The rainbow light of the rising sun in the sky is like red-gold silk, billowing and fluttering in the wind.
The imperial palace in Beijing has blue bricks and yellow tiles, pavilions and covered bridges, and under the three-story pavilion with cornices. Zhu Gaojiu took a sip of tea and looked at Su Wu sitting opposite with a smile: "How about this tea? It's the best in Sichuan." Mengding Nectar, the best product that was just offered as a tribute from Sichuan, I don’t even have much of it in my collection.”
Su Wu took a sip and couldn't help but admire: "Slender and curly, the color of the tea soup is green and bright, the pekoe floats on the soup, the tea is fragrant, and the mouth is fresh and sweet. It is indeed a rare good tea."
After he returned to Beijing after serving as the chief envoy of Goryeo Province and became famous, he was immediately mentioned to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to fill the vacant position of Zuodu Censor. The censor of Zuodu, a second-rank official, was in charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and was honored as the "General Constitution".
Su Wu was very young and had a humerus in the East Palace. There were rumors in the capital that he would be promoted from "Su Zongxian" to "Su Xiang" in less than ten years.
The two principals and ministers had not seen each other for a long time and had a very pleasant conversation.
Su Wu saw a young man standing behind the Crown Prince. He had a handsome appearance, bright eyes and white teeth, and had the demeanor of a civil servant, which attracted people to take a second look.
He asked with some confusion: "Who is this?"
Zhu Gaojie said: "Yu Qian, the master of ceremony arranged by the old man for me."
Su Wu said in surprise: "That's quite young."
Although Zuo Chunfang Master of Ceremonies is just an attendant who follows the prince, this job is not that easy to do. It has extremely high requirements for those who hold the position. Most of them are held by famous scholars who specialize in academics. Generally speaking, they are of a certain age. Will be below forty.
And this Yu Qian looks like he is not even twenty years old.
Zhu Gaojie smiled and said: "How old are you this year? Are you twenty? Aren't you already serving as the censor of Zuodu? Has there ever been a twenty-year-old censor of Zuodu in the past dynasties?"
Su Wu said cheerfully: "That's true. Your Highness is right. Officials do not look at qualifications but only ability. Our Ming Dynasty is still a young dynasty, and officials should also be young people. This makes our Ming Dynasty full of vigor and vitality."
"Haha, good boy, why have you become so glib now?"
Yu Qian sighed, with a little melancholy in his voice.
He originally thought that this famous crown prince would be as elegant and knowledgeable as Prince Yiwen. However, during the two days he followed Zhu Gaojie, he failed to see that the crown prince had any real abilities. He was not in Wenzhou every day. Working as an overseer in the palace means wandering around the palace, drinking tea and chatting with some princeling officials.
This was so different from the wise master he expected, making Yu Qian feel like he hated iron.
Is this the prince of the Ming Dynasty?
What a disappointment!
Zhu Gaojie glanced at it, noticed the subtle expression on Yu Qian's face, and smiled: "Yu Qian, do you have something to say?"
Yu Qian said with calm eyes, "No."
"If you have something to say, you can say it directly. There is no need to hide it and keep it in your heart. In the end, you will still feel uncomfortable."
Zhu Gaojie held the tea cup and said, "I allow you to speak freely without guilt."
Yu Qian hesitated and asked, "Seriously?"
Zhu Gaojie smiled: "No one in the world knows that I, Zhu Gaojie, always keep my promises and stick to my word."
"In this case, I will venture to say a few words."
Yu Qian straightened his back and said solemnly, "I thought that His Highness is the prince and the heir apparent, and he is located in the East Palace. Every move he makes should demonstrate the majesty of the Ming Dynasty. But from what I have observed in the past few days, His Highness's behavior can be called debauched!" "
With such unabashed and sharp words, Yu Qian almost pointed at the tip of Zhu Gaojie's nose and cursed him as a mediocre person.
Su Wu was dumbfounded. He wondered if this young man named Yu was going to die. How dare he talk to His Highness like this?
Even he, who was far away in Goryeo Province, had heard that his Royal Highness was in the Southwest Fire Company and annihilated more than 100,000 rebels without leaving a single prisoner behind. This shows how cruel his methods were.
Faced with Qian's aggressive accusation, Zhu Gaojie didn't show any emotion. He still held the teacup unhurriedly and flicked the clear tea soup with the tea lid.
He asked calmly: "Yu Qian, aren't you afraid of death?"
"If you speak frankly, why should you be afraid?"
Yu Qian said calmly, "Besides, His Highness has just said that I am allowed to speak freely without guilt. Is it possible that His Highness wants to regret it?"
"That's not the case."
Zhu Gaojie was finally willing to put down the tea cup and raised the corner of his mouth, "I heard that you are particularly good at poetry?"
"Know a thing or two."
Although he spoke modestly, Yu Qian's tone was quite arrogant when he spoke, which shows how confident he is in his talent in this area.
Zhu Gaojie said with a smile: "What a coincidence, I am also good at attribute pairs and poetry. I have nothing to do today. Let's compare?"
Yu Qian was a little surprised: "Is your highness serious?"
Although he had heard that the prince had outstanding achievements in governing the country and leading troops, he had never heard that the prince had the ability to recite poems and compose poems.
Zhu Gaojie nodded slightly and said, "Of course I am serious."
Yu Qian asked enthusiastically: "What do you want to compete with, Your Highness?"
"How about using the title as the word?"
"Very good, what's the problem?"
Zhu Gaojie looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on the bamboo forest near the pavilion. The breeze came slowly, the bamboo forest was green and firm, and the branches and leaves were slightly swaying.
He asked: "The title is the Four Gentlemen of Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum. What do you think?"
Yu Qian thought to himself: "Plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos and chrysanthemums are proud, quiet, firm and light. They occupy all spring, summer, autumn and winter. They suit my heart perfectly."
Zhu Gaojie smiled and stretched out his hand to signal: "Okay, Brother Yu, please go first."
Yu Qian nodded and said, "Brother Zhu is like this, so I won't be polite."
When Su Wu heard this "Brother Zhu", he was almost shocked and knelt down to the young man named Yu on the spot.
You are so brave!
When Yu Qian accused Zhu Gaojie just now, Su Wu thought that the boy named Yu was a stupid, sour and rotten scholar. But now the words "Brother Zhu" made him completely change his concept of Qian.
Just the words "Brother Zhu" were enough for Yu Qian's family to be killed at Caishikou for seven days!
This brother is simply audacious and does whatever he wants!
Hearing the words "Brother Zhu", Zhu Gaojie's face did not change much. He still had a slight smile and was calm and calm.
Yu Qian didn't think that much. He thought hard for a long time and pondered:
"The rain is still pouring on my clothes, and I can see the mountains beyond the mountains.
Immediately stand on the plain to see the autumn colors, and only pity the cold chrysanthemums for their fading beauty. "
Good poetry, indeed good poetry.
Yu Qian is indeed extremely talented at reciting poems and composing poems, and he blurts out a poem with gorgeous rhetoric.
It's a pity that Zhu Gaojie still has the ultimate ultimate move in his hand.
Yu Qian raised his hand and said, "I have given up. Your Highness, please go ahead."
Having said this, he paused and said with a smile, "If His Highness can't do it, just admit defeat. It's not shabby."
Zhu Gaojie smiled and pretended to think for a moment before speaking slowly:
"Stand firmly on the green hills and never let go; your roots will always be in the broken rocks.
Even though you have endured countless blows, you are still strong, no matter how strong the wind is from east to west, north or south! "
The smile on Yu Qian's face froze. He couldn't turn his head for a while. He pondered for a long time and murmured: "Let the east, west, north, south wind, good, good, good, good, let the east, west, north, south wind..."
What he has always admired is the integrity of a gentleman, and this poem undoubtedly demonstrates the integrity to the fullest, with boldness and uprightness.
As soon as this poem comes out, the winner is clear.
Su Wu on the side couldn't help but clapped his hands and applauded: "What a poem, what a spirit, your highness is a great talent!"
Zhu Gaojie just smiled and said nothing.
I don’t know whether Mr. Zheng Banqiao hundreds of years later will sigh with emotion, "Since he is the master of life, how can Zheng be born?" and live in the shadow of Zhu Gaojie.
Charlotte can copy Jay Chou's songs, but I, Zhu Gaojie, can copy Zheng Banqiao's poems. This makes sense.
When Yu Qian changed from his normal state, he couldn't help but be in awe, and said with a cupped hand: "Your Highness, I have lost. If you want to kill or behead me, Your Highness will make your own decision. I will never say anything."
"What I'm going to do to kill you has been agreed upon in advance. You and I are just reciting poems and playing for free, and we didn't make any bet in advance."
Zhu Gaojie waved his hand and said, "But I am very popular with poetry today. I can't express my feelings in one poem, but I have brewed one."
Yu Qian's eyes lit up and he was overjoyed: "Your Highness, please recite one or two words to open your eyes."
This song "Let the wind blow from east to west, from north to south" completely convinced him.
Now I heard that the prince had another poem, which made him very happy because he liked to recite poems and composed poems. He wanted to hear what other masterpieces Zhu Gaojie could come up with.
Su Wu said with a smile: "Your Highness, please don't be stingy and show your talent, so that I can see it."
"If that's the case, then I'm going to be arty today."
Zhu Gaojie said, "This second song is also about bamboo."
Yu Qian nodded quickly: "It's good to sing bamboo, sifting the wind and making moon, living a free and unrestrained life, elegant and indifferent, you are a humble gentleman."
Seeing this, Zhu Gaojie stopped showing off, thought for a moment, and said:
"Bamboo is like a hypocrite, strong on the outside but hollow on the inside. When in groups it can block the sun, but when alone it can block the wind.
The roots are thin and good at drilling holes, and the waist is soft and bowed. Literati love this a lot and have the same breath. "
The smile on Yu Qian's face gradually faded, but Su Wu couldn't help but laugh.
"Disgraceful to politeness!"
Yu Qian rolled his sleeves and said angrily.
Compared with the song that praised bamboo just now, this one is too spicy and biting.
Bamboo is like those hypocrites. From the outside, they look so prestigious and proud of their achievements, but in fact they have no real qualities.
When they are united in spirit, they can block out the sky and cover up the truth, but when examined alone they cannot withstand the test.
The roots of the bamboo are fine and good at stably taking root, and the waist is light and accustomed to bowing to others. Those literati who like bamboo may have the same integrity as those bamboos.
People usually like to chant bamboo to show their integrity, but this poem of mocking bamboo undoubtedly shreds the treacherous face of the literati.
Yu Qian was angry because he respected the integrity of scholars the most.
Su Wu laughed because he looked down upon the literati the most.
He was the Juren in the ninth year of Yongle. He was an extremely young Juren. If nothing unexpected happened, he could easily become a Jinshi and enter the court as an official.
However, Su Wu did not continue to take the imperial examination, but said that "the examination is like an orange, sour and hard."
In his eyes, when you read the book of sages to the end, what you read is not a saint, but a rotten scholar whose thinking is imprisoned.
Yu Qian gritted his teeth angrily, wanting to say something but couldn't, so he turned around and left in a puff of his sleeves.
Zhu Gaojie and Su Wu looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
…
After laughing for a long time, Su Wu just picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and asked: "Your Highness, is it too bad to tease such a boy?"
Zhu Gaojie did not answer the question, but asked: "What do you think of this boy named Yu?"
Su Wu shook his head and said: "He is not a rotten scholar with a sour temper. He has a spiritual charm, but he is too ignorant of current affairs and too arrogant. With his temper, he has narrowed his own path."
Zhu Gaojie waved his hand: "How can you only judge a person by his character? If he has no real ability, he dares to be so crazy in front of me. Do you think I can let him go? Do you really think that I am some kind-hearted living Bodhisattva?"
Su Wu sighed: "This is a fierce horse, and it is difficult to control. If I were to use him, I would have to suppress him for three to five years to polish the edges of his anger. When it is almost polished, I can use it again." Take it out and see the results, use it if you can, and throw it away if you don’t.”
"At the beginning, I thought the same as you. To deal with such a fierce horse, you must first suppress his anger and then slowly tame him. But after seeing him, I didn't think so."
"Then what does His Highness think now?"
Zhu Gaojie crossed his fingers and saw General Su leaning towards him, and then said mysteriously in his ear:
"I won't tell you."
Su Wu was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Although the prince didn't say anything, he already had a premonition.
Yu Qian, who was targeted by Zhu Gaojie, is now more like a sheep bitten by a wolf.
…
On the way back, Yu Qian became more and more angry as he thought about it.
"It's an insult to elegance, it's an insult to elegance, how did he write such a poem!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help laughing.
"It seems that what he said is not unreasonable. Bamboo is like a hypocrite, but it is strong on the outside but hollow in the middle. Groups can block the sun, but independence can't stop the wind. The more I think about it, the more it seems to be realistic... Ahem, how could I think so? , the prince mistook me."
Quietly, even Yu Qian himself did not realize that his thinking, which had been solidified by Confucian culture in the past eighteen years, had changed invisibly because of Zhu Gaojie's poem "Mocking Bamboo."
…
[Choose to simulate random clips about Zhu Gaojie...]
[The current perspective is: Zhu Gaojie’s identity as emperor]
[Time: June of the 40th year of Hengjing. 】
When Zhu Di saw this time period, a big question mark appeared on his head.
He knew that Zhu Gaojie was very capable, but was it a bit too much to rule for forty years?
Among the emperors simulated by Zhu Di, there are only two people who can compare with Zhu Gaojie's reign. One was the Wanli Emperor Ming Shenzong Zhu Yijun, who reigned for forty-eight years, and the other was the Jiajing Emperor Ming Shizong Zhu Houcong who reigned for forty-five years.
But if we talk about the reigning emperor who is actually in power, the only one is Emperor Jiajing. In the first ten years of Emperor Wanli's reign, due to the young age of the emperor, the queen mother took charge of the affairs, and the queen mother handed over the military and political power to Zhang Juzheng to manage on his behalf.
However, these two emperors have been in power for a long time, which is not a good thing for the Ming Dynasty.
Jiajing reigned for forty-five years, almost destroying the Ming Dynasty, and Wanli Emperor for forty-eight years, directly dragged the Ming Dynasty into the coffin board, leaving a devastated world in the wind and rain for future generations. The shaky empire.
Except for Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, very few of the wise kings of the Ming Dynasty lived beyond the age of forty.
