Later generations in the Heavenly Dynasty had two famous sayings. The first was "Never neglect education, no matter how poor," and the second was "Never neglect Shandong, no matter how poor."
The former was spoken by the renowned decadent intellectual Zhou Xun, familiar and deeply agreed upon by the people of the Heavenly Dynasty. The latter was spoken by Li Chun-hee, a famous announcer from North Korea, a neighbor of China.
However, these two sayings were a joke in the Great Qing Dynasty.
The Tartar Qing never advocated for not neglecting Shandong even in poverty, nor did they care about not neglecting education in poverty.
The saying "Never neglect education, no matter how poor" was as stinky and unbearable as a fart to our Tartar Qing! To make the Han people obedient subjects, our great Manchu rulers, from the emperor to the officials, wished that the Han people would not read!
Our Tartar Qing advocated for "Never neglect the emperor, no matter how poor," and "Never hardship for the emperor, no matter how bitter."
In short, no matter what difficulties the local government of Shandong faced, it was unacceptable if it delayed Duke Qianlong's trip to Jiangnan!
Therefore, in order to ensure Duke Qianlong's smooth journey to Jiangnan to inspect the river conservancy projects on the bodies of young ladies like Xia Yuhe and Chen Qinglian, the Qing officials killing the innocent to claim merit was no big deal.
However, the renowned decadent intellectual Zhou Shuren once said: "When the roof leaks, it is also the night rain; when the ship is slow, it also meets the headwind."
Just as the upright and honest gentlemen Wu Zude and Zhan Hongbo had finished testing the official's capabilities in Yanzhou and Jining Prefecture, and were contemplating which village to use to suppress Zhu Xiaosong, they received a grand gift from Zhu Xiaosong.
Sishui County, which had been quiet and harmless, was smashed by Zhu Xiaosong on a bright and sunny afternoon.
Upon receiving this news, Wu Zude, the Prefect of Yanzhou, was so angered that his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and Fu Cha, the Governor of Shandong &
As a web writer who had read the Four Books and Five Classics extensively, wouldn't it be logical to pay respects to Confucius's tomb and clear out his descendants?
Clear out whose descendants?
Of course, it was to clear out the unworthy descendants of Confucius himself!
Think about it, Confucius himself paid great attention to the distinction between Hua and Yi. The sentence "If it were not for Guan Zhong, I would be with disheveled hair and a left lapel" is clear evidence of this.
However, Confucius's unworthy descendants cared nothing for the distinction between Hua and Yi, and had completely lost the Six Arts of Confucianism. When faced with national crisis, they would surrender to Jin and Yuan, and even staged a joke of three successive Dukes of Yansheng in the early Southern Song Dynasty.
By the time the Great Ming was on its last legs, the Duke of Yansheng's mansion, which had been favored by the Great Ming for nearly three hundred years, had long ago presented a memorial to Dolgun, inviting the Manchu Qing masters to enslave the Central Plains.
When the Japanese invaders attacked the Central Plains in later generations, the Duke of Yansheng's mansion, which had also been favored by the Jiannu for nearly three hundred years, simply issued a telegram welcoming the Japanese invaders and vigorously promoting Sino-Japanese common prosperity.
Therefore, are these scums, who were favored by the dynasty in normal times but only bullied the locals under the banner of Confucius, and then knelt down in times of crisis, slandering Confucius? If Confucius knew in the afterlife, he would surely stamp his feet and chest, crying misfortune for his family.
Zhu Xiaosong, who had diligently read the Four Books and Five Classics and practiced the gentleman's Six Arts, was a perfect master of Confucianism during the Manchu Qing period. Therefore, he had the responsibility and obligation to clear out the unworthy descendants for Confucius.
However, from a rational perspective, Zhu Xiaosong felt that he should not go to Qufu at this time.
If he went to Qufu now, he could clear out Confucius's unfilial descendants early, but what then?
After all, it was the Duke of Yansheng's mansion.
