In the second year of Zhengde, a scholar from Raozhou Prefecture in Jiangxi Province finally passed the provincial examination. His name was Gui E. He was born in the 14th year of Chenghua and was already twenty-nine years old when he passed the provincial examination.
This age is considered normal for a Juren.
It is a pity that the imperial examination was held in the third year of Zhengde, but Gui E regretfully failed.
Gui E's initial education was influenced by Hu Juren, a famous Neo-Confucian scholar during the Zhengtong and Chenghua years.
Hu Juren was a commoner all his life and died in Chenghua in the 20th year. This man had a disciple named Zhang Zheng, who was the first person to teach Gui E.
After Hu Juren's death, Zhang Zheng, a student, could only be considered mediocre. He did not have any great insights or influence. He was just obsessed with reading. The imperial court built a library garden and opened it to scholars for free. This was a huge blow to people like Zhang Zheng. soul.
So he tried his best to persuade Gui E to stay. According to him, there was a garden filled with books and countless sacred learnings. If you want to learn and succeed, you must study hard in the garden.
Gui E did indeed do this, and more than half a year had passed since he started chewing books in the garden every day to the literary gathering of Ji Si Liu Zi Shu.
In the center of the crowd were literary leaders like Li Mengyang and He Jingming, from noble families like Wang Xuan, and the Yan Song that people mentioned... who was also His Majesty's attendant.
Speaking of which, Yan Song was his fellow Jiangxi fellow, two years younger than him, but he had already won the Jinshi in the 18th year of Hongzhi, and it had been five years since he became an official in the court.
This is called becoming famous as a young man, with unlimited glory.
He, a middle-aged man in his thirties with a beard and a tattered book in his hand, could only look up at the lives of the proud men in the crowd below.
"The evening welcomes the auspicious return of the emperor, and there are piles of palace flowers and road brocades. The sound of books passes by in the library garden, and the shadows of fans bloom in front of the city that never sleeps!"
Gui E looked up and saw Kang Hai, the number one scholar in the fifteenth year of Hongzhi's reign, reciting poems.
No, it’s words.
"Play the music of Shun and enter the cup of Yao. Promote the sound of chariots and horses flying through the streets. The king is happy to have fun with the people, and the three shouts from all directions shake the earth."
After Kang Hai finished reading, all the boys serving on the side also finished writing. These little guys are not very old, but they have been studying in wealthy families since they were young, and they can write well.
After finishing writing a poem, the children held the rice paper and walked around twice. After all, there were many people today, so that everyone could see it more clearly.
"Brother God-given, brother Zhongmo, you have shown your shame."
Yan Song and Situ Hao also gathered together to read, "The sound of books was heard in the library garden, and the shadows of fans opened in front of the city that never sleeps. This sentence is not written for the people here, it is clearly written for His Majesty."
On the other side, Li Mengyang and He Jingming both praised, "Good words, good words. Kang Dehan still deserves the title of Number One Scholar."
Li Mengyang suddenly sighed, "Both the library garden and the city that never sleeps are the achievements of the emperor. Both of them consume a lot of money. How could they be built if the country was not in a prosperous age? It turns out that in the academy, the Duke of Ji always used to manage the world. "Zhi Yong Zhi Shuo" advises all scholars, today's literary society is flourishing, and it can't just talk. Are you satisfied with the library garden and the city that never sleeps?"
"Of course not!"
"ZTE has just started!"
…
"What exactly is Brother Li going to say in a roundabout way? It's not just a simple talk, it's government affairs. Is Brother Li here to discuss government affairs?"
Li Mengyang looked for the voice and found that it was a young scholar whom he had never met before. People did not avoid him, and he seemed very confident.
"Of course I'm not making arrogant comments about government affairs. It's just that the emperor is a great virtuous man, but he still rebels against the king, so I can't suppress my anger!"
"You rebelled against the king and killed him, and you also took advantage of Prince Qing! What else is there to be angry about?"
"What do you mean by hooking up with someone?!" Li Mengyang was angry because of these things recently. "Who are you? Do you dare to tell me your name?"
"Hey!" Yan Songxin said that it was finally his turn. He stood up and pressed his hands. "We are just talking about expressing opinions. Why should Brother Li be angry? Ten years of hard study is not easy. Why do you ask people to report their names?"
With him coming forward, the young scholar "hid".
Yan Suozheng arranged his affairs, and it ended when Yan Suozheng himself left the scene.
Li Mengyang couldn't figure it out with an old cunning guy like Yan Song. He snorted dissatisfiedly, "It is the foundation of ministers to protect the king. The sins of King Qing are common to all the people in the world. What does the word "paraphrase" mean?"
Recently, many people have some opinions on the way the court dealt with Prince Qing.
Originally, it was King Anhua who rebelled, not King Qing. King Qing was forced to do so. Therefore, the emperor gave him a general admonishment, but he could not even save his life.
Killing two people together in this way makes people feel a bit chilling. After all, they are still members of their own family. The rebellion of King Anhua was put down in a few days. How could the remaining King Qing pose any threat to the world?
Moