Di Ming

Chapter 396 "Such behavior! How could the emperor possibly do such a thing!"

The bandits kept pouring down from both sides of the mountain ridge, numbering probably over two thousand. Some were still in the forest.

They blocked the official road in a chaotic manner, then shouted and charged towards Hai Rui's troops.

When Hai Rui saw this scene, he suddenly understood something, his eyes filled with disbelief, and his body swayed involuntarily.

He was eighty years old and shrewd; how could he not know that something was amiss? The thought that these bandits might be connected to the emperor filled him with despair.

What a tyrant! What a tyrant! He's even worse than Emperor Shizong!
The Ming Dynasty is in grave danger!
"You audacious thief! Are you trying to rebel?!" The large group of scholars were furious. Although most of them were unarmed and did not know how to fight, they still took the initiative to stand in front of Hai Rui.

Tang Yangyang, who was by Hai Rui's side, saw someone among the bandits make a hand gesture and immediately knew that Fan Yi'an's family member was among the bandits.

She remained outwardly calm, but she knew perfectly well what was going on.

These bandits came from several different factions, and were clearly instructed by someone behind the scenes to intercept Hai Rui and his entourage. However, their mission was merely to use robbery as a pretext to attack and block the procession heading to the capital to offer their advice.

Fan Yi'an certainly didn't stop it; he went with the flow, using the bandits to escalate the situation, hoping for a bloodbath that would result in deaths.

Then, revealing its connection to the palace would completely ignite the scholars' anger, making the emperor even more embarrassed and passive.

Only then will the bandits release even more enraged scholars from the capital to continue their northward journey.

In the end, Hai Rui was still able to enter the capital, but the emperor was more humiliated, more in the wrong, and more out of the public eye.

The price was that scholars would inevitably bleed and die, and not just one or two.

Tang Yangyang couldn't help but feel worried for Fan Yi'an. Because Fan Yi'an's actions were entirely his own initiative and did not reflect the wishes of the lord and his wife at all.

Fan Yi'an's hatred for the emperor is understandable. These old tiger-toothed men were all born into official slavery. Their fathers and brothers were implicated in the Zhang Juzheng case and the Feng Bao case and were executed or imprisoned. They were victims of the major cases designated by the emperor.

But we can't just make decisions on our own because of this. Although it would indeed benefit our lord, he himself might not be willing to accept it.

But Fan Yi'an's plan had already been launched, and it was too late to stop it.

Just as Tang Yangyang was thinking this, she heard a series of screams ahead. Sure enough, many scholars had been either killed or wounded by the bandits' swords.

People are dead! Several people are dead!

The scholars were stunned. In broad daylight, the bandits dared to commit murder in front of so many scholars!
The bandit leaders were also stunned. They had only been secretly ordered to intercept Hai Rui and scatter his troops; they had no intention of killing anyone. These were all learned men, and their leader was none other than the renowned Hai Qingtian. They had no intention of killing anyone, nor did they dare to.

But why did they kill so many scholars right from the start? This is getting out of hand!

"They're rebelling! This is rebellion!" The scholars were filled with grief and indignation. They rolled up their sleeves and charged forward, rushing towards the bandits without hesitation.

The scholars behind them also became noisy. Hearing the commotion in front, they rushed up across the wilderness on both sides of the official road, creating the momentum of a thousand troops charging forward.

Because scholars could carry swords when they went out, a few of them drew their swords and rushed to the front, while many unarmed people picked up stones and sticks and went forward.

"Kill the thief!"

"Protect the seafarer!"

The scholars roared in anger, showing no fear of the horde of ferocious bandits.

The scholars of the Ming Dynasty at that time had one thing in common: they were strong-willed. Besides, since they dared to take the initiative to follow Hai Rui to the capital, they were certainly not cowards.

For a moment, the armed bandits were forced to retreat by the enraged scholars. The bandits who had previously killed and wounded the scholars had vanished without a trace.

Hai Rui's face was filled with grief and indignation, his beard trembling violently. He looked at the scholar lying in a pool of blood, his heart aching. The crimson blood was a shocking sight, making him feel dizzy.

"Lord Hai!" Tang Yangyang quickly helped Hai Rui up, cursing Fan Yi'an under her breath.

"The bandits have rebelled! Kill the bandits!" The blood of the dead ignited the scholars' fury, and everyone charged forward fearlessly, shouting, "Suppress the rebellion and kill the bandits!"

Just then, a voice suddenly shouted from the woods on the hillside: "We are not rebelling! We are under the orders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which is the palace's order! You are the ones who are rebelling!"

What? It was planned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
The scholars were stunned by the shouts coming from the woods. These bandits were sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or perhaps... by the Emperor's orders?
For a moment, the scholars looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and absurdity.

