After multiple inquiries, everyone in the temple claimed to have seen no one enter.
However, Zhu Mo had already confirmed with the coroner that the poison in the wine was aconite, which was difficult to find in Datong city and certainly not in the temple.
This meant that murder was highly probable.
Holding the jade buckle, he pondered the poem and paced outside Guanyin Temple, unable to fathom who in Datong city possessed such audacity and capability.
After all, Yang Xuan and Wu Ying were already residing at the Censorate, under the watch of over a hundred guards. They could no longer issue orders. Furthermore, the Yan family's garrisons had been reorganized and replaced, the volunteers disbanded, and the White Lotus Society largely apprehended. So, who else could it be?
If there was anyone, it could only be one person –
The Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yu Zhen!
Regardless of whether it was him, this person must have been well aware of the relationships between the Prince of Raoyang, the Princess Consort of Dai, and Yan Shifan. Clearly, someone did not want him, Zhu Mo, to know the inside story or to obtain any leverage.
After thinking for a while, he felt he needed to question the maidservant again and immediately ordered her, Jin'er, to be brought to the Provincial Governor's yamen.
...
Leaving the temple gate,
Zhu Mo suddenly remembered something, feeling he could slap himself—
Since the Princess Consort of Dai was dead! The next targets would be the scholars recruited by the Prince of Raoyang over the years! Although most of them had already defected, a few were still at Yunzhong Academy.
He immediately rode there at full speed. Fortunately, nothing seemed to have happened here yet. According to Anda's list, two individuals here were privately hired advisors to the Prince of Raoyang: one named Lu Kun and the other Wang Sheng.
Zhu Mo sat upright in the main hall and asked the head of the academy to find them. When they arrived, only one was present. The other, Lu Kun, was writing a book and stated that he would not get up until his appointed time.
Heh,
Zhu Mo found this person rather interesting. He asked the head of the academy to bring him to the backyard. Through the window lattice, he indeed saw a young man meticulously writing, stroke by stroke. Beside him was a stack of manuscripts, and the title page at the top was handwritten with three characters—
*Shen Yin Yu*!
A flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered someone—
"Could this Lu Kun be the author of *Shen Yin Yu*?"
"That person is such a good man, who loved the people his whole life..."
Knock, knock, knock.
He feigned knocking and then pushed the door open, smiling, "Mr. Lu, forgive my intrusion, Zhu Mo is guilty, haha..."
Upon hearing Zhu Mo's name, Lu Kun was momentarily stunned. Then, he looked up curiously and blurted out, "You, are you really Zhu Mo?"
He had been in Datong for two years. Although he rarely left his residence, he had heard of Zhu Mo. He immediately stood up, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "It is a great honor to have Duke Zhu visit."
Zhu Mo couldn't help but smile. He thought, "I haven't really befriended any of these scholars from the Great Ming. Why do they all speak like this? Most of the ones I've met are officials, and the only one who was cheerful was rather unconventional. Meeting someone like this today feels quite unfamiliar."
Lu Kun clearly admired Zhu Mo. He invited him to sit at a nearby tea table, poured him a cup, and then said, "Duke Zhu, my name is Lu Kun, courtesy name Shujian... I have long admired Duke Zhu's name. Seeing you today, I happen to have a question to ask. Would Duke Zhu grant me some advice?" kuAiδugg
Zhu Mo nodded but did not immediately agree. Instead, he countered, "Mr. Lu, I have a question I'd like to ask first... Uh, when did you get to know the Prince of Raoyang?"
Huh?
Lu Kun's expression changed. He then solemnly replied, "To be frank, Duke Zhu, my family was poor and I couldn't afford to study. Four years ago, I met the Prince in the capital. He sponsored my studies and hired me to teach at this Yunzhong Academy..."
Oh?
The Prince of Raoyang had this merit, which was rather rare...
Zhu Mo nodded. "So that's how it is..."
He saw that Lu Kun was clearly naive and innocent, unaware of the dangers. Or perhaps, he was of pure character, focused only on his studies and indifferent to other matters. But even so, in their circle, he would sooner or later lose his life. At this moment, he thought of the cheerful scholar and felt it would be best to send Lu Kun to the capital as well. With the old Taoist and Third Master Li watching over him, he should be safe.
He spoke directly, "Mr. Lu, I know you care about the common people, and I admire you greatly... Uh, there's no one else here, so I'll tell you the truth—the case of the Prince of Raoyang is major. You must clear your name... You cannot stay in Datong any longer. Come to the capital with me?"
Lu Kun had been uneasy these past few days. After all, he was indeed privately hired by the Prince of Raoyang. Although he hadn't participated in any major affairs, there were always things he couldn't escape. He immediately stood up, bowed deeply to Zhu Mo, and said, "Thank you, Duke Zhu, for saving me."
Zhu Mo helped him up and smiled, "I truly cannot understand how someone like the Prince of Raoyang would take a liking to you. It's a complete mismatch..."
Although Lu Kun was young, he already possessed the bearing of a great scholar. He calmly replied, "Duke Zhu, the Prince said that Datong is a border region where Neo-Confucianism does not flourish, and the volunteers do not know poetry or books. Therefore, he asked me to be a teacher for the volunteers, lecturing on *Family Sayings of Zhu Xi* and *Instructions for Practical Living* six days a month."
Lecturing on *Family Sayings of Zhu Xi* and *Instructions for Practical Living*?
Heh,
Zhu Mo couldn't help but want to laugh. The Prince of Raoyang had indeed put in considerable effort for the volunteers. But how could those displaced people and criminals possibly comprehend such teachings? It was nothing more than a way to indoctrinate them from scratch, turning the volunteers into private soldiers.
He had always disliked the learning of the Song and Ming dynasties. Whether it was Zhu Xi or Wang Yangming, they lacked scientific spirit and possessed no spiritual depth like Buddhism or Taoism, rendering them useless. Furthermore, Neo-Confucianism and the study of the mind in the Great Ming had become tools for factionalism, distorting right and wrong throughout the realm.
Thinking of this,
He couldn't help but lose his favorable impression of Lu Kun and said, "So you also study Confucianism?"
Unexpectedly,
Lu Kun replied, "Duke Zhu, I have always disliked Neo-Confucianism and the study of the mind. I only teach it out of necessity to earn a living... Uh, to be frank, Duke Zhu, I adhere to the lineage of Hengqu, and in my spare time, I read Buddhist scriptures and medical texts."
Oh,
Zhu Mo then recalled: Hengqu should be Zhang Zai of the Northern Song Dynasty, a materialist philosopher who was always at odds with Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.
This meant,
This person was different from them. He read Buddhist scriptures, likely upholding the concepts of equality for all beings and karma. Studying medicine indicated a focus on practicality and technology... That was good. He wasn't one of those stubborn Confucians.
At this moment,
He suddenly remembered Shen Shixing, who had proposed he write a book clarifying the essence of reform. It seemed that a significant reason for the attacks he faced from the gentry was his lack of public pronouncements and his failure to properly address the academies that specifically shaped public opinion for the Yan family, leading to his increasingly passive position.
Since Lu Kun was a materialist philosopher, he could potentially help him in the future.
He thought of how Zhang Juzheng was able to find many talents so quickly. He stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Kun, solemnly stating, "Mr. Lu, I wish to hire you as my personal advisor. Would you be willing to accommodate me?"
Lu Kun had long admired Zhu Mo's reforms. To have unexpectedly encountered him and receive such a sincere invitation made him overjoyed. He immediately returned the bow and said, "I couldn't ask for more."