Even though Zhu Xiaosong had convinced him, Zhu Lao Er stubbornly retorted, "Even if Lao San and I are willing to follow you in rebellion, and agree that we shouldn't bury our father for now, why should scholar Liu follow you?"
Zhu Xiaosong hummed, as if talking to himself, "Yes, scholar Liu has a thousand mu of fertile land and a beautiful wife and concubines. Why should he follow us in rebellion?"
Lao San said, "Even if scholar Liu has gone mad and follows us in rebellion, the imperial court... the imperial court after all commands a million troops. With just the three of us brothers rebelling..."
Zhu Xiaosong didn't directly answer Lao San's question, but instead motioned for them to stand at the door, then pointed to the empty courtyard and said, "Do you see? All the land in this world originally belonged to our family!"
Lao San's heart stirred, but he couldn't grasp the fleeting inspiration in his mind. Lao Er impatiently said, "Even if it was ours, that was before! Now, most of that land belongs to scholar Liu!"
Zhu Xiaosong chuckled, his expression gradually becoming somewhat ferocious, "Yes, the Great Ming has fallen, so this land is no longer ours, but has instead become scholar Liu's."
Zhu Lao Er and Zhu Lao San became even more confused, even suspecting that their elder brother had provoked something unclean.
Zhu Xiaosong said mockingly, "Scholar Liu trained his daughter in poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and even had Miss Liu study Manchu from a young age. What was his motive?"
"Oppressing the good and honest, occupying civilian land. Even if the people of Liu Miao are oppressed, they dare not speak out, and dare not even express anger. What is his basis for this?"
Zhu Lao Er and Zhu Lao San were silent.
Scholar Liu's training of his daughter in Manchu, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age was not for Miss Liu to achieve fame, but rather because twenty-three years ago, after the news spread that a lowly maidservant traveled a thousand miles to find her father and was recognized by the deaf Emperor Qian as a Gege, many people in the entire Great Qing vigorously trained their daughters, hoping that their daughters could have something happen with the deaf Emperor Qian, even though he was already over seventy.
As for scholar Liu oppressing the good and honest and occupying civilian land, it was based on his relationship with the county magistrate and his ability to be sworn brothers with the Manchu lord!
After a long period of silence, Lao San sighed and said, "Scholar Liu... is unworthy of the teachings of the ancient sages."
Zhu Xiaosong sneered, "Is scholar Liu the only one who is unworthy of the ancient sages? All the scholars in this world, every single one of them, who can say they are not unworthy of the ancient sages? Even you, Lao San, you've only studied for a few days with the corrupt scholars in the village, and are you not also unworthy of the ancient sages!"
Zhu Lao San was slightly angered and retorted, "Big brother, this is going too far! I admit that apart from my lack of profound scholarship, I haven't done anything that would make me unworthy of the ancient sages!"
Zhu Xiaosong stared at Zhu Lao San and said, "Then explain to me, what is the debate between Hua and Yi? What does it mean that 'the body and skin are received from parents'? What does it mean, 'Without Guan Zhong, I would have my hair unbound and my robes crossed to the left'?"
Zhu Lao San was suddenly stunned. After a long while, he argued forcefully, "The teacher said that if the barbarians enter China, they become Chinese."
Zhu Xiaosong sneered, "Nonsense! Since ancient times, there have been those who controlled the barbarians with Chinese culture, but never those who controlled China with barbarians."
"If you read through the Four Books and Five Classics, did the sages and ancient worthies ever say such idiotic nonsense as 'if barbarians enter China, they become Chinese'? Have you read your books into a dog's stomach!"
"Let me tell you, this kind of idiotic nonsense first originated from Hao Jing, a false Confucian of the Jin Dynasty, who proposed 'Today, if one can use scholars and follow the ways of China, then they are the rulers of China' to discuss the legitimacy of the Mongolian Yuan regime. Later, that little brat Yongzheng, in his 'Great Righteousness Dispelling Confusion Record,' altered Han Yu's 'Original Way' passage, changing 'When Confucius wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, if a feudal lord used barbarian rituals, he would be considered barbarian; if he advanced to China, he would be considered Chinese' to 'Han Yu said: "If China is barbarian, then it is barbarian; if barbarians are Chinese, then they are Chinese."'"
