My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 270 The Best Candidate for Magistrate of Qufu County

The Ministry of Justice was considered part of Zhang Juzheng's sphere of influence.

Upon seeing Su Ze's memorial, Zhang Juzheng immediately thought of the actions of Li Yiyuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

The resurfacing of the Qufu case in the newspapers and the Ministry of Justice's reopening of the investigation into a nine-year-old case undoubtedly indicate that Li Yiyuan and Su Ze have already completed some kind of exchange.

This "Memorial to the Ministry of Justice on the Division of Civil and Criminal Cases" was probably the exchange made by Li Yiyuan.

Zhang Juzheng was satisfied with the draft of his proposal, which strengthened the power of the Ministry of Justice, and he was naturally pleased with it.

Next, Zhang Juzheng saw another memorial from Su Ze.

Su Ze was indeed going to make a move against the Kong family.

Coincidentally, Zhang Juzheng had long been dissatisfied with the Kong family's financial black hole.

Because of the Guanglu Temple case, many officials in the Ministry of Revenue were also dismissed.

Some of these officials were favored by Zhang Juzheng.

We must get our revenge.

Zhang Juzheng once submitted a memorial requesting that the annual tribute from the Duke of Yansheng be changed to a triennial tribute, in order to reduce the number of times Kong Shangxian came to the capital and reduce his opportunities to extort money from post stations along the way.

However, Zhang Juzheng also knew that this was only a temporary solution and not a fundamental cure.

However, Su Ze's sudden impeachment of the Kong family would likely not be easily approved by the emperor.

The reason is simple: the title of "Great Sage and Teacher" is still too strong.

Even if the current magistrate of Qufu, Kong Chenghou, were replaced, it might not be enough to convince the emperor to break the political tacit understanding that had been in place for over a century since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

Given this situation, Zhang Juzheng decided to further strengthen the support for the Kong family.

Soon, a memorial from the Censor of Shandong Circuit of the Censorate was sent to the Grand Secretariat.

This memorial was quickly approved by the cabinet and then sent to the emperor's desk along with Su Ze's memorial.
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Li Fang held the memorial in her hand and read it carefully:

"Kong Shangxian rode in a purple sedan chair, with his guards carrying golden gourds and axes, which was an act of usurpation of imperial authority. He also privately set up a dragon wall in his family temple, which was an act of defiance of the law."

“The sacrificial fields were no more than a thousand hectares, but now they have seized 37,000 mu of farmland from the people, and the rent and taxes have doubled, resulting in starving people lying side by side.”

This is a memorial submitted by Kang Fuyang, the Censor of Shandong Circuit of the Censorate.

Li Fang looked at Emperor Longqing cautiously.

The most ruthless part of Kang Fuyang's memorial was the first half.

Purple sedan chairs and golden mace and axes were ceremonial items reserved for royalty.

Dragon walls were decorations that only the royal family could use in their ancestral temples; even the Duke of Yansheng's family was not allowed to use them.

This act of usurpation is a matter of the foundation of etiquette and law, and it is a bottom line that the emperor cannot cross.

As for the issue of the sacrificial fields later on, it could only be considered the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The Longqing Emperor was indeed enraged and said:

"Is this the Duke Yansheng? Is this how a descendant of the great sage Confucius disrespects etiquette?"

Li Fang then said:
"Your Majesty, here is also a memorial from Hanlin Su impeaching the family of the Duke of Yansheng."

This time, the Longqing Emperor himself took the memorial, and after reading Su Ze's memorial, he said:
"Su Zilin's memorial is correct. The reason why the Duke of Yansheng's family trampled on the law is because of the magistrate of Qufu County."

"Someone, dispatch officials from the Ministry of Rites to Qufu to investigate whether the Duke Yansheng's residence has overstepped its bounds!"

"Another official from the Ministry of Justice was dispatched to work with the Shandong judicial authorities to investigate the old case in Qufu."

"And send Kang Fuyang, the Censor of Shandong Circuit of the Censorate, to Shandong to oversee the two cases."

"Your servant obeys the decree."
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August 10th.

Shen Yiguan rushed into the newspaper office.

"Brother Zilin! There's news from Qufu!"

Shen Yiguan, a well-informed person, braved the sweltering heat to deliver the latest news.

"The Duke Yansheng has overstepped his bounds by using royal ceremonial regalia and has also illegally constructed a dragon wall in his ancestral temple. He is now confined to the Duke Yansheng's residence to serve his sentence!"

"Qufu Magistrate Kong Chenghou released the death row inmate Li Mao without authorization, which in turn framed the victim as a traitor, causing him to suffer injustice for nine years!"

"The authorities have uncovered ten more serious crimes committed by Kong Chenghou! Each one is bloody!"

"His Majesty was furious. He dismissed Kong Chenghou and ordered the relevant authorities to arrest and imprison him, handing him over to the Criminal Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, for investigation!"

"As for the Duke Yansheng, His Majesty dispatched eunuchs to question him, confiscate his unauthorized ceremonial regalia, and demolish the dragon wall."

Su Ze was not surprised by this result.

Su Ze would only be surprised if Kong Chenghou, the magistrate of Qufu, were completely innocent.

The unique position of Qufu magistrate was independent of the official system. The advantage of this position was that Kong Chenghou was not subject to the supervision of superiors and only needed to be responsible to the Kong family, the Duke of Yansheng.

However, the downside is that this position is independent of the Ming Dynasty's bureaucratic system and there are no opportunities for promotion.

Kong Chenghou was the magistrate of Qufu ten years ago, and he can only be the magistrate of Qufu for the rest of his life.

Anyone in this position would be corrupt, let alone Kong Chenghou, who could commit such a wrongful conviction as Li Mao within a year of taking office, demonstrating his truly low moral character.

Moreover, because he had served as the Marquis of Baili in Qufu for a long time, Kong Chenghou did not conceal his crimes at all, and even used such methods to intimidate the people of Qufu.

For example, the tenants who helped Li Mao appeal for justice were also labeled as bandits by Kong Chenghou, who ordered their arrest. Many of the tenants eventually fled Qufu to make a living.

Kong Chenghou's only concern is that if the current Duke Yansheng dies, his successor will definitely replace him.

However, the fact that the current Duke Yansheng can still personally set up checkpoints to make money is enough to show that he is in good health, so Kong Chenghou never considered covering up the evidence of his crimes.

"But the court has come up with several proposals for appointing Qufu County Magistrate, none of which seem quite suitable."

Luo Wanhua said:
"I guess nobody wants to go?"

Shen Yiguan sighed deeply and said:

“Brother Yifu is right, no one wants to go to Qufu at this time.”

The reason is simple: going to Qufu at this time would definitely be to continue suppressing the Duke Yansheng's Mansion in accordance with the imperial court's wishes.

Although the Duke of Yansheng's mansion was insignificant in the eyes of the emperor and his ministers, it still carried considerable weight for a seventh-rank county magistrate.

If I really try to destroy the Duke Yansheng, how can I continue to serve as an official in the future?

What if I run into a few stubborn Confucian scholars who cause trouble? Wouldn't my future be ruined?
A capable and promising young official would naturally be unwilling to go to Qufu to serve as a county magistrate.

An incompetent and unambitious official, if sent to Qufu, would probably end up like the former magistrate Kong Chenghou, and the people might be exploited again.

Clearly, the high-ranking officials in the imperial court understood this principle.

They naturally wouldn't send their best disciples to get involved in this mess.

Shen Yiguan sighed and said:
"There are rumors in the imperial court that the Jining Prefecture is probably in charge of the administration."

Su Ze said, "No way!" Since Jining Prefecture is in charge, the Jining Prefect cannot stay in Qufu to handle official business.

It's important to know that Jining is a major hub for canal transport, a crucial node on the Grand Canal, and the most prosperous region in Shandong.

Therefore, the prefect of Jining will definitely have to stay in the prefectural city.

If the government is merely acting as a substitute for the original one, then the entire Qufu County government will still be run by members of the Kong family, and things will return to the way they were before. This will not achieve the goal of reforming Qufu at all.

