Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 4 I didn't expect Di Renjie to have thick eyebrows and big eyes

Li Shimin leaned against the backrest of the dragon couch, looking at the children sitting below with a smile.

"What did your husband do?"

What exactly did Mr. Kong do? Why did everyone persecute him like this... Even Li Ming wanted to speak up for Kong Yingda.

"Grandpa..."

"shut up."

"Oh."

Di Renjie looked at the ground and answered word by word:

"Mr. Kong cast a curse on His Majesty."

The ministers who had originally disapproved immediately became serious.

They did not believe that Kong Yingda was plotting a rebellion because armed rebellion was a technical job with a high threshold and it was not something that a Confucian scholar could accomplish just by talking.

But cursing is really just a matter of moving your lips.

And don't think that it's just a matter of words. In the feudal era, prophecies could still cause bloodshed.

The distant one was the witchcraft disaster; the recent one was the eve of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, when Fu Yi secretly reported that Taibai Jinxing appeared in the Qin territory, which frightened Li Shimin into starting the rebellion ahead of time.

I have to admit that the naughty kid got this point right.

This guy named Di Renjie is quite something.

Kong Yingda moved his butt awkwardly.

Although he has no ulterior motives, who can guarantee that he has never said something wrong in his life and unintentionally given people a chance to criticize him?
Li Shimin's eyes swept over Kong Yingda.

"What you say is unfounded."

"Every word is true, and all the students present here can testify to that."

"Testify for what?"

"Mr. Kong cursed His Majesty and the entire royal family in public."

"Curse what?"

"Curse the royal family to be extinct!"

Li Shimin's breathing became heavy and he sat up straight without realizing it.

"How to curse?"

The four words echoed loudly in the silent Liangyi Hall.

Di Renjie took a deep breath and said calmly:

"Mr. Kong said in class that the Tang Dynasty had been engaged in wars for years and the people were exhausted, but Your Majesty did not sympathize with the people's strength and built a large number of buildings. Will the first person to build tombs have no descendants?"

Li Shimin glanced at the great scholar who was saying bad things about him behind his back, and asked with a half-amused and half-confused tone:
"What's wrong with this sentence?"

Di Renjie pretended to be surprised:
"Mr. Kong cursed Your Majesty to have no offspring. Isn't this a problem?"

Li Shimin was stunned and immediately burst into laughter.

The tense faces of the ministers relaxed and the hall was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Little Di Renjie blinked his big innocent eyes:

"Why is your majesty laughing?"

Li Shimin pointed at him angrily and amusedly:
"You guys... Is this what '其无后乎' means? You should ask your teacher. How do you listen in class?"

Kong Yingda's expression was extremely complicated, and he said in a hoarse voice:

"'The first person to make clay figures for burials will have no descendants' is not a curse on the other person to have no descendants! This sentence was said by Mencius when he admonished King Hui of Liang. It was an admonition! Do you think the second sage is cursing?"

Isn’t it?! ... Li Ming was shocked.

He is a top student who has completed nine years of compulsory education and successfully obtained a junior high school degree.

Isn’t the explanation of this sentence in the Chinese textbook “the main culprit should have his descendants cut off”?

"Hou and Hou, although sometimes used interchangeably in books and inscriptions today, are two completely different characters in seal script. Hou means future generations, while 'hou' in seal script corresponds to 'si', meaning control and discipline."

Kong Yingda shook his head and quibbled over the words.

"What Mencius really meant by this sentence is -

“The monarch should love his people the most, because no one can control him. If the monarch is unkind, others will not be able to correct him, and the consequences will be disastrous.”

He was speaking solemnly to the common monarch of the world today:

"This old minister has no second thoughts about Your Majesty. But Your Majesty should also sympathize with the people's strength. The Tang Dynasty is not even halfway through its establishment, so we should not indulge in pleasure!" It turned out that it was a false alarm caused by a misinterpretation of ancient texts. Kong Yingda is still a good comrade.

