The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 381 Duke Yansheng, Do You Have the Ambition to Be Emperor?
As soon as the Fourth Prince finished speaking, Kong Yujin felt her vision go black and her legs went weak, almost fainting on the spot.

If we really do as the Fourth Prince says, how can this be considered a division of the family?

This is clearly a move to uproot my Kong family and pack them up to be shipped all over the country!

The once-powerful Kong family, though not completely wiped out, was essentially crippled.

The clansmen scattered, their wings broken.

At that time, the Duke Yansheng's mansion will just be a title without any real power. How will it be able to act arrogantly in Qufu?
What's even more infuriating is that those million ancestral fields are actually to be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue?
This is too much!
You must understand, these fields are financial assets that my Duke Yansheng's mansion has acquired through years of hard work, both by clever means and by force.

Now the imperial court is taking it away without even a word. Isn't this blatant robbery?

This is too overbearing!
Kong Yujin was extremely unhappy!
But the pile of accusations that the Crown Prince had just brought up left him speechless, silencing any courage he could muster.

He could only gaze longingly at Zhang Ying not far away.

This guy just got a beating too.

One parent's failure to properly discipline their son has resulted in him losing face in public today.

However, upon hearing the Fourth Prince's suggestion, Zhang Ying immediately became alert:

The decision to target the Kong family was probably not solely the Crown Prince's doing.

Among the princes, there were also those who were pulling the strings behind the scenes!
After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided to step forward.

After all, if the Kong family were to be put on the defensive, then the Crown Prince's push for officials and gentry to pay taxes like ordinary people would lose a pillar of support.

He slowly walked out and said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, the Fourth Prince's proposal, on the surface, seems to have resolved the Kong family's problem,"

"However, I believe that this would further damage the reputation of the Supreme Sage and Teacher."

"After all, it's a bit unreasonable to not let the Confucius family preside over the sacrificial ceremony for the Sage Confucius."

Such actions inevitably lead to negative speculation.

"As for relocating the other members of the Duke Yansheng's family to different directions, such a forced division of the family is not only against the rules of propriety,"

"Moreover, it could easily lead scholars across the land to believe that the imperial court is being too harsh on the descendants of the Sage Confucius."

"It could very well tarnish His Majesty's wisdom!"

Zhang Ying's words truly showed her dedication to the Kong family.

They directly rejected the fourth prince's two most important proposals in one fell swoop.

As soon as he spoke, Chen Tingjing, the Left Censor-in-Chief, echoed, "Your Highness, I second that suggestion!"

"All scholars in the world look to the Confucius Mansion, so the Confucius family should be rectified."

"But this kind of direct separation and abolition of the chief priest is indeed a bit too harsh."

"The opinions of the people are easily subject to criticism."

Following Chen Tingjing's opening remarks, four or five more ministers stood up one after another to voice their opposition.

For a time, the Fourth Prince's side appeared to be somewhat outnumbered and outmatched.

Shen Ye watched coldly from the sidelines, secretly sneering to himself: As expected, the resistance is not small.

But he remained calm, his gaze sweeping over the other princes who were watching the show.

Upon seeing this, the eldest prince immediately stepped forward:

"Lord Zhang just mentioned spreading the branches of the Confucius family to all directions. What will the scholars of the world think? Let them think what they want!"

"What's wrong with the descendants of a sage spreading the virtues of a sage?"

"Isn't this just common sense?"

At this point, he turned and glanced at Kong Yujin:

"Duke Yansheng, as a descendant of the sage, are you unwilling to let the virtues of the most revered teacher be known to more people?"

As the person involved, Kong Yujin naturally cannot say that he did not want to spread the virtues of the Sage Confucius.

Kong Yujin felt her scalp tingle from the question and had no choice but to bite the bullet and answer:

"Your Highness, I am naturally willing to spread the virtues of our ancestors."

"It's just that the clan has lived together for many years, and it would be too hasty to separate them now."

"Please understand, Your Highness!"

Before the eldest prince could reply, the tenth prince, who had been standing to the side like a nobody, suddenly blurted out:
"Living together as a clan, yet unwilling to separate, could it be that the Confucius family harbors imperial ambitions?"

The room fell silent as soon as the tenth prince uttered those words.

Many people stared at him with blank expressions.

Almost everyone knows that any family could become emperor, but the Confucius family could not.

They are a family with a history spanning thousands of years!

Throughout history, regardless of who was emperor, the Confucius family always knelt before the emperor.

As long as you submit your surrender document, you'll definitely receive good treatment.

Under such circumstances, the lineage of the Duke Yansheng must have been out of their minds to even think of rebelling.

Therefore, no one would think that the Confucius family wanted to become emperors.

But the tenth prince's words were too hurtful!
Kong Yujin, who had originally wanted to make a concerted effort to prevent her family from being divided up, was now terrified.

He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, Tenth Prince, our Kong family has always been a family of scholars and poets, and we have never had any other ambitions."

"Our loyalty to the court has lasted for generations, and heaven and earth can attest to it."

"I implore Your Highness to make the best of a decision."

At this point, Kong Yujin prostrated herself on the ground, not daring to lift her head even once.

Shen Ye glanced at the Tenth Prince and secretly gave him a thumbs up in her heart.

His words, though seemingly reckless, struck Kong Yujin squarely at his weak point, making it difficult for him to resist.

However, he said gently, "Please rise, Duke Yansheng. Your loyalty is evident to both my father and me."

"Tenth Brother didn't mean it, don't take it to heart."

"However, there is a reason why the tenth brother thinks this way."

“After all, if people gather too closely together, it’s easy to arouse suspicion!” Hearing this, Zhang Ying and Chen Tingjing exchanged a helpless glance.

