The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 157 A Clash of Titans: No Escape!

In the transition from summer to autumn, the sun blazed fiercely in Yingtian Prefecture, and waves of heat swept across the land. Yet, everyone in the Confucian Temple was covered in cold sweat, and a chill ran through their very bones.

not good!

Big trouble!
This situation is now difficult to resolve!
Throughout history, all dynasties have ruled the world with filial piety!

The father was kind and the son was filial; the son was filial and the father was kind. Who in the world does not know that Li Xianmu observed three years of mourning, built a hut to live in, and always spoke of his late father? He also tirelessly promoted the philosophy of mind and was a famous filial son in the world.

Everyone knows that Li Zhongwen loved his son Li Xianmu the most during his lifetime, and even handed over his sacrificial rights to Li Xianmu's lineage.

Such a close father-son relationship is extremely rare in the world.

Now, the students of Southern Zhili are cursing their son in front of their father, and cursing Li Xianmu for causing chaos in the world in front of Li Zhongwen. If Li Xianmu does not respond, he will truly have no face to face his late father.

Upon hearing Li Xianmu's words, the students from Southern Zhili who had come to the temple to weep immediately realized what had happened and what foolish things they had done. Their faces turned ashen, and some even trembled and could hardly stand.

Their purpose in coming to the temple to weep was not to fight Li Xianmu to the death. After all, the emperor's favorite ministers and their status were far above their own, so what right did they have to fight to the death? They simply wanted to use the pressure of public opinion to hope that Li Xianmu would cherish his reputation and the reputation among scholars and back down on his own initiative.

But now things have backfired, putting both sides in a life-or-death situation, which is completely different from what was originally thought. This is a path of no return!

"We did not..."

Some wanted to explain, but the opportunity was gone.

The wind suddenly picked up, and Li Xianmu, who was standing at the head of the table, had his clothes blown by the wind and then rolled back to reveal the sword at his waist.

Li Xianmu gripped the hilt of his sword and said indifferently, "Since you have all come to the temple to mourn today, this is a major event for the scholars. As the governor of Jiangnan, I should naturally handle it impartially. It just so happens that all the second and third-rank officials of Jiangnan are here today, so let's listen to the truth of the matter together."

The officials of the Six Ministries in Nanjing were filled with indignation at the students who had come to the temple to cry, and now they were facing the Governor of Jiangnan in such an unfavorable situation.

After the monks who were crying at the temple changed their expressions drastically, a few of them regained some courage and whispered to those around them, "Now that things have come to this, can we still back down?"

Since Li Xianmu insists on debating with us, we must find a way out, otherwise are we just going to sit here and wait to die?

One word can wake a dreamer up!
This was no longer a trivial matter of paying grain tax. If you owed grain tax, you could simply pay it back. But the temple crying incident had significant political implications. Once it was labeled as gathering a crowd to cause trouble and showing contempt for the imperial court, it could mean either death or exile.

According to past political practice, both sides could compromise and reach a peace agreement.

But the governor of Jiangnan they were facing today was extremely special. In this special occasion at the Confucian Temple, Li Xianmu could not back down an inch!

Just like...

The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty to be questioned in the Imperial Ancestral Temple was Jianwen. He was subsequently deposed by the current emperor and demoted to a commoner.

If even the emperor is like this, what about other people?

Li Xianmu's retirement today has tarnished his reputation. How will he ever have the face to enter the Confucian Temple to worship his late father again?
Although the world is vast and boundless, at this moment it is like a narrow encounter, with no clear winner or loser, and no one can escape unscathed.

The atmosphere in the Confucian Temple grew increasingly tense. Even the most oblivious person would understand what had happened. No one could remain relaxed; they all frowned deeply, gazing at Li Xianmu, who stood with his sword at the entrance of the side hall of the Confucian Temple. He was facing east, and the brilliant golden light behind him made him appear as if he were gilded. Even his flowing hair shone with a radiant glow, making him seem like a holy being emerging from holy light.

"On behalf of His Majesty, I have been inspecting Jiangnan and have been doing my utmost to quell any illegal activities."

A scholar stepped forward and asked loudly, "There is a saying among the people: Who is below the hall, accusing this official?"

Now that this matter involves the governor, yet the governor is making the judgment, how can fairness be guaranteed?

"This matter was witnessed by scholars from Jiangnan, officials from the Six Ministries of Nanjing, officials from the Three Departments of Southern Zhili, and the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. There were also people who recorded it. Above is the blue sky, and below is the yellow earth. This matter will even be presented to His Majesty and passed down for thousands of years."

With witnesses from heaven, earth, and people, what injustice is there?

