The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 170 How to shake the status of Confucianism
  As the saying goes, if you don't do anything bad in your life, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door in the middle of the night.

Li Shanchang has done bad things.

Although he didn't think he was at fault, he knew better than anyone what the consequences would be if this thing broke out.

So he was afraid.

I have a lot of regrets in my heart. Why didn’t I report and expose Hu Weiyong in the first place?
  He hated Hu Weiyong even more for dragging him into the water, and hated that his rebellion failed.

Otherwise, nothing would happen today.

But no matter what he thought, it happened.

Now he can only pray, there are not many people who know about it, and the confession has not fallen into the hands of the emperor.

Although this is unlikely.

People always take chances.

As time went by, the luck in his heart grew bigger and bigger.

It has been so long, but the emperor has not made any move, and the grandson still comes to study with him every day.

Although Taisun had a few more guards around him, the reason was also very good, to prevent the retaliation of Mao Xiang's party.

All this shows that the emperor has not yet discovered the truth.

Although he found it unbelievable, his anxious heart gradually relaxed.

And he also found a perfect reason for himself.

He is the first civil servant, holds a high position and is deeply trusted by the emperor.

Without evidence, Mao Xiang did not dare to touch himself easily.

Therefore, it is possible that only a few people knew about his arrest of Ding Bin.

The matter of going to Beijing to arrest him was kept strictly confidential and was not told to anyone else.

When Mao Xiang was rounded up, dozens of people were killed on the spot.

It is possible that people who knew the truth were also killed.

This makes everything clear.

Everyone who knew the truth was dead, so the emperor naturally had no way of knowing the truth.

After thinking about it in this way, Li Shanchang's worries were reduced a lot.

Now there is only one last hidden danger left, where is the confession.

Mao Xiang must have taken a confession and did not take it with him when he was rounded up, otherwise he would have been found long ago.

So where did he put the confession?
  Will it be found out by others?

I was frightened for many days, but still nothing happened.

The homes of Mao Xiang and his followers were all confiscated, and no confessions were made.

Jinyiwei was cleaned and rebuilt, and the cases investigated by Mao Xiang were reexamined, but no confession was still found.

Taisun comes to study with me as usual...

Gradually, his worries eased.

Although the location of the confession is unknown, the insiders are probably dead, and the confession cannot be found.

Besides, what if I find it?
  All the witnesses are dead. As long as I refuse to admit it, who can do anything to me?
  The emperor would not convict himself solely on the basis of a confession that he did not know whether it was true or false.

The worst case scenario is to resign and go home.

After thinking about this, Li Shanchang was completely relieved and devoted himself to work again.

Chen Jingke had been paying attention to his movements and naturally knew his changes.

Although I don't know his psychological journey, I can guess that he most likely thinks he is safe.

Lao Li, Lao Li, you are indeed a bit unreasonable.

Although Lao Zhu is a bit mean, he is really interesting to you.

It's really a bit chilling for you to do this.

Forget it, let him dance around for a few more days until this round of changes is completed.
-
  Regarding Jin Yiwei, Zhu Yuanzhang's original plan was to wait until the time was right for Zhu Biao to liquidate Mao Xiang and gain a wave of hearts.

Then reorganize.

But the plan couldn't keep up with the changes, so I had to take care of it myself.

As for the reorganization of the Jin Yiwei, we will not mention it either.

"What happened to Li Shanchang tells us that there are many shady things hidden behind his back."

"Now that the imperial court is undergoing constant changes, it is easy for others to take advantage of it."

"Therefore, the existence of Jinyiwei is still necessary. We will discuss the reorganization later."

In response, Chen Jingke just sighed and did not object.

Innovation requires a strong and big government.

The most fearful thing is that the people above are scheming and the people below are acting in secret.

Therefore, Jinyiwei does have its existence value.

The mere intimidation effect is enough to deter many people from having any small thoughts.

Although intelligence can still be spied on after the reorganization, the deterrent effect will be much reduced.

Of course, the most critical thing is Zhu Yuanzhang's subjective will.

After this happened, I'm afraid no one can persuade him.

Just when Chen Jingke was about to devote himself to studying again, another piece of good news came.

"A Brief History of China" has been finalized.

This news made Lao Zhu feel a lot better.

Call Chen Jingke over and review the contents of the book together.

Chen Jingke naturally wanted to know what the finished product of this book would look like.

Open the first story, Pangu created the sky, and the second story, Nuwa created humans.

After the two mythical stories, we entered the ancient times.

The Suiren clan, the Youchao clan, the Shennong clan, etc., the ancestors of mankind have led mankind to prosperity and prosperity.

Then the Human Emperor Xuanyuan ascended the throne and became emperor, ushering in a new era for mankind.

It is also the starting point of the Huangdi calendar.

From this day forward, the era going forward is called prehistory.

Starting from this day, the following eras are called the almanac.

