amaotonovel Chapter 1063 Are you implying that we two surnamed Kong are unfilial?
Chapter 1063 Are you implying that we two surnamed Kong are unfilial?
Wang Qiong smiled and nodded, then pointed to a row of benches not far away and said with a smile, "Let's sit down and talk."
Wu Ju agreed, and Wang Qiong then smiled and said to Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu, "Would the two Vice Ministers Kong also sit down and talk?"
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu wanted to refuse, but after looking at Wang Qiong's forced smile and then at Wu Ju's beaming face, they finally agreed.
Wang Qiong spoke first, saying, "Now that you've been transferred to Yangzhou Prefecture, is there anything I can help you with?"
Wu Ju winked and said, "To be honest, I just came from His Highness and the Grand Master's place."
"The student asked the master for the names of some local products, and also begged His Highness and the master to put in a good word for Yangzhou with the Ministry of Railways so that it could be included in the first batch of railway construction projects."
"We also need 100,000 to 200,000 laborers."
Wang Qiong rolled her eyes and sneered, "Good heavens, even your master didn't have your guts back then!"
Wu Ju chuckled twice, and Wang Qiong snorted again, saying, "I can't help with any of what you're saying. You should pick something that I can help with."
After a slight pause, Wang Qiong looked at Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu and said, "And the two Vice Ministers Kong, if you need any help, you can also talk to them."
"..."
As Wang Qiong finished speaking, Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu almost burst into a tirade of curses.
You two are both officials of the fourth rank: one is the Junior Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the other is the Prefect of Yangzhou.
Then, right in front of us, you two directly plotted against us, two third-rank officials, as vice ministers of the Ministry of Rites?
You guys are really shameless and despicable!
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu were secretly grumbling to themselves, but Wu Ju said with a smile, "Actually, the reason I came here this time is to pay my respects to the two Vice Ministers Kong."
"To be honest, Vice Minister Kong, when I was in Huailai, I heard many people say that the Duke Yansheng's mansion was the orthodox school of Confucianism in the world and a model for scholars."
"Having been influenced by what I've seen and heard, I've long admired the Duke Yansheng."
"Now that I have met the two Vice Ministers Kong, I can say that I am content with my life. How could I dare to ask Vice Minister Kong for help again?"
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu became even more nervous.
Do you think we believe the nonsense you're spouting?
"The orthodox Confucianism" and "the model for scholars" are words of praise when spoken by others, but when spoken by Prefect Wu, they take on a completely different meaning.
When did Yang the Madman and his cronies ever acknowledge that the Duke Yansheng's mansion was the orthodox school of Confucianism?
"Respect Confucius, not the Confucius Temple," this was a slogan that Yang the Madman had shouted long ago.
Now even the grand ceremony of worshipping ancestors has been taken over by the Zhu Emperor under the pretext of "honoring Confucius, not the Confucius Mansion," and has been transferred to the Ministry of Rites. The Confucius Mansion can now only be used for ancestor worship, not for worshipping "the Great Sage and Teacher, the King of Literature."
The difference here is not just a tiny bit.
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu grew increasingly uneasy. Wang Qiong glanced at the two of them discreetly, then chuckled and looked at Wu Ju, asking, "Since you don't need the help of the two Vice Ministers Kong, and His Highness and the Prince Consort are unwilling to provide you with labor, what are your plans?"
Wu Ju pretended to ponder for a moment, then slowly replied, "As the saying goes, food is the first necessity of the people. As the prefect of Yangzhou, I must naturally fulfill my duty of encouraging agriculture and sericulture."
"The students want to follow the example of Ningyang County, set up farms, and then set up workshops such as textile factories, so that people can have another way to make money."
"But simply encouraging agriculture and sericulture would be a disservice to His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince's kindness, as well as to the teachings of the Master."
"The students also planned to build many community schools in Yangzhou Prefecture and vigorously promote literacy."
"To enable the children of Yangzhou Prefecture to study and develop their intelligence."
"So that the people of Yangzhou Prefecture will no longer be blind as before."
"..."
Wu Ju recounted his principles of officialdom, then sighed deeply, "Unfortunately, no matter how many ideas I have, they are nothing but a tree without roots."
As the saying goes, even a clever housewife can't cook without rice.
"Without enough literate scribes and teachers, the students' ideas can only remain on paper."
"I am truly ashamed of what Confucius meant by 'education for all'."
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu felt offended.
After all, we are saying we are ashamed of Confucius in front of the two heads of the Yansheng Duke’s Northern and Southern branches. If you, a man surnamed Wu, feel ashamed of Confucius, then what should we, two men surnamed Kong, say?
What's the difference between this and pointing at a monk and calling him a bald donkey?
Wu Ju sighed again: "Actually, I also asked the magistrate for more people to bolster the Yangzhou government office."
"However, Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture are also short of manpower, and there are simply no extra people to allocate."
"There's nothing we can do but slowly try to find a solution."
Wang Qiong nodded and comforted him, "It's good that you have this intention. Even if Confucius were here in person, he would be very pleased and would never blame you."
Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu rolled their eyes quietly.
From what you, Wang Qiong, are implying, that our ancestors of the Kong family wouldn't blame someone with the surname Wu, but might blame us two with the surname Kong.
Or rather, you're just being sarcastic and implying that we two men surnamed Kong are unfilial.
It's really tough on you two bastards. You managed to scam people so smoothly without even rehearsing your stories beforehand.
How many people have you cheated in the past?
While inwardly complaining, Kong Xixue said, "Wang Zhanshi and Wu Zhifu, please do not worry. Our Kong family still has a few literate people. I can arrange for them to come to Yangzhou Prefecture to serve as literacy teachers or as clerks in the prefectural government. Everything is up to Wu Zhifu's arrangement."
Kong Xilu also spoke up, saying, "The Southern Sect is short-handed, unlike the Northern Sect, which can only spare ten literate men to serve in Yangzhou Prefecture. Please don't take offense, Prefect Wu."
As soon as Kong Xilu finished speaking, Kong Xixue's defenses crumbled.
The Southern Sect, which is short-staffed, still needs to transfer ten people. What about the Northern Sect, which Kong Xilu said is not short-staffed?
Twenty?
Or perhaps thirty?
The key issue is that the Northern Sect is also facing a damn shortage of manpower!
Seeing the grim faces of Kong Xixue and Kong Xilu, as if they had swallowed three pounds of dead rats, Wu Ju chuckled inwardly while bowing to them and saying, "In that case, on behalf of the people of Yangzhou Prefecture, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the two Vice Ministers."
"I will make proper arrangements for the two men you have sent to Yangzhou Prefecture. I will not let them suffer any injustice, nor will I harm the two vice ministers' good intentions and virtues in spreading education."
"I also believe that with the help of the two vice ministers, the people of Yangzhou will be able to learn to read and write as soon as possible."
"In the future, if any official like Guo Huai tries to oppress them, it will be extremely difficult."