Chapter 281: The Duke Yansheng

Subsequently, an imperial edict was issued from the palace: Chen Qiyu, Governor of Fengyang and Governor-General of Grain Transport, was commended for his outstanding abilities and specially promoted to the rank of Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, swapping positions with Li Huaipu, Magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture, and returning to the capital to serve as Magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture.

Now was the time to transfer Chen Qiyu back. With this strategist capable of overseeing the overall situation by his side, Zhu Youjian would feel more at ease. Though he possessed more insight than the ancients, that did not mean his intelligence surpassed theirs. He could not do what those incredible transmigrators did—becoming emperor and both fighting on the battlefield and commanding the overall situation, summoning wind and rain, even directing the enemy, so that no matter how one planned, the enemy would obediently come to their deaths like idiots. Such authors with superhuman abilities who did whatever they pleased—shouldn't they have surpassed Ma Yun in real life long ago? Then why would they still write web novels for small money?

As an ordinary person, Zhu Youjian expressed that he could not understand. Perhaps his IQ was too low to compare with theirs; he could only comfort himself this way.

From Chen Qiyu receiving the edict to completing the handover of relevant matters with Li Huaipu, who was heading to Huainan, this process would take at least a month or more. There was still time; he could wait slowly.

Now he was waiting for another piece of news—news related to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Duke Yansheng's Mansion in Qufu.

The center of power within the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already undergone tremendous changes.

Ever since detecting signs that some within the Embroidered Uniform Guard had begun to gradually swell with arrogance as their power increased, Zhu Youjian had decisively re-divided the Guard's authority: apart from Luo Yangxing, the Left Commissioner-in-Chief and Regional Military Commissioner, the Provosts of both the Northern and Southern Townfu Offices of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were each granted the title of Regional Military Commissioner, and both possessed the right to have a private audience with the Emperor.

The Provost of the Northern Townfu Office was concurrently held by Assistant Guard Commander Li Ruolian, while the Southern Townfu Office was concurrently held by Assistant Guard Commander Huang Fu.

The Southern Townfu Office, which oversaw internal military discipline within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had the authority, without prior reporting, to arrest any officers or soldiers below the rank of Regional Military Commissioner suspected of disciplinary violations, then compile their criminal evidence and present it directly to the Emperor, who would render the final judgment.

Previously, the Southern Townfu Office only had the authority to administer beatings with military staves or confinement to mid- and low-ranking officers and guards for disciplinary violations within the Guard; if it encountered mid-level or higher-ranking officers with serious crimes, it had no authority to handle them—only the hall-level superiors could render final judgments.

In such a hereditary organization, which mid-level officer did not have connections spread throughout the Guard? In the end, no matter how serious the matter, it would all fizzle out before countless personal favors.

This time, Zhu Youjian deliberately strengthened the authority of the Southern Townfu Office, causing the previously marginalized Southern Townfu Office to rise rapidly and forcefully within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, becoming a force that could stand as an equal against the hall-level superiors.

According to the rules handed down through the generations, only the Regional Military Commissioner within the Embroidered Uniform Guard had the right to a private audience with the Emperor; others could only enter the palace for an audience accompanied by the Regional Military Commissioner when summoned by the Emperor. This arrangement invisibly increased the authority of the Regional Military Commissioner, easily leading to a situation of one-man rule within the organization.

But after granting additional authority to the Northern and Southern Provosts this time, should any anomaly occur within the Guard, even the Regional Military Commissioner would not dare to conceal it, because there were now two others who could enter the palace alone without his permission.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was a sharp blade, but the hilt must be held in one's own hands.

After this division of power, a tripartite balance had formed within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, fundamentally eliminating the drawback of power concentrated in a single person's hands. Coupled with the Eastern Depot watching from the shadows, this behemoth of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had finally become a trustworthy, safe, and controllable ironclad enforcer.

Only under an effective oversight mechanism could power not be abused and not cause tremendous harm to society as a whole.

In the weather of early July, the morning air already carried a slight chill.

At the exact hour of Mao, as the deep and resonant sounds of bells rang out from the great bell tower on Quele Street east of the Confucius Temple, flocks of white egrets roosting in the temple were startled awake by the bell tones and morning glow, crying and circling ceaselessly among the tall branches of the arborvitae trees and above the majestic halls.

On the eastern side of the Confucius Temple, the thousand-year-old mansion—the six great black-lacquered, red-edged gates of the Kong Mansion, inlaid with beast-head door rings, slowly opened, and a crisp crack of a whip burst forth as a carriage pulled by three tall blue mules slowly emerged from the gates. A coachman in short clothing held the reins with one hand while carrying a long whip in the other, walking close beside the carriage. Four tall horses flanked the carriage on both sides, their riders all dressed in blue fitted garments, black short boots, with long sabers at their waists, casually scanning their surroundings with relaxed expressions.

