Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 238 I Read the Spring and Autumn Annals

Above the East China Sea, the water and sky merge into one, vast and boundless.

The sea breeze is no longer as gentle as it is on land; it carries a wild and primal power, whipping up thousands of white waves and slamming them against the ship's side.

This place is now another world.

Five enormous Fujian-style ships formed a small fleet, speeding eastward at an astonishing pace, cutting through the waves.

The flagship at the head of the fleet is named "Kunpeng". Its bow is raised high, like a giant beast about to break free from the sea. Every time it breaks through the waves, it emits a deep and powerful roar.

The outline of the mainland had already completely melted into the azure blue between the sea and the sky two days ago.

Qian Longxi, a powerful official who once held sway over the Ming Dynasty court, now stood at the bow of the "Kunpeng" ship.

He didn't lean on the railing to gaze into the distance, nor did he feign profundity. He simply opened his arms and let the gale, carrying the salty, fishy smell, make his expensive silk robe flutter and blow his already graying hair back.

He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and let out a triumphant laugh from deep in his throat.

"Haha...hahahaha!"

The laughter was torn apart by the sea breeze, yet it was still filled with boundless excitement and relief.

He felt that he was the roc that rose from the Northern Sea as described in "Free and Easy Wandering".

Wuxi, Yangzhou, and even the entire Ming Empire were nothing more than the "Northern Dark Pool" that confined him.

Now, he has finally "taken flight in anger," his wings like clouds hanging from the sky, about to soar across the vast ocean of 90,000 miles in one go!
In the past few days, the huge stone weighing on his heart, named Zhu Youjian, has finally been completely lifted.

That deep-seated fear is being diluted and purified little by little by this boundless sea and sky!
He was incredibly proud of his brilliant feat of escaping his predicament.

They secretly contacted smuggling merchants who made waves at sea and offered a sky-high price of 300,000 taels of silver to acquire this fleet that disguised itself as a merchant caravan but was actually escorting desperate criminals.

On the surface, he dismissed his servants and sold off his property, appearing desolate and resigned to his fate, which caused countless former rivals to sigh with regret and also made the court's spies lower their guard.

Secretly, he had already sent the gold and silver treasures accumulated by his family over generations, along with three hundred of his most capable disciples and guards, to these arks sailing toward freedom in batches.

In his eyes, that young emperor, that tyrant who orchestrated a bloody ceremony on the walls of Yangzhou, was ultimately nothing more than a barbarian who only knew how to wield the butcher's knife and power on land.

He may be able to control all the prefectures and counties, make gentry lie dead, and make the people kneel in worship, but does he understand what the ocean is?
Does he understand that on this vast blue expanse, which is not subject to any law, money can buy life and freedom?
Do not understand.

He was merely a dragon stirring up storms in that pond, while I was a roc that had broken free from the pond's constraints and leaped into the boundless ocean.

Even though I no longer want to cause any upheaval, this vast world is ultimately my domain to roam freely.

"Yuanzhi, come and see!" Qian Longxi's laughter subsided slightly, and the arrogance was gone, replaced by a feeling of complete relaxation and pleasure.

He turned to his most trusted cousin, Qian Yuanzhi, and pointed with great pride at the giant ship beneath his feet and the skilled sailors who were respectfully working on it.

"Do you see that? This is the power of money!" His voice carried a sense of satisfaction and pride after weathering many storms. "As long as the price is right and the money is spent, the road to survival lies ahead!"

His eyes, which had once been bloodshot and cloudy with fear, now shone with a shrewd and grounded light once more.

Qian Longxi no longer fantasized about being the chess player who could challenge imperial power, but he sincerely believed that he was still the smart man who could use money to pave a safe future for himself and his family.

This is enough.

"Your Excellency's wisdom and foresight have saved us...we have finally escaped!" Qian Yuanzhi's flattery was less hypocritical and more heartfelt, filled with relief and lingering fear, his eyes brimming with the joy of surviving a disaster.

Qian Longxi waved his hand, his gaze passing over the waves and looking towards the distant, unseen east.

His face no longer held resentment or ambition, but rather a deep weariness and relief, and an infinite longing for a stable future.

At this moment, Qian Longxi was just like an ordinary old man who was far-sighted for the family. He talked to the dozen or so core members of the Qian family gathered on the deck about the practical and peaceful second half of his life.

"When we head to Hirado, we'll have money to pave the way. We won't be those desperate, fleeing dogs, but wealthy old men starting anew with our vast fortunes! The remaining wealth of the Qian family will still be hard currency that allows us to stand tall there!"

His tone softened and became full of anticipation.

"First, find a scenic spot, buy a large estate, acquire some land, and hire some locals to cultivate it. We can also learn from Tao Yuanming's leisurely life of 'picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence.' We scholars can never truly leave the land."

"I'll buy one or two more merchant ships and sail the routes between Korea and Southeast Asia to do some legitimate business. I don't seek to dominate the seas, but only to ensure that my descendants have enough to eat and wear, and that they have access to education, so that they don't end up like those... like those peasants, living a miserable and precarious life!"

He let out a long sigh of relief, as if he could already smell the fragrant tea from his hometown.

"That bastard Zhu Youjian confiscated my Qian family's properties in Jiangnan, so be it! Those material possessions are gone, so be it! As long as we are still here, as long as these ships are still here, my Qian family will still be a family of great wealth and honor!"

