Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Inside the prison cell, Kong Xichang collapsed to the ground upon receiving this result.

Enveloped in endless fear, filled with utter disbelief.

He collapsed to the ground as if all his strength had been instantly drained away.

Clearly, this was an outcome he absolutely did not want to accept and had not anticipated beforehand.

In his mind, he planned to act extremely discreetly this time.

Moreover, at the very beginning, it seemed to be making quite a fuss.

In reality, there weren't many people, and the situation was quickly quelled.

He believed he had a pretty good grasp of the force.

It was a situation where the matter was dealt with in a roundabout way, causing trouble for Kong Xixue, the Duke of Yansheng, but without implicating too many members of the Kong family.

He stopped short of making a point here, and the consequences for the imperial court were not actually that significant.

Because of his special status as a member of the Kong family, he would also stop short of making a fuss and not dwell on it.

Although I will suffer some hardships, everything will eventually pass.

When the storm subsides, he will be safe and sound, and will be able to become the new Duke Yansheng.

But who could have imagined that things would go so drastically wrong step by step?

Actually, by now, he has become somewhat less confident.

He no longer thought he would become the new Duke Yansheng.

However, he never thought he would actually die.

Even Kong Xixue, the Duke Yansheng who was implicated, was not guilty of a crime punishable by death.

That's just how special the Kong family is.

The legacy of their ancestors has not weakened to this day; on the contrary, it has become stronger.

But to his utter surprise, even with his expectations so low, he still guessed wrong!
The emperor was far more inhuman and terrifying than he had ever imagined.

That truly shows no mercy whatsoever.

They even want to kill him!

Could it be that my secret instigation of a rebellion has been discovered?

Once the thought arose in his mind, he immediately confirmed it.

That's bound to happen!

Otherwise, the emperor would never have had such an attitude!

It's impossible for someone to treat themselves like that.

In other words, I lost this time too!
Did Kong Xixue live because he was exonerated of his crimes?
However, he soon discovered that something was unusual about the situation.

Because he wasn't the only one dragged out and about to be executed; there were also Kong Xixue and many other influential figures in the Kong family.

Only then did he finally understand that the crime for which they were executed was treason.

In addition, many other evil deeds committed in his daily life were also uncovered.

Looking around at the crowd of people cheering and shouting, and many others cursing them loudly.

Kong Xichang appeared somewhat dazed, yet a surge of anger welled up within him.

All I wanted to do was take action and tear these peasants to shreds, one by one.

These beasts were previously extremely respectful to the Kong family and never dared to disobey them in the slightest.

Since I am in a superior position, whatever I do to them is perfectly acceptable and I don't feel guilty at all.

But as it turns out, these beasts are quite something. The Kong family treated them so well all the time, but when trouble came, they jumped out one after another to harm the Kong family!
They are all lowly people!

We should have killed them all back then!
After such anger rose in his heart, Kong Xichang also felt that it was extremely absurd and particularly unreal.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yuanzhang was so ruthless.

He had only caused a little trouble here, yet he wanted to wipe out the entire Kong family!

So many of my own extraordinary people are being held here, awaiting execution.

The rest of the Kong family members will not fare much better.

They were either enslaved or served as maids, or exiled to various places.

How did Zhu Yuanzhang dare to do that?

Isn't he afraid that the world will fall into chaos?
He is not afraid of being recorded in history and nailed to the pillar of shame, so that they will never be able to lift their heads again for all eternity!

Do they really think the world can do without the Kong family?

Zhu Yuanzhang, that beggar, will regret it later!
Similar emotions arose not only in Kong Xichang's heart, but also in Kong Xixue and many other members of the Kong family.

Things took an unexpected turn.

Even Kong Xixue, the Duke of Yansheng, who was initially flustered, did not expect that Zhu Yuanzhang would dare to do such a thing.

He had considered that after this incident, his position as Duke Yansheng would be in jeopardy.

Even the Kong family would suffer even greater blows as a result.

