Many things that happen in the imperial court are secrets that simply cannot be kept hidden and will soon be revealed.
The current Duke Yansheng is not of the direct line, or rather, this so-called direct line is not authentic; this news spread immediately. Regarding the current Duke Yansheng, His Majesty the Emperor's decree legitimizing his rule seems quite reasonable.
Zhu Yunwen, who was at home educating his two younger brothers, was dumbfounded. Could the Duke Yansheng, whom he respected, be a traitor who had usurped the throne?
The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children has never been a trivial matter. From the imperial family to ordinary people, everyone is extremely sensitive to this issue. For a large family, the distinction between the legitimate line and collateral branches is even more stringent. For a collateral branch to replace the legitimate line is considered a grave act of treason.
But now, the Kong family, which claims to be descendants of Confucius, has actually replaced the direct line by becoming the most despicable and unacceptable collateral branch.
To say that Kong Zhu relinquished his title back then, that he voluntarily gave up the position of the direct descendant, is a misinterpretation. However, according to popular understanding, Kong Zhu's relinquishment was a sign of his deep sense of righteousness and his desire to protect the Kong family. But now, shouldn't those members of the Kong family feel justified? Shouldn't they, under the influence of Confucius, hastily relinquish their titles again, tracing back to their roots?
Of course, some people were dissatisfied, saying that since the title had already been bestowed, the current line of the Duke Yansheng was the legitimate line, and how could the legitimate and illegitimate lines be given away so easily!
Old Zhu was in a good mood, sipping his wine and saying, "Our grandson is truly magnanimous, able to turn the tide in the court with a flick of his wrist."
"It is all thanks to my grandfather's understanding of his grandson. If I hadn't used my grandfather's prestige to make a huge fuss, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly now," Zhu Yunying said with a smile. "If it weren't for the whole world watching, it wouldn't have been easy to depose them."
Old Zhu didn't care, stroking his short beard as he said, "Even without us, I reckon you would have made your move sooner or later. This is good, I think it's excellent. After this, scholars all over the world will respect you. The direct line of Confucius will become a joke."
If the Duke Yansheng wants to become the head of all civil officials in the land, it will be difficult for him to gain the respect of the people.
If they are still from the lineage of Kong Ne, then they are from a collateral branch. These people are traitors within the family; how can they expect the people of the world to accept them!
However, if we find the descendants of Kong Zhu, they were so afraid of the tyrannical Yuan dynasty that they were forced to grant him the title, leaving the direct line of Confucius so vulnerable. Furthermore, tracing back to the source, the Duke Yansheng of the Song dynasty held a special position, but his rank was not high.
Zhu Yunying was somewhat smug, and then said, "This matter still requires the Emperor's decree. Although I can do it myself, it is not as authoritative as the Emperor's decree."
“It is indeed us who should come. We are the legitimate heirs and illegitimate heirs.” Old Zhu was even happier and said to Zhu Yunying, “Our Great Ming governs the world with filial piety, and the Great Ming should govern the world with propriety. If the descendants of Confucius are so unworthy, that will not do.”
Zhu Yunying then continued, “Qufu has almost become the domain of the Kong family, with most of the land being granted to them or annexed. I think that apart from a few fiefdoms that are exempt from taxes, those that should pay taxes should do so. Furthermore, the magistrate of Qufu has always been a member of the Kong family, which is not good. Qufu belongs to the Ming Dynasty, not to the Kong family.”
Old Zhu also became serious and said to Zhu Yunying, "Ying'er is right. It's not good to treat the Kong family too well. How about this, no matter how the dispute between the legitimate and illegitimate sons ends this time, the Kong family's land must be demolished. If the collateral branches give up the title of Duke Yansheng, they will be given some fiefdoms and land. If the legitimate branch is not up to par, they will still be given some land to live on."
Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile. It didn't matter whether they were from collateral branches or the direct line, as long as the head of the Ming Dynasty's civil officials couldn't be the Duke Yansheng, whose title was 'illegitimate'. Granting them fiefdoms was fine; it was to honor Confucius, and the fiefdoms were meant to support Confucius.
If the Kong family wants to dominate Qufu in the future, they won't be able to do so. Their aura will be stripped away first. The future Duke Yansheng can be deposed at will, and those who dare to break the law or violate discipline will be dealt with without mercy.
Zhu Yunying thought for a moment and then said to his father, "This time when we go back to our hometown to pay respects to our ancestors, I won't be able to go back. Let the Empress go back with us, and let my younger sister go back with us too. This is how I show my filial piety, and our ancestors will be happy to see it."
Old Zhu thought for a moment and said, "The Empress has gone back, what will you do then?"
"Do I lack anyone to take care of me in the palace?" Zhu Yunying said matter-of-factly. "Our Yin'er needs to go back for a visit, but I think our daughter should also go back. Speaking of which, Yue'er and Xi'er haven't been back either, so let them go and visit her on their way."
Old Zhu wasn't particularly happy about it; after all, a granddaughter is a granddaughter, not a grandson.
In fact, most of Old Zhu's sons have returned to their hometown of Fengyang. However, very few of his daughters have been able to go back to visit, and his granddaughters generally do not receive this treatment.
Zhu Xi is currently in Yunnan, while Zhu Yue is in Yingtian Prefecture. This granddaughter is married off; can she still be considered a member of the Zhu family?!
The old feudalistic ideas have resurfaced, leaving Zhu Yunying somewhat helpless. "Just consider it as keeping the Empress company; our daughter should go back too."
Old Zhu agreed, and out of consideration for his grandson and great-grandson, said, "Alright then, let's take them back."
Remembering something, Old Zhu said, "You really should keep an eye on Yun Tong; he's come back again."
"He's back again?" Zhu Yunying was taken aback, somewhat surprised. "I had no idea where he went, how come he's back again?"
Old Zhu was angry, and said earnestly, "We know Yunwen has no ulterior motives, but this precedent cannot be set. What kind of behavior is it for a prince to run around like this! What if others follow suit and the prince conspires in secret?!"
Zhu Yunying nodded. His troublesome younger brother really didn't act like a prince; he was more like a backpacker.
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