Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 354 Kong Shangxian’s “paranoia”?
The Kong family is a microcosm.

In Jiangnan, Wang Dewan could finally let go. The imperial examination, the school registration supervision, and the local official examination in the ninth year of Taichang were his means of control.

After investigating a case, they will eventually get to the bottom of one issue: they are still evading taxes as much as possible.

No matter how strictly preferential treatment is implemented, it is impossible to be thorough. There will always be "reciprocity" between local officials and local big families. Moreover, many local big families now have people serving as village heads, and there is another layer of protection among officials.

The imperial court allowed local governments to retain more funds for public use, and everyone tacitly did a good job of "financial reporting".

Judging from the accounts alone, the tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty has certainly improved greatly compared to nine years ago, but it has also gradually reached a new "stable period".

At this time, the court won a great victory, and the bravery of the border troops, the Beijing Camp, the Yongwei Camp and the Tianshu Camp spread throughout the provinces. The court began a major investigation in the name of selecting new border officials and the already obvious reform of local government offices. People of insight knew that the real focus was on preferential treatment and taxation.

The most terrifying problem is the tens of millions of people in the Ming Dynasty who are outside the Yellow Book.

Moving people to the border may be the opportunity given by the imperial court.

There is still so much land in their hands. As the number of people in the clan decreases, the taxable land becomes more. Migrants need to buy land and property in the place where they are registered first. For those big clans who feel a huge crisis, the best way is probably to sell some land in the local area first, and then use the money to buy land in the new border.

There is a five-year tax exemption over there, but here we have to face possibly more stringent supervision and inspection on the implementation of preferential tax exemption. This is not a math problem, but a political problem.

"According to what he said, the imperial court will not allow him to survive!"

In front of his "father", Kong Yinzhi no longer pretended to be so gentle and refined: "If you have to register to buy it, who would be willing to settle there? There are even fewer people in the clan, and after deducting the exemptions, the taxes to pay will be even higher. How can I sell the land? Wouldn't that be a waste of money?"

"This is the way to survive!" Kong Shangxian looked at him with dismay, "I'm sixty-six! I asked you to go and listen, but this is all you know how to say when you come back?"

"...Why does the imperial court treat our Yanshenggong Mansion so harshly?"

"You are confused!" Kong Shangxian clenched his fists tightly. "Do you think that Your Majesty is only targeting the Yanshenggong Mansion? Your Majesty wants all officials and gentry in the world to obey His Majesty's will! How difficult it is to relocate people to the border. Who would be willing to go if they were not desperate? How much money is needed to make the new border as stable as Mount Tai? Your Majesty wants to be a benevolent monarch who loves the people, where does the money come from? Can you plunder the common people?"

"…Isn't Your Majesty afraid of the people's resentment?"

"What are you afraid of? Is it the Beijing army or the border troops?" Kong Shangxian slapped the table, "We are the ones who are afraid! What's more, the grace of heaven is so great that the new border troops are exempted from taxes for five years! You definitely can't think about these things. When you go to the Imperial College, just listen more and talk less!"

Kong Yinzhi came here from Shandong to study.

After listening to Qin Yongtai's statement, Kong Shangxian said, "Shu Boqing did tell you something after all. Some rules have not yet been announced to the world. But I have stayed in the capital for so many years. My guess was correct. Take my letter back to Shandong and ask them to choose the right people. Sell some of the inferior land, and the same goes for the hired workers in the clan. Basically, do it this way, settle the accounts, and you will make a profit if you don't lose money!"

"……Yes."

"Also, make sure Hongfu and Zhenjiao resign first. I will make it clear in the letter." Kong Shangxian added, "You must do this first! If the Kong family still can't do it after doing this, I can only hang myself in the Confucius Temple!"

"Master!" Qin Yongtai was shocked, "Why is it so?"

Kong Yinzhi looked even more pale.

