The preparations for the trial and execution in Western Zhejiang were all public. No one dared to utter a word about the execution of Feng Guozhang and other Beiyang figures, let alone plead for mercy. However, after the news that Cai Yuanpei was sentenced to death spread, the literati in China became lively.

Old-school figures of the "Literature and History Institute" like Feng Xu and Shen Zengzhi certainly didn't dare to make a sound, and perhaps guys like them were even secretly happy in their hearts.

However, the new-style literati, from the "Education to Save the Nation Faction" represented by Ma Xiangbo in Shanghai, to Chen Duxiu who once rose in rebellion, as well as Li Dazhao's group in Beijing, and Yang Jichang in Hunan, all wrote letters to petition Chen Ke or the People's Party. The most amazing thing was that Huang Xing and Song Jiaoren, who were still locked in prison, also tried to petition Chen Ke through various channels. Disregarding the reality that they were still prisoners, the two shouted grand words about being willing to die with Mr. Cai.

The People's Party really hadn't expected that killing a counter-revolutionary would cause such a strong reaction from domestic literati. Finally, even Yan Fu had to write a letter to Chen Ke very implicitly, saying: "Recently, people visit every day to plead for Jiemin. I am extremely disturbed by it."

Facing the almost pervasive lobbying, the Politburo, under such immense pressure, had to ask Chen Ke to come out and make a decision. Chen Ke initially thought it was due to ineffective propaganda work, so he asked Zhang Yu, "Have Cai Yuanpei's actions been publicized?"

Zhang Yu also felt quite wronged, "Where do I have time to manage the Propaganda Department recently? But the work has already been assigned. I asked the comrades in the Propaganda Department to investigate, and everything that should be publicized in various places has been publicized. Who knows what these stupid literati are thinking."

Chen Ke knew that Zhang Yu couldn't be lying about such things, and he already had a general idea in his mind. "Are they trying to save a counter-revolutionary, or are they preparing to save a literatus? Has everyone analyzed this question?"

"Save a counter-revolutionary or save a literatus?" The comrades really hadn't considered such a question. The People's Party had always looked down on or even discriminated against old literati; this wasn't even a secret. Although the People's Party was filled with people who had been educated in the old era, these years the comrades had stood together with the people in revolution, talking all the time about the mass line, mobilizing the masses, serving the broad working people, and that labor is the most glorious. No one had time to deal with those idiot literati. Not to mention that in the struggle of local work, fighting against literati who maintained the patriarchal clan system was a constant task.

In such an atmosphere, literati were almost collectively labeled as "untrustworthy and unusable." Coupled with the People's Party's invincibility, the expansion of the base areas led to a geometric explosion of work. The People's Party had even less inclination and energy to pay attention to literati. No one expected that literati across the country would actually try to unite because of Cai Yuanpei's affair.

Lu Huitian looked left and right, seeing the surprised faces of every comrade, he asked, "Is anyone responsible for investigating this matter? Is there no movement from the People's Internal Affairs Committee?"

Ren Qiying, Director of the General Office of the Central Committee, laughed: "Recently, the focus of work has been anti-corruption and anti-sabotage. No one cares about this kind of thing at all. Moreover, these literati haven't really linked up. They sent messages to us through various channels, and then gradually linked up during the process of sending messages. My father is a small scholar, and people from the so-called same sect and school whom he hasn't seen for many years all came to find him. It annoyed him to no end. Presumably, it's the same for everyone here."

Ren Qiying said there was no investigation, but actually, his summary was quite on point. In fact, these central cadres of the People's Party had long thrown Cai Yuanpei to the back of their minds. Having killed hundreds of thousands of counter-revolutionaries, who would care about killing this big counter-revolutionary whose hands were stained with the blood of the people? But everyone didn't expect that guys who hadn't been seen for many years, or even never met, would actually come to plead for Cai Yuanpei through various channels like this. They forced the Central Committee of the People's Party to hold a meeting for this.

Qi Huishen considered his words before saying: "My old man is a businessman, yet he was also instigated by others to get involved in this matter. He's obsessed! I received a letter from Xie Mingxian, the Secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee. The letter stated that he had already issued orders to the party, government, and military regarding this matter. No one is allowed to communicate with people pleading for Cai Yuanpei. All such people will not be received."

Chen Ke knew very well that Qi Huishen also wanted to protect his old father. Since he couldn't go back to Shanghai to persuade his father, he might as well scold his old father at the meeting first to make some preparations for later. Chen Ke actually appreciated Qi Huishen's cleverness. At least now that the matter had developed to this point, it was not simply a matter of whether to kill Cai Yuanpei or not, but that the People's Party was going to have a struggle with the old gentry. It was really hard to say to what extent such a struggle would develop.

Lu Huitian had always been considered a right-wing force within the party, and he wasn't too tight on the string of struggle. He couldn't help asking: "What exactly do these people want to do?"

