Why set up camp at the foot of the mountain?
Were you not ordered to ascend and eliminate the bandits?
Li Xiaogong looked at Lian Haolong with displeasure.
Reporting to Your Highness, Sir, we cannot ascend this mountain!
Lian Haolong wore a distressed expression and proceeded to explain the reasons.
He had only discovered upon arrival that Mount Ni was the birthplace of Confucius!
The mountain was originally named Mount Niqiu. Because Confucius' parents prayed at Niqiu and conceived Confucius, his given name was Qiu and his courtesy name was Zhongni. Later generations, to avoid Confucius' taboo name, referred to it as Mount Ni. The mountain itself was not tall, with its main peak only over three hundred meters high, but it housed the Temple of Confucius!
Furthermore, the five peaks of Mount Ni also contained buildings such as the Mount Ni Academy and the Pavilion of Books.
Geographically, it belonged to the foothills of Mount Meng. Beyond the five peaks of Mount Ni, connected to the Mount Meng range, lay numerous other large and small peaks.
Lian Haolong had led his troops from Laizhou to this location, a journey that took over ten days. They had been here for only three to five days.
Upon their initial arrival at Mount Ni, he had strictly followed Fang Er's military orders to suppress the bandits.
However, as soon as they reached the foot of Mount Ni, they were blocked by countless scholars.
They cited that as the location of the Sage's temple, it must not be desecrated by weapons, thus refusing passage to the army.
These individuals sat cross-legged on the path leading up the mountain, chanting the Analects, and refused to budge even when the guard captain attempted to move them.
They paid no heed to the clash of swords and spears.
Moreover, they issued threats, stating that if any harm befell even a single scholar, they would have no place to remain within the Great Tang.
And when Lian Haolong led his troops from Laizhou, the clues concerning the Kong family and national debt had not yet been discovered. Therefore, they dared not resort to force against the members of the Kong family or these scholars.
This was the reason for the ongoing stalemate.
Hahahaha!
After listening to Lian Haolong's account of the cause and effect, Li Xiaogong laughed.
Bah! A bunch of simpletons. Without the name of Confucius, they are nothing!
Xie Bian, Fan Wujiu!
Your subordinate is here!
Convey my order! Lead the troops to attack the mountain! Resistance will be met with death!
Yes!
Upon receiving the order, the two immediately selected two thousand men and advanced directly towards the mountain.
Lian Haolong!
Yes!
Seal off all paths leading up the mountain for me! If even one person escapes, I will deal with you!
Yes!
After giving his instructions regarding the situation at the foot of the mountain, Li Xiaogong and Fang Er followed behind Xie Bian and Fan Wujiu's detachment, making their way up the mountain path.
It was mid-morning, and the sun hanging high in the sky made the ascent difficult. Anyone who looked up would be blinded by the sunlight. Everyone could only keep their eyes fixed on the mountain path below as they climbed.
The mountain path was paved with bluestone steps, each about three to five meters wide, stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to the summit.
After advancing less than a hundred meters, Fang Er heard the sound of reading coming from diagonally above.
"The people of Yifeng requested an audience, saying, 'Whenever a gentleman comes here, I always seek to meet him.' His disciples led them to meet Confucius. Afterward, he said, 'My disciples, why do you worry about losing your positions? The world has been without the Way for a long time. Heaven is about to use you, Master, as a wooden bell to rouse the world.'"
"The Master said..."
The passage they were chanting spoke of a minor official from the state of Yi requesting an audience with Confucius, stating: "Whenever a gentleman comes to this place, I always seek to meet him."
Confucius' disciples led the official to meet Confucius.
After coming out, the official said: "My disciples, why do you worry about losing your official positions? The world has been without the Way for a long time. Therefore, Heaven is about to use Confucius as a sage to enlighten the world."
Fang Er and Li Xiaogong exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they saw a profound disdain.
At the brink of death, these people dared to be so arrogant.
Did they truly believe that governing the world was impossible without Confucianism?
Convey the Prince's order: Anyone who blocks the path and refuses to retreat will be killed without mercy!
Xie Bian, who was in front, interrupted the scholars' recitation, drew his firearm from behind, and pointed it directly at the head of the leading scholar.
You wish to be enemies with all the scholars in the world?
The scholar closed the book in his hand and looked up at Xie Bian, sneering.
Hahahaha, what a long horse face! To be enemies with all the scholars in the world, so what? Do you represent all the scholars in the world?
Fang Er parted the soldiers in front of him and walked forward with a cold smile, looking at the scholar and retorting.
This is a place to honor the Sage, not a place for you martial folk to cause trouble! Leave quickly!
Otherwise, tomorrow there will be a flood of memorials sent to the palace, dooming you forever!
The scholar spoke quite righteously, as if he were the embodiment of justice in this world.
"Very well! Very well! A place to honor the Sage!"
"Is it not the Analects? I know them too!"
"The Master said: When suppressing bandits, do we use guns? Do we aim for the head? If they don't die, do we shoot again? Until they die!"
"Convey the order, aim for the head and shoot hard!"
After speaking, Fang Er was the first to draw his sidearm and smashed it forcefully against the scholar's forehead, knocking him to the ground.
"Well said, 'When suppressing bandits, do we use guns?' Shoot them all to death!"
Li Xiaogong, hearing Fang Er's impromptu rendition, felt an immense sense of exhilaration. He swung his nearly half-meter-long hand cannon and charged into the midst of the scholars like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Anyone who dared to block his path was met with a rifle butt without hesitation.
Fang Er stood shoulder to shoulder with him, their fists, kicks, and rifle butts raining down on the obstructing scholars like a storm, all while chanting:
"The Master said: 'When the army comes from afar, we will destroy them, even if they are far away!'"
"The Master said: 'When the eight-part dance is performed in the ancestral temple, if this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated?'"
"Someone asked: 'What do you say about repaying hatred with virtue?' The Master replied: 'How then do you repay virtue? With directness repay hatred, and with virtue repay kindness.'"
"The Master said: 'Alas! I have not seen one who loves virtue as he loves beauty.'"
~~~
Sentence after sentence of the Analects, some original, some modified, flowed from Fang Er's mouth. Behind him, the special forces and the Yan Yun cavalry advanced mechanically, their eyes wide with astonishment as they watched him.
At this moment, the Duke had far surpassed their previous impressions!
"Analects in his mouth, gun in his hand, clearing the path on Mount Ni, the most audacious!"
Wang Xuance shook his slightly sore wrist and shouted to the special forces soldiers behind him.
"Brothers, recite the Analects! Don't let these scholars think they are the only ones with knowledge in this world!"
"Yes!"
"The Master said: 'Is it not a pleasure to learn and practice what you have learned? Is it not a joy to have friends coming from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman not to be dismayed when others do not recognize his abilities?'"
"The Master said: 'Eat my rifle butt!'"
"The Master said: 'If a person be filial and fraternal, and be fond of transgressing against superiors, he is rare. He who is not fond of transgressing against superiors and is not fond of causing disorder, has never been. The superior man applies himself to the root. Once the root is established, the Way will grow. Filial and fraternal, are these not the root of benevolence?'"
"The Master said: 'Eat my kick~~'"
"The Master said: 'Hold your hand, and I will drag you away!'"
"The Master said: 'From ancient times, talent has emerged from the comment sections!'"