Li Shimin felt a little relieved. Although he had received another inexplicable remonstration, he was not angry but happy.

"Of course I know what Lord Chongyuan taught. Didn't the construction of Daming Palace stop last year?"

Then, he looked at the nervous ministers and said to the children who had "reported the crime" with a smile:

"Di Renjie and the others, you studied without thinking and even falsely accused the teacher.

"But considering your loyalty to the court, and the fact that Chinese culture is broad and profound, it is inevitable that it will be misunderstood. I pardon you and let you go home and study hard."

The ministers breathed a sigh of relief and glared at their son/grandson who almost caused such a big trouble.

The children lowered their heads one by one, feeling vague phantom pains in their buttocks.

Di Renjie was not afraid at all, partly because his father was not qualified to hold a meeting here. He smiled and waved at Li Ming:
"Your Highness Li Ming, don't be so reserved. His Majesty has already forgiven you."

"what?"

Li Ming, who acted as a background board throughout the whole process, looked confused.

Li Shimin was stunned at first, but immediately understood what these little brats meant. He slapped his thigh, pointed at Li Ming and laughed.

He laughed so hard that he fell backwards. He was even happier than when he learned that Hou Junji had captured Gaochang.

"Hahaha! You really have good assistants!"

"what???"

Li Ming was even more confused and looked at Di Renjie in bewilderment.

what happened?
Di Renjie explained:

“It is not difficult to guess that the troubles His Highness got into were mainly due to misinterpreting the sage’s sayings and disrespecting the teacher.

"Your Majesty has just pardoned the first one. Since the child is not guilty of misinterpreting 'he has no offspring', then misinterpreting 'thirty years old and established oneself' is naturally not guilty either. Otherwise, wouldn't it be biased?"

Li Ming was stunned.

After going in circles and being taught a whole Chinese language lesson, it turned out that the little friend had set a trap for the emperor in order to exonerate himself!
Di Renjie, you are really a great detective!

"As for the second one, it is even less of a sin."

Di Renjie told the story slowly.

“The ancient sage once said that for enemies who hurt your parents, you should sleep on grass or use a shield as a pillow, and do nothing else, and never live in the same world with your enemies.

"Your Highness was disrespectful to Mr. Kong because you mistakenly thought that Mr. Kong cursed Your Majesty. But Your Majesty just issued an order. Although you learn without thinking, your loyalty and filial piety are evident, so it is not a sin."

Then he bowed to Li Shimin again:
"Your Majesty, you have overlooked one of His Highness Li Ming's crimes. As a subject, I must confess this to my king and father."

Li Shimin stroked his beard curiously: "What is it?"

"The reason why we wrongly reported Mr. Kong is because His Highness Li Ming taught us to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic, which caused us to lose our minds because of Mr. Kong's words.

"I hope your majesty will not punish your highness for this."

Li Ming was completely numb.

This is not an apology, it is clearly an invitation for credit.

I never expected that you, Di Renjie, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, can actually be a master of palace fighting!

"I'll consider it."

Li Shimin smiled from the bottom of his heart in front of his ministers.

"Gentlemen, what do you think I should do with Ming'er?"

Since he has been called by a nickname, what else can I do to “deal with him”?

Zhang Sun Wuji suppressed his laughter:
"I think His Highness Li Ming has committed the crime of forming a clique for personal gain. He has attracted young talents and the sons of important officials to his side. This clique is really big!"

"Yes, yes." All the ministers seconded the motion.

Li Shimin nodded solemnly:

"Factionalism can indeed easily corrupt government.

"In order to prevent this problem and prevent this boy from becoming an unlearned person who doesn't even know the meaning of 'standing on one's own feet at the age of thirty', I have decided -"

Li Ming swallowed hard, feeling a bad feeling in his heart.

"Prince Li Ming is no longer attending primary school. Fang Xuanling is appointed as the Chief Clerk of Cao Wangfu to teach and assist Li Ming."

(End of this chapter)