The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 466 Siege and Killing
Yanzhou Prefecture, Zou County, on the banks of the Baima River.

More than a hundred ragged people knelt on the ground trembling with fear, holding the "Great Edict" high in their hands.

Not far from this group of people, two groups were confronting each other.

The group was dressed in yamen uniforms, and the leader was Quan Xiushan, the magistrate of Zou County.

Confronting them was a group of sturdy men in terracotta short clothes.

Judging from the style, it is exactly the standard uniform of the Ming Dynasty reserve force.

The leader was a burly man wearing leather armor and holding a Miao sword on his waist.

Unfortunately, the big man's right hand was cut off at the wrist, leaving only his left hand intact.

This person was Lu Dazhuang, the county lieutenant of Zou County in the Ming Dynasty and the head of the reserve force.

From time to time, he would use his only remaining hand to smooth the left lapel of his shirt, on which was embroidered a long sword with golden silk thread.

The nine levels of merit in the Ming Dynasty each have their own symbols.

The ninth-rank public officer had a long spear, the eighth-rank superior had two long spears crossed at the ends, and the seventh-rank cavalry lieutenant had three long spears crossed.

The sixth-rank doctor changed to a long sword, and the first, second and third swords represented the three honors.

The upper three ranks are a sword plus a shield-shaped border, and are also divided into levels according to the number of swords.

It can be said to be clear at a glance.

Those who have been rewarded for their meritorious service can have gold thread embroidered on the left chest lapel to show their honor.

There is a long sword embroidered on Lu Dazhuang's lapel, representing his title of doctor.

A privileged class based on military merit, a standard of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, without this achievement, he would not have been able to be promoted from a military officer to a county lieutenant.

At this moment, he was looking at his immediate superior with disdain, and said nonchalantly:

"Isn't this the county magistrate? What brings you here?"

Quan Xiushan pointed at him and shouted, "County Lieutenant Lu, who gave you the authority to mobilize the county's reserve forces?"

Lu Dazhuang said innocently, "Don't spit blood at me, County Magistrate... I, Old Lu, have always been the most disciplined person."

Quan Xiushan shouted coldly: "The facts are right in front of you, and you still want to quibble?"

Lu Dazhuang looked around and pretended to be enlightened:
"Oh, I see. So that's how it is. You, the county magistrate, really misunderstood me."

"I brought my brothers out for training today. They were thirsty after running all morning, so I brought them here to cool off and have a drink of water."

"County magistrate, you can't stop our brothers from drinking water."

Jeon Soo-sun was speechless and spoke after a long while:
"Then why are you trying to stop me from arresting these troublemakers?"

Lu Dazhuang said earnestly: "County magistrate, take a good look at what they are holding in their hands, the Great Edict."

"According to the rules set by the Emperor, as long as there is a grievance, anyone can go to the Imperial City and file a complaint with the Emperor."

"Officials along the way are not allowed to stop us, otherwise they will be charged with treason."

"If you arrest them now, you will be sentenced to death... I am protecting you."

Jeon Soo-sun was so disgusted by him that she almost vomited: "Do you know who they are going to sue?"

"The Kong family of Qufu, the descendants of a saint, how can these unruly people blaspheme?"

Lu Dazhuang suddenly put away his playful smile and asked, "Descendants of saints? Are they more noble than royal relatives?"

"You..." Jeon Soo-sun was speechless.

He really didn't dare to answer this question.

Is it important to say that saints are important?
At present, the imperial power is suppressed by the literati, but killing a county magistrate is just a matter of a word.

Say royal is important?
Under the current circumstances, the literati can also force him to dismiss from office.

What's more, although he was not a disciple of Neo-Confucianism, he came from a Confucian background and Confucius was also his belief.

So, no matter how he answered, it was not the right answer.

The key point is that the literati had just forced the emperor to punish the King of Dai and kill his son-in-law Ouyang Lun by saying "princes who break the law are subject to the same punishment as common people".

Now they are ignoring the crimes of the Kong family, which is a complete loss of face.

This is also the real reason why he came to stop these people from entering Beijing.

As long as we capture these people and cover up the incident in Qufu, we can do it.

The descendants of saints are still the descendants of saints, and the literati can still hold high the banner of rites and laws and hold power.

However, Lu Dazhuang appeared.

He naturally knew that Lu Dazhuang's words were all excuses, but there was nothing he could do.

Taking a deep breath, he said sincerely: "County Lieutenant Lu, do you know the consequences of this matter?"