"One of these two is a treacherous Han traitor, and the other is a false emperor of the Jiannu. You actually regard their idiotic nonsense as a golden rule? If you dare to spout such idiotic nonsense again to excuse the Tatars and make a fool of yourself, I will beat you to death!"
After scolding Zhu Lao San, Zhu Xiaosong sneered again, "I have already said that this land originally belonged to our family. How this land should be disposed of should be decided by us, not by the Tatars calling the shots."
Seeing that his two brothers were still hesitant, Zhu Xiaosong couldn't help but feel a bit angry and said in a low voice, "Have you seen the life scholar Liu leads? Have you seen the life the Manchu lord in our Liu Miao village leads?"
"Originally, we should have lived a thousand or ten thousand times better than them! At the very least, we could have walked on the street with our heads held high, but what about now?"
"Let me tell you, it is they who have taken away the good life we deserved!"
"Rebellion? That is taking back what originally belonged to our family!"
Zhu Lao Er and Zhu Lao San's expressions changed slightly. Zhu Lao Er even whispered, "Then big brother, tell us what to do. I'll listen to you!"
He called his two brothers to lean in, and then Zhu Xiaosong slowly revealed his plan, "After a while, we will first do this and this, then you two will do that and that, and after that, we will retreat to Woniu Mountain."
...
With the Son of Heaven ruling the Great Qing, it was naturally a time of favorable weather and peace for the people. Scholars like Liu, who knew how to study and advance, had their homes built with blue bricks and tiled roofs. Even when it was cloudy and rainy or windy and snowy, scholar Liu could safely sit indoors and invite the Manchu lord Fuchajigeka to have tea.
Before the tea was finished, scholar Liu was about to speak to Jigeka about business when the housekeeper from his home walked in and said in a low voice, "Reporting to master, Zhu Xiaosong, his brother Zhu Erdan, and Zhu Sanshun are here to see you."
Scholar Liu's face darkened, and he reprimanded, "Tell them to scram! Can't you see I'm discussing matters with brother Jigeka?"
The housekeeper bowed and said, "Replying to master, the three brothers are all in mourning. It's likely their consumptive father has died, and they are here to ask for a piece of land for their deceased father to be buried properly?"
Scholar Liu angrily said, "When couldn't he die, but he had to choose to die while I was entertaining brother Jigeka? This is simply outrageous!"
After scolding, Master Liu then snorted, took a sip of tea, and ordered, "Forget it, have them brought in. Who told you I am kind-hearted."
While cursing scholar Liu as worthless in his heart, the housekeeper bowed and agreed, and quickly called the three brothers Zhu Xiaosong into the room.
Zhu Xiaosong bowed and said, "Your humble servant greets the scholar master."
Scholar Liu then hummed, holding his tea and said, "Your family's affairs, this master has also learned of. After all, the deceased are of paramount importance, and the funeral rites must be carried out. By the way, do you still have money to hire musicians?"
Zhu Xiaosong's face darkened and he replied, "Replying to scholar master, previously, due to father's continuous medication, our family was truly without any spare money. Forget about musicians, we couldn't even afford a coffin, so we had to keep it simple."
Scholar Liu coldly snorted and said, "Simply outrageous! According to the 'Book of Rites,' funeral rites are for the living to adorn the deceased, to reflect their lives and send them off in death, to treat the dead as the living and the departed as if they were present."
"According to ritual, you should mourn your father for three years, and musicians are even more indispensable. How can you simplify everything because you have no money? Is this the way of a son!"
After scolding Zhu Xiaosong and the other two, scholar Liu then winked at the housekeeper, who coughed and said, "My master is kind-hearted. Thinking that you are truly poor, he will bestow upon you a plain coffin and lend you three strings of copper coins for your father's funeral. Why don't you quickly thank my master?"
Zhu Xiaosong quickly bowed and thanked scholar Liu, then took out two pages of paper from his怀, and said to scholar Liu, "Scholar master, your kindness is too great for me to repay. However, as your humble servant is poor, and I don't know when I can repay the copper coins you lent, perhaps I can pledge the remaining two mu of land in my family here with scholar master?"
