Yongle Emperor's grandson: Zhu Yuanzhang with cheats, Zhu Di went crazy

Chapter 187 The Downfall of a Millennium Family

"Little guy, take a look at our Forbidden City."

Two distinguished figures arrived in the Forbidden City, which was still under construction.

One is the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the other is the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

Listening to the clanging sounds of construction and smelling the pungent odor, Zhu Zhanjun took out a mask from his arms and put it on his face.

"good."

The old man, who was waiting for his grandson to flatter him, turned his head back in dissatisfaction.

"What do you mean it's OK? There's more." Pointing at the mask on Zhu Zhanjun's face, he said, "Why do you wear a bellyband when you have nothing to do?"

Zhu Zhanjun's face darkened and he corrected, "This is called a mask, not a bellyband."

The old man snorted: "I don't care whether you have a mask or a bellyband, I just want to ask you what is okay."

"It's OK, so it's OK." Zhu Zhanjun said casually, "Also, I won't live here in the future. I'll feel more comfortable living in Jinling."

The old man was even more dissatisfied: "It seems that you, little brat, are dissatisfied with our relocation of the capital. Did your father give you some kind of magic potion again?"

In the old man's opinion, Zhu Zhanjun's words were a protest against the relocation of the capital.

Zhu Zhanjun waved his hands quickly, "Don't let me have any ideas. I don't have any ideas about your relocation of the capital. I don't want to live here. The main reason is that I want to live a few more years."

The old man was even more confused. What did not wanting to live in the Forbidden City have to do with living a few more years? Could it be that someone else wanted to harm this kid?

Without waiting for the old man to ask, Zhu Zhanjun pointed around and said, "Look at how much cinnabar and pigment are used in this newly built house. These things look beautiful, but the gas they emit is poisonous."

"It's okay for a day or two, but if it lasts for a long time, it will be fatal."

The old man's face turned cold instantly: "You mean someone is tampering with this."

Zhu Zhanjun felt so tired.

Talking about formaldehyde issues with people who don't understand it is like talking to a wall.

"No one has done anything, and there is nothing wrong with the materials. What can I say?"

Zhu Zhanjun thought for a moment and explained, "It's just like drinking water. Ordinary water is comfortable to drink, but if you drink too much, you will die of bloating."

"The same is true of these paints. They are not problematic in themselves, but the odor they emit, when mixed with other substances, can contain trace amounts of toxins."

"This kind of toxin is unavoidable when building a house and applying paint. The best way is to leave it there for a few years to ventilate after it is built, and then it will be the best time for people to live in it."

Zhu Zhanjun's explanation made the old man's expression much more relaxed, and he roughly understood the meaning.

"How many years?"

The old man was a little hesitant about this proposal.

According to estimates, it will take at least six or seven years to complete the construction of the Forbidden City.

He is so old now, and he will be 70 in another six or seven years. If he waits a few more years, he won't need to live in this palace anymore, and it will be easier to just go into the tomb.

What a shame! The house he built with great effort was never lived in for a single day, but ended up being given to his fat son. The old man couldn't accept this no matter how he thought about it.

"Humph, what's there to be afraid of if it's poisonous? From now on, I'll learn from you and wear a bellyband every day. Then everything will be fine."

Zhu Zhanjun looked at the old man speechlessly. He could only say that as long as the old man was happy, that was good enough.

Accompanied by the eunuch guards, the two of them strolled through the renovated Forbidden City and came to the Imperial Garden area. Looking at some simply decorated beautiful scenery, the old man whispered:

"I have also read the charges against the Kong family sent by Hai Rui, and decided to revoke the title of Duke Yansheng and demote him to the position of Confucius Sacred Sacrifice Officer, accusing him of not being strict with his subordinates and the Kong family of losing the dignity of a saint."

"Kong Kexu and his people colluded with the Japanese pirates and harmed the people of the Ming Dynasty. This is an unforgivable crime. All their achievements will be revoked and they will be sentenced to beheading. The rest of their family members will be dealt with according to the law."

"To sum up, eighteen of them will be beheaded, and the rest will be divided into two groups."