Even if Magistrate Kong is gone, there is still Assistant Magistrate Kong, Clerk Kong, and Yamen Runner Kong.

This was clearly not the result Su Ze wanted.

However, Shen Yiguan also sighed and said, "I have asked my classmates, and no one is willing to go to Qufu. We can't ruin their future."

Su Ze lowered his head; it was no wonder that the problems in Qufu were so difficult to solve.

It's like an annoying fly that flies into the house; you can't kill it no matter what you do, it's just plain disgusting.

But what if the emperor were to abolish the title of Duke Yansheng?

I'm afraid even Su Ze's prestige wouldn't be enough to achieve that.

At most, they might order the current Duke Yansheng to abdicate, but the outcome would probably be no different.

Su Ze felt the difficulties of reform even more acutely.

This resistance is not a visible enemy, but rather an invisible force at work.

Someone must be appointed as the magistrate of Qufu. This person must be able to bear the infamy of dealing with the Confucius family, and be willing to do the work, earnestly solve the problems in Qufu, and crack down on the illegal activities of the Duke of Yansheng's family.

To reiterate, why would someone with ability and ideals go to Qufu to stir up trouble?
I'm afraid that even if Su Ze himself were to become a Grand Secretary, he wouldn't be willing to let his disciples go to Qufu and ruin their futures.

Just then, Su Ze suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said:
"I've got someone in mind!"

Luo Wanhua and Shen Yiguan quickly asked:
"Who?"

Su Ze took out a blank memorial, quickly wrote a memorial, and then handed it to Luo Wanhua and Shen Yiguan.

The two men, holding the memorial together, quickly read it and exclaimed in unison:
"Wonderful! Wonderful!"
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Gao Gong is also troubled by the mess in Qufu.

Kong Chenghou, the magistrate of Qufu County, has already been imprisoned and will face trial under the Ming Dynasty's legal code, which Gao Gong need not worry about.

However, there was still no suitable candidate for the position of magistrate of Qufu County, which was a problem for the Ministry of Personnel.

Just when Gao Gong was worrying, his good disciple Su Ze provided timely assistance.

"Quzhou Nan Kong?"

Gao Gong was also taken aback when he saw Su Ze's memorial.

Su Ze's memorial recommended a member of the Kong family of Quzhou to serve as the magistrate of Qufu County.

In fact, the current Duke Yansheng is not a direct descendant of Confucius.

At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Jin army marched south. The descendants of the Duke Yansheng decided that the eldest son would carry a wooden statue of Confucius and the family genealogy south to Quzhou, Zhejiang, which was later known as the Southern Confucian Temple.

Therefore, in all respects, the Southern Confucian lineage is the true orthodox lineage of Confucianism.

When the Yuan Dynasty was established, Kublai Khan found the descendants of the Southern Confucian family and asked them to continue as Duke Yansheng. The descendants of the Southern Confucian family refused, only asking to make a living by farming. The position of Duke Yansheng was to be given to the Northern Confucian family.

From then on, the Confucius family of Qufu began to inherit the title of Duke Yansheng. After the Ming army drove out the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the title of Duke Yansheng was still inherited by the Confucius family of Qufu.

During the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court sought out the descendants of Confucius in the south, bestowed upon them the official title of Doctor of the Five Classics, and allowed their lineage to worship their ancestors in the south.

Historically, the Southern Confucian lineage was far more principled than the Northern Confucian lineage.

In the original timeline, after the Qing army entered the pass, the Confucius family of Qufu quickly sent a letter of surrender, but the Southern Confucius family refused to surrender. If Dorgon hadn't been worried that killing the Southern Confucius family would provoke resistance from the southern scholars, the Southern Confucius family would probably have been wiped out by then.

Moreover, compared to the Confucius family of Qufu, who always sought benefits from the imperial court, the Confucius family of Quzhou has always been very low-key, strictly adhering to the family precepts of Confucius, and has never caused any disturbance to the local area.

Moreover, as the Confucius family in Qufu has become increasingly decadent, the Confucius family in Quzhou has also become dissatisfied with the behavior of the Confucius family in Qufu. In recent years, they have stopped going to Qufu to worship their ancestors and instead stayed in Quzhou to do so.

