Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 213 Imperial Record of the Crimes of the Confucius Family in Qufu

As night deepened, the emperor's temporary residence was set up at the Duke of Yansheng's mansion.

Zhu Youjian did not choose the extremely luxurious main hall, but instead moved directly into the study of the Confucius Mansion – the "Kuiwen Pavilion".

This place was once where the Confucius family treasured the imperial books and paintings bestowed by emperors of past dynasties, and it was their facade for displaying their refined and orthodox culture.

Wei Zhongxian held an exquisite Jian kiln teacup in his hand, filled with steaming Junshan Silver Needle tea.

He gently placed the teacup beside the emperor, then quietly stepped aside and stood with his hands at his sides.

Zhu Youjian did not touch the cup of tea. His gaze pierced through the window lattice, looking towards the still brightly lit Qufu County Government Office in the distance, and he remained silent for a long time.

Inside the attic, it was so quiet that you could hear the crackling of the candlelight.

In this almost frozen atmosphere, Zhu Youjian suddenly spoke. His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were asking a question to the person in front of him.

"Changqing".

Wen Tiren, who was standing by, felt a tightness in his chest and quickly stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Your subject is here."

"I killed the man." Zhu Youjian's gaze remained fixed on the window. "I've left the case to Wang Ji and the others. What's next? In your opinion, Minister of Rites, what should I do next? How should I... wrap this up?"

This question was like a boulder thrown into Wen Tiren's heart lake, stirring up huge waves.

The Emperor's test has begun!

Wen Tiren's brain was working at lightning speed, and a fine layer of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

He carefully crafted his words, trying to convey his thoughtfulness while avoiding touching any potential triggers.

“Your Majesty,” Wen Tiren’s voice was somewhat hoarse, “in my humble opinion, today’s swift and decisive action, sweeping away the dust, is truly an unprecedented feat in three generations, enough to deter villains and bring peace to the world.”

He first offered his usual compliment before cautiously getting to the point.

"Now that the Duke Yansheng has been brought to justice and the chief culprits of the Confucius family have all been executed, their crimes have been exposed and justice has been served. I believe that the most urgent task is to 'pacify' and 'appease' the people."

"Peace is to appease the hearts of scholars throughout the land. After all, the nation is well-governed, but it still needs the embellishment of culture and the return of scholars to its heart. Perhaps... perhaps we could find a distant relative of Confucius, a person of upright character, to inherit his title and continue the ancestral worship of the sage. This would demonstrate that even though His Majesty acts with thunder and lightning, he still retains a fraction of benevolence and kindness."

"To appease is to appease the local people. Now that the culprit has been removed, we should quickly survey the land, return it to the people, and pacify the displaced. If we can win the hearts of the people, then Shandong can be pacified with a single proclamation."

After saying that, he bowed deeply and dared not say another word.

These words were the safest and most traditionally logical way to end things that he could think of: a slap followed by a sweet treat. He preserved the emperor's authority, gave scholars a way out, and won over the hearts of the people—a perfect solution from all angles.

Wen Tiren was met with a suffocating silence.

After a long while, the emperor slowly turned his head. He did not get angry, but looked at his Minister of Rites with a curious gaze.

"Wen Tiren," the emperor called his name, enunciating each word clearly, "Do you think I'm killing the 'Duke Yansheng' today?"

Wen Tiren felt uneasy under the emperor's gaze and dared not utter a word.

"In my eyes, none of the more than seventy people who were beheaded on the high platform today, nor the one who was subjected to slow slicing, were called 'Duke Yansheng' or 'a member of the Kong clan'."

"They are merely death row inmates clearly recorded in the Great Ming Code! They are bandits who seize farmland! They are thugs who disregard human life!"

"I am not killing out of human kindness, nor out of grudges!"

"I killed those who violated the law! I killed those who acted out of reason!"

Zhu Youjian picked up the cup of tea, but did not drink it; instead, he slowly twirled the teacup between his fingertips.

"Therefore, what I want has never been the scholars' peace of mind, nor do I need to appease them!"

"What I want is their awe!"

"Revere the laws of the land! Revere me, the Son of Heaven!"

"They can lock themselves in their study and write articles, cursing me as Jie and Zhou, a tyrant! I don't care! But before they pick up their pens to curse me, they must first carefully consider whether their own necks are strong enough to be cut by the Great Ming Code!"

Wen Tiren's face had turned deathly pale, and cold sweat trickled down his temples.