However, I never expected it to turn out like this!
Zhu Yuanzhang, as an emperor, could be so ruthless!
Was Zhu Yuanzhang really going to take such drastic measures against Confucianism? Was he truly not going to use Confucianism anymore?
But is there really any school of thought in this world more suitable for governing and managing a country than Confucianism?

Is it really possible to replace Confucianism with those things he created that are not worthy of serious consideration?
Today, all scholars in the world are Confucianists.

If he does something like this, won't it cause chaos in the world?

This was the last thought that lingered in Kong Xixue's mind.

With a soft thud, the demon-headed broadsword fell.

Kong Xixue's somewhat gray hair rolled down his head.

Filled with doubt and deep resentment.

Flashes of blade light streaked across the sky, and heads rolled off one after another.

Blood gushed out, and the body collapsed.

Many people who were once of high status, dignified and seemingly inviolable, have lost their lives.

A roar of cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd, some people knelt down and wailed, while others cursed incessantly...

These are people who, for many years before, were ruined and oppressed by the Kong family, a behemoth...

Besides these influential figures in the Kong family...

Many heinous criminals have been brought to justice through handling cases involving local residents.

For example, many people who worked as henchmen for the Kong family and did illegal jobs were also sentenced to death.

However, they were not beheaded, but sent to the Imperial Medical Academy for secret processing.

The reason for this is naturally that waste should be reused.

These condemned prisoners were taken to the Imperial Medical Academy for autopsies or drug trials...

With these people killed, the ancient Kong family's territory suddenly became empty.

……

"Your Majesty, do you really intend to completely abandon Confucianism and overthrow the Confucius family?"

Inside the Wuying Hall, Song Lian knelt down and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, asking him a question.

I felt extremely uncomfortable.

As soon as she uttered those words, tears welled up in her eyes, her grief was palpable.

This incident was something he hadn't anticipated.

Originally, it was thought that with the example set by Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi, the Kong family would certainly not do anything reckless or dare to act recklessly when the land was surveyed in Shandong.

Judging from the Duke Yansheng's behavior and the words he spoke when I met him before, he also supports the land survey.

I wouldn't make any mistakes in this matter. But who could have imagined that things would escalate to this point!
His Majesty, however, showed no mercy and unleashed his furious wrath.

They actually wiped out all the members of the Kong family, including Kong Xixue, the Duke of Yansheng.

Those who deserve to be killed should be killed, those who deserve to be buried should be buried, and those who deserve to be exiled should be exiled.

Moreover, they even held a grievance meeting in Shandong.

Many people went to sue the Kong family, and each and every case was verified.

This is tantamount to undermining the very foundation of the Confucius family!

Is this really just undermining the foundation of the Confucius family?
This is also undermining the very foundation of Confucianism!

Although before this, the emperor had repeatedly wielded his hoe against Confucianism.

It will dig up and collapse many of the foundations.

But never before has it been as serious as it is now!

His Majesty once said that forbearance is the foundation of the nation, and that the primary goal should be the prosperity and strength of the Ming Dynasty, with everything else to be set aside.

And after listening to his superiors, he did just that.

But who could have imagined that after enduring hardship for the sake of the country, the emperor would go too far time and time again, becoming increasingly outrageous?

Now they are launching a heavy attack, seemingly determined to completely defeat and suppress Confucianism.

The emergence of various new disciplines entering schools made him think deeply.

This time, he came with the determination to die.

If Your Majesty does not provide a satisfactory explanation for this matter, then you are truly determined to eradicate Confucianism.

So he just smashed his head against the wall and died there, and that was the end of him!

It wasn't that he intended to use this matter to threaten the emperor; things had already come to this point, and he had long understood that no one in the world could threaten the emperor.

The current emperor has a truly strong personality; he is the kind of person who won't listen to either soft or hard tactics.

Once he made up his mind, no one except the Empress and the Crown Prince could change it.

But when it comes to important matters, both the Empress and the Crown Prince listen to him.

He decided to kill himself here not to threaten anyone, but to defend the principles in his heart.

He was simply defending the Confucianism he had followed and studied his entire life, nothing more.

If the Confucian way is to be destroyed by the emperor, he would not mind using his own life and blood to accompany the Confucianism to its death!
"Mr. Jinglian, you flatter me. Please get up."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke to Song Lian.