Before their misdeeds were revealed to the public, the Duke of Yansheng's mansion was a sacred place in the minds of all scholars in the Manchu Qing. Clearing out Confucius's descendants too early would only make the world say that Zhu Xiaosong was how cruel he was, and would only force all scholars and gentry in the world to collectively lean towards the Jiannu.
The key was that Zhu Xiaosong had not yet gained enough momentum. Even if he smashed the Duke of Yansheng's mansion, the Jiannu could immediately install a new Duke of Yansheng, which would not be very meaningful.
Rather than that, it would be better to wait.
Judging by the usual character of the cowardly Duke of Yansheng's mansion, as long as Zhu Xiaosong showed signs of becoming a dragon in hiding, they would write a memorial to him.
Therefore, instead of smashing it now, it would be better to wait until Zhu Xiaosong had taken half the country, or until Zhu Xiaosong had completely taken Shandong, and then smash it.
Moreover, smashing the cowardly Duke of Yansheng's mansion in front of the whole world to clear out Confucius's descendants would feel much more satisfying than smashing it now.
Therefore, Zhu Xiaosong was faced with a choice: either smash it now for a small pleasure, or wait to smash it later for a great pleasure.
The degree of satisfaction of the former was probably equivalent to a simple fifty-dollar massage, while the degree of satisfaction of the latter was equivalent to a four-hundred-dollar full treatment.
After hesitating for a long time, Zhu Xiaosong ultimately chose the latter.
As the saying goes, good food is not afraid of waiting. Since smashing it sooner or later was inevitable, it might as well be saved for later.
Zhu Xiaosong cast a reluctant glance at Qufu, spat into the Sishui River, and said, "Let's go to Quanlin Temple to stay for the night."
Quanlin Temple is located fifty li east of Sishui County, at the foot of Peiwel Mountain. "To the left and right of the temple are deep forests and lush trees, with more than ten large springs, clear and transparent, flowing into each other and forming a stream, which is the Sishui... As the Si Spring is in the east and there are many ancient forests, it is called Quanlin. It is said that 'The Master was by the river' is here."
Zhu Lao San was startled and asked, "We're not going to stay overnight on Peiwel Mountain, but instead to Quanlin Temple? Aren't you, Big Brother, worried that the monks at Quanlin Temple will go to the authorities to report us?"
Zhu Xiaosong chuckled and said, "Don't forget that there is a temporary palace of Duke Qianlong on Peiwel Mountain. And this time, Duke Qianlong's trip to Jiangnan will most likely include a visit to Qufu. I'm afraid the temporary palace on Peiwel Mountain has already begun preparations to welcome His Majesty."
"As the saying goes, no one gets rich without ill-gotten gains, and no horse gets fat without night fodder. Since we have become bandits, we should act like mountain lords."
"This time, we will brazenly rob the temporary palace and set it on fire, which will be a bit of fun for Duke Qianlong."
"So we are not afraid of them reporting us, but we are afraid that they will not report us. Otherwise, how will Duke Qianlong know that the temporary palace on Peiwel Mountain has been robbed and burned?"
At this point, Zhu Xiaosong couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "This time, the temporary palace on Peiwel Mountain missed the opportunity to welcome Duke Qianlong, but my status is much nobler than Duke Qianlong's. It can also be considered the honor of the temporary palace on Peiwel Mountain."
Zhu Lao San asked with a bewildered look, "Then should we smash the temporary palace on Peiwel Mountain first, or go to Quanlin Temple first? Why can't we rest in the temporary palace on Peiwel Mountain after smashing it?"
Zhu Lao San felt that his elder brother was a bit off. He couldn't even figure out whether to borrow accommodation first or smash the place first?
Combined with the fact that his elder brother always looked towards Qufu whenever he had nothing to do, was there something in Qufu that attracted his elder brother?
Zhu Xiaosong knew that he was a bit obsessed with the Duke of Yansheng's mansion. He tried to calm his mind, rubbed his face, and said, "Let's go to Quanlin Temple to borrow accommodation first, and then smash the temporary palace tomorrow."