Water Margin people

Chapter 1664 Kong Family

The faces of those scholars turned red and white. They were so angry that they had no place to vent after being humiliated by a group of jailers.

"Don't worry, someone will send something over!"

Several older Confucian scholars spoke up and said that there were quite a few people outside and someone would definitely come to see them, so there was no need to get entangled with the jailers here.

The parade was over, but the drum of the Liangshan City government office was constantly beating, and those literati went to the government office in batches to file complaints.

This made Pei Xuan very helpless. If someone filed a complaint, he would definitely take over. However, he could not handle it all the time, so in the end he had to let his deputy take over.

Sun Lei has already returned to the Liangshan Palace.

"His Majesty!"

Xiao Jiasui, Wen Huanzhang and others had been waiting for a long time.

"I think you guys know about this!"

Sun Lei looked at everyone and said.

"Your Majesty, they seem to be organized and premeditated. Now the drums at the Liangshan government office are beating non-stop!"

Pei Xuan spoke.

"Of course it was organized and premeditated. They were sure I wouldn't dare to kill anyone."

Sun Lei said with a cold face.

"Your Majesty, although they have committed crimes, they are all minor offenses and cannot even be sentenced to a beating."

Pei Xuan said helplessly that there must be an excuse for killing someone. Although these literati were hateful, they did not commit serious crimes after all.

"So they have no other options?"

Sun Lei looked at Pei Xuan.

"Your Majesty, there is no way around this with the law. I can only act according to the law!"

Pei Xuan shook his head helplessly, but his meaning was very clear: the emperor did not have to follow legal procedures if he wanted to kill someone.

"Your Majesty, if you kill them at will, I'm afraid the impact will be even greater."

Xiao Jiasui advised that there must always be a crime for murder. Things have already come to this point, and if the situation escalates further it will only cause more trouble.

"Then set a trap for them and let them in on their own! When those people are released, tell them that I am summoning all of them!"

Sun Lei looked at everyone and said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Everyone bowed their heads and obeyed the order.

In the next few days, the Liangshan City government office was still full of complaints and grievances, and everyone said that the people who were imprisoned were wronged.

It was not until five days later that the imprisoned writers were released.

"His Majesty has ordered that all of you be summoned to the city square!"

A trooper rode up and shouted.

"The Emperor summoned you?"

Those literati were instantly excited, and they believed that their struggle was successful.

All the scholars in Liangshan City gathered near the square in the city. They held Confucian classics, Confucian flags and portraits of Confucius, and looked very proud.

After all the literati arrived, a large number of soldiers surrounded the square and separated the literati from the onlookers.

Just when everyone was in a panic, the sound of drums and music rang out, and the commotion subsided instantly. Everyone knew that the emperor had arrived.

But the expected dragon sedan did not appear, but a whistle sounded, followed by a "thump thump thump" sound.

A strange vehicle with four wheels and white smoke coming out of it came quickly along the road.

"what car is this?"

"How can it run so fast without a horse pulling it?"

"Isn't that His Majesty the Emperor?"

……

The onlookers were all very surprised at the strange car, but they did not find it strange when they saw the emperor on the car. The emperor had brought them so many surprises and shocks that they had become numb.

"Long live!" Amidst cheers, Sun Lei stopped the steam car in the middle of the square.

"It's not much more comfortable than riding a horse, but this thing is really powerful, it must be good at hauling goods!"

Lu Zhishen got off the steam car and sighed, saying that riding in a car was indeed comfortable. After all, riding a horse requires some effort, but riding in a car allows you to sit and even sleep.

"This thing is great, much faster than a horse-drawn carriage!"

Wu Song got out of the car with a smile.

"This is just a test car. Once it's oiled, fitted with rubber tires, and equipped with shock absorbers, it will be a real pleasure!"

Sun Lei also got out of the car with a smile.

"Everyone is here, right? You guys are rebelling against your superiors. Do you know that you have committed a serious crime?"

Sun Lei looked at those literati with no good expression on his face.

Those literati did not expect Sun Lei to appear in this way, nor did they expect Sun Lei to speak so bluntly. They even accused them of rebellion.

The scholars looked eagerly, hoping to find some people, but in the end they found that there was no one they knew, and all who came were warriors.

"Your Majesty, we are only expressing our opinions and have never caused any riots!"

An old Confucian scholar said that Qingyi was a trend that emerged in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. People used clear opinions to express their dissatisfaction with the court and the emperor in order to attract the emperor's attention.

"Then what are you discussing?"

Sun Lei asked again.

"Nowadays, the literary style of the Great Qi is not right, strange and lewd techniques, and petty and despicable things are rampant, and the people of the country are in turmoil. If this continues for a long time, there may be chaos. I hope Your Majesty will correct academic studies and teach the people!"

The Confucian scholars said in unison.

"Strange and lewd techniques? Filthy and despicable? How do you know?"

Sun Lei continued to ask.

"Your Majesty, since ancient times, academics have emphasized orthodoxy. First, cultivate virtue, then study, and then become talented. Nowadays, schools teach all kinds of strange and lewd techniques, bewitching students and delving into crooked ways. A few days ago, they even disrespected their elders and committed crimes in the streets. This is really a corruption of morality. The school should be reformed quickly, strange and lewd techniques should be eliminated, and Confucianism should be taught exclusively!"

A Confucian scholar spoke up.

"Is this what you think?"

Sun Lei looked at the literati and asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty, please think about the people of the world!"

The scholars bowed in unison.

"That's easy. Schools cost money. You can study for free, eat for free, and even live in a house for free. Plus the salary for the teachers and the wages for the craftsmen, it's about 20 million taels a year. You can take out some money first."

Unexpectedly, Sun Lei was not angry. Instead, he smiled and watched those literati ask for money.

"Twenty million taels a year!"

Those scholars gasped. They had never thought that running a school would be so expensive. It was not something that the person and the family could afford.

"What? No money? You're talking so confidently about not having money? Confucianism? I think you're just looking for death!"

Seeing that those people were hesitant and dared not speak, Sun Lei spoke in a cold voice. This time he was murderous, and the fierce murderous aura instantly frightened those literati to tremble.

"Your Majesty, we have never thought of offending you. Confucianism has always respected the imperial power. Every dynasty has governed the world for the sake of the royal family!"

A middle-aged man with extraordinary bearing and wearing a gorgeous robe walked to the front and spoke.

As soon as this person opened his mouth, the literati seemed to have found a backbone and were no longer afraid. They all gathered behind him, and the Confucian flag and the portrait of Confucius were also held behind them.

"who are you?"

Sun Lei looked at the Confucian scholar and asked.

"Your Majesty, I am Kong Duanyou, the 48th direct descendant of Duke Yansheng, and I will inherit the title of Duke Yansheng!"

Kong Ruiyou bowed to Sun Lei and spoke.

"Who was I then? If I opened my mouth, I would be courting death!"

Sun Lei laughed at Kong Ruiyou. He thought this direct descendant of Confucius was capable of something, but now he saw that he was just a fool.