Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 114 I wasn't done yet, how come everyone's dead? (8k8)

Unfortunately.

Kong Qingzong, who had already been knocked unconscious, naturally couldn't hear Xiao Hongzi's mutterings.

And the surrounding crowd of onlookers.

After Kong Qingzong was dragged away, his mindset also changed quite a bit.

There's no need to say more about ordinary people.

Your Majesty's actions after ascending the throne have led to the situation where Your Majesty could lead a deer and claim it is a horse.

They would also have to admit that this deer is truly a fine horse.

Not to mention education reform.

It's simply a matter of His Majesty giving orders on how things should be implemented, and they support those orders accordingly.

For those students from Beijing Middle School who have a deeper level of thinking...

Their mindset has also changed significantly.

They have all witnessed His Majesty's actions since ascending the throne.

Regardless of just how cruel His Majesty's actions are.

Apart from a small group of people who are frequently subjected to torture, the vast majority of the rest are living better and better lives.

These are all obvious.

So they might think His Majesty is indeed a bit cruel, but it's also somewhat unlikely that His Majesty is cruel.

Therefore, educational reforms have inherently gained favor among students.

As for whether anyone will consider that once reforms are implemented, all the Confucian classics they have studied for so many years will become useless.

That's definitely true.

The problem is that these days only a small group of people can go to school.

For these people, educational reform simply means a change in the way competition is conducted; it doesn't directly deprive them of their right to compete.

And everyone understands one thing.

Without His Majesty, even if they put in several times more effort than others every day, it wouldn't actually make much of a difference.

Because the Ming Dynasty's path to advancement had been blocked.

His Majesty has now opened a path for them to rise in rank; they have no other choice.

The most important thing is.

The voice in the crowd just now was absolutely right.

Let's not even mention the various foreign tribes that were eyeing the Ming Dynasty from the outskirts.

The current nationwide unrest has made it impossible for them to stick to the old ways and study Confucian classics.

His Majesty is already preparing to personally quell the rebellion, so how can these students in the capital not do everything they can to strengthen the military and enhance the nation's power?!

Because if His Majesty fails, they will have to go back to their previous dark and hopeless lives.

If a person has never seen the light, he can at least tolerate the darkness.

But given the current situation, it would be absolutely unacceptable to send them back to the past.

Thus, in just a moment, people's hearts were stirred, and the initiative of the students in the capital was fully mobilized.

Zhang Weixian and Chen Xinjia, who were hiding in the crowd, exchanged a glance and nodded excitedly.

Everything is indeed going exactly as His Majesty predicted.

Your Majesty's control over people's hearts is truly terrifying!
What followed was simply a matter of following the established procedures.

Kong Qingzong, a representative of Confucianism in Beijing and a descendant of the Duke Yansheng, was dragged to Caishikou and publicly executed by slow slicing.

To prevent this old beast from saying anything detrimental to unity when he's being tortured.

The executioner was so considerate that he cut off the man's tongue with the first cut.

A prophecy.

Kong Qingzong, who was about to suffer the agony of being torn apart by a thousand cuts, could not describe his feelings at this moment.

Regret, pain, anger, despair.
Several emotions swirled within him.

He never imagined that a mere emperor would actually dare to torture him, a descendant of the Duke of Yansheng.

Even more unexpectedly, this emperor actually challenged the very foundations of Confucianism!
What Kong Qingzong found most unacceptable was...

Those unruly people actually dared to shout the slogan that the words of the sages are useless in public!
Although such a scene only occurred in the capital, it was still an absurd act!

However, for Kong Qingzong, he no longer had time to care about these things.

After he was tied to the execution rack.

A sharp blade then sliced ​​open his thin, withered skin.

The immense pain overwhelmed him instantly, making him regret ever being born.

Kong Qingzong attempted to speak out and denounce the emperor, hoping to salvage a last shred of dignity for himself and the Kong family.

However, his tongue had been cut out and his mouth was stuffed with rags, so he could only let out muffled roars.

Left with no other choice, Kong Qingzong could only glare angrily at the direction of the imperial city, his eyes blazing with fury.

