jdhmnovel Chapter 1108 Nine clans plus neighbors, does that count as a clan?
Chapter 1108 Nine clans plus neighbors, does that count as a clan?
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen looked at each other, neither knowing how to answer Emperor Zhu's question.
After all, most of the "classics" mentioned by Emperor Zhu were written more than two thousand years ago.
If you change a word today, I change a word tomorrow, and he casually changes the interpretation the day after, these "classics" may have long since become unrecognizable.
After hesitating for a while, Li Shanchang finally said, "As far as I know, the Book of Changes, the Tao Te Ching, the Analects, Mencius, the Ancient Text of the Book of Documents, the Tui Bei Tu, and the Preface to the Annals of the Three Kingdoms have all been altered."
"There are also classics such as Mozi, Yuejing, Lianshan, Guicang, Sanfen, Wudian, Qingnangshu, Liutao, Sanlue, Zhushu Jinian, and Huayang Guozhi, which are either lost or only fragments remain."
"As for classic texts such as 'family members should conceal each other' and 'the people can be employed,' which have been altered or misinterpreted, there are countless examples."
Liu Bowen glared at Li Shanchang with hatred—you old scoundrel, you've already mentioned all these book titles, what am I supposed to say?
Feeling greatly displeased, Liu Bowen stroked his beard and said, "Your Majesty, since you know that these books are either scattered or have been misinterpreted and altered, why not issue an edict to the world and collect the ancient books held by the people?"
"As for classics such as the Analects and Mencius that have been misinterpreted and altered, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy can gather people to re-annotate them."
"The key is to annotate the text in vernacular Chinese and add the Hongwu Zhengyun rhyme scheme so that the children in the community school can also understand it."
As Liu Bowen finished speaking, Emperor Zhu and Li Shanchang's eyes widened in surprise.
Good heavens, at least your son only uprooted the Confucian school, but you, Liu Bowen, have gone a step further and want to uproot all the other schools of thought, right?
Do you old fool think that as long as you dig more and harder than your son, your son's actions will no longer be as conspicuous as fireflies?
While Emperor Zhu was inwardly complaining, Li Shanchang's eyes lit up, and he stroked his beard, saying, "Your Majesty, why not let the Imperial Son-in-Law be in charge of the correction and annotation of Confucian classics?"
With the Prince Consort around, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu probably wouldn't dare to make any random annotations.
"After the Confucian classics were corrected and annotated, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu were then put in charge of correcting and annotating other classics."
"..."
Emperor Zhu glanced at Li Shanchang.
You old bastard are really ruthless!
Knowing that our good son-in-law has always looked down on the lineage of the Duke Yansheng, we deliberately put him in charge of the proofreading and annotation of Confucian classics.
After the Confucius family has been thoroughly purged, to then have them take charge of annotating and correcting other classics is just asking them to nitpick and find fault with everything.
Emperor Zhu curled his fingers and tapped the table lightly, saying, "Let's settle on collecting lost classics and re-annotating various texts for now."
"Let's talk about the Firewalkers again."
Emperor Zhu's expression suddenly turned cold.
"In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, we issued an edict prohibiting the castration of other people's children for the purpose of casting offspring."
"Now it seems that some people are just using our imperial edicts as toilet paper and our words as nothing."
"Or is it that these people don't intend to use fire themselves, but instead plan to send these children into the palace to become eunuchs?"
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen didn't dare to respond at all.
Treating Emperor Zhu's edicts as toilet paper and his words as mere farts—this matter can be considered a big deal or a small one.
If Emperor Zhu wanted to pursue the matter, this would be a charge of "great disrespect".
If Emperor Zhu hadn't intended to pursue the matter, this would have been a typical case of "ignorant fools acting recklessly."
It can be lifted high, and it can be put down gently.
To give a typical example, the Ming Dynasty newspaper even dared to fabricate stories about Miss Liu, with endless jokes about stealing chickens and cows. It even subtly fabricated stories like "Emperor Zhu didn't mind losing battles and allowed historians to record the truth, but he forced historians to change the record of his dogfighting loss to a win." Not to mention jokes like "The most important piece of furniture in the Zhu family was a washboard."
When it comes to "great disrespect," who can compare to the Ming Dynasty newspaper?
Then, the Ming Dynasty newspaper continued to thrive, continuing its haphazard editing, and Emperor Zhu had to reluctantly say, "If the common people want to read it, then let them be."
However, the crime of "taking the opportunity to send children into the palace to become eunuchs" is different.
Trying to guess the emperor's intentions is a major taboo.
Eunuchs interfering in politics is also a major taboo.
Attempting to manipulate the emperor through eunuchs is no longer a matter of minor or major taboos; it's tantamount to dragging one's entire family down a path to the underworld!
Emperor Zhu tapped the table in front of him lightly, then suddenly sneered, "Forget it, if they don't want to live, we can't possibly cry and beg them not to die."
“Anyone who castrates another’s child for fire shall be punished as treason and subjected to the additional punishment of castration.”
What?
According to the terms of treason and dismemberment?
Good heavens, the crime of treason is enough to punish nine generations of one's family, but the crime of catching and mutilating a person does not punish nine generations of one's family, but this thing punishes even the neighbors.
Nine clans plus neighbors, does that count as ten clans?
After deciding on the punishment for "those who castrate other people's children to make fire," Emperor Zhu once again demonstrated what it means to change one's attitude in an instant.
"I forgot to tell you earlier, there's still a matter in Yizhou that needs to be dealt with."
Emperor Zhu sighed with a face full of sorrow and said, "As you all know, our Biao'er has long been corrupted by some scoundrel."
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen really wanted to say to Emperor Zhu, "Is it possible that His Highness the Crown Prince was never a good person to begin with?"
However, considering the consequences of saying those words, Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen lowered their heads again.
Emperor Zhu continued, "This time when we go to Fujian, our Biao'er has appointed Li Mingchen to take over the entire Fujian patrol and inspection office, Chang Mao to take over Yongning Guard, and Chang Sheng to take over Penghu Patrol and Inspection Office."
"I don't know who came up with the idea that these three audacious bastards should only investigate Fujian and Penghu, as that won't stop the pirates from Yizhou. They should set up an additional Yizhou Patrol Office instead."
"Now look what's happened, even Marquis Yu Tongyuan of Nan'an has been dragged into this mess by them."
"The Dengzhou Fleet was originally ordered to blockade the waters of Fujian and Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but now it has blocked the entire waters of Taiwan."
"A thousand-household garrison was transferred from Yongning Guard to cooperate with the Dengzhou fleet in setting up a patrol and inspection office in Yizhou."
"Qi-ge'er from Brother Shan's family has also been sent to Yizhou to pacify the people of Yizhou."
"..."
So, when you tell us all this, are you trying to scold Li Mingchen, Chang Mao, Chang Sheng, and the others, or are you trying to praise your eldest son and son-in-law for expanding your territory while investigating a case in Fujian?
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen didn't really want to pay attention to Emperor Zhu.
However, Emperor Zhu had no intention of letting Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen go.
"You need to help us figure out whether Yizhou should be assigned to Fujian and a prefecture should be established there, or a separate provincial administration office should be set up there?"
"Also, whether it's setting up a prefectural government or a separate provincial administration office, we'll need some manpower. Besides Qi-ge'er, you'll have to take care of the rest as well."
Li Shanchang was completely dumbfounded.
Your Majesty, please explain to your subject what you mean by "besides my son Qi".