I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 441: Duke Yansheng, you must do your duty!

"Duke Yansheng, please finish reading."

Zhu Yijun's voice came over, and Kong Shangxian, sweating profusely, forced himself to finish reading the impeachment memorial. After reading the latter part, Kong Shangxian felt hatred and fear in his heart.

These things have nothing to do with me!

I am in the capital. What happened in Qufu, Yanzhou and Shandong has nothing to do with me!

It was all done by those bastards in the second house. It has nothing to do with me.

But then I thought, these bastards are all using the name of the Yanshenggong Mansion to bully the people and do evil. Since I am the Yanshenggong, don't I represent the Yanshenggong Mansion?
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince may not be able to depose Duke Yansheng, but killing himself is a trivial matter.

What the Confucian scholars in the world need is the Duke of Yansheng. As for whether the Duke of Yansheng is Kong Shangxian or someone else, they don’t care.

After reading it, Kong Shangxian quickly took off his official hat, put it aside, and leaned on the ground: "Your Highness, I, Kong Shangxian, failed to discipline and was negligent. I deserve death. Please punish me, Your Highness."

Zhu Yijun stared at Kong Shangxian's back in silence for a while.

He had long wanted to take over the Yanshenggong Mansion.

The Duke of Yansheng's Mansion is the first family in Shandong, and also the biggest cancer. Just like the various vassal clans scattered all over the country, they themselves are immoral, bully the people, and then there are a bunch of flies and bugs surrounding them, flying their banners, wreaking havoc in the local area.

How to move?
Zhu Yijun has been weighing the pros and cons.

"Kong Shangxian, Kong Shangxian, you have inherited the title of Duke of Yansheng for ten years. Don't you know anything about the dirty things that happened in the Duke of Yansheng's mansion?"

Kong Shangxian quickly replied: "I have heard about it. But I go back to my hometown once a year, and I am in a hurry to go there and come back, so I don't have time to check many things in detail."

"Last year, I called on all civil and military officials to criticize and self-criticize. Why don't you dare to criticize the Yanshenggong Mansion?

If you think there is a problem and you can't clean it up yourself, you can submit a petition to ask the court to clean it up. Now, you have run into the knife edge of Hai Gong, and with a piece of impeachment, how can you give an explanation to the court and the people, and to the world?"

Kong Shangxian was speechless for a moment.

Yes, if I had written a memorial last year, asking the Censorate or Shandong to investigate the Duke of Yansheng Mansion, I could have cleared myself. But now, Hai Rui's memorial has wiped out the Duke of Yansheng Mansion, and as Duke of Yansheng, I cannot escape the blame.

This is Hai Rui, the famous judge, submitting a memorial!
You are on the list, do you want to get off easily?

Kong Shangxian felt hatred and regret. He regretted that he should not have done that in the first place. He was concerned that family disgrace should not be made public, so he hid it and covered it up tightly. However, the tighter he covered it up, the stinkier it became. When it finally exploded, it splashed all over him, and it stunk terribly and he couldn't wash it off!

After regretting, Kong Shangxian suddenly realized that criticism and self-criticism are important!

Criticize others, criticize yourself?
Stop criticizing others and criticize yourself. Be brave enough to point out your own mistakes, which is similar to writing a letter of apology. Once the book is published, it seems that you can distance yourself from the matter and take the initiative in dealing with problems later.

I never thought that the self-criticism mentioned by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would be so useful.

I really regret it!

Why did I treat His Royal Highness's words as the arrogant talk of a young man? Now it seems that I am the one who is arrogant and ignorant!
Kong Shangxian immediately said: "I regret that I did not listen to your highness's good advice and did not dare to expose the dirty things hidden in the Yanshenggong Mansion, which led to a big mistake and brought disaster to countless people.

"My heart is broken, my body is burning, I beg Your Highness to punish me! I would rather die than regret it, I beg Your Highness to send a competent official to thoroughly investigate the files, clean up the filth, restore the innocence of the Confucius Mansion, and preserve the dignity of the saint."

This is a smart man.

Zhu Yijun nodded, "The innocence of the Confucius family and the dignity of the saint need to be redeemed with human heads and washed with blood."

Kong Shangxian kept swallowing his saliva, wishing he could lie on the ground.

"Qi Yan," Zhu Yijun called out.

"The slave is here!"

"Help up Duke Yansheng."

"Yes!"

With Qi Yan's support, Kong Shangxian stood up shakily, as if he had just struggled back from exhaustion.

When Qi Yan helped him sit down on the chair, Zhu Yijun said leisurely: "The Ming Dynasty cannot be without Confucius, so it cannot be without Duke Yansheng either."

Kong Shangxian was about to cry.

My Prince!
Zhu Yijun looked at Kong Shangxian with tears in his eyes and continued to think in his mind.

Confucius has become the totem of Chinese civilization. To completely abandon him is to dig up the roots of one's own civilization. Yanshenggong is the representative of this totem. It is just a symbol. Kong Shangxian can be this symbol, and Kong Shangmou can also be this symbol.

But at the moment, Kong Shangxian, who has been staying in the capital, is cleaner and more presentable.

