Chapter 101: The World Has Suffered from Confucians for Too Long

“One shichen!”

Yang Xin looked at the empty space before him and spoke to Xu Xianchun beside him.

It took only one shichen.

More than fifty thousand households from the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Bodyguard Battalions had completely cleared away four civilian houses. Of course, since they could not all squeeze in, only several thousand actually took part in the demolition. But that was enough. Not only did they tear the houses down, they even cleared away the broken bricks and rotten wood to the surroundings, leaving an empty square in the middle, roughly twenty zhang on each side. By now, the snow had stopped. Sunlight broke through the overcast clouds, shining upon the entire square. Amidst the expanse of white snow, only this area looked different. Yet, the crowd still gathered and had not dispersed. After venting their feelings, the Military Households clearly looked much more cheerful. Whether their lives would change because of this or not, they had finally done something they had wanted to do before but dared not.

“After all, we have the numbers!”

Xu Xianchun said with a smile.

He truly could smile now!

If the scholars’ temple lament earlier could still put some pressure on Wanli, now their lament was a complete joke.

They could not even keep up their own act.

And he no longer needed to worry that Wanli might impose a heavier punishment on him under pressure from the scholars. Wanli would not care about the scholars’ pressure now, because this big demonstration had already told Wanli that he still had a loyal imperial guard. His power was far stronger than that of the scholars, or the civil official and gentry group behind them. When needed, he still held the power of life and death over these people. What these Military Households displayed was his power.

However, Xu Xianchun also did not expect that Yang Xin’s move would have such a miraculous effect.

In his view, having a thousand or so people come to create some momentum would be enough. Who would have thought it would turn into a city-wide carnival? Tens of thousands took to the streets to cheer them on. Not just the Imperial Guard he planned for, nearly all twenty-six Imperial Bodyguard Battalions had Military Households participate, with even some senior commanders from the guard stations personally leading them.

“This is ‘the world has suffered from Confucians for too long’!”

Yang Xin said.

Such a large-scale event surely had senior commanders and those nobles pushing it behind the scenes. Ultimately, they were unwilling to be constantly stepped on by civil officials. They also wanted to seize the chance to show their strength.

This time gave them the perfect opportunity.

“The arrival of the Sage Yue!”

With a shout, all eyes turned south. They saw a portrait of Yue Fei mounted on a carriage slowly approaching.

Yang Xin and the others quickly stepped forward to welcome it.

This portrait was said to have been taken down from the main hall of the Eastern Depot, personally removed by the Supervisor of the Eastern Depot, the grand eunuch Lu Shou. Those escorting this portrait were also the agents of the Eastern Depot. Clearly, the Eastern Depot knew it had to take a stand in this matter. This was not just a struggle between the Imperial Guard and the scholars, but a struggle between the imperial family and Confucianism. As a force dependent on imperial power, they must unite and work together this time. One could say this Yue Fei Temple foundation ceremony had now become a joint grand event for the Eastern Depot, the Imperial Guard, and the Imperial Bodyguard Battalions.

In contrast, the Confucian Temple stood deserted at its entrance, surrounded by the complex gazes of those scholars.

“The Duke of Dingguo has arrived.”

Just as Yang Xin and the others were about to welcome the Sage Yue, another shout suddenly rang out.

Following this, a large number of soldiers escorted a middle-aged man wearing a Python Robe. Beside him was Yang Xin’s old acquaintance, the eunuch who had delivered the imperial decree to him last time. The two quickly arrived at the scene. Yang Xin’s group hurried forward to pay their respects. This was the leader of the nobles, the hereditary Duke of Dingguo, Xu Xigao. But he was also just a figurehead, with no real power, merely holding the Commander-in-Chief title in the Five Military Commissions. While the military system of the Great Ming was indeed managed by the Five Military Commissions, and orders from the Ministry of War had to pass through them, in reality, with the emergence of civil officials like governors-general and grand coordinators in various regions who held the Imperial Sword, the Ministry of War no longer needed to pay attention to the Five Military Commissions. These civil officials controlled logistics and military pay, held the power to impeach military officers, and even to execute first and report later. How would regional commanders dare not follow their orders?

The Ministry of War plus the Governor-General.

A complete military system was formed.

The Five Military Commissions were sidelined, then completely became a retirement home for the nobles, and the Commander-in-Chief title was used as an additional honorary title for regional commanders.

But in theory, this was still the highest rank.

“All rise!”

Xu Xigao said expressionlessly.

Yang Xin and the others stood up. Xu Xigao said nothing more, just waved a hand behind him. The soldiers who followed him quickly set up an offering table and such in the middle of the empty ground. Yue Fei’s portrait was also invited over. While they were busy, the eunuch looked at Yang Xin with a meaningful gaze. Yang Xin likewise looked at him with a questioning expression.

“Righteous Yang, His Majesty has decreed that the construction of the Yue Fei Temple is now to be personally overseen by the Duke of Dingguo. You no longer need to manage this matter!”

The eunuch said.

“Um, this commoner obeys the decree!”

Yang Xin said quickly.

Xu Xianchun immediately gave a meaningful look to his subordinates. Those Imperial Guard quickly stepped forward, surrounding the two of them, blocking the outside view. Protected by this ring of people, the eunuch then walked up to them…

“You all were too reckless!”

The eunuch whispered.

“Sir Eunuch, we did not expect it to be like this either. We originally just wanted to gather a few hundred brothers to come and hold a ceremony to anger those Green Robed Scholars. If they could worship at the Confucian Temple, could we not also worship the Sage Yue? Who knew the people’s resentment was so great, and so many wanted to join in to slap their faces. At the front, we truly knew nothing about what was happening behind until we started tearing down the houses and realized something was wrong. But this also shows the loyalty of the various Imperial Bodyguard Battalions to the Great Ming and to His Majesty. When it comes to serving the country with utmost loyalty, no one wants to fall behind.”

Yang Xin said.

Clearly, he had given Wanli quite a scare.

Emperors feared this most. With so many people suddenly flooding the streets, it would be false to say Wanli was not terrified. How did Emperor Dezong of Tang collapse? Wasn’t it because of such an incident? Tens of thousands of people, and tens of thousands who were essentially soldiers; if someone deliberately spread rumors and stirred up trouble, it could easily turn into a city-wide mutiny.

Fortunately, nothing went wrong this time.

But Wanli’s reaction was also swift. He directly elevated this worship ceremony. The original Military Household demonstration became a state-level grand sacrifice personally led by the Duke of Dingguo, acting in his stead.

Probably, Yue Fei’s posthumous title would be increased further.

Last time, his conferment for Guan Yu was merely sending a eunuch to the Temple of Guan Yu at Zhengyang Gate.

Although that eunuch was the Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Li En, such sacrifices must follow rank. No matter how intimidating the Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial was, he was only a fourth-rank official.

But this time, it was the Duke of Dingguo who came.

A first-rank military official, the head of the Great Ming nobles, and effectively the head of all military officials.

In a sense, the sacrifice he presided over was already close to a sacrifice for Confucius. Usually, the emperor’s worship for Confucius only involved sending a noble or an official.

It might not even be as high-ranking as Xu Xigao.

One could say, to quickly calm these demonstrating Military Households, prevent accidents during their gathering that could lead to a terrible mutiny, and also to cover up the truth of the matter, Wanli had hastily elevated Yue Fei to the level of a martial sage. The Great Ming did not have a martial sage. The Sage Emperor Yue and the Sage Emperor Guan were not martial sages either; those were just titles conferred by the emperor. Their titles had nothing to do with martial prowess; Yue Fei was still the Emperor Who Subdues Demons. In fact, from the Song Dynasty backward, the martial sage had always been Jiang Ziya. He was the proper martial sage, with the Confucian Temple and the Martial Temple standing side by side: Confucius’s King of Culture and Propagation versus Jiang Ziya’s King of Martial Accomplishment. But Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the Martial Temple, so a martial sage was no longer established. The southern capital only had the Martial Virtue Tower, the Temple of Meritorious Officials, and other such ten temples. Those founding heroes were the objects of worship for the Great Ming’s military officials. But in the northern capital, meritorious officials were instead enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

As for the Temple of Guan Yu, it was not a Martial Sage Temple either, just one of the many folk deities worshipped.

But now it was different.

The Duke of Dingguo’s sacrifice to Yue Fei on behalf of the emperor essentially acknowledged the existence of a martial sage, especially with its location right next to the Confucian Temple, which was enough to make the common people draw connections.

And all this was forced out by Yang Xin in haste.

“You can go and explain that to His Majesty. I believe His Majesty will be glad to listen to your explanation. You know, ever since you returned, you have been summoned to see him every day. The depth of His Majesty’s favor is unmatched in the Great Ming. Even Grand Secretary Fang cannot see His Majesty the Emperor twice a day like you do!”

The eunuch said.

What he meant was: prepare yourself for punishment!