Chapter 297: Not Absolutely Loyal Means Absolutely Disloyal

Ling Governor Ling Yunyi, he really did it. He killed people and deliberately left a few for His Majesty the Emperor to behead, truly achieving the sharing of joy.

Who would dare say Ling Governor Ling Yunyi lacked a submissive heart? Zhu Zhu Yijun would be the first to argue with them. If this wasn't a submissive heart, what was? Even deliberately leaving a few heads to be sent to the imperial presence—this was the greatest submission!

Ling Governor Ling Yunyi doing this was actually handing others a handle. He left a few heads for every family. If the Emperor really felt that Ling Governor Ling Yunyi was uncontrollable and wanted to deal with him, these criminals sent to the capital would be the best entry point.

Zhu Zhu Yijun could understand Ling Governor Ling Yunyi, understand the anger in Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's heart. When he saw the tragic state of the world and had the ability to change it, he immediately acted without regard for any consequences and changed the status quo. This was what Zhu Zhu Yijun appreciated most about Ling Governor Ling Yunyi: his extremely strong ability to act, and that he belonged to the same type of person as Zhu Zhu Yijun.

Zhang Zhang Fengkai's own dog was beaten to death, and he was furious, even making Chen Zhu pay the price of his family's destruction. To this day, Chen Zhu still hadn't found his wife. After his parents died, Chen Zhu's wife fled with their son and disappeared without a trace. Zhang Zhang Fengkai's reason for revenge was that the dog that bit people had been with him for a long time, and if he didn't avenge it, he would have no humanity.

And the humanity that Zhang Zhang Fengkai and his ilk preached was detached from the majority of the common people, and even opposed to the majority of the Ming Dynasty's foundation. The humanity they spoke of was usually a tool used to realize oppression and exploitation, not true humanity. To put it more directly, it was extreme selfish individualism at work. In their eyes, the humanity of common people, poor people, and laborers was not humanity at all.

The world should revolve around these extreme egoists.

The next day, Zhu Zhu Yijun saw the dog's tombstone. Ling Governor Ling Yunyi said that this phenomenon was widespread in Shandong, and it was not an exaggeration. All the confiscated tombstones were sent to the capital. They were not rubbings, but real tombstones, which took seven days to reach the capital via the relay road.

"Confucius had 72 sages, and the Kong family in Yanzhou has 72 lackeys. It is truly a strange tale." Zhu Zhu Yijun stood before the Meridian Gate, looking at the neatly arranged tombstones and coffins, biting his back teeth, and said fiercely.

Ling Governor Ling Yunyi had dug up all the dog graves and sent them to the capital for the Emperor to decide personally. These coffins and tombstones, still covered in dirt, seemed to have countless wronged souls hovering over them, hysterically roaring and screaming at Zhu Zhu Yijun, the Ming Emperor.

How exactly did the Kong family in Yanzhou influence the situation in Shandong? Local officials who didn't look at the Kong family's face when doing things were truly unable to move an inch. These tombstones and coffins were ironclad proof. They could do such things in Shandong, showing how lawless they had become.

Feng Bao and Zhang Hong were so scared they didn't dare to breathe loudly. His Majesty was now furious.

"Make rubbings of these dog tombstones for the record, and then set them up outside the Zhaoyang Gate, paving the ground of the 'Happy Forest of Steles,' for people to trample on." Zhu Zhu Yijun stood with his hands behind his back, his tone icy as he gave the task to Feng Bao.

"I accept the decree." Feng Bao didn't even dare to speak loudly. When His Majesty was angry, he was truly terrifying. Feng Bao was afraid that if he spoke loudly, he would suffer an undeserved disaster.

"Senior Grand Secretary." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Lü Lu Diaoyang and said: "Issue a decree to Ling Governor Ling Yunyi to arrest the entire Kong family in Yanzhou and bring them to the capital for trial. If they resist, kill them without mercy."

"I... obey the decree." Lü Lu Diaoyang's heart skipped a beat. One could imagine the fate of the entire Duke Duke Yansheng family being brought to the capital; His Majesty would surely kill them all.

Lü Lu Diaoyang originally wanted to advise benevolence and forgiveness, but then he thought better of it and chose to obey the decree. This evil fire was circling in His Majesty's heart and wouldn't dissipate; it would probably twist into a big knot. If he really wanted to untie it then, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Could he really let the scholars of the world bear this anger?