Lu Dazhuang sneered, "Is it worse than forcing the emperor to execute his son-in-law?"

Jeon Soo-sun's heart sank completely. Originally he was just a little skeptical, but now he is 100% sure.

This is the emperor’s counterattack.

When he received the news that more than a hundred people had come to the capital to file a complaint with imperial edicts in their hands, he realized that something was wrong.

As a grassroots official, he knew the character of the people too well.

Without someone’s guidance, I wouldn’t dare to do this.

What's more, where did they get so many edicts?
At that time he suspected that someone was up to something.

But I can't figure out who did it.

The first time he saw Lu Dazhuang, his heart skipped a beat and he had some vague guesses.

But he still didn't dare to think about the emperor.

It was not until Lu Dazhuang repeatedly mentioned the matter of forcing the emperor to abdicate that he was convinced that this was the work of the retired emperor.

No wonder the emperor has been keeping silent all this time.

It's not that he has changed his personality, but that he is setting up a huge plan.

Once these people who filed complaints entered the capital, the consequences would be...

He could already imagine it.

Then, he chose without hesitation... to retreat.

Although he came from a Confucian family, he was not a disciple of Neo-Confucianism and had no connection with those who forced the emperor to abdicate.

It is entirely possible to protect yourself, at least you can keep yourself safe.

There is no need to wade into this muddy water at this time.

Thinking of this, he showed gratitude on his face and bowed to Lu Dazhuang:
"If it weren't for County Lieutenant Lu's reminder, I would have almost made a big mistake."

Lu Dazhuang was a little surprised. This person changed his expression so quickly.

But Jeon Soo-sun's next move made him even more dumbfounded.

Quan Xiushan first asked the yamen runner to take out the money from his body, and then he came to the people with the money in his hands:
"My dear elders, I was rude and reckless just now. Please forgive me."

"My colleagues and I have collected some money for the trip, please accept it."

Now, the people were dumbfounded. What was going on?
At this time, a thin man in the crowd was the first to react and shouted:

"Thank you, Master Qingtian."

Other people also shouted, "Thank you, Lord Qingtian."

After distributing the money to the people and watching them leave, Jeon Soo-sun showed a relieved expression.

"Pa pa pa..." Lu Dazhuang patted his broken arm with one hand and said:

"Excellent! The county magistrate's wisdom is truly admirable."

Quan Xiushan smiled bitterly and said, "County Magistrate Lu is overpraising me. If I were really smart, I shouldn't have come here today."

Lu Dazhuang laughed and said, "Hey, you are also ignorant of the situation. You are afraid that there will be rioters entering the country, so you are willing to take the risk to bring people to investigate. What's wrong with that?"

Jeon Soo-sun showed surprise and joy, and these words were just to help him cover up.

But the two of them don't get along well on a daily basis, so why would Lu Dazhuang help me?

But no matter why, I have to do this favor.

So he bowed again and said, "Thank you, County Magistrate Lu, for your reminder. I will host a banquet at my home when I return. Please come and enjoy it."

Lu Dazhuang smiled and said, "Okay, okay, but I have to go protect these people now. We can talk about the meal when I come back."

Quan Xiushan said: "Thank you for your hard work, County Lieutenant Lu. I will wait for your triumphant return."

Afterwards, the two groups left separately.

On the way, Zou County's head constable asked in confusion, "Mingfu, why is this happening?"

Jeon Soo-sun did not explain, but said seriously:

"Don't ask so many questions. Tell everyone that we are here to check on the refugees today."

"If you don't want to die, just do what I say."

The captain of the police was not stupid. He immediately guessed that it might be related to the fight between the big guys, so he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Although the other yamen runners looked confused, since their superiors had said so, they naturally did not dare to say anything irresponsible.

On the other side, Lu Dazhuang's deputy also asked a question:
"County lieutenant, why are you helping the county magistrate?"

Lu Dazhuang chuckled and said, "He is a smart and understanding person. People like him are easy to deal with."

The deputy looked confused, what did that mean?
Smart people are smart people, why do we need to emphasize understanding people?
Isn’t it always said that honest people like me are easy to deal with, while smart people are cunning and difficult to deal with?
How come everything changed when it came out of the county lieutenant's mouth?

Do not know do not know.

However, Lu Dazhuang did not explain so much and quickly chased after the people.

The route taken by the people who filed the complaint was carefully selected.

The shortest way to get from Qufu to Luoyang is to go west.

However, to the west of Qufu is Xiuyang County of Yanzhou Prefecture, where Neo-Confucianism is powerful, so this road is very difficult to travel.

Although Qufu is a long way to the south, the magistrate of Zou County, Quan Xiushan, is a man without any faction or affiliation and will not risk his own safety for the Kong family.

And with Lu Dazhuang's support, it's very safe.

You can reach Zhaoyang Lake by following the newly excavated Baima River.

You can take a boat to Luoyang from here, and the longer the distance, the faster the boat will go.

The key point is that these people did not board the ship directly to Luoyang, but stayed at the shore of Zhaoyang Lake for five or six days.

Every day he tells different people about his grievances and the purpose of his trip.

As one of the most important transportation hubs of the Grand Canal, Zhaoyang Lake is very prosperous.

More than 100,000 people live around here.

Travelers from all over the world stop here to rest, and thousands of ships dock here every day.

In just a few days, news of the Kong family's actions in Qufu spread.

After these people boarded the ship, they did not go directly to Luoyang.

Instead, at every major stop, they would stop and tell about their experiences.

Then these things spread to all parts of the world through the mouths of travelers.

Those who understand rumors will understand.

The information would inevitably be distorted and exaggerated in the process of dissemination, and soon rumors spread that the Kong family had eaten people in Qufu.

Moreover, the person who spread the news swore and vowed that some common people had escaped and were on their way to Luoyang to file a complaint with the emperor.

You know, the areas along the Grand Canal are all important economic centers.

Residents of big cities pay more attention to politics, and this has been the case since ancient times.

In the past six months, the Neo-Confucian school has been fighting for imperial power, which has made the people extremely sensitive to political events.

When the news of suing the Kong family became known, it caused widespread discussion.

Some people believe it, some doubt it, and some simply deny it.

Others were furious and thought it was a rumor.

But whether you believe it or not, everyone who hears it will be curious.

What is the Kong family like after becoming a saint?

Once they become curious, they will take the initiative to collect relevant information.

Once the official announcement from the court comes down, the news will spread faster and cause a greater sensation.
-
The news that the people of Qufu had collectively filed a complaint with the emperor was first reported to Luoyang.

Everyone was smart and guessed the reason right away.

The powerful people who had been disappointed before suddenly realized.

It turns out that the emperor was not confused, but he had dug a trap and was waiting for people to fall into it.

Some people who were slow to think also got answers from their colleagues and couldn't help but applaud.

Then came the fear that the emperor was still the same emperor, and even more insidious.

Fortunately, no one has done anything weird during this period, otherwise the consequences would be dire.

It is easy to imagine how shocked the bureaucracy was. Their first reaction was to block the news and kill all those troublemakers.

But it was too late.

"Now the people of Luoyang are talking about this."

"The dock was full of people, all waiting for those troublemakers to arrive."

Zuo Chuan said solemnly: "And..."

Liu Xiao asked, "And what?"

Zuo Chuan said with difficulty: "Moreover, the people all think that since we dare to punish even the prince's consort, we can definitely redress the grievances of the people in Qufu."

All lost the ability to speak.

After a long while, Uncle Zhao finally said, "What a good trick. Good, good trick."

Chen Ying said angrily: "To treat your subjects in this way is not what a wise ruler would do."

Everyone ignored him.

What means or no means, it's already this time, why are you still bothering about this?
Besides, this is also an open conspiracy.

Zhao Shucai looked at everyone and said, "We lost this round. Now it depends on how the emperor wants to end it."

Everyone had different expressions.

How to end?

Having been bullied so much before, he must vent his anger.

Given the emperor's personality, he would inevitably take some lives to vent his anger.

The question is whose head to take.

No one dared to speak up about this, because whoever did so would inevitably be attacked by everyone and would be the first person to be sacrificed.

This kind of thing can only be negotiated privately.

People who have been abandoned may not realize they have been sold until they die.

Then comes the time for intrigue.

The Neo-Confucian school, which had just united, fell apart in an instant.

They all wished that the other person would die for them.

So, the meeting came to an end and everyone left with their own thoughts.

Looking at the people leaving, Chen Ying's eyes were full of mockery. Are you worthy enough to fight with the emperor?

But only he himself knew that the fear deep in his heart was no less than that of these people.

Before, he simply chose to support Zhu Yuanzhang, but he didn't know what means Zhu would use to fight back.

I have been thinking about it in my mind these days, but I still can't get the point.

Now that I finally know it, I am still scared.

A true conspiracy, and one that is sure to kill.

However, even at this point, everyone, including Chen Ying, thought that this was just Zhu's counterattack.

At worst, we can kill a few people from the Kong family to intimidate the others.

Kill some of the more rebellious officials and suppress Confucianism.

They did not think that Zhu Yuanzhang would destroy the Kong family, nor did they think that he would abolish Neo-Confucianism.

Two days later, the head of the Kong family came to the capital and submitted a petition to apologize.

As a result, he was taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and imprisoned before he even entered the gate of the imperial city.

Then, several officials submitted a memorial to the emperor, asking him how he planned to deal with the matter.

Then all these people were sent to prison.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang sitting high on the throne, exercising arbitrary power and carrying out thundering methods, the ministers finally realized

Hongwu is still the same Hongwu, the previous one was just a disguise.

Now it's time to settle the accounts.

The fear of being dominated by the Hongwu Emperor resurfaced in everyone's mind. The government and the people were all speechless.

The usually arrogant and domineering playboys became obedient, and the business of the brothels plummeted.

Officials all stayed at home and rarely went out. The most common literary gatherings on weekdays also disappeared.

Luoyang fell into a strange state of calm.

But everyone knows that this is the calm before the storm.
-
A week later, the people who had filed the complaint finally arrived outside Luoyang City, and on that day, as many as 70,000 to 80,000 people went to greet them.

The people shouted loudly to give them courage.

Some people even loudly gave them advice, telling them to go find certain officials, who they believed were the real judges.

Eight out of ten of those named by them were bigwigs of the Neo-Confucian school.

These people had never seen such a scene before. They were timid and frightened at first, but soon they were moved to tears.

It is indeed the capital city at the feet of the emperor.

The people just hate evil.

I am also full of confidence in this trip.

However, they did not listen to other people's advice and go find some big boss.

Instead, they came directly to the outside of Chengtian Gate, knelt down in unison, and held up the "Great Edict" in their hands.

On the top of the bell tower, Chen Jingke and Zhu Xiongying each held a telescope and looked at the crowd below.

Chen Jingke let out a long breath and said, "The people's hearts can be used."

Zhu Xiongying said excitedly: "I guess those people are having trouble sleeping and eating right now."

"I heard they're still thinking about cutting off their tails to survive? Haha... How naive."

Chen Jingke said: "They thought they would die, but they didn't think the court would abandon the Kong family and Neo-Confucianism."

"They are used to the emperor using Neo-Confucianism to govern the country and to promote the Confucius family to buy off scholars."

“But I didn’t know that times have changed.”

Zhu Xiongying gradually calmed down and nodded, "Yes, times have changed."

"Those who cannot keep up with the times will inevitably be crushed by the wheels of the times."

"You say...will the Ming Dynasty be crushed by the times one day?"

Chen Jingke laughed and said, "Why, you are so depressed that you want to pursue a dynasty that will last forever?"

Zhu Xiongying shook his head and said, "How is that possible? I just expressed my feelings."

"I remember you said a long time ago that there is no law that will never change, and there is no dynasty that will never change."

"Just as people are born, grow old, get sick and die, dynasties also rise and fall."

“Although a person is dead, his bloodline and thoughts can be passed on.”

“Although the dynasty has perished, its experience will be learned and passed on to later generations.”

"What we need to do is not to fantasize about how things will never change."

"It's about how to make the country stronger and the civilization more brilliant and splendid."

"As long as we do this, our spirit will live on forever."

Chen Jingke gave a thumbs up: "In terms of ideological realm, you have surpassed most emperors."

Zhu Xiongying just smiled faintly. He was not interested in comparing himself with previous emperors.

Every era has its own things to do.

How can we compare them when the times are different?

Isn't that Guan Gong fighting Qin Qiong?
Besides, even if we want to compare.

What I want to do is to make sure that others in the future use me as a benchmark to evaluate other emperors.

Instead of judging me by the standards of other emperors.

He was also in high spirits at this moment, and continued:
“The change of dynasties is a bad thing for a dynasty, but a good thing for a civilization.”

“At the end of every dynasty, countless contradictions accumulate. The rise and fall of a dynasty is the self-renewal of an ethnic group.”

"Through this replacement, we can eliminate the shortcomings of the past and create something new based on the work of our predecessors."

"Lead our civilization to the next peak."

“So not changing forever is not only impossible, but also shouldn’t be done.”

"If someone can really do it, it will be the greatest misfortune for that country and its people."

Chen Jingke was really shocked. Such words were actually said by a prince?
He did often tell Zhu Xi, Zhu Biao, Zhu Xiongying and others that there is no dynasty that will last forever.

It was also vaguely mentioned that the change of dynasties is actually a good thing for a civilization.

However, since it was an imperial society after all, he didn't dare to speak too bluntly.

However, I never thought that Zhu Xiongying not only understood it, but also agreed with this truth.

It really impressed him.

Then there was a deep sense of pride. This is my apprentice.

It can be said that this is his greatest achievement after traveling to the Ming Dynasty, without a doubt.

Only such a monarch can preserve the fruits of reform.

This is often more important than the change itself.
-
Old Zhu responded immediately and came out personally to inquire about the grievances of the people.

Afterwards, he stated on the spot that the murderer must be severely punished and justice must be done to the people.

"We can punish even the prince and kill the prince consort, let alone the Kong family?"

These words are very powerful.

It was quickly passed on to the back row through the mouths of the people in the front row, and soon everyone present knew the emperor's statement.

I don't know who started it, but suddenly there was a thunderous roar of "Long live!"

After the crowd calmed down, Lao Zhu gave specific instructions and the matter was referred to the three courts for trial.

He also named the cabinet scholars Liu Xiao and Zhao Shucai to personally supervise the handling of the case.

Then, Lao Zhu mentioned the names of several more people, all of whom were core members of the Neo-Confucian School.

This time the people cheered even more.

These are all iron-faced men who dare to face the imperial power, and they will definitely give everyone justice.

On the contrary, upon hearing this order, Liu Xiao and others trembled all over, and some even fainted.

Others tried to file for sick leave.

However, Lao Zhu said kindly: It’s okay, take good care of yourself, take on the burden first, and come back to work when you’re better.

In addition, Ming Weekly published a special issue on this matter.

Every official named by Zhu was introduced in detail.

It tells how they argued and asked the emperor to punish the prince and his wife.

And highlight some of the words they said to uphold etiquette.

Some people didn't say similar things, or they said them but left no trace.

It doesn’t matter. The editors of our weekly newspaper are all top experts and can help you.

There's no need to thank us. As fellow writers, this is what we should do.

The most important thing is that the article pointed out for the first time their other identity, the School of Neo-Confucianism.

Yes, previous newspaper publicity did not emphasize their identity.

Just talk about what they did.

Now, the truth is finally revealed.

These people are all from the Neo-Confucian school. What does this mean?
Do you think the Neo-Confucian school formed a faction to seize power?
Then you are underestimating the wise men of Neo-Confucianism, and are judging others by your own standards.

Neo-Confucianism is the benchmark of etiquette and law of the Ming Dynasty, and the Neo-Confucian masters are the guardians of the conscience of the Ming Dynasty.

Their behavior has nothing to do with forming a clique, they just share the same ideals.

They just united to protect the law.

You said the emperor was also a wise ruler? He was very good to the people? He reduced the burden on the people and abolished countless exorbitant taxes?

But so what?
The emperor is also a human being and has selfish desires.

Even when faced with the mistakes of one's own son or son-in-law, it is still impossible to deal with them fairly.

Only Neo-Confucianism, and only the great Neo-Confucianists, can abandon personal desires and strictly abide by the bottom line of etiquette and law.

I believe that this time, Neo-Confucianism and its great sages will not disappoint the people of the world.

It will definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer.

It can be said that in this issue of the weekly report, the space devoted to introducing the crimes of the Kong family is very small.

Ninety percent of the article is used to praise Neo-Confucianism and its great sages.

He even went so far as to belittle the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

If it were in the past, Liu Xiao and others would definitely be very happy.

But at this moment, looking at the newspaper in their hands, they only felt cold hands and feet.

This is not praising them, this is wanting their lives.

And they finally understood that Fang Xiaoru did not give in, but had never stood with them from the beginning to the end.

From the beginning to the end, they were cooperating with the emperor to set a trap.

It’s a pity that they realized it too late.

Things have come to this point, they can only go ahead with it.

Only when they started recording the confessions did these officials know exactly what the Kong family had done.

Two words: humanoid.

They simply couldn't believe that this was something the Kong family could do.

It simply refreshed their understanding of evil.

And with so many people involved, it seems like most of the Kong family is not clean.

If we really deal with it according to the law, even the entire clan would be punished.

However... this is the Kong family, so we must make a big deal out of a small matter.

They began to use the style of the Spring and Autumn Annals, using certain wordings to make a fuss...

As a result, the trial of the case proceeded very slowly.

Five or six days had passed, and the confession had not yet been completed.