"Some were exiled to Nurgan Dusi, and others were sent to work in the mines in Nufu."

Zhu Zhanjun agreed with this result.

As a result of the old man's judgment, almost no one was left in the Kong family of Qufu, except Kong Yanjin, who was stripped of his title, and a few people who truly studied academic subjects.

This was almost a fatal blow to the Kong family. It would take at least a hundred years for them to recover, and there was even a high possibility that they would be as devastated as the Nan Kong family.

"Grandpa, didn't you discuss this with them?"

He just arrived yesterday, and the old man made the decision today. It was obvious that he made the decision himself.

The old man snorted coldly: "The evidence is irrefutable. What is there to discuss? Even if they are dissatisfied, they can only write a few memorials at most. How dare they rebel?"

"But you did a great job this time, which is completely in line with your status."

"I originally thought that you were planning to kill them directly by transferring the Shenwei Battalion's reserve troops there."

Zhu Zhanjun looked at the old man with a smile: "Didn't you personally go over there and remind me not to be reckless?"

The old man was stunned for a moment and looked at Zhu Zhanjun in surprise.

"You really want to do something dirty and kill him directly."

Zhu Zhanjun smiled and said, "I am not sending troops there just for show. I originally planned to set up a cover there after we reach the shore, and then send the troops out to start the action overnight."

"In the end, you left. I thought you were reminding me not to be impulsive."

The old man twitched his lips and said sternly, "You little brat, you need to understand one thing. You are the grandson of the Ming Dynasty and the future crown prince. You are not a street thug who kills people and wants to kill their whole family at any time."

"Since you have chosen to sit in this position, you must follow the rules of this position."

"Grandpa is not saying this to stop you from using it, but you need to know clearly what methods to use when facing different people."

"For a family as influential as the Kong family, there are countless eyes watching."

"If you use despicable means, even if you can hide it for a short time, you will be found out later."

"You are not the emperor yet. You are just a grandson of the emperor, not even a prince."

"Believe it or not, once this is discovered, those Confucian disciples will definitely fight to the death to bring you down."

"Don't doubt the courage of these guys. They may be timid when facing foreign enemies, but when facing their own monarch, especially a monarch like you who is the crown prince, they will use all means to make a name for themselves."

Looking at the old man who was giving a serious and earnest instruction, Zhu Zhanjun smiled.

With Lao Zhu, Zhang Baigui, Xia Yuanji and others helping him, how could Zhu Zhanjun sacrifice his unlimited future for the Kong family?

The Kong family is really not worthy.

The Kong family is a pile of stinky dog ​​shit. Not only can you not get any benefits, but you will also get stinky if you mess around. If it weren't for the old guy Kong Kexu who had nothing to do and offended him, Zhu Zhanjun would not bother to care about the Kong family.

The old man who was teaching with a stern face was annoyed when he saw Zhu Zhanjun could actually laugh, but then he suddenly realized that he was being laughed at by this brat.

Raise your hand.

"Boom!"

"oops!"

Zhu Zhanjun covered his forehead with his hands, and the old man walked away angrily with his hands behind his back.

Looking at the angry old man, Zhu Zhanjun showed a happy smile on his face.

The old man didn't allow him to be reckless, but he ended up dealing with the Kong family directly without consulting any of the court officials.

The reasons may be the old man's dissatisfaction with the Kong family and the charges, but perhaps the most important reason is to vent his anger for his grandson.

"Your grandfather took care of everything."

Zhu Biao's voice rang in his ears.

Zhu Zhanjun nodded and replied in his heart: "I know."

"Hai Rui might be in trouble next. Go back and comfort him. Don't let him get carried away."

Zhu Zhanjun nodded again: "It's okay, he can definitely handle the pressure, this little scene can't scare him."

The old man's actions were indeed swift and decisive.

In less than three days, the Kong family's case was completely settled.

In addition to the charges that Zhu Zhanjun brought, the old man also asked the Jinyiwei to investigate.

My goodness, the charges are simply too numerous to list, from selling out state intelligence to bullying the people and seizing their land.

