The Mu family's stronghold was breached in an instant. Hundreds of thugs were killed, dozens died, less than a hundred escaped, and the rest were all captured. Among them were dozens of men from the Mu family.
Wu Liang also found out the person who fired cold arrows at him and punched him so hard that his face looked like a rotten watermelon.
Zhang Ximeng just pretended not to see it.
At this time, Lao Zhu arrived on horseback and found that the battle was over. He was quite sorry.
It's too late, nothing happens!
Zhang Ximeng was overjoyed when he saw Lao Zhu coming.
"My lord, I have to invite you even if I don't come. There are too many things that I have to ask my lord to decide."
Without saying a word, Zhang Ximeng took Lao Zhu to the Mu family's ancestral hall.
Lao Zhu had no idea about the Mu family, he just thought they were ordinary wealthy landowners. But when he saw this magnificent and ancient ancestral hall, Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked.
When I walked in, I was even more surprised.
On the shrine in the middle of the ancestral hall, there is an ancient man who looks like a scholar, with a fluttering crown and belt and a full scholarly atmosphere.
"Sir, who is this?"
Zhang Ximeng looked at it and said, "It should be Zigong!"
"Zigong? Is he a disciple of Confucius?"
"Well! Zigong's original name was Duanmu Ci. He once did business between Cao and Lu, and he was considered a wealthy man under Confucius. The surname Mu originated from Duanmu, and it is possible that he moved here from Lu."
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but nodded, with a hint of solemnity in his expression.
Anyway, their family traces back to poor tenant farmers, unlike the Mu family, which can be traced back to Confucius. It is really a scholarly and wealthy family!
It is estimated that such a family background is only a little worse than Yan Shenggong from Qufu!
Lao Zhu looked at Zigong's portrait again, but he didn't even sit down.
Seeing Lao Zhu's restraint, Zhang Ximeng smiled and said: "My lord, come to think of it, this land of Haoliang is really full of outstanding people. Back then, Zhuangzi and Huizi debated the joy of fish on this Haoshui River!"
Hearing this, Lao Zhu was slightly startled, and was even more shocked. Before studying with Zhang Ximeng, he had no feelings, but now that he is educated, he has more awe.
"We remember that Zigong once redeemed the Lu people who were slaves in a foreign land. After returning home, he did not ask for compensation from the Lu country. As a result, he was criticized by Confucius."
Zhang Ximeng nodded, "Yes, Confucius believed that redeeming people and getting compensation is also a good deed. Redeeming people without compensation will make those who want compensation be criticized and ridiculed by everyone. Over time, the people of Lu who were slaves outside
There was no one to take care of it, so Zigong made it more difficult for the people of Lu to return home. This shows that Master Kong was an old man who knew how to be flexible, reasonable, and flexible!"
In fact, if you read the Analects a little, you will probably have the same feeling. Confucius is quite reasonable. Not only Confucius, but Zhu Fuzi is the same.
If Zhu Xi really tells others that starving to death is a small matter but being dishonest is a big deal, so just starve to death!
How can such a person conquer all scholars and gain respect and admiration?
But then again, why is this extreme statement so popular? It is well known to the world? It has become an inherent impression.
Should we reflect on what Confucius and Master Zhu said, or should we think clearly about why some people deliberately misinterpreted it?
Perhaps the latter has more research value than the former.
Zhang Ximeng accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang to the next room. When they came in, they were really shocked!
"Is this an ancestral hall or a torture hall?" Zhu Yuanzhang blurted out. As far as he could see, there were raw cowhide whips, clamping sticks, soldering irons... and even more bizarre torture instruments, which were even more complete than a prison.
They bypassed a pile of torture instruments and reached the wall. An even more terrifying scene appeared. Just beside the wall, there were several dark things that seemed to be body parts.
After careful identification, it turned out to be a human arm that had been chopped off and left to dry for an unknown amount of time before turning into pitch black.
Looking up again, I saw several rope-like things hanging on the wall. But if I looked closely, I saw that they were intestines!
Even Zhang Ximeng, who had experienced several months of defending the city, shuddered when he saw these human parts!
Just next door is Confucius' favorite disciple Zigong, who was criticized by Confucius for his poor thinking in redeeming his countrymen.
Here, it is a torture hall, a living hell!
Zhu Yuanzhang's face was also quite ugly, and the veins on his temples couldn't help but stretch.
"Okay, what a good Mu family! Don't throw away any of these torture instruments. They will all be used by the Mu family later!"
