kingnovel Chapter 1053: He who knows the current affairs is a hero
Chapter 1053: He who knows the current affairs is a hero
What exactly is the lineage of the Duke Yansheng?
When it comes to doing bad things, there's almost nothing they wouldn't dare to do, such as keeping servants, seizing farmland, exploiting tenants, and setting up private courts.
But when it comes to doing good deeds...
Yang Shaofeng thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what good deeds the Duke Yansheng's family had done that could be brought to the forefront.
"One of them is a traitor who has served three masters, and the other is only slightly better than a traitor."
"Are they having a sudden change of heart, openly making grand pronouncements in the newspapers?"
Yang Shaofeng shook his head directly, denying his own statement: "There's no need to say more about traitors who have served three masters. The problem is that the one who is even slightly better than a traitor is also a genuine aristocratic family. Where do they get their conscience?"
Zhu Biao shook his head as well, and after considering it for a moment, said, "Could it be that my father put a knife to their necks?"
Yang Shaofeng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly gasped and said, "That's actually possible!"
After all, it is the Duke Yansheng's mansion.
He surrendered to the Jin dynasty when the Jin came, to the Yuan dynasty when the Yuan came, and to the Ming dynasty when the Ming destroyed the Yuan. In the future, he will also surrender to the Shun, the Qing, and the Japanese. He has made a series of shady moves, such as offering portraits of the Three Virtuous Emperors. He can be called a representative of those who know how to adapt to the times.
Or to put it another way: the Duke Yansheng's mansion serves as a negative example for the squid (a derogatory term for corrupt officials). The more disastrous the squid's betrayal, the more successful the Duke Yansheng's betrayal. The squid has become universally reviled, while the Duke Yansheng's mansion is a family with a thousand-year-old lineage.
It's pure nonsense to expect people like this, who only care about the interests of their own family and clan, to be loyal to the entire bureaucratic and gentry class.
The Duke Yansheng's Mansion was comprised of officials and gentry, but the officials and gentry were not the Duke Yansheng's Mansion.
Confucianism was always just a tool used by the Duke Yansheng's mansion to embellish its glory.
Thinking of this, Yang Shaofeng smiled meaningfully: "Your Highness, since the Duke of Yansheng's mansion is so pragmatic, then..."
Zhu Biao immediately perked up his ears and pressed, "What good ideas does brother-in-law have now?"
Yang Shaofeng picked up the small dragon ball, took a sip, and said, "It's not realistic to just wipe that family out completely, since the name of the Duke Yansheng's lineage is still quite useful."
"But it's still possible to give them a little trouble and make them suffer a bit."
"For example, let the three-surname servants choose a branch from their side branches and then conduct a self-criticism—let them recount their filthy deeds of seizing farmland and exploiting the people in front of the people of various prefectures and counties."
"I believe that Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu can definitely persuade the branch to agree."
"..."
This time, it was Zhu Biao's turn to gasp in shock.
Why pick a branch from the Southern and Northern lineages and then launch a so-called self-criticism?
My brother-in-law is really ruthless!
Making the collateral branches of the Duke Yansheng's Mansion engage in self-criticism is essentially like stripping the faces off of both the northern and southern branches of the Duke Yansheng's Mansion, throwing them on the ground, and then stomping on them a few times!
The key point is that this matter is indeed highly feasible.
After all, the Duke Yansheng's family was notoriously spineless.
As long as the butcher's knife is held to their necks...
Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Since the Duke of Yansheng's mansion can do this much, it can certainly do even better."
Yang Shaofeng was slightly taken aback, and Zhu Biao continued, "Why don't we select more people from the Duke of Yansheng's household and have them visit various prefectures and counties under the guise of inspecting censors?"
“When making the visit, the Censorate and the Embroidered Uniform Guard should each send someone to accompany you.”
"The Censorate has manpower in the open."
"The Embroidered Uniform Guard has both overt and covert forces."
"I'm sure they'll find out a lot of useful information."
"..."
At this point, Zhu Biao changed the subject again, "It's a pity, we probably won't have time to use them for the Xinghua County matter this time."
Yang Shaofeng hummed in agreement, and after considering it for a moment, said, "How about this, since the Censorate is going to be restructured anyway, why don't we let the Southern and Northern branches each take charge of the Discipline and Supervision Departments?"
Pay attention:
The so-called censors and officials who spoke out during the Ming Dynasty should actually be divided into two parts, namely the officials who spoke out during the imperial examinations and the imperial decrees.
The term "科" refers to the Six Ministries of Censors, who were responsible for supervising the Six Ministries. Although their official rank was only seventh grade, they wielded immense power.
The term "Dao" refers to the Censors of the Censorate, who were responsible for supervising the thirteen provinces of the "Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces." They were responsible for supervising local areas and were overseen by the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief.
In the original history, the Censorate was reorganized into the Censorate in the fifteenth year of the Hongwu reign.
Now, Lao Deng is determined to copy Ningyang County's approach, and the Censorate has already begun its restructuring, which will eventually split it into two departments: Discipline and Supervision.
After the reform, the key performance indicators that the Censorate used to assess, such as the "quantity of impeachments" and the "content of impeachments," will also be changed to the number of corrupt officials they uncover.
It's impossible to fool them like before.
……
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu, while not exactly enemies, were at least outwardly friendly, but inwardly they were at loggerheads and wished they could kill each other.
Looking at the Xinghua County city wall not far away, Kong Xixue spoke first: "The Northern Sect has already transferred Xiren, Xiyi, Xili, and Xizhi to Xinghua. I wonder how the Southern Sect is doing?"
Kong Xilu replied expressionlessly, "To share the burden of the superior, the Southern Sect certainly cannot lag behind. Therefore, the Southern Sect has also dispatched some capable personnel to Xinghua."
Kong Xixue chuckled and said, "I hope your Southern Sect isn't too entangled with those officials and gentry. Otherwise, don't blame me for putting righteousness before family."
Kong Xilu glanced at Kong Xixue.
Do you want to hear what kind of outrageous things you're spouting?
Your Northern Sect wants to uphold justice and even kill your own relatives?
What a coincidence! Our Southern Sect also wants to uphold justice and even kill our own relatives!
Kong Xilu gave a forced smile and said, "The Southern Sect's affairs are not for your Northern Sect to worry about for the time being."
"However, I'm afraid the Northern Sect's own affairs aren't exactly clean either?"
"The officials and gentry who have jumped out this time are not just from the south."
"What if someone from your Northern Sect also jumps out..."
Kong Xilu chuckled coldly, "Perhaps I, too, must uphold righteousness and even betray my own family?"
Kong Xixue also sneered and said, "Considering we come from the same source, I'll give you one last piece of advice."
"You should understand the current situation by now."
"You Southern Sect can no longer afford to be indecisive."
"Cut ties when you need to, let go when you need to, and leave when you need to."
"Whether it's the death of one person or the death of an entire clan, you should know the answer in your heart."
After a slight pause, Kong Xixue added, "When that day comes, I hope that your Southern School will not implicate our Northern School."
Kong Xilu glanced at Kong Xixue again and retorted, "I'll say it again: the Southern Sect's situation is none of your Northern Sect's concern."