."

"I have partial jealousy."

Voices rose one after another.

The Holy Ruler trembled in an instant, gathering four to five thousand beams of its light that entered the bodies of some insincere people.

"Ah."

"Pain, pain, pain."

"It hurts to death."

In an instant, cries of ghosts and wolves rang out; someone still spoke insincerely and let out a wail.

Any insincere person is punished by the Holy Ruler, which strikes the soul directly, ten times more painful than an iron ruler beating the flesh.

"Finally, I ask you all once more, did you come out of jealousy?"

Gu Jin Nian spoke again.

He wants to get to the bottom of it.

"Yes, yes, yes, please spare us, Crown Prince!"

"I am, I am because of jealousy."

"It is jealousy, it is jealousy."

This time no one dared to act rashly; each trembled in pain and answered hurriedly.

Sure enough, after the lesson, these people became honest, and the Holy Ruler indeed responded.

"Second question."

"Is there anyone who, knowing I was wronged, still frames me?"

Gu Jin Nian continued to ask.

But this time, most people truly had none.

They know this matter is certainly not as simple as it appears, yet they choose to ignore it; however, they do not fully understand the whole chain of events.

Naturally, it is not a deliberate framing.

"Crown Prince, please see clearly; we were merely momentarily confused, and it was jealousy that caused us..."

"Yes, yes, Crown Prince, please see clearly; no matter what we did, it could not be this filthy."

"Knowing the Crown Prince was wronged, yet still framing him, we could not do that."

Many voices rose.

They still have a bottom line; mainly it's resentment and jealousy, nothing else.

Most are like this, though some tremble all over, their faces pale.

These people dare not speak.

But the Holy Ruler is already vibrating, ready to activate.

"Those who do not answer shall have their talent stripped and be sent to the Suspended Lantern Office."

Gu Jin Nian spoke coldly.

Finally, someone could no longer hold back.

"Crown Prince, forgive me; I was possessed, I am not a proper son, please forgive me."

The first voice sounded.

He was one of the first ten to step forward, kneeling and pleading with Gu Jin Nian for forgiveness.

As one person spoke, voices quickly rose one after another.

The number was indeed large; at a glance there were four to five hundred people.

The commoners watched clearly, and their hatred made them grind their teeth.

Not fearing people's stupidity, but fearing their wickedness; such people, though few, are the ones who set the tempo—without them, this affair would not have escalated to this degree.

As for this group of scholars, they were also somewhat surprised.

Afterwards, they also began to curse, believing that this gang was leading the charge, deliberately causing trouble, exploiting their jealousy.

Moreover, some demanded that Gu Jin Nian severely punish these people.

The holy chi remained still; obviously, these people had all confessed.

"I ask you three times: have you been instigated by the Kong family?"

Gu Jin Nian uttered the third question.

Upon saying this.

Instantly, the crowd fell silent.

Many were so shocked they couldn't speak.

Gu Jin Nian's first two questions were fine; they merely sought justice.

But this third question was thought-provoking.

Among the over thirty thousand scholars, looking at each other, the majority indeed had not participated.

But indeed, there is a small portion; to be precise, an extremely small minority, whose faces looked unpleasant.

"I have not."

"Neither have I."

"I don't even know anyone from the Kong family, let alone be instigated by them."

Voices rang out one after another.

But an extremely small minority did not answer.

Their number was small, only about ten or so.

"Why do you not answer?"

Gu Jin Nian stood on the city gate, looking at them, his tone icy.

"We... we refuse to answer."

"Gu Jin Nian, whether you kill or cut us, we are dissatisfied and unwilling to answer."

"Exactly, we are dissatisfied; you rely on the holy implement to suppress us, asking any question—we will not answer."

These people spoke.

It is obvious that, faced with offending the Kong family or Gu Jin Nian, they unhesitatingly chose the latter.

However, such remarks have already made many suspicious.

What do you mean by not answering?

It's merely that they have a guilty conscience.

Having received this answer.

