A burst of laughter suddenly filled the imperial study. Xiao Ming had just learned about what happened at the Qingzhou Bank, and for him, it was indeed interesting.
“As Your Majesty said, the Qufu Kong family is very sensible. Today’s currency issuance was unexpectedly smooth,” Pang Yukun said, gently stroking his beard, a smile on his face.
Promoting the new currency was his greatest worry, because money involved the common people’s most fundamental interests. Improper handling could lead to public dissatisfaction, creating friction between the imperial court and the common people.
But Confucianism suddenly intervened, and by presenting profound arguments one after another, resolved this issue in a very short time, greatly relieving him.
“Qingzhou Province was once the land of Qi and Lu. The common people here respect Confucianism more than in other places, so this is not surprising. However, Confucianism has given me such a great gift; I’m afraid their demands are not small either,” Xiao Ming said thoughtfully.
Pang Yukun, a cunning and experienced strategist, had long seen through this matter. He said, “The current head of the Confucian family, Kong Huai-ren, has only one son, named Kong Sheng-ze. The Confucian scholar in Qingzhou Bank this time was him. Today, Kong Huai-ren had his son personally step forward, probably to ensure he has a good future.”
Xiao Ming nodded. Ever since he became Emperor, he had seen through many things. Sometimes, using people he disliked was necessary for national interests, because these people could bring about change for the nation, such as those like Kong Huai-ren.
Technologically, he had the technology crystal. No one could hinder him in this aspect. However, in terms of the spiritual governance of the nation, he needed Confucianism to assist. After all, compared to technology, a nation’s spiritual outlook was equally important.
“If that’s the case, it seems I need to meet them. It’s also time for New Confucianism to be promoted throughout the Great Yu Empire, otherwise, ignorance will always drag down the nation’s development.”
“Then I will return and inform the two to seek an audience,” Pang Yukun bowed, bade farewell, and left.
Watching Pang Yukun’s departing figure, Xiao Ming looked thoughtful. Technology and ideology were the two cornerstones of building a nation. For him, technology merely enriched the nation’s material wealth and armed its army, but ideology was the fundamental guarantee of a nation’s stability. Otherwise, even more weapons would only be used by others.
Now, there was no problem with technology, but ideological construction was still very backward. This was the fundamental reason why he placed such great importance on cooperating with Confucianism, because thousands of years of inheritance had deeply rooted Confucianism in the hearts of every person in the Great Yu Empire. To put it more vividly, Confucianism in the Great Yu Empire was equivalent to another crystal, but this crystal did not transmit technology but rather different ideologies.
Now that the barbarians had been driven to the grasslands, the north of the Great Yu Empire gradually stabilized. The next step was to unify the entire country and enter the colonial era.
He did not want the literati of this country to suffer from bleeding-heart syndrome at this time, and then disgust him with talk of how foreign conquests were immoral and that foreign tribes should be civilized with benevolence.
Nor did he want to see incidents like earthquakes and floods being attributed to his loss of heavenly virtue as Emperor.
Thinking thus, Pang Yukun soon returned, and two well-dressed individuals followed behind him.
“Qufu Kong Huai-ren and Kong Sheng-ze greet Your Majesty.”
Entering the imperial study, Kong Huai-ren and Kong Sheng-ze simultaneously bowed.
When Xiao Ming appeared outside the imperial study, he had been observing the two. Kong Huai-ren was around forty years old, with a slightly dark complexion, a round and somewhat plump face, and a pair of slender eyes. Kong Sheng-ze, meanwhile, was around twenty, with a handsome appearance, much more attractive than his father.
At first glance, he even suspected that this Kong Sheng-ze was the neighbor’s child.
“You two Confucian scholars, rise,” Xiao Ming said with a gentle smile, appearing harmless. He needed to test them out; now was not the time to intimidate them.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Kong Huai-ren and his son then dared to look at Xiao Ming.
After the victory of the Northern Expedition, they had been on edge until Ge Yiren appeared. The entire Kong family then settled down, and they immediately went to Qingzhou Province to avoid offending the Emperor.
Moreover, now that the victor was decided, he determined that Xiao Ming was firmly seated on the throne. As for the Prince of Chu, he held no hope for him, because in the eyes of the Kong family, the barbarians were much more dangerous than the Prince of Chu.
The Kong family had been passed down for a thousand years and possessed the ability to discern worldly trends.
After exchanging glances for a moment, after a brief silence, Kong Huai-ren was the first to speak, “Long live His Majesty! I, your humble servant Kong, am late in presenting myself before Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive my transgression.”
“Duke Yansheng worries unnecessarily. The Qufu Kong family is a millennium-old clan of the Great Yu Empire. How dare I blame you? Rather, it is I who was disrespectful for not visiting the Kong family after ascending the throne,” Xiao Ming said blandly. Every generation’s great Confucian master was called Duke Yansheng. This generation’s Duke Yansheng was Kong Huai-ren.
Kong Huai-ren, hearing this, suddenly felt a cold sweat break out on his back. Ge Yiren had told him about this Emperor when he went to the Kong family.
Unlike previous emperors, this Emperor had unique and unpredictable ideas and should not be treated as an ordinary person.
And during his time at the Kong family, Ge Yiren had also conveyed this Emperor’s ideas, as well as the matter of New Confucianism.
He was initially very angry about this, because for thousands of years, Confucian thought had been a self-contained system, not controlled by monarchs. It only needed to uphold the imperial family of each dynasty. But this Emperor was changing Confucianism too drastically.
However, his anger vanished due to Ge Yiren’s advice, because Ge Yiren had stated with certainty that if the Kong family did not cooperate, this Emperor was fully capable of performing the “burning of books and burying of scholars” and completely eradicating Confucianism.
“Your Majesty’s words humble me, Kong. This matter is due to the Kong family’s negligence towards Your Majesty, not Your Majesty’s negligence towards the Kong family. It is also my own foolishness, committing such a great mistake. Henceforth, I, Kong, shall never dare again. Everything shall be by Your Majesty’s command.”
Kong Sheng-ze’s face also turned pale. The two of them, having been in Qingzhou Province for several days, felt the prosperity and power of Qingzhou Province. If this Emperor wished to do something, there was probably no one who could stop him.
It was the duty of every Duke Yansheng to perpetuate the Kong family. Compared to changing some Confucian ideas, survival was paramount. So, after weighing their options, they finally accepted Ge Yiren’s suggestion.
“Your Majesty, the Great Yu Empire is undergoing rapid changes. The Kong family overlooked this and became like frogs in a well. To understand Your Majesty’s thoughts, I am willing to go to Bowen Academy and become an ordinary student, to help Your Majesty in the future,” Kong Sheng-ze said nervously. Read full story at NoveI(F)ire.net
Pang Yukun was overjoyed upon hearing this. He looked at Xiao Ming, his eyes gleaming with excitement. If the future Duke Yansheng could study at Bowen Academy, this would be a landmark event for the secularization of Confucianism.
From then on, Confucian scholars would have no reason to be aloof.