Kong Shangyi secretly gritted his teeth and glanced at the two faces of Zheng Haizhu and Zhu Yipai, which showed neither joy nor anger.
A pair of bastards who fucked each other in embarrassment!
Not to mention the Yue Wusheng who danced like a mournful dancer, the descendants of Zhang Cong who followed him must have been arranged by them.
Wenzhou Mansion... Like Zhang Yaofang, the governor of Lu Mansion, they are both from Zhejiang. It was the man named Zheng who gave the Lu Mansion an idea a long time ago to get people here to wait.
But when Kong Shangyi saw that Zhu Youxiao did not come, he thought that the future prince had not been alarmed after all, and there might be room for redemption.
So he swallowed a large lump of turbid air in his throat and strode to Wang Song from the Ministry of Rites.
"Master Wang, the music and dance students of Lu Fan must have some misunderstandings about the rituals and music of Confucius Temple. And the person who claims to be a descendant of Zhang Ge does not know the authenticity. I am afraid that he is a villain with ulterior motives."
Wang Song knew that the current situation was getting worse and worse, and his first thought was how to get himself out without wading into the muddy water that surged out without warning.
However, the people in the Ministry of Rites, including himself, have always taken advantage of the Confucius family and taken advantage of others. If he didn't step forward at such a critical moment, after returning to Beijing, he would not be regarded as a pewter spearhead and discarded as a worn-out shoe by his superiors?
Wang Song then bluffed his face and scolded Zhang Xisheng: "Look at your turban, you already have a reputation? I don't care whether you are Zhang Ge's nephew or not. As a scholar, you are so presumptuous in front of the Confucius Temple, you are just trying to gain fame." , how can you become an official? If you are still entangled here, I will not just reprimand you in public!"
Zhang Xisheng raised his chin and responded with a sneer: "What? It's too early for me to call myself 'the Ministry of Education'. I have to mention the word "Ministry of Rites". Will I lose my reputation? Mr. Wang, for everything in this world, we should discuss the right and wrong first, instead of showing off official power first. The dignified Ministry of Rites has always been trying to select loyal and virtuous talents for the country, but why do we have to shut our mouths so angrily even when scholars say a few words of truth? It's a shame that I didn't take them to see you, Master, today, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get any justice. "
Zhang Xisheng said, turned around and pushed the two farmers out, loudly encouraging: "Qufu is the Qufu of the Ming Dynasty, not the Qufu of his descendants of the Kong family. I, a member of the Zhejiang Province of the Ming Dynasty, can stand here and speak. You guys Why don’t the people of Shandong in the Ming Dynasty dare to tell the master of the emperor’s eldest son and the general of Lu Fan about the grievances they suffered?”
These two farmers were direct brothers. They had sold their children a month ago to join the Wenxiang sect. Unexpectedly, a man who claimed to be the servant of the imperial envoy found them and not only gave them money, but also saved them from losing their wives and children. The scattered grass was considered a bandit, and a good errand was arranged for them. It was said that it was to perform meritorious service for Long Live Lord. If they succeeded, they would be rewarded even more in the future.
The two brothers put their minds together and thought that it would be better to be favored by the imperial court than to rebel with the Wenxiang Cult, and they were immediately ignited with the hope of changing their destiny.
Until yesterday, I finally understood that they were coming to complain at the gate of Yan Shenggong's Mansion, and that famous scholars would rush ahead of them. These two peasants, who were full of grudges against the Confucian landlords, were gearing up and just waiting to open fire. .
At this moment, in order to let more onlookers hear clearly, the two did not rush in front of Zhu Yipai and Zheng Haizhu, but knelt down on the spot.
The elder brother raised his voice and said loudly: "Mr. Qingtian, our village belongs to Qi Wangzhuang ever since our ancestor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty conquered the country. Later, the King of Qi disappeared, and the court did not take our village. It was allocated to King Lu. For many years, we have been farming land and paying for food. Unexpectedly, Yan Shenggong's Mansion took a fancy to our fertile fields over there and forced us to donate them. The villagers were unwilling, so they just let them go. The county magistrate doesn't dare to interfere with the destruction of fields..."
"You, you troublemakers, don't talk nonsense!"
This time, Kong Shangyi, who did not need to be sidelined, came forward. When he heard that the "grievance" was directed at "Yanshenggong's Mansion", Kong Yinzhi immediately spoke angrily.
But he was really feeling weak in his heart.
What the two farmers said is probably true.
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the thousands of land grants Confucius has received are not just around Qufu, but are spread all over Yuncheng, Juye, Pingyang, Dong'a and other places.
The flourishing houses of the Kong family indeed relied on their noble status to continuously occupy new private lands, either inducing or forcing farmers to donate their land.
To the name of the Kong family.
There are so many branches of the Kong family, and each branch has so many "thugs". Not to mention occupying land, it is not uncommon to bully men, dominate women, and set up private torture chambers. Anyway, every county has heard that it is related to Yan Shenggong's mansion. , all turning a blind eye.