You mad, bastard emperor, a tyrant like Jie and Zhou, your fate will be countless times worse than mine!
I have already sent a secret letter home, telling them exactly what heinous things you have done in the capital.

After they saw the letter.

They will definitely do everything in their power to eliminate you!
You've offended all the powerful and influential families in the country and shaken the very foundations of Confucianism. A madman like you will surely die without a burial place!

Your family, your cronies, your court, everything you care about!
They will all be crushed into dust!
Kong Qingzong attempted to convey his curse to the emperor through his eyes.

But next second.

A sharp knife tip loomed infinitely large before his eyes.

"Are you looking after your mother?!"

The executioners grumbled in discontent.

Kong Qingzong's two eyeballs were also gouged out with a sharp knife.

As his eyeballs were gouged out, Kong Qingzong's pain intensified several times over, and he no longer had the mind to curse the emperor.

As Kong Qingzong, a representative of Confucianism in the capital, was publicly executed by dismemberment.

Other academies and schools in the capital also quickly expressed their opinions: "These unusual techniques are great! We must learn them!"
Confucian classics? The words of sages?
I'm so unfamiliar!
Get out of the academy right now!
After dealing with these matters, Zhang Weixian and Chen Xinjia hurriedly returned to the palace to report back.

After listening to their reports, Zhu Youjian nodded.

As for what happens next...

This was to reward the soldiers and make final preparations before the expedition to Korea.

Apart from the group that fought alongside Zhu Youjian in Shaanxi.

This time, five thousand able-bodied men from the Beijing Garrison also joined the expedition.

Although these able-bodied men in the Beijing garrison had no actual combat experience and had only been training for a little over a month, they still managed to get some real combat experience.

But for Zhu Youjian, none of these were problems.

Combat capability? You'll find out everything after a few real-world battles.

And there's another advantage.

These men were all from respectable families in the capital, possessing both courage and absolute loyalty.

Although the quantity is not large, the quality is definitely not bad.

With all preparations for the expedition completed.

That same evening, the members of the imperial faction gathered again in the Qianqing Palace.

now.

Although everyone had a thousand words they wanted to say, they all ultimately fell silent.

Everybody knows.

His Majesty is leaving the capital this time.

The dangers we face will be many times greater than when we went to Shaanxi for disaster relief last time, because the current situation is that the whole country is at odds with us.

At this point, making any useless grand pronouncements would seem rather pretentious.

They didn't know if His Majesty could successfully pacify Korea and return victorious.

They didn't even know if the royal procession would be able to reach North Korea safely.

But that's it.

For everyone, there is no other choice left.

If we win, there is hope for the revival of the Han dynasty.

If we are defeated, we will be utterly destroyed.

And that's all they can do.

The goal is to safeguard everything in the capital after tomorrow, making it the last pure land of the Ming Dynasty!
The next day.

early morning.

The procession of nearly 10,000 people slowly set off from Tianjie Avenue in Beijing.

This naturally attracted a large number of ordinary people and officials to see them off.

Now that the main leaders of the civil service group in the capital have all been killed, the remaining people can be dealt with little by little later.

Those who were originally fence-sitters now dare not harbor any dissent.

These people have already made their plans.

No matter how the winds of change blow, as long as things haven't settled down, they must steadfastly support the emperor.

After all, who would have thought that with the whole country at odds, the emperor would still dare to personally lead the army into battle?
What if rumors spread that the emperor is going to lose, but then the emperor manages to fight his way out just like he did three days ago?

Are they even alive?!
Therefore, almost all the people in the farewell procession today are hoping that the imperial procession will return victorious.

Although everyone knew that this expectation was extremely slim, there was still hope.

The civil and military officials and the people of the capital accompanied them for more than ten miles before they left, which is another story.

And at the same time.

Countless eyes from all over the country were also focused on the imperial procession.

For the powerful and influential families throughout the Ming Dynasty.

They never expected that the emperor's response to the nationwide unrest would be to personally lead an expedition.

Therefore, it is very much worth looking forward to where the emperor will personally lead his expedition to the first stop.

If the emperor's entourage lingers there for too long and reveals any flaws or shows signs of weakness, they will join forces to eliminate it.

