We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Li Che had no ill feelings towards Confucius himself, or rather, he respected him very much.

The Confucian teachings of the sages have been passed down for thousands of years, and inevitably contain some outdated dregs, but its core is still the idea of ​​"benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness", which has been passed down to later generations.

Being able to put forward such ideas in an era of declining rituals and music was a groundbreaking achievement, and Confucius deserved the title of sage.

However, Li Che found it difficult to have much good feelings towards the descendants of Confucius.

Not to mention the evil deeds of "Shi Xiu's surrender".

Just to say that the Kong family, as the direct descendant of the sage, sat back and watched later generations of Confucian scholars wantonly misinterpret the thoughts of the sages, and even actively participated in it, is already a betrayal of their ancestors.

Of course, Li Che also understood that he couldn't generalize.

There may be wise men among Confucius' descendants. The Kong Xing in front of us has a sense of integrity between his brows and does not seem like a cunning person.

While he was thinking, generals beside him, such as Qiu Bai and Yang Xuan, could no longer hold back.

Veteran general Zhu Chun's hair and beard stood on end as he shouted, "How dare you, Kong Xing! Your Majesty has already inherited the throne and reigns supreme. How dare you still call yourself a vassal king?"

Kong Xing, however, was neither humble nor arrogant, and answered loudly: "I receive a salary from Daqing, and am a minister of Daqing, not a minister of the state."

"Now the north and the south each hold their own views. The emperor claims that King Feng killed the king and usurped the throne, while King Feng claims to be the legitimate heir."

"It is difficult to distinguish the truth from the false. How can I believe it so easily?"

He raised his head and looked at Li Che with a firm gaze: "If you want me to change my name and declare myself a vassal, Your Highness, please show me solid evidence!"

Li Che leaned forward slightly and stared at the old minister: "If Prefect Kong doesn't trust me, could it be that he doesn't trust the Emperor?"

The reason why he specifically mentioned Emperor Qing was because he knew that Kong Xing was a minister promoted by Emperor Qing, otherwise he would not have been sent to Jin.

Speaking of which, although the Kong family can be called a noble family, they are different from ordinary noble families.

After all, they have a powerful ancestor, so they will not easily get involved in the change of dynasty. No matter which family sits on that throne, they will try to win them over.

It’s just a matter of writing a reduction table, and practice makes perfect.

Therefore, Kong Xing is trustworthy.

As expected, Kong Xing's face immediately turned sad when he heard Li Che's words.

But he still bowed and insisted: "Of course I respect the late emperor, but may I ask Your Highness, how can you prove that the late emperor has indeed passed the throne to you?"

Li Che raised the corners of his lips slightly: "I have the imperial father's handwritten edict as proof."

"In that case," Kong Xing said without giving in, "I beg Your Highness to show me the will."

As soon as these words were spoken, the generals around were in an uproar.

Li Lin placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, glaring at him: "You sour scholar, don't push your luck!"

Li Che raised his hand to stop the generals' commotion and said calmly to Qiu Bai beside him, "Go, bring out the will and let Mr. Kong review it."

He was clear-headed and knew that when dealing with a stubborn old Confucian like Kong Xing, no amount of words would be as effective as black and white.

Qiu Bai solemnly took out the bright yellow scroll from the gilded wooden box and presented it to Kong Xing with both hands.

Kong Xing looked solemn as he carefully unfolded the will.

Just one glance and my whole body was shocked.

"This, this is indeed the handwriting of the late emperor..."

His voice was choked with sobs, and he blinked desperately to prevent the tears from blurring his vision.

His feelings were genuine and didn't seem fake. He was indeed a loyal minister of Emperor Qing.

As if afraid that his tears would sully the imperial edict, Kong Xing hurriedly raised the edict and carefully examined the seal at the end.

"The Imperial Seal is undoubtedly authentic. I recognize it!"

Kong Xing trembled as he handed the edict back to Qiu Bai. When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with tears. "Your Majesty...were you at peace before your departure? Were you suffering?"

Li Che was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly: "The emperor passed away peacefully, without suffering."

Kong Xing breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

He straightened his clothes, and suddenly prostrated himself before Li Che, paying homage:

"Your Majesty, I, Kong Xing, pay my respects to you!"

"I have just offended the majesty of Heaven. Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Li Chexu helped him up: "Mr. Kong, please stand up. You are a loyal minister. What crime have you committed?"

He thought to himself: Although this man is pedantic, he is still a loyal and upright minister.

It would indeed be a waste of time to make him serve as an official in a locality, but it would be most appropriate to transfer him to the Censorate or assign him an important post.