It was from this period that the focus changed.

In addition to telling the history of the development of Chinese civilization, a lot of language is also spent describing how the Chinese ethnic groups dispersed and migrated.

Some take the initiative to move abroad to seek broader development space.

For example, the ancestors of the Xiongnu took the initiative to move to the grasslands to make a living.

Some were defeated in internal battles and were forced to move abroad.

For example, Chi You was defeated and went south, which evolved into Baiyue.

In short, all ethnic groups on this land evolved from the Chinese.

The Chinese subjects who stayed in the Central Plains evolved into the current Han people.

Therefore, we all have the same ancestor, and we are all branches.

The Han people are the main lineage.

It is only natural that the main meridian governs the branch meridian.

And if you disobey the Ming Dynasty's management, you are violating etiquette and law, and you need to be severely taught.

If the branch veins are unsatisfactory outside, you can also choose to reintegrate into the main veins.

After reading it, Chen Jingke was quite satisfied.

Zhu Yuanzhang was also very satisfied, and the status of the Ming suzerainty became stronger.

But there are also areas where he is dissatisfied: "Confucianism and Confucius have been elevated too high, and where have they left the many sages?"

Chen Jingke naturally knew that Lao Zhu was not fighting against the sages, but was dissatisfied with the Kong family.

At the beginning, he had ordered that the sacrifices to Confucius should be stopped in Qufu.

It's a pity that the scholars didn't listen at all, so the order was given up.

But there was really nothing he could do about it:

"The person who wrote this book is a Confucian scholar, so it is normal for him to elevate the status of Confucianism and Confucius."

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "We don't care, you must come up with an idea today to let us vent the bad energy in our hearts."

Chen Jingke smiled bitterly. In another fifty years, he would dare to confront Confucianism.

But now, that is asking for trouble.

But... if you want to disgust Confucianism, there is nothing you can do about it.

This idea came from a novel I read in my previous life.

After carefully recalling the methods mentioned in the book, he gradually came up with an idea:

"There is a way, it depends on whether your Majesty is willing." Zhu Yuanzhang originally just wanted to lose his temper, but he didn't expect that he actually had a way, and he immediately became energetic:

"Tell me, what's the solution?"

Chen Jingke said: "The sage temple was established to be worshiped by the state, and its status is higher than the civil and military temples."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked doubtfully: "Sage Temple? Tell me in detail, who are they worshiping?"

Chen Jingke smiled and said: "Of course it is to offer sacrifices to our Chinese sages."

"The Suiren clan, the Youchao clan, the Shennong clan, Huangdi, Laozi, Confucius, Guanzi, Mozi..."

"All the benevolent people of all dynasties and dynasties from hundreds of schools of thought are included in the sacrifices."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly: "Is this possible?"

Chen Jingke said confidently: "Don't worry, the most important thing is still behind."

"The Yellow Emperor is the ancestor of humanity, and His Majesty has confirmed this title."

"Taoism was the earliest among the schools of thought to flourish. Confucius even went to listen to Laozi's lectures."

"Most of the hundreds of schools of thought were inspired by his knowledge before they were founded."

"Is it okay to make him the Holy Master?"

"As for Confucius, he pioneered private education, teaching without distinction..."

"I think he will be very pleased to be named a mentor to all generations."

The ancestor of humanities, the most holy teacher, the teacher for all generations?

Who is Zhu Yuanzhang? He instantly understood the meaning of these three titles.

Which of these three titles is more important?

Naturally, the ancestors of humanities are the most important, followed by the most holy teachers, and the teachers of all ages are at the end.

Confucius was directly demoted to the third child.

And it can also leave Confucianists speechless.

The Yellow Emperor is the founder of humanities. Do you Confucians have any opinions?
  It is completely reasonable and reasonable for Lao Tzu to be the most holy teacher.

Confucius admitted that if you go and listen to Laozi’s lectures, do you want to object?
  You know, I have descendants.

Taoism and Taoism are two sides of the same coin, so don’t treat them like sick cats.

If Confucians dare to object, they will be the first to jump out and start complaining.

At that time, the court can reap the benefits of the fishermen.

And "Teacher of All Times" is completely in line with Confucius' thoughts and is also a tribute to him.

Do you Confucian scholars want to object? Do you think he is unworthy?

But once they accept this concept, Confucius will always be outclassed by Huangdi and Laozi.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't be too happy:

"Haha...Okay, okay, this is a good method."

"We know you're full of clever ideas, and you'll definitely be able to come up with some good ideas."

"This time we will make those dumb Confucian scholars eat Coptis chinensis, and they will not be able to tell the story of their suffering."

Chen Jingke said with a 'sinister' smile: "Hey, your Majesty, don't worry, the Sage Temple alone is not enough."

"Confucianism can be completely ignored, and it will not have much effect at that time."

