Chapter 301: Duke Duke Yansheng? Whoever wants it can have it; we of the Southern Branch don

The operational efficiency of the Great Ming's bureaucratic machine is a concrete manifestation of the organizational degree of Great Ming society.

When the precise bureaucratic machine is running stably, the Great Ming and the Central Plains are the Celestial Empire. However, as the bureaucratic machine becomes increasingly bloated and rigid, all kinds of hidden rules and petty regulations fill the spaces between its gears, and this machine begins to rust.

When a blue whale's tail is bitten, it takes 0.3 seconds to react, whereas when a human is stepped on, it takes only 0.0018 seconds to perceive it.

The Great Ming is a behemoth far larger than a blue whale. This behemoth's reaction to various matters is inherently sluggish, and because the bureaucratic machine is rusting, the speed of information transmission is constantly decreasing, and the reaction speed is dropping. This is precisely what makes the resistance to the implementation of the Great Ming's New Policies even stronger.

Wang Li Shizhen is a typical example of this. He is not in the capital, he does not like Zhang Zhang Juzheng, and he has a subconscious resistance to the promotion of the "Theory of Contradictions" led by Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Under the influence of rebellious psychological tempering, he opposed the Theory of Contradictions, and subsequently, his own "thought seal" became even more solidified, ultimately leading to this outcome.

The Great Ming New Policies have been underway for six years. With the goal of enriching the country and strengthening the military, and with official governance as the core entry point, the Great Ming's bureaucratic machine has basically returned to normal operation.

The Great Ming is now turning its blade inward. In the third month, the time of Zhu Zhu Yijun's grand wedding, Hai Rui led the Censorate in conjunction with the Ministry of Personnel to submit a memorial, clearing out 437 corrupt officials across the two capitals and thirteen provinces who had embezzled massive sums. In three months, they accomplished the volume of anti-corruption work that Gao Gong had done in a year.

While numerous Confucian scholars were waiting expectantly, the Great Ming Emperor Zhu Zhu Yijun returned to the capital from the Yicheng Earl's Mansion in the Western Hills, and subsequently issued an imperial decree to summon the new Duke Duke Yansheng, the Hanlin Academy's Five Classics Doctor of the Quzhou Southern Branch, Kong Kong Wenyin, the following day.

After this news spread, the scholar-official circles were all jubilant. His Majesty was indeed different from those "cheap Confucians" who didn't keep their word. He had been delaying the summoning of the new Duke Duke Yansheng simply because he needed to go to the Yicheng Earl's Mansion in the Western Hills to discuss it with the Grand Tutor!

It is perfectly normal for His Majesty, being young, to be unsure about certain matters and to seek help and consultation from the Old Ancestor.

For the Great Ming court officials and scholars, their perception of Zhang Zhang Juzheng has become complicated.

On one hand, court officials and scholars really dislike Zhang Zhang Juzheng. This outlier of the last two hundred years of the Great Ming has put a halter on all bureaucrats. In the face of the new rules formed by the Evaluation Method, everyone can only work themselves to the bone like oxen and horses to obtain promotion. After all, the Ministry of Personnel now uses the "blind grading" system for the draft list and the "filling in names" system for the base register; the basic pattern of "the mediocre descend, the capable ascend" has already been formed.

On the other hand, court officials and scholars have no choice but to rely on Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Without Zhang Zhang Juzheng's restraint, the Great Ming Emperor might truly abolish the hereditary title of Duke Duke Yansheng this time. If the Sage's bloodline cannot be propagated, can the Sage still maintain such a lofty status? And would the Great Ming Emperor go a step further and shake the status of Confucianism?

Fortunately, His Majesty values faith and keeps his word, and still summoned the new Duke Duke Yansheng.

Zhu Zhu Yijun received Kong Kong Wenyin in the Imperial Study of the Guanghan Hall in the Western Garden. Kong Kong Wenyin's attire was not silk or satin—all the Great Ming's silk had gone to sea, and only the Imperial Palace had a small amount. Kong Kong Wenyin's clothes were of coarse wool. At first glance, he appeared honest and steady, with etiquette and demeanor that were refined, gentle, and gentlemanly.

Yet, he was much more pleasing to the eye than that Duke Duke Yansheng, Kong Kong Shangxian.