Those who passed the imperial examinations were all exceptional individuals, possessing exceptional intelligence and wisdom. Reminded by the shouts from the hillside, they immediately understood why the bandits dared to block their way and rob so many scholars.

So, it was the palace's intention!
Even if the emperor was unwilling, he could simply send troops to stop them and issue an edict to force them to disband.

If that were the case, although it would be difficult to convince people and the emperor would inevitably face criticism, it would still be a normal procedure.

But the emperor chose bandits to do this, just for his reputation?
If this is true, just how incompetent and absurd is His Majesty? Is such a despicable and vile trick something a dignified emperor should resort to? Can we expect such a ruler to repent and govern diligently?

Isn't the so-called ideal of making the ruler like Yao and Shun, and having a wise ruler and virtuous ministers, just wishful thinking? Did they participate in the imperial examination just to obtain an official position? Where is the grand aspiration of Confucianism?
The scholars were so angry that they felt cold all over. Many of them felt extremely disappointed. It was truly a tragedy that their hearts were dead!
For five whole years, the emperor has not held court, not given sermons, not offered sacrifices to Heaven, not offered sacrifices to his ancestors, and not personally tilled the land!
Five years.

It is said that he often spent his time in the inner palace playing cards, watching plays, listening to music, reading novels, and indulging in wine and women. Even cabinet ministers and high-ranking officials rarely saw him. Ministers who advised him to be diligent in government affairs and stay away from wine and women were either flogged or demoted. One official who advised him against ancestral worship was even crippled by being flogged in court.

Such neglect of state affairs, disregard for national matters, and disrespect for ancestors have long been the subject of much discussion and have greatly disappointed both domestic and foreign audiences.

But that's not all. The emperor was also fond of gold and silver, and greedy for wealth. He frequently confiscated property to replenish the imperial treasury, finding all sorts of ways and pretexts to transfer silver from the national treasury to the imperial treasury, and relentlessly demanding money from the Ministry of Revenue and the Court of Imperial Stud. He even accepted bribes from his officials, making a colossal spectacle for the world. As the Son of Heaven, why was he so greedy for gold and silver? How could he set a good example for his subjects?

Now, he even wants to abolish the tradition of the eldest son becoming the crown prince, creating the farce of enfeoffing three princes simultaneously, all to pave the way for Zhu Changxun to become the crown prince! All this is because he dotes on Consort Zheng. The weight of the nation's foundation is as light as a feather in his eyes; he defies the world and acts willfully!
In order to depose the eldest son and establish a younger one in favor of the emperor, he deliberately relied heavily on eunuchs, allowing the secret police to act recklessly, suppress speech, and instigate numerous wrongful convictions, causing widespread resentment, alienation between the emperor and his ministers, chaos in the court, and fear among the people.

In his eagerness to amass wealth, the emperor dispatched thirty-six mining tax commissioners to various regions to collect mining taxes. Did the emperor not know how those eunuchs would wreak havoc on the people once they arrived in the provinces? Was he really allowing eunuchs to ravage the land for money?
These incidents are all heartbreaking and infuriating. Is this really the work of the Holy Emperor?

Now, to correct the mistakes of the emperor, Lord Hai, despite being eighty years old and disregarding his own life, resolutely went north to remonstrate with the emperor. We are moved by Lord Hai's great righteousness and worried about the increasingly dire state of the country. We followed Lord Hai north to the capital to petition the emperor, hoping that even if the emperor did not accept our advice, he would at least be awakened and restrain himself, and make some changes. In that case, our risky trip to the capital would not have been in vain.

Who would have thought that before even reaching Beijing, the emperor would use bandits to suppress the scholars who came to the capital to petition! He treated the will of the people as a raging flood and the national treasures as child's play!

How can this not be utterly disappointing?

Your Majesty, the nation has nurtured scholars for two hundred years, how could they have become a thorn in Your Majesty's side? Why is that?

The scholars, heartbroken, all turned to their leader—Hai Rui.

Hai Rui's silver-white hair trembled, his expression filled with regret. He shook his head and said, "Gentlemen, this is the bandit's nonsense. This matter has absolutely nothing to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, much less with the palace. The bandits are trying to confuse the public..."

"Lord Hai..." Everyone was moved to tears and didn't know what to say.

Hai Rui shouted sternly, "This is a bandit rebellion! That's all! Did you all hear me clearly?"

Everyone solemnly accepted the order and replied, "Yes!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone shouted from the woods on the hillside, "Lord Hai, you've been wronged! How dare we rebel? We were merely acting on orders from the palace, on the Emperor's orders! Rebellion is a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire clan! Lord Hai, don't speak nonsense!"

What? Even the bandit leaders were stunned.

