Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 1101 Is this a chapter that a human being could say?

The Southern School inexplicably broke ties with the Northern School.

Although the two families were originally at odds, no matter how much they disliked each other, they were still using the title of Duke Yansheng.

This falling out shows that Kong Xilu's attitude is more like completely severing the relationship between the Southern and Northern Schools, with the two never to have any contact again.

This extremely eerie atmosphere did not ease even when they arrived at Chen Juren's house outside Yangzhou.

Yang Shaofeng was too lazy to bother with the mess between Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu. After they sat down separately, he smiled and said to Chen Juren, "I heard that you have fifty adopted sons. Please invite them all here so that His Highness the Crown Prince and I can broaden our horizons."

Chen, the scholar, was completely dumbfounded.

I've already watched "The White-Haired Girl," which I shouldn't have, and I've also participated in criticism and self-criticism that I shouldn't have.

Even the family's farmland was remeasured by the government, and the extra acres of land were all returned. The taxes that were previously underpaid were also made up tenfold.

Apart from that, I didn't get involved in any so-called "purging of the emperor's inner circle".

They were practically begging to kneel down and surrender.

I hadn't offended anyone, but the infamous Yang the Madman came knocking on my door, demanding to see my fifty adopted sons.

Chen, the scholar, stammered, unsure how to refuse. Yang Shaofeng, however, instantly changed his expression, merely letting out a cold snort. Lame Wu strode forward and slapped Chen across the face, cursing, "You worthless wretch! My son-in-law came to see you, do you think he's here to discuss something with you?"

The scholar, Chen, staggered from the blow and hurriedly called to his two sons, "Quick, go and call everyone here!"

Chen's two sons immediately ran outside and soon summoned fifty men of all ages.

Yang Shaofeng coldly observed Chen Juren's fifty "adopted sons".

The oldest among them is no younger than Chen, the successful candidate in the imperial examination.

The youngest is probably only a few years older than Chen Juren's grandson.

More importantly, all fifty men were dressed in tattered clothes; rather than clothes, they were dressed in "rags patched together with patches."

Yang Shaofeng sneered and looked at Chen Juren, saying, "Chen Zhi, are these your adopted sons?"

Chen Juren turned his head and looked at it, then whispered "Yes." Yang Shaofeng then gave Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu a wink.

Kong Xixue was preoccupied with how to play dead, but Kong Xilu stepped forward and coldly stared at Chen Juren, saying, "Chen Zhi, since everyone calls you Chen Juren, you must have been educated, right?"

Chen, the scholar, looked bewildered and said, "Yes, I once studied for a few days and was fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar."

Kong Xilu's face grew even colder, and he said, "Let's leave aside the fact that he passed the imperial examination but refused to take office."

“Take your fifty adopted sons for example.”

"Your two sons are dressed in the finest satin, while your adopted son is dressed in rags."

"Chen Zhi, is this how you treat your adopted son?"

"If that's the case, are you taking them in as your adopted sons because you intend to use them as servants?"

As Kong Xilu finished speaking, Chen Juren was immediately startled and waved his hands repeatedly in denial: "This humble subject dares not, this humble subject dares not, this humble subject took them in as adopted sons because he was thinking, thinking..."

Chen, the scholar, stammered and couldn't give a coherent answer, but Kong Xilu said with a dark face, "Mencius said: 'Respect the elderly in your own family, and extend that respect to the elderly in other families; care for the young in your own family, and extend that care to the young in other families.'"

"Since you've accepted them as your godsons, why won't you treat them like your own children?"

"Even if it's impossible to treat everyone equally, surely you shouldn't discriminate like this?"

Chen Juren inwardly groaned, while Kong Xilu snorted coldly, turned around and bowed to Zhu Biao and Yang Shaofeng, "Your Highness, in my opinion, Chen Zhi is most likely using the guise of adopting a son to keep servants. I urge Your Highness to issue an order to thoroughly investigate!"

Zhu Biao hummed in agreement, then looked at Chen, the successful candidate in the imperial examination, and asked, "Successful candidate in the imperial examination, what do you say?"

Chen, the scholar, was terrified and knelt down with a thud, crying out, "Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life! This humble subject...this humble subject..."

Before Chen, the scholar, could come up with a plausible reason, Yang Shaofeng was already smiling at Chen's adopted sons, "Since you have been adopted by Chen, will you be given money and food during festivals? Will you be given clothes in spring and summer?"

The fifty adopted sons of Chen, the successful candidate in the imperial examination, looked at each other but remained silent.

Yang Shaofeng didn't take it seriously, just chuckled, and then looked at Chen Juren and asked, "Chen Juren, are you really taking them in as your godsons? Or are you just keeping them as servants?"

Chen, the scholar, was stunned for a moment, then kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Your Highness, I sincerely took them in as my adopted sons and would never dare to violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty by keeping servants in private!"

Yang Shaofeng hummed in agreement, first giving Kong Xilu a wink, then sighed slightly and said, "Your matter... well, as the saying goes, there are those who can talk and those who can't listen. You say you're adopting godsons, but you're dressing them in rags. Anyone who hears that will suspect you're keeping servants."

Chen, the scholar, was stunned again, but Kong Xilu coughed and said, "Your Highness, I have an idea."

Kong Xilu turned his gaze to Chen Juren, "Since Chen Juren says he is genuinely adopting a godson, then let's assume he really is."

"However, it is really unreasonable to adopt a godson but favor one's own child and raise the godson like a beggar."

"In my humble opinion, it would be better to have Scholar Chen sign a written agreement that after his death, no matter how much or little, he should leave some property to his adopted sons. This way, it would not be in vain that his adopted sons called him 'Father,' nor would it be in vain that they wore mourning clothes and performed mourning rituals for him."

"Well, I don't expect him to be able to treat everyone equally, but at least he shouldn't let his adopted sons feel disheartened."

Chen, the scholar, stared blankly at Kong Xilu.

Is this something a person can say?

Let's not even discuss what my true thoughts are.

Even if I, a scholar, really wanted to adopt sons, I have indeed mistreated them. You, an official, shouldn't keep saying things like "wearing mourning clothes" and "breaking pots and waving banners"!

Also, wouldn't it be better if I admitted that I was indirectly keeping slaves?

Just as Chen was pondering this, Kong Xilu added, "Your Highness, Your Highness, there are quite a few people in the world who adopt sons like Chen, and I imagine there are also many who mistreat their adopted sons like Master Chen."

"In my opinion, it would be better for the court to set a rule that adopted sons are treated like biological sons, and they should have the right to inherit property and bear the same responsibilities."