The days when I fished in Daming

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; no matter how displeased Zhu was, the Kong family still received respect from him.

No matter how capable Zheng Xiong was, he still lacked the strength to deal with the Kong family.

Damn it.

"boom"

The sound of the blow hitting the table was very loud.

It wasn't just resentment towards the Confucius family for causing trouble for him, but also anger at the Confucius family's attitude of submitting a petition for eternity.

"You can go now! I need to think about this carefully."

Wang Peng left cautiously.

Zheng Xiong rubbed his head, feeling his loneliness.

Being prescient is not a good thing.

Hu Weiyong and his group dared not approach them themselves, so they could only remain loyal to the end and oppose them.

Now the Kong family is involved too, it's really a headache.

The reason is not hard to guess.

The problem lies with the school they themselves run.

If they continued teaching the Four Books and Five Classics, the Confucius family would never cause them any trouble; on the contrary, they would support and help them.

But there are no "what ifs." The teaching of the Four Books and Five Classics in schools accounts for a small proportion and is almost dispensable.

Early childhood education often focused on the Three Character Classic.

This naturally aroused the hostility of Confucianists.

Like the beginning of primary school, it can be refreshing and not cause too much hostility.

The fundamental solution lies in the numerous primary schools that are now springing up everywhere.

It's the same as unorthodox and unorthodox practices.

It is important to know that the roots of Confucianism lie here, and every Confucian disciple must thoroughly study the Four Books and Five Classics.

Countless students who studied the Four Books and Five Classics contributed to the development of Confucianism and the Confucius family.

Studying the Four Books and Five Classics could lead to becoming an official; for example, the Eight-Legged Essay was based on the Four Books and Five Classics.

If the Four Books and Five Classics are the root of Confucianism, then the Eight-Legged Essay is its branch, a stepping stone to advancement, and a ticket to transcend social classes.

The roots, branches, and countless scholars' profound research, like green leaves, are what make Confucianism what it is today, and the flourishing of the Confucius family.

Zheng Xiong's school was essentially a smuggling operation, which fundamentally harmed the Kong family.

Not teaching the Four Books and Five Classics is like digging up the roots; exams that don't take the Four Books and Five Classics as the main focus are like cutting off one's own branches.

When that vast number of primary school students one day hold high positions, what will become of Confucianism...?

I dare not even think about it, I can't even consider it.

Therefore, even though Zhu Yuanzhang disliked Zheng Xiong, the Kong family still extended a hand to suppress him.

Unfortunately, this trick works on others, but it's completely useless against Zheng Xiong.

Women can hold up half the sky too.

While version t0 is annoying, the older generation of women are admirable.

The woman selected in this exam may have this or that flaw, or perhaps we should just consider her the chosen one.

so what.

Women are emotional beings. In Zheng Xiong's mind, he doesn't expect them to take on great responsibilities, nor does he want them to be decision-makers or judges.

As long as they can handle their daily work, that's enough.

Perhaps a woman's sensitivity can do it better.

They are also able to endure loneliness, and most importantly, they have a gentle personality and don't cause trouble.

They have the constitution of cattle and horses.

Thinking about this, Zheng Xiong suddenly realized that his own personnel choices might also be the reason.

The Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism originated in the Song Dynasty and became a prominent school of thought in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

Zhu Xi even became a saint.

Despite its prominence, the early development of this field was not ideal.

Because of what?
Because he was presenting his ideology to the ruling class.

What did you say?!

Inner sage, outer king.

We must thoroughly understand the principles of Heaven, clarify human relations, speak the sacred words, and comprehend the ways of the world.

When the mind is guided by reason, one can become a sage within oneself.

Why would the ruling class care about such things?

There aren't that many saints in the world.

impossible.

Therefore, he was framed and died.

Why did it later become a prominent field of study?

This system is useless to the ruling class, but very effective for the common people.

Like Buddhism, it involves cultivating for the next life.

I will endure any hardship in this life.

Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism, however, aimed to lull people into complacency, hoping that ordinary people would become sages in their hearts.

How ridiculous.

When ordinary people can't even get enough to eat, how can they have time to become sages? Therefore, Neo-Confucianism was a grand event for the ruling class.

It helped Confucianism serve the ruling class and at the same time strengthened Confucianism.

Confucius, Mencius, Zhu Xi, and Wang Xizhi—when Zhu Xi's status was elevated to that of a sage by Confucianism, he was used to restrain the people with high moral standards.

When Zheng Xiong used his position to liberate women, he naturally became an enemy of the Kong family.

After all, a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent!

Without a doubt, Zheng Xiong's actions had touched a raw nerve with the Kong family.

That's why the Kong family took action.

This time, the move was very effective, almost making Zheng Xiong a laughing stock.

Of course, in some people's eyes, it's no different from a joke.

Having figured all this out, Zheng Xiong was speechless for a moment.

It's so hard to get anything done.

Even the smallest thing can infringe on someone's interests.

The Kong family, haha!
I was completely subservient to Lao Zhu.

Yes, I've softened a bit.

But you.

Modern people have absolutely no respect for you.

Just wait for me.

"My lord, a case has just arrived. They have presented it and hope that you will make a decision."

He took a scroll of ink from the secretary.

Upon opening it, I found two legal documents inside.

Take a closer look.

One of the complaints accused a man of having an affair with his wife. After being discovered, he was beaten and bedridden for months. Unable to swallow his anger, he came to report the crime despite his illness.

The other document described the heinous acts of someone who seized fertile land and forcibly confiscated family property.

After reading the two lawsuits, Zheng Xiong tapped the table with his fingers and muttered to himself.

"Coincidence?"

"still."

With a shifty gaze, Zheng Xiong stared at the names inside.

That was a name called Kong Xi.

One complaint is normal, but two together are unusual.

Especially since they were on the opposite side of the Confucius family, it was even more strange.

"Where is the criminal?"

"We've already sent word; they should be arriving soon."

"Ah."

Seeing that time was running out, Zheng Xiong simply stopped thinking about it.

Revenge should not be delayed overnight, since the enemy has already fallen into our hands.

You can only blame your bad luck.

Tell them that I will be there shortly and that I will handle this case personally.

"Yes, my lord, I will go and tell them right away."

Zheng Xiong touched his short, fluffy hair, put on his official hat, straightened his clothes, picked up the petition, and headed towards the clerk's office.

When Zheng Xiong arrived, the Qin official had been waiting for a long time and invited him to take the seat of honor.

Zheng Xiong sat down, Qin Dianli walked to a small table on the left, and Secretary Li Xianglan sat down at a small table on the right.

Constables stood on both sides, holding batons.

In the middle of the field, on the left, there are two people, one of whom is pale and trembling.

One of them was somewhat well-off, but his face was full of worry.

On the right stood a person with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant.

"Ascension to the Hall."

Who is the plaintiff, and who is the defendant?

“The younger one, and the younger one, are the plaintiffs.”

"I am the defendant."

"The plaintiff has filed a complaint; let me reiterate it."

. . .

"Defendant, do you have anything to say?"

"My name is Kong Xi, and my uncle is Kong Xixue. Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. Someone from the Kong family will be here to plead our case."

Kong Xixue!

Zheng Xiong grinned.

"No need to wait any longer. I only have one question: are what these two said true?"

Seeing Zheng Xiong's serious question, Kong Xi abandoned his arrogant attitude and remained silent.

"If you remain silent, I will take that as your consent." (End of Chapter)