Li Xianmu spoke loudly, even with a clearly audible laugh. As he spoke, the paleness on the faces of the scholars deepened.

Those Jiangnan officials who were not involved shook their heads helplessly and said, "They haven't even started to argue yet, and they're already like this. Do they still want to get away unscathed today?"
"Since it all started with the temple crying incident, let's start from there and get to the bottom of things." Li Xianmu didn't care what they thought, and his loud voice echoed throughout the Confucian Temple, "Students of Southern Zhili, you have been crying to the Confucian sages of the past, complaining that I have trampled on Jiangnan and even brought chaos to the world, is that not true?"

Now that things had come to this, the scholars had no other choice but to respond.

"Yes!"

"The scholars of Jiangnan are granted official titles by imperial decree and are the pillars of the Ming Dynasty. Yet they are being detained by the governor without cause, and he even wants to strip them of their titles. If this is really the case, is what all the scholars of the world have been diligently pursuing all their lives something that can be lost so easily? Wouldn't the fate of the nation and the great cause of the imperial examination become a joke?"

"We hope that the Governor will prioritize the overall situation of the nation, pardon the students, and bring peace to Jiangnan!"

These words sparked a great uproar. It was a matter of great importance, and many people had devoted their entire lives to it. But now it was being stripped away so easily. Naturally, they could not tolerate it. This was the direct trigger for the temple-crying incident.

"How absurd! This is a complete distortion of the truth!"

Li Xianmu took a step forward, pointed at the crowd below the steps, and shouted loudly: "What a ridiculous accusation of unjust detention! What a joke! If anyone didn't know the truth, they would really think that I, the Grand Secretary, have trampled on Jiangnan and deliberately made things difficult for you students from Southern Zhili!"

Ask yourself honestly, has this pavilion ever made things difficult for the students of Jiangnan?

Our organization entered Jiangnan on the Emperor's orders to investigate matters of sorcery and the White Lotus Sect. However, since our arrival, have any of you heard of us arresting any Jiangnan scholars in connection with these matters?

Li Xianmu's words immediately stunned everyone, followed by a series of doubts, including "It really is true" and "The governor hasn't mentioned this matter again."

Among the officials present, almost all of them had attended the welcoming banquet back then and had a very deep impression of Li Xianmu's arrogant attitude. Everyone thought that Jiangnan was bound to be filled with bloodshed, but unexpectedly, everything was calm and peaceful.

It wasn't until Li Xianmu began investigating the matters of reporting and accounting and grain tax that Jiangnan was thrown into turmoil again, but this matter was clearly much smaller than the White Lotus Rebellion.

In retrospect, this was a deliberate act by the governor!

"This Pavilion is well aware that both the matter of sorcery and the White Lotus Sect are matters of great importance to the court. If they fall on someone, it will be a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire family. If we investigate extensively based on mere rumors, or even frame and implicate others, Jiangnan will inevitably be plunged into a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, and countless people will die unjustly."

Li Xianmu said earnestly, "If I were willing, wouldn't it be an easy matter to kill a whole bunch of people in Jiangnan by taking advantage of the sorcery and the White Lotus Sect?"

After that, those "White Lotus Rebels" were exterminated and their families wiped out. The army's provisions for the southern expedition would probably have been prepared long ago. Would today's events still have occurred?
Jiangnan is a vital source of tax revenue for the imperial court. The peace of Jiangnan ensures the peace of the entire nation. This organization deeply understands the importance of the overall situation and has been conducting secret investigations. This is precisely our organization's care for Jiangnan and our love for its people.

This official is a member of the orthodox Confucian school, not a cruel official, and naturally would not do things like trampling on the bones of innocent students or staining official robes with blood.

Now, you treacherous scholars claim that I have trampled on Jiangnan and brought chaos to the world. Is this not utterly absurd, not not a complete reversal of right and wrong?

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone shouted in approval: "The governor is absolutely right! The sorcery is nothing but a fabrication. The stability of Jiangnan is all thanks to the governor!"

As time went by, more and more scholars came to the Confucian Temple. Some were in arrears with their grain, while others were not, or had already paid their dues.

Now everyone applauded Li Xianmu's words, and even many officials in Jiangnan applauded them. The matter of sorcery had always been a sword hanging over their heads, but now, judging from the governor's words, it seemed that he did not intend to really investigate, or at least did not intend to kill anyone.

Such is the human heart.

The matter of sorcery was completely fabricated, and Li Xianmu would never have done such a baseless framing. Yet, the way he spoke of it now made it seem as if he were bestowing a favor upon everyone.

The logic here is like this: "I had the chance to kill you all, but I let you go and didn't kill you, so you all owe me a life."

It sounds absurd, but in reality, not killing someone when you could have done it can actually be considered an act of kindness.