It was better to take advantage of the fact that His Majesty's anger was only directed at the Duke Duke Yansheng family and hurry to arrest the entire family and kill them to appease the anger.

"Bah! What kind of Duke Duke Yansheng! If Confucius were alive, he would be angered to death again by these monsters! What kind of thing is this!" Zhu Zhu Yijun flicked his sleeves and left the neatly arranged dog tombstones and coffins.

Zhu Zhu Yijun once told Zhang Zhang Juzheng that even if Zhang Zhang Juzheng harbored the greatest malice in speculating about the base Confucian scholars, he would still overestimate their bottom line. Clearly, Zhu Zhu Yijun also made this mistake; he also underestimated the evil of this group of people.

This dog power was actually greater than human rights, and such things were happening openly in the Ming Dynasty, and it was not an isolated case, but a universal phenomenon in Shandong.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng told Zhu Zhu Yijun that to correct a wrong, one must go to excess. To promote the theory of contradictions, one must inevitably correct the current atmosphere of empty talk, which will certainly affect the freedom of speech. And now, to strike at the Duke Duke Yansheng's estate is to strike at Confucius himself.

Zhu Zhu Yijun no longer cared. He believed that if Confucius were alive, he could understand his actions in dealing with these unworthy descendants, and might even take action himself.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was not unread. Confucius's words did not teach people to oppress and exploit, but feudal ritual and Confucianism were highly bound together. When Zhu Zhu Yijun wanted to correct this trend, he would inevitably hurt Confucius.

Confucius couldn't jump out of the grave if he wasn't satisfied, but the Confucian scholars would, and Zhu Zhu Yijun believed that this group of cheap scholars would do their best to oppose him.

Wang Yu Menglin, the eldest son of Wang Wang Zhigao, brought a few copies of *Miscellaneous News* and came to Wan Wan Shihe's mansion in the capacity of a student. Wan Wan Shihe, however, asked him to take the *Miscellaneous News* inside and leave the gifts at the gatehouse. This was a refusal of the gifts.

Wang Yu Menglin was ultimately not Wan Wan Shihe's student, not even a follower.

The reason Wan Wan Shihe did not accept him was that Wang Yu Menglin had a father, Wang Wang Zhigao, who was a former Minister of Justice, and Wang Wang Zhigao's son-in-law was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's son. If he accepted Wang Yu Menglin as a disciple, Wan Wan Shihe would become part of the Zhang Faction rather than the Emperor's Faction. Although the Zhang Faction and the Emperor's Faction highly overlapped, Wan Wan Shihe did not want to complicate his own identity.

The Imperial faction was the Imperial faction. As an Imperial faction member, not being absolutely loyal meant being absolutely disloyal. This was the biggest difference between the Imperial faction and the Zhang faction.

Wang Yu Menglin didn't have the title of student, but he still insisted on paying respects as a student.

"Wang Li Shizhen is already rotten. Even the scholars are terrified of him. The *Court Gazette* has already published ten grand articles denouncing Wang Li Shizhen for participating in evil matters. The Ministry of Works has already handled the stone tablets and sent them to Taicang." Wang Yu Menglin reported his progress. The task Wan Wan Shihe had entrusted to him was completely finished.

"Three Peaches Kill Two Warriors"—it was indeed a brilliant move. Wang Li Shizhen immediately changed from the leader of the literary world to a street rat that everyone shouted to beat. He was notorious. Wang Li Shizhen shouldn't have touched these evil matters.

"Recently, the *Miscellaneous News* has been talking about the Kong family in Yanzhou. How does Grand Preceptor Wan think this will develop? The Confucian scholars probably won't sit idly by and watch this happen." Wang Yu Menglin was not optimistic about the Emperor's attack on the Kong family this time. He wouldn't get enough benefits and would only get himself covered in filth. He tentatively said: "In my humble opinion, it would be better to just conduct the land survey directly. If the Kong family still resists the imperial decree, it wouldn't be too late to punish them. Chopping off the dog's claws this time is already excellent."