"Your subject, Five Classics Doctor Kong Kong Wenyin, pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live." Kong Kong Wenyin performed the grand ritual of five kowtows and three prostrations, bowing his head and pressing his ears to the ground in an extremely submissive greeting.

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not tell Kong Kong Wenyin to rise, but instead said in a low voice: "In the fifth year of During Chenghua, the Northern Branch Duke Duke Yansheng, Grand Secretary Kong Kong Hongxu, killed four people with his own hands in the Qufu Kong Mansion, right under the Sage's nose, and forcibly raped forty-seven virtuous women. The Shandong Provincial Governor, Yuan Xu Jie, heard the news and reported it to the Xianzong Emperor."

"The Xianzong Emperor was furious and wanted to have Duke Duke Yansheng Kong Kong Hongxu shackled and sent to the capital. As soon as this edict reached the Grand Secretariat, it was opposed by the Grand Secretary Peng Shi."

"Peng Shi said: 'The Sage is the master of the name-teaching for ten thousand generations, honored by successive dynasties, with glory and no replacement. Treating his descendants is different from treating ordinary people. Now that Kong Kong Hongxu has committed a crime, it should be handled leniently. I hope Your Majesty will consider the Sage's merit in supporting the world and establishing teaching, exempt him from being shackled and escorted, and waive the punishment of shackles. Wait until he is brought to the capital, order the officials to discuss the crime and report it, and then dispose of it appropriately.'"

The "Sage" refers to Confucius; his full title is: "The Great Accomplished, Most Holy, Cultured, and Propagating King."

In the ninth year of Emperor Jiajing, the Grand Secretary Zhang Cong said that it was inappropriate for Confucius to be called the "Cultured and Propagating King," as the name was not correct and the words were not smooth, so he was re-titled as: "The Great Accomplished, Cultured, Propagating, Most Holy Teacher."

Duke Duke Yansheng Kong Kong Hongxu, in the land of the Sage, Qufu, personally killed four poor laborers and raped forty-seven women. Such a grave crime, yet because Confucius was the "Most Holy Teacher of the Ten Thousand Generations of Name-Teaching," they couldn't even shackle him and escort him to the capital; he wasn't even put in chains. This vicious criminal was invited to the capital.

"After the joint trial of the three judicial offices, Duke Duke Yansheng Kong Kong Hongxu was merely stripped of his title and dismissed to become a commoner. Kong Kong Hongxu's younger brother inherited the title of Duke Duke Yansheng."

"Duke Duke Yansheng, firstly, is to propagate the Sage's bloodline, and secondly, to propagate the Sage's virtue. Indeed, the bloodline was propagated, but there was absolutely no propagation of the Sage's virtue."

"Today is different from yesterday. Everyone says that Grand Secretary Lu is cowardly and unwise. Yet, despite my chaotic orders, he does not blame Chen Shan, exercises the power of sealing and rejecting, and allows me to arrest over seven hundred members of the Qufu Kong Mansion to the capital."

"Kong Kong Wenyin, do you think Lu Lu Diaoyang is truly cowardly and unwise?"

It wasn't just the Wu Sect Emperor who found the Duke Duke Yansheng displeasing; the Xianzong Emperor also found him displeasing, the Daoist Master found him displeasing, and even Confucius's royal title was stripped and changed to "Most Holy Teacher."

The Duke Duke Yansheng Mansion did things that were too disgusting, abandoned by both man and god.

Kong Kong Wenyin said with great certainty: "Your subject does not think Lu Lu Diaoyang is cowardly and unwise. Everyone says that Grand Secretary Lu and Grand Tutor Zhang are fellow townsmen, and thus they form a clique of fellow townsmen. Your subject does not think so. In your subject's view, just like the Minister of Revenue Wang Wang Guoguang and the Minister of Revenue Tan Lun with Grand Tutor Zhang, they are comrades, fellow travelers, and gentlemen who share the same joys."

"What Grand Secretary Lu wants to do is the practice of the Great Ming New Policies. This is the top priority; everything else is disregarded."

"Doctor, you may rise." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Kong Kong Wenyin with great surprise and asked: "Does the Doctor also read the Theory of Contradictions?"

