Ming Dynasty: Tanks blocked the door and you said to me, "Long live Ming Dynasty"

The soup smells good, and the person smells even better.

Zhu Youxiao was intoxicated by Zhang Yan's every frown and smile.

Those bright eyes and white teeth are like the moon in the sky.

Even the breath is filled with the subtle fragrance of orchids.

"Okay, I'll drink it all!"

Feeling the warmth and softness in his arms, Zhu Youxiao picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Zhang Yan was very satisfied. She accidentally saw the drawings on the table and asked curiously.

"What is your majesty drawing?"

"A gun that can take the general's head in the midst of thousands of troops!"

After Zhu Youxiao finished his soup, he picked up a piece of chewing gum from the table and put it into his mouth.

Well, the kind of chewing gum that has side effects!

But Zhang Yan's eyes widened: "Is this gun really as powerful as your majesty said?"

"Of course. When it's done, I'll take you to see it."

Zhu Youxiao was very proud.

Showing off one's specialties in front of a woman seems to be something that every man cannot resist.

What's more, she is such a charming beauty.

He pointed to each part in the picture and explained to Zhang Yan their functions and manufacturing process, and he immediately started talking.

Zhang Yan didn't interrupt, just sat quietly on his lap and listened.

At this moment, she just felt that the years were peaceful.

The next morning, the sound of rumbling horse hooves was heard outside the city.

It was Zhang Weixian who led the troops to the battle.

Three hundred personal guards and fifteen thousand elite soldiers from the military camp were the troops he brought with him on this trip.

Kong Zhenyun stood on the top of the city wall, watching this scene, his knees went weak and he knelt down.

Behind him stood a group of students from the Imperial College and some officials from the Censorate.

A student stepped forward to comfort him, "Master Jijiu, please do not be too sad. With the Duke of Ying dispatched this time and the three provinces' guards totaling 100,000 troops, the enemy army will definitely not be able to escape even if they have wings!"

Another person also stood up and said, "Brother Liu is right. Those rebels are just a mob. The Fifth Army Battalion followed His Majesty in the Northern Expedition and killed the elite generals of the Jurchens. The revenge of Duke Yansheng will be avenged this time!"

An imperial censor from the Censorate looked at the smoke and dust rising outside the city, and a gleam of joy suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"Master Taishan!"

"As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a family cannot be without a master for a day."

"Although the Kong family suffered a great disaster and their bloodline withered, I think that exterminating the bandits and taking revenge is not the most important thing!"

Kong Zhenyun became furious when he heard this. He stood up suddenly and yelled at the censor by the collar.

"presumptuous!"

"You evil creature, go die before me!"

As he said that, he pushed the censor to the edge of the battlement and was about to push the man directly off the top of the city wall!

Chapter 522: Southern Kong Clan

Half of his body was pushed out of the city wall, and the censor was almost frightened to pee his pants.

He grabbed Kong Zhenyun's arm tightly, fearing that he would be thrown out and killed. His face turned as pale as paper with fear, and he couldn't stop begging for mercy.

"Master Taishan, spare my life!"

"My son-in-law means that the most urgent thing is to write to His Majesty and request the appointment of another Duke of Yansheng!"

"In terms of seniority, you are above the late Duke Yansheng! In terms of status, you are now the chief academic officer of the Imperial College!"

"No matter what, the title of Duke Yansheng should be inherited by you!"

"But if this matter is taken by other branches first and the memorial is sent to the palace first, I am worried..."

"Master Taishan, I am really doing this for your own good, please show some mercy..."

Upon hearing this, a student from the Imperial College also stood up and advised: "Master Jijiu, Master Yang is right. I also think that we should immediately write to His Majesty and ask the court to make a decision as soon as possible!"

A hint of joy flashed through Kong Zhenyun's heart, but there was no sign of it on his face.

The next moment, he pulled the censor back with force and threw him heavily at his feet.

As if he was still not satisfied with this, he kicked the censor hard on the butt.

"evil creature!"

"How can I be the kind of person who is greedy for fame and fortune?"

"You two can contact a few friends while I go back to change clothes and take a bath!"

"Remember, I just don't want the inheritance of Duke Yansheng to fall into the hands of a side branch. If I find a descendant of Duke Yansheng in the future, I will report to His Majesty and establish another one!"

After saying this, he snorted again, then turned around and walked down the city wall.

An hour later.

Large groups of scholars and literati gathered outside the Meridian Gate.

It’s just that the durian skins on the ground have been replaced by cement-cast ones without knowing when…

If the size is enlarged, it can probably be used as an anti-tank cone.

When this was first done, officials wrote letters to express their opposition.

As a result, Zhu Youxiao blocked their attack with just one sentence.

"I have asked the imperial physician, and he said that there are dozens of acupuncture points on the soles of the feet, and the uneven ground can play a role in foot massage..."

"So, I am doing this for your own good. No need to thank me. This is what I should do..."

This reason is so powerful that no one can refute it.

But from then on, all the officials changed their usual leisurely manner when passing this road, and wished they could grow two more legs so that they could walk the road quickly.

It's too hard on my feet...

