When the sky collapsed and the earth split, he did not die, hide or flee, but was still in great glory.

He did not offer any advice to the people regarding their miserable lives which were like hell, but just served as their "Yanshenggong".

The newspapers have been continuously criticizing and attacking the descendants of Confucius. The "Daming Forum", which represents the emperor's will, dares to do this, and the meaning behind it is obvious.

Launching a public opinion offensive has always been the emperor's tactic. Since the emperor's intentions are clear, who dares to go against the trend and offend the emperor?

The contemporary Duke of Yansheng, Kong Yanzhi, finally lost patience and submitted a petition to defend himself. However, the emperor did not respond and instead withheld the petition.

No civil or military official in the court dared to speak up in defense of Kong Yanzhi. The facts were there, and the emperor did not want to overthrow Confucius. He was just dissatisfied with his descendants.

In contrast to his verbal and written criticism of the descendants of Confucius, the emperor also spent money to renovate the Confucian Temple, which can be said to be a combination of kindness and power.

Finally, Kong Yanzhi submitted a petition to resign. This time the emperor was very pleased and quickly approved it.

The title of Duke of Yansheng was abolished, and Kong Yanzhi was instead given the title of Grand Master of the Great Sage and Teacher of the Great Accomplishment. Thus, the six or seven hundred years of iron rice bowl that had been enjoyed by the Duke of Yansheng came to an end.

The goal was achieved, and the emperor published an article in the newspaper titled "For the Country and the People, to be Passed Down Forever", which put an end to the suppression of the Kong family.

Confucius is Confucius, and his descendants are his descendants. Qin Hui is cursed throughout history, but his grandson fought bravely against the Jin Dynasty; Fan Zhongyan is admired by all generations, but his descendants have Fan Wencheng, a great traitor.

The emperor also revealed his preferences and feelings through this article. People and officials who contribute to the country, share weal and woe, and work for the welfare of the people are what the court needs and should be vigorously promoted.

Otherwise, no matter how glorious your ancestors are, you will not be allowed to enjoy the merits of your ancestors.

"Long live the emperor——" Yuan Keli, who returned to his hometown in Henan after retiring, shook his head and smiled bitterly. He was speechless and accustomed to the actions of this student of the emperor.

There are always some unconventional actions, but they are also well thought out, and both the timing and the reasons are perfectly grasped.

Putting down the newspaper in his hand, Yuan Keli turned to the housekeeper and asked, "How is the purchased grain going? When will it be delivered?"

The housekeeper quickly bowed and said, "Master, according to the itinerary, we should have landed. I can't tell you the exact date."

After a pause, the butler added, "It's the Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce that's handling the shipment. They have a very good reputation. Besides, they wouldn't dare to be perfunctory with the Prime Minister."

Humph, Yuan Keli slapped the table lightly and said, "I've told you twice, you are not allowed to call me Prime Minister anymore."

"Yes, yes." The housekeeper hurriedly said with a smile, "Master, calm down."

Yuan Keli waved his hand, stood up, and walked to the window. Looking out at the flower garden, he sighed, "Your Majesty has indeed predicted a major disaster. Several provinces are suffering from disasters. It's really not easy for Your Majesty to maintain national stability!"

The butler nodded vigorously and said, "There are still people like you who care about the country and the people. If we stick together, we can always get through difficult times."

Yuan Keli shook his head and said, "I'm receiving a salary from the court, and if I don't do my bit, I'll feel guilty. Besides, this is for the sake of my hometown. It's not about seeking welfare, it's just about giving them enough food and clothing."

History has completely changed, but nature is still developing along its original trajectory, showing the power of major disasters.

In the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, there was a severe drought in northern Shaanxi;

In the tenth year of the Tianqi reign, there was a severe drought throughout Shaanxi Province;

In the eleventh year of the Tianqi reign, there was a severe drought in Henan;

In the 12th year of the Tianqi reign, there was a severe drought in Shanxi;

The drought area advances from east to south, old drought areas continue, and new drought areas appear every year.

The imperial court was fully engaged in disaster relief efforts, and local governments continued to ship in grain and store it. This included grain from Mekong Province, Jiangnan, the newly acquired Burmese territories, and grain purchased from overseas. As long as grain could be transported to the disaster-stricken areas, major unrest would be avoided.

In other words, there was food, but transportation was difficult. By sea, it reached Zhigu; by river, it went along the Yangtze River; and by land, it was transported by relays, so the laborers rarely left the province.

In addition to the imperial court, officials, gentry, landlords, and merchants were also mobilized to join the action of purchasing and storing grain. The emperor issued a decree that they could make some profits from it, but the amount must be strictly controlled.

In other words, you can make money by selling grain, but if you drive up prices or hoard goods, you are committing a crime and will be severely punished.

It had become a consensus that the government and the public should work together to combat natural disasters. Under the emperor's powerful authority, anyone who dared to cross the line would face beheading or exile.

Successive droughts have made the Yangtze River waterway the main mode of transporting grain.

The Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce therefore received key support and rewards from the imperial court. Making money was certainly important, but the leaders of the Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce were more concerned about social status and a brighter future.

Following the Governor-General of Luzon, the Governor-General of Pontianak, Yan Siqi, also took office, and the Lord of Tampa, Lin Tiansheng, was also appointed by the court.

Although the Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce is a mainland business, it also has connections with the China Merchants Association. They also have their eyes on overseas businesses and actively invest in the "Huaxia Longteng" company.

The salt merchants who held huge fortunes but whose sources of income were cut off by the salt administration reform also began to shift their focus and invest their money in the hope of becoming a lord or governor.

Despite the ongoing disaster, the Ming Empire experienced greater activity than ever before. The flow of capital and personnel increased, greatly alleviating the hardships faced by the common people.

Immigration work has been carried out in an orderly manner. With the slogan of "those who till the land shall own the land", the Northeast, Dongfan, Hainan, Mekong, Qiantao and other regions have continuously absorbed migrating people and accelerated development and construction.

Work-for-relief continued to be implemented in the disaster-stricken areas. The construction of roads, bridges, water conservancy facilities, urban construction, and the laying of large-scale slab-gauge railways provided the people in the disaster-stricken areas with jobs and food, and the society was thus able to remain stable.

If the emperor had not made precautionary preparations and issued directives, the chaos and social unrest caused by the disaster in several provinces would be unimaginable.

Therefore, when the disaster arrived as expected and intensified, the emperor's prestige was further enhanced.

Similarly, the performance of local officials was tested during times of great disasters, with capable officials emerging and incompetent ones being dismissed and punished.

Moreover, even when he was fully focused on dealing with a major disaster, the emperor's expansion plans did not stop or cease. Shifting conflicts and plundering wealth became effective means of alleviating major disasters.

After more than two years of preparation, the southwestern chieftains were about to launch a new round of military operations. This time, their target was Tianzhu in South Asia.

The imperial court had previously provided guidance, but seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. Without a field trip, the southwestern chieftains were hesitant to believe that India was truly "rich and foolish," as the imperial court described it.