The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 453 Kong

Looking at Jiang Li who appeared in front of him, Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied and said:
"Everything is arranged?"

Jiang Li replied, "Yes, my family has gone to Yan State in disguise, and the servants have been dismissed."

"I have no more worries now and can die for your majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Don't you regret it?"

Jiang Li said firmly: "A scholar will die for his confidant. If I can die for the Emperor and the Ming Dynasty, I will die without regrets."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Well, I was not wrong about you."

Then his face turned serious, he picked up the edict and token that he had prepared in advance, and said in a cold voice:
"From today on, you can mobilize all the Jinyiwei, and you can mobilize no more than one garrison's troops."

"Go to Shandong and find out everything about the Kong family."

Jiang Li took it with both hands and said: "I will never fail your majesty's trust."

Then without saying anything else, he turned and left.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched him leave and didn't look away for a long time.

He thought for a long time before deciding to take action against the Kong family.

Although he didn't like Confucian scholars using Confucius and Neo-Confucianism to pressure him in the past, he didn't really want to mess with the Kong family.

It's very simple. Confucian ethics provided the ruling class with a legal and ritual basis.

Until you have a way to replace Confucianism, you must follow his ideas.

However, Confucianism itself is a summary of the ritual thoughts of China before the Spring and Autumn Period.

After more than a thousand years of development, it has become a representative of Chinese culture.

To divest oneself of Confucianism is to commit self-destruction.

Even Chen Jingke believed that it was impossible to abandon Confucianism, and the most he could do was to innovate.

To put it bluntly, it is to reinterpret Confucianism with new ideas.

At the same time, ideas from other schools were introduced to break the shackles of Neo-Confucianism on people's minds that had lasted for hundreds of years.

This is the most suitable path for China.

After being emperor for so many years and listening to so many lectures from Chen Jingke, Zhu Yuanzhang also realized this.

Therefore, he had no intention of attacking the Kong family.

It was not until he abdicated and toured the country that he saw with his own eyes how arrogant and domineering the Kong family was.

Qufu was filled with their people from top to bottom, and it almost became a country within a country.

They relied on their status as Yanshenggong to do whatever they wanted.

Taking human life lightly? Extravagance... these are not worth mentioning.

Many of the despicable behaviors made Zhu Yuanzhang feel that his bottom line had been pushed to the limit.

To describe them as behaving like beasts is actually a compliment to them.

Of course, as a feudal emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang had his limitations.

In his opinion, as long as the Ming Dynasty was stable, a little disharmony didn't matter.

When he wanted to target the Kong family, the people of Qufu stood up to oppose it and defend the Kong family.

Now that they are being bullied by the Kong family, it is their own choice and they deserve it.

As long as the Kong family continues to support the Ming Dynasty, that will be enough.

However, the Kong family felt that this was not enough and they obstructed the implementation of the new policy.

Because the new policy harmed their interests and made it impossible for them to act tyrannically.

Not only did they obstruct the new policy in Qufu, they also contacted conservative officials in private to resist it together.

This was what Zhu Yuanzhang could not tolerate the most.

However, the emperor at that time was Zhu Biao, who preferred to use gentle means to resolve various conflicts.

Zhu Yuanzhang also did not want to interfere with his son's governance of the country, mainly because he was hesitant in his heart, so he put this idea on hold for the time being.

But plans cannot keep up with changes. Zhu Biao was seriously ill, so he had to step up and take charge of the power again.

But until this point, he still had no intention of touching the Kong family.

After all, the Kong family's status is too special.

To attack the Confucius family is equivalent to declaring war on the entire Confucianism, and the consequences are too serious.

Then severe droughts in Shandong and Fengwan (Anhui) changed everything.

The relief grain sent by the imperial court was embezzled by the Kong family and local officials.

Although it was only a part of it, it still touched Lao Zhu's reverse scale.

Moreover, the imperial court issued an order to exempt all taxes in the disaster-stricken areas, but the Kong family continued to collect taxes as usual in Qufu.

He also contacted the large households in the surrounding area and raised the rent of the tenants.

The court’s tax exemption is the court’s business, but if you farm my land, you have to pay rent.

What? You said the drought wiped out the crops?
That's your business and has nothing to do with me. It's not me who stops God from raining.

It is unknown how many people were killed by this action.

When this news reached Zhu Yuanzhang, one can imagine how angry he was.

Then new and old grudges came to his mind and made him make up his mind.

Since you don't want to live, we will grant your wish.

This just happens to solve a hidden danger for future generations and also reduce some obstacles to the promotion of Jingke's "World of Great Harmony".

So he called Jiang Li back and asked him to take charge of the matter personally.

It is foreseeable that the counterattack from Confucius and Confucianism will be extremely fierce.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang was full of confidence in himself, he did not know how this matter would end up.