Then he gestured to Zhu Biao, who was standing nearby, and went over to help Song Lian up.

"Confucianism is Confucianism, and the Confucian school is the Confucian school. The Confucian school and Confucianism cannot be equated, much less can the Confucian school be associated with Confucius, the most revered teacher, and equated with him."

These all need to be considered separately.

Confucius taught without discrimination, and his three thousand disciples have spread throughout the world to this day.

The same book can evoke different insights in different people.

Confucianism continues to evolve to this day.

However, those descendants of Confucius, relying on the prestige of their ancestors, committed all sorts of evil deeds.

They turned the Confucius Mansion into a den of iniquity.

This greatly damaged Confucius's reputation.

I have heard that when Confucius traveled to the six states, he did so with a sword in hand.

He also possessed a certain chivalrous spirit.

His thoughts and views on various matters are preserved in the Analects.

But as it turns out, the things that Confucius' descendants have done today hardly conform to his teachings.
They have long since strayed from their ancestors and forgotten their roots; that is the greatest act of filial impiety and injustice!

Those who are unfilial and unjust are going against Heaven!
In this respect, I have gotten rid of these parasites in the Confucius family. If Confucius knew this in the afterlife, he would be overjoyed.

To avoid such a bunch of vermin, a bunch of good-for-nothings, outwardly holy but inwardly filthy people, ruining his reputation.

If Confucius knew this from beyond the grave, he would have long wanted to personally take up his sword and kill them all, thus cleaning up the family.

I do these things simply to follow the will of Heaven and the people.

Moreover, all those who were beheaded could be killed; not one of them was wrongly accused!

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands as he spoke.

Immediately, people carried in heavy boxes and placed them on the ground, opening them up.

There are numerous files.

"Mr. Jinglian, take a look. These are the people who have filed lawsuits against the Kong family in a short period of time, as well as the many evil deeds that have been verified."

Every single incident, every single event, is here!
This is intolerable under the laws of Heaven and the state!

Is such a person worth Mr. Song's protection?

Does such a person deserve to be considered a direct descendant of Confucius?

Zhu Yuanzhang looked solemn.

He was already ashamed of these people for surrendering to the Jin dynasty first and then to the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

Later generations learned of all the things these so-called descendants of Confucius did in the future.

That meant I had absolutely no goodwill towards them!

I know exactly what kind of people these are!

Such a person should at least keep a low profile.

They dared to make a fuss over something as important as surveying and measuring land.

Since they dare to jump, I dare to kill them.

Let's see if they dance more happily, or if our knife is sharper!
Song Lian did not look at these files because he already knew about them beforehand, and he knew that the emperor would not falsify anything in this matter.

But... the Kong family really is different from ordinary people...

Seeing Song Lian's grim expression, as if he wanted to say something more and was already determined to die, Zhu Biao couldn't help but feel a little impatient.

I don't want to keep watching my father keep me in suspense any longer, teasing the old man here.

They almost scared their teacher to death.

He immediately said, "Teacher, my father has other plans regarding this."

Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to persuade Song Lian a little more, but since Biao'er had spoken up, he decided to simplify things.

He said, "We do have some other considerations regarding this matter."

Mr. Song has seen what kind of person Bei Kong is.

It truly disgraces the family, dishonors scholarship, and tarnishes Confucius and Confucianism.

Moreover, this Northern Confucius is not a true descendant of the Confucius family.

During the Song Dynasty, the Kong family split up.

The eldest son and grandson of Confucius, along with the family genealogy and a portrait of Confucius, migrated south with the imperial court, thus becoming known as the Southern Confucian School.

In truth, they were the true direct descendants of the Confucius family.

We have already ordered people to investigate secretly. Although there are some people in the South Kong region who are not very clean, they are much better than those in the North Kong region overall, and they are also more resilient.

They wouldn't so easily kneel before barbarians.

We plan to bring the people of the Southern Confucian School to Qufu, to the place where they should live.

Give the title of Duke Yansheng to the one who truly deserves it! (End of Chapter)