ps: This chapter has been revised!
There is an old saying in the Central Plains hall, "The tongues of many can melt metal, and accumulation of slander can destroy bones."
For example, before Jia Shen Year 17, a story circulated in the Great Ming, which even spread to the Great Qing:
It is said that during the Hongwu era, a cavalry captain had an affair with his neighbor's wife. This woman was truly beautiful, and even though the officer had seen countless people, he was smitten by her charm. Let's call this woman Xiao Mei and the captain "Old Wang."
One day, Xiao Mei's husband went out to work. Old Wang, seeing the man leave, sneaked into his neighbor's house. Then, Old Wang and Xiao Mei began a passionate encounter. However, after just a few rounds, the courtyard gate suddenly sounded. Xiao Mei's husband had returned. In a panic, Old Wang quickly put on his pants and hid under the bed. Xiao Mei tidied herself up and opened the door, asking, "Husband, why have you returned midway?"
Xiao Mei's husband was a simple and honest man. Not only did he not suspect Xiao Mei, but he showed her even more care. "Wife, you were sleeping when I left. I saw your feet exposed outside, and I didn't think much of it then. But as I walked on the road, I found it extremely cold. I thought if the cold wind blew into the house, you might catch a cold. I came back just to cover you with a blanket!"
Xiao Mei pouted and told her husband not to worry, so Xiao Mei's husband went out again.
If the story ended here, it would just be a small account of a wife's secret rendezvous, nothing significant. The problem is that the story didn't end here, because the one under the bed was suddenly moved. He thought that Xiao Mei's husband treated her so well, yet Xiao Mei was cheating on him behind his back. It was truly shameful!
Well, Old Wang felt that Xiao Mei's affair with him was extremely shameful. His conscience struck him, so he crawled out from under the bed and killed his lover, Xiao Mei, with a single blow. After killing her, he swaggered off to work.
As it happened, Old Wang went on duty, ate, and drank as usual. Meanwhile, Xiao Mei's house was in an uproar. The old man who delivered vegetables to Xiao Mei's house knocked many times without a response. He pushed the door open and found Xiao Mei lying in a pool of blood.
The old man who delivered vegetables to Xiao Mei's house was terrified. After much deliberation, he chose to report it to the authorities. However, the old man was very unlucky, as the Ming officials were quite corrupt. Based on the reasoning principle of "If you didn't kill the person, why are you reporting it?", they directly sentenced the vegetable delivery old man to death.
If the story ended here, at most it would be another miscarriage of justice, disgusting enough, but not particularly bizarre. The problem is that the story didn't end here – on the day of the execution, Old Wang, who had killed Xiao Mei, once again appeared swaggering and shouted, "I killed the married woman. Why should others pay with their lives?"
The supervising official saw that there was a problem and reported it layer by layer, eventually reaching Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was not one to hesitate and directly summoned Old Wang, asking him face to face, "Why did you kill her?"
Cavalryman Old Wang calmly replied, "This woman was my neighbor. Because she was beautiful, I got involved with her. That day, before we finished our business, her husband returned. I hid under the bed and heard his words. I felt like I was not human, but I was even more angry with this woman—her husband treated her so well, yet she cheated. It was too much of a betrayal to her husband, so I killed Xiao Mei. Later, I heard that the old man who sold vegetables was wrongly accused of murder and was to be executed. At that moment, I couldn't bear it any longer. I did it myself, so I should take responsibility!"
Zhu Yuanzhang listened and nodded, saying, "Killing an unrighteous person and saving an innocent one is a good deed!" (Original text: Killing one unrighteous, giving life to one innocent, can be considered good.)
Isn't that bizarre enough?
What with the fortress cavalry captain's affair with his neighbor's wife, incompetent officials making wrong judgments, and Zhu Yuanzhang misjudging right from wrong, it not only contained the essence of romantic tales but also featured various twists and turns, ultimately exonerating Old Wang.
Thus, this story spread throughout the Great Ming, but it only began to circulate slowly after the Zhengde era. Before the Zhengde era, from the emperor to the common people, no one had heard of this matter, because it was a story recorded in "Qian Wen Ji."
Author: Zhu Zhishan.
Anyone familiar with Zhu Zhishan should understand by now that this is another article fabricated to smear Zhu Chongba.
Similarly, there is the incident of Fang Xiaoru's extermination of ten kin groups.
It is said that when Zhu Laosi saw that even feigning madness could not save him from his nephew's deadly hand, he angrily overturned Zhu Yunwen's regime. After the Yan army entered Nanjing, Zhu Yunwen disappeared. Zhu Laosi could only helplessly declare, "This is ultimately my nephew's empire. Now that he is missing, I, as his uncle, will reluctantly take the throne temporarily on his behalf."
