The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 16 The Rat's Words Reveal Virtuous Conduct

Li Qi returned to the princess's residence, where Princess Lin'an was unaware of what had just happened.

She carried the three-month-old Li Xianmu into the study. "My lord, today the Crown Prince sent a letter saying that your previous work, 'A Study of the Customs of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty,' was novel and interesting, which broadened his horizons. He praised you as the foremost scholar of Yuan history in our time. When he returns to the capital next spring, he will have you hold lectures in the palace to tell the princes and grandsons about the events of the previous dynasty."

Upon suddenly hearing Zhu Biao's name, Li Qi was momentarily dazed.

Jinling, Yingtian, and Nanjing are ancient capitals of various dynasties, and are said to have the aura of a rising dynasty. However, Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty once wrote the poem "Wang Jun's warships sailed down to Yizhou, and the royal aura of Jinling faded away." Furthermore, the short-lived dynasties of Jinling cast a shadow over the place.

Zhu Yuanzhang had long harbored the intention to move the capital.

Therefore, Zhu Biao was dispatched to Xi'an and Luoyang to investigate the matter of moving the capital.

But people are not as good as heaven.

Li Qi knew that after Zhu Biao returned in the spring of the following year, he would fall seriously ill and die in April of the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu. After careful calculation, he realized that he only had a few months left.

This is something no one can change, and he can only prepare in advance to cope with the upcoming major political changes.

Moreover, the Lan Yu case was a great opportunity to eliminate his enemies. He would never forget the Jingning Marquis's family forcing his third sister to her death.

"My prince consort! My husband!"

Princess Lin'an noticed that Li Qi seemed lost in thought, so she called out to him twice. Li Qi turned around and smiled, "Let's talk when the Crown Prince returns. Did Father Emperor say anything during your visit to the palace this time?"

Princess Lin'an personally served Li Qi hot tea and said, "Father Emperor said that recently, students of the Imperial Academy have been submitting joint petitions, and the level of officials impeaching you is also getting higher, but he has ignored them and told you to continue handling the case."

With Zhan Hui and the officials cultivated by the clan working together, impeachment memorials flew to the palace like snowflakes.

However, they were unable to force Li Qi to reveal his true intentions, which led to the current situation where students of the Imperial Academy directly confronted Li Qi and forced him to abdicate.

Li Qi knew that the emperor was very pleased that he had been able to attract so much opposition from scholars so quickly.

He is the emperor's weapon; if he were to be on good terms with the scholars, the emperor would unleash his furious wrath.

In this situation, the initiative is in the emperor's hands. If he wants to protect Li Qi, he can use his prestige to suppress the matter; if he wants to kill Li Qi, he can "follow the will of the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang had naturally read the "Study on the Customs of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty" and roughly understood what Li Qi wanted to do. Next, he just needed to wait for a heavyweight to take the bait and become Li Qi's opponent.

For the emperor, anyone renowned among scholars could be Li Qi's rival; his goal was to establish an imperial banner among scholars!
But for Li Qi, this person can only be Li Yuanming!

So he orchestrated the Liu San Niangzi case to implicate Li Yuanming, but that wasn't enough. The purpose of this case was to alert Li Yuanming and make him want revenge. The real killer move was yet to come.

Li Qi's finger landed on a decree with three sharp, hook-like characters written on it: "Inheritance Law".

"Li Yuanming, you rat in the gutter, you cockroach under the stove, you can never see the light of day. This time, I'll have your most trusted student drive you out into the open!"

……

The main hall of the Li residence.

Li Yuanming sat in the hall, with five or six people sitting on each side. Some were dressed in official robes, and some were dressed in the attire of students of the Imperial Academy. They were all Li Yuanming's disciples.

"Teacher, Li Qi is pressing us relentlessly. If we let the Liu San Niangzi case continue to develop, wouldn't that mean the fundamental principles of morality and reason have been abandoned?"

"Li Qi has made a name for himself in the capital this time, and his influence will surely soar. If those northern barbarians all gather under his command, wouldn't that be a sign of the decline of the orthodox tradition?"

The emperor's protectiveness towards Li Qi was obvious, but Li Qi either stayed at the princess's residence or at the Ministry of Justice, refusing to show his face no matter how much he was scolded, leaving everyone helpless.

Today's attempt to force the emperor to abdicate has only made Li Qi famous, and the more people think about it, the angrier they become.

Li Yuanming never expected that Li Qi wouldn't be forced to submit his petition; instead, his own student would come to his door first, pressuring him to write a letter.

