You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 313 Expelled from the Famous Church and labeled a heretic!

Huang Zongxi was not wearing an official robe today, but rather a simple blue scholar's robe.

He strolled over to the basket filled with failed exam papers, grabbed one at random, and gestured to the scholar standing at the front on his left.

Who will read it?

"I come!"

Zhou Peigong volunteered.

"what's your name?"

"Zhou Peigong, a scholar from Jingmen."

Seeing his thin appearance and resolute expression, Huang Zongxi immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards him, nodded and smiled, and said, "Read it aloud."

"Yes."

Zhou Peigong was indeed bold, and his voice was loud and clear.

"Zhao Yuan, a scholar, quoted from 'To govern a country, first keep the people ignorant.' The sage said, 'The people can be made to follow a path, but they cannot be made to understand it. Therefore, governing the people is like governing an army; one must restrain their actions and silence their mouths.'"

After he finished reading, the room fell silent.

Is Zhao Yuan here?

"Grand Minister, you are wronged! The sage said that ordinary people are very foolish, just like cattle and sheep. We, the shepherds, only need to whip them hard and drive them to walk."

Huang Zongxi sneered:
The Analects, Book 2, Chapter 12, states: "The Master said, 'One is inspired by poetry, established by rites, and perfected by music. If the people are capable, let them follow; if not, let them understand.'"

"The sage meant that poetry, rites, and music are the three things that can educate the people and must be grasped. If the people have already mastered poetry, rites, and music, let them develop freely. If the people cannot master them for a while, we must educate them, guide them, and enrich their spiritual world as much as possible, so that the people can become noble, elegant, and civilized people."

Zhao Yuan blurted out, "Grand Minister of Rites, I am on the side of the imperial court."

Huang Zongxi roared:

"You are clearly only concerned with your own career advancement. What does this have to do with the imperial court? The world is ruined by hypocrites like you, who distort the teachings of the sages while waving the banner of the imperial court. I hereby declare that the scholar Zhao Yuan is a heretic and a demon, and is expelled from Confucianism."

Zhao Yuan collapsed to the ground, unable to understand.

……

"Zhou Peigong, please choose another exam paper."

"Yes."

Zhou Peigong grabbed a sheet from the basket at random, but before he could even read it, the title startled him so much that his face turned pale.

"To govern a country, one must first breach its dikes"?

Go crazy.

“Read it.”

"Yes."

As soon as Zhou Peigong finished reading the title, everyone's face turned pale.

This essay, titled "To Govern a Country, First Demolish the Dikes," is several thousand words long and elaborates from multiple perspectives on the necessity and possibility of breaching the Yellow River dikes in the name of rebels to systematically drown millions of people.

Everyone present was horrified.

A scholar, stammering, explained in public:
"Grand Minister of State Affairs, fellow colleagues, this is a solution that will solve the problem once and for all. It may be a bit cruel, but it will definitely guarantee long-term stability in Shandong and Henan provinces. There are too many people and too little land, which is an intractable fundamental contradiction. I am doing this for the sake of the court."

People around him kept their distance, afraid that blood would splatter on their faces.

……

Huang Zongxi didn't bother to even glance at this heretic demon.

"Pick another one."

"Yes."

Zhou Peigong bent down to pick up a sheet, his pupils dilating in shock once again, but he remained calm and read aloud:

"To govern a country, one must first kill people."

"I humbly submit that the Holy Dynasty governs the world with its might. The sage said, 'The petty man fears might, not virtue; the virtuous man fears virtue, not might.' For the world has few virtuous men and many petty men; therefore, it is through might that the dynasty is governed."

As he read it, Zhou Peigong thought to himself, "Damn it, they're a bunch of vermin. If we rely on these vermin to defend the orthodox tradition, we're doomed."

That person is acting strangely.

These insects are even more suspicious.

Suddenly, he became even more convinced of his idea that "to govern a country, one must first govern its officials."

……

"To govern a country, one must first prohibit the seas."

