I want to ruin the country

Today's incident made him very embarrassed. The emperor was in a very bad mood right now, especially when it came to the issue of relief grain. Anyone who had a different opinion would not be tolerated.

During his life, he had represented the court to pay homage to the Kong family three times. He had a good relationship with the previous generation of Duke Yansheng, Kong Qingrong. During the ten years after Kong Fanhao was conferred the title of Duke Yansheng, he came to the capital several times, and each time he visited his home with the courtesy of a nephew.

Over the years, Bing Jingtan Jinghe has also received a lot of benefits from the Kong family.

The Kong family is in trouble now, and it would be unreasonable for him not to help. However, he cannot help after what Kong Fanhao has done.

If someone else solicits prostitution, the worst that can happen is that he will be dismissed from office, beaten with dozens of sticks, and allowed to go home and live out his days in peace.

But he happened to be the Duke of Yansheng, the face of Confucianism, the emperor's face, and a role model for scholars all over the world. No matter who said it, this matter was not a small matter.

This is just the moral aspect. The key point is that he committed a crime against the law and sold grain against the emperor's order. Could the emperor forgive him?

After much thought, and pulling out a lot of his beard, He Ruolin decided to go see the emperor. No matter if it would be helpful or not, he would do his best!

Arriving at Xianfu Palace, the Emperor called him in. When He Rulin entered, he saw Lin Zexu and Du Shoutian were also there. The Emperor's face turned very ugly.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you the best of health!"

The emperor is very respectful.

"Give me a seat!"

"Master He, you've arrived just in time. The two ministers are talking about Kong Fanhao. You should listen!"

He Rulin quickly stood up and bowed, saying,

"Your Majesty, this old minister is here for this very matter as well!"

As he spoke, he held up Kong Xiangguo's letter with both hands.

"Yan Shenggong's nephew, General Kong Xiangguo of Yanzhou, has written a letter to me and offered me fifty thousand silver coins, asking me to intercede for Yan Shenggong!"

Yi Fangfang came over, took the letter and handed it to the emperor.

Yining took it, read the letter, took out the banknote and looked at it, then asked,

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to come, but I have some connections with his family. I wonder if I can give him a lighter sentence?"

Yining couldn't bear it any longer.

He slammed the banknote on the dragon desk and said angrily,

"It's always fifty thousand taels of silver. Fifty thousand for you, fifty thousand for Chen Fuen. They're really generous!"

Upon hearing that the emperor was angry, He Ruolin quickly knelt down.

"I am frightened!"

Yining's eyes turned red and he said loudly,

"One hundred thousand taels of silver and over a hundred thousand dan of grain are enough to sustain a hundred thousand people for two or three months. If they spend this money on the people, I will kowtow to them!"

Lin Zexu and Du Shoutian also stood up and bowed, saying,

"I have failed in my duty!"

Yining continued,

"What a pity! They don't use the powder on their faces, but use this snow-white silver to do such despicable things. Have they read so much that it has become a dog's stomach?

Sir He, don't you feel embarrassed to come and plead for them?"

He Ruolin felt as if he had been slapped several times by the emperor, and his face turned red!

"Old minister is terrified!"

Yining's face flushed red, he pointed at He Rulin and said,

"You are afraid, what are you afraid of? Aren't you here?

I will give you this face. You go and draft an edict to announce to the world that Kong Fanhao's stay with prostitutes is nothing. Scholars all over the world can take him as a role model!

It’s no big deal that he sold grain against the imperial order. If Chen Fuen comes back, we won’t have to buy grain anymore!

Isn't it just a matter of starving some people to death? We have hundreds of millions of people in Daqing, so it's impossible for them all to die!"

He Ruolin's face turned even redder, and he said with trembling lips,

"I am guilty! This old minister is guilty!"

Lin Zexu and Du Shoutian knelt down hurriedly.

"Your Majesty, please calm down and take care of your health. Lord He is being lenient. Please make your decision!"

Yining turned around and sat down, breathing heavily through his nose and said,

"You haven't done anything wrong, why are you kneeling down? I'm not so confused as to not know right from wrong!"

He Ruolin was so regretful. He was so old, why did he get involved in this mess? His reputation was ruined. How would this end today?

After much thought, I realized that I had come here and was scolded by the emperor without any shame, and I had also tolerated Kong Qingrong's feelings for me. It was time to retreat.

he said,

"Your Majesty, I am an old minister who has been confused. I resign from all my official positions and ask Your Majesty to punish me!"

Yining thought about it. He Ruolin died in 1852, so there were still two years left. He had not made any major mistakes in his life, so he could not be killed with one blow.

"Get up, you are already so old, I may have been a little too extreme!"

He Rulin said,

"I beg Your Majesty to allow me to resign!"

Yining sighed and said,

"You have toiled for the court your entire life, and have made great contributions. How could I punish you for such a small matter?"

He Rulin said,

"It is my duty to work hard for the court, but this time I was inconsiderate. Even if Your Majesty does not punish me, I feel that I am too old. Please allow me to resign!"

Yining Road,

"If you insist on resigning, I cannot be too selfish. I will allow you to resign from your other official positions and no longer participate in government affairs. I will appoint you as the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace, and you will live out your life in peace!"

When He Ruolin heard that the emperor had also given him the position of Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace, he was very satisfied. This was also a very good ending. Although he retired, he still enjoyed the treatment of a first-rank official. He had both face and money!

"Thank you, Lord, for your grace!"

He Ruolin is gone!

Lin Zexu and Du Shoutian understood that if He Ruolin had not handed over the 50,000 silver coins to the emperor today, the outcome would have been different!

Looking at the two people who were stunned, Yining asked,

"My two masters, what should we do with Kong Fanhao?"

Du Shoutian Road,

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, Kong Fanhao is a scoundrel. The Duke of Yansheng must be replaced!"

Lin Zexu said,

"From what I've seen, not only will Duke Yansheng be replaced, but his family will also be held accountable for the crime of defying the emperor's will!"

What Yining was thinking was that the Kong family had been around for more than seventy generations and was rich enough to rival a country, so they couldn't get away with it. But it sounded a bit dirty to say that!

he said,

"Do you think it's necessary for the two ministers to hold back on the Duke of Yansheng?"

Ah!

Lin Zexu and Du Shoutian were shocked when they heard this. What was the emperor going to do?

For more than two thousand years, Confucius has been the god in the hearts of scholars. He is their banner, their role model, and their courage. What is the emperor thinking? Why does he want to be an enemy of all the scholars in the world?

A few days later, Chen Fuen received an imperial edict that Kong Fanhao was morally deficient and was stripped of his title of Duke Yansheng.

The crime of selling grain against the imperial order is unforgivable. Chen Fuen was ordered to conduct a strict investigation and make sure to bring all of Kong Fanhao's crimes to justice.

With the emperor's order, Chen Fu'en felt more confident. He issued a notice, asking the people to come to the imperial envoy's office to file complaints.

A single stone caused a thousand ripples, and there was a lot of discussion in the official circles and among the people.

At first, no one could believe that something had happened to the Kong family, which had stood for a thousand years?

Since ancient times, changes of dynasties have not affected the prosperity of the Kong family. Hundreds of emperors have been replaced, but the Kong family has remained unscathed.

Chen Fuen personally interrogated Kong Fanhao, but Kong Fanhao gritted his teeth and said nothing.