So, after Jiang Li left, he could never calm down.

He held the memorial in his hand but didn't read a single word for a long time.

Finally, he got a little annoyed and threw the memorial on the table:
"Take it away, take it away. Take it all away and send it to the prince. Let him review it himself and don't bother us with it."

The eunuch came over immediately, carefully took the memorial away, and ran to deliver it to Zhu Xiongying.

Zhu Xiongying was taking a walk with Xu Miaojin. When he saw the pile of memorials, his face immediately turned dark.

"This old man is getting more and more lazy. He only knows how to bully a junior like me."

Xu Miaojin chuckled and said, "Go and get busy. I can just walk for a while."

Zhu Xiongying nodded, then bent down and said to her belly:

"Grow up quickly, little brat, and help your father with government affairs."

Looking at her husband's childish actions, Xu Miaojin's eyes were filled with smiles.

Naturally, she also hoped that her husband and son would be kind and filial to each other, just like the emperor, the crown prince and the retired emperor.

After telling his wife to be careful, Zhu Xiongying returned to his study, his face becoming serious.

He asked the eunuch who was delivering the memorial, "How is the emperor feeling?"

The eunuch did not dare to hide it and said:
"The emperor was in a good mood, but Commander Jiang went to see him just now, and he seemed a little unhappy afterwards."

Zhu Xiongying thought to himself that this was indeed the case. The old man would not send all the memorials to him for no reason.

It must be no small matter to make him like this.

Everyone knows that the emperor is seriously ill and unable to manage affairs, and that power should be handed over to the adult prince.

What's more, the prince started handling government affairs very early, and there was no problem with his prestige and ability.

At the beginning, the power was returned to the emperor emeritus in the hope of clearing the suspicion on the prince and at the same time using his prestige to stabilize the government.

Then he will hand over power to the crown prince to increase the crown prince's legitimacy.

After all, the prestige of an entrepreneurial monarch is unique.

But now several months have passed, and the emperor still has no intention in this regard, which is inevitably a bit abnormal.

Outsiders think that the emperor is obsessed with power, but Zhu Xiongying doesn't think so. He knows his grandfather too well.

The reason why he doesn't give power to himself is that he must be doing something big.

This matter is still very difficult to handle, and it is likely to damage his prestige and even lead to instability in his position as crown prince.

Jiang Lin broke into the palace at night and left quietly, which further proved his guess.

But in the current Ming Dynasty, is there anything that can shake his position as the crown prince?
Can't figure it out.

But he didn't ask too many questions. The old man must have his reasons for doing this, and he would know when he needed to know.

It’s not that he is careless, but that he is full of confidence in Lao Zhu.

There is nothing that the old man cannot do in the Ming Dynasty. His position as the crown prince may be shaken, but no one can shake his position.

So he asked the eunuch to leave and started to review the memorials himself. No matter what the emperor wanted to do, handling government affairs by himself and not letting him have any worries was the greatest help to him.

This will help him more than running over and asking him what he wants to do and then blindly joining in.
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On the other side, after throwing the memorial to Zhu Xiongying, Old Zhu was still a little anxious.

He got up and strolled around the palace, and soon arrived at Empress Ma's residence.

After looking at the palace gate, he hesitated for a moment and turned around to leave.

Empress Ma was in poor health, and he didn't want to bother her with these mundane matters.

But after taking a few steps, he ran into Empress Ma head-on.

He immediately knew that she must have gone to take care of Biaoer and had just returned.

As expected, when Madam Ma saw him, she smiled and said:
"What a coincidence! I ran into you just after I came back from Biao'er's place."

"Look at you, you really have no patience at all. Can't you wait for a while when I'm not around?"

Listening to his wife's complaints, Lao Zhu's somewhat anxious mood calmed down instantly.

He did not explain, but followed her words and said:
"Then you have wronged me. I am going to go to Biao'er to look for you."

Then he changed the subject without leaving a trace: "Is Biaoer asleep?"

Ma Niangniang walked forward and replied, "No, I'm reading."

The so-called reading naturally meant that the eunuchs read to him.

Or the eunuch would hold a book and show it to him.

Zhu Biao was far from fully recovered, and after several months of treatment, he only regained the ability to speak.

But it has made everyone very happy.

As for complete recovery, everyone knows it is unrealistic.

The ultimate goal is to restore some mobility through treatment and rehabilitation training.

At least he could move one arm and one leg.

At least it wouldn't be so uncomfortable this way.

Although it is difficult, everyone is trying their best to work towards this goal.

After returning to Kunning Palace, Madam Ma asked the eunuchs to leave before asking:
"Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Old Zhu laughed and said, "I just came to see you, there's nothing wrong."

Madam Ma rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't I know you?"

"Normally you would be dealing with memorials at this time, so you wouldn't have time to run around."