Scholar Liu then hummed and said, "That is indeed a polite person. Fine, although this master does not lack these few mu of thin land, in consideration of your filial piety, you can keep it with this master for now. When your brothers have money, they can redeem it back."
Zhu Xiaosong bowed and agreed again, walking towards scholar Liu holding the land deed. However, when he was still half a step away from scholar Liu, Zhu Xiaosong suddenly threw the land deed and pulled out a sharp knife from his怀!
The sudden change!
Before scholar Liu, the housekeeper, and the others could react, Zhu Xiaosong lunged forward, held the knife to scholar Liu's throat, and shouted, "Don't move! Move and I'll kill you!"
Zhu Erdan and Zhu Sanshun also pulled out sharp knives from their怀. Zhu Erdan lunged at the stunned Manchu lord Fuchajigeka, while Zhu Sanshun went straight for scholar Liu's housekeeper.
Fuchajigeka couldn't react in time and was stabbed in the heart by Zhu Erdan's knife, immediately falling dead. Zhu Sandan also held a sharp knife to the housekeeper's throat.
Only then did scholar Liu, who had just reacted, exclaim in shock and anger, "You've gone mad! Killing the Manchu lord is tantamount to rebellion, and the authorities will not let you go!"
Zhu Xiaosong grinned and said, "This matter does not require scholar master's worry. However, Zhu still has one matter to trouble scholar master with?"
Scholar Liu coldly snorted and said, "Don't you just want money? This master will give it to you! However, I fear you will have the life to take the money but not to spend it!"
Zhu Xiaosong let out a cold laugh and gave Zhu Erdan a look. After Zhu Erdan came over and held the sharp knife to scholar Liu's throat, Zhu Xiaosong instead stabbed the sharp knife into scholar Liu's leg.
Scholar Liu let out a pig-like scream of pain, immediately alarming the more than ten guards employed by scholar Liu's mansion. Zhu Xiaosong calmly watched the guards rush into the room with their knives and said, "Put down your knives, then withdraw from the room. Otherwise, I might not be able to hold the knife steady and might hurt your master."
The more than ten guards looked at each other. They wanted to rush forward, but they were afraid of really hurting their master. While they were hesitant, Zhu Xiaosong pulled the sharp knife out of scholar Liu's leg and stabbed it in again. The pain made scholar Liu howl, "Put down the knives! Get out!"
The guards had no choice but to obey, put down their long knives, and slowly withdrew from the room. Zhu Xiaosong then held the sharp knife to scholar Liu's throat. After Zhu Lao Er and Zhu Lao San took turns swapping their long knives, he said to scholar Liu, "Just now, Zhu said there was something to trouble scholar master with, but it seems scholar master did not agree?"
Scholar Liu endured the piercing bone-chilling pain and trembled, "What is it, say it."
Zhu Xiaosong smiled and said, "It's nothing major, just to trouble scholar master to take out all the land deeds and promissory notes from the estate, and also to have people move all the gold, silver, copper coins, and grain to the threshing ground."
Scholar Liu was furious and cursed, "You're dreaming! Although this master manages the farm and studies, the harvest is not good this year. When did this master have any gold, silver, copper coins, or grain!"
Zhu Xiaosong exerted a little force, stirring the sharp knife stuck in scholar Liu's leg, and asked with a grin, "Do you have it now? If not, I'll break your hands. If you still don't, I'll cut off your tongue! By the way, I heard your daughter is as beautiful as a flower, and you've always hoped your daughter could be like that lowly maidservant named Xia?"
Scholar Liu was greatly terrified and shouted, "Move! Move! Everything is as you say, move it all over!"
Zhu Xiaosong then let out a laugh and shouted at the guards standing in the courtyard, "What's wrong? Didn't you hear your scholar master's order? Oh, right, don't forget to invite your madam, young master, and young lady over!"
After the guards dispersed to move things, Zhu Xiaosong said to Zhu Lao San, "According to what I told you before, go find a broken gong and have the villagers from the estate come to the threshing ground!"