Upon hearing this, Kong Kong Wenyin bowed his head and said: "Your subject has studied it thoroughly. Yesterday, the Court Gazette published the 'Memorial on the Common Diseases of Empty-Talking Confucian Scholars.' After reading it, it was as if I were looking in a mirror; I was ashamed and unable to face it. Of the eight categories and thirty-two items of empty-talking Confucian scholars, your subject only hit four categories and twelve items, so I am not among the ranks of the 'cheap Confucians'."

There are thirty-two items for the common diseases of empty-talking Confucian scholars; one must fit all of them to be a "cheap Confucian." Hitting half makes one an empty-talking Confucian scholar. Kong Kong Wenyin was very relieved; he was just a bit empty-talking, not a "cheap Confucian."

"This is the portrait of Confucius and his wife carved from pear wood. Today, it is returned to its rightful owner. It was originally a treasure of the Southern Branch; the Northern Branch snatched it away for nearly three hundred years. It is the height of shamelessness." Zhu Zhu Yijun signaled for Feng Bao to return the pear wood portrait to the Southern Branch.

Kong Kong Wenyin pulled back the red silk cloth with great anticipation, then stared dumbfounded at the pear wood portrait. Pointing at it in extreme horror, he stammered: "Your… Your Majesty, this, this, this… it's missing an ear, and there's a scar on the face, this, this, this…"

Kong Kong Wenyin's family learning is profound. Three hundred years ago, when the pear wood portrait was borrowed, it was intact. Now, it had become so dilapidated that Kong Kong Wenyin simply could not accept it!

"Sigh." Zhu Zhu Yijun explained the origin of these injuries to Kong Kong Wenyin. Kong Kong Wenyin was not qualified to inquire about the great case of the Qufu Kong Mansion. This was the first time he had heard these secrets. He stared blankly at the pear wood portrait before him, his expression a complex mix of emotions.

"Simply! Simply! It is an insult to refinement!" Kong Kong Wenyin's face flushed red, and the refined, gentlemanly air he had just moments ago vanished completely.

"Shall I have another one carved and bestowed? It cannot be repaired." Zhu Zhu Yijun proposed a solution.

Kong Kong Wenyin pondered for a long time before shaking his head and saying: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your boundless holy grace. For the family temple's sacrificial statue, let it be as it is. The descendants are unfilial, the descendants are unfilial."

From the narrow sense of filial piety, the Qufu Kong Mansion losing the Sage's pear wood portrait is unfilial. From the broad sense of filial piety—the order of the world—the Qufu Kong Mansion usurped the monarch, wantonly exploited the virtuous with privilege, caused huge damage to the interests of the imperial dynasty, and had a vile impact on the order of the imperial dynasty. This is unfilial, and even more unloyal.

Kong Kong Wenyin had never expected the Sage's pear wood portrait to have become in such a state, but no matter how badly damaged it was, it was still his ancestors' statue.

"The Northern Branch has lost its virtue. I intend to enfeoff the Southern Branch as Duke Duke Yansheng. Doctor, receive the decree." Seeing that Kong Kong Wenyin had accepted this dilapidated pear wood portrait, Zhu Zhu Yijun signaled for him to begin the process of being enfeoffed as Duke Duke Yansheng.

Feng Bao took a step forward, two young eunuchs pulled open the imperial decree, and Feng Bao flicked his horsetail whisk, set his stance, and shouted loudly: "By the order of the Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"Your Majesty, your subject has a presumptuous request." Kong Kong Wenyin interrupted Feng Bao's reading of the decree.

Feng Bao had been shouting with a strained voice, and being suddenly interrupted by Kong Kong Wenyin, he turned red in the face. It was truly a close call that he didn't lose his breath!

"Doctor, please speak." Zhu Zhu Yijun did not mind; Kong Kong Wenyin interrupting the imperial decree to speak was clearly something he had thought through carefully.

Kong Kong Wenyin knelt on the ground again to receive the decree. He bowed his head and said: "This Duke Duke Yansheng title, the Southern Branch cannot accept. This is not your subject's own idea; my Southern Branch clansmen are all unwilling to follow."

"Ah?" Zhu Zhu Yijun's expression was exactly the same as Feng Bao's and Zhang Hong's. He stared at Kong Kong Wenyin with wide eyes. This was said very directly: the Southern Branch did not like this title.

Sure enough, there was something to be said. It was fortunate that the imperial decree hadn't been finished, otherwise Kong Kong Wenyin would have had to resist the decree.