"You also know it's a humble opinion." Wan Wan Shihe showed a slight smile, shook his head, and said: "You, ah, your practice of the theory of contradictions is not enough. You still need to read and watch more, think more, and then you will understand that His Majesty's actions this time are by no means the result of temporary anger, but the result of careful consideration. If His Majesty were really just having a temporary dispute of spirit, he would have issued the decree at yesterday's court session."

"His Majesty has thought through the pros and cons before making this choice. You, ah, your practice is still not enough."

"Ah? Please enlighten me, teacher." Wang Yu Menglin was full of doubts and sincerely asked for advice. He had thought that politicians were all cold-blooded and ruthless, and that seeing such human tragedies would subconsciously calculate gains and losses. That was the mark of a mature politician, but according to Grand Preceptor Wan, it was he, Wang Yu Menglin, who was dull.

Wan Wan Shihe sat up straight, pondered for a moment, and said: "Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's lack of submission is not a lack of loyalty. His lack of submission lies in the fact that although he received the imperial decree to act according to circumstances, he didn't report it before killing people, but made it a *fait accompli*. This is what I mean by Ling Governor Ling Yunyi lacking a submissive heart. He knew that doing this would put His Majesty in a dilemma, but Ling Governor Ling Yunyi still did it."

"But Ling Governor Ling Yunyi is loyal, loyal beyond words. To execute the imperial decree, he didn't care about his own reputation at all."

"His Majesty is very clear. Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's killing is executing the imperial decree, it is to intensify this contradiction. His Majesty is not only clear but also happy to see it happen. Even giving him the imperial decree to act according to circumstances, letting the bloodthirsty Ling Governor Ling Yunyi go to Shandong, was to intensify the contradiction. When the contradiction intensifies to this point, it is already irreconcilable and can only be resolved by violence."

"One acted well, and the other cooperated well."

"His Majesty is not acting out of temporary anger, but out of careful consideration, because the contradiction is already irreconcilable and only by seeing blood can it be resolved. Since you want to take action, be decisive, don't have any hesitation. Before taking action, everything can be discussed. The moment you choose to take action, don't have any worries. Everything can be discussed after taking action. This is the basic quality of a ruler."

"Let me give you an example: the Xuanwu Gate Incident."

Wang Yu Menglin pondered for a moment and suddenly realized: "I understand! Don't take action if you don't have to, but once you do, be as swift as a rabbit, otherwise you will fall into a passive position. I understand, just like how Lord Jiangling dealt with Lord Master Xinzheng, once he took action, he went for the kill!"

A necessary ability for a political figure: decisiveness.

"A child can be taught." Wan Wan Shihe nodded with great satisfaction, and then immediately said: "Nonsense, the Grand Preceptor and Lord Master Xinzheng Gao Gong had a very good private friendship. It was just that the Jin faction was too powerful and threatened the sovereign. Don't talk nonsense."

His Majesty does not like Gao Gong but does not loathe him either. Since Wan Wan Shihe is cleaning up for His Majesty, he naturally has to deny the past head-on conflict between Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong, blaming it all on the Jin Faction and Zhang Zhang Siwei.

"His Majesty has thought through it carefully, because His Majesty has long seen through the weakness and compromise of these cheap scholars." Wan Wan Shihe said very certainly again: "Do you think these cheap scholars will really oppose it at all costs this time?"

"They should, right? That is the Kong family in Yanzhou, the Duke Duke Yansheng family." Wang Yu Menglin pondered for a moment and made his own judgment.

Wan Wan Shihe shook a finger and said with a smile: "No, no. The Duke Duke Yansheng family is a Duke's mansion, and Dukes are all super-rank, but this Duke Duke Yansheng is only second-rank. But for two hundred years, who has ever really fought for the title of Duke Duke Yansheng?"

"It's just a plaque set up. Do you think the cheap scholars will really risk their lives for a Kong family in Yanzhou they haven't visited in their whole lives? There are not many things in our Ming officialdom, but there are the most people who see the wind and steer the rudder. For example, I, Wan Wan Shihe, am a true villain, a villain who sees the wind and steers the rudder."

"His Majesty is truly angry this time. These cheap scholars will at most submit memorials; they won't even dare to kneel at the gate, because if they really kneel at the gate, they will be beaten to death."