Although there are a lot of confessions from more than a hundred people, how could the three-court trial be short of people to record the confessions?

But they can only announce it to the public because the matter is too big and needs to be questioned in detail, so progress is slow.

Old Zhu was not in a hurry at all. Instead, he comforted them and told them to take it slow.

However, these people soon could not bear the pressure anymore.

The pressure comes from the people.

There was a huge response from the public to this issue of the newspaper.

Most people were very happy and believed that these people were indeed the conscience of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the people learned for the first time that they all came from the School of Confucianism, no wonder they were so virtuous.

Only Neo-Confucianism has the ability and courage to face the imperial power.

However, some people expressed dissatisfaction.

The retired emperor, the emperor, and the crown prince all love the people like their own children, and they have introduced one people-friendly policy after another.

Who didn’t benefit?
It is natural that the emperor could not bear to punish his son and son-in-law.

Remember that even a tiger will not eat its own cubs.

Besides, wasn't it dealt with according to the law in the end, and the prince consort was killed?

To belittle them like this now is simply ungrateful.

Moreover, the behavior of Neo-Confucianism seems to be forming a faction to seize power no matter how you look at it.

They are clearly a group of hypocritical people.

These people were naturally criticized by everyone, who thought they were too dark.

The two sides argued back and forth, but strangely reached a consensus:
Let’s wait for the Kong family case. If they can judge it fairly, it will show that these people are gentlemen.

If they cover it up, they are hypocrites.

With the development of public opinion to this point, everyone with common sense knows that it must be guided by the imperial court.

However, there is no way to refute the same thing.

What really made the Neo-Confucian school feel despair was the publication of a new issue of the Ming Weekly.

The first half of this issue introduces the progress of the case.

And some of the worst and most inhumane crimes were announced in detail.

The author of these articles was none other than Yang Shiqi.

He had previously compiled the Hongwu Major Cases Collection, and was the most expert in this area.

The case is written in a very immersive way, making people grit their teeth and wish to kill the Kong family.

The second part introduces the progress of the case.

In one word, slow.

But the article also defended everyone.

The process is slow because the case is complicated and they want to get to the bottom of it, so that's why they are slow.

It is not an attempt to delay time or shield criminals as some people speculate.

Then the article moves on to the third part.

It talks about the controversy about Neo-Confucianism and Neo-Confucian talents.

Some people think that the sages of Neo-Confucianism are people who seek fame and reputation.

This is pure bullshit.

Although they are all rationalists, they seem to be forming a clique for personal gain.

But everyone has to believe in their ethics and so on.

Then he repeated the deeds of these people and what they had said.

Anyone who has studied journalism knows that when you keep repeating something, it does deepen the impression, but it can also cause disgust.

What's the matter? You Neo-Confucian masters, apart from forcing the emperor to send his sons and concubines, have you never done anything else?

It’s just a small thing. Is it interesting to brag about it every day?

Can we quickly try the Kong family's case?
The most fatal thing is that, guided by newspapers, more and more people began to think.

It seems that these virtuous people of the Neo-Confucian school have not done anything worth mentioning except for forcing the emperor to punish the princes and kill their princes-in-law.

Various policies that benefit the people were created by the retired emperor, the emperor, the crown prince and Chen Bandu.

The rationalist school is at most just an executor.

That is to say...

Once people start to doubt, more and more doubts arise.

Then more and more people began to question, were these people banding together to force the emperor really for the sake of etiquette and law?
In this atmosphere of public opinion, the entire rational school realized that the situation was not good.

But until now, they still do not think that Zhu Yuanzhang wants to abolish Neo-Confucianism.

They just thought that Lao Zhu was simply taking revenge on them.

As a result, a major split naturally began within the Neo-Confucian school.

We were not involved in what happened back then and it has nothing to do with us.

We were dragged into this by someone, and he is the main culprit.

Due to internal divisions, problems began to arise frequently in the interrogation of the Kong family case.

For example, there may be two different versions of the same person's testimony.

Lao Zhu's attitude also began to toughen, and he questioned how they handled the case.

Then the latest issue of the newspaper also wrote about all these omissions.

But the newspapers still defended them, saying that the mistake was caused by the pressure from public criticism.

Could you please stop slandering these virtuous people?

However, the more this happens, the more skeptics there are.

Everyone urgently needs a real answer.

There is also the matter of the Kong family. Everyone wants to know how big a crime the Kong family has committed.

Are those human-like behaviors rumored to be true?

(End of this chapter)