The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 729: The Prosperous Era

Wangjiazhuang was quiet and contemplative. Apart from humans and animals, all other trees and grasses were growing wildly. Branches of willows, elderberries, and mountain pear trees stretched out from the courtyards everywhere, messy and full of power.

One mile away from the village, a small river meanders by. On the other side of the river is a hillside covered with dense forests. That is the territory of Yanshenggong Kong Youren and is part of the Confucius Forest.

There is a nine-story tower on the top of the slope, which is the famous Wenbi Tower in the local area. A little further away is a villa of Yanshenggong.

According to the decree formulated by Master Kong Youren, all the people in Qufu were obliged to perform labor for the Kong family, such as repairing canals, chopping wood, and boiling salt.

Since the imperial court had abandoned the military forts and workshops, as a local wise man and a descendant of Confucius, he had the responsibility to educate the ignorant people.

The people cannot be left idle, otherwise trouble will easily arise.

The days of eating from the same pot in the tunpu are gone forever. Everyone has to work for the Yansheng Duke in exchange for the salt and food they need - at least this is the case in Qufu.

At this time, the bell on the Wenbi Tower rang. This was the Duke Yansheng summoning the villagers to the Wenbi Tower to listen to his teachings. The explanation of "Da Zhongjue Mi Lu" was given by the local students.

Wang Guojie saw two village girls carrying a bucket of water in the distance. He turned around to look at the Wenbi Tower and listen to the melodious bell.

"Son, go and have a listen. Perhaps Duke Yansheng will be kind enough not to charge us rent."