"Is that so?" Wang Yu Menglin was a little unsure for a moment. Could it be that these cheap scholars, who could fight until their heads were broken for a sentence of classic annotation, really didn't have this bit of courage?

Wan Wan Shihe was very certain that the cheap scholars didn't have this courage.

When His Majesty was angry, even Feng Bao and Zhang Hong didn't dare to breathe loudly. If these cheap scholars had this kind of courage, when the Daoist Emperor was slacking off, these cheap scholars would have long ago rushed to the Guanghan Hall to face the Emperor and painfully state the pros and cons. The Ming Dynasty would have been revitalized long ago, and they wouldn't have had to wait until now.

The "pure stream" was just self-proclaimed pure stream. Wan Wan Shihe directly admitted that he was a true villain, a villain who saw the wind and steered the rudder.

"Minister Wan, how do you think this matter will develop?" Wang Yu Menglin felt that Wan Wan Shihe was still too optimistic; that was the Kong estate, and he feared it would not be so easy.

"If we speak of moderation, the Southern Kong Miao is also a Kong Miao. Conferring the title of Duke Duke Yansheng on the Northern branch is a conferral, and conferring it on the Southern Quzhou Kong estate is also a conferral. The bloodline of the Quzhou Kong estate is even purer, and there are fewer disgraceful matters there." Wan Wan Shihe spoke of a moderate solution. The Northern Kong Miao is the Yanzhou Kong estate, and there is also a Quzhou Kong Miao. It has always been rumored that the Northern Kong line had its lineage swapped, though the truth is unknown; the Quzhou Kong estate is purer.

In the court, being too slippery was also a way of survival.

Wan Wan Shihe leaned back in his chair, shook his head, and said: "Only heaven knows. This matter depends on the resistance of the cheap scholars. Just as Ling Governor Ling Yunyi criticized, His Majesty is still kind-hearted."

"His Majesty is kind-hearted?" Wang Yu Menglin was a little confused.

Wan Wan Shihe hadn't published the full content of Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's memorial in the *Court Gazette*. The main content was still the dog tombstones and Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's three interrogations. As for Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's criticism of the Emperor and the prominent officials, Wan Wan Shihe didn't publish it. This was the typical "Spring and Autumn brushwork." Even if history were written in the future, the focus wouldn't be on Ling Governor Ling Yunyi's criticism. Wan Wan Shihe didn't let this memorial of Ling Governor Ling Yunyi scolding the Emperor's kindness spread too much.

Wang Yu Menglin heard this kind of strange accusation for the first time. Was the Emperor still kind-hearted?

If the radical people in the court sat on the left and the conservative people sat on the right, His Majesty would sit slightly to the left of the center.

"Yes, ah, His Majesty is kind-hearted." Wan Wan Shihe said quite solemnly.

How the matter would develop, Wan Wan Shihe couldn't predict, and Zhu Zhu Yijun couldn't predict either. The trend of the world was something that had to be seen by the degree of development of the situation.

If the Ming court officials only submitted memorials, Zhu Zhu Yijun would mostly sit to the right and step on the brake; life had to go on.

If the cheap scholars wanted to kneel at the gate, Zhu Zhu Yijun would sit in the middle and step on the accelerator a little. As a young emperor, he had to protect his imperial prestige, and he had to do so to protect his throne.

If the cheap scholars wanted to rebel, Zhu Zhu Yijun could only sit on the left and step on the accelerator to the end. If we die, we die together; no one should think about living.

Wan Wan Shihe leaned back in his chair, shook his head, and said, "Only Heaven knows. This matter depends on the strength of the base Confucian scholars' resistance. Just as Ling Governor Ling Yunyi criticized, His Majesty is still too kind-hearted."

Zhu Zhu Yijun actually knew that stepping on the accelerator to the end, that is, the danger of being too radical. He hadn't arrived in the Ming Dynasty yet. Stepping on the brake was the correct way, and stepping on the accelerator was stepping on it diagonally. It was so awkward just to be able to brake, not to accelerate faster. This was safer, but the national situation was as precarious as a pile of eggs, so Zhu Zhu Yijun could only choose to stand up and step on the accelerator, arresting the Duke Duke Yansheng and bringing him to the capital!