Who would have thought that in the past, ordinary things that splashes of water could not turn over turned into shit behind the door. At dawn, someone opened the door and threw the shit into the sun in front of the Confucius Temple.
"Tricky people? Haha," Zhang Xisheng said with increasing momentum, "Confucius once said that cultivating oneself is to bring peace to the people. He also said that being respectful, tolerant, trustworthy, sensitive, and merciful are the ways of a benevolent person. But you guys These descendants of Confucius are so greedy for profit that they do not hesitate to push the people to a dead end, beat their bones and suck out their marrow, and call them unruly people. I think there are five more words that are suitable for you, the beetles of the country and the scourge of the people. That is: greed, harshness, deceit, stupidity, and evil! Yesterday I burned incense and reported it to my ancestor Zhang Ge, and I will continue my ancestor's legacy and report the matter of Qufu to the imperial court."
"We are willing to go north with our benefactor and file a petition together!" The two brothers from Qi Wangzhuang also followed suit.
There was a burst of firecracker-like applause from all sides, mixed with the applause of the common people.
Zheng Haizhu, who stood with his sleeves on his back, quickly looked at each other with Zhu Yipai.
There was no hint of joy, but the meaning was unspoken.
Qufu is far and near, and it is no longer an iron plate with the word "hole" stamped on it.
Shandong is a province with a thoroughfare between north and south, and Yanzhou guards the main thoroughfare of the canal. Different surnames left over from the previous dynasty, as well as those imported through business, gradually formed clans. If you are good at business, you will become an official, and if you are good at officialdom, you will buy land. However, the Kong family in Qufu once even controlled the appointment and dismissal of local civil servants, and now it has intensified its annexation of land. How could it not cause dissatisfaction among families with different surnames?
At this moment, the long-robed scribes who were applauding and applauding, as well as some men in brocade robes who looked like members of the clan, all had expressions of anger on their faces. Most of them were members of aristocratic families whose surname was not Kong and who had to participate in the distribution of power and resources.
At this point, Zhu Yipai was truly convinced by the woman around him since they met her.
These chess pieces of hers were definitely not arranged one by one on the chessboard after receiving instructions from Lord Long Live.
Where is the time?
She was probably thinking about this game when she went to Beijing last summer and passed by Yanzhou for a short stay.
A strong general has no weak soldiers. When she gives orders, her subordinates are indeed powerful. The masters and servants find these people from south to north. They either have strong family backgrounds or have pitiable grievances. Rarely, they are all brave soldiers, as straightforward as destroying the dead. Run towards the seven inches of the descendants of the Confucius family.
The only one who was brought in temporarily and sang the opening scene was probably Zhu Yuewen, a music and dance student from the Lu family.
This further shows that Zheng is not as arrogant as some famous frontier generals in her actions. She does not have the word "foolproof" in her mind. Instead, she modifies her marching plan at any time, just to make the front more overwhelming.
Zhu Yipai twitched the corner of his mouth and sighed lightly to Kong Yinzhi, Wang Song of the Ministry of Rites and others: "Oh, my general is not strict in his rule, and that Yue Wusheng is also a rough-tempered man. Let me comfort him."
The complexions of uncles and nephews Kong Shangyi and Kong Yinzhi were already greener than the stone bricks paved at the entrance of the Confucius Temple.
Just as they stared blankly at the young prince of Lu Fan, who was neither an enemy nor a friend, walking toward the actors who had stripped off their clothes in Yanshenggong's palace with fluttering sleeves, they heard a rush of footsteps behind them.
Cao Huachun's young father-in-law came running like a gourd.
"Zheng, Master Zheng, brother, he went to the gate of the county. He said he was going to sell his craftsmanship in exchange for wages. Eunuch Cao couldn't persuade him no matter what."
…
Inside the south gate of Qufu, beside the well under the towering trees, parked were the palace sedans brought by horse-drawn boats from the capital.
With the sedan as the center of the circle, dozens of steps around were filled with large guards and small firemen, all of whom were watching the people of Qufu County who were arriving in droves with vigilant expressions.
Zhu Youxiao was sitting on an armchair in front of the sedan. Cao Huachun stood on his left hand, and the more interesting one on his right.
On top of several large stones stacked crookedly, a three-foot piece of white paper was pressed with a small stone.
There are five characters in the letter: "Gongshuzi's successor".
At this time, it is the most popular time of the day in the county town.
At this busy time, I heard that the eldest son of the emperor was selling carpentry skills on the street, and the crowds who were originally going to the Confucius Temple to watch the "big show", like ants smelling sweeter cake crumbs, turned around and headed towards the South City Gate. Gather together.
Zhu Youxiao was able to maintain a calm face and straight shoulders using the Tianjia style that he had learned well in the capital.
But he clearly felt that his lips were trembling uncontrollably, and the back of his neck began to feel hot, and he was obviously sweating.