As the sun gradually set, herds of livestock passed the village entrance, bleating and mooing, finally entering the farm of the Duke of Yansheng. Geese flew across the river from the other side, and then everything was quiet again. The soft light melted into the air, and the dim dusk quickly descended.

~~~
A group of hunched villagers gathered in front of the Wenbi Tower, like a gray cloud.

The student sent by Duke Yansheng, accompanied by two servants, came to the center of the open space. Without even glancing at the villagers around him who were timid and silent, he opened a brand new book and read aloud from it:
Our great Qi State was founded in Kaiyuan, Liaodong. We have protected the stability of the world and received the deep care of heaven. Our moral education has been widely promoted, our grace has spread to far-flung places, we have given the people the status they deserve, and we have been respected and loved by people at home and abroad for thirty years.

Our dynasty, upholding the Mandate of Heaven, serves as the monarch over all our subjects, both Chinese and foreign. How can the people, nurtured and cared for by our dynasty, discriminate and discriminate based on the distinctions between the Central Plains and the remote regions? Since our subjects and common people, both Chinese and foreign, jointly honor our great Qi dynasty as their sovereign, they should sincerely support and serve us, fulfilling their responsibilities as subjects and common people. In particular, they should not harbor dissenting opinions based on the distinctions between the Central Plains and the remote ethnic groups. By this, we can speculate on the laws of Heaven and examine human nature. Even in the remotest corners of the world, the people of the world know that our dynasty is a unified nation. None of our subjects and ministers would dare to think of transgressing the rules.

Tang Tiezheng, Yan Hongkui, and other thugs echoed each other, becoming extremely rampant. The aftermath also affected Zeng Jing, who, incited by bizarre remarks, wantonly slandered and defamed him, saying nonsense such as "For more than 30 years, the sky has been dark and the earth has been gloomy, and the sun and moon have lost their light."

The ancient Shun was from the Eastern Yi tribe, and King Wen of Zhou was from the Western Yi tribe. This in no way diminishes the glory of their saints. The Book of Songs states, "Strike hard against the Northern Di and Western Rong, and severely punish the people of Jingchu to make them feel pain." This is because they usurped the title of king and failed to respect the Zhou emperor, thus losing the righteousness between ruler and subject. Therefore, their crimes were listed and conquered. This was not simply calling them Rongdi or classifying them as foreigners.

After the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, the rulers and their ministers lost their moral integrity, banditry abounded, the people suffered, and the nation's borders were not consolidated. How could one say that the destiny of the world at that time was blocked and stagnant? Since the unification of China by our dynasty, we have eradicated domestic rebellion, bringing peace to the country. Political education has flourished, and the spirit of civilization has grown stronger day by day. The people live and work in peace and contentment. From the interior to the remote borders, a peaceful atmosphere prevails everywhere. The country is peaceful and tranquil, and the people have benefited more than during the Ming Dynasty. This is a fact that even a child knows. How can this be described as a dark period?
The absurd and rebellious speeches of Tang Tiezheng, Yan Hongkui, Zeng Jing, and others, along with my decree, shall be published in a book and distributed throughout the country, including prefectures, states, counties, and even remote villages, so that all scholars and villagers will know about it. Furthermore, I order all places to keep a copy of this book in their local Confucian academy so that all new students can read it and know about this matter. If anyone has not seen this book or has not heard of my decree, I will investigate it at any time and punish the provincial education commissioner and the county instructor severely.

The student finished reading the first chapter of "The Great Loyal Enlightenment Record" in one breath, took the tea handed to him by the servant, drank it all, and faced the group of ignorant villagers, shaking his head and saying:
"Have you all understood the emperor's decree?!"

The villagers were silent, each staring at their own shoes.

Seeing this, Master Tongsheng flew into a rage. He snatched the whip from the servant's hand and smacked it on the ground:

"Foolish man and foolish woman! Lord Yansheng spent so much money and effort to let me lecture on the "Da Zhongjue Mi Lu". The whole Da Qi is lecturing on it, and we will have to go to Nanjing to compete in it later! As the best district, Qufu must not lag behind in studying the "Da Zhongjue Mi Lu"!"

"Lord Yansheng said that anyone who can't speak is not worthy of eating the food in the Confucius Forest, is not worthy of being a human being, and is not worthy of staying in Qufu!"

Seeing Master Tongsheng angry, the villagers quickly knelt on the ground. "Listen carefully! I'm going to tell you the second chapter. If you still don't understand, forget about being a tenant of Duke Yansheng and get out of here. Go beg for food in Henan!"

Master Tongsheng cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the book:

Am I an emperor who plotted against my father, forced my mother, killed my brother, butchered my younger brother, is greedy for money, loves killing, is addicted to alcohol, is lustful, kills loyal people, loves flattery, and is treacherous?

I have ascended the throne, blessed with the care and protection of Heaven, entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the Holy Ancestor. Since ascending the throne, I have diligently and meticulously pursued the good governance of the country from dawn to dusk. While I dare not compare myself to the wise and virtuous emperors of ancient times, my love and care for the people are never lost in my dreams. There is no matter that I fail to address with the utmost care, nurturing them with all my heart, as if they were my own children. I toil diligently every day until late at night, often neglecting food and sleep. I believe that the people of the world will understand my heart, sympathize with my toil, and sympathize with my hardships. This way, despite my personal toil and suffering, I can find great comfort in my heart.

Who could have known that the traitor Tang Tiezui would rebel together with Pu Gang? They also hurled accusations and slanders against me, and even launched absurd and outrageous attacks on our dynasty. Every official in the court was filled with grief and grief, feeling an irreconcilable hatred for the traitor.

Such groundless claims, even in my dreams, have never occurred to me. Therefore, the traitor's attacks are like the barking of dogs and the howling of wolves, unworthy of refutation! But then I thought carefully again. If I had even the slightest guilt in what the traitor said, I should have protected and endured it, quietly quelling the matter. But now the traitor is accusing me of nothing but baseless claims, and I, believing that I can be worthy of Heaven and my father, the Emperor, and that I can openly and honestly tell the truth to the hundreds of millions of subjects throughout the world. The reason the traitor dares to slander me so wantonly is that there must be even greater treacherous villains secretly fabricating rumors, shaking the minds of the people, and misleading them. If their shameless rumors are not exposed in broad daylight, won't they become even more rampant and openly spread rumors?
For example, the treasonous letter accuses me of murdering my father. From childhood, I have been blessed with the Emperor's loving care. For more than twenty years, I have always followed his wishes, enjoying his care and being sincere and respectful. He has praised me many times. I am the most honest and filial, and this is known to my brothers, ministers, and attendants.

In the first year of the Wuding reign, I, in accordance with the Emperor's father's order, went to the southern suburbs to perform the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony on his behalf. At that time, the Emperor's father was in poor health and was recuperating in the Forbidden City. He told Jin Yinghe, Deng Changxiong, Kang Yingqian, Qiao Yiqi, Sun Chuanting and other officials:

"Crown Prince Liu Kan is a man of noble character, very similar to me. He will surely shoulder the heavy burden of ruling the country. Now, let him inherit the throne."

In the fifth year of Guangde, my father passed away during the Eastern Expedition. I wailed in grief, feeling truly devastated. Kang Jingxiu announced my father's will. Upon hearing this, I was horrified and wept bitterly, fainting on the ground.

Deng Changxiong and others kowtowed to me and urged me to mourn. Only then did I force myself to attend to important matters. This was what happened that day. My close ministers, palace maids, eunuchs, and other officials and attendants who were walking around the palace at the time witnessed it with their own eyes.

The traitor suddenly accused me of plotting to kill my father and usurp the throne. This was something I had only dreamed of; I never imagined such slander and lies would be hurled. Furthermore, the treasonous letter accused me of forcing my mother (referring to Bumbutai Liu Rushi) to death. My mother's saintly nature is incredibly kind and benevolent, a fact well known to everyone in the palace, young and old. I have been deeply blessed by her care and have diligently fulfilled my filial duties for twenty years, earning her immense favor. She praised my sincere filial piety. The other concubines in the palace envied her for having such a filial son and congratulated her. This is now common knowledge within the palace. After my father's passing, my mother was overcome with grief and resolved to be buried with him, refusing food and drink. I kowtowed and wept bitterly, then reported to my mother, saying, "My father has entrusted the affairs of state to me, and now the Holy Mother has resolved to die, leaving me without anyone to rely on. How can I face the people of the world? I have no choice but to follow my father and mother into the underworld."

Despite my repeated pleas, my mother still couldn't give up the idea of committing suicide, and this is not something I can stop.

After I ascended the throne, I was quite lenient towards the eldest princess out of a sense of brotherhood. However, Liu Yufei harbored ulterior motives, forming a clique for personal gain, stirring up trouble, and inciting unrest. Therefore, I wanted to slowly guide her, eliminate her misguided ambitions, and lead a quiet and law-abiding life.

Later, the eldest princess plotted a rebellion, and I ordered her to be escorted to the Five Dragon Pavilion by ceremonial guards. When she saw the yellow sedan chair used exclusively by the emperor, she was overwhelmed with shame and expressed gratitude for my kindness. She placed her hand on her forehead and chanted the Buddha's name.

The above situation was witnessed by more than one hundred palace maids and eunuchs in Xian'an Palace.

As for the rebellious letter, it also accuses me of being murderous. I am inherently merciful. Not only do I refuse to punish anyone arbitrarily, I would not even trample or harm grass, trees, or even ants while walking. Since ascending the throne, I have always adhered to the principle of prudent punishment. I always review the confessions of prisoners and the judicial opinions submitted by the provinces, often two or three times. Whenever I encounter a case of a serious criminal sentenced to death, I am always delighted if I can find a glimmer of hope for his survival. If there is even the slightest suspicion, I will carefully discuss and investigate with my ministers to ensure a fair and appropriate sentence.

For the past six years, I have issued edicts to suspend executions four times each autumn when death sentences are passed. During court discussions regarding prisoners whose executions were suspended, I have issued further decrees, examining those whose crimes were less serious, to spare their lives. The laws of nature are spring for birth and autumn for death. The political system of Yao and Shun used criminal law as a tool for education. In governing the empire, I have never been willing to relax the strict laws for the sake of petty favors, like those of a woman. However, I always exercise the utmost caution in sentencing, fearing that even the slightest injustice might result from a moment's negligence.

Now the rebels say that I am murderous by nature. How can this be so far from my intentions and the politics I implement?
As for Pu Gang, Zhang Dong and others, they had received great favors from my father and me, but they had the heart to betray them, harboring evil thoughts in their hearts and almost launching a rebellion. Their corruption and brutal crimes, as reported by the ministers, numbered as many as ninety-two.

According to national law, they should be sentenced to death, but I, considering his military achievements in Japan and Korea, have shown leniency and cannot bear to kill him. I have ordered them to be exiled to Ningguta to disperse their followers and protect them from committing crimes again. However, their followers in Beijing are still united and unbreakable. I have repeatedly considered that such a great evil person is absolutely unforgivable according to the principles of heaven and national law, so I have executed them both.

·····
When I read Tang Tiezui's rumors, I felt completely at ease and not angry. Moreover, I could clearly tell the entire nation the truth about his rebellious words, thereby sharing with the world and future generations my years of worrying and toiling for the country and the people, despite not having time to eat or sleep. This was a blessing in disguise for me.

I hereby inform you.

(End of this chapter)