Zhu Zhu Yijun didn't wait for the memorials, nor did he wait for the kneeling at the gate, let alone the rebellion. On the contrary, the court was very quiet, as if the Ming Emperor hadn't issued an excessive imperial decree, hadn't wanted to arrest the Duke Duke Yansheng and bring him to the capital.

This was the first time Wang Yu Menglin had heard such a strange accusation. Is His Majesty still kind-hearted?

Li Lai, the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, pushed through the crowd, stood on a stool, and said loudly: "Fellow colleagues, the imperial court has raised scholars for two hundred years, and the rise and fall of the imperial court is today! The Senior Grand Secretary is mediocre, the Second Grand Secretary is greedy, the cabinet ministers are tongue-tied, and the court officials are silent! Our memorials have entered the cabinet, but these cabinet ministers fear heaven's wrath and dare not report the truth to the imperial presence!"

"Today, we gather here to ask the teacher to come out of the mountains to assist the holy and wise!"

"I have a petition in my hand. Those who are willing to sign, write down your names! Those who are unwilling to take any risks, please stay to boost the momentum!"

Li Lai couldn't understand the Emperor's imperial decree. The Duke Duke Yansheng family was arrested and brought to the capital. With His Majesty's temper, he would definitely give the Duke Duke Yansheng a full set of death penalties. His Majesty is kind-hearted? After reading the memorial, Li Lai only thought that Ling Governor Ling Yunyi was flattering the Emperor in a different way! Shameless!

Confucius's descendants, beheaded as a warning to others—how absurd! But Li Lai had no other way. Lü Lu Diaoyang couldn't make a sound with three slaps. As long as the new policies were being pushed, Lü Lu Diaoyang had no opinion. Wang Wang Chonggu only knew how to make money all day long, and criticizing Chen Shan had nothing to do with him. The court officials were all made of mud.

After thinking about it, Li Lai decided to try his luck at the Yicheng Earl's Mansion, but he arrived late. The gate of the Yicheng Earl's Mansion was already crowded with carriages and people.

The cheap scholars of the Ming Dynasty finally came to their senses. The only one who could make His Majesty take back his order was the Grand Preceptor, whom His Majesty respected extremely. The one who stepped on the brake for the Ming Dynasty was right before their eyes, yet they were completely unaware!

Zhu Zhu Yijun actually understood that pressing the accelerator to the floor was the danger of being overly radical. Before he came to the Ming, the brake was pressed straight, and the accelerator was pressed at an angle; it was so awkward just to ensure he could brake, not to accelerate faster, which was safer. But the national situation was as precarious as a pile of eggs, and Zhu Zhu Yijun could only choose to stand up and press the accelerator, dragging the Duke Duke Yansheng to the capital!

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not wait for joint memorials, nor did he wait for protests at the palace gate, much less a rebellion. On the contrary, the court was very quiet, as if the Ming Emperor had never issued an excessive imperial decree and had no intention of dragging the Dukes Duke Yansheng into the capital.

You Qi looked at the situation outside the gate. Fortunately, there was the Iron Forest Army building a human wall outside, otherwise, these court officials would have rushed in.

Li Lai, a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, pushed through the crowd, stood on a stool, and shouted loudly, "Fellow colleagues, the state has nurtured scholars for two hundred years, and the rise or fall of the state depends on today! The Senior Grand Secretary is mediocre, the Junior Grand Secretary is greedy, the cabinet ministers are tongue-tied, and the court officials are silent! Our memorials enter the cabinet, but these cabinet ministers fear Heaven's wrath and dare not report the truth to the Emperor!"

"What do you mean by that?" Wang Wang Zhigao didn't understand at all. Could this situation outside also be the Emperor's calculation?

"I have a petition here. Those willing to sign, write your names! Those unwilling to take any risks, please stay to bolster our momentum!"

"Hahaha." Wang Wang Zhigao understood the cause and effect and could only shake his head repeatedly and laugh.

His Majesty had cut off 1,448 heads and hung them along the Tonghui River before he even personally took the throne. Kind-hearted? It's a pity that this shameless Ling Governor Ling Yunyi could even say that!