Then, Zhu Laosi demanded that Fang Xiaoru write the imperial edict for his enthronement.
The description of this historical event in "Ming Shi" is: "Xiaoru threw his brush to the ground, crying and scolding, saying, 'Death is death, but the edict cannot be drafted.' Chengzu was enraged and ordered him to be dismembered in the market. The description in 'Tai Zong Shi Lu' is: 'Captured traitorous officials Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, Fang Xiaoru, etc., to the palace. Shang enumerated their crimes, all confessed and were executed in the market.'"
However, "Tai Zong Shi Lu," which has been altered by countless people like Ji Gou, does not mention the extermination of Fang Xiaoru's ten kin groups. Even "Ming Shi," which is dedicated to smearing the Great Ming, does not record this matter. Books such as "Li Zhai Xian Lu" and "Ge Chu Lu" written by Song Duanyi during the Chenghua era, which focused on the loyal officials of Jianwen, only stated: "their clans were exterminated," but there was no mention of "ten kin groups exterminated."
"Ming Shi" also recorded that after Fang Xiaoru and his younger brother Fang Xiaoyou were killed in Nanjing, Fang Xiaoru's wife, Madam Zheng, and two of their four sons, Fang Zhongxian and Fang Zhongyu, committed suicide by hanging. Their two daughters also drowned themselves. However, this was not an "extermination of kin groups" by Zhu Di, but rather their wife and daughters, and sons, sacrificing themselves after the husband was killed.
As for the extermination of Fang Xiaoru's ten kin groups, the earliest source is "Zhi Shan Ye Ji," Volume 2, written by Zhu Yunming, one of the Four Talents of Wu during the Hongzhi era of the Great Ming. It states in detail: "After Emperor Wen ascended the throne, he asked Guangxiao who could draft the edict. Guangxiao recommended Fang, so he was summoned. After several exchanges, Fang refused to comply, so he was forced to enter. Fang wore mourning clothes and cried. Upon arrival, he was ordered to draft the edict, but he cursed loudly and refused. He was forced to hold the brush, which he threw away, and spoke more sternly, saying, 'At most, my nine kin groups will be exterminated!' The Emperor was enraged and said, 'I will exterminate your ten kin groups!' Those around asked what the tenth kin group was, and the Emperor replied, 'Friends are also kin groups.' Thus, all nine kin groups were executed, and a widespread search was conducted for anyone who was Fang's friend and they were killed."
Moreover, Zhu Zhishan, in "Zhi Shan Ye Ji," Volume 4, provided a ridiculous reason of a "snake spirit" seeking revenge for the tragic fate of Fang Xiaoru's family, stating: "Later, when Duke Fang unfortunately suffered this calamity, the snake offspring also served as evidence," how can this not be laughable?
In fact, if it were true, as recorded by Zhu Zhishan in "Ye Ji," that Zhu Laosi furiously exterminated Fang Xiaoru's ten kin groups, then who was Fang Fuxiao pardoned by Zhu Gaochi, who reigned for only ten months? In the thirteenth year of Wanli, Emperor Wanli issued an edict pardoning over thirteen hundred descendants who were implicated in the Fang Xiaoru case and were serving on the frontier. Were these people Fang Xiaoru's eleventh kin group?
The rather amusing part is that after Mr. Zhu Zhishan, the "Xizong Shi Lu," in the entry for the fifth month, Ji Hai, of the second year of Tianqi, openly cited Fang Xiaoru's "refusal to draft the edict, resulting in the extermination of ten kin groups." Qian Sisheng, in "Huang Ming Biao Zhong Ji · Xun Nan Lie Zhuan," also recorded: "Fang Xiaoru's extermination of ten kin groups was the cause. The more he was provoked, the more he was killed; the more he was killed, the more provoked. To the point of cutting his tongue, shattering his bones, and not caring about the destruction of his clan and grave." Tan Qian, in "Guo Que," recorded: "His power extended to ten kin groups, exceeding normal standards, yet he could not break the simplicity of the Southern History, so those who judge by success or failure are mistaken."
Subsequently, "Ninghai County Annals · Fang Xiaoru Biography," Gu Yingtai's "Ming Shi Ji Shi Ben Mo," and Huang Zongxi's "Fang Zhengxue Xiaoru" also acknowledged the claim of Fang Xiaoru's extermination of ten kin groups.
To put it bluntly, such disgusting incidents were all fabricated by scholars of the Great Ming and those who later defected to the Great Qing.
The key is that many people cannot distinguish between historical records and unofficial histories. Otherwise, there would not be such a situation where "Xizong Shi Lu," an official document, directly cites content from "Zhi Shan Ye Ji."
This also fully validates the theory: a lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth.
