Overnight, the booklet distributed by Zhu Mo became almost the most sought-after item in the capital.
Many printing workshops worked overtime. Anyone who could read wanted a copy, and Zhu Mo, now flush with cash, also had the previous workshops ramp up production.
Within two or three days, High Gong was being discussed in almost every corner of the capital, and the discussions were universally condemnatory. Most people detested hypocrites, while some were enraged by his framing and the killing of civilians, wishing him to be immediately executed in the marketplace. More Confucian scholars, having been brainwashed for years, harbored a deep hatred for harsh Legalism. In a short span of time, memorial after memorial impeaching him piled up in the Grand Secretariat's office.
Zhu Mo wandered the streets for these few days, listening with increasing delight.
In this way,
Not only was the truth revealed, but High Gong would be the one to suffer the consequences of this storm.
High Gong was the one being accused of enacting the cruel Qin laws, not him, Zhu Mo! Their scheme to frame him and brand him an eternal villain had, from this moment on, been declared bankrupt!
As for Xu Jie, he became the ringleader of this infighting among the "pure gentry." It was there for all to see: Xu Jie had distributed the copied confidential letter from High Gong during his lecture at Baitán Academy. Didn't that prove Xu Jie was behind it? As for the reason, who in the world didn't know? Wasn't High Gong trying to eliminate Xu Jie? Failing to overthrow Xu but being crushed instead – that was the consequence of fighting Xu for position!
It must be known that
Rumors spread with incredible speed, whether in ancient times or modern. Wherever there were people, word of mouth traveled faster than anything else. Within days, the narrative that Xu Jie had orchestrated High Gong's downfall had become the mainstream version. Although everyone knew that Prince Yu was present that day, he was the future emperor, and who dared to speak ill of him? Thus, the blame was squarely placed.
Zhu Mo didn't necessarily want to treat Xu Jie this way, but the problem was that this old man was too cunning. Every time it mattered, he would make a few moves, all while maintaining a facade of impartiality, leaving everyone helpless. This action was, in a way, a retaliation, at least to make him understand the meaning of responsibility.
This comeback from the brink had been incredibly arduous.
Recalling it now, he still felt a cold sweat—
From the very beginning, this offensive had been sudden. When news of the slave rebellion in Jiangnan broke, and even when Zhang Juzheng sent him a secret letter, he hadn't anticipated how serious it would become. A moment's hesitation in handling it, and it would have spiraled out of control in an instant. This indicated that the Yan Party still possessed terrifying power. It wasn't like fighting a tiger, but like wrestling a giant python, capable of constricting him tightly at any moment, rendering him immobile, and suffocating him to death!
The second unexpected event was High Gong. This man, seizing opportunity for personal gain, acted with absolute ruthlessness, deadlocking the situation and instantly focusing the intensity of a great upheaval onto Zhu Mo. Following this, Prince Yu, for some unknown reason, went to the Yu Xi Palace and knelt for a long time? Emperor Jiajing, after much deliberation, finally decided to compromise.
This was the darkest moment, where not even a ghost would visit! Fortunately, the Great Ming still had people like He Xinyin, Lü Kun, and Li Zhi, who dared to step forward and appeal to the laws of the Great Ming, thereby pulling the situation back from despair. And he himself, in that fleeting moment, resolutely held his ground, and then managed to pry open this crack with High Gong, finally reversing the situation entirely…
From this incident,
The greatest lesson he learned was this: to kill a giant python, one must do so in a very suitable environment, such as when it sheds its skin or is digesting its meal. And the places most needing vigilance are not the head or the vital seven inches, but its body…
…
On this day,
Zhu Mo did not go out. Coincidentally, Lü Kun, He Xinyin, and Yan Shanong came in the afternoon.
Gathering again,
All four felt that the situation was too miraculous, as if aided by heaven.
Lü Kun sighed, "Zi Xuan, I still haven't fully processed this incredible turn of events. In just one night, the person everyone was pointing fingers at has changed. Zi Xuan has finally escaped this ordeal…"
Mm-hmm.
He Xinyin chuckled, "This is what they call 'good fortune favors the righteous'! Since ancient times, for advocating for the people, no one has ever been subjected to extreme punishment… Heaven has eyes…"
Yan Shanong, who usually spoke little, also smiled, "With this, High Gong is surely finished. Will you continue with the reforms for the people?"
Mm-hmm. The three looked at him together.
Zhu Mo smiled,
"Of course, we will. And we will push it forward with all our might! However, there are still a few matters to attend to. Once the dust settles, we will plan it all out together… My previous failure was due to one person making all the effort, and even with heaven's blessings, it was futile…"
The three agreed wholeheartedly, feeling that Zhu Mo had indeed been working alone throughout his journey. Despite immense difficulties, he had managed to take a few steps, only to be ambushed by villains. This time the peril was simply unfathomable, and he had narrowly avoided becoming the most tragic figure in history.
Thinking of this, the three still felt a lingering fear.
Zhu Mo, being an outsider, was merely seeking a thrill. Whether he lived or died didn't matter much; he felt unresigned if he didn't at least try. He immediately said with a smile,
"For the next step, I've thought about what I mentioned last time: 'change the strings and tune the instrument.' The School of Mind is what the people desire. Although it cannot be established as official learning, it is believed in by the common folk, especially your lineage of Xinzai. It is the learning of ordinary people. I am very optimistic about it. There are no rigid rules; it relies on enlightenment, which makes it difficult for others to exploit. Next, I will formally champion the banner of the School of Mind. What do you think?"
He Xinyin smiled,
"That is naturally good. The learning of the common people is the thorough enlightenment of the heavenly heart and the cultivation of innate knowledge. It teaches the people virtue. If the people lack virtue, their situations will only be more tragic, just like the six people who died in Huzhou. They weren't even sentenced to death, but they died just like that. Wasn't the cause their impulsiveness? Ignorance of laws and discipline? In the end, it was a lack of virtue. Lack of virtue leads to misfortune, and this is very clear…
Scholar Zhu, though your intentions are good, the common people are often difficult to educate. They either admire power or are stubbornly apathetic, making enlightenment extremely difficult. In my opinion, this matter is very challenging and cannot yield results in less than ten years; it can only be done slowly."
Mm-hmm.
Zhu Mo understood perfectly. This was education, and without eight to ten years, nothing could be accomplished. However, based on his experience in his original world, once a reformist environment opened up, people's minds often underwent sudden shifts. This was also unpredictable. Weren't heaven, earth, and man interactive? The fact that the people of the Great Ming had fallen into such a state of lacking virtue was also due to a lack of vitality. As long as vitality flowed, their temperaments would recover…
These were views he had encountered from many masters before, and the system had also provided similar assessments. Ultimately, it was a matter of entropy. As good order increased, people's minds would tend towards goodness… However, he couldn't explain these things clearly to them at the moment, so he could only nod in agreement.
He Xinyin added, "Furthermore, if the court does not establish official schools, how can this banner be raised? Moreover, since the School of Mind is an intangible concept, how can it assist in reforms?"
Regarding this question,
Zhu Mo had pondered it for a long time. He sighed and said leisurely,
"Mr. He, reforms, reforms—it must be about doing what needs to be done, without bringing in too many other things. What I need is spiritual support from the common people. The court will continue with the scientific examinations and the traditional bureaucracy, while the reforms will be handled on a case-by-case basis, with the School of Mind providing interpretation… In this way, all aspects will be logical, and the Yan family will find it difficult to attack. In the future, I hope to invite the three of you to lecture frequently, so that all the common people share a common desire, and all difficulties will be resolved…"
Mm-hmm.
The three applauded together.