Inside the spacious carriage, Kong Yanzhi, the sixty-fifth generation Duke Yansheng, sat upright with his eyes closed, while a handsome young page boy with a childish hairstyle sat quietly in the corner of the carriage, occasionally stealing glances at Kong Yinzhi's expression.

Today was the end of the ten-day period, and also the day Kong Yanzhi left the city without fail.

Ever since assuming the title of Duke Yansheng, at the end of every ten-day period, he would go fishing and relaxing at South Wild Goose Lake, ten li east of the county seat—a fact known to everyone in the Duke Yansheng's Mansion.

At this moment, Kong Yanzhi's heart was not as calm as his appearance suggested. Anger, disdain, and worry intermingled, causing a man who had always valued self-cultivation to feel a hint of pressure.

At some unknown point, a suddenly emerging rumor had spread like wildfire, circulating rapidly among the scholarly circles of Yanzhou Prefecture.

It was said that someone in the court harbored dissatisfaction toward the Northern Lineage Duke Yansheng's Mansion in Qufu, and reportedly a Censor was already preparing to submit a memorial requesting that His Majesty replace the Northern Lineage's position in scholarly circles with the Southern Lineage Kong family.

Who knew how much silver that old reprobate Kong Yanzhen had spent to push this matter forward. Just because the Southern Lineage had been holed up for centuries in that isolated place of Quzhou Prefecture, could they compete with my Northern Lineage's strategically located feng shui treasure land of Qufu for legitimacy?

Hmph, simply a pipe dream!

Since the Hongzhi reign when the court undertook large-scale construction of the Kong family mansion, temple, and forest in Qufu, the entire scholarly world of the Great Ming had regarded the Northern Lineage as the true legitimate line of the Kong family. Even the rulers and courts of Joseon and Japan would send envoys to offer sacrifices to the Supreme Sage. If the birthplace of the Sage were not the legitimate line, would that not invite the world's ridicule?

Your Southern Lineage fled to Jiangnan back then to escape the disaster of the Jurchens—with such a reputation, what face do you have to compete with my Northern Lineage?

It was my Northern Lineage's ancestors who understood the greater situation and saw reason clearly. Whether they were Mongols, Khitans, or Jurchens, no matter who sat on the throne, my Northern Lineage, to protect the land of the Sage, was willing to endure humiliation and condescend to live in harmony with them—this was the way of the gentleman! Otherwise, where would my Northern Lineage's countless descendants of today come from? Where would these ten thousand qing of fertile fields come from to provide offerings to the ancestors?

Let your Southern Lineage fan the flames wherever it pleases; my Northern Lineage remains unmoved as a mountain. I only fear that in the end, certain people will end up burning themselves with the fire they started.

Under the fawning farewells of the soldiers who had just opened the city gates, the carriage bearing the black banner reading "Duke Yansheng's Mansion" creaked its way out through the eastern city gate.

Refreshing cool air accompanied by damp, thick fog drifted along the ancient Yi River. The carriage traveled along the official road by the river for half an hour before turning onto a narrow path to the south. After proceeding another quarter of an hour, a vast expanse of rippling blue water came into view—South Wild Goose Lake had arrived.

As the carriage stopped on a leveled patch of ground not far from the lakeshore, the page boy opened the carriage door, jumped down, and nimbly retrieved a brocade stool from beside the door. Kong Yanzhi, past sixty but still hale and vigorous, bent over, stepped onto the stool, and jumped down from the carriage.

"The master truly has a fine constitution! My father just passed fifty last year and already struggles to get onto the kang—for the master to live another sixty years wouldn't be anything surprising!"

The coachman Liu Laosan held the reins firmly to keep the mules from moving about, while flattering with a fawning smile.

"Hehehehe, then wouldn't this old man be an old demon! Laosan, you drive the carriage well—steady and fast. Of all the coachmen at home, you drive the best. When we return to the mansion, go to the outer steward and ask for a qian of reward silver, and say this old man said so!"

Flattery always works. Though Liu Laosan's words were crude, Kong Yanzhi found them quite pleasing to his heart.

"The master is no demon at all—clearly an immortal! People outside the mansion all say the master has the bearing of an immortal, looking just like a living deity!"

The page boy named Kong Jun chimed in with a serious expression.

"Hahahaha! You little rascal, could it be you're coveting Liu Laosan's reward silver? Following along with such nonsense! Enough, enough—when we return to the mansion, this old man will have your young master reward you! Hahaha!"

Kong Yinzhi patted Kong Jun's head and laughed heartily.

"Thank you for the reward, master! This lad will go set up the stool right away—please wait a moment, master!"

Kong Jun ran off gleefully. The four household retainers dismounted and scattered to the surroundings, each tying their horses to trees. In the distant fields, early-rising farmers were already working, and everything appeared calm and peaceful.

Kong Yanzhi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the gently rippling lake surface not far away, and his heart suddenly became clear and serene.

Dense clusters of reeds extended along the lakeshore in both directions. Within a patch of reeds that blocked the view, several dark figures were silently observing the activity around Kong Yanzhi.

These people's target was clearly this renowned Duke Yansheng.