This is a tacit understanding that can be reached among powerful and influential families in various regions without any need for discussion.

After all, there is no longer any possibility of reconciliation between the current emperor and them.

Either you die or I live!
some of.

The powerful and influential families in Hebei, Liaodong, Shandong, and Henan were the most concerned about the imperial procession's progress.

These places are closest to the capital and are most likely to be the first to be targeted. You really can't afford to be careless.

Amidst the intense anticipation of the crowd, the imperial procession headed south.

soon.

Two or three days passed in a flash.

The imperial procession entered Hebei province at this time.

From the moment the imperial procession entered Hebei, all the powerful and wealthy families in Hebei, especially the Huang and Zhang families, were on high alert.

But what no one expected was.

The emperor's entourage arrived in Hebei, but it seems he was merely passing through.

The emperor neither stationed himself here nor made any move against any faction or any intention to quell the rebellion.

Could it be that they brought over 10,000 people here for sightseeing?!

In this regard.

These prominent families in Hebei are truly baffling.

They couldn't very well send people directly to fight behind the emperor's carriage.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was in a state of turmoil in various places.

However, even though the turmoil was ostensibly caused by bandits, they were still considered loyal subjects.

Moreover, the emperor's procession was moving at an extremely fast speed.

Before we were even ready, they had already darted out again, so it was really difficult to make a move casually.

We must wait until the emperor has actually settled down before we can make any further plans.

But what these people didn't expect was...

After wandering around Hebei for two or three days, the imperial procession headed directly towards the border between Hebei and Shandong.

In this regard.

The powerful families made a decision instantly: if the emperor dared to station his troops in Shandong, then Hebei and Shandong would join forces.

We must trap and kill the emperor in Shandong, caught in a pincer movement, without any hesitation.

And this moment.

Zhu Youjian was sitting in the carriage, looking through maps and geomancy related to Korea.

It was also at this time.

Xiao Hongzi entered the carriage with an envelope in his hand, bowed, and reported:

"Your Majesty, we have just received a secret letter. It says that Mao Wenlong of Dongjiang Town sent someone to the capital, and the capital has also sent someone to deliver it."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian nodded and accepted the secret letter, immediately beginning to read it.

Did North Korea and the Later Jin Dynasty collude with each other?
King Injo of Joseon was no longer loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and he even helped the Later Jin to send troops through the Ming Dynasty's Dongjiang military town.
Moreover, the arrival of the Later Jin army is likely to be in the near future.

Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes as he looked at the secret letter.

Mao Wenlong wrote this letter with great resolve.

In the letter, he stated frankly that he would lead his men to fight with all their might to withstand the first wave of attack from the Later Jin.

However, if the Later Jin continued to send reinforcements, he would be powerless to do anything about it.

Zhu Youjian put down the letter and picked up the map to take a look.

If I calculate the time, I should be able to arrive at Dongjiang Military Town around that time.

Moreover, for Zhu Youjian, this matter wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

They had originally planned to create a pretext for attacking North Korea, since war is a continuation of politics, and having a legitimate reason for war could greatly boost morale.

But now it seems that it's completely unnecessary.

North Korea has already provided its own reasons.

Zhu Youjian looked at Xiao Hongzi and instructed, "Have Your Majesty speed up the march and proceed to Dongjiang Military Town as soon as possible."

Xiao Hongzi bowed and replied, "This servant obeys the decree!"

However, Xiao Hongzi did not leave immediately. After hesitating for a moment, he asked:

"Your Majesty, we are about to enter Shandong territory. I'm afraid the Kong family in Shandong must already know about Kong Qingzong's execution."

"If that's the case, they will surely try every means to stop the Emperor's advance, and then..."

Zhu Youjian shook his head: "Ignore everything. If anyone blocks our way, just kill them. There's no need to waste any words with them."

"The most important thing right now is to get to Dongjiang Military Town."

For Zhu Youjian

He was naturally aware of the thoughts of powerful and influential families across the country.

They were simply planning to wait until the imperial procession was settled before taking further action.

But Zhu Youjian would never give these people a chance.

Therefore, apart from necessary rest, we have been traveling non-stop for the past few days.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hongzi's expression hardened: "This servant obeys the decree!"

Now that His Majesty has spoken, anyone who dares to stand in our way will naturally be killed.

Even if those damned Confucian scholars bring out the plaque of Confucius, he will still smash it without hesitation!

at the same time.

In Qufu County, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province, at the residence of the Duke Yansheng.

A middle-aged man with a refined appearance and a tall, slender build.

He was dressed in a scholar's robe, sitting on a grand chair in the ancestral hall, listening calmly to the reports from his trusted servants.

The middle-aged man's name is Kong Yinzhi. He inherited the title of Duke Yansheng seven years ago and is the true person in charge of the Duke Yansheng's mansion in the present day.

Although the various matters mentioned by his trusted confidants were already earth-shattering events in the eyes of outsiders—the emperor was cracking down on the Confucian forces in the capital and even dared to abolish the teachings of the sages without authorization.

What else could this be but an earth-shattering event?!

But after Kong Yinzhi heard the servant's account...

He merely wore a faint smile on his face, and even elegantly waved the fan in his hand.

Kong Yinchang, the younger brother of Kong Yinzhi, who was also a direct descendant of the Duke Yansheng, couldn't help but ask when he saw his brother's appearance:

“Brother, I could understand why you always seemed so calm and collected no matter what happened in the past, but now that Ming emperor has gone too far!”

"Moreover, rumors say he is about to enter Shandong. Such actions are clearly aimed at my Kong family!"

"If that's the case, why are you still so dismissive, brother?! That thief has threatened the very foundation of our Kong family! Even killing him wouldn't be enough!"

Before Kong Yinchang could finish speaking, Kong Yinzhi interrupted him:
"Yinchang, Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teacher—how can you, a descendant of the Duke Yansheng, utter such disrespectful words to His Majesty?!"

Kong Yinchang was taken aback, then quickly bowed and apologized, saying, "I know I was wrong! Please punish me, elder brother!"

Kong Yinzhi's expression brightened, and he smiled calmly at his younger brother, who was more than ten years younger than him.
"Enough! You're still young, it's normal for you to speak without thinking. When I was your age, I often uttered some wild and unfounded words." After a pause, he continued:
"Although Kong Qingzong's original intention was to think about the long-term foundation of Confucianism and thus defied His Majesty, his methods were ultimately lacking."

Kong Yinchang nodded: I understand. The original intention was good, but the execution was flawed.

Thinking of this, he asked his elder brother with some doubt:
"Then, brother, in your opinion, how should we deal with the Ming Dynasty emperor?"

Before he could finish speaking, Kong Yinchang saw Kong Yinzhi's sharp gaze shooting straight at him.

He hurriedly changed his words, saying, "And how should we uphold the teachings of the sages?"

Kong Yinzhi sighed deeply, then spoke with a hint of empathy:

"Yinchang, you must remember that no matter what, you must always keep the words of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country on your lips."

“Say it day after day, night after night, when there are people around, and even more so when there are no people around.”

"Because there are some things that you can only get others to believe in if you believe them yourself first."

Listening to Kong Yinzhi's words, Kong Yinchang couldn't help but feel somewhat confused.

See this.

Kong Yinzhi stopped keeping him in suspense and asked, "Do you know why Kong Qingzong lost this game?"

Kong Yinchang pondered for a moment: "Did I underestimate His Majesty's ruthless methods? Or was this person too reckless in his actions?"

Kong Yinzhi did not reply, but instead turned his back and looked towards the ancestral hall:
"Yinchang, take a look at our Confucius family ancestral hall. What do you see inside?"

A shrine to a sage must be extremely magnificent.

Following his brother's words, Kong Yinchang looked ahead and first saw a series of wide steps.

As he climbed the stairs, a sense of oppression enveloped Kong Yinchang in an instant.

finally.

His gaze struggled to reach the top of the ancestral hall, where he saw a magnificent plaque that read, "A towering mountain to be admired!"
In an instant.

Kong Yinchang seemed to understand something instantly and said:

"Brother, do you mean that Kong Qingzong shouldn't have personally colluded in this matter?"