"Let him be the emperor of his Ming Dynasty, and we'll be our idle people overseas. In this life, we'll have nothing to do with each other, and we'll never be frightened by that again. That's enough! That's enough!"

The howling sea breeze carried his simple yet sincere vision to the ears of every member of the Qian family. The flames of fanaticism in their eyes were gone, replaced by a sense of relief and a longing for a peaceful life.

……

Almost at the same moment, in another part of the East China Sea, a merchant ship of simple design, flying the Goryeo flag, was sailing steadily.

Kong Zhaoyuan, the clan elder entrusted by the Duke of Qufu to shoulder the most important mission of the Kong family, is leading dozens of the most core members of the Kong family in a solemn and respectful ceremony to announce the arrival of heaven on the aft deck of the "Wende".

Everyone had changed into simple clothes, but the reserve and demeanor that came from their very bones, belonging to a thousand-year-old family, remained undiminished.

Kong Zhaoyuan straightened his clothes and, facing northwest towards Qufu, the hometown of the sage, solemnly performed the grand ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows.

As he slowly straightened up, tears streamed down his face.

He felt that he had finally fulfilled his mission and successfully brought the spark of Confucianism, representing the revival of the Confucius family, out of that place where "the ruler was not a ruler, the minister was not a minister," and where tyranny and slaughter were rampant.

He turned to face the Confucian disciples whose faces still bore confusion and unease, and spoke in a passionate and impassioned tone:

"You should know that in the past, the sages traveled to various countries to spread the Great Way, enduring the hardships of wandering, before finally passing on this unchanging tradition! Today, we have fled to Goryeo, also to emulate the sages of the past, to continue the lost learning of the sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!"

His voice sounded incredibly firm in the sea breeze.

"Therefore, this journey is not for escape, but for spreading the Way eastward!"

Upon hearing this, all the members of the Kong family bowed deeply and said in unison, "We will heed the teachings of our elders!"

Seeing this scene before him, Kong Zhaoyuan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled back into his chest.

The relief of surviving the ordeal overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, causing his wrinkled old face to twitch slightly from lingering fear.

The Duke Yansheng's arrangement was truly risky yet ingenious.

Every time he woke up in the middle of the night, he would be terrified by the legendary scenes of his family being raided and his clan wiped out.

If they slow down even slightly, or if any link in the chain makes even the slightest mistake, the Kong family line will be truly doomed!

Thinking back to that grand convoy heading south still sends chills down his spine.

How ostentatious and eye-catching it was! It was clearly a lantern burning brightly in the dark night, attracting all the court's hounds and wolves to pounce on it.

The news that the route would be changed to inland waterways and then sail out to sea from Ningbo was a deliberate feint, a move made while walking a tightrope.

Kong Zhaoyuan dared not imagine what the consequences would have been if those Jinyiwei spies had not been misled by the layers of mystery.

While everyone thought they would head south or east, they abandoned all the attention-grabbing ceremonies and carriages, broke into smaller groups, and disguised themselves as a group of ordinary refugees fleeing famine to the north.

Mixed in with the real refugees, enduring hunger, filth, and humiliation, they eventually, without anyone noticing, boarded the long-awaiting Goryeo merchant ship in an inconspicuous little fishing port near Ningbo.

This is no flawless plan; it's a gamble with everything at stake!

Fortunately, they won their gamble.

Kong Zhaoyuan took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze. The cool air confirmed that he was really alive and had truly escaped that suffocating land.

He firmly believed that through multiple layers of disguise, circuitous routes, and unbelievable reverse operations, they had finally left the emperor's ruthless henchmen far behind!

A sense of awe for fate, born from surviving such a close call, welled up within him, along with a deep dread of the young emperor's terrifying methods.

He won, but it was a lucky win, and he was left with lingering fear!

Kong Zhaoyuan carefully took out a long, tightly wrapped item from his bosom.

Unwrapping the layers of oilcloth reveals an antique sandalwood box. Opening the lid, a yellowed bamboo manuscript lies quietly inside.

That was a unique manuscript of the Spring and Autumn Annals, secretly kept by the Confucius family and said to be handwritten by a certain sage.

In Kong Zhaoyuan's eyes, this is not just an ancient book, but the embodiment of the Dao and the undying sacred tablet of the Kong family lineage!

Holding the manuscript as if it held the entire literary tradition of the world, he spoke earnestly to his most valued grandson:

“De Zhao, look at this sea. It seems boundless and turbulent, but in reality, the ebb and flow of the tides are all within the laws of nature, without the slightest error.”

"The current emperor relies on nothing but violence, the butcher's knife, and the art of controlling his subordinates. This is the way of the tyrant, not the way of the king. But what my Confucian school upholds is the way of heaven and earth, the fundamental principle that sustains people's hearts and has been passed down through the ages."

He gently stroked the cool bamboo slips, his eyes gleaming with faith.

"The Way may be temporarily obscured, and may be temporarily suppressed by techniques. But remember this: techniques can only wreak havoc for a time, while the Way will ultimately shine upon all nations!"

"The human heart is the most impregnable fortress in this world. And the key to that fortress will forever be in the hands of the Confucius family."

Young Kong Dezhao listened with great enthusiasm and nodded vigorously!

(End of this chapter)