People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 526 How could the great Confucian scholars give up such a good opportunity?

In the early morning, the sun shines through the mist and shines on the ancient streets of the capital.

On both sides of the street, vendors have begun to get busy, with the sounds of hawking and bargaining one after another, adding a bit of vitality to this ancient city.

However, behind this prosperity lies an indescribable atmosphere of tension.

Wu Shava, the head of the Wu family, was dressed in a gorgeous silk gown and walked with heavy steps on the way to the Governor's Mansion.

He was filled with resentment. In the past, his Wu family had been so prosperous in this land of Sanfuqi, but now he was summoned to a meeting by an external Ming Dynasty official. How could he not feel aggrieved?
"Mr. Wu, where are you going?" A fruit vendor on the roadside couldn't help but ask when he saw Wu Shava in a hurry.

Wu Shava stopped and sighed: "Alas, where else can I go? Of course, I should go to the Governor's Mansion to attend Xia Yuanji's call."

The vendor's expression changed when he heard this: "Xia Yuanji? He's a powerful character. Master Wu, you have to be careful."

Wu Shawa smiled bitterly: "What can we do if we are careful? The Ming army is approaching, we can only swallow our anger and follow the arrangements."

After saying that, Wu Shava continued to move forward.

He knew in his heart that although he was forced to come to today's meeting, he had to do his best to show the style of the Wu family and not let outsiders laugh at him.

Just as he was thinking about it, a man came over. It was Sulaya, the head of the Su family. Sulaya also had a sad face, and was obviously troubled by Xia Yuanji's call.

"Brother Wu, do you know why Xia Yuanji suddenly summoned us?" Suraya asked in a low voice.

Wu Shawa shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Brother Su, you and I are both sensible people. Xia Yuanji is here with ill intentions. My Wu family has never suffered such injustice in Sanfuqi. But what can we do? The Ming army is approaching, we can only swallow our anger and obey the arrangements."

Sulaya sighed when he heard this: "Yes, Brother Wu. My Su family has lived here for generations, but now we have to be told what to do by an official from outside. It's really unacceptable."

As the two were talking, footsteps were heard from behind, and Ruan Wenxiong, the head of the Ruan family, hurried over. He looked solemn, and it was obvious that he had also come because of Xia Yuanji's call.

"Brothers, are you also worried about Xia Yuanji's call?" Ruan Wenxiong asked.

Wu Shava and Sulaya both nodded, and Wu Shava couldn't help but complain, "Brother Ruan, do you know how glorious we were in Sanfuqi in the past? Now we have to be summoned to a meeting by an official from outside. How can we not feel aggrieved?"

Ruan Wenxiong heard this and a hint of determination flashed in his eyes: "What if we are frustrated? The Ming Dynasty is powerful, and we can only endure it temporarily. But remember, today's frustration is for tomorrow's counterattack. As long as there is a chance, we will take back everything we have lost."

The three of them continued to move forward, with mixed feelings in their hearts.

Although they were forced to come to today's meeting, they must do their best to show the style of their respective families and let Xia Yuanji know that they are not fish that can be slaughtered at will.

At this time, in a teahouse on the side of the road, several people were sitting together, talking.

"Have you heard? Xia Yuanji is going to call a meeting of our Sanfuqi's big families." said a man in simple clothes.

"Yes, I heard about it too. Xia Yuanji is a powerful figure. I heard that he reorganized the government as soon as he came and arrested all the corrupt officials." Another man added.

"Hmph, that sounds nice. Isn't he doing this to consolidate his position? We ordinary people can only suffer as a result." An old man muttered in dissatisfaction.

"That's not the case. It would be good if Xia Yuanji could really do something practical for us people," said a young woman.

There were discussions in the teahouse, but most people were skeptical of Xia Yuanji. They were worried that this foreign official would bring them greater disaster.

On the other side, Huang Shijie, the head of the Huang family, was also rushing to the Governor's Mansion.

He was also filled with anxiety and worry.

The Huang family has been doing business for generations and is quite well-known in Sanfuqi.

However, he now felt very aggrieved that he was summoned to a meeting by an outside official.

At this time, Wu Shava, Suraya, Nguyen Van Hung and Huang Shijie had already walked to the vicinity of the Governor's Mansion.

They stopped and looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness and frustration.

"Everyone, although you are forced to come to this meeting today, you must do your best to show the style of your respective families." Wu Shawa said in a low voice.

"Yes, Brother Wu is right. Although we are unwilling, we must do our best to cooperate." Suraiya added.

"Don't worry, everyone. My Huang family will give us our full support." Huang Shijie also expressed his opinion.

……

Inside the Governor's Palace.

Xia Yuanji, the governor from the Ming Dynasty, was dressed in gorgeous official uniform. He sat upright in the hall, his eyes sharp as torches, scanning the hall filled with patriarchs of major families.

"Everyone," Xia Yuanji's voice was steady and powerful, penetrating the hearts of everyone present, "I have called you together today to discuss important matters. We have come all the way from the Ming Dynasty, not to plunder land and wealth, but to open up colonies, so that the glory of the Ming Dynasty can shine on the fertile land of Sanfuqi."

When mentioning the word "colony", Xia Yuanji deliberately emphasized his tone and his eyes became sharper, trying to catch a trace of ripples from everyone's reactions.

However, the patriarchs of the major families in the hall all had different expressions, some were confused, some were frightened, and some were secretly calculating.

Lan Yu, the commander who had fought many battles in the south and the north, brightened up when he heard this, and a smile appeared on his lips. The purpose of the Ming Dynasty's expedition this time was to expand the territory and demonstrate the national prestige, and the land of Sanfuqi was exactly what the Ming Dynasty needed.

Several of his close associates also had smug looks on their faces, as if they had foreseen a glorious future of making achievements in this foreign land.

However, other families reacted very differently.

Agong Uruwa, the patriarch of the Agong family, frowned and looked worried.

He knew very well that once Srivijaya became a colony of the Ming Dynasty, the rights and interests of the Agong family would be impacted.

Next to him, the patriarch of the Hari family, Hari Pandava, had his brows knitted together, his hands tightly gripping the armrests of the chair, as if he was trying his best to suppress his inner dissatisfaction and uneasiness.

"Grand Admiral," Agong Uruwa spoke first, with a hint of caution and doubt in his voice, "What is a colony? We have lived here for generations. Our land and properties are all inherited from our ancestors. How can we easily change hands?"

Xia Yuanji smiled slightly when he heard this and explained, "The colonies are places outside the territory of the Ming Dynasty that are directly governed by the Ming Dynasty.

We want to make it as prosperous as the Ming mainland. We must not only protect the people here to live and work in peace and contentment, but also introduce Ming farming, craftsmanship, and culture to make it integrated with Ming. This is a great benefit, why don't you do it? "

Hari Pandava snorted coldly and retorted: "The Grand Commander's words are very convincing, but our family's roots are here. If it becomes a colony, where will the family's interests be? I'm afraid it's not as you said, everyone will benefit, right?"

Xia Yuanji remained calm and responded, "Under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, fairness comes first. We will establish laws to protect the rights and interests of all parties. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and smooth trade routes. Once this place prospers, the commerce and land of your families will surely increase in value. This is a long-term plan, not just a small profit in the short term."

At this time, Bali Mandala, the head of the Bali family, hesitated and said, "Grand Commander, although we wish to see this place prosper, a sudden change may cause instability in people's hearts and make it difficult to reconcile within the family. Can you give us some time to discuss and make a decision?"

Xia Yuanji thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "I will give you ten days to properly arrange the affairs of the family. After ten days, we will gather again to discuss the plan."

After saying this, Xia Yuanji once again looked around the room, his tone firm: "But I need to remind you that the laws of the Ming Dynasty are strict. If there are those who pretend to obey but actually disobey, and resist reform, the might of the Ming Dynasty's army cannot be underestimated."

The hall fell silent for a moment, and the family heads looked at each other with complicated expressions.

After Xia Yuanji finished speaking, the hall fell silent except for the flickering sound of the candlelight, which intertwined with the occasional chirping of birds outside the window, further highlighting the solemnity of the moment.

The clan leaders looked at each other with different expressions. Some of them frowned, as if trying their best to digest the deep meaning behind these words.

Some of them moved their lips slightly, as if they wanted to say something but stopped themselves, with complex emotions flashing in their eyes.

Xia Yuanji stood there, tall and straight, with sharp eyes, as if he could see into the deepest secrets of human heart.

"What the Grand Commander said is absolutely right. We should do our best to work together for the prosperity of Sanfuqi." An elderly clan leader finally spoke, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice. He tried to respond with a respectful attitude, but could hardly hide his inner uneasiness.

Xia Yuanji smiled slightly, a gentle yet dignified smile. He slowly walked into the hall, looked around, and said, "My fellow clan leaders, Sanfuqi is a land of abundant resources, but it has been through wars for a long time and people's livelihood is in decline. Now that the Ming Dynasty has decided to support this place, we need everyone to work together to restore its former glory. We must not only have a heart for construction, but also a will to protect it, so that we can keep this place peaceful."

