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

The Duke Yansheng's Mansion is now the Grand Secretary's temporary residence.

The guard posts were heavily guarded.

"Please inform the Grand Secretary that Kong Xingxie requests an audience."

"Wait."

A new soldier took Kong Xingxie's waist token and entered the mansion.

Kong Xingxie waited anxiously, feeling heartbroken. It was his own home, yet he had to get permission from others to enter.

He surveyed the soldiers standing guard around him: young, silent, fanatical, and elite.

I suddenly remembered a saying: "Man is the butcher, and I am the fish on the chopping block."

The Duke Yansheng dared not disobey the Grand Secretary's will.

Otherwise, their entire family would be wiped out.

……

Today, Chief Minister Chiang commands the strongest armed forces within the United Empire. Leaving aside the miscellaneous troops, the army directly under the central command can be divided into three categories.

First, the barbarian guards (new and old bannermen who eat ironclad crops), with a strength of 15000.

Second, the Loyal Guard (a new army unit whose families were allocated land), with a strength of 35000.

Third, the Royalist Party (Zhili Green Standard Army), with a force of 25000.

In theory, these 7 people belong to the United Empire, but in reality, they belong to Jiang Qingyun's private group, and their fates are intertwined.

Ironclad crops.

Farmland.

A minister who followed the emperor.

Apart from Jiang Qingyun, no one else can meet the requirements.

Based on these factors.

The central government gradually became stronger, while the local governments gradually weakened.

From a military perspective: the Grand Secretary's private army became increasingly powerful, while the direct armed forces of local governors and viceroys suffered heavy casualties.

From a political perspective, the chief minister possesses three treasures: popularity, political acumen, and righteousness.

No local governor or viceroy dared to directly challenge the Grand Secretary's authority.

The only independent kingdom within the empire is in the southeast!

The Zheng family operated in Fujian, building warships, recruiting soldiers, and collecting commercial taxes. From Luzon to Nagasaki, the Zheng family's fleet traversed the oceans.

……

Half an hour later.

Kong Xingxie knelt before Jiang Qingyun.

"Prime Minister, I am guilty."

"is it?"

Seeing Jiang Qingyun's sarcastic tone, Kong Xingxie was terrified and kept kowtowing.

"Prime Minister, my loyalty to you is as clear as day and night. Today is an unexpected event."

"What accident?"

"Prime Minister, how dare I claim credit for what is rightfully mine? Even if you gave me eighteen times the courage, I wouldn't dare."

"That's not necessarily true. The Duke of Yansheng has always been bold."

Kong Xingxie was terrified.

thump~
dong dong~
The floor tiles are about to crack.

Jiang Qingyun said sinisterly, "Duke Yansheng, you command a huge following in Shandong, but does Shandong belong to the Kong family?"

Kong Xingxie was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground and fell unconscious.

"Someone, take the Duke Yansheng back and give him proper treatment."

Jiang Qingyun's anger had not subsided.
I am truly indignant about what happened today.

……

That night.

Zhang visited the sick.

Kong Xingxie wept: "Mother, I'm finished. I've made a terrible mistake today, and the Grand Secretary will hold a grudge against me."

“I’ve heard about it, son, don’t worry, there’s a way.”

"any solution?"

"Self-defilement!"

"Can it be done?"

"Yes, the title of Duke Yansheng can save your life. As long as you don't dabble in worldly power, you'll be fine. Otherwise, you're not far from death."

"Mother, why should I defile myself?"

"Bullying men and women, oppressing the elders, holding horse races in the streets—basically, you should smear yourself with as much filth as possible. Once you're tainted, he won't be afraid of you anymore; that's how politics works."

Zhang sighed softly.

If she had a choice, she really wouldn't want her son to get involved in this huge vortex.

As the whirlpool continues to escalate, even those bearing the title of Duke Yansheng risk drowning.

The mother and son remained silent.

Suddenly, Zhang asked, "How old is the Grand Secretary this year?"