Master Zheng confessed to him that his father Zhu Changluo did not know about the role he was given. Master Zheng said that she, the prince's teacher, dared to risk angering Tianyan or being imprisoned to death, but she also insisted on fighting a fierce battle in Qufu. I wonder if His Highness the prince has the courage to tell the world that the imperial court is already short of pay. To what extent.
The young man who was having a conversation late at night was full of blood and agreed without any hesitation.
But when he really sat under the light of day and faced the surprised faces, Zhu Youxiao was wrapped in a complicated embarrassment again.
Cao Huachun's slightly bowed posture allowed him to easily see Zhu Youxiao's micro-expression.
The little firebrand's statement that "Eunuch Cao can't be persuaded even if he tries to persuade me" is of course false.
But Cao Huachun's last hesitation finally faded away when he heard reports from his close associates that Zhu Yuewen had opened at the Confucius Temple.
Facts have proved that Master Zheng, who was desperate, was indeed sent into the same boat as La Zhuyi.
Since this woman means what she says, she can't stop her from temporarily adding extra drama to her during this trip. She is too ruthless and cannot be easily offended.
The Sacred Heart is unpredictable, maybe Long Live Lord will appreciate this move?
Even if you don't praise it, at least the act of causing trouble at the Confucius Temple is more "deviant" than the emperor's eldest son's act of raising money on the street, right? So the pressure on my end is actually not too great.
On the contrary, the woman Zheng's hints to her were very tempting.
She is optimistic about Eunuch Wei, but she is not optimistic about Eunuch Wei becoming the ceremonial supervisor. Eunuch Cao was born in the inner study, and his prospects for the inner court were unlimited.
Thinking of this, Cao Huachun lowered his body a little lower and asked Zhu Youxiao in a low voice: "Brother, there are a lot of people here."
"Well, how about the Confucius Temple?"
"Just now, a servant came to complain again. The nephew of Mr. Zhang Ge of the previous court gave him a scolding, which won the approval of many scholars."
Zhu Youxiao said "Oh".
In the brief silence, a young male's aggressive instinct filled his chest.
Those musicians and dancers who play the harp, and those descendants of Zhang Cong who are not even qualified to be civil servants have all started to do it. He is the eldest son with a great dragon lineage, and the arrow is on the string, how can he be cowardly.
"Cao Banban, why don't you yell?"
"As commanded, I will speak now."
Cao Huachun took out a wooden cart with a turtledove's head from the box behind the chair.
This was when Zhu Youxiao stayed at Prince Lu's Mansion for half a month, while he and Song Yingxing were pondering the steam engine model, they made half of the wooden wheel cart.
I say "half", but it's just that the mature steam engine part has not yet been attached. The main body of the four-wheel rolling frame is complete. If you string a rope in the beak of a turtledove, it can be pulled by human power.
He strode up to the crowded crowd of onlookers and said loudly: "The establishment of slaves is rampant and the Liao Dynasty is fierce. I, the official of the Ming Dynasty, fought bloody battles at the border. Oh, I just guard the military fortresses in the north to prevent the *** They came in with the intention of causing harm to the people of Ming Dynasty. The soldiers were so desperate, and the old man, Long Live Lord, was also very distressed. He directly saved one hundred thousand taels of silver from the inner treasury and sent it to outside the customs. But as the saying goes, when the war breaks out, , ten thousand taels of gold. How can one hundred thousand taels of silver be enough? Our eldest son of the Ming Dynasty shares the worries of the emperor and contributes to the country. Today, he uses the things he has spent all his efforts to make over the years to exchange for some silver with everyone. For military pay."
After all, Cao Huachun was also a graduate of the inner study room, a highly educated person among the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty. His opening remarks were concise and not difficult at all. The faces of the people of Qufu County showed expressions of understanding.
Cao Huachun looked at six directions and had already locked the first target.
"Young Master, how about taking this dove car home? It's not expensive.
, only ten taels of silver, you see, if the cart is pulled up, the little wooden figure on top can still wander around. "
The person chosen by Cao Huachun was a boy of seven or eight years old. He was dressed in brocade and had a beautifully crafted silver collar around his neck. At first glance, he looked like a child from a wealthy family.
The child was really not as suspicious and timid as the adults around him. His eyes were fixed on Jiuche and he was already walking towards Cao Huachun.
The housekeeper beside him dared to hesitate. He kept bowing while he was busy and said to Cao Huachun: "Ah, the little man's master's family is really blessed. My father-in-law, forgive me, but the little man only has five taels of silver with him. Let the boy go get some more quickly."
Cao Huachun kindly put the cart into the boy's hands and said to the housekeeper, "Don't worry, we'll be waiting. You, master and servant, have to thank His Royal Highness the eldest son of the emperor, right?"
The housekeeper hurriedly held the boy and knelt down to kowtow to Zhu Youxiao.