Kong Yinzhi then nodded.

Kong Yinchang truly understood his elder brother's meaning: to be honest, it was indeed true.

They could have first drafted a surrender document, then subtly sabotaged the process and used a roundabout approach. Instead, they openly defied them; who else would they kill but them?!

at the same time.

Kong Yinchang told his elder brother, "Only when you believe it yourself can you get others to believe it too."

Different insights have already emerged.

Thinking of this, Kong Yinchang bowed deeply.
"In that case, please enlighten me, elder brother, on how to truly uphold the teachings of the sages and save the millions of disciples of the sages of our Great Ming Dynasty from this calamity!"

Kong Yinzhi waved his hand and said, "Let's eat first."

Kong Yinchang knew that his elder brother was tempering his character, and his admiration for his brother grew even stronger.

It seems that my elder brother really doesn't take the Ming Dynasty emperor seriously.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been thinking of making plans after finishing their meal when the imperial procession was almost entering Shandong territory.

For a while.

Kong Yinchang was relieved.

His older brother had always been an omnipotent figure in his mind since childhood.

Since his elder brother doesn't seem to care much about the Ming emperor, he must have already made plans in his mind.

And what the elder brother is planning is bound to be a move that the Ming emperor cannot handle!

Ever since.

Kong Yinchang then completely put his mind at ease and focused on eating.

As a sage's residence, the various rituals and ceremonies were naturally indispensable and intricate.

After Kong Yinzhi and Kong Yinchang finished their meal and cleansed their mouths with fragrant tea, a full hour had passed since the last time.

And it was only at this moment that Kong Yinzhi spoke again:
"Yinchang, why do you think His Majesty still had the courage to personally lead an expedition when the entire Ming Dynasty was facing enemies?"

Kong Yinchang pondered for a moment: "On the one hand, His Majesty does indeed have a thunderous hand; on the other hand, it is the will of the people in the capital."

Kong Yinzhi nodded: "The sage said: The ruler is the boat, and the common people are the water. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it."

Upon hearing this, Kong Yinchang instantly guessed how his elder brother planned to deal with the emperor.

"Does my brother mean to use the Kong Qingzong incident to stir up the respect for teachers and the Way among tens of thousands of scholars in Shandong?"

Kong Yinzhi shook his head: "The affairs in the capital are far away, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to unite people's hearts."

Just as Kong Yinchang was about to speak, he saw his elder brother speak again:
"Since His Majesty is preparing to enter Shandong, the target of this personal expedition must be the villains and rebels within Shandong."

“During this period, the imperial procession will inevitably rest for a while, whether for a long or short time, but it will eventually stop and cannot continue to move forward without stopping.”

"In that case."

At this point, Kong Yinzhi suddenly changed the subject and brought up something completely unrelated:
"Yinchang, is the jelly you ate at noon still jelly?"

Kong Yinchang raised an eyebrow, and after a moment of surprise, he instantly understood how his elder brother planned to deal with the emperor.

When the emperor enters Shandong, he will inevitably pause.

As soon as the imperial procession stops, then we can take the opportunity to cause trouble.

The emperor himself and his ilk could not cause any trouble.

But those stinking soldiers in the imperial procession.

However, there is much that can be done by focusing on them.

You ate two bowls of noodles, why are you only being charged for one?!

What?! You say you only ate one bowl?! Cut open your stomach and let me see!

No C-section? How am I supposed to know if you're telling the truth?
I think you're just taking advantage of being the emperor's man to bully us ordinary people!
If a hundred or so Confucian scholars were gathered to watch and jeer, even the emperor would be unable to handle it.

of course.

The cold noodles were just an excuse.

Noodles, drinking water, walking, and even prostitution.

If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext.

No matter how the emperor handles the matter, he will fall into their trap.

Because when faced with these people, the emperor only has two ways to deal with them.

One option is to swallow one's anger and keep the matter quiet.

However, if this happens, the emperor's carriage will be dragged into a quagmire if the emperor is delayed even slightly, and will then be brutally killed by the rebels and bandits under the combined attack of the major families.

