In a single, unbroken flow, he felt he had never written such a good article in his life—
"A Letter to Scholar Zhu Discussing Reforms:
Ying Ao has heard that the governance of the sage kings is the principle of all ages. Confucius once lamented the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, saying, 'I have not dreamed of the Duke of Zhou for a long time,' yet a unicorn appeared within ten days, its hooves marking the path of the sage way. Beyond this sage way, I know of no perfect governance. What is the governance of the sage way? It is to respect the respected and love the beloved, the monarch as the pillar for the minister, the father as the pillar for the son, the husband as the pillar for the wife. Scholars are transformed by pure Qi, and the common people are permeated by turbid Qi; this principle can be heard and seen, it can be known through prophecies and omens.
But now it is different. Scholar Zhu, in his administration, declared that he made no distinction between noble and base, treating tenants and indentured servants equally. This is a theory that deviates from the classics and will surely lead the people astray and disrupt their proper roles. If the people are not in their proper roles, the governance of the villages will collapse; if the governance of the villages collapses, the discipline will slacken; if the discipline slackens, the village masters will have no authority.
The village commune is a standard that has remained unchanged from Yao and Shun to the present. The people's land is primarily managed by the commune, and its distribution is based on the extent of virtue, with those of great virtue receiving more land and those of lesser virtue receiving less; this is immutable through the ages. Yet Scholar Zhu, without regard for nobility or baseness, for purity or turbidness, allows the turbid to occupy much and the pure to hold little. Where then is the sage way?
If we look back at antiquity, Scholar Zhu's policies are those of Qin, and Scholar Zhu's laws are those of Qin. In the past, Shang Yang implemented the laws of farming and warfare, allowing the people, regardless of nobility or baseness, purity or turbidness, to be judged by their output. Those with high output were enriched and ennobled; this was the ennoblement of the people, leading them to pursue profit. Thus, people's hearts were corrupted, the sage way was abandoned, and virtuous scholars considered it honorable not to enter Qin. Today, the official learning of the realm esteems Yangming, which is also the intention of the Ming to distance itself from Scholar Zhu.
Now, He Xinyin is a heretic, a left-leaning path. His Juhuatang secretly practices the laws of farming and warfare, known to all under heaven. He colludes with Scholar Zhu in the government, working in concert from top to bottom. Consequently, the people do not honor the sage way, nor do they abide by the established norms. People will become like beasts, and great calamity will be imminent.
Therefore, Ying Ao must advocate: Abolish the laws of farming and warfare, and restore the governance of the sage way."
He reread it several times and immediately sent someone to deliver it to Yan Shifan. After reading it, Yan Shifan was overjoyed and immediately funded its printing. Within days, it spread throughout the capital. Scholars copied it amongst themselves, and with the help of the Great Ming's developed postal and courier system, it soon spread throughout the country.
On this day,
Lu Kun came to visit, holding the document with great dissatisfaction.
Zhu Mo skimmed through it, having long anticipated the final verdict. He was not surprised. This merely indicated that the Yan faction and Gao Gong had reached the final stage of their struggle.
This article was, of course, the most malicious, a summation of all slander against him, Zhu Mo.
Where was its malice?
The most malicious aspect was its mention of "chenwei" (prophecies and omens), which touched upon the mystical. One must understand that Zhu Mo himself was a Taoist priest and naturally knew the Ming populace's passion for superstition. It can be said that most of the metaphysical books that survived to later generations were compiled during the Ming Dynasty, especially from the mid-Jiajing period onwards.
Why? Because of everything Zhu Mo had experienced, the reason was: dark, extremely dark, so very dark! Because it was so dark, the common people believed in fate, and that was that.
This Sun Ying Ao was most ruthless in this regard. According to his reasoning, following Zhu Mo meant betraying heaven and ancestors, incurring the displeasure of the divine heavens and the earth, and the ancestors… What did this mean for the people of the Great Ming? It meant complete demonization!
Furthermore, Sun Ying Ao also linked Zhu Mo's reforms to He Xinyin's Juhuatang, implying that Zhu Mo's reforms were akin to He Xinyin's Juhuatang, and that ultimately, it was merely a farming and warfare society.