"Why? After being enfeoffed, you would be the master of the world's Kong clan's ancestral temple sacrifices." Zhu Zhu Yijun spread his hands, very puzzled.

"Your Majesty, after the Quzhou Kong clan moved south, we have had no loss of righteousness and no damage to minor details. If we are enfeoffed today, then in the future, people will inevitably view the Southern Kong and Northern Kong as one family. Your subject fears we cannot bear such humiliation. Your Majesty, what others view as honor, in our Southern Branch's view, is humiliation." Kong Kong Wenyin said with tears streaming down his face.

Duke Duke Yansheng is a title, a social status, and a privilege. It enjoys great privileges in justice, taxation, and politics. Being able to be acquitted of murder and rape is indeed a supreme honor for the world, but for the Southern Branch, which has adhered to morality for hundreds of years, this is a humiliation—a heaven-sized humiliation. This humiliation would even accompany the Southern Branch for generations.

This is why Kong Kong Wenyin had to interrupt Feng Bao's reading of the decree—to loudly refuse. He was not playing the ritual of "three refusals and then accepting"; he was truly refusing.

"The Duke Duke Yansheng Mansion is truly damnable." Zhu Zhu Yijun was also filled with melancholy upon hearing this. An honor that everyone envied, yet the Southern Branch avoided it like the plague.

A perfectly good Duke Duke Yansheng title had been ruined by the Northern Branch to this extent.

"The ancestor was the master of name-teaching and civilization. Your subject also fears that today's Northern Branch will be tomorrow's Southern Branch. The Sage's bloodline in the Southern Branch at least still has some dignity remaining. If your subject accepts the title today but cannot guard the Sage's virtue, wouldn't that be bringing shame to the Sage?" Kong Kong Wenyin stated his second reason.

Leaving some dignity for the Sage, the Southern Branch might not necessarily become like today's Northern Branch. Since it would become that way, it is better not to start this at all. Without a beginning, how could there be things that bring shame to the descendants and shame to the Sage?

"I ask Your Majesty to fulfill your subject's heart of loyalty and filial piety." Kong Kong Wenyin kowtowed again.

This title of Duke Duke Yansheng—whoever wants it can have it; their Southern Branch doesn't want it!

"What if I enfeoff you, my beloved subject, as Duke Duke Yansheng?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

Kong Kong Wenyin pondered for a long time before saying: "There are no jokes before the monarch. Your subject cannot control others, but if Your Majesty insists on the grace of enfeoffment, your subject can only hang himself to preserve the reputation of the Southern Branch and our ancestors."

"I have made things difficult for you, my beloved subject." Zhu Zhu Yijun understood Kong Kong Wenyin's meaning. If he really enfeoffed him, Kong Kong Wenyin would die for the Emperor to see. It would be a real death. Having said so before the Emperor, he would have to die even if he didn't want to.

"How about this: imitating the Tang system, I will enfeoff you as the 'Cultured and Propagating Sacrificial Official.' What do you think, my beloved subject?" Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and came up with a compromise. This "Sacrificial Official" has existed since ancient times. When sacrificing to Confucius, the Cultured and Propagating Sacrificial Official is responsible for the main sacrifice. Kong Kong Wenyin would thus join the Great Ming's Great Priest Group, responsible for sacrificial matters.

"Your subject kowtows and thanks Your Majesty for your holy grace." Upon hearing this, Kong Kong Wenyin was overjoyed and kowtowed again. Happily, he accepted the position of Sacrificial Official and left the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Zhu Yijun watched Kong Kong Wenyin's retreating figure and thought for a moment, saying: "It seems I have been predicted by Grand Tutor Wan again. He said last time that there was no Duke Duke Yansheng in the Tang Dynasty. Has this been fulfilled?"

Wan Wan Shihe looks three steps ahead for every one step he takes. To prevent the "cheap Confucians" from resisting too much and causing His Majesty to have to respond aggressively, Wan Wan Shihe had cleared the way in advance. Things are unpredictable, yet it was fulfilled. Wan Wan Shihe's efforts were not in vain.

Kong Kong Wenyin left the Guanghan Hall, crossed the Taiye Bridge, and stopped in front of the Chengguang Hall. Since the twenty-first year of Emperor Jiajing, the Chengguang Hall had taken on the responsibilities of the Wenyuange. Court officials, court discussions, and court recommendations were all conducted in the Chengguang Hall because it was closer to the Emperor. This lasted for twenty-five years until the first year of Emperor Longqing, when it returned to the Zhao Wenhua Hall.