"27."

"Only 27? Our family is in for a tough time."

……

"Mother, is there any other way besides just enduring it?"

"Yes." "What?"

"son."

"what?"

“The mindset of having a son is different from that of not having a son. If the chief minister has one or two sons, he will not continue to cause trouble. He will follow the rules and regulations like the emperors of the past, and will not be able to control his own destiny.”

"In our manor~"

"You rest for now, I will take care of this matter myself."

Zhang suddenly realized how crucial this issue was, even a matter of life and death.

The fate of an empire lies not in anything else.

It is located three inches below the navel of the Grand Secretary.

Throughout the empire, although not many people have realized this problem, there are still a dozen or so intelligent individuals.

The next day.

"Grand Secretary, Lady Zhang requests an audience."

Jiang Qingyun was taken aback.

"See."

Ms. Zhang is nearly forty years old, well-maintained, elegant and graceful, with a kind and gentle face.

"This humble servant greets the Grand Secretary."

"Please sit down, Madam."

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

"Does the old lady have any urgent business to discuss with me?"

"The Grand Secretary advocates fundamentalist Confucianism, which I find very encouraging. I would like to do my part for the Grand Secretary. All of you, please come in."

Zhang clapped his hands.

The next second, a group of young and beautiful women gracefully entered the hall and stood in a row.

"Greetings, Grand Secretary."

"This is?"

"They are all daughters of the Kong family, and they are well-versed in all the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections. They can provide assistance when the Grand Secretary is studying Confucius and Mencius."

"That's right."

Jiang Qingyun looked them over and found that each of them was quite attractive.

"What if these women's Confucian scholarship is not profound enough?"

“As descendants of the Duke of Yansheng, if they are not skilled enough, it is acceptable to kill them.”

"Then stay."

Jiang Qingyun let out a hearty laugh.

Taking this opportunity, Zhang stole a glance at the young prime minister's face and instantly made a judgment about him. This kind of man seemed magnanimous, but in reality, his heart was not much bigger than the nose of a needle.

Even if nothing happens at the time, offending this kind of man will lead to retribution later.

……

Jiang Qingyun had sharp eyes and it only took him three seconds to find the most knowledgeable woman among the group of women.

"Come closer."

"Yes."

A slender woman with a charming smile stepped forward and offered the Grand Secretary a glass of wine.

"what's your name?"

"This servant is Kong Zheng."

"He has a rather decent appearance."

"How old is this year?"

"15."

"drink wine."

Kong Zheng picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

There was no refusal, no hesitation, no excuses; that's how sensible and docile they are.

Jiang Qingyun nodded slightly and continued, "What books do you usually read?"

"The Book of Poetry, the Rites of Zhou, and the Zuo Zhuan."

"Bring over this week's gift."

Jiang Qingyun took the thin volume of "The Rites of Zhou" and randomly flipped to a page.

"Let me test you."

"Yes."

What is the first sentence of the "Zhou Li" (Rites of Zhou) section on the Minister of Heaven and the Nine Concubines/Female Historians?

"The Nine Concubines are in charge of the methods of women's education, teaching the Nine Imperial Concubines about women's virtues, speech, appearance, and work. Each of them leads their subordinates and presents them to the King at appropriate times."

What does this sentence mean?

"The Nine Consorts are in charge of the rules concerning women's learning, and educate the ladies-in-waiting on the virtues, speech, manners, and labor skills that women should possess. Each of them leads her assigned ladies-in-waiting to the king's bedchamber in turn to serve him when he rests."

"I'll give you three days to practice."

"Yes."

After three days, Jiang Qingyun was amazed.

The men in the Confucius Mansion were quite displeased.

However, the women in the Confucius family were well-educated, gentle, kind, and devoted to their husbands, which was particularly in line with the original Confucian doctrine.

Gradually, Jiang Qingyun began to grasp some of the essence of the Zhou emperor. (End of Chapter)