Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 356 Since we don’t follow our ancestral teachings, then let’s not follow our ancestral teachings!
The Ming Dynasty Forbidden City is divided into the front court and the inner court.

The Queen Mother usually does not come to the front court.

Because there was no empress dowager ruling the country from behind the scenes in the Ming Dynasty.

The mature clerical political system means that no matter how young the emperor is, he does not have to handle state affairs personally, and naturally there is no need for the empress dowager to rule behind the scenes.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that all the concubines of the Ming Dynasty were selected from the people and the ancestral precept that "the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics."

But isn't this because the bureaucrats in the outer court have already disobeyed the ancestral rules, refused to accept the emperor's special appointment, and insisted that the emperor appoint ministers through the recommendation of the court?

Therefore, with Zhu Houcong's deliberate connivance, Empress Dowager Zhang did not have to follow the rules when she came to the outer court.

Zhu Houcong was indeed deliberately condoning it.

Because he immediately sent someone to greet the Jinyiwei on duty and let Empress Dowager Zhang go.

So, Empress Dowager Zhang walked out smoothly.

Under the leadership of Luo An, the Jinyiwei guarding the palace gates took the initiative to step aside and knelt down respectfully to pay their respects.

When Empress Dowager Zhang walked towards the front court, Yang Yiqing and others had already arrived in front of Wang Ke and others who were kneeling in front of Zuo Shunmen.

"The special appointment is in accordance with the ancestral precepts, and the imperial recommendation is also derived from the special appointment system. What you are doing is violating the ancestral precepts! Go back immediately!"

As soon as Yang Yiqing arrived, he started to scold Wang Ke and others.

Wang Ke and others replied: "The court recommended the good laws of our ancestors. If Your Majesty does not follow the good laws of our ancestors, it is not our wish to make you like Yao and Shun!"

"Stubborn!"

"How stubborn!"

"How can you interfere with the laws established by our ancestors? If you continue like this, it will be no different from treason and usurpation of power!"

Wang Qiong even directly scolded Wang Ke and others.

Wang Ke and others did not answer.

Because they understood that this was forcing the imperial power, but they had already determined to use death to win the emperor's concessions and to use death to create the fact that the power of scholars and the imperial power were in opposition to each other.

Wang Ao couldn't help but say with a sad heart: "Since you have such strength, why don't you use it to plead for the people? Why force the emperor and the court officials to rule together? Do you have to wait for the Queen Mother to issue an imperial decree to order you to disrupt the ancestral system?!"

"We are pleading for the people!"

"The public opinion of the world is the will of the people. If Your Majesty does not follow the will of the court, then you are not following the will of the people!"

"Even if the Queen Mother issues an imperial decree to accuse us of treason, we will still implore Your Majesty to give up the punishment and follow public opinion!"

Wang Ke and others spoke resolutely.

Wang Ao couldn't help but close his eyes after hearing this.

Yang Yiqing's expression also turned gloomy.

Wang Qiong laughed and said, "Public opinion is the will of the people. I think public opinion is the will of scholars."

"That's right, you are forcing His Majesty to be a tyrant! If His Majesty really has to follow the will of the people, can you bear it?!"

Zhang Cong echoed and then asked in a cold voice.

Wang Ke and others did not answer.

At this time.

Wang Ao looked at Yang Yiqing and whispered, "They are determined to die!"

"The key is as Zhang Fujing said, Your Majesty is not a weak and gullible monarch, and it is inferior to risk one's life to fight to the end. If this continues, we will have to take the initiative to destroy them! Our dynasty is not the Li Tang, Zhao Song, and the scholars did not participate in the resistance against the tyrannical Yuan Dynasty, but created the world together; and the power that was not earned with swords and guns cannot be fought for with one's life, unless one really fights with swords and guns again. But if one does so, he will really become a bandit!"

Yang Yiqing said in a deep voice. Wang Ao nodded, then looked at Wang Ke and others: "So, why are you doing this? How can someone who despises his own life love the lives of others?"

