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

Chapter 249 Reputation cannot save their lives... Only loyalty and hard work can earn them my favor!

The "Jiangnan Scholars' Council" held on the shores of Taihu Lake ended in an absurd way that no one could have predicted.

Qian Qianyi, a renowned master and leader of the literati, did not die by the imperial court's sword, nor by the integrity of the upright officials. Instead, he died in the betrayal and despair he himself created, thrown into the lake where he murmured "the water is too cold" in his last moments by his most loyal disciple.

The ripples on the lake had subsided, leaving only fine raindrops, as if trying to wash away the shocking farce that had just occurred.

The once-bustling stands are now eerily silent.

All the voices—whether the impassioned speeches of the Fushe scholars, the curious discussions of the local gentry and common people, or Qian Qianyi's final, cowardly groan—have been swallowed up by the vast天地 (heaven and earth) and the cold lake water.

On the shore, Li Ruolian, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stood expressionless. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out on the official road in the distance.

A fast horse, kicking up mud and water, broke through the rain like an arrow. The rider was dressed in the uniform of a messenger, and the command flag on his back was soaked through by the rain.

He dismounted without hesitation, kneeling on one knee and raising a bright yellow imperial edict-sealed canister: "Emergency dispatch from Yangzhou, His Majesty's decree has arrived!"

This loud shout, like a thunderclap, jolted everyone present out of their daze.

Li Ruolian slowly turned around, straightened her rain-soaked flying fish robe, took the sealing wax tube to verify her identity, and then turned to face the dark mass of people below the stage.

He walked to the center of the platform, took a deep breath, and his voice drowned out the wind and rain.

"Your Majesty's decree!"

All the officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, regardless of what they were doing, instantly turned around, knelt on one knee facing the direction of Yangzhou, their movements perfectly synchronized, the sound of their armor clashing was chilling and menacing.

Those Fushe members who were being held captive were still immersed in the immense grief and shock of their faith collapsing and their comrades dying tragically. Upon hearing the imperial edict, most of them simply knelt down numbly, their faces ashen.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"Your subject Qian Qianyi, a former official of this dynasty, has received the emperor's bounty but has failed to repay his kindness. Since I ascended the throne, he has not thought of repaying the emperor's favor, but instead has formed cliques for personal gain, colluded with princes, and protected unscrupulous merchants. His words have often been defamatory of the emperor and father. Such behavior is worse than that of a beast and cannot be tolerated by the law!"

The imperial edict opened with a thunderous and decisive statement, each word like a heavy hammer slamming down on the fate of the Qian family!

Below the stage, several of Qian Qianyi's distant relatives were already terrified out of their wits and collapsed to the ground.

"I hereby issue this decree to the entire realm: The criminal Qian Qianyi, a treacherous and deceitful man, who deceived the world and stole fame, deserves to die! During his time in office, he accepted enormous bribes from salt merchants, acting on their behalf and harming the country and its people; he secretly colluded with Shanxi merchants, accepting their ill-gotten gains, acting as their accomplice, tantamount to treason and aiding the enemy! Such crimes are too numerous to count! I hereby sentence his three clans: the men to be exiled to the salt fields in Yangzhou, and the women to work in the textile factories in Jiangnan! All his land and property shall be confiscated and confiscated by the government, as a warning to future generations!"

The moment this decree was issued, the entire audience erupted in uproar!

This imperial edict was actually written in advance!
Everyone then realized that no matter whether Qian Qianyi chose to die with dignity or live in humiliation, the emperor never intended to let him go!
One scholar couldn't help but cry out, "How cruel... how cruel!"

But his voice was quickly silenced by the hilt of the sword of the captain beside him.

Li Ruolian ignored the commotion below the stage and continued reciting in his emotionless voice.