"This matter is not over!" Zhu Youjian's tone became impassioned again. He slammed his teacup heavily on the table, spilling tea.

"It's just the beginning!"

"What your Ministry of Rites needs to do now is not to appease anyone, nor to think about how to preserve someone's lineage!"

"Instead, immediately prepare writing materials, paper, and manpower for me! Prepare to unleash a mighty wave that will cleanse the world of its intellect and reshape the hearts of all people!"

……

At midnight, the county government office in Qufu was brightly lit.

The area has been completely placed under martial law by the Beijing garrison, with no ordinary people or even local officials allowed to approach within a hundred paces.

The main hall of the county government office and the courtyards in front and behind it were all cleared out. Boxes of evidence that had just been seized from the Duke of Yansheng's mansion were neatly stacked and piled up like mountains, almost filling the courtyard.

The boxes of land deeds, each representing the bankruptcy and destruction of a family, were found in the secret accounting room.

Stacks of ledgers, reeking of mold and filled with blood and tears, were filled with densely packed, tiny characters detailing the ruthless exploitation and compounding interest—a truly shocking sight.

In the corner, rows of key stewards, accountants, and estate managers from various places, who had been brought up from all over the Confucius Mansion overnight but had not been killed in the past few days, were being guarded fiercely by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Their faces were ashen, and their bodies trembled like leaves in the wind.

Led by Wang Ji, nearly two hundred elite officials from the Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial Inquiry Bureau stood before this mountain of evidence.

Having handled countless major cases, they believed they had a sufficient understanding of the darkness of human nature.

However, the scale, duration, and cruelty of the crimes committed by the Kong family still far exceeded their imagination.

The initial surprise on the faces of many young officials gradually turned into barely suppressed anger, while the seasoned and prudent officials of the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice felt a deep sense of dread. What they feared was that this dark force, entrenched in the birthplace of the sage, had managed to grow to such a terrifying extent right under the noses of the Ming Dynasty!

Just then, Zhu Youjian arrived at the county government office late at night.

He did not sit at the head of the table, nor did he even acknowledge the officials' bows. He only held a copy of the "Great Ming Code," which he always carried with him and which was already somewhat tattered.

The emperor paced slowly before the mountain of evidence.

Before him, Wang Ji and other officials were all seasoned veterans who had experienced multiple rounds of "emperor-led cases" such as the Shanxi Merchants Case and the Zhou Yanru Case. They knew very well that the emperor's late-night visit was not to supervise, but to personally set the tone for the case.

Sure enough, Zhu Youjian casually picked up an account book from a wooden box and flipped through a few pages.

Then, referring to the "Great Ming Code" in his hand, he spoke in a cold tone:
"The Great Ming Code, Household Law, Land and Housing Law: Anyone who takes official or civilian land and housing and uses it as their own property, and then mortgages or sells it, shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane... If it results in death, the person shall be hanged."

The emperor raised his eyes and looked at Wang Ji.

“Minister Wang, look at this ledger. How many acres of land were seized and resold by them? And look at that steward of the Kong family kneeling there. In his confession, how many tenant households did he admit to losing their families because of this?”

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, should this crime be punishable by death?"

Wang Ji immediately bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the evidence is conclusive, and according to the law, he should be executed!"

Zhu Youjian slammed the ledger shut and pulled out another ledger, which smelled musty and was filled with blood and tears, from a wooden box next to him.

"The Great Ming Code, Household Law, Debt Law: Anyone who privately lends money shall not exceed three percent of the monthly interest. Anyone who violates this rule shall be punished with forty strokes of the cane. If anyone causes someone's death due to debt collection, he shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and three years of penal servitude."

His finger traced the shocking record of "nine out and thirteen back" in the ledger, his voice growing colder:

"The Kong family's lending practices are incredibly lucrative, with profits multiplying ninefold! This record shows that last year alone, seventeen families were driven to suicide by drowning, hanging, or selling their children because they were unable to repay their loans! This is no longer about profit; it's about taking lives! I only ask you, seventeen lives lost—should this crime warrant execution?!"

Sweat beaded on Wang Ji's forehead, and his voice trembled as he replied, "Your Majesty, the methods were cruel, and human life was at stake. According to the law... he should be executed!"

Zhu Youjian threw away the account book and kicked open a box full of iron shackles, finger yokes, and whips, the metal objects clanging together with a piercing sound.

"The Great Ming Code, Criminal Law, Judgment: Anyone who, while serving as an official or a member of a powerful family, privately establishes a prison and arbitrarily imprisons or tortures people shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane. If such a person dies, the punishment shall be the same as intentional homicide!"

His gaze, sharp as a sword, swept over the confiscated instruments of torture, stained with dark red blood.

"The Duke of Yansheng's mansion has set up its own court, abused its power, tortured confessions, and disregarded human life! In their eyes, is Qufu the domain of the Ming Dynasty or their own kingdom of the Confucius family?! Such contempt for the law of the land and the creation of their own laws—doesn't this constitute treason?! According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, shouldn't this crime warrant the extermination of the entire family?!"

"Your Majesty..." Wang Ji suddenly knelt down, his voice filled with uncontrollable fear and anger, "This is a heinous crime that shakes the very foundation of the nation! According to the law, his entire family should be exterminated!"

The emperor asked three questions in succession, each more severe than the last, each crime more infuriating than the last. Each question was met with precise citations of the Ming Dynasty Code, followed by overwhelming evidence.

The emperor's "teaching" made all the officials understand completely.

This case is not about personal relationships or grudges; it transcends even ordinary corruption.

This is a thorough purge of a "lawless country" that has established its own system within the country, using the "Great Ming Code" as a weapon!

Every crime must be prosecuted according to the most severe and irrefutable legal provisions, and must be made into a truly ironclad case!

Finally, Zhu Youjian stopped in his tracks. His cold gaze swept over all the solemn-faced officials present, and he issued his final ultimatum.
"Three days!"

"I will only give you three days!"

"Within three days, all evidence, including witnesses, physical evidence, and confessions, must be compiled, recorded, and cross-referenced to ensure that each piece is interconnected and forms a final record that no one, in any era, can overturn!"

"According to the order!"

Led by Wang Ji, the officials immediately sprang into action with terrifying efficiency, like tops that had been whipped into motion.

……

On the evening of the third day, when the case file was about to be finalized, Zhu Youjian summoned Wen Tiren again.

This time, he issued an ironclad order to definitively determine the direction and destination of this overwhelming tide that would sweep across the hearts of the people.

"Wen Tiren, I hereby order the Ministry of Rites to work with the Hanlin Academy to immediately establish a special compilation office."

Wen Tiren felt a chill run down his spine and bowed to listen.

"Compile all the evidence gathered during the imperial investigation, regardless of its size or detail... into a single volume! It must be illustrated and easy to understand!"

"Let's call it—"

Zhu Youjian's eyes flashed with a cold and profound light as he slowly uttered the book title that was destined to become a nightmare for all scholars.

"The Imperial Record of Crimes Committed by the Confucius Family of Qufu!"

He looked at the shocked Wen Tiren and spoke his final plan in a tone that was almost a whisper but carried supreme authority.

"Changqing, you must remember that the dossier submitted to the Three Judicial Offices was used to silence the officials in the court and to follow the law."

And this "Record of Crimes"—I want it to spread throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces. I want every county school, prefectural school, and academy in the Ming Dynasty to have at least one copy!
"I want all the scholars in the land to open their eyes and see for themselves what a hideous and filthy face the 'Duke Yansheng,' whom they have worshipped for two thousand years, truly possesses!"

Zhu Youjian paused, his tone becoming even more sinister.

"But a single booklet is not enough! Words are easily scattered, and people's hearts are easily forgotten. I also want to establish a perpetual warning!"

He pointed to his feet, "This Duke Yansheng's mansion need not be kept any longer. After confiscating it, it shall be rebuilt on the spot and converted into the 'Confucius Family Sin and Warning Hall'! The land deeds they seized, the forged documents, the blood debts from lending, and the instruments of torture they abused shall all be displayed there! Let it become a 'place of sin' that can be seen and touched!"

"From now on, any official from Shandong must come here to learn before taking office! When the time is right, any official from the capital who is transferred to a wealthy area in Jiangnan must also come here first to have a good look! I want them to witness with their own eyes how this so-called 'model of the gentry' preys on the local people, erodes the foundation of the country, and has become a huge malignant tumor on the body of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Youjian suddenly waved his sleeve, his voice booming like a great bell, making Wen Tiren tremble with fear.

"I will use this book to shatter the hypocritical facade in the hearts of scholars throughout the land! I will use this hall to sound the warning bell above the heads of all officials of my Great Ming Dynasty!"

(End of this chapter)