"All overseas are barbarians, all overseas are rebels, overseas is the source of all evil. Banning the sea is the prerequisite for long-term stability. For the sake of the Qing Dynasty for ten thousand years, the court should establish a long sea ban belt from Shanhaiguan to Guangzhou. Within 20 miles of the coast, no one is allowed to live. Burn down a no-man's-land to completely cut off the possibility of coastal gentry and common people going to sea privately."

Zhou Peigong's eyelids twitched as he read. Yao Qisheng listened, secretly alarmed, suddenly realizing a storm was brewing. Those who obey the Grand Secretary live. Those who oppose the Grand Secretary die.

Huang Zongxi sneered inwardly, which only strengthened his resolve to thoroughly purge the heretics.

"Arrest all the students who failed the exam."

"As ordered."

A rope was tied around the wrists of ten people, and the scene was filled with deafening cries.

The Eight Banners soldiers didn't care about anything else, let alone arresting people. If they had a military order, they would slaughter a thousand people on the spot without hesitation.

Huang Zongxi shouted sternly:
"If any of you feel wronged, the Four Books and Thirteen Classics are here. Which book, which chapter, contains any words that support your case? Find them, and I will apologize to you."

Everyone was dejected.

Huang Zongxi suddenly had a plan.

"How should the imperial court deal with these heretics and evil spirits who have corrupted the reputation of Confucianism? Let you, the top three scholars, vote on it."

……

This was a truly anonymous vote; the slip of paper only had two options.

First, strip him of his official rank and exile him to the army.

Second, retain your official title and live in your hometown for the rest of your life.

Yao Qisheng gritted his teeth and selected option one.

Although he couldn't think of any way the court could trace everyone's choices, he decided to be on the safe side and not cause trouble for himself.

Zhou Peigong hesitated for a long time, but finally chose option one. His idea was that these insects would tarnish the reputation of true disciples of the Confucian school.

Expelling Confucianism from the Confucian school and imposing only minor punishments would be a significant benefit to it.

The saint is right, the worms are wrong.

Fifteen minutes later, Huang Zongxi received two baskets of anonymous slips of paper. Instead of publicly counting the votes on the spot, he announced that the day was over and then left.

The top three successful candidates felt a pang of sadness watching their companions being pushed and shoved away, weeping and wailing.

When the show ended.

Yao Qisheng approached Zhou Peigong.

"Come on, let's have a drink."

"it is good."

The two found a meat shop in a secluded alley and exchanged their thoughts in hushed tones amidst the clamor of the porters.

“Brother Zhou, I’m certain that these 1000 students who failed the exam will die.”

"The court only said they were to be exiled, not that they were to be killed."

"Shall we make a bet?"

"Okay, but I don't have any money."

"Let's bet on a drink."

……

South of the city, at the Chiang Kai-shek residence.

Huang Zongxi's granddaughter, Huang Xiu, was pregnant and was taken care of in every way. Her daily life was taken care of by Madam Wen herself.

Jiang Qingyun would often come to visit him.

Nothing more than longing for a son!
In recent years, the wives and concubines in the household have given birth to a lot of daughters, which has created an awkward situation. How can the Jiang family's vast fortune be managed without a son to inherit it?
However, Jiang Zhongcheng, despite his advanced age, had three sons in Baoding Prefecture.

Enraged, Wen decided to stay in the capital for an extended period.

"Mom, are you looking for me?"

"Yun'er, your mother has chosen four maids who are likely to bring forth sons for you. You can take them in for now, and if there is good news, they can be promoted to concubines."

"Is it reliable?"

"Don't worry, I had Aunt Wu personally select them in Jiangnan."

"Thank you, mother."

Wu Ma was Wen's close confidante. She lost her husband early in life, was shrewd and capable, and hardworking. Thanks to her own good fortune, her three sons are now all rich and powerful.

Loyalty can withstand the test of time!

Jiang Qingyun returned to the room and saw that the four maids had furrowed brows, straight backs, slender necks, and upright postures. They were clearly well-educated and sensible young ladies. Thinking that he had nothing else to do, he left one of them to participate in the Zhou ritual.

(End of this chapter)