"It is precisely because the emperor is not a weak and gullible ruler, nor is he a foolish and unkind ruler, that we should fight to the death for him!"

Wang Ke and others said.

"I understand. You know that the emperor is kind to his people, but you dare to deceive him! Good people are often deceived by others, and good emperors are often deceived by their subjects. You are indeed treacherous and despicable, and you have even destroyed the foundation of the world's etiquette and laws!"

Zhang Cong sneered.

Wang Ke and others still did not answer.

Because of what Zhang Cong said.

They really are still playing the game of good guys deserve to have guns pointed at them.

Therefore, they are not stupid, but too smart. It is precisely because they know that the current emperor is not an extreme egoist who regards the world as his own, that they dare to force him to death.

For them, if the emperor killed them, it would just push him step by step into a situation where he would no longer be kind but become more violent.

This seems contradictory.

They clearly say that they want their ruler to be like Yao and Shun and hope that the ruler will be benevolent.

But in fact there is no contradiction. After all, as someone said, the four words "benevolence, righteousness, and morality" have become their tools for "eating people" rather than "doing good". They just hope that others can be tamed by "benevolence, righteousness, and morality" to become honest and kind people, and then be eaten by them.

Therefore, they hold high the banner of benevolence, righteousness, and morality, saying that they hope the emperor will be a benevolent monarch, but in fact they hope that the emperor will pretend to be benevolent and righteous, and follow them in acting out the drama of false benevolence and righteousness, while doing the real thing of oppressing the people.

If the emperor is unwilling to act, then for them, it would be better for the emperor to be a tyrant and incompetent ruler, so that they can follow suit and become even more corrupt and evil officials with justification.

Therefore, they are no longer afraid that the emperor will be forced to become a tyrant.

Of course, they also hoped that the emperor would compromise and then perform a hypocritical show of benevolence and righteousness with them.

But no matter what the result is, it is a win for those who want to "eat people"!

The only difference is the difference between a big win and a small win.

Zhang Cong could not help but put his hands on his hips and breathe heavily. He was eager to reform the world's ills, and he couldn't stand these seemingly loyal but treacherous people forcing the emperor to take an unkind and unjust path!

Just when Zhang Cong was getting restless, Empress Dowager Zhang had already walked out from Zuo Shunmen, her face still looking cold.

Zhang Cong's eyes widened immediately, but then he was filled with ecstasy.

Yang Yiqing and Wang Ao looked at each other in surprise.

Wang Qiong was also stunned for a while, and then he laughed secretly, thinking that His Majesty is worthy of being His Majesty, he will find the weakest point of the hypocrites and attack them!
Yang Yiqing and Wang Ao hurried over, knelt down and asked, "How can the Queen Mother come to the front court?"

"You ask me how I can come to the previous dynasty. I want to ask you why you want to rebel against your ancestors and refuse to recognize the emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the laws of the world!"

"Since no one follows the ancestral rules, then no one will follow the ancestral rules!"

As Empress Dowager Zhang spoke, she strode up to Wang Ke and the others, then turned around and knelt outside Zuo Shun Gate.

When Wang Ke and others saw the empress dowager with disheveled hair kneeling in front of them, their eyes widened immediately, and then their eyes were like blazing fire, and they stared at Empress Dowager Zhang hatefully.

Empress Dowager Zhang held up the imperial edict that the Imperial Household Department had prepared for her and shouted:
"emperor!"

"I only know that the late emperor's will was for you to follow the laws of your ancestors and inherit the throne. He handed over the country and land of our ancestors to you, not to any minister, let alone to me!"

"Our ancestors only said that those who disobey the emperor's orders should be killed, but they did not say that we should follow the court's recommendation or public opinion. So I am now issuing an imperial decree to you, asking you to kill the disobedient minister!"

"And if you insist on indulging these treacherous ministers and villains in violating the laws of our ancestors, instead of killing them to protect our ancestors' country, then burn my imperial edict, and then issue an order to kill me first! And then hand over our ancestors' country to those treacherous ministers and villains who do not recognize our ancestors and the laws of propriety!"

(End of this chapter)