"You left your government affairs to come to me today. There must be something wrong."

Seeing that he couldn't hide it anymore, Old Zhu had to tell her his plans and concerns.

When she heard that he was going to take action against the Kong family, Empress Ma's expression became solemn.

"Can't you just not move?"

Old Zhu shook his head slowly and said, "I have thought about this too. The cost of disturbing the Kong family is too high. The Ming Dynasty is thriving and it is not suitable for such a big turmoil to happen."

"But they should never, ever, hinder the implementation of the new policy."

"The conservative faction in the Ming Dynasty is now headed by their family."

Although Duke Yansheng does not hold power, he has a high status.

Especially after Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister, Duke Yansheng became the nominal number one civil servant.

Every year, when the imperial court held grand court meetings and activities such as offering sacrifices to heaven, Duke Yansheng was always the representative of the civil officials.

Just one word from them can influence thousands of readers.

Of course, without reform, the title of Yansheng Duke would be nothing more than an empty title.

But change changed everything.

The opposition needs a leader, and there is no one more suitable than the Kong family.

Thus, a faction naturally formed around Duke Yansheng.

This faction is considered a diehard faction among conservatives.

Ordinary conservatives are just worried that the court is too radical and hope that it will move slower.

Essentially, I still hope that the country will become better.

The diehards, led by Duke Yansheng, were firmly opposed to the new policy.

Opposition without distinction between right and wrong.

Their purpose is to safeguard their own interests and the legal system they represent.

Of course, maintaining the legal system is also maintaining one's own interests, and ultimately it is for the private interests of each family.

This force is not particularly strong now, but it is already showing a trend of becoming stronger.

This also caused a lot of people to be wary.

"Chen Jingke's Great Harmony World has been completed for two years, and I have never dared to leak it."

"Although he said that the time is not right, we know that he is afraid of the Kong family."

Once the Kong family came out to deny and attack his doctrine, even if the court supported it, it would become very difficult to promote it throughout the country.

The most troublesome thing is the merger of Confucius and Neo-Confucianism, which would be really difficult to deal with.

Some people may ask, aren’t the Confucius family and Neo-Confucianism in the same group?

No.

The Kong family rarely expresses support for any faction because there is no need.

No matter which faction comes to power, they must respect the Kong family in order to elevate their own status.

What's more, wouldn't it be embarrassing if the supporting faction fell?
Therefore, there is no need for them to express their views.

Even when Neo-Confucianism was flourishing, the Kong family never publicly said that Neo-Confucianism was right and other schools of thought were wrong.

But the situation is different now. The Kong family stands firmly on the side of the conservatives.

Once Chen Jingke's "Great Harmony World" was published, the two sides would inevitably merge.

Empress Ma could naturally think of this consequence, and her expression became more solemn.

Old Zhu continued, "Biaoer talked to us about this before. He hopes to solve the Kong family problem with more gentle means."

"So I am also hesitating whether to use drastic measures."

Madam Ma, however, shook her head and said, “Biao’er… is still a little naive. The Kong family’s affairs should either not be resolved or be handled with an iron fist.”

"It is almost impossible to resolve the situation through a conciliatory policy... No, it is simply impossible."

What she meant was that she supported using an iron fist to deal with the Kong family.

This made Lao Zhu very happy, and all his worries disappeared.

My wife is smarter than me, and she supports what I do, so it must be right.

I saw a smile on his face and he said, "Sister, you are still decisive."

"It was Jing Ke's inspiration that inspired me to make up my mind to use force."

Madam Ma asked curiously, "Oh? How did Jing Ke inspire you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Jing Ke said something when he decided to send troops to provide disaster relief despite the opposition of many people."

"If we are afraid of danger and don't dare to try something, our descendants won't be able to do it even if they want to."

"We thought that the same thing would happen to the Kong family."

"The power of the Ming Dynasty is still firmly in the hands of the nobles."

"And most of the nobles are from humble origins and have nothing to do with the Confucian family."

"Plus the feudal system, they will only listen to us, not Confucius and Confucianism."

"Even among the civil servants, a large portion of them are from the legal and mathematical schools."

Officials and accountants who came from the Legalist school controlled the money and grain, while nobles who came from the lower classes controlled the army.

The army and money and food were all controlled by the court.

No matter how dissatisfied or rebellious the officials of Confucian origin were, they could not overthrow the Ming Dynasty.

At worst, we can just wash it with blood.

If the Mongols could make Confucianism kneel down, then so could Zhu Yuanzhang.

"But as the noble group is divided and disintegrated, there will be more and more officials of Confucian origin, and even the military will be filled with their people."

"By that time, even the emperor will be powerless to deal with Confucianism and Confucius."

"We can't leave this hidden danger to future generations."

(End of this chapter)