Chongzhen and his son and the accompanying scholar Qin Wang had already met the magistrate of Mengcheng.
What Yan Yingyuan, Xu Yingwei and other Qinwang scholars never expected was that the magistrate of Mengcheng was actually one of the nine civil servants who followed the emperor to break the siege from Beijing. After a review by the Hanlin Academy, Wang Wei.
Although the Hanlin Academy was only a seventh-rank official, he was a close servant of the emperor. If he was sent to the outside world, he would have to be a sixth-rank official. However, Wang Wei was only a seventh-rank magistrate, and he was the magistrate of a small county like Mengcheng.
Even Wu Yingji expressed some disapproval of this, saying that the behavior of the Donglin Party was really ugly.
It was enough to demote Meng Zhaoxiang to the position of Minister of Rites openly and covertly, but he also demoted Liu Lishun, Ma Shiqi, and Wang Wei to local positions successively, and only gave them official positions of the same grade. This was a bit excessive.
This is a complete failure to take the emperor into consideration.
Even if we treat it vertically, it’s not like this method of treating it vertically, right?
"Your Majesty," Wang Wei said sadly, "I am incompetent and I have embarrassed you."
"What are you so embarrassed about?" Chongzhen said, "How can a few of you defeat so many of them?"
"Your Majesty, what I'm talking about is not about being demoted." Wang Weidao said, "In fact, I don't have any objection to being demoted to Mengcheng County to serve as magistrate. Rather than staying in Nanjing and doing nothing, I might as well go somewhere and do something."
After a pause, Wang Wei continued: "I'm sad that I haven't accomplished anything in the months since I arrived in Mengcheng, and I almost provoked a civil uprising because of my handling of the marriage robbery case."
"You can't be blamed for this," Chongzhen said.
"The clan power is entrenched in the place and cannot be removed. It has been the most difficult to deal with since ancient times."
In fact, the clan power was not completely resolved until four hundred years later, because this thing has been integrated with the Chinese tradition of offering sacrifices and worshiping ancestors, and it has unimaginable vitality.
Chongzhen had no illusions about eradicating the clan power. At most, he would split it up and force it to move elsewhere.
At that moment, Chongzhen said again: "But fortunately, the clan power will not endanger the country of our Ming Dynasty. To a certain extent, it will even maintain the stability of our country."
All the scholars and Wang Wei were deeply convinced of this.
Regardless of the clans in other places, at least the clans in eight prefectures and one state in the south of the Yangtze River firmly support the Ming Dynasty.
Chongzhen sighed lightly and continued: "What I worry about has never been the clans in the states and counties. I worry about the clans in the hearts of the people in Jiangnan. This is the real danger to the country."
Wu Yingji and Yan Yingyuan looked at each other and asked: "I am stupid, I would like to ask Your Majesty, does the clan you just mentioned in the hearts of the people in Jiangnan refer to the Donglin Party?"
Chongzhen nodded and said: "Now that the matter has come to an end, I don't have to keep it secret anymore. I mean the Donglin Party."
Wu Yingji, Gu Yanwu, Zhu Shunshui and even Xia Yunyi and other Qinwang scholars had tangled expressions on their faces.
When the news of the party struggle first reached Xuzhou, Wu Yingji and others were filled with indignation and wished they could light lanterns in the sky for the big guys of the Donglin Party.
But after a few months, they calmed down.
So Wu Yingji, Gu Yanwu, Xia Yunyi and other scholars who were inextricably connected with the Donglin Party couldn't help but start to wonder, could there be some misunderstanding?
Could it be that Mr. Gao Ge, Mr. Jiang Ge and the others were deceived by villains?
To put it bluntly, they have grown up under the strict public opinion control of the Donglin Party since they were young. The image of Donglin Party members as upright and honest and serving the country and the people has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and it is by no means so easy to destroy.
So now Chongzhen bluntly classifies the Donglin Party as a force that "should be eliminated", which makes them feel very entangled.
Only Wang Wei was convinced and said: "Local clans have unimaginably powerful control over the people of the area. The people will believe whatever the clan leaders and elders say, and it is even more effective than what the government says."
"And the Donglin Party also has unimaginably powerful control over one of the eight prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River."
"People in the south of the Yangtze River often believe whatever the Donglin Party members say. If the imperial government's decrees are not supported by the Donglin Party members, it will become difficult to implement them in every state in the eight prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River."
"So the Donglin Party is really a clan, and it is also a clan in the hearts of the people in Jiangnan!"
After a pause, Wang Wei continued: "But as the Holy One said, local clans are tangible and controllable, and their influence is limited. They will definitely not threaten the stability of the country. However, the clans in the hearts of the people in Jiangnan are invisible."
, and its influence is so boundless that it can even influence the opinions of ministers in the cabinet! It is said that when it was reported that Gu Xiancheng was here, he even privately threatened that he could control the Ming Dynasty from Wuxi!"
"Wang Zhixian said this too much!"
Wu Yingji, Gu Yanwu, Zhu Shunshui and other scholars said at the same time.
Chongzhen glanced over, and Wu Yingji bowed his hands and said: "These are really dirty words. Mr. Jingyang is loyal to the Ming Dynasty, how can he be so arrogant?"
Wang Wei frowned and said, "Let's put aside what Gu Xiancheng said. In September of the 14th year of Chongzhen, Zhang Pu, the leader of the restoration society, once controlled scholarly discussions in Jiangnan and helped Zhou Yanru enter the cabinet again. Is this always a fact?"
After a pause, Wang Wei continued: "And after Zhou Yanru paid homage to the prime minister, Zhang Pu even gave him a pamphlet and asked Zhou Yanru to recruit them one by one according to the list contained in the pamphlet. Isn't this true?"
"Rumors." Gu Yanwu said, "This is just a rumor."
Wu Yingji also said: "It is all lies to influence the Jiangnan scholars and control the political situation."
Xia Yunyi also said: "Let alone our restoration of society, the Donglin Party did not have such ability when it was in its heyday."
Wang Wei frowned and said: "Okay, even if it is a rumor that Zhang Pu controlled Jiangnan intellectuals, then it is a fact that the Donglin Party ignored the safety of the emperor and the millions of soldiers and civilians on the Xuzhou front and brazenly launched a party struggle in Nanjing, right?
"This is a fact." Wu Yingji admitted, "but this matter has nothing to do with whether the Donglin Party is a clan force or not."
Gu Yanwu also said: "What's more, we firmly believe that Mr. Gao Ge, Mr. Jiang Ge, Mr. Xie Ge and others were deceived by villains, otherwise they would definitely not do such stupid things."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Hearing this, Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong frowned.
Xu Yingwei, Yan Yingwei and other Qin Wang scholars also frowned. They should have different opinions, but due to friendship, they did not refute Wu Yingji and other scholars in front of Wang Wei, an "outsider".
Among the Qinwang scholars there were many sons of Fushe people or Donglin Party members. How could Wang Wei alone speak to so many Qinwang scholars? He was quickly refuted by all the scholars and became speechless.
Chongzhen then stood up and said, "Okay, let's stop here today."
"Now, students, please leave." Wu Yingji, Gu Yanwu, Xia Yunyi and other diligent princes and scholars all resigned one after another. Wang Wei did not stay long and also left.
After a while, only Chongzhen and his son were left in the big tent.
Chongzhen ordered Hu Guozhu to guard the area around the tent, and then said: "Xun'er, Jiong'er, have you seen it? Now you know how difficult it is to get rid of the Donglin Party clan?"
"My son has already seen it." Zhu Cijiong said with a dark face.
"I didn't expect that even Wu Yingji, Gu Yanwu, Zhu Shunshui and Xia Yunyi were also believers of the Donglin Party."
Zhu Cixiang said: "Wu Yingji and the others are not Donglin Party believers, but because most of their fathers, ancestors, relatives or teachers are Donglin Party members, they have always had a good impression of the Donglin Party."
After saying this, Zhu Cixiang said to Chongzhen: "Father, I finally understand why you used Luan Jia as bait to lure the Donglin Party members into action. Otherwise, it is really not enough to completely eradicate the Donglin Party."
Now Zhu Cijiong also understood: "No, because the Donglin Party is deeply rooted in people's hearts."
"That's right, because the Donglin Party is rooted in the hearts of scholars and common people." Chongzhen said solemnly, "If this were not the case, how could the eunuch Party, which was so prosperous back then, lose to this group of powerless civil servants."
…
Outside the big tent, there was already a quarrel among Prince Qin and his disciples.
Wu Yingji said: "The Holy Master compared the Donglin Party to thieves in the mountains, which is too much."
Yan Yingyuan said: "Brother Ciwei, please be careful. Your Majesty only said that the Donglin Party's influence on the people in Jiangnan is no less than that of the clans in local prefectures and counties. Did he ever say that the Donglin Party is a bandit in the mountains?"
Wu Yingji said: "In the past, Mr. Yangming once said that it is easy to defeat the thieves in the mountains, but it is difficult to defeat the thieves in the heart. Now the Holy Sage has said that it is easy to defeat the clans in the state and county, but it is difficult to defeat the clans in the heart. Isn't this just comparing the Donglin Party to the thieves in the mountains?"
"Two different things." Yan Yingyuan said disapprovingly, "How can they be confused."
Xia Yunyi said: "However, it is also inappropriate for the Holy Lord to compare the Donglin Party to the clan in his heart."
Xu Yingwei said: "I think this comparison is very appropriate. The Donglin Party is the clan in the hearts of the people in Jiangnan."
Seeing that Wu Yingji was about to refute, Xu Yingwei immediately rushed to say: "Brother Ciwei, don't rush to refute now. I would like to ask Brother Ciwei and other brothers, are the Donglin Party members all gentlemen?"
"That's not true." Wu Yingji waved his hand and said, "If all ten fingers are long and short, how can everyone in the Donglin Party be a gentleman? For example, Ruan Dacheng was once a member of the Donglin Party."
Up to now, Wu Yingji and other people in Fushe look down upon Ruan Dacheng.
Xu Yingwei said: "Then the question is, Brother Ciwei, have you ever heard people in the south of the Yangtze River say that the Donglin Party is not good? I'm afraid it has never happened before? Whenever we talk about the Donglin Party, whether it is traffickers and lackeys, gentry merchants or even
Among the beggars begging on the street, which one doesn’t give a thumbs up and praise him as the pillar of the country?”
After saying this, Xu Yingwei continued: "In the early years of Chongzhen and last year, when the Donglin Party took full control of the cabinet, who among the ministers and common people in the DPRK did not say that everyone was in favor of the DPRK?"
Gu Yanwu said: "Isn't this the truth?"
Xia Yunyi said: "Even if there are a few scum among the Donglin Party members, their faults cannot be concealed. In the early years of Chongzhen and last year, the atmosphere in the court was indeed worthy of being prosperous. Don't you agree with this, Brother Youzhen?"
Xu Yingwei said: "If it is true that the government is prosperous, why did the government become worse and worse day by day after the second year of Chongzhen?"
