The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 51 But do good deeds
The Prince of Xiang has died.

The news that Li Jinglong brought back was truly earth-shattering.

Even Zhu Yunwen was stunned in the hall. Even if he wanted to reduce the power of the princes, he never thought of forcing his own uncle to his death, let alone the Prince of Xiang.

"The Prince of Xiang is dead. How could the Prince of Xiang be dead?"

"I only want to discuss his crime of using paper money; I will not even depose him from his throne."

"gentlemen."

Zhu Yunwen looked at Fang Xiaoru, his eyes red, and murmured, "The people who should have died didn't die, but the Prince of Xiang, who shouldn't have died the most, is dead!"

What will the people of the world think of me?

Fang Xiaoru was also very troubled. He never expected that the Prince of Xiang would be so fierce that he would actually set himself on fire.

The idea of ​​governing the country with filial piety resulted in the death of an innocent uncle!
"Your Majesty, I understand your feelings, but the most important thing now is to determine the nature of this matter. We must not allow rumors to spread and damage the reputation of the court and Your Majesty."

The subtext of this statement is obvious: the death of the Prince of Xiang is irreversible, but he cannot be without fault. If he is not at fault, then isn't the court at fault?
Zhu Yunwen suddenly looked straight at Fang Xiaoru, and after a long while, he waved his hand weakly and said, "I will do as you say, sir."

Jingzhou and Yingtian are only a stone's throw apart, and the news of the death of the Prince of Xiang could not be kept secret at all. Emperor Jianwen had summoned his ministers to the palace as quickly as possible, but the news still spread in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and then to the provinces in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty.

……

At Princess Lin'an's residence, Li Qi was adjusting his court attire. Princess Lin'an's eyes were red-rimmed. She naturally already knew that Zhu Bai had died by self-immolation. She was eleven years older than Zhu Bai and had genuinely cared for him. In ancient times, where people matured early, the eldest sister was like a mother, so her sorrow and grief were beyond words.

“My husband, I know you will speak up for justice today. Twelfth brother has always been a worry-free child. He died unjustly. If no one speaks up for him, he will be condemned to eternal damnation and never be able to rise again.”

Her words revealed her extreme disappointment with the emperor's nephew. Princess Lin'an could even guess what the emperor would do next: smear her twelfth brother, saying he committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

Li Qi didn't speak, but nodded again with a serious expression.

With everything prepared, Li Qi left the mansion. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw a group of people standing scattered outside the mansion. There were students, officials, ordinary merchants, and common people. Most of these people looked somewhat haggard, and some looked like they had been traveling for a long time. They bowed to Li Qi and left without saying a word. Li Qi suddenly understood something.

These people probably came from Jingzhou.

He once spoke out for the Prince of Xiang.

He boarded the carriage and headed towards the palace. Along the way, people would point at his carriage and say, "That's Li Qi, the Grand Secretary and husband of the Grand Princess of Lin'an. He's the one who spoke up for the Prince of Xiang. If the Emperor had listened to him, the Prince of Xiang would not have died."

"What a pity, His Highness Prince Xiang is a good person."

"Be careful what you say, that's the imperial court..."

Li Qi clenched his fist. As the saying goes, the hearts of the people are like flowing water, easily scattered but difficult to gather. The general trend of the world lies in the hearts of the people, and the trend can change in an instant.

When the carriage reached Zhuque Avenue, it suddenly stopped. The coachman said urgently, "Your Highness, there are scholars blocking the road ahead."

Scholars are blocking the road?

Li Qi frowned. Was it another group of scholars from Jiangnan trying to cause trouble? But he had already been very discreet; why would they stop his carriage?

As he pondered this, he lifted the carriage curtain and looked around. Instead of the scholars from Jiangnan he had imagined, he saw many scholars from the North and South who had received his favors. At the very front stood his disciple, Wang Gen.

When they saw Li Qi come out, they all came forward and surrounded the vehicle.

"Master Li, things have come to this, please take care of yourself."

"The Prince of Xiang is gone. Please, Master Li, take heed of your grief."

"Teacher Li, you once taught your students that taking a step back is a step forward. Please accept my condolences."

