The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 211 Anger and Killing
After the court session ended, the officials left the palace.

But almost everyone's heart was churning with turmoil, for what happened in the palace today was truly unforgettable.

Whether civil officials, nobles, or imperial relatives, all eyes were on Li Xianmu.

Today's events stemmed from the death of Duke Yansheng because of Li Xianmu, and some people were eager to use this incident to overthrow Li Xianmu.

But in the end...

Why is this happening?
In the end, no one cared about the fate of the Duke Yansheng, and it even led to a major reshuffle at the Confucian Temple.

The Confucian tradition, which has been upheld for thousands of years, is now being trampled on.

Although the system of Duke Yansheng was not abolished, its status would inevitably plummet after this incident, and it might even have to revert to the level of the Tang and Song dynasties.

The person who started all of this was Li Xianmu.

From the events that have occurred today, it is clear to everyone that Li Xianmu had long harbored resentment towards the Confucian Temple and the Duke Yansheng. In fact, this resentment had been passed down since the time of Li Zhongwen Gong, Li Qi, and was rooted in his family's scholarly tradition.

The sun hung high in the sky, relentlessly radiating its intense heat, scorching the ground and the people. Already hungry and having expended much energy in the palace, the intense heat caused them to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Seeing Li Xianmu's smug expression, countless people gritted their teeth, but could only swallow their tears.

Duke Zhang Fu of England led a group of people to Li Xianmu's side. "Xianmu."

"Father-in-law."

Zhang Fu patted his shoulder and laughed, "After this, your father will surely be listed among the Ten Sages. Jinghe is truly comforted to have a son like you."

Bringing glory to one's ancestors—this is the ultimate goal!

His voice was filled with deep emotion. People in this era have two main hopes: first, to be successful and bring honor to their ancestors; and second, to have successful descendants.

Li Xianmu served in office for ten years and then elevated his father to the position of one of the Ten Sages of the Confucian Temple, where he enjoyed high-level incense offerings from scholars all over the country.

This is almost second only to having one's descendants become emperors, and then posthumously honoring one's father and grandfather as emperors.

Who wouldn't envy Li Qi for having such a good son?
"Father-in-law, you flatter me. I owe my success today to His Majesty's trust and my late father's guidance."

Although my late father has passed away, he is still protecting his son-in-law and the family at all times, which is why his son-in-law has achieved success in everything he does and has achieved what he has today.

I really don't deserve such praise from my father-in-law.

Li Xianmu was the only one who knew his own family's affairs. Other families might truly bring glory to their ancestors, but not the Li family. Their ancestors were watching over the family from heaven.

But others only felt that Li Xianmu was humble and did not take credit for anything, which made them feel that he was exceptionally talented.

Zhang Fu sighed, "Emperor Wu of Wei once said that one should have a son like Sun Quan. Now I think one should have a son like Li Mingda."

"Even if one possessed half of the talent of the Junior Censor, it would be enough to ensure a worthy successor. How could we dare to hope for such a talent as the Junior Censor?"

Those who spoke at the scene, counting from the Duke of Ying, were all elders, and they spoke from the heart, so Li Xianmu could only be modest.

The group chatted and laughed, seemingly oblivious to the complex expressions in the eyes of the courtiers who had left the main hall.

"Vice-Consul Li is truly skilled. He has managed to orchestrate such a major event. The thousand-year-old Confucian Temple has changed hands in a single day. Lord Li Zhongwen will surely rise to become one of the Ten Sages. The Li family will be the only sage descendant family in the world to hold great power in the future. Vice-Consul Li must be extremely pleased with himself."

The group, who were chatting and laughing, suddenly stopped laughing and looked towards the source of the voice. It turned out to be Liu Guan, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

The rest of the group also slowed down and turned their attention to the two who seemed about to clash again. The main force that besieged Li Xianmu in the palace today was the Censorate, and it was this Left Censor-in-Chief. They didn't believe that Liu Guan was behind those censors.

"Did he go crazy from being too traumatized?"

"Today he is still the Left Censor-in-Chief, but tomorrow he may be a prisoner in the imperial prison."

"That's exactly why he went crazy here, knowing his inevitable fate, and causing trouble for Li Mingda."

The crowd whispered among themselves, most of them already knowing what fate awaited Liu Guan.

Although the emperor did not issue a decree to depose him at today's grand court assembly, the outcome will not change in the slightest.

If we consider today's court meeting as a political struggle, then Liu Guan is undoubtedly the loser, and the loser will inevitably lose everything, just like the losers in the past, whose demotion and exile were considered mild punishments.

Moreover, everyone has a good memory. Although Li Xianmu only mentioned it briefly, Liu Guan had violated the law. If he had still enjoyed the emperor's favor in the past, this matter would not have been a big deal, but now that he has lost the emperor's favor, it is a matter of life and death.

The emperor's decision not to arrest him directly in court likely meant he was sending people to investigate whether Li Xianmu's claims were true. It was possible that the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the Court of Judicial Review would arrive and arrest him without any conclusive evidence, even before tomorrow. How could Liu Guan not know this?
He knew perfectly well what he had done; it was a capital offense.