At this point, he paused slightly, his eyes became sharp, as if he could penetrate people's hearts: "Although we are thousands of miles apart, the laws of the Ming Dynasty treat everyone equally. Those who abide by the law should be protected; those who break the law, no matter how close they are, must be punished. This is not a personal intention, but the will of the country. I hope you will keep it in mind."

The clan leaders had different expressions when they heard this. Some bowed their heads in deep thought, while others exchanged glances secretly, obviously understanding the hidden meaning of Xia Yuanji's words. Lan Yu, Wang Bi and the commander stood on one side, their eyes following Xia Yuanji closely, and they kept whispering to each other.

"Although the Grand Commander is young, he is well versed in state governance. His words reflect the benevolence of Confucianism and the toughness of Legalism." Lan Yu said in a low voice with a hint of admiration in his tone.

Wang Bi nodded in agreement: "Indeed, his words not only gave these clan leaders hope, but also secretly sounded the alarm. It can be said that he killed two birds with one stone."

The commander frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "The Grand Commander's method is brilliant, but we must also act with caution to avoid provoking a popular uprising. After all, the customs and folkways here are very different from those of the Ming Dynasty."

Lan Yu's eyes sparkled when he heard this, and he smiled and said, "My brother is right, but since the Grand Commander has come here, he must have considered everything. We just need to follow him and execute his orders."

While the three were discussing, Xia Yuanji had finished his admonition and said, "My fellow clan leaders, I have called you together today to discuss another matter besides the above. I want to set up a school in Sanfuqi to educate the people and enlighten them. This requires your full support to jointly raise funds and select good teachers."

As soon as these words came out, the clan leaders were in an uproar again, and they talked a lot. Some looked embarrassed, obviously dissatisfied with the sudden extra burden; others had a gleam in their eyes, thinking that this was a good opportunity to improve the status of the family.

"Grand Commander, the affairs of the academy are certainly beneficial to the country and the people, but our small clan has limited financial resources and may not be able to afford it." A clan leader mustered up the courage to carefully raise an objection.

Upon hearing this, Xia Yuanji did not answer immediately, but smiled gently, and there seemed to be a deep meaning in that smile: "As for financial matters, we should do it according to our ability. But I have one thing to say, and I would like to encourage you all - education is the foundation of the country and the hope of the people. Today's investment will surely bear fruit in the future and benefit future generations."

He paused, and his tone became more resolute: "Besides, the Ming court will not sit idly by and will certainly provide some financial assistance and support. We just need to work together and join forces to achieve this great feat. Why worry about the failure of Sanfuqi?"

After hearing this, the clan leaders gradually relaxed their expressions and began to realize the deep meaning of Xia Yuanji's words - this was not only a test for them, but also an opportunity. If they could take this opportunity to enhance the family's reputation and even influence the future of the entire Sanfuqi, why not do it?
"What the Grand Commander said makes sense. We are willing to do our best to build the school together." A clan leader took the lead in expressing his opinion, and the others echoed him, and the atmosphere gradually became heated.

Seeing this, Xia Yuanji nodded secretly in his heart. He knew that although his words today seemed gentle, they had quietly planted the seeds of obedience and cooperation in the hearts of these clan leaders. He turned around and glanced at everyone again, saying in a gentle but powerful voice: "In this case, we will work together to create the glory of Sanfuqi. I hope that all clan leaders will live up to the expectations of the Ming Dynasty and the trust of the people."

After saying this, he waved his sleeves lightly, turned around and left, leaving the clan leaders in the room still savoring his words with mixed feelings in their hearts.

Lan Yu, Wang Bi and the commander-in-chief looked at each other and smiled, then followed closely behind.

To set up a private school in Sanfuqi, not only did the Sanfuqi family have to contribute money and manpower, but also good teachers had to be dispatched directly from the Ming Dynasty.

Although Confucianism in the Ming Dynasty had been ruthlessly destroyed once by Chen Han, those great Confucian scholars would not give up such a good opportunity to promote Confucianism abroad.

Now it seems that Sanfuqi is simply the best opportunity for Confucianism to reminisce about its past glory.

In this case, as long as Xia Yuanji sent a letter back, it is estimated that many Confucian scholars would be willing to come here to teach and educate people, and take this opportunity to re-establish the prominent status of Confucianism in Sanfuqi...

(End of this chapter)