Chapter Thirty-Five: A Tempest Unleashed

A ray of morning sun rose from the east, the crimson dawn bathing all of Qufu in golden light.

In the usual propaganda of the Kong family, this was said to be the sacred light of Confucianism—anyone studying at this moment would surely make great progress. No one truly knew whether this was real, but as the rumor spread over time, many scholars who made pilgrimages here came to believe it wholeheartedly.

Thus, with each sunrise, many scholars would gather to read, bathing themselves in the light. Yet today, the once-resounding chorus of scholarly voices was gone, replaced by murmurs and pointing fingers outside the city walls of Qufu.

On the city gates, three men hung, stripped of their clothes, swaying with the morning breeze. These three were the county magistrate of Qufu, the contemporary patriarch of the Kong family, and the current Duke of Sage Succession. Beside them hung a large poster listing their crimes.

“This is slander, nothing but rumor and false accusation!” cried a scholar dressed in white, rushing up to the poster, shrieking as he tried to tear it down. But it was pasted too high, impossible to reach without tools.

“Exactly! It's a frame-up!” echoed another scholar in blue, his indignation as if the crimes accused were his own.

“Look, there’s evidence—seems to be a blood-written letter from the victim herself!” said a man dressed as a commoner, pointing to the darkened script beside the poster. “It must be true!”

“No, those are wild words from troublemakers, the filth thrown by thieves!” the scholar in white retorted.

The poster detailed the Duke of Sage Succession, the patriarch of the Kong clan, and the county magistrate’s series of crimes since the first year of Hongwu: seizing wealth and lives, corruption and perversion of justice, sexual violence in the villages, betrayal of country and people…

Any one of these crimes would mean execution for an ordinary person. With the temperament of Zhu Yuanzhang, even flaying and dismemberment would not suffice. Yet such accusations could not be placed on the Kong clan, and certainly not on the Duke of Sage Succession. He was the representative of Confucianism, a direct descendant of Confucius, a sacred figure.

Thus, the assembled scholars felt compelled to defend him, even if it meant lying through their teeth.

“Filth? Who would risk their own reputation to throw filth?” someone questioned.

The poster bore a woman’s handwritten accusation, even marked with her fingerprint.

“Hmph, there’s nothing too strange in this world,” the scholar in blue scoffed. “Why shouldn’t someone do such a thing?”

“Besides, how can you use such crude terms as sexual violence? For scholars, isn't this a refined pastime? You commoners could never understand,” the scholar in white chimed in. “Since ancient times, women have been of low status, mere playthings for men. Such a crime should not exist. When I become an official, I will petition His Majesty to abolish it!”

A rumble of outrage swept the crowd.

The onlookers stared in shock at the scholar.

To them, studying was sacred—a way to change one’s fate, to discern right from wrong. Yet the words of this scholar in white made them deeply uncomfortable, even provoking a murderous impulse.

“Empresses and Dowagers are women too—are they base as well?” someone asked with a chilling tone.

“This…” The scholar in white faltered. To say yes would be treason; to say no left the Duke’s crimes unexplainable.

“Naturally, they are not base. I was referring to the women who serve the Duke of Sage Succession. They should feel honored to receive his favor!” the scholar in blue hurried to explain. “I heard that in former dynasties, village brides had to offer their first night to the officials. In my humble opinion, such a law should exist in Qufu too. After all, the Duke of Sage Succession is so noble, devoted heart and soul to Confucianism—what are a few women in comparison…”

“So?” someone interrupted.

“So naturally, the Duke is innocent. These riches belong to him by right, there’s no need for robbery or corruption. As for treason, that’s absurd. Confucianism is loyal only to the state…” the scholar in blue declared smugly.

“The state? Is our Great Ming not a state?” came the rebuttal.

“No, Confucianism is loyal to the Han people…” said the scholar.

“But the previous Yuan dynasty was Mongol—why were they loyal to Yuan?”

“When the Mongols ruled the Central Plains, they became part of our civilization!”

“What about Western Xia? They never conquered the Central Plains—why was Confucianism loyal to them?”

“That was assimilation—Confucianism wanted to bring them into Han civilization!”

“So, whatever the case, the Kong family is always innocent!” someone in the crowd laughed. “So Confucius himself was this two-faced! He taught loyalty to the ruler, but claimed loyalty to the state; he taught loyalty to the state, but claimed loyalty to culture… Truly, my eyes have been opened today…”

“Who are you to insult the Sage? You deserve death!” the scholar in white thundered, searching the crowd for the speaker, but could not find him.

“You’re a petty man, hiding in the shadows, sowing discord!” the scholar cursed, vowing to drag this person into utter ruin—for if not, both the Kong family and the Sage would be finished.

“Petty man I am! Compared to the Sage, I’d rather be petty!” the voice replied, now coming from a different direction.

The scholar in white stood frozen. With his intelligence, he could see this was a premeditated plan, meant to destroy Confucianism’s prestige among the common people.

“It’s over…” He fell silent, looking up at the dazzling sunlight, then down at the mocking faces around him.

Once more, the devilish voice rose from the crowd: “In books there are bushels of grain, in books there are houses of gold, in books there are fine horses and beauties—you scholars have heard these four lines from childhood, repeated by your elders to urge you to study.

“But these lines all have preconditions and consequences. You only know that reading brings gold, women, carriages, and grain…

“Yet after years of study, you find there’s no gold, no beauties, nothing—except power. Only with power do you gain gold and women…

“But Zhao Heng’s ‘Persuasion to Learn’ was never about gold or beauties. Its true meaning lies in fulfilling one's lifelong ambitions.

‘The wealthy need not buy good land; in books there are bushels of grain.
To live in peace, no need for high halls; in books there are houses of gold.
When you go out, don’t lament being alone; in books there are horses in abundance.
Don’t fret about matchmaking; in books there are beauties as fair as jade.
A man who would fulfill his life's ambition must diligently read the Six Classics.’

“So where is your ambition, scholars? If you pass the civil service exams, will you hold to your aspirations for life? Some, when foreign enemies invade, choose righteousness, resist to the death, even sacrificing their families; others, though, use their learning to serve the enemy, betraying their compatriots.

“Now, with the Ming dynasty freshly established, some serve at court, fulfilling their ambitions; some aid their neighbors, nurturing talent for the nation; some toil in the fields, sowing grain for the country; some go into business, paying taxes for the empire… yet others indulge in pleasure, even breaking the law, seizing women by force…”

“Heh, the ancients were right: the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs…”

“Confucianism, Confucianism… now turned into a religion! If Confucius knew, he would surely weep in his grave! The great educator, turned into a sect leader—who is truly insulting the Sage?”

The taunting voice ceased. Suddenly, a long sword flashed through the air.

With a clang, the ropes snapped, and the three men fell to the ground.

Some scholars rushed to help them, but more people stood in silence, pondering that mocking, unpleasant voice.