That's why he hated Li Xianmu so much, his eyes practically spitting fire as he stared at Li Xianmu, and he was even ready to confront Li Xianmu again without any regard for the consequences.

"So it's Chief Censor Liu!" Li Xianmu's face and eyes were full of smiles, but the smiles were only on the surface and did not reach his eyes. "Chief Censor Liu is in charge of the channels of communication, but his words are so unsophisticated. I think he won't be able to wear this crimson robe for long."

It struck Liu Guan where it hurt most.

Liu Guan said angrily, "Li Xianmu, do you think you can enjoy wealth and power for a long time?"

Have you not heard that the sun begins to decline after it reaches its zenith, the moon begins to wane after it is full, a vessel overflows when it is full, and things decay when they are full?
"The next day your family will be incredibly wealthy, but that will only be the beginning of your downfall. I'll be waiting for your family's downfall, hahaha!"

This deep and heavy curse startled everyone. Liu Guan truly hated Li Xianmu so much that he could even say such a thing.

Thinking this to herself, she turned her gaze to Li Xianmu, wanting to see how he would respond. Li Xianmu's expression did not change at all. He calmly said, "My family has already fallen from grace. Once a illustrious and prosperous noble family, now a criminal clan that no one cares about, we are gradually becoming illustrious again. Do you think my family is the same as yours?"

Do you think your current predicament is just due to bad luck?
"If you weren't so selfish, if you had even a modicum of sincerity towards His Majesty, you wouldn't have ended up in this predicament."

Li Xianmu cupped his hands in a fist salute to the Fengtian Hall behind him and said, "The current emperor is a very humane and sage ruler who hopes to share wealth and honor with all his ministers. As long as they are not rebellious traitors like Ji Gang, when will the emperor punish them?"

Liu Guan, you are worried that I will take away your position as Left Censor-in-Chief, so you want to take the opportunity to bring me down into the abyss. You think that His Majesty's appointment of me as Right Censor-in-Chief is a sign of distrust and an attempt to replace you.

How ridiculous?

When did Your Majesty ever have such a thought?
Your current predicament is a direct result of your insatiable greed and your petty-mindedness. Heaven's wrath may be forgiven, but self-inflicted calamities are unforgivable!

After saying this, Li Xianmu went straight out of the palace.

Li Xianmu's stern rebuke left Liu Guan stunned and speechless. A wave of immense regret washed over him, and he felt dizzy. In the next instant, he swayed and collapsed to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had actually vomited blood from anger.

No one helped him up; the officials walking out avoided him, and even the censors who used to obey him hesitated to approach.

After all, Liu Guan was destined to lose power, and Li Xianmu was likely to become the head of the Censorate, which would be his immediate superior. If he angered his superior, his future would be bleak.

If Li Xianmu knew what they were thinking, he would surely burst out laughing. These people actually thought they had a future. If he were to take charge of the Censorate, the first thing he would do is send all the censors of Liu Guan's faction to the imperial prison.

They're risking their lives, yet they're still thinking about their future; they're truly a bunch of career-obsessed people.

Despite the commotion behind him, Li Xianmu didn't stop walking. Zhang Fu asked curiously, "Does Your Majesty really not intend to replace him as Left Censor-in-Chief?"

Li Xianmu paused, then calmly said, "Who knows what Your Majesty is thinking?"

"So what were you just now...?"

"If I say this, Liu Guan will be furious, but His Majesty will be pleased."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fu couldn't help but chuckle. His son-in-law was truly a remarkable person. The Li family's rise to prominence, and even their future glory, were all thanks to him alone.

“However, Liu Guan was right about something he said earlier. In the future, the Li family may be the only descendant of the saints to hold real power.” Zhang Fu’s tone became solemn when he said this.

Li Qi's academic standing, with the adoption of the School of Mind as one of the official textbooks of the Ming Dynasty, is at least comparable to that of Zhu Xi. Li Qi's virtue, whether in his contributions to Confucianism or his loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, is universally acknowledged. Although Li Qi's achievements are limited by time and not as numerous as those of Li Xianmu, they are still sufficient.

The Ten Sages of the Confucian Temple were selected from all dynasties. Li Qi, who was already in the Confucian Temple, was definitely a shoo-in for the Ten Sages. As for the other Ten Sages, even if they had descendants like Mencius, they had little power and were just impoverished people guarding their ancestral tablets.

The Li family, however, was quite different. Although they were far less prominent than the former Han state family, they were still a well-known family in the capital.

Clan chief Li Xianmu was already a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court. He was also favored by the emperor and held great power.

"The more honors His Majesty bestows, the more we must exert ourselves to fight for the Ming Dynasty."

Li Xianmu seemed oblivious to the slight worry in his father-in-law's words, and solemnly said, "Once the new Confucian temple is erected above the Ming Dynasty, the atmosphere of the world will surely change."

Father-in-law, the Confucian Temple will be re-elected. Perhaps you could suggest to His Majesty that the previously abolished Martial Temple be rebuilt.

The Confucian Temple inspires scholars to be loyal to the nation, while the Martial Temple motivates military officers throughout the land.

Martial Temple.

Zhang Fu's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)