They wanted to protect Duke Yansheng at all costs, but the Tenth Prince did not play by the rules and even mentioned rebellion.

Further persuasion would not only be futile, but would also raise suspicions that the two were plotting a rebellion.

After all, if the Kong family joined forces with them, they would indeed have a chance to change the world.

Thinking about it that way, I had no choice but to shut up.

Kong Yujin was completely helpless and could only accept her fate.

"Thank you, Your Highness. After returning to Qufu, I will arrange for the various branches to relocate."

With Kong Yujin bowing her head, the matter of the Kong family's relocation came to an end.

However, even though the issue of branch ownership has been resolved, the question of whether the Kong family's million mu of sacrificial land belongs to the Kong family or the Ministry of Revenue remains unresolved.

Shen Ye looked at the somewhat disappointed Kong Yujin and smiled, saying:
"The Duke Yansheng is a direct descendant of Confucius, the Sage Confucius. How can the worship of Confucius be complete without the Duke Yansheng?"

"But the Sage Confucius is now the Sage Confucius of the world, and Fourth Brother is not wrong about that."

"How about this, the Ministry of Rites of the Imperial Court shall take the lead in the worship of the Supreme Sage and Teacher, representing the court and all scholars in the land."

"As for the Duke Yansheng, he can participate as a sacrificial attendant during the ceremony."

Shen Ye's words were the final word!
Kong Yujin inwardly groaned: Isn't this just a demotion in disguise?
Although I was very unwilling, there was nothing I could do.

After all, compared to the Ministry of Rites, which represents all scholars in the land, he, as the Duke of Yansheng, was still somewhat lacking.

The Crown Prince has elevated Confucius to a higher level, but he has directly dealt a heavy blow to the Confucius family.

Although the Duke Yansheng's mansion is still the Duke Yansheng's mansion, it still owns quite a few properties.

But the million acres of sacrificial fields are gone!
Those clansmen who served as his protectors, allowing him to wield power and influence in Qufu, are also gone.

Although no one would dare to bully him, some things, once lost, are basically gone forever.

Just as Kong Yujin was feeling sad, someone stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I have something to report!"

Kong Yujin looked up and saw Chen Tingjing walk out.

Just now, when Chen Tingjing was reporting on matters, he was stopped by Shen Ye once.

Now Chen Tingjing has stepped forward again.

Shen Ye frowned subconsciously.

This Chen Tingjing is really a persistent ghost.

However, Shen Ye also knew that he couldn't shut Chen Tingjing up.

He's already won two games; it's time for them to launch a counterattack.

Shen Ye said calmly, "Lord Chen, please speak."

"Your Highness, Your Excellencies, some time ago, Zhen Yan submitted a memorial containing words that showed no respect for the emperor, father, or teacher, which aroused the indignation of Hanlin Academy members such as Lü Baizhou."

"They acted impulsively and wanted to argue with Yan Yan."

"As a result, an argument broke out during the debate, and in a moment of impulse, a physical altercation ensued."

"In my opinion, this is just an accident caused by a moral dispute. I beg Your Highness to be lenient in your punishment."

Shen Ye looked at the memorial Chen Tingjing handed over and knew that he still wanted to protect Lü Baizhou and the others.

He had long had a plan for this problem that even Emperor Qianxi was troubled by.

Moreover, he had already mentioned this matter when the Hanlin scholars and imperial students petitioned the emperor, so he was too lazy to get entangled with Chen Tingjing any further.

He said calmly, "Lord Chen, if you make a mistake, you must accept the punishment."

"Whether you're fighting to uphold morality or to save the world, a fight is a fight."

"You can't just say that in order to uphold morality, you can beat up anyone you see on the street, right? Wouldn't that throw the capital into chaos?"

At this point, Shen Ye said in an unquestionable manner: "Every family has its rules, and every country has its laws. This matter should be handled in accordance with the law."

Chen Tingjing was sweating profusely with anxiety, and still wanted to argue: "Your Highness, Lu Baizhou and the others acted out of momentary anger."

"Killing Lü Baizhou and the others would chill the hearts of the people."

"I implore Your Highness to investigate this matter thoroughly."

Shen Ye glanced at Chen Tingjing and said:

"Outrage? If every scholar were to take action the moment he gets angry, wouldn't the Hanlin Academy become a martial arts arena?"

“Lord Chen, you are the Left Censor-in-Chief, you should know the role of the law.”

"We can't just take the lead and say 'there are extenuating circumstances' and expect special leniency, can we?"

"If I let them go today, won't people say tomorrow that I killed them to eliminate evil?"

"Is there any need for rules in this world anymore?"

"Let the law decide this matter!"

Chen Tingjing was about to speak when Zhang Ying gave him a wink, so he had no choice but to back down.

Then, someone came out and said:

"Your Highness, I, Xu Chunping, the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, have impeached Longkodo, the Commander of the Infantry Commandery, for acting recklessly and condoning his subordinates' abuse of the Hanlin Academy."

"Your Highness, please punish him severely!"

When Tong Guowei heard someone impeaching his son, he simply glanced at Xu Chunping's position and said nothing more.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Longkodo glared back defiantly and retorted:

"Your Highness, this servant also has a memorial to report. This servant is reporting that Xu Chunping, the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, is protecting a murderer."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you punish Xu Chunping according to the law!"

Shen Ye sighed inwardly:

The court assembly is getting more and more interesting, starting with the Confucius family's division of the family and the Hanlin scholars fighting, and now they've started reporting each other.

If this continues, will someone have to perform a dramatic chest-breaking act right here and now?

　The second update for today is here! Please support, recommend, and vote, everyone!
　　

(End of this chapter)