One of the bandits looked at the hillside and shouted angrily, "Who are you?! What nonsense are you spouting! We're just robbing people on the road, what does it have to do with the palace!"

Another man shouted, "He's not one of ours! Who is he?! Go and arrest him!"

The bandit leaders' faces turned green. "You son of a bitch, you're trying to kill us!"

Upon hearing this, Hai Rui also closed his eyes in anguish and couldn't help but curse in his hometown dialect: "Damn coffin boy!"

The man in the woods on the hillside called out again, "Brother Liu! Brother Wang! Who dares to take the blame for rebellion! You're right, we're clearly on official orders from the palace, how can it be rebellion?"

No sooner had this person finished speaking than another voice called out from the woods:
“Yes, Brother Liu, Zhao Wulang is right! More than a dozen scholars have been killed or wounded. How can the court let us off the hook? If we don’t admit that we were sent by the palace, it will really be considered a rebellion! Although we are brothers of the Green Forest, we cannot bear the crime of rebellion! We can no longer hide it!”

"Damn it!" the bandit leader, Brother Liu, roared. "They're not the same person! Who is it?! Don't run!" Just as a group of bandits were about to go up the mountain to capture the person, a whoosh was heard, and an arrow carrying a letter was stuck not far from the bandit leader.

The bandit leader, who could read a few words, took the letter from the arrow and read:
"If you spread the word that you were sent by the palace, you might still have a chance to live. To avoid suspicion, the palace won't easily kill you to silence you. But if you don't spread the word and instead cover it up for the palace, you'll surely die. Because only the dead can keep secrets. Please think carefully and don't make a mistake for yourself."

When the bandit leaders learned of the letter's contents, they were all chilled to the bone.

That’s right!

Now that things have come to this, concealing the matter is not only pointless but will only make things worse. It would be better to announce it openly, so that the eunuchs in the palace would be less likely to silence them, and they would have a better chance of survival.

"Brother!" A group of bandits came down the mountain with disappointed faces. "They've already escaped. They're faster than rabbits. We can't catch them at all."

"That's enough!" Brother Liu waved his hand. He saw the seven corpses of the scholars on the ground, felt his legs go weak, and his eyelids twitched violently.

They killed seven scholars who held official titles and were incapacitated! They also injured about ten others!
This has gotten out of hand.

Brother Liu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed to Hai Rui, saying:
"Lord Hai! Lord Hai! Let me tell you the truth, it was Zeng Zheng, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who ordered us! He was acting on the orders of a certain eunuch in the palace, and it has nothing to do with us! Although we live a life of danger, we dare not rebel. We have great respect for Lord Hai and would never have the heart to harm him!"

"So many lives have been lost today, we are ashamed before Master Hai. But every wrong has its perpetrator, and we were just following orders, it was a helpless act, and it really has nothing to do with us."

The other bandit leaders also made some polite remarks, which were nothing more than attempts to shirk responsibility. The reason they were willing to explain to Hai Rui was indeed because they admired his character.

The bandits also bowed respectfully, repeatedly apologizing. Although they were outlaws, they all held Hai Rui in high esteem.

Many bandits even knelt down and bowed to Hai Rui. Soon, more and more people knelt down, and in the end, two thousand bandits knelt down together, creating a spectacular scene.

One of the bandits couldn't help but shout, "If the Ming Dynasty had more upright officials like Hai Qingtian, I wouldn't have become a bandit!"

Many thieves, upon seeing the white-haired Hai Rui, couldn't help but shed tears and kowtow repeatedly.

The scholars were deeply moved.

Hai Rui completely ignored the bandits, as if the large group of thieves before him were nothing but air. He simply looked up at the sky, remaining silent.

Your Majesty, I have done my best. It was Your Majesty who committed this grave offense, and I cannot cover it up for my sovereign. Your Majesty, even if you are wicked, you are not wise enough. Even if you were to do something that violates the way of the ruler, you should have chosen the right people and planned carefully. But Your Majesty's actions were full of flaws and utterly clumsy!
Hai Rui felt even more disappointed. How could someone who does evil so carelessly be a wise and benevolent ruler?

Take himself as an example. He had done some disgraceful "bad things" when he was young, but he did them perfectly and without any flaws.

When the bandits saw Hai Rui's indifferent expression and dignified demeanor, they were all impressed and dared not linger. They scattered with a shout and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

They came like the wind and went like the wind.

Seeing the bandits retreat in disarray, the scholars erupted in a clamor.

"Such behavior! How could the emperor possibly do such a thing!"

"A tyrant! A tyrant! Where is your righteous spirit? Do you intend to abandon the world?!"

"This is outrageous! The way of the emperor has been declining day by day, to the point of this!"

"In the more than two hundred years of history of our dynasty, there has never been anything as absurd as today! I ask the world, how can this be tolerated!"