There are thousands of members in the Kong family in Qufu, and except for a few exceptions or children who cannot walk, almost all of them have done something illegal.

Among them, there was even a seven or eight-year-old child from the Kong family who, in order to verify whether a man could outrun a dog, let the dog bite a civilian to death.

It really proves the saying that there is no innocent person in an avalanche.

When this case was made public, it caused an uproar.

Many scholars and literati remained skeptical about this, but the evidence of guilt, as well as the time, place, witnesses and physical evidence, made it almost impossible for them to refute it.

Under the propaganda of the Jinyiwei, the people also talked about this matter.

The vast majority of people applauded, only a few wondered how the Kong family, as descendants of the most holy teacher, could do such a heartless thing.

In addition to the sensation caused by the case, Hai Rui, the Shandong patrol officer who discovered the case and took over the entire case, also became famous throughout the world.

The people applauded these officials who dared to challenge authority and speak out for the people, and everyone called Hai Rui "Hai Qingtian".

Even the people in Shandong who had been persecuted by the Kong family enshrined Hai Rui's tablet in their homes to show their respect.

There are those who respect it, and naturally there are also those who are dissatisfied with it.

Countless writers criticized Hai Rui in their official newspapers, accusing him of crimes such as not following the teachings of the ancient sages and being unworthy of being a Confucian disciple.

Some people even said that if Hai Rui was not dismissed from office and exiled, it would be a disgrace to the entire Confucian school.

Zhu Zhanjun heard that several great Confucian scholars in the court had already begun collecting evidence of Hai Rui's crimes and were preparing to submit a letter of impeachment.

From the beginning to the end, there was not a single word or sentence that recorded Zhu Zhanjun.

It seemed as if the downfall of the Kong family had nothing to do with Zhu Zhanjun.

Even Kong Yanjin, who was driven back to Qufu and could only preside over the sacrifices to the Great Sage, did not mention this matter to those who came to express their condolences or to watch in person.

Later, they became even more annoyed and announced directly to the public that the Kong family was unworthy of the great sage and teacher, and from today on, they would close their house to study and not accept any visitors except the emperor's decree.

The old man's thunderous attack on the Kong family caused those guys who were originally preparing to attack the high-yield crops to instantly withdraw their hands.

They are not stupid.

Some time ago, the Kong family submitted an impeachment memorial, directly targeting the Veteran Chamber of Commerce that owned high-yield grain.

Later, the emperor took action to stop this behavior.

Everyone thought that the matter was over, but it didn't take long for the Kong family to be finished.

It is obvious that the Kong family touched something they shouldn't have touched, which angered the current emperor and made him settle old and new accounts with them.

What should not be touched? Obviously, the high-yield grains that would allow Ming to develop.

For the sake of food, the emperor even dared to attack the Kong family. This shows how important these high yields are in the mind of His Majesty.

If you dare to act recklessly at this time, the Kong family will be the best lesson for you.

"Cough cough cough..."

In the ancestral temple of the Kong family, Kong Yanjin knelt on a cushion, looking at the rows of tablets, covering his mouth and coughing heavily.

The Kong family, which was once lively and majestic, no longer had its former glory.

The entire Confucius Mansion, except for him and a few old gentlemen who were studying, was taken away by the imperial court.

Those who were beheaded were beheaded, those who were exiled were exiled, and those who were enslaved were enslaved.

In addition to being stripped of their titles and their guards, the Kong family now has less than 20 people, including servants who sweep the floor.

After a coughing fit, Kong Yanjin felt his palms were slightly hot. He looked down and saw a glaring red color.

He knew his time was running out.

"The ancestors of all generations are above, and the descendants Kong Yanjin pay homage here."

Wiping his hands silently, Kong Yanjin knelt down in front of the tablet, recounted the situation of the Kong family, and made a deep confession.

It was not until dark that I left the house and merged into the desolate courtyard that was once brightly lit but now had only a few lights.

Half a month later, Zhu Zhanjun, who was hunting in the jungle with his old man, received a message.

"The former Duke of Yansheng, Kong Yanjin, the sacrificial officer of Confucius, died of illness at home at the age of 12."

(End of this chapter)