Therefore, Su Ze proposed selecting outstanding members of the Southern Confucian lineage to serve as county magistrates in Qufu.

Even Gao Gong was amazed by Su Ze's suggestion!

Clearly, the Confucius family of Quzhou placed greater emphasis on the family precepts of Confucius and also upheld the reputation of the Great Sage Confucius.

If a member of the Confucius family from Quzhou were to serve as the magistrate of Qufu County, he would certainly take good care of the Duke Yansheng's residence and prevent them from doing anything that would disgrace their ancestors.

The most intriguing thing is that the Southern Confucian lineage is actually purer in blood and also has a greater influence over the Qufu Confucian clan in terms of legitimate and illegitimate offspring.

In this way, as long as a virtuous disciple of Confucius from the south is selected to serve as the magistrate of Qufu County, he will surely be able to do a good job.

So Gao Gong handed Su Ze's memorial to the other Grand Secretaries, and at the same time ordered the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat to go to the Ministry of Personnel to inform Zhang Siwei, the Selection Officer, to select a suitable descendant of the Southern Confucian family from the list of officials.
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One day later, at the Imperial College.

"Dr. Kong, how was your experience teaching at the Martial Arts Academy?"

Shen Li sat in the flower hall, chatting warmly with the middle-aged official in front of her.

Shen Li, as the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, attached great importance to a Doctor of the Five Classics because the unassuming middle-aged man before him was a member of the Kong family of Quzhou and a descendant of Confucius, the Great Sage Confucius.

Kong Shanglun was the most accomplished Confucian scholar among the Kong family of Quzhou in this generation, so he was sent by his family to the capital to serve as a Doctor of the Five Classics.

Even setting aside his connection to the Kong family of Quzhou, Kong Shanglun's Confucian scholarship was admirable to Shen Li. Moreover, this Dr. Kong was humble, often sponsored impoverished students, and was highly respected at the Imperial Academy.

Shen Li recalled the recent controversy surrounding the Confucius family in Qufu. They were all descendants of Confucius, so why was there such a huge difference between them?

With the weather getting hotter these days, the Military Academy has reduced the time for morning exercises, so they requested the Imperial Academy to add Confucian studies courses.

The other scholars from the Imperial Academy were unwilling to teach at the Military Academy. They already disliked the uncouth students there, especially since the Military Academy's grounds were taken from the Imperial Academy's campus. The sounds of the Military Academy's drills echoed throughout the Imperial Academy every day, making the scholars even more hostile towards the Military Academy.

Shen Li approached many people, but in the end only Kong Shanglun accepted the task.

Confucius said, "In education, there should be no discrimination." Teaching students in the Military Academy is also a way to promote Confucianism. I think it is a good idea to teach in the Military Academy.

Hearing Kong Shanglun say this, Shen Li was even happier.

There's no other way; we need manpower right now.

Who would have thought that the Imperial Academy, which was the most leisurely department in the capital just a few years ago, is now so busy?

Currently, within the Imperial College, there are the Society for Research in Architecture that was moved from the palace, the second term of the Civil Service Examination in Shuntian Prefecture, and the first term of the Civil Service Examination in Shanxi.

In addition, there is the neighboring Military Academy, which also requires teachers from the Imperial Academy to come and teach.

Under the Military Academy, there was also a training class for patrol officers, who also needed the Imperial Academy to provide literacy instruction and teach them "Police Cases".

Worse still, the Chancellor and Doctors of the Imperial Academy, after the Academy became busy, all tried to transfer out of the Academy, or simply claimed to be sick and did not leave, or even resigned and returned to their hometowns.

Shen Li had to oversee teaching, management, and also take care of the students' basic needs, including food, drink, and toileting.

Even such a humble gentleman was driven to the brink of collapse by the torment.

Therefore, even though Kong Shanglun was a hardworking and learned scholar, Shen Li still had to take the time to care about his feelings about teaching the martial arts academy for the first time and carefully coax him, hoping that he could take on more courses.

Just then, officials from the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department arrived.

(End of this chapter)