Beheading the descendants of Confucius and displaying them to the public—how absurd. But Li Lai had no other choice. Senior Grand Secretary Lu Lu Diaoyang couldn't even let out a fart after three slaps; as long as the New Policies were being pushed, Lu Lu Diaoyang had no opinion. Junior Grand Secretary Wang Wang Chonggu only knew how to make money all day long, and blaming Chen Shan had nothing to do with him. The court officials were all like mud statues.

Wang Wang Zhigao waved his hands repeatedly and even took a step back, saying: "No, don't make things difficult for me. I don't have that fighting spirit. You are worried about Wang Wang Chonggu, but I think you are overly worried. His Majesty can even deal with you; Wang Wang Chonggu is just a small matter."

"Wang Wang Chonggu is alive now because of his submissive heart. That was a solid 10 million taels of silver sent to the palace, and then invested in the Southern Southern Yamen's maritime trade. Although it was money to buy his life, it really made money. His Majesty didn't give dividends to the Jin merchants because of Wang Wang Chonggu's personal reasons. The Jin merchants would be the first to eat Wang Wang Chonggu."

Wang Wang Zhigao wasn't talking nonsense. He had evidence and methods. He could think of a way, so could the Emperor, who was full of ideas.

Wang Wang Chonggu's 10 million taels of silver—if the Emperor lost money, the Jin merchants would treat it as buying their lives; if they made money, but because of Wang Wang Chonggu's personal reasons, the Emperor refused to share the profits, Wang Wang Chonggu would surely die.

Wang Wang Zhigao was a very talented person. His Majesty would even visit him when passing by the Western Earth City, showing great respect. Wang Wang Zhigao was the kind of person who typically had no fighting spirit. Standing from the perspective of a bystander, he could see very clearly, but being in the game, he was uneasy.

"His Majesty has already had his grand wedding. Now the Ming Dynasty has signs of revitalization. As for me, I will be a wealthy man in peace." After Wang Wang Zhigao finished speaking, he walked toward the back door, saying as he walked: "You have a head full of lawsuits here, so I won't disturb you anymore. We'll talk again later. No need to see me off."

"Hahaha!"

"Some time ago, when His Majesty came to the Western Hills, I slightly revealed the idea of retiring from then on. It was just a little bit, but His Majesty noticed it, and now His Majesty has retaliated by letting this group of base Confucian scholars block my family's door." Zhang Zhang Juzheng explained the reason. He didn't know who this young emperor had learned from; with a turn of his eyes, he was full of devious ideas.

"Hahaha." Wang Wang Zhigao understood the cause and effect and could only shake his head repeatedly and laugh.

One sentence made the scene immediately quiet.

They were all cultured people. This move couldn't help but remind people of one thing: the abdication of Yao and Shun.

Between Yao and Shun, there was actually another person, Emperor Danzhu, who was Tang Yao's son. Tang Yao felt that Danzhu's ability was insufficient and not enough to be entrusted with the world, and he would not benefit one person at the expense of the world's illness, so he abdicated the throne to Shun.

Danzhu returned to China to mourn. Because of Shun's humility, Danzhu was called Emperor for three years. As a result, the Four Peaks all ran to the south of the South River to pay homage to Shun. Shun said it was heaven's will and complied with heaven's will to ascend the throne (the leaders of the various tribes).

Wang Wang Zhigao was not talking nonsense; he had evidence and methods. If he could think of a way, could that emperor, whose belly was full of ideas, not think of one?

"Teacher, we have no such intention! His Majesty issued a decree to arrest Duke Duke Yansheng. Except for the teacher, we couldn't think of any other way. We were at the end of our rope, so we came to seek the teacher's help to come out of the mountains. Please, for the sake of the world, persuade His Majesty to be benevolent and forgiving." Li Lai took another step forward and said in a vibrating voice.

Wang Wang Zhigao was a very talented man. When His Majesty passed by the Western Earth City, he even went to visit him, showing great respect. Wang Wang Zhigao was the typical kind of person who lacked fighting spirit. Standing from the perspective of an onlooker, he could see things very clearly, but being in the middle of the situation, his heart was restless.

"His Majesty has already married. Now the Ming has signs of restoration. As for me, I'll just be a stable, wealthy old man." After Wang Wang Zhigao finished speaking, he walked toward the back door, saying as he walked, "Your head is full of official business, so I won't disturb you anymore. We'll talk again later, no need to see me off."