Kong Kong Wenyin passed by the Chengguang Hall, stood on the Jinhai Bridge, and looked at the Zijin Pavilion on the west bank of the Taiye Pool. The Zijin Pavilion was not a place for eating; it was a Buddhist pagoda in the Western Inner City of the Grand Imperial Palace. It was originally a Buddhist temple built by the Yongle Emperor to commemorate Empress Ma. By the During Zhengde era, it was transformed by the Wu Sect Emperor into a training ground connected to the Leopard House, and the Yongshou Palace, supervised by Xu Xu Jie's son Xu Fan, was right next to the Zijin Pavilion.

The Wu Sect Emperor was unconventional; even the Buddhist pagoda commemorating Empress Ma was turned into a training ground by him.

Walking across the Jinhai Bridge and passing the Lingxing Gate, one reaches the Western Inner City of the Forbidden City. Here are all the storehouses: the Inner Transport Storehouse, the Guangying, Guanghui, Guangji, and other storehouses, the livestock rooms, the Directorate of Ceremonial's Three Classics Printing House, the wine storehouses, and so on. Strictly speaking, the Lingxing Gate is the boundary between the Forbidden City and the Inner City.

Kong Kong Wenyin could understand why the Great Ming Emperor lived in the Guanghan Hall. The newly repaired Qianqing Palace had never been used, and the Kunning Palace had only been used once, because the Western Garden was safe. In Kong Kong Wenyin's view, His Majesty was absolutely a wise and holy monarch, not at all the "despotic tyrant" rumored in the streets who wouldn't listen to anyone's criticism and acted arbitrarily.

Kong Kong Wenyin walked past the storehouses and exited the Xi'an Gate. This was completely leaving the Imperial City. Exiting the Xi'an Gate, one is in the Western City.

As soon as Kong Kong Wenyin walked out, he saw countless court officials waiting for him by the roadside. Clearly, they were waiting for definitive news. Did these people really care about who would become the Duke Duke Yansheng? What they actually cared about were their own personal interests.

"His Majesty wants to enfeoff me as Duke Duke Yansheng," Kong Kong Wenyin said loudly.

Outside the Xi'an Gate, the court scholars were discussing it animatedly. Everyone's face was full of joy, and there were even cheers.

Kong Kong Wenyin said with a smile: "I flatly refused."

"Ah?!"

The Confucian scholars gathered here were all bewildered. His Majesty values his promises, and his credibility is extremely strong; even "cheap Confucians" can believe His Majesty's words. His Majesty fulfilled his promise, yet Kong Kong Wenyin refused this heaven-sized good thing, and he refused it flatly!

Is this Kong Kong Wenyin missing a screw in his head?

How could he refuse?

"His Majesty wanted to force the enfeoffment," Kong Kong Wenyin looked around and threw out another sentence.

The Confucian scholars relaxed again, and the atmosphere became festive once more. Some even threw their hats into the air to show celebration. So it was the "three refusals and then accepting" ritual! The new Duke Duke Yansheng indeed understood the rituals; this was indeed a ritual that had to be followed.

"I threatened to die, and His Majesty had no choice but to withdraw the order," Kong Kong Wenyin said again with a smile.

"Ah?!"

The Confucian scholars were bewildered again. The development of events exceeded their expectations. If Kong Kong Wenyin had performed the "three refusals and then accepting," he would naturally have to say his virtue was shallow and he was unworthy of the great responsibility, and the Great Ming Emperor would say a few nice words, and Kong Kong Wenyin would decline again, and the ritual would be complete.

As it turned out, Kong Kong Wenyin actually threatened to die!

Threatening to die means he absolutely would not agree! It was a real refusal.

"His Majesty enfeoffed me as the Cultured and Propagating Sacrificial Official," Kong Kong Wenyin said playfully.

The Confucian scholars all frowned, but after pondering for a moment, they chose to be relieved. It was probably just a change of name. The three words "Duke Duke Yansheng" were indeed rotten, so changing it to "Sacrificial Official" was not impossible. However, the Confucian scholars were bewildered about what the functions of this "Sacrificial Official" were. The harm of not reading history was manifesting.

