Many people fall into it and narrowly escape death.
But there are exceptions.
That's what happened to Zhang Pu.
His cell was clean and comfortable, and the south-facing windows even let in warm sunlight.
There are tables, chairs, paper and pens placed in the room for him to write.
For those who didn't know, they thought this was his quiet room.
The sound of footsteps approached, and a eunuch's voice reached Zhang Pu's ears.
"Mr. Ximing, His Majesty has a decree and orders you to come to see him."
Zhang Pu didn't react at all, he still lowered his head and wrote. After writing the last word, he put the scroll away, got up and walked out of the cell.
"Mr. Ximing, the place for bathing and changing clothes has been prepared."
Zhang Pu looked sideways.
"Why do you need to take a shower? Why do you need to change clothes?"
The eunuch was speechless.
"When I meet His Majesty, I naturally have to take a shower and change my clothes."
Zhang Pu did not obey.
"Life is a journey, death is a journey, and this prison is a journey. All of this is what Zhang has experienced, and I dare not deceive you."
The eunuch was angry, but there was nothing he could do.
Zhang Pu could only be allowed to walk out of the prison in plain clothes.
When the door of the prison of the Ministry of Punishment was opened, Zhang Pu stopped in his tracks at the sight of a sea of people outside.
"How could Zhang be so virtuous that he should be treated like this by the people of the capital?"
The eunuch looked strange on the side.
"Mr. Ximing misunderstood. These people came to see the traitor Mao Chenglu being cut to pieces with a thousand knives."
Zhang Pu was stunned and made a rare blush.
But walking out like this, facing countless probing eyes, made him quite uncomfortable, and he even walked with a limp.
They had just walked out not far when a roaring and tsunami of yells and curses suddenly erupted behind them.
Zhang Pu looked back and saw a prison car slowly walking out of the prison.
There was an unkempt man in the wooden railing of the prison car.
Although there was a large group of royal guards looking after him, the angry people in the capital still rushed forward, and the attacking carriage was shaking.
Countless objects were thrown at the people in the car, and the scene was completely chaotic almost instantly.
Zhang Pu looked at it from a distance and sighed.
"Is this the Dongjiang rebel Mao Chenglu?"
The eunuch's eyes flashed with hatred.
"It's exactly this animal. Your Majesty has decreed that it will be chopped into pieces today. I'm afraid it won't be able to eliminate the hatred of the people in the world."
Zhang Pu was silent, but a thought flashed through his mind.
"If you kill Mao Chenglu, will the world be at peace?"
"Zhang Pu, do you know your guilt?"
In the Yangxin Hall, Chongzhen's questioning did not make Zhang Pu feel any nervous.
"Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world. Although the students are far away from the world, they still worry about their king. All they do is to safeguard the Ming Dynasty forever. I don't know what crime I am guilty of?"
Chongzhen sneered.
"Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world. This is what the Shandong rebels say, right? You used it smoothly. People say that you, Zhang Ximing, and Shandong are at odds with each other. In my opinion, that may not be the case."
Zhang Pu bluntly stated the opposite.
"Your Majesty, is Shandong really a traitor? In that case, please issue an edict to the world, summon the world's knowledgeable people, and put the suppression of the rebellion first."
Chongzhen felt extremely uncomfortable at this time, and his anger rose on the spot.
"The major affairs of the country and the dynasty are complicated. If you make a mistake, you will lose everything. But you kidnapped public opinion and brought chaos to the court, causing public opinions and confusion. The situation is too urgent to make plans. Do you still know your mistake to this day?"
Zhang Pu responded generously.
"The student is neither an important official in the court nor a general in the army. The only place where he can fulfill his loyalty and filial piety to the Ming Dynasty is with a pen and paper. If His Majesty is ordered to be unable to speak, the student will immediately seal up his pen and return to the mountain to become a man of grass and trees."
Chongzhen snorted: "You have resentment in your heart. You blame me for not using you more."
Zhang Pu quickly kowtowed and grabbed the ground.
"Students dare not."
"The imperial court has always been concise, selecting talents, and supplementing them with moral character. If you want me to reuse you, you need to show your true ability."
Zhang Pu was extremely excited.
"The imperial dynasty has been raising scholars for two hundred years. The students have been deeply favored and devoted themselves to their work until they die. The fame, fame and wealth to the students are just like floating clouds."
Chongzhen chuckled, asking for sarcasm, but at least he didn't say it outright on the spot.
"I have learned about the controversy between you and Shandong. Today, you are the only one who can unite people's hearts and bring order to chaos. You have read this article, do you have any countermeasures?"
Chongzhen handed "The Process of History" to Zhang Pu and revealed his purpose.
This article has now been circulated all over the country, and people are talking about it. Many people agree with the views contained in it.
Chongzhen was horrified when he saw it, and finally understood the horror of Shandong.
But now the imperial court lacks military force and is surrounded by enemies on all sides, so there is no way to suppress it militarily.
This is why Chongzhen thought of Zhang Pu.
When Shandong's ideas spread wildly, Zhang Pu was the only one who kept tit-for-tat and refused to give in.
If Chongzhen wanted to maintain the orthodoxy of Taoism, he would naturally use Zhang Pu's influence.
Hearing Chongzhen's words, Zhang Pu really burst into tears.
He worked hard, wrote books, and neglected food and sleep to argue with Shandong. Why?
It’s not just for this day.
"Your Majesty, the student has read this article to perfection. Everyone on the road knows what happened in Shandong. The student has been studying it with great concentration for many days, but there are still many things that he does not understand."
Seeing Chongzhen listening attentively, Zhang Pu expressed his thoughts.
"Shandong's theory is novel and weird. It is completely different from the ancient and modern sages and has its own system. The students feel that instead of watching the fire from the other side and seeing the flowers in the mist, it is better to go deep into the tiger's den to get a glimpse of the true face."
Chongzhen was startled.
"You want to go to Shandong?"
Zhang Pu was impassioned.
"Although students may not have the power to tie a chicken, they still have the heart to protect our holy religion and the country of the Ming Dynasty. Heaven and earth can learn from this. Even though Shandong is a tiger's den, students still regard death as home."
I have to say that Zhang Pu's statement moved Chongzhen.
Things in Shandong have been raging so far, and the whole court is in a state of panic.
However, no one has ever dared to stand up and go deep into Shandong to see what is going on.
The information that Jin Yiwei can pass back is basically imported goods.
The court knew it, and so did the people.
But the imperial court could never see through the real situation in Shandong.
Zhang Pu and Shandong had become mortal enemies for a long time, but they actually dared to put themselves in danger.
Not to mention anything else, this fearless spirit alone is enough to overwhelm both the government and the opposition.
"What if the Shandong rebels are against you?"
Zhang Pu told him frankly.
"From the student's point of view, although Shandong is rebellious, it is not a cruel and easy-to-kill person who does random things. When students came to Beijing, they occasionally saw it. Although the Shandong section of the canal was controlled by rebels, it passed smoothly without disturbing them. Come to think of it,
People in Shandong will not be guilty of what they say. If a student dies because of this, it will be considered as a well-deserved death if it can awaken the wise people in the world to work together."
Chongzhen remained silent, but actually he felt a little unhappy inside.
He could tell that Zhang Pu seemed to have a high opinion of Shandong.
If Shandong is really good, what will happen to the imperial court?
But now that the matter has come to this, he also agrees with Zhang Pu's point of view.
No matter what, we have to go to Shandong and take a closer look in order to find a way to deal with Shandong.
Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle.