You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 394 Everything for the Fundamentals of Confucianism and Mencius
Jiang Qingyun had his back to Kong Xingxie.

"Over the past 2000 years, there have been many scoundrels who have distorted the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius, such as Dong Zhongshu, Zhu Xi, Cheng Yi, and Sima Guang. For their own selfish interests, they followed the emperor's wishes and turned Confucianism into a hybrid that is neither fish nor fowl. They waved the banner of Confucianism and frantically distorted its essence. They are not disciples of Confucianism at all; they are members of a demonic cult."

"The Grand Secretary is right!"

Kong Xingxie seemed to have grasped at a straw.

Jiang Qingyun turned around, extended his right hand, and made a grasping motion in the air.

"I want to restore the original teachings of Confucius and Mencius, and use the purest, most authentic, and most advanced Confucian thought to educate the people of the empire."

Kong Xingxie immediately declared: "The Yansheng Duke's family and all scholars in the world fully support the Grand Secretary in promoting fundamentalist Confucianism!"

……

Jiang Qingyun shook his head.

Kong Xingxie's heart clenched again.

"Here's another question: how can you prove that the former Duke Yansheng was your father?"

“My mother can vouch for this.”

"Your mother's word doesn't count."

"Please, Grand Secretary, vouch for me!"

“Nonsense, I am not surnamed Kong.”

Jiang Qingyun looked angry, but felt a little relieved that Kong Xingxie could understand Mandarin.

Zhou Shuren, a scholar from Zhejiang, once said: There are only three kinds of languages ​​in the world—Mandarin, human language, and concise commands.

Mandarin.

You recognize all the individual characters above, but when they're put together, you just can't understand them. The true meaning might even be completely opposite to the literal meaning.

The purpose of Mandarin is to differentiate and filter.

Human language.

They speak normal language, but many people still can't understand it because they only have a human appearance.

Concise commands.

Most are command phrases of five words or less, such as: Kneel down! Go eat! For the Empire, please die in battle!

It sounds a bit sarcastic, but Zhou Shuren was right.

……

"Prime Minister, please find a way to prove that I am my father's son."

"This is really a difficult matter."

"Please enlighten me, Grand Secretary."

"Ahem, on this issue, I think whether or not one inherits the bloodline of a sage is not the key point; the key point is whether or not one inherits the thoughts of a sage. Tell me, what is the essence of the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius?"

"It is benevolence and righteousness."

"Any more?"

Kong Xingxie pondered seriously for half an hour.

"The Doctrine of the Mean!"

“You’re right, benevolence and righteousness, and moderation are the essence of Confucian and Mencian thought. But look at us now, where are benevolence and righteousness? Where is moderation? The essence has been completely lost, the essence has been altered beyond recognition, these damned vermin.”

"Prime Minister, kill these insects!"

"No rush. Tell me first, what are some examples right now that are neither benevolent nor moderate?"

……

Kong Xingxie sat upright and solemnly.

He knew that if he didn't handle things properly, he would become the son of Baturu.

“The rich have fields stretching across fields, while the poor have nowhere to stand.”

"Kings and nobles are fat and bloated, while commoners sell their children."

"With no funds available for disaster relief, civil officials have been taking advantage of the situation."

"Public officials judge cases based on money, not right or wrong."

“The poor are burdened with heavy corvée labor, while the gentry bear none of it.”

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

"Please take Qufu, which you are most familiar with, as an example and analyze it in depth."

Kong Xingxie felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had been lured into a trap.

"Chief assistant?"

"Say it."

Kong Xingxie was sweating profusely. Everyone knew that the Kong family was the largest landlord in Shandong, far ahead of the others, without exception.

"How much land does your Duke Yansheng family own?"

150 million mu.

"How much land do ordinary, small families own?"

"If you have more than ten acres, you are considered a middle-class household."

"With such a huge disparity, do you think it aligns with Confucian and Mencian thought?"

Kong Xingxie remained silent.

Jiang Qingyun fell silent and lowered his head to wipe his sword.

Let this kid have some time to reflect on his actions. If he's oblivious to his own mortality, tomorrow, when the sun shines brightly, I'll give the order and have my 6000 troops sacrifice themselves to Confucius and Mencius.

The phrase "defying the heavens" is no joke; it carries a very high level of intensity.