I don’t know who is more smelly and tougher, him or Wen Zaiyin.

Without Li Che's words, Kong Xing stood up and immediately put himself into the role. He frowned and looked at Li Che and asked:

"Since Your Majesty has assumed the throne, why didn't you immediately dispatch troops to the imperial capital to avenge the late emperor? Instead, you came to Jin first?"

Li Che had no choice but to patiently explain: "I led my troops south to suppress the rebellion."

"As for coming to Jin first, it's because there is a force here that I must rely on."

Kong Xing was even more confused: "I have heard that the Fengtian Army is the most elite in the world. Do they need the help of the Jin Army?"

"It's not about the troops," Li Che shook his head, "What I need is money, food, supplies and weapons..."

Kong Xing was horrified when he heard this: "Your Majesty, are you also going to associate with those merchants who engage in lowly jobs?!"

Hearing Kong Xing's remarks, the Shanxi merchants who were fighting in the rear suddenly became agitated.

A middle-aged businessman in brocade robes and with a wealthy figure could not contain himself and immediately stepped forward.

"Prefect Kong, what you said is wrong!" He said in a loud voice, with a hint of grievance. "Without merchants like us paying taxes and engaging in trade, how could Jinyang City sustain its current situation?"

"During the famine in the early years, it was because we opened our granaries and distributed grain that people didn't starve to death!"

Another lean merchant immediately chimed in, bowing in Li Che's direction. "That's exactly right! When His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin was enfeoffed, everything needed to be rebuilt. It was us who contributed money and effort, building the city walls and opening the market. That's how Jinyang became so bustling!"

Another person sneered and glanced at Kong Xing in a sarcastic tone, "The descendants of Confucius are naturally noble and look down on gold and silver, but us common people still have to eat and make a living!"

"Ever since Prefect Kong took office, he's been forbidding everything. Most of the workshops have been closed. How many people have lost their livelihoods?"

"Could it be that you, Lord Kong, have already achieved an immortal body and can be full by just drinking the northwest wind?"

Kong Xing was so angry at the barrage of retorts that his face turned red and his gray beard trembled.

He turned to Li Che, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty! Look, these merchants have no knowledge of etiquette, and they dare to be so presumptuous in front of the emperor. How can this be disrespectful?!"

He took a deep breath, trying his best to maintain the demeanor of a scholar-official, but his words became increasingly pointed: "Governing a country and pacifying the world depends on the way of sages, loyal ministers and good generals, and students of the world who read the books of sages!"

"When did it become the turn of these penny-pinching merchants to make decisions?!"

Li Che only felt a dull pain in his forehead. This sudden dispute in front of him was really tricky.

I don’t know what my father was thinking when he let this old scholar come to Jin to be an official.

Li Che understood the role of merchants very well.

The geographical environment of Jin is very special, it is mountainous and barren. Trade and communication with the north depend entirely on caravans traveling back and forth through the Eight Passes of Taihang.

In this special environment, it is normal for Shanxi merchants to have a higher status.

Li Che raised his hands, pressed them down, and said softly:

"Everyone, please be quiet."

He glanced at the indignant Shanxi merchants and said, "The streets are not the place for discussion. Since everyone has their own opinions, why not move to the government office and present your thoughts and ideas to me one by one?"

He paused deliberately, giving both parties a chance to relax, before continuing:

"The way to govern a country is to listen to both sides and then you will be wise."

"I am well aware of Mr. Kong's concern for the country and the people; I have also heard of the contributions of all the merchants to local livelihoods."

"How can we hastily conclude who is right and who is wrong on this street?"

After all, Kong Xing was a descendant of Confucius, and he knew that it was disrespectful to quarrel with merchants in the street, so he snorted coldly as a sign of agreement.

Although the group of merchants seemed to be arguing with reason, their status was awkward after all. They still felt a little guilty when facing the saint with the highest status in feudal society.

Neither of them refused, so Li Che breathed a sigh of relief and led everyone to the government office.

When they arrived at the government office, Li Che asked all the generals to disperse, leaving only Li Lin, Yang Xuan, Zhu Chun and others to accompany him.

The King of Jin sat beside Li Che, with a group of merchants from Jin on his left and officials from Jinyang Prefecture headed by Kong Xing on his right.

The two sides stared at each other with displeasure, and it was obvious that they had been holding a grudge for a long time.

Li Che couldn't help but burst out laughing. This official and this businessman should have had the most harmonious relationship in later generations. How come they became enemies here?

It's really the opposite of Tiangang...