However, Kong Yinchang felt that, given the emperor's style of doing things, he would absolutely not swallow this insult.

Then we come to the second method.

The person involved was killed, and the matter was even escalated to the point that some of the Confucian scholars who were watching were also killed.

But for Kong Yinchang...

This is exactly what they want.

As long as the emperor dares to take action.

In Shandong, a province where Confucianism was most prevalent, the consequence was that once the emperor had taken action to kill people...

Thousands of Confucian scholars would gather in the nearby prefectures.

Would you dare kill a group of Confucian scholars of this size?!
No matter how ruthless and vicious your emperor is, no matter how many heads roll in Shaanxi your emperor kills.

However, there is a fundamental difference between the Confucian scholars of Shandong and the gentry and officials of Shaanxi.

Do you really dare to kill all of them?!

Since you don't dare.

If this drags on for three to five days, it will still be a dead end.

However, in Kong Yinchang's view...

There is actually a third way to deal with this situation.

That is, after causing trouble here, the emperor immediately did not linger and slunk back to the capital.

But in the end, they all just die.

The emperor personally led the expedition, relying on a single, decisive push.

Once the decline becomes apparent, it will be a complete collapse.

But this also has an advantage: it allows the emperor to live for another month or two.

Thinking about these things, Kong Yinchang couldn't help but let out a cold smile.

What kind of damn emperor dares to challenge the teachings of sages?!
You will die without a burial place; that is the consequence of your deceitful act!
By the time.

We must capture you alive and then execute you by slow slicing to appease the hatred of the Kong family. Only in this way can we set things right in the capital!
immediately.

Kong Yinchang bowed deeply and said, "Brother, I understand what to do. I will make the arrangements now."

Kong Yinzhi nodded without saying a word.

After Kong Yinchang left, he returned to the ancestral hall alone.

Gazing at the imposing plaque before him, Kong Yinzhi's eyes deepened as he murmured to himself:

“Father, only today do I truly understand what you meant when you told me about the lofty mountains we admired when I was a child.”

"Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song—before them all stand tall mountains, they must look up in reverence."

"If the Ming Dynasty wants the life of my Kong family, then I will first destroy the Ming Dynasty's heart!"

Two or three more days passed.

Zhu Youjian's imperial procession had already entered Cangzhou Prefecture in Hebei and arrived at Qingzhou Prefecture in Shandong.

After two or three days of tiring travel.

The imperial entourage also rested for a night in the capital city of Qingzhou.

We planned to rest and recuperate the next day before setting off again to continue our journey towards Dongjiang Town.

Although the prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture already knew that the Ming Dynasty had actually rebelled.

But nominally, he was still a loyal subject of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, facing a procession of over ten thousand people, how could he dare to utter a single word?

So it's just one sentence.

The officials obediently vacated the government office, which was then used as His Majesty's temporary palace.

Although he had ceded the government office, the prefect couldn't help but sneer inwardly at the imposing imperial procession.

Because he had already received the news in advance and knew what was going to happen.

The moment the imperial procession stops, the emperor is doomed to lose.

……

now.

Xiao Hongzi was leading a squad of Shenwei Battalion guards on the streets of the prefectural city, preparing to buy some things before setting off for Dongjiang Town.

After a busy day, feeling hungry, Xiao Hongzi led his fully armed team to a cold noodle stall.

"Boss, three bowls of cold noodles for each person."

Upon seeing Xiao Hongzi and his group appear, the people who were still slurping noodles quickly made way for them and ran away.

no way.

Who wears full armor and carries a machete while eating cold noodles?!

There's a limit to how much you can enjoy watching a spectacle. The people who don't run away from these people are the ones who should be!
The owner, beaming with joy, brought out dozens of bowls of cold noodles and placed them in front of everyone.

Xiao Hongzi and the others were busy with other matters.

After quickly finishing his meal, he tossed down a silver ingot and prepared to leave.

But to Xiao Hongzi's surprise, the stall owner stopped him with a smile on his face at that moment:

"Sir, each of you ate three bowls of noodles, but you only paid for one bowl."

Xiao Hongzi frowned, realizing something was wrong—what the hell is this cold jelly so expensive?!

One bowl costs more than five bowls in Beijing?!

However, considering that the most important thing at the moment was to get to Dongjiang Town immediately, he didn't dwell on this matter.

After casually tossing down another silver ingot, he prepared to leave with his men.

But what Xiao Hongzi didn't expect was...

The owner reached out and blocked him again, still shouting something about three bowls of noodles costing one yuan.

At the same time, almost in an instant.

Suddenly, a group of people appeared and surrounded them, immediately accusing them without any explanation.

"Fellow villagers, come and see! The emperor's personal guard ate three bowls of cold noodles but only received payment for one!"

"Impossible! Aren't these people the emperor's personal guards? How could they do such a thing?!"

"The emperor went to Shaanxi for disaster relief a few days ago. Isn't everyone saying that the emperor loves his people like his own children?!"

"."

All of a sudden.

A deafening commotion erupted all around.

Xiao Hongzi narrowed his eyes as he looked at the group of people and placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Follow his movements.

The guards from the Divine Might Battalion behind him all placed their hands on their swords and vigilantly watched their surroundings.

But the crowd did not calm down at all.

One of the men, a thin, elderly man dressed in a scholar's robe with white hair and beard, stepped out from the crowd and went straight to the vendor, loudly proclaiming:
"I am Sun Shouru, an instructor in the prefectural city. Although I have not made any great achievements in my life, I have cultivated thousands of scholars for the Ming Dynasty."

"What?! Does this sir intend to kill someone to silence them now that his mistreatment of the common people has been exposed?!"

"Are all the emperor's guards like this?!"

"This is the hometown of Confucius and Mencius. Even the emperor's personal guards cannot disregard etiquette and law!"

The words fell.

A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd, and in an instant, the cheers were enough to overwhelm Xiao Hongzi and his group.

At this moment, Sun Shouru continued:

"If even the emperor's personal guards lead the way in disregarding etiquette, how can the people of Shandong Province possibly abide by the national policies set by the emperor in the future?!"

"it is good!"

"well said!"

The crowd cheered again.

At this moment.

Another young man stepped forward and said with righteous indignation, "Mr. Sun, there may be a misunderstanding here. Why don't we find out exactly how many bowls of noodles the Emperor's guards paid for before making a conclusion?"

"If we have misunderstood these adults, we should apologize to them."

"But if these people really only paid for one bowl, then we must make sure that this matter spreads throughout Qingzhou Prefecture and even the entire Shandong province!"

Then, the young man looked at the stall owner and said, "Boss, don't be afraid. Just tell me how many bowls of noodles these adults ate."

"We, your fellow villagers, will stand up for you!"

The owner replied without hesitation: "They ate three bowls of noodles, but only received one."

Before he could finish speaking, the boss suddenly froze.

Looking down, he realized that a sharp blade was already stuck in his neck.

He looked at Xiao Hongzi, who had stabbed him, with disbelief.

But before he could make a sound...

Xiao Hongzi then drew his blade and used the same method to kill Sun Shouru and the young man.

He realized that these people didn't care how many bowls of noodles he had eaten; they were simply there to cause trouble.

In the blink of an eye, the three men were killed.

The others stared in disbelief at the scene.

Facing the remaining people, Xiao Hongzi gently pointed forward with his finger: "These people are all traitors, kill them all."

Upon hearing this, the group that reacted the fastest took off running.

But the crossbows in the hands of the Shenwei Battalion guards were already aimed at them.

After a while.

Facing the corpses scattered on the ground, Xiao Hongzi narrowed his eyes in confusion.

How dare these people ask him how many bowls of noodles he ate?

Could there be another trick up your sleeve?!

The problem is, what if all these unarmed Confucian scholars come to cause trouble?

Even if there were ten or even a hundred times more of them, it still wouldn't be enough for them to kill.

Xiao Hongzi shook his head.

Forget it, let's set off for Dongjiang Military Town as soon as possible.

What a load of rubbish! I thought they might cause some trouble, but I didn't expect them to be so easily defeated.

I hadn't had my fill yet, and they were all dead.

(End of this chapter)