Half an hour later~
"Prime Minister, 30 million mu~"

Jiang Qingyun remained silent, only bowing his head to wipe his sword.

"Prime Minister, 50 million mu~"

Jiang Qingyun remained silent, then plucked a strand of hair and tested the sword's edge.

"Prime Minister, 100 million mu~"

Jiang Qingyun stood up and twirled his sword.

Do you see how sharp my sword is?

Kong Xingxie gritted his teeth and forced out the sentence: "130 million mu."

The tent remained quiet for a long time.

Jiang Qingyun sheathed his sword and quickly walked down the steps.

"Duke Yansheng, what are you doing? Get up quickly."

Around midnight~
Kong Xingxie returned to the city alone.

……

Yanshenggong Mansion.

Zhang quickly stepped forward to meet him.

"My son, you're finally back! What's the situation outside the city?"

"Mother, let's talk inside."

The mother and son dismissed the servants and spoke in a private room.

"What? You're giving all 130 million mu of fertile land belonging to the Duke Yansheng's family to poor bastards?"

"Yes."

Zhang came from a family of officials from the former Ming Dynasty. His grandfather had served as the governor of Shanxi and his father had served as the provincial governor of Jiangxi. He was exposed to officialdom from a young age and was no stranger to it.

"Mother, what do you think?"

“When you’re under someone’s roof, you have to bow your head. You were right to agree to his request. The matter of burning the imperial envoy is a heavy burden, if it’s not weighed a hundred pounds, it’s a heavy burden, if it is weighed a thousand pounds. If we add the question of his bloodline, the Duke Yansheng’s family is finished.”

"Mother, what exactly does he want to do?"

"He's gone mad. He wants to emulate Wang Mang. Divide up! Divide all the family's land! First, gain a good reputation. With this reputation, you can be safe for life."

"Mother, that's 130 million mu of fertile land!"

"It's alright. As long as the people are still alive, we can get them back later. Land is not like gold and silver. Let them cultivate it first. When Liu Xiu comes to power, we can just say one word and all the poor people in Shandong will have to obediently return our land."

Zhang was elegant and graceful, and spoke softly.

If a third person were present, they would surely shudder with fear.

Because what Zhang said was absolutely right. If Chief Minister Chiang were to fall from power, the next emperor could simply issue a single order and have all 130 million mu of fertile land returned to him.

Deliberate footsteps sounded outside.

The two immediately fell silent, knowing that the steward of the manor had arrived.

Through the door~
"Master, the clan elders are outside requesting an audience."

"If you refuse to see them, just say I'm ill today and not fit to receive guests. Tell them to go back and make proper preparations to welcome the Grand Secretary into the city."

"Yes."

"Are you planning to take action against these old men?"

"Yes, borrow the Grand Secretary's sharp blade."

"That's fine, the elders are very difficult to deal with."

……

The Duke Yansheng went out of the city alone to pay homage, but when he returned, he found no one else there.

There's definitely something fishy going on here!
As the most senior clan elder, and by seniority the third grandfather of Kong Xingxie, the old man sensed a conspiracy. He was turned away at the door and returned to his own home.

He changed into Ming Dynasty attire and practiced kneeling in front of the mirror repeatedly.

"This old man pays his respects to Your Majesty, the wise and mighty ruler!"

That seems too presumptuous.

"This humble servant greets Your Excellency the Grand Secretary!"

It seems that he is not loyal enough.

"This humble junior pays his respects to the esteemed Grandmaster!"

It has a very scholarly feel to it.

The old man repeatedly studied himself in front of the mirror, making sure his smile, words, and movements were just right, and then practiced repeatedly until they became muscle memory.

Welcoming the emperor is a big event!
The Confucius Mansion is extremely professional when it comes to welcoming guests.

……

Suddenly, a brightly lit area appeared in the pitch-black city of Qufu—the famous Duke Yansheng's Mansion.

Five thousand candles, each as thick as a wrist, illuminated the entire household.

A VIP team that had been maintained at great expense for over a thousand years knelt respectfully before Duke Yansheng, Kong Xingxie.

Confucius said, "To achieve benevolence," and Mencius said, "To uphold righteousness."

"For the sake of Qufu, for the sake of the Confucius Mansion, for the sake of the Sage, you must give it your all in this reception. Gentlemen, prepare to welcome him!"

(End of this chapter)