"Hahaha!"

Wang Wang Zhigao left laughing. The weight of Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Qi General Qi Jiguang Jiguang in His Majesty's heart was ultimately different, so Wang Wang Zhigao, as an in-law, would not be implicated. This was the best result.

The next morning, the wind of public opinion changed again. As Wan Wan Shihe expected, the cheap scholars soon abandoned the northern Kong family. The direction of the wind of public opinion was determined. In summary, it was "Down with the Kong Family Shop, Save Confucius."

The existence of the Kong Family Shop made Confucius's reputation as a sage have flaws, so destroy the Kong Family Shop and replace it with the southern Kong family.

The scattered cheap scholars, after getting a clear wind of public opinion, began to submit memorials, requesting the Emperor to invite the Kong family from Quzhou to the capital to respond to the court. The scholars were all overjoyed, thinking the Emperor was indeed clear about rewards and punishments.

In the afternoon, good news came from the Wenyuange. His Majesty approved Li Lai's memorial and issued a decree for Quzhou to come to the capital to respond. The scholars were all overjoyed.

Wan Wan Shihe dug up an old story from the pile of old papers, which was that after the Founding Emperor broke the Yuan court, he invited the northern Kong family to the capital to grant the title of Duke Duke Yansheng. The northern Kong family didn't come after three invitations, and it wasn't until the fourth invitation that they arrived in Nanjing.

The ceremony of three concessions was completed. Zhou Taibo's abdication to Hu Jili was called great virtue by later generations. Therefore, when ancient emperors ascended the throne, the humility of ministers receiving titles was all agreed to on the third time. But this northern Kong family didn't arrive on the third time, and it wasn't until the fourth invitation that they arrived. This clearly showed a lack of submissive heart.

And the Kong family in Quzhou, upon the Founding Emperor's first decree, arrived in Nanjing and waited for the summons. After the title of Duke Duke Yansheng was granted to the northern branch, the southern Kong family didn't say much and just went back. For more than two hundred years, they had no complaints.

The Founding Emperor started from the south and went from south to north. At that time, both the northern and southern Kong families were in the capital, and everyone thought that the Founding Emperor was going to grant the title of Duke Duke Yansheng to the Quzhou Kong family. In order to bridge the north and south, the Founding Emperor chose the northern branch.

At that time, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun had been lost for five hundred years since Shi Jingtang, and the north of the Two Huai River and Qin Mountains had been lost for more than three hundred years. The split between north and south already had differences in customs. The northern Kong family knew this, so they put on enough airs, while the southern Kong family hoped to expel the Hu captives. Since the Founding Emperor had achieved this, he was naturally the master of the world.

The northern Kong family often said to people: "There are only three families in the world: mine, the Zhang family in Jiangxi, and the Zhu family in Fengyang." The Zhang family in Jiangxi had the air of a Daoist; the Zhu family in Fengyang was an upstart family, with the air of a small family.

Wan Wan Shihe was pushing the waves. The reason he promoted this small matter was to promote the wind of public opinion to denounce the northern Kong family and determine the legitimacy of the Emperor's punishment and changing the family temple.

And the *Miscellaneous News* in the capital had some doubts about the origin of the Ming Dynasty's legitimacy. If the Duke Duke Yansheng family was stripped of their title and replaced by the southern Kong family, then was the legitimacy of the Ming Dynasty the Hu Yuan or the two Song Dynasties?

Wan Wan Shihe soon explained this problem in the *Court Gazette*. The changing of the Duke Duke Yansheng had nothing to do with the legitimacy of the Ming Dynasty. The Founding Emperor acknowledged the Hu Yuan as the orthodox ruler of the Central Plains, but that didn't mean the Ming Dynasty's legitimacy came from the Hu Yuan. The most correct explanation was: "The Ming inherits the Tang system."

From the very beginning, when the Founding Emperor was still in Chuzhou, the law he implemented was the Tang Law, and the Ming Law was based on the Tang Law with additions and subtractions. Therefore, the change of title did not affect the explanation of legitimacy. Most importantly, there was no Duke Duke Yansheng in the Tang Dynasty, only the "Official of Sacrificing to the Literary Sage." The Tang Dynasty was doing just fine, wasn't it?