The students who cried at the temple never expected that Li Xianmu would find such an angle to respond.

Li Xianmu's meaning was very simple: You say that I trampled on Jiangnan and caused chaos in the world, but I have already given up on the sorcery of the White Lotus Sect, which could have truly trampled on Jiangnan and caused bloodshed in the region. I only have deep love and protection for Jiangnan. Now you say that I trampled on Jiangnan, isn't that the most ridiculous thing?
This response was too clever. If the matter of reporting the expenses were directly refuted, it would inevitably lead to a bitter battle of definition. Now, by using a more extreme matter, the matter of reporting the expenses was completely suppressed.

With just a few words, the situation in the arena had already shifted in Li Xianmu's favor.

Many people began to wonder, since the governor had let the matter of sorcery and the White Lotus Sect go so easily, why did he insist on pursuing the matter of the report?
This shows that in the governor's mind, this matter is even more important!

Having gained the upper hand, Li Xianmu continued, "Since this pavilion has not done anything to trample on Jiangnan, let's talk about what you students just said about stripping them of their academic titles."

Do you all still remember what you said when you first started school?
"Looking at you all, some are quite young. You must have been students in the third or sixth year of the Yongle reign, and you should have studied at the Imperial Academy."

Li Xianmu paused for a moment, then, with a deep sense of nostalgia, pointed to the west and said, "Before the capital was moved, that was the residence of Princess Lin'an. I lived there when I was young, before my father passed away."

As Li Xianmu recounted his story, the noise inside and outside the Confucian Temple gradually subsided, leaving only Li Xianmu's voice descending from the high steps, penetrating the temple walls, and carried to everyone's ears by the gentle breeze: "Before my father passed away, I remember that in the early winter of the third year of Yongle, my father met the candidates who had come to the capital to take the imperial examinations in that alley. Does anyone remember what my father said, and what he said last?"

"Li Zhongwen talked a lot, teaching us not to forget the original intention when we were studying."

Li Zhongwen said: "My heart is pure and bright, what more is there to say!"

Li Zhongwen said: "Knowledge and action should be aligned to align with one's conscience!"

Li Zhongwen said: "My blood will not cool!"

"Li Zhongwen said at the end..."

"Hengqu's Four Lines"

Word by word, sentence by sentence, came from different students, their voices gradually fading, and the atmosphere grew somber.

People are always like this: when they think of those great figures in history and their dazzling glory, they feel ashamed of themselves, especially since they have seen the sun with their own eyes!

As Li Xianmu gazed at this scene, his thoughts seemed to drift back to several years ago, when he was still a child.

"So many people still remember this."

Li Xianmu lamented, “I once asked my late father why he insisted on meeting with the students when his body was already so weak. What was the point?”

My late father said to me: 'I am now a role model for all scholars. I want to ignite a fire in the heart of every scholar. The more people I meet today, the more likely the Ming Dynasty will have a good official who serves the country and its people. Even if only one or two people are inspired by me to turn their hearts towards the light, that will be my honor.'

I understood it then, but now I'm not so sure about it anymore.

Did my late father succeed or fail?
Have you all kept this in your hearts, or have you already let it go?

Some people still had a sense of shame and lowered their heads, while many more sighed, not knowing what to say.

Before the dazzling sun, even the smallest glimmers of shadow are revealed with exquisite detail, and those tiny, fleeting thoughts leap before one's eyes, making one instinctively want to hide.

Some people held their heads high and chests out. Their clothes were somewhat shabby, but at this moment they held their heads high. They had not let down Lord Li Zhongwen.

Li Xianmu showed no anger or accusation on his face. He simply raised his sword sheath and pointed at them one by one, saying, "The imperial court has established tax laws, and you are relying on your privileged status to pay less. This is extremely corrupt."

Even Heaven and the sages are ashamed of you.

If you had known your sins and mistakes earlier, there would have been some room for forgiveness. But instead of repenting, you went so far as to make a scene in the Temple of Literature, attempting to use the dignity of a sage to endorse your corruption and crimes.

How absurd!
How absurd!
How can such a sacred place tolerate such filth as yours?

One scholar could no longer bear Li Xianmu's accusations; he felt his fate was sliding deeper into the abyss. He cried out in protest, "Governor, has this always been the case? How could this be…?"

"enough!"

Li Xianmu erupted in an unprecedented roar, sharp as a knife. Dark clouds drifted by, obscuring a corner of the sun. A shadow fell over the Confucian temple, directly above the heads of the students. "It has always been this way!"
It's always been like this...

Is that correct?

One person shines brightly in the blazing sun, while a group of people tremble in the shadows.

(End of this chapter)