Lao Zhu turned his head and returned to the main hall. He glanced at the statue of Zigong in the middle. He lost all awe and only sighed deeply!
"The descendants are unworthy and bring shame to the ancestors!"
After Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, he immediately ordered, "Bring the Mu family here, and tell all the villagers to come and watch!"
When his men went to deliver the order, Zhu Yuanzhang became angrier as he thought about it, and said to Zhang Ximeng: "Sir, aren't they afraid of embarrassing their ancestors?"
Zhang Ximeng sighed: "Lord, I think they are using the reputation of their ancestors to pretend to be powerful!"
Snapped!
Lao Zhu slammed the table hard and said angrily: "In that case, don't blame me for being rude!"
Soon, Wu Liang escorted the Mu family over. The leader was an old man with a gray beard named Mu Ren. Behind him, there was Mu Xin who claimed to be Mu Ying's distant uncle, and dozens of other men.
A large area of darkness.
Outside the ancestral hall, there were villagers who came after hearing the news. There were as many as a thousand people, and there were even more people, supporting the elderly and the young, who came from surrounding villages.
From old men with sticks to children of several years old, everyone came over.
This kind of scene is not uncommon. Once upon a time, every new year or to punish lawbreakers, everyone would be asked to gather together.
The Mu family's ancestral hall is very famous throughout Dingyuan.
Any conflicts in the surrounding villages will be handled by the Mu family, without having to bother the government to intervene.
Their ancestors were disciples of Confucius, so how could things be unfair?
But no one thought that one day, in this ancestral hall, the Mu family would be kneeling below.
Has the world changed?
"We have issued an order to divide the fields, why are you unwilling to cooperate?" Zhu Yuanzhang said in a low voice.
The leader, the old guy Mu Ren, gritted his teeth and retorted: "This field and this land have been owned by the Mu family for thousands of years. Why should we divide them? Can you guys explain it?"
At this time, there was no need for Zhu Yuanzhang to speak. Zhang Ximeng smiled and said: "You are right. It is precisely because it has belonged to your family for thousands of years that we have to let everything go. We also live on the same land, why can your family
Have you been sitting back and reaping the rewards?"
This question immediately stopped Mu Ren, and at the same time, some people were touched among the crowd, and some people began to whisper and discuss in low voices.
Mu Ren was stunned for a long time, and finally sighed: "Okay! We admit it, and we will pay as much as we are told! Is that okay?"
"No!" Zhang Ximeng said flatly: "I just found out that you also set up private torture chambers. How many innocent people have you killed in these years?"
As soon as these words came out, the Mu family were all dumbfounded, and Mu Ren breathed rapidly and his expression changed.
"My family has abided by the ancestral precepts for generations and treated others with kindness and justice. Our reputation is far-reaching. If someone asks us to uphold justice, we are just doing things for our fellow villagers."
At this time, Mu Xin also stretched his neck and shouted: "That's right, if you don't believe it, just ask the people and villagers, they can all testify for us! If we make a mistake, someone will naturally come out to testify!"
Sure enough, after he said this, after a brief discussion among the crowd, a middle-aged man trembled and knelt on the ground.
"Please be aware that Mr. Mu is a good man!"
"Yes, Master Mu is indeed a good person!"
A few more people echoed, saying that the Mu family are good people.
Zhang Ximeng didn't panic at all. At this moment, a woman came up with a child.
"Master Qingtian, I want to sue the Mu family! Sue them for stealing our family's property through clever means!"
The one who spoke was clearly Mu Ying!
Ma smiled and encouraged, "Don't be afraid, kid, it's time to settle accounts with them!"
With Mu Ying stepping forward, the people outside became even more excited, and the buzz was endless.
Mu Ying took a deep breath and told her parents what happened.
Among the crowd, there were still many who remembered Mu's father. They remembered that during the great disaster, only his father was thinking about the big guys and lowered everyone's land rent, but they did not expect that good people do not live long...
"Please make the decision, sir!"
An old man knelt down, and then dozens of people knelt down, all crying bitterly, telling the Mu family's crimes... Soon, the voices denounced the Mu family were earth-shattering, and could be criticized by thousands of people!
Zhu Yuanzhang finally stood up slowly and looked down at the stunned Mu family.
"All the Mu family members who have committed the most heinous crimes will be put to death! Let their ancestors watch in this ancestral hall!" As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, everyone outside knelt down and thanked him for his great kindness.
There is finally justice in this world!
The sounds of crying and cheering soared into the sky...