Wang Gen knelt before the carriage, tears streaming down his face. "Teacher!" the scholars cried out in unison.

Li Qi was stunned, and then a tingling sensation suddenly spread from his spine to his scalp. He realized what they were doing!
Since returning to the capital in the twenty-third year of Hongwu's reign, Li Qi has demanded of himself the rules of a sage in every word and deed. He may be a fake sage, but he pretends to be one very well!
The fact that Li Qi spoke up for Prince Xiang in court was known to everyone in the court and the public. Now that Prince Xiang has self-immolated, outsiders do not know, but these students who had been in close contact with him know what an upright person Li Qi is, and naturally know that he will definitely argue in court and plead for Prince Xiang!
However, His Majesty is now determined to weaken the power of the regional princes and trusts figures like Fang Xiaoru. Li Qi's memorial is like throwing an egg against a rock. Although the emperor is unlikely to kill him, he will certainly lose all imperial favor.

They have not forgotten that Li Qi still carries the burden of the Li family's sins. If that is truly the case, there is no hope for the Li family to be exonerated.

Li Qi hadn't expected them to gather here, trying to protect themselves. After nearly ten years in this world, they had finally come to some use.

Li Qi may never become a true saint, but among those influenced by his ideas, there will always be saints in the future.

Not all scholars in this world are worthless; those who stand out among them are countless.

As Lu Xun once said: "Since ancient times, we have had people who bury themselves in hard work, people who work desperately, people who plead for the people, and people who sacrifice themselves for the law... Even the so-called 'official history,' which is tantamount to compiling genealogies for emperors, generals, and ministers, often cannot conceal their brilliance. These are the backbone of China."

“I already know what you all think and desire.”

Li Qi returned the greeting to the students, and then calmly said, "I don't know if I will have the opportunity to teach you again in the future. I once said to you: My heart is bright, what more is there to say?"

Today I would like to say to all of you again: It is better to seek the straight path than the crooked one; do good deeds and do not worry about the future.

These are the only two sentences; I will not say anything more.

"All students, please go your separate ways. I am leaving!"

After saying this, Li Qi returned to the carriage. The coachman cracked the whip, and the carriage rumbled forward again, leaving only the students behind to watch the carriage disappear into the distance.

Suddenly, a student said, "I knew this would happen."

A sigh rang out from the surroundings.

“Master Li’s heart is as firm as iron. He is a sage who has realized his true nature. How could our nagging words change him?”

"The scholar once said: 'For the sake of the Way, even death is the only option,' and I had foreseen what would happen today."

“Li Shizeng was the son of a nobleman and experienced a dramatic change in his family. He gained insights from the brink of life and death, which led to his achievements today. His level of understanding is beyond our comprehension.”

"The root of the problem is that the court should never have punished the Prince of Xiang."

Wang Gen recalled what his teacher had taught him: "Those who are too upright will not survive. Sometimes we have no choice but to scheme against people's hearts, the general trend, and play power games. But a gentleman knows what to do and what not to do. When it is time to go against the tide, he will have no regrets even if he dies."

The words are still fresh in my mind.

The sounds of conversation, interspersed with sighs, gradually faded into the distance.

Li Qi's carriage landed in front of the palace gate. When he got out of the carriage, he saw that many court officials had already arrived. The officials naturally saw Li Qi as well, and almost everyone looked at him.

Li Qi initially disagreed with punishing the Prince of Xiang, but now that such a serious matter has occurred, it is unknown whether Li Qi will make a scene in court.

Upon closer reflection, it really is quite possible.

Although Li Qi was not known for his outspokenness, he was always very straightforward when it came to matters of principle.

Everyone knows that before his death, the late emperor summoned Li Qi alone. Although the late emperor did not name any regents, Li Qi was in fact the minister left behind by the late emperor to assist him.

Given Li Qi's sincere and devoted service to the late emperor, he will surely correct the new emperor's mistakes.

Today's court assembly is unlikely to be peaceful.

Li Qi naturally knew what these people were thinking. He calmly waited for the palace gates to open, and then followed the official in charge of ceremonies into the palace.

(End of this chapter)