This, of course, was utter nonsense! But the scholars of the Great Ming did not study science or critical textual analysis; they merely repeated what others said. Naturally, they would truly believe that the two paths were ultimately the same. In this way, opposing Zhu Mo's reforms would have the most solid and irrefutable evidence.
Moreover, what had happened recently? The slave revolt in Jiangnan. Reports, confessions, and rumors all stated that Zhu Mo was the mastermind behind the revolt. Wasn't it already obvious? To put it severely, Zhu Mo's reforms were an act of rebellion; to put it lightly, it was reforms that had incited unrest… Wouldn't it have to be stopped immediately?
And after it was stopped, this current of rebellion would be purged.
Who was the leader of this current of rebellion? Zhu Mo!
What was the deep underlying cause of this current of rebellion? Emperor Jiajing was a tyrannical ruler!
What was the ultimate outcome of this current of rebellion? The demise of the sage way of governance and the systems of the sages, people becoming beasts…
Therefore,
This argument stood on absolute moral high ground, launching a downward-dimensional attack on Zhu Mo, while also pushing the situation to its climax.
Lu Kun had also written a few articles defending the reforms a few days prior, but his words carried little weight. Apart from a few close friends, no one else read them. Although Zhu Mo could still earn some money from the salt shops and had the financial means to have them printed, in the face of such a surging tide, it was utterly useless.
At this moment,
The naive and innocent Lu Kun also felt that the moment of truth was approaching. Remembering Zhu Mo's many kindnesses, he couldn't help but shed tears and said, "Zi Xuan, I still say the same thing, you should go beyond the passes. If you delay any longer, it will truly be too late… Right now, the entire city is cursing you, saying you've plunged the world into chaos, that even the ancestors are displeased, and if the Great Ming continues to agitate, the heavens will surely take people away… Alas, the common people no longer support you…"
Zhu Mo naturally understood this better than Lu Kun. After all, he was the fish in the boiling pot, and he knew its heat intimately.
But precisely because the other side had pushed things to the extreme, and relying on his lifelong profound understanding of Taoism, coupled with his experience in several major events, he felt a hidden turning point in these extreme circumstances…
Although he couldn't articulate it clearly at the moment, his intuition told him—
extremes beget reversals!
The enemy's flaws were surely hidden in the brightest places…
"Hehe, Shu Jian, I am a person who has already written his will. Do I still fear this? This is bound to happen sooner or later. Now that I have Mr. He's support, I am no longer in any great danger…"
Patting his shoulder, Zhu Mo's smile held no trace of bitterness.
…
Meanwhile,
In the Prince Yu's mansion, the atmosphere was peculiar because Princess Yu, Li Shi, had once again intervened in state affairs. Before Xu Jie and Li Chunfang could even speak, she had made them so uncomfortable that they were reluctant to say anything.
Prince Yu was terrified of this woman. He had tried several times to persuade her to return to the inner chambers, but he stammered and couldn't bring himself to say it.
At this moment,
Li Shi snorted again and said, "That Zhu Mo has caused such a huge problem, and the whole world is about to fall into chaos. Yet the Prince still supports him. This is simply inexplicable…"
Prince Yu had been advised by Xu Jie previously: "Those whom the Emperor supports, you must also support, and even stand in front to support them." Moreover, he had intervened to support matters in Xuanda last time, and the Emperor was very pleased. Later, he sent Feng Bao with a message saying that Prince Yu understood the overall situation well and possessed the demeanor of a ruler. This was high praise after many years.
Now,
As Zhu Mo faced difficulties again, he habitually believed he should still offer support. Although he was unwilling a thousand times over, he felt that doing so would surely please the Emperor. Seeing the amused expressions of the two old men, he felt they were mocking him and said sternly, "Princess, listen to me. The Emperor favors Zhu Mo. If I were to join the outcry now, the Emperor would surely be displeased… You are a woman; do not concern yourself with such matters…"
Huh?
What?
Li Shi was instantly enraged: He dared to talk back in front of outsiders?
"Your Highness, what do you mean by 'woman'? What's wrong with being a woman? Am I not doing this to protect Your Highness? That Zhu Mo has committed the crime of dismemberment of the realm; shouldn't he be managed? Your Highness, look at this article that has spread throughout the land. Zhu Mo is not only a harsh Legalist official but also harbors malicious intentions! He could pretend before, but now he can no longer hide it! The lowly people of the realm are waiting for him to take charge."