"We are heartbroken! We wish to go to the Kingdom of Fuyu!"

"If the Way is not followed, I will take a raft and float on the sea!"

Looking at the seven corpses, Hai Rui couldn't help but stroke them and weep, saying, "Although you sacrificed yourselves for righteousness, you are all young and yet you are shedding blood in a foreign land. How can I bear it?"

He looked up to the sky and cried out in anguish, "Alas! Alas! In the glorious Ming Dynasty, in this peaceful and prosperous age, how could such a thing have happened!"

The scholars were filled with grief and indignation, and everyone shed tears.

Unexpectedly, while the team was still in Shandong, seven of their comrades died tragically.

How heartbroken their families must be upon hearing this tragic news.

Tang Yangyang looked at the seven corpses and couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Fan Yi'an, this is something you did on your own! Seven lives lost. Are you really willing to use any means to achieve your goals?

How could you become so cold-blooded and ruthless?

Do you think you've done something right? But this isn't what the lord and his wife wanted! Let's see how you explain yourself later!

Tang Yangyang wished she could find Fan Yi'an immediately and question him about why he did this.

But Hai Rui said, “Gentlemen, the journey to the capital is perilous. I urge you to stop here and preserve your lives to serve the country. I am prepared to die for this cause. Please return.” Hai Rui was deeply grateful and speechless…

"Lord Hai!" a scholar shouted, "We will not leave! Since this matter has already involved death and bloodshed, we must not let our blood be shed in vain! Even the cauldron and the cauldron are as sweet as honey, something we cannot obtain even if we seek it!"

Another person said, "In the Han Dynasty, three thousand students of the Imperial Academy knelt before the palace gates to petition the emperor, and more than a thousand of them died, their blood staining Luoyang! In the Song Dynasty, ten thousand scholars knelt at Xuande Gate to remonstrate, and their blood was spilled at Zhuque Bridge! Our Great Ming Dynasty has nurtured scholars for more than two hundred years, and its noble spirit endures forever. Is it not as good as Liu Tao of the Han Dynasty and Chen Dong of the Song Dynasty?"

Another person shouted: "We will not return south until we enter the capital! For the sake of national righteousness, what fear is there of being shattered to pieces! We will follow Lord Hai to the capital to plead for our lives!"

Hundreds of people shouted in unison: "Follow Lord Hai to the capital to plead for his life!"

The official roads and plains were filled with scholars dressed in long robes, raising their arms and shouting, their voices shaking the heavens and earth, their spirits as powerful as mountains and rivers.

Hai Rui did not try to dissuade her further and immediately ordered the bodies of the seven victims to be collected. Tang Yangyang volunteered to stay in Dezhou to buy coffins, send them south, and then catch up with the group.

Hai Rui agreed. So Hai Rui led his men north, while Tang Yangyang stayed behind. Her purpose, of course, was not only to collect the body, but also to see Fan Yi'an.

Hai Rui and his 3,000-strong entourage marched north. It might seem that such a large group would struggle to find food and lodging. However, this was not the case. In each place they visited, local officials prepared food and set up tents, so there was no need to worry.

Local officials had no other way to support the scholars who were heading north to petition.

Despite the best efforts of the Embroidered Uniform Guard agents across the country, they were to no avail. Now, the only way to prevent Hai Rui and his entourage from entering the capital was to use military force. But if force were to be used, the emperor would become even more isolated, and public opinion would be even more unfavorable.

Not long after Hai Rui left, Tang Yangyang, who remained in the same place, finally received news of a rendezvous with Fan Yi'an.

Tang Yangyang arrived at a pavilion near the Dezhou Expressway with a gloomy expression. She saw a young man in his early twenties dressed in white sitting in the pavilion, who at first glance looked like a scholar.

Although it had been several years since they last met, Tang Yangyang recognized at a glance that the distinguished young man was Fan Yi'an.

"You seem quite relaxed," Tang Yangyang scoffed, standing outside the pavilion without entering.

Fan Yi'an smiled slightly, "Junior Sister Tang, it's been years since we last met, and you're giving me the cold shoulder the moment we meet? Sit down and let's talk."

After saying that, he picked up the teapot and filled the cup opposite him.

Tang Yangyang walked over and sat down, picked up her teacup and drank it all in one gulp. "I'm asking you, who told you to do this? Seven people died."

Fan Yi'an put down his teacup. "No one told me to do this. But this matter requires bloodshed, it requires death. Without bloodshed, without death, this matter cannot be brought to a stop. I don't want Hai Gong to perish, so I can only let someone else die in his place, do you understand?"

...

P.S.: Does anyone support Fan Yi'an's actions? Thank you, goodnight. Requesting monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)