Influenced by the public opinion that "there is no great righteousness after the Spring and Autumn period, and history books only record events," most of the Great Ming's "cheap Confucians" did not read history. A single *Spring and Autumn Annals* was considered having read history.

"The Sacrificial Official only manages the ancestor's sacrifices; everything else is not asked about." Kong Kong Wenyin clarified the duties of the Sacrificial Official: only a salary, nothing else. This is the Sacrificial Official, completely different from Duke Duke Yansheng. The Southern Branch did indeed become the Great Ancestral Branch, but it had no privileges.

"Kong Kong Wenyin, are you stupid!" A Confucian scholar, having understood, changed his expression drastically and pointedly accused him.

Kong Kong Wenyin turned his head to look at that Confucian scholar, walked over step by step, and said with a frown: "You say I am stupid, I say you are foolish. The foundation of a person is the person themselves. My own path—is it your turn to point fingers?"

"What are you!"

"A person is a person. People are not born to be slaves, to be humiliated, to be abandoned, to be despised livestock, and even less are they grass that grows again after the spring breeze!"

"A person is a person. Everyone is the same; they need to drink water, eat food, and go to the toilet. You, me, him—essentially, there is no difference! Instead of standing in a high position, feeling that you are different from the majority—if you are different from a person, then you are not a person!"

"If you are not a person, then what are you?!"

"What are you!" Kong Kong Wenyin walked up to that Confucian scholar and asked loudly!

The Confucian scholar took a step back, stammering and unable to speak. Kong Kong Wenyin, usually a "good old man," had suddenly become so fierce.

Kong Kong Wenyin looked at everyone. After looking around, he clapped his hands and said: "Do you know what I saw in you?"

"One by one, walking corpses; one by one, ugly faces calculating gains and losses; one by one, dirty souls full of selfishness. You hold Confucianism high, virtualizing it into a non-existent, illusory world, and with peace of mind, you do not act like people."

"You hold the Kong Sage high, and then, under the Sage's name, you do all kinds of evil, and with peace of mind, you do things worse than pigs and dogs!"

"Is this the situation the Sage wanted to see? I don't think so. If the Sage knew that his teaching had become like this today, he would probably beat his chest and stomp his feet, regretting it endlessly."

"Duke Duke Yansheng? It's just a joke. Things that should be destroyed, yet you let me, let us Quzhou Kong clan, let us Quzhou Kong clan bear it for generations."

"Are you gathered here today really for the continuation of the Sage's bloodline, really for the prosperity of the Sage's virtue?"

"It's just to satisfy your already rigid souls. All the illusory, beautiful Great Harmony world is just to make your rigid souls look like they have a bit of life."

"A person is a person. People live in this world and cannot live apart from others. If you only treat people as separate, completely individual people, and treat others as livestock, grass, or tools, then you have lowered yourself to livestock, grass, and tools, and become a supporter of heresy."

"This heresy is the heresy that alienates people into other things! It is the greatest ugliness of humanity!"

"Being a supporter of such ugliness, how do you have the face to call yourself a disciple of the Sage?"

Kong Kong Wenyin had long known that these "cheap Confucians," who were cheap to the bone, would definitely wait at the Xi'an Gate for news. They viewed the Emperor's enfeoffment of a new Duke Duke Yansheng as a victory, as a kind of compromise by His Majesty.

Did His Majesty really lose? Did His Majesty really compromise? The situation in Shandong has opened up, the clearing of land can be implemented, the bandits in Shandong can finally come down from the mountains, and the poor laborers His Majesty wanted to protect finally have a chance to breathe.

His Majesty walks the Great Way; how could he lose! It's just that the "cheap Confucians" are comforting themselves, as if they had won.

So he had long thought about what to say after going out. He looked down on these people. He was qualified to look down on these "cheap Confucians" who were people in name, but in their bones, looked down on others and also looked down on themselves.

Was it only the unworthy descendants of the Northern Branch who made Duke Duke Yansheng so foul-smelling?

Aren't these "cheap Confucians" also taking shelter under the Sage's name to steal the country and ruin the reputation of the Way of Confucius and Mencius?

In the past, Kong Kong Wenyin was not qualified to admonish them, but now, as the Master's Sacrificial Official, he could finally scold these people to his heart's content!