Zhang Yu laughed: "What do they want to do? They want to overturn the sky! Now through compulsory education, we are training a brand-new intellectual class in large numbers, and striving to complete literacy for the whole of China, and even making everyone a new type of laborer with culture and knowledge. Those literati see it in their eyes and are naturally anxious in their hearts. When we finish this work, what will they rely on to maintain their status?"

Some comrades couldn't immediately understand these words full of ideological struggle. However, Yuwen Badu, who had a lower education level, immediately echoed Zhang Yu's words. He said with high morale: "These people have been doing worse and worse in recent years, but their stink hasn't changed a bit. After reading a few stinking books, they think they are insufferably arrogant. They can't carry anything on their shoulders or lift anything with their hands, yet they look down on working people and treat themselves as lords. In the early years during the land reform, they sang a different tune from the government. Later, for a while, they tried to sing praises. But at that time we ignored them. In recent years, their resentment has grown bigger and bigger, shouting that our People's Party is deliberately making things difficult for them."

Because of his lower education level, Yuwen Badu was honest and willing to work. Although he couldn't shoulder heavy responsibilities in terms of direction, he worked in important departments in various places. Although there was no place for him in the Standing Committee, he was a veteran among the Politburo members. Now Yuwen Badu served as the Vice Minister of the Organization Department, responsible for grassroots cadre training and the formulation of selection criteria. These words he spoke showed quite a level.

Moreover, Yuwen Badu obviously had great resentment. He continued: "Those literati still like to point fingers and criticize from a high position. Fortunately, since our People's Party was established, we have completely abolished and severely cracked down on aides. All jobs are one person per pit. Meetings before work, summaries after work. Whoever causes trouble will be held accountable. Those literati who entered the People's Party's various systems through exams were mostly expelled very quickly because they looked down on the masses and loved to criticize others openly or secretly. Even those who were not expelled shut their mouths and buried their heads in work. So I think Comrade Zhang Yu is right. These people are not pleading for Cai Yuanpei at all, but want to overturn the sky. Trying to regain this bit of status for scholars."

The comrades were originally confused. Later, Ren Qiying outlined a general situation. Then they were bluffed by Zhang Yu's murderous words. Finally, after listening to Yuwen Badu's angry statement, the whole matter basically had a clue. However, relaxed, seeing Yuwen Badu's anxious look, and at the same time feeling that those literati were too overestimating themselves, many comrades actually laughed out loud.

Yuwen Badu thought the comrades were laughing at him. Although Yuwen Badu could despise those literati, in the Party Central Committee composed of hard-working laborers, he was still one of the comrades with the lowest education. Although Yuwen Badu's cultural level had improved by leaps and bounds over the years, the inferiority complex of low education formed in front of these close comrades could not be eliminated. So after Yuwen Badu misunderstood the comrades, he simply shut his mouth and sulked.

Ren Qiying and Yuwen Badu had been partners for several years and knew Yuwen Badu's temperament and knots well. During the process of Yuwen Badu improving his cultural level, Ren Qiying and his father had made great efforts. So Ren Qiying also laughed and continued: "These literati have been blinded by lard."

As soon as these words came out, the comrades who hadn't laughed originally couldn't help laughing maliciously. Qi Huishen sneered maliciously a few times, "Comrade Badu described it so vividly; it's almost as if I saw it with my own eyes."

Yuwen Badu actually knew his own problem long ago. At this time, he quickly recovered his mood. He said with a cold face: "Now that the grassroots are holding this civil service exam, all kinds of demons and ghosts have come out. If we take their nonsense to heart, we'll die of anger."

The comrades nodded slightly, but their eyes shifted to Chen Ke. If it was just a simple matter of face, the People's Party could ignore it. But once the problem escalated to a counterattack by the literati class, the People's Party could only carry out a large-scale counterattack. Chen Ke was the only one who could issue orders in such a short time.

Chen Ke looked thoughtful. After a good while, he said: "No investigation, no right to speak. We need to investigate first."

"How to investigate? Asking people one by one, when will it end? And asking won't yield any results." Zhang Yu obviously did not support such a gentle method.

Chen Ke smiled and said: "There are many ways to investigate, but we have a huge advantage now. Although it can be said to be extremely arbitrary, no matter what the results of the investigation are, it will not change our attitude towards literati. Since the final stance is determined first, the investigation can be relaxed."

Zhang Yu immediately nodded in agreement. Lu Huitian felt that Chen Ke's attitude was really too tough. He advised: "Meaninglessly stimulating contradictions does not help solve any problems."

"Comrade Lu Huitian, what is the essence of our People's Party?" Chen Ke asked.

"The vanguard of the proletarian laborers." Lu Huitian could naturally answer this immediately.

Chen Ke nodded heavily, and his tone became quite harsh, "How could the proletarian laborers support letting Cai Yuanpei go? Not to mention what excuse these people use. They think Cai Yuanpei is a scholar and literatus who has made contributions. If this is the stance, I'm afraid the laborers may not support letting Cai Yuanpei go either. The literati class is trying to regain the dominance of Chinese society. As long as our People's Party is still here, this is their eternal dream!"

"But forcibly intensifying such contradictions..." Lu Huitian was still quite worried about this.

Chen Ke sneered: "If they are not afraid of death, they can go to Duan Qirui. As the successor of Beiyang, Duan Qirui should welcome these literati very much. If they are afraid of death, they can go to Wang Youhong. As long as they are in our liberated areas, they have to face this reality! In the ranks of the ruling class composed of working people, there is no place for literati."

"Right! There is no place for literati in the new ruling class!" Yuwen Badu loudly agreed. He had actually wanted to fiercely criticize and belittle those literati for a long time, but he could never find suitable words. Listening to Chen Ke's words, Yuwen Badu felt that all the emotions in his chest were completely expressed, and he couldn't help applauding repeatedly.

Zhang Yu didn't want Lu Huitian to chatter about some rightist words anymore. He asked: "Then what kind of investigation method?"

"Find a few comrades to engage in a war of words with them." Chen Ke said without hesitation, "Those literati currently have some newspapers, and we also have newspapers. Regarding what has happened recently, we will seek truth from facts and introduce it clearly in large articles. Presumably, those literati will definitely counterattack. Wouldn't the investigation be clear then?"

After speaking, Chen Ke couldn't help laughing, "It can't be said that these literati didn't help Cai Yuanpei. If we do this, Cai Yuanpei can still live for a few more days."

"Calling it a war of words, we can't really curse people." Although Zhang Yu was the Minister of Propaganda, since Chen Ke intervened, he had to ask.

"Simple. Tell those literati that everyone in this world is equal, and no one is more equal than others." Chen Ke's words were full of malice.

Most of the people in the People's Party were scholars. Hearing these acerbic words that only literati could say, everyone couldn't help laughing out loud together. Although Yuwen Badu never considered himself a literatus, he had rich work experience. He knew even better how these words could sting the "self-esteem" of those literati.

"In Hebei, in the Southeast, in Wuhan, in Shanghai, find a few comrades to write articles. Then wait for those literati to counterattack. I always believe that the eyes of the people are sharp. Unless they are guys who think they can jump into the literati class, no one will support the literati class regaining a high position. In addition, this is also a good opportunity, and our internal rectification also has a direction. Apart from counterattacking the literati class, we ourselves must distinguish having culture and knowledge completely from literati. Learning culture and knowledge is for better labor, not to obtain privileged status." Chen Ke quickly arranged the work.

After listening, Yuwen Badu couldn't help praising: "Chairman Chen, your judgment is really good! How did you come up with it?"

Chen Ke laughed: "I didn't come up with this. When I was studying, I was also the kind of bastard who thought that reading books meant I should be above others. So there's no need to think, I practiced it myself."

Hearing Chen Ke's "joke," the comrades in the Central Committee almost all laughed loudly. But Zhang Yu, Lu Huitian, Qi Huishen, and Ren Qiying did not laugh. They all believed that Chen Ke's words were definitely not a joke.

When the comrades finished laughing, Chen Ke said: "There must be a comrade in charge of this matter. I suggest Comrade Yuwen Badu be responsible for this."

Yuwen Badu didn't expect Chen Ke to arrange it this way. He hurriedly said: "I don't know how to write articles. I can't do this kind of thing well."

"Comrade Yuwen Badu, you didn't think it through. Right now, it's precisely not requiring you to write articles; what is needed now is for you to be able to stabilize your stance. Struggle with those literati from the stance of a laborer. Moreover, what we have to do is not to persuade or ridicule literati, but to win over the masses and laborers. Now everyone in the Central Committee has read books and can write articles. But they may not necessarily be able to speak into the hearts of the masses. In this point, none of us are as good as you. You just hold onto the things the masses care about, write out the masses' concerns, and write out how those scholars bluff the masses. You definitely know these best." Chen Ke said.

If Chen Ke hadn't said so, Yuwen Badu would have feared that these words were a kind of mockery. But Chen Ke never mocked comrades, so Yuwen Badu finally had a little confidence.

And Chen Ke continued: "Comrade Yuwen Badu, among those in our party who can truly hold a tolerant attitude towards the masses, you should be the most tolerant. We really are not as good as you in this point; we have to learn from you."

Hearing Chen Ke's words, Yuwen Badu felt his eyes heat up for some reason. He hurriedly wiped his eyes and recovered his emotions. "I will work hard to... finish this job."

"There are comrades in various places to write specific articles; you just need to handle the gatekeeping. In addition, if Comrade Ren Qiying has time, come and help Comrade Yuwen Badu. You have been partners for so long, you should be able to cooperate well. Also, Comrade Ren Qiying, let me instigate you a bit; those literati look down on women." Chen Ke smiled after finishing. Other comrades also laughed together.