OBS Chapter 1056 It's better to lose face than to lose your life
Chapter 1056 It's better to lose face than to lose your life
In response to Zhu Biao's question, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu wanted to reply with "not so much".
However, after glancing at the murderous Li Wenzhong and the ever-smiling Yang Shaofeng, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu wholeheartedly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, we are willing to share your burdens."
Zhu Biao nodded with a smile and said, "I am very pleased that you two ministers are willing to share the burden of the court."
"However," Zhu Biao suddenly changed the subject, saying, "I have another troublesome matter here, and I would like to hear the opinions of the two ministers."
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu were slightly taken aback, then quickly bowed to Zhu Biao and said, "Please enlighten us, Your Highness."
Zhu Biao smiled again and said, "You two gentlemen should know about 'The White-Haired Girl' and the grievance meeting."
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.
The story of "The White-Haired Girl" and the "complaint meeting" had already spread throughout the capital. Anyone who wasn't deaf in official circles had definitely heard of it.
The problem is that "The White-Haired Girl" portrays all the gentry as villains, and the grievance meeting is more like a funeral for the gentry.
His Highness suddenly brought up "The White-Haired Girl" and the grievance meeting...
Are you suggesting we go see "The White-Haired Girl" and then host a grievance session?
This is even more deadly than being a so-called inspector!
Zhu Biao glanced at Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu, sighed slightly and said, "My brother-in-law has organized many villagers to watch 'The White-Haired Girl' and presided over many grievance meetings. If it weren't for this, those officials and gentry would not have raised the banner of 'purging the emperor's inner circle'."
While secretly cursing Yang Shaofeng for deserving of his fate, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu also cursed the officials and gentry for being so useless—why don't you get rid of Yang the Madman? If you get rid of Yang the Madman, we can all make money happily like before!
Zhu Biao suddenly changed the subject and said, "Unfortunately, even though my brother-in-law has arrested Guo Huai, the former magistrate of Xinghua County, and Xu Er, who oppressed the people, the people are still not very willing to testify against Xu Er and other local gentry."
"Xinghua is not far from the capital; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's right under the emperor's nose."
"If the situation is like this right under the emperor's nose, wouldn't it be even worse in other, more distant places?"
Xia Yu suddenly spoke up: "Your Highness, according to reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in many places, gentry have been coercing the people to forbid them from watching 'The White-Haired Girl' and from attending grievance meetings."
Zhu Biao nodded, looking intently at Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu, and said, "Did you two gentlemen hear that too?"
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu were both completely numb.
Yes, we heard what Xia Yu said.
I also know that Xia Yu must have received Your Highness's permission to say that.
The question is, what was your purpose in telling Xia Yu all this?
Let the two of us take care of those officials and gentry?
After careful consideration, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu changed their minds again.
By serving as inspectors, the two of them were already going against all the officials and gentry of the Ming Dynasty.
Even if we were to organize the people to watch "The White-Haired Girl" and participate in grievance meetings, it would only be icing on the cake and wouldn't have any real practical significance.
Just as Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu were pondering this, Zhu Biao continued, "Therefore, I not only hope that you two ministers can organize the people to watch 'The White-Haired Girl' and preside over a meeting for the people to express their grievances, but I also hope that you two ministers, as descendants of a sage, can make some of the unworthy members of the clan stand up and conduct self-criticism in front of the people."
Ok?
As Zhu Biao finished speaking, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu's faces turned red at a visible speed.
Should we have members of the Confucius family stand up and criticize me in front of those peasants?
Is that supposed to be self-criticism?!
That would mean completely tearing off the Confucius family's face, throwing it on the ground, and then stomping on it!
That would completely sever the lifeline of the Kong family!
What if someone with a distorted mind thinks that the lineage of the Duke Yansheng has disgraced Confucianism and demands that the lineage of the Duke Yansheng atone with their death...
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu became increasingly apprehensive as they thought about it, but Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "Actually, there's nothing wrong with conducting self-criticism."
"It's just a matter of losing face."
"It's much better than the Embroidered Uniform Guard finding some solid evidence, handing it over to the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review, and finally having to go through a joint trial by the three departments."
What do you two think?
As soon as Yang Shaofeng finished speaking, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu no longer even had the intention to "politely refuse".
The reason for wanting to "politely decline" His Highness's suggestion was because His Highness was kind and benevolent, even if the authenticity of that kindness was greatly questionable.
But Yang Dianfeng is no good.
Judging from the Jinyiwei's modus operandi alone, it's not hard to see just how ruthless Yang Dianfeng's methods are.
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard can make them admit that they burned down the Epang Palace.”
These words were both Yang Dianfeng's confidence in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and a threat to the two of them—not to mention that the Kong family had indeed done the despicable things of seizing farmland and exploiting the people, even if they hadn't, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could make the Kong family admit that they had done it!
Thinking of this, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu couldn't help but shudder, and hurriedly bowed to Zhu Biao, saying, "Your Highness, we obey your command."
Even if doing so would attract the attention of more officials and gentry, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu didn't care.
Promising His Highness the Crown Prince and Yang the Madman, and incurring the wrath of officials and gentry, is a matter for later.
If they don't agree to His Highness the Crown Prince and Yang the Madman's demands, the loss of their entire clan is imminent.
Losing face is better than losing the lives of nine generations of relatives.
After Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu left, the smile on Zhu Biao's face vanished instantly, replaced by a sarcastic remark: "The Duke of Yansheng's mansion has indeed been able to endure for a thousand years; it must have something extraordinary about it."
Of course we need to have that.
When it comes to the ability to forge surrender documents, no one in the entire Central Plains can compare to the Duke Yansheng's mansion.
Of course, when it comes to the ability to make reparations no matter how far away, the Yansheng Duke's Mansion is probably slightly inferior to the families of Hong Xuanye and Yuan Puyi. From Li Taiji's son Shunzhi to Yuan Puyi, it seems that no generation of their family has ever failed to sign treaties that ceded territory and paid reparations.
Even Hong Yinzhen, who was praised to the skies, actually signed the Treaty of Kyakhta and the Treaty of Burinsky.
Even Congo, Peru, and Nepal were able to sign treaties with the Qing Dynasty.
Oh, it seems that Chen Hongli didn't formally sign any treaties ceding territory or paying reparations, but Sakhalin Island was indeed lost during Chen Hongzhi's reign, so much so that a very apt couplet later came to describe Hong Xuanye's family:
Today Hong Kong is ceded, tomorrow Aihui, and then Shimonoseki and Taiwan. Across the vast land, smoke rises from the mountains and peaks, while only one person rejoices!
Nerchinsk, Yongzheng, Kyakhta—no one squandered more than the Empress Dowager. The Qing Empire shrank, its borders vanished with each Emperor's birthday!
While Yang Shaofeng was internally ranting, he smiled and said to Zhu Biao, "The Duke of Yansheng's mansion won't be laughing for long this time."
“Once the Southern Branch begins its inspection tour of Jiangbei and the Northern Branch begins its inspection tour of Jiangnan, those officials and gentry will thoroughly hate the lineage of the Duke Yansheng.”
"Especially after they started organizing people to watch 'The White-Haired Girl'."
At this point, Yang Shaofeng let out a cold laugh and said, "I never expected that the Duke of Yansheng's mansion would be so adept at assessing the situation."