"Therefore, the imperial court must find ways to improve the status of the Sage Temple and expand its influence."

Zhu Yuanzhang urged: "If you have any good ideas, tell me quickly."

Chen Jingke did not whet his appetite and said: "Sacrifice, there are several major festivals set every year, and the imperial court organizes sacrifices at the Sage Temple."

"Request all vassal states to build sage temples to worship their ancestors."

"If a vassal country comes to pay homage, it must first go to the Sage Temple to pay homage."

"Taoism would definitely be happiest, allowing all Taoist temples in the world to open a separate hall to worship the saints."

"If you don't have the conditions to build such a big palace, you should at least enshrine Huangdi, Laozi and Confucius."

"And isn't "A Brief History of China" already a book? Their titles will be listed directly in the book."

"At that time, all scholars will be required to familiarize themselves with the Brief History of China."

"All vassals are required to promote this book..."

"As the influence of "A Brief History of China" spreads, these three titles will also be deeply rooted in people's hearts."

"Although there is no way to shake the status of Confucianism, it can lower the status of Confucius in people's minds."

"Further weakening the influence of the Qufu family."

Although Zhu Yuanzhang was very excited, his mind was still very clear. He shook his head and said:

"It's a good idea, but it's a little too hasty."

"Don't touch "A Brief History of China", otherwise it will be self-defeating if it causes resistance from scholars."

"First promote this book and let everyone in the world learn it."

"When the influence spreads, we will build the Sage Temple and give the three of them honorary titles."

"In this case, even if the Confucian scholars object, it will be too late."

Chen Jingke said: "Your Majesty should think carefully."

"However, these methods can only make Confucians feel disgusted and will not affect their status."

"The status of Confucianism actually comes from its monopoly on officialdom."

"Only Confucian disciples can take the imperial examination and become officials. Naturally, everyone in the world will study Confucianism and safeguard the status of Confucianism and Confucianism."

"The imperial examination also tests arithmetic, but arithmetic is an applied subject and does not involve people's thoughts. It cannot have an impact on Confucianism at all."

"If Your Majesty wants to fundamentally shake the status of Confucianism and Confucianism, you must break the situation that only Confucianists can serve as officials."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said: "This is not easy. Confucianism has become the general trend, and we are powerless."

Chen Jingke nodded and suddenly said: "It's not that there is no way, but this method requires a long time to lay out."

Zhu Yuanzhang said in surprise: "Oh, what can I do?"

Chen Jingke said: "Find an opponent for it."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, hundreds of schools of thought have long since perished. Who can be their opponent?"

"Besides, Confucianism is very powerful. If we dare to reuse other schools of thought, I'm afraid they will rise up in rebellion soon."

Chen Jingke smiled and said: "Who said that all the schools of thought have perished? The four schools of Confucianism, Taoism, Law and Military Affairs have always been passed down."

"We can choose one or the other as Confucian's opponent."

"The military strategist's shortcomings are too obvious and can be eliminated."

"Taoism governs by doing nothing and is too entangled with Confucianism, so it is not suitable."

"The most suitable one is Legalism."

"The imperial court does not need to deliberately elevate the status of Legalism, let alone promote Legalism."

"As long as the judicial system is reformed and a complete judicial system is established, it will be enough."

Zhu Yuanzhang was even more confused, but he knew that Chen Jingke never spoke empty words.

When I heard him talk about the judicial system at this time, I knew that he must have another big plan.

His mood immediately became excited and he asked:
  "Tell me carefully what this judicial system is."

Chen Jingke explained: "The judicial system, as the name implies, is a complete judicial system for handling cases."

"Strictly speaking, the Ming Dynasty's judicial system now only has two levels."

"The first one is the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple, and the second one is the inspector general of each Chief Secretary."

"At the local level, the people who hear cases are the local administrators, that is, the prefects and county magistrates."

"Most of these people have not specifically studied Ming law. They either rely on their masters or their preferences to hear cases."

"It is easy to make judgments that violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty."

"Moreover, the local administrative chief is responsible for all the affairs of the place and is also very busy. How can he have time to sit in court every day?"

"This also leads to inefficiency in the trial of cases."

"The imperial court can completely set up institutions in prefectures and counties to specialize in hearing cases."

“The agency is not managed by the chief administrative officer, but is directly managed by the higher level.”

“This can not only divide the powers of local chief officials, but also improve the efficiency of case handling.”

"The key is that the professional criminal justice system is a breeding ground for legalist thought."

"Even if all the criminal officials are Confucianists at the beginning, when they deal with the law every day, they will gradually become Legalist disciples."

"If the imperial examinations were to specifically offer law subjects, only those who passed the law examinations would be able to enter the judicial system and become officials."

“Then there will be more people who specialize in the study of the law.”

"In this way, Legalism will one day rise again."

"At that time, the status of Confucianism and Confucianism will be fundamentally shaken."

(End of this chapter)