"As the Duke of Yansheng, you are responsible for not being strict in discipline and neglecting the matter in Shandong." Kong Shangxian said immediately, "I will write a letter of apology immediately, stating my faults, bravely criticize myself, analyze my shortcomings, and bravely criticize the people in the Duke of Yansheng's mansion."

"Well," Zhu Yijun nodded, "submit it as soon as possible. Also, as the Duke of Yansheng, you should think about the country and the people, worry about the country and the people, and express more opinions on weekdays.

For example, land surveying, rectification of official administration, and the New Learning Movement, Duke Yansheng, you must be brave enough to express your own opinions. "

Kong Shangxian was stunned for a moment.

Your Highness, I am actually opposed to these new policies, as well as the new academic movement advocated by Li Zhi and others. If I had the courage to express my own opinions, I would be asking for trouble!
Looking at Zhu Yijun's sparkling eyes, Kong Shangxian seemed to hear the sound of bronze chimes in his mind.

Got it!

Be brave to express your own opinions.

What does it mean to express your own opinions?
You have to listen to the whole sentence and ask yourself what your point of view is.
The view that is consistent with the above is the view of Duke Yansheng. Otherwise, it is your own view, Kong Shangxian.

It can be further inferred that Kong Shangxian may or may not be the Yansheng Duke.

The enlightened Kong Shangxian quickly replied: "I will definitely abide by my duties as the Duke of Yansheng, be brave enough to express my views, and contribute to the revival of the Ming Dynasty."

"When you go back, talk more with Cai Maochun, the Junior Official of the Imperial Academy of Rites. I heard that he was once your teacher."

Kong Shangxian was more clear in his mind, "Yes, Your Highness, when I was studying at the Imperial College, I was taught by Cai Shaoqing."

"Well, Lord Kong, learning without thinking is useless. When you go back, study hard and fulfill your duties as Duke Yansheng. Don't have too many mental burdens. Wang Yi'e will take care of the affairs of Duke Yansheng's mansion in Shandong, and he will definitely enforce the law impartially."

"I will definitely remember your Highness's teachings."

"Qi Yan, please see Lord Kong off for me."

"Yes."

Looking at Kong Shangxian's back, Zhu Yijun put his hands into his sleeves again and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Originally, I was thinking of taking this opportunity to let Kong Shangxian endorse the new school of thought as the Duke of Yansheng. The words of the descendants of Confucius should have a certain weight in the hearts of Confucian scholars all over the world.

As for whether you are willing or not, the handle is in your own hands, and you dare not disobey.

However, after communicating with Li Zhi and Cai Maochun, Zhu Yijun soon became disappointed. The influence of Duke Yansheng among Confucian scholars in the world was just so-so.

He is a respected person, and the Yanshenggong Mansion has absolute power in Shandong. In fact, it is just that the Confucian scholars in the world need such a signboard. The local Shandong family needs such a shield.

What Duke Yansheng said was not as influential as any famous scholar.

Haha, these Confucian scholars have always been accustomed to double standards.

It doesn't matter. As long as I have enough power and learn new academic thoughts in the future, I can become an official and enter the cabinet as a high-ranking official. It won't be long before there are great scholars who will debate for me.

"Your Highness," Li Chun came hurriedly holding an urgent report, "The Supervisory Office has just received an urgent report from the Nanhai Xuanwei Envoy. On June 11 and 15, the Ming navy and land forces conquered Thang Long City, destroyed the Mo clan of Annan, and reclaimed the old territory of Jiaozhi Provincial Administration!"

"Have you taken Thang Long City? Very well, we will destroy Mo in March. All the troops of the South China Sea have fulfilled my military order. Draft an imperial edict to commend the officers and soldiers of the army. In addition, we will pursue the victory."

Zhu Yijun paused, "It is the rainy season in Annan now."

Li Chun replied: "Your Highness, several reports from Fengtang say that it is the rainy season in Annan and Guangdong, and General Liu's campaign to suppress the chieftains of Anlong and Shanglin has been temporarily suspended.

I heard that the rain in Annan is heavier than in Guangxi."

"It's not easy. It's not easy for them. Send out an order, telling all the troops to rest where they are, to pacify the old areas first, and for each unit to take turns to go back to Qiongzhou, Guangzhou, and Xiangjiang for a vacation."

"Follow the order."

Li Chun responded and said, "Your Highness, there is another urgent report. On the second day of June, the Suzaku Navy was waiting in Cebu Harbor and annihilated the Spanish fleet coming east, sinking two ships and capturing five.

Attached is a memorial submitted by the Minister of War Hu Zongxian, requesting the construction of cities and expansion of ports in the three islands of Sulu, Cebu, Brunei, and Luzon as a base for the consolation of the South China Sea.

"Leave Ruzhengong's memorial here until I have read it."

"Yes."

Zhu Yijun walked to the door and took a deep breath. "Now that the external threats have been eliminated one by one, I can finally focus on domestic affairs without having to be so cautious and tread on thin ice as before."

Li Chun bent down slightly and lowered her head as she replied, "Your Highness is wise, but I heard that things are not going well in the cabinet."

Zhu Yijun turned his head and glanced at him, then smiled: "Don't you want to be quiet? They are all people with horns on their heads, crowded together, how can they be quiet?"

(End of this chapter)