He didn't want to take action himself so soon, as that would only make Li Qi more wary. But upon closer reflection, he realized he had no choice but to do so.

He already knew about what happened today. Li Qi was indeed a man of amazing talent. If he continued to develop his abilities, he would surely become a great Confucian scholar who could gather a large following of students.

Especially those northern students who were already on the margins, would surely take the initiative to become his disciples. He originally thought that as long as the censor impeached him and the students of the Imperial Academy jointly submitted a petition, Li Qi would have no choice but to respond, and then he would be able to defeat Li Qi with his profound knowledge.

But the emperor suppressed all of this.

Today, Li Yuanming's students came to his door seeking his help because of a rule in the Ming Dynasty court: normally, kings do not meet, but if an official of the Nine Ministers level personally submits a memorial impeaching someone, then the other person must respond.

The reason Zhan Hui did not take action was that he was the current Minister of Personnel, and taking action would be suspected of forming a faction. It was better to let Li Yuanming, a retired but highly respected Confucian scholar, take action.

"We are all insignificant people with little influence, and are not valued by those in power!"

The teacher's reputation was renowned throughout the world, and his virtue shone as brightly as the sun and moon. He once held a high position in the imperial court, serving as the head of the Nine Ministers and in charge of the etiquette and education of the world. He also wrote books for scholars, and countless students across the country admired him.

Now all the people in the world are watching the teacher. If the teacher is willing to raise his arm and call out, the scholars of the world will surely rise up in response, and the higher-ups will surely pay attention to him. Li Qi will no longer be able to hide and will have to show his face!
teacher!

For the sake of Zhu Xi's teachings, for the sake of the great principles of the world, for the sake of social order and ethics, we implore our teacher to return to the fold!

These impassioned words immediately stirred the blood of the crowd, who shouted in unison, "Please, Master, come out of seclusion!"

But Li Yuanming hesitated!
He tugged at his meticulously groomed beard, his brow furrowed deeply, hesitant and unable to make a decision.

He considered himself a strategist who planned and planned, a sharp blade in the tent, a wise man whose words could defeat a million soldiers, not a reckless warrior charging into battle, nor a general who wielded a sword and wept blood.

He walked through the bloody Hongwu era, with people coming and going around him.

Song Lian, who was once more respected than him among scholars, was exiled and died; Hu Weiyong, who once held far more power than him, was executed; and Li Shanchang, who once looked down on him, also saw his government destroyed and his family wiped out under his influence.

Only he eventually retired peacefully, enjoying the respect of scholars from all over the world.

People always tend to idealize themselves. Li Yuanming spent his whole life scheming and hiding, and he only thought he was very clever and capable, never thinking that he was weak and cowardly.

Unexpectedly, Li Qi forced him to this place with his grand principles.

Why have all those brilliant strategists throughout history been relegated to subordinate positions?
Because a leader who can lead the world must have the courage to take the lead.

Intrigue is ultimately a minor matter.

Why did Zhu Yuanzhang appreciate Li Qi? Because no matter what Li Qi's intentions were, he dared to take the plunge into battle!
Li Yuanming used to enjoy the admiring gazes of his students, but today he felt as if they were burning like fire.

If he doesn't grant the requests of the many students today, he might lose a lot of public support!
Thinking of the officials who were implicated and imprisoned because of the Liu San Niangzi case, Li Qi's sharp edge was almost pointing at his face.

After much calculation and hesitation, Li Yuanming could only agree in the end, "I will personally write to His Majesty, requesting that Li Qi be severely punished!"

A cheer erupted in the hall, which then subsided into a unified shout: "Disciples congratulate our teacher!"

……

At the Ministry of Personnel's residence, Zhan Hui was having a meal when the steward hurriedly entered to deliver news that Li Yuanming had decided to submit a memorial to the emperor.

Feeling the chill that was washing over him, Zhan Hui muttered to himself, "Lord Zishan, I hope you can take care of Li Qi by yourself. If I have to intervene, things will become much more difficult to control."

He worried that the emperor's gaze would fall.

The courtyard was filled with the mournful cries of crows, and then the sounds of servants chasing them away rang out, their cries echoing in the air.

Zhan Hui felt a chill run down his spine.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Even a rat has skin, but a person has no manners! If a person has no manners, what is the point of living?

Even rats have teeth, but humans have no limits! If humans have no limits, why wait to die?

The rat has a body, but man has no manners! Man has no manners! Why not die quickly? —From "The Book of Songs: The Odes of Yong: The Rat"

(End of this chapter)