Gu Jin Nian also had a sense of it, and he had guessed this outcome, so he was not angry.

"Come, seize these people, detain them at the Suspension Lamp Office, and interrogate the mastermind behind them."

"As for these several hundred people, exempt them from punishment."

"You may be dissatisfied with me and have done no wrong, but gathering to cause trouble shall not be tolerated."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, and those who remained silent were seized outright and subjected to severe punishment.

This can also be seen as killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.

As for those who indeed are dissatisfied with themselves, Gu Jin Nian did not punish them.

To punish those who are dissatisfied with themselves? That is true tyranny.

Gu Jin Nian knew well that even money and silver are disliked by some, let alone a person.

Right is right, wrong is wrong; if punishment is due, then punish.

Immediately, Gu Jin Nian turned his gaze to the majority of scholars, saying that ninety-nine percent were motivated by jealousy and thus followed the crowd to cause trouble.

"As for you."

"Go back home, confine yourselves for three months, copy the sages' texts a thousand times; when you have established virtue, you may again take the imperial examinations—I, the heir, give you a chance to reform."

"But if you offend again, I will certainly not be lenient."

The law does not punish the many.

With over thirty thousand people, Gu Jin Nian could not possibly punish them all; as for Yang Kai's suggestion to cancel three examination cycles, that penalty is severe.

It may feel satisfying, but it would also breed resentment; unnecessary, as jealousy is normal.

But punishment must have a limit.

If they establish virtue, that is good.

If they lack virtue, they likewise cannot take the examinations; the punishment remains the same.

Yet Gu Jin Nian's conduct in this manner surprised many, even some officials.

The scholars were even more surprised.

We thought it would be a great calamity, but we never expected Gu Jin Nian to let them go.

For a moment, these scholars inevitably felt shame in their hearts.

"We feel ashamed before the heir; please rest assured, we will keep today's affair in mind and henceforth establish virtue and mind."

"It is our jealousy that caused trouble; the heir truly embodies righteousness."

"We admire the heir's breadth of mind."

At this moment, they spoke from the heart.

They spoke up one after another; not only because they escaped disaster, but mainly because such magnanimity genuinely compelled them to admire and submit.

Even on the city wall, Minister of Rites Yang Kai was a little surprised.

He never expected Gu Jin Nian to act this way, combining kindness and authority; it was truly a fine tactic.

In a moment, Yang Kai found himself bowing again to Gu Jin Nian.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, you are truly broad‑minded."

He exclaimed in admiration.

Gu Jin Nian shook his head and then continued speaking.

"Have the people of Chu Fu go back and tell the Kong family."

"I will journey ten thousand miles, following the sage's way, and next month go to the Kong family to attend their family banquet."

"All grievances and favors will be settled one by one at the Kong family banquet."

"During this time, do not scheme any further; otherwise, this Crown Prince will not hesitate to overturn the Kong family."

Gu Jin Nian spoke up.

He was very domineering.

Informing everyone, this is actually also a kind of distant response.

He will attend the Kong family banquet.

But he must attain enlightenment of the Dao.

Knowing the sage, establishing speech.

Once again visiting the Kong family.

But during this time he does not wish to be disturbed, so he hopes the Kong family will exercise some restraint.

If they keep spreading rumors and causing trouble, when he arrives at the Kong family, he will surely give them no face.

Today's first chapter, there's still more, but I'm going to sleep.

Let me mention three things.

First, next month, in July I aim to boost the monthly ticket ranking, so I'm calling on readers who wish to support to join the VIP group.

The group number is 879692676; after joining, find the group admin to enter the VIP group, the process is a bit troublesome, but please bear with us.

Second, I've booked a hair transplant for early July, so if there are burst updates, I'll return to normal on July 2nd or 3rd; at the same time, I ask readers who have hair transplant experience: does it hurt? If it's too painful, I'll consider postponing, although I'm already bald, the photos are all photoshopped.

Third, it's the end of the month, please vote for monthly tickets!!!!!!!!!! (End of chapter)