"Why is it so?" Kong Shangxian laughed bitterly, "During the Jiajing period, there was a great debate on rituals, and the discussion ended up with the Confucius sacrifice ceremony. Later, the Great Sage Teacher Wenxuan King became the Great Sage Teacher, the rituals for worshipping Confucius were greatly changed, and the statues of ancestors in Confucian temples in various places were changed to god tablets! The magistrate of Qufu was changed from a hereditary position to an examination in the 45th year of Jiajing, and I even submitted a petition to request the abolition of the hereditary magistrate position. Although it was changed back by the emperor in the first year of Wanli, do you think the Yanshenggong Mansion is really untouchable?"

Kong Shangxian spent his entire life in the context of the great changes that the Confucius Mansion was undergoing. After he was born, every time the clan elders offered sacrifices to their ancestors, they would cry in front of the tablet of King Wenxuan, the Great Sage Teacher, and express their dissatisfaction with the downgrading of the sacrifices and the removal of statues of Confucius from Confucian temples in various places except the Confucius Temple in Beijing.

From this he learned that Zhang Cong was the Kong family's archenemy.

The magistrate of Qufu had always been a hereditary position of the Kong family. When Gao Gong was in the cabinet, Zhao Kehuai petitioned that the hereditary magistrate of Qufu should only be paid a salary to prevent the people from "suffering deep resentment and suffering from disasters." How harsh was his statement!

At that time, Kong Shangxian had already inherited the title of Duke Yansheng, and he hurriedly requested the magistrate of Qufu to resign, which resulted in the court not investigating the matter further.

The court officials at that time, including those during the Wanli period, still cared about the reputation of the Kong family.

But the emperor on the throne now is different from any previous emperor.

That Shu Baiqing, after meeting Qin Yongtai, said something like "his name is well-known". What was he implying?
Kong Shangxian was afraid, so he told Kong Hongfu, the current governor of Jeju, and Kong Zhenjiao, the magistrate of Qufu, to resign first.

This was not the end. He continued to instruct: "Ask the elders... to change the deity in the family temple..."

Qin Yongtai was in a dilemma: "Sir... I'm afraid it's difficult..."

"We can just find another place to worship!" Kong Shangxian's forehead was visibly veined. "I know it's hard to do. I've been in Beijing all year round and I go to every court meeting. Tell them, I don't know how many times I've been stared at by His Majesty! The only way for the Kong family to survive is to never give the court any blame! We still use the Mongol-Yuan canonized king title. If someone reports it, it would be a crime of treason!"

Kong Yinzhi clearly felt his father's fear.

Although this father is not his biological father, he is his father now, and he is the one who will pass the title of Duke Yansheng to him.

He wondered if his father was exaggerating.

But Kong Shangxian is smooth and experienced. Isn't it because he always sets an example that he has been able to get through these nine years smoothly?
In the past, the emperor reminded him to set an example, but now he takes the initiative to set an example.

There's nothing he can do. Every time that guy looks at him, he looks like a fat pig - at least that's what Kong Shangxian thinks.

After repeatedly instructing Qin Yongtai and handing him the letter, Kong Shangxian continued to teach his son.

"Your father was already famous in his early years. He said that you should study Confucianism with the Mingming Dao as the main principle, but it is not good to change to other studies." He looked at his son earnestly, "You must remember that the lineage of Duke Yansheng can survive in the world and continue to be honored and blessed. In addition to the legacy of our ancestors, it is more important to know the times and follow the trend! The trend now is the new school! When you go to the Imperial College, you must find a way to be admitted to the Hundred Schools Garden. You are still young, and it is most appropriate for you to obey your majesty's theory of investigating things to gain knowledge, and from here to regain the support of the scholars, do you understand?"

Kong Yinzhi didn't understand.

"…Take your time. Remember, listen more and talk less!"

It has to be said that Kong Shangxian does not suffer from "paranoia".

Although he was always terrified staying in the capital, it was not useless.

His response now is indeed to be extremely humble, with his butt raised high to show his obedience, but he hopes that the emperor will not go too far for the sake of the significance of the Kong family.

But this is the bottom line. As he said, if the emperor must wage war against the Kong family, then what else can Kong Shangxian do besides hanging himself in the Confucius Temple when he is powerless to resist?

Aren’t you afraid of the shock among scholars?
(End of this chapter)