At this moment, these scholars and literati are facing the same situation.

Not to mention kneeling, even when standing, you have to keep marking time!

It’s winter and it’s cold.

Standing outside, the soles of my feet were almost frozen, and the durian skin made of cement felt so sour!

As the main figure of this petition, he would naturally arrive last.

When Kong Zhenyun appeared at the Meridian Gate, those scholars and literati had already been waiting there for almost half an hour!

Before, when they were on the city wall, they still had seven parts of expectations and three parts of flattery towards Kong Zhenyun.

But when he looked at Kong Zhenyun again, there was a hint of anger in his eyes.

Oh my god!

I said I was just going to go back to take a shower and change clothes, but it took me so long to come here...

Why the hell don't you just drown in the tub!

Kong Zhenyun didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. He just walked to the front of the crowd with his arms slightly hanging, waiting for the Jinyiwei to come forward and ask questions.

In the past, this approach was fine.

After all, this is the Meridian Gate, one of the main roads leading to the imperial palace.

With so many people gathered here, if any trouble occurs, the Jinyiwei will be in trouble.

but now!

Not only did the Jinyiwei not show any sign of being nervous, but they stood there holding their Embroidered Spring Swords and watched the fun.

A newly transferred person who was not familiar with the situation could not help but ask the captain.

"Sir, should we go in and pass the message?"

The captain smiled unkindly: "What are you going to tell? They didn't even say what they were here for. Who are you going to tell?"

"Besides, if they want to stand, let them stand. Even if the concrete spikes are flattened, we can ask the Ministry of Works to come and fix them."

"Just stay here quietly. When they come over to explain their intentions, we can go in and ask for instructions."

After saying that, he turned and looked at another person.

"Old Four, go to the Dongsi Archway and call the owner of the shoe store, Liu, and tell him that there is a business opportunity!"

"Yes, I'll go right away!"

The small flag officer whom he called Lao Si smiled and nodded, then entered the palace from the Ye Gate, walked all the way to the Donghua Gate, and headed towards the Dongsi Archway.

Kong Zhenyun was still waiting there.

But he had no idea that at this moment, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, opposite Zhu Youxiao, were kneeling the heads of three branches of the Kong family, as well as some of the clansmen who had come with them.

The Kong family in Henan, Kong Shangru.

The Kong family of Zhejiang, Kong Yanxian.

The Kong family of Fujian, Kong Wenyi.

Strictly speaking, the Kong family of Qufu, which was harmed by Li Zicheng, could not be considered the direct descendant of the Kong family.

This matter can be traced back to the Song Dynasty.

In the second year of Jianyan, the Jin army marched south in large numbers, and Zhao Gou fled south with his officials.

Confucius' 48th eldest grandson, Kong Duanyou, the then Duke of Yansheng, protected the wooden statues of Confucius and his wife, as well as the remains of the previous sage, as treasures of the temple, and led his close relatives to escort the emperor south.

Because the Kong clan helped Zhao Gou gain a foothold in the south and won the support of the southern gentry, after Zhao Gou established his capital in Lin'an, he granted Kong Duanyou a temple and house in Quzhou. This led to the establishment of the Southern School of Kong, also known as Southern Kong.

The Southern Branch of the Confucius family never gave up the opportunity to return to Qufu. After Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty unified China, Kong Zhu, the Duke of Yansheng of that generation, moved north back to Qufu with his title to be worshipped.

But thinking of the fall of Song Dynasty, he was unwilling to take up an official position, so he gave the title to his cousin from the side branch of the Kong family in Qufu.

Therefore, the true direct descendant of the Kong family should be the branch in Zhejiang.

Looking at the three heads of the Kong family kneeling in front of him, President Zhu Youxun sighed and said with an embarrassed look.

"You three are here for the title of Duke Yansheng, but there is only one such title. What should I do?"

A branch of the Kong family in Zhejiang, a man behind Kong Yanxian knelt forward and said with a bow.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the title of Duke Yansheng was originally given by my Southern Sect to the Northern Sect."

"Now that the Northern Sect has been plundered by the bandit army, it is time for this title to return to the Southern Sect Kong Clan."

But as soon as he finished speaking, the people on Kong Shangru's side disagreed.

"His Majesty!"

"Back then, Nan Zong voluntarily gave up the position of Yansheng Duke. Now, five hundred years have passed. There is no reason for him to go back."

"The title was originally granted by the imperial court. How can they just reject it or take it whenever they want?"

"And my Henan Kong family is a branch that split off from the main lineage of Qufu a hundred years ago. In terms of bloodline, we are closest to the Qufu lineage, so the title of Duke Yansheng should go to the Henan lineage."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Kong family members in Fujian stood up on the spot as if their tails were stepped on, pointing at the man and shouting.

"That's unreasonable!"

"You said it yourself, the Henan branch was separated from Qufu a hundred years ago, but my Fujian branch has only been separated for a few decades."

"In terms of distance, it should belong to my Fujian lineage!"

Chapter 523: Being picky, what are you thinking?

The title of Yanshenggong represents the orthodoxy of the Confucian family.