Hovercraft roared, tractors rumbled.
Fifty miles out, by noon, the army had surrounded Qufu.
When the news reached the city, the citizens were all astonished.
Having endured war for centuries, Qufu had always remained detached from worldly affairs.
Whether it was dynastic changes or foreign invasions, it had rarely been affected.
But, at this very moment, Qufu City was surrounded by an army.
As he disembarked from the hovercraft and was about to enter the city, he saw countless people surging out from the Qufu city gates. These people were all dressed as Confucian scholars!
Li Shimin even recognized a few familiar faces among the crowd. These individuals, who were officials of the court, had now shed their official robes and donned scholarly attire.
"Your Majesty, we students greet you. We were unaware of Your Majesty's arrival and thus could not welcome you properly. We beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
After everyone had exited the city, they blocked the path of the army, bowing in unison.
"You are dismissed. Where is Kong Yingda!"
Li Shimin's eyes swept over these Confucian scholars. These people must have been instructed by the Kong family; otherwise, they could not have appeared here so quickly!
One of the scholars cupped his hands and replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, our teacher is unwell. Ever since being struck by lightning in Chang'an last time, he has been recuperating at home."
"Have him come out and see me!"
"Yes!"
Two scholars stepped out from the crowd and turned towards the city gate.
The rest remained in front of the army, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally blocking the road into the city with their bodies.
After a long wait, a procession appeared from the city gate. Several people were carrying a sedan chair. Seeing this, the Confucian scholars quickly cleared the way for them to pass.
When the sedan chair arrived beside Li Shimin and Fang Er, the sedan curtains were lifted. An old man, along with the chair he was sitting on, was carried out by the Confucian scholars.
This person was none other than Kong Yingda, the head of the main lineage of the Kong family of Qufu.
"Your humble servant Kong Yingda greets Your Majesty. This minister is unwell and cannot perform the full ceremony. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
Kong Yingda, with only one side of his body mobile, said to Li Shimin from his chair, neither subservient nor overbearing.
"Let me ask you! Two million national bonds were robbed outside Laizhou City. Are you aware of this!"
Li Shimin questioned, looking down at Kong Yingda.
Kong Yingda was stunned for a moment, then his eyes turned red, and he choked back a sob.
"Your Majesty, this minister is wrongly accused! This minister is wrongly accused! Someone must have framed the Kong family!"
"This minister knows, it must have been the Mohists, Legalists, and Eclectics! Since the Han dynasty, among the hundred schools of thought, only Confucianism has flourished. They must be unwilling and wish to plunge the Kong family into eternal damnation through this method."
"This humble minister implores Your Majesty to investigate and grant justice to the Kong family."
Sobbing sounds filled the air.
"Hmph!"
Li Xiaogong let out a cold snort, walked back into the cabin of the hovercraft, and retrieved two wooden boxes. He opened them and threw them at Kong Yingda's feet.
Rolling sounds.
Two heads rolled out from the boxes, those of Kong Huiqing and his son Kong Zhinan!
"A fine 'framed by others'! Do you recognize these two?"
"Ah!"
"This is..."
Some of the surrounding Confucian scholars covered their mouths in surprise. Many of them were from the Shandong region and recognized Kong Huiqing and his son, so it was not surprising!
Kong Yingda looked at the two heads preserved in lime. Tears finally streamed down his red eyes, and he looked pleadingly at Li Xiaogong.
"This, this is Zhinan from the fourth branch and his son. This minister naturally recognizes them."
"King of Hejian, may I ask how Nephew Zhinan offended you?"
"The descendant of a sage, why must he meet such an end? May King of Hejian enlighten us."
As soon as his words fell, Mao Mingda, who was being guarded by the Xuanjia Army, suddenly stared at Fang Er and cursed, "Fang Anzhi! What kind of wicked ambition are you harboring!"
"You promote eclectic learning and entice Confucian disciples to switch to your tutelage."
"You use dark arts, causing our teacher to be permanently disabled."
"You used your ingenious tricks to incite the aristocratic families to rebel, leading to the abdication of the former Emperor at Xuanwu Gate!"
"To this day, you have wantonly slaughtered the Langya Kong family lineage, yesterday you massacred Nishan, and now you are bewitching the ruler to come here and slander our teacher."
"In my opinion, the matter of the national bonds being robbed was a staged event by you!"
"It was all to frame the descendants of the sages, to throw this world into utter chaos so that you could usurp the throne!"
Upon hearing these words, Fang Er instantly became enraged. He lunged forward, clenched his fists, and with all his might, he smashed his fist into Mao Mingda's mouth.
"Usurping the throne? You have pinned a very large hat on me!"
"I do not care about this, but you should not insult my one thousand dead brothers!"
Regarding his sudden action, the Xuanjia Army soldiers not only turned a blind eye but even made way.
Li Shimin stood with his hands behind his back, remaining silent, allowing Fang Er to ride on top of Mao Mingda, delivering punch after punch to the latter's face.
"Usurping the throne? wΑp.kanshu伍.net"
"Heh!"
Li Ji, Li Xiaogong, and others cast contemptuous glances at Mao Mingda. People can be ignorant, but if they flaunt their ignorance, they are truly beyond saving!
Only after beating Mao Mingda beyond recognition did Fang Er get off him. He took a handkerchief from Wang Xuance, wiped the bloodstains from his fists, and cupped his hands towards Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, regarding the national bonds, I was in charge from beginning to end."
"So, these matters of arguing with these people, why don't you leave them to me?"
Li Shimin nodded in agreement, then turned and walked to the hovercraft, leaping onto the deck, and watched Fang Er make his move.
Casually discarding the blood-stained handkerchief, Fang Er looked at Zhu Yixiang and the others.
"Gentlemen, you are all Confucian disciples, so please stand with the Confucian scholars first."
Zhu Yixiang and the others looked at each other, and then everyone's gaze turned collectively towards Li Shimin.
Li Shimin took a puff of his cigar, exhaled the smoke, and glared at them with displeasure, shouting.
"What, are all your ears deaf!"
"What did Mao Mingda just say? That Fang Anzhi is bewitching the ruler, right?"
"Then I shall grant his wish. Today, I have indeed been bewitched by him!"
"What he says is my decree!"
"Guards, escort them over!"
The Xuanjia Army soldiers showed exceptional understanding of Li Shimin's intentions and directly grabbed over a hundred civil officials, led them to the Confucian scholars, and then suddenly released their grip.
Bang~
Bang~
Civil officials were dropped to the ground one by one.
Rubbing their arms, rubbing their legs, they helped each other up from the ground and then cried out to Li Shimin.
"Your Majesty, this is an insult to our learning! An insult to our learning!"
"Your Majesty, what crime have we committed to suffer such a fate?"
"This humble minister is seventy-three years old this year, when have I ever suffered such humiliation!"
Sobbing, "This humble minister is eighty-four years old this year. When the former Emperor was alive, he relied on me as his right arm. Oh, former Emperor! My leg has been broken! May your spirit in heaven open its eyes and see!"