Kong Kong Wenyin took a deep breath and said forcefully: "Those who look down on others and alienate people into things are looking down on themselves, because there will always be someone standing on your heads, acting with power and authority, holding the power of life and death, and taking whatever they want from you!"

"You fear the sixteen-year-old, wet-behind-the-ears Emperor in the Imperial City. His Majesty is young, yet you are helpless against him. You look down on poor laborers; isn't it natural for His Majesty to look down on you?"

"A person must respect himself before others will respect him; a person must insult himself before others will insult him!"

This sentence comes from *Mencius: Li Lou I*. The next sentence is: "When Heaven sends down calamities, it is still possible to escape; when one brings calamities upon oneself, one cannot live. This is what it means."

If a person does not respect himself, others will not respect you; if a person insults his own personality, others will insult his personality.

Kong Kong Wenyin finally felt refreshed after scolding. He put his hands behind his back and left the Xi'an Gate slowly. He respected his own personality and was unwilling to let the Duke Duke Yansheng title fall on himself and his family, and then bear those sins. That is why the Emperor respected him, and that is why he could scold these "cheap Confucians" until they were covered in blood outside the Xi'an Gate!

The eunuchs and secret guards watching the excitement reported this matter to His Majesty word for word. Zhu Zhu Yijun, who was reviewing memorials in the Guanghan Hall of the Western Garden, kept nodding upon hearing the news and said: "Good, good, good! Kong, my beloved subject, scolded them well!"

"Eh! I didn't expect that Kong, my beloved subject, who looks refined and gentle, had such a side, and is so good at debating!"

Feng Bao said happily: "The Cultured and Propagating Sage Confucius was actually very good at debating. In those days, if you weren't good at debating, how could you be a guest of the feudal lords?"

"Indeed." Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up a memorial and reviewed it in a very good mood. Even the sunlight seemed a bit brighter. After writing the vermilion comments, he said: "Tell Grand Tutor Wan to keep an eye on Kong, my beloved subject. This kind of hard-to-find natural talent is hard to recruit, and this kind of hard-to-find pen is also hard to find."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Feng Bao bowed his head to receive the order.

Zhang Hong thought for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, this Kong Mansion has been seized, raided, and shackled to the capital. In these days, Sacrificial Official Kong should have gone to pay respects before Grand Tutor Wan's door."

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a moment; this was indeed possible. He said with a smile: "Oh? You say this is also possible. Feng, my beloved attendant, since you are going to convey my oral decree, ask on my behalf as well."

Feng Bao went to the Ministry of Personnel. When he arrived at the Ministry of Personnel office, the Vice Minister of Personnel told Feng Bao that Wan Wan Shihe was at the Ministry of Rites. Ma Ma Ziqiang had some matters and had sent someone to ask many times, so Wan Wan Shihe had gone to the Ministry of Rites.

Feng Bao went to the Ministry of Rites and found out what Wan Wan Shihe was doing. It turned out he was setting the rituals for the regular court and the rituals for filial piety.

During the Emperor Jiajing era, the relationship between the Daoist Master and Empress Dowager Zhang could not be called harmonious; it could only be called like fire and water.

After the Daoist Master's grand wedding, naturally, no rituals for the regular court or filial piety were set. Calling her "Aunt" made Empress Dowager Zhang's name incorrect and her words not smooth.

However, the Ministry of Rites was fully imitating the ritual system of the During Zhengtong era. His Majesty was so busy, where would he have the time? Ma Ma Ziqiang was unsure, so he went to discuss it with Wan Wan Shihe.

Wan Wan Shihe is truly "Wan Shi He" (Everything Harmonious). Once this matter reached his hands, it became something that neither harmed His Majesty's holy brilliance and diligence, nor failed to fulfill the joy of family ties, nor neglected the morning and evening greetings, and further expressed the feelings of a filial son.

"I have seen Feng, my beloved attendant."

"Grand Tutor Wan, Minister Ma, you are too polite."

They greeted each other. Feng Bao conveyed the oral decree and asked with great curiosity: "Was that Sacrificial Official enlightened by Grand Tutor Wan? Otherwise, how could he be so bright?"

"He did come to seek advice, but it was all his own submissive heart. Rotten wood cannot be carved." Wan Wan Shihe did not claim this credit. He had only said those two sentences; the rest was all Kong Kong Wenyin's own good fortune.

Begging for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 302 =====