If Emperor Zhu Jinsong had simply let go of those scholars who wept at the palace gates, their courage would only grow. Perhaps many students would have added embellishments, describing how Emperor Zhu was subdued by the students, how he covered his face and left, and how the students were concerned about the country and the world.
Emperor Zhu had no doubt that the scholars of the Great Ming were capable of such shameless acts. If the Battle of Yamen destroyed the backbone of scholars, then the Qing invasion of China was the second time their bones were broken, and their integrity was destroyed!
"The task is heavy and the road is long," Emperor Zhu sighed helplessly. "I plan to take them to the fields tomorrow to observe and learn farming, to let them witness what true hardship of the common people is. However..."
The Emperor did not finish his words, but Zeng Cheng and Liu Heming knew what Emperor Zhu meant. However, it was only tomorrow that those scholars would honestly work the land. What about the day after? Or, after dealing with this batch of troublemaking scholars, how many more would emerge to cause trouble?
Scholars are always like this!
As he was thinking, Emperor Zhu suddenly let out a laugh.
Emperor Zhu thought of something quite interesting. In the Central Plains hall, these scholars always tried to find new ways to cause trouble. But when it came to the "silly eagle" or the Koreans, these scholars were extremely obedient, all willingly serving as dogs for patronage.
Aren't they cheap?
They are cheap!
However, Emperor Zhu had no good solution for these scholars, because Emperor Zhu could not completely abandon the original path due to a few scholars and then do a U-turn from raising the status of the common people to suppressing them.
After another long period of silence, Emperor Zhu finally spoke, "Notify the Ministry of Rites. All students who caused trouble, whether from the capital or local prefectures, are to be persuaded to withdraw. Not only will their academic achievements be revoked, but for the next three generations, they will be forbidden from joining the army or holding official positions. Also, notify the customs authorities. These students are all to be registered and forbidden from leaving the mainland of the Great Ming."
Zeng Cheng's heart tightened, and he tentatively asked, "Your Majesty means?"
Emperor Zhu let out a cold laugh. "These scoundrels, if they cannot cause trouble, will naturally be resentful. Although they do not have the courage to directly raise an army, they have the audacity, and a great deal of it, to defect overseas, seek refuge with barbarians, and use the barbarians to annoy me."
Such matters had occurred more than once or twice in the history of the Central Plains hall.
For example, Zhongxing Shuo, a eunuch during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, was resentful of the Han dynasty because he was dissatisfied with being a member of the envoy for the Han-Xiongnu peace talks. He then defected to the Xiongnu and became an important strategist for the Chanyu, causing great trouble for the Great Han.
Another example is Liu Mengyan, the shame of Liangzhe. Because Wen Tianxiang wrote a satirical poem criticizing him after Liu Mengyan defected to the Yuan Dynasty, Liu Mengyan persuaded Kublai Khan to kill Wen Tianxiang after Wen Tianxiang was captured.
And then there is Fan Wencheng, a descendant of Fan Zhongyan, who was a great contributor to the three hundred years of purple energy coming from the east!
These scholars of the Central Plains hall, at the slightest disagreement, would defect to foreign races, lead those foreign races to rise, and then trample on their own people. There are many such records!
Perhaps some people would find it strange: Would someone truly be willing to abandon a decent life and become a dog for a foreign race?
Do not doubt it. When Fan Wencheng defected to Nurhaci, Nurhaci's assets were not substantial. Yet, Fan Wencheng became what the "pockmarked brother" called "Prime Minister Gao Feng," and after his death, he was posthumously honored with the title "Wensu."
To put it bluntly, scholars have always been like this. Many consider themselves to be unrecognized talents, believing that the world has failed them, not that they have failed the world.
Zeng Cheng, of course, knew the nature of scholars, as Zeng Cheng himself was from a scholarly background...
...
Just as Emperor Zhu and a group of top officials, including Zeng Cheng and Liu Heming, were discussing how to resolve the scholars' issues, the tents on the Tianchen Gate Square in the Forbidden City appeared exceptionally quiet. There were no longer shouts of killing, not even whispers of conversation.
It was truly terrifying. The students who wanted to gamble, to bet on whether they could escape alive from the guards' swords, who wanted to bet their entire family's nine generations and their classmates' lives, were not just the students in Zhang Xijin's son's tent. However, in the end, they all lost heavily, without exception.
The soldiers of the First Division of the Imperial Guard perfectly implemented Emperor Zhu's orders: they did not interfere with students who did not rush out of the tents. All students who rushed out of the tents were killed on the spot, and then the Five City Military Police were called to clean up the scene.
Therefore, as shouts of killing occurred in one tent after another and then subsided, the remaining tents fell completely silent.
When there was a sliver of hope, charging at the Imperial Guards was called gambling. When there was no hope, charging at the Imperial Guards was no longer gambling; it was foolishness!
Are there fools among scholars?
Yes, but not many.