"Secondly, the Fushe Society, under the guise of factionalism, has been engaging in political chaos. Its members do not study the classics, are ignorant of the fundamental principles of loyalty between ruler and subject, and only know how to engage in empty talk and lofty theories, confusing the public and misleading people. They are also largely to blame for the downfall of Qian Qianyi. Now, by imperial decree: the so-called 'Fushe Society' is hereby banned immediately, and no such name shall ever exist again throughout the land. All key members of the society are hereby arrested and detained on the spot!"

This imperial edict was tantamount to a formal death sentence for the largest faction of scholars in Jiangnan.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Pu, Chen Zilong, and others stopped grieving and instead showed a relieved, bitter smile.

Finally, the imperial edict addressed the treatment of these imprisoned scholars, which was the point of greatest concern to everyone.

"However, I also know that among these people, there are many young people who have been misled by wicked men. I cannot bear to kill them all, and I wish to give them a way to repent and start anew. All the members of the Fushe Society who have been imprisoned, as well as those on the list of traitors, shall be sent to the official farmland in Jiangnan to cultivate the land, so that they may atone for their sins through labor and temper their character."

"What is meant by reform? It is this: Read my 'Letter to Scholars,' and understand the fundamental principles of ruler-subject and father-son relationships; share the hardships of farming with the toiling farmers, and learn the origins of the grains. Five years are the limit. If they sincerely repent, they may become law-abiding citizens. If they remain obstinate, the laws of the land will be upheld, and they will be severely punished without exception! So be it!"

After the imperial edict was read aloud, Li Ruolian slowly closed the silk cloth.

Only the sounds of rain and wind remained along the entire shoreline of Taihu Lake.

There was no mass killing, but it was more terrifying than a mass killing.

The emperor not only wanted to punish people physically, but also to destroy their hearts.

He wanted to throw these self-important, lazy, and ignorant scholars into the mud, making them farm and work with their own hands, thus dismantling their innate sense of superiority and their privileged status.

This is spiritual castration.

For these scholar-officials who valued dignity more than life itself, this was more painful than killing them.

"take away!"

At Li Ruolian's command, the fierce Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward and escorted the distraught Fushe scholars away one by one.

……

Yangzhou, the imperial palace.

Outside the window, the scenery of Slender West Lake had a unique charm in the rain, but Zhu Youjian's mind was entirely on the secret report that had just been sent back from Wuxi by express courier.

In his letter, Li Ruolian described in detail the entire process of the Qingyi Conference, especially every detail of Qian Qianyi's journey from choosing to betray the government to being killed by his students in the lake.

Zhu Youjian put down the secret report, his face expressionless. He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and commented indifferently:
"Seeking survival can backfire, and only by facing death can one find life in the face of death."

He was never concerned with Qian Qianyi's life or death. Qian Qianyi had to die, but his death had to be meaningful, it had to become a symbol that could be used, a powerful weapon that could be used to destroy an old era.

Now, that goal has been achieved.

Zhu Youjian looked at the rain scene outside the window, remained silent for a moment, and then gave the following instructions:

"Issue an imperial edict to the Ministry of Rites and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ordering them to immediately organize manpower to compile today's events at Taihu Lake into a storytelling or narrative, the more detailed and the more accessible the better."

He paused, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

"Especially that line—'The water is too cold'—must be sung by even a three-year-old. The storyteller must tell the world that a great master who has studied the classics his whole life did not even have the courage to die when faced with life and death, and only thought of betraying his disciples and friends to survive!"
"I want the whole world to know that the old ways of those who only talk about serving the country and the people but are actually useless and have nothing to offer but fame, reputation, and factionalism are over!"

"I want all scholars to understand one thing: fame and fortune cannot save their lives. Only loyalty and hard work can earn them my favor!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Tian Ergeng bowed and accepted the order, his heart filled with turmoil.

Even he, a "rough man," understood that when a leader of the Qingliu faction became a laughing stock of the nation, the backbone of the Donglin Party was broken.

……

The emperor's will swept across the entire Jiangnan region with unimaginable speed.

Within just a few days, various versions of the "Taihu Lake upheaval" spread throughout Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

With deliberate promotion and embellishment by the authorities, a character of Qian Qianyi, embodying betrayal, cowardice, and absurdity, was quickly created.

In a teahouse in Confucius Temple, Nanjing.

The storyteller, dressed in a long gown and holding a gavel, was at the climax of his tale.

"...Back then, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard had a handle on Lord Qian, they gave him two choices on the spot. One was a way to live, and the other was a way to die! The way to die was to follow the example of the ancients and drown himself in the lake to show his loyalty, and he could at least be remembered as a loyal martyr. The way to live, on the other hand, was for him to personally push his three prized students into Taihu Lake!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, guess what?" The master slammed his gavel down heavily, and with a loud "crack," the entire hall was astonished.

"Our renowned Grandmaster Qian didn't even blink, and tremblingly accepted the list! When he walked towards his students, he was so righteous and awe-inspiring! Hey, he was righteous and awe-inspiring when he betrayed his teammates!"

The whole room burst into laughter.

"The funniest part was yet to come! When he pushed the person, he slipped and fell halfway into the water with a 'plop'. The captain pulled him out, and he was shivering from the cold, his teeth chattering. To everyone present, he managed to utter three words—'The water is too cold!'"

Thunderous laughter erupted again in the teahouse, with some people laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.

"The water's too cold! Hahaha, this old guy's such a spineless coward!"

"Exactly!" the teacher slapped his thigh. "In the end, his student, a man of strong character, felt it was an utter disgrace to have such a coward as his teacher. He roared, 'I'll drag you down with me even if I die,' and with a 'bang,' he knocked Master Qian into the lake! What do you call that? That's called being unable to live and unable to die! Even in death, he died without dignity!"

Applause, laughter, and cheers filled the air!
……

In the countryside, on the ridges between fields.

Several farmers were planting rice seedlings. During a break, they sat on the edge of the field drinking water. A young man was afraid that the water would be too cold and dared not go into the field. An old farmer slapped him on the head.

"You lazy bum! It's only May, the water's not cold at all! Do you think you're Qian Muweng? Didn't you hear the storyteller? Only a 'Grandmaster' would find the water cold, who do you think you are?"

The crowd burst into laughter again.

The young man blushed and muttered, "I'm not the kind of person like Qian Qianyi who would betray his friends for personal gain."

With that, he scrambled to his feet and obediently went to work in the fields.

Inside a private school in Songjiang Prefecture.

An old teacher is reprimanding a naughty student who doesn't study properly.

"As the sage said, 'A scholar cannot lack breadth of vision and perseverance, for his burden is heavy and his journey is long!' Look at you, all you do is play around all day! If you continue like this, you'll become an empty-headed bum in the future. Forget about serving the country; you won't even find a way to survive like Qian Qianyi! At that time, you won't have the guts to die, nor the face to live! Wouldn't that be a disgrace to your ancestors?"

The student turned pale with fright upon hearing this, and quickly picked up his book, shaking his head and reciting it aloud.

……

After a brief but intense period of pain, Jiangnan quickly quieted down.

Everyone understands that the era in which fame and public opinion could give the emperor headaches and even influence the affairs of the state was completely buried in the cold waters of Taihu Lake with the comical and humiliating corpse of Qian Qianyi!
After dealing with the biggest obstacle, the Jiangnan literati, the Yangzhou imperial palace was able to retire successfully.

In mid-May, the rainy season gradually subsided, and the weather became sunny.

The emperor's dragon flag was raised once more, and the massive entourage and its escorting army slowly set off amidst the respectful farewells of the people of Yangzhou lining the streets.

However, the army did not head north to the capital, but instead headed west—to the first stop it was supposed to reach on its journey south of the Yangtze River: the ancient capital of six dynasties and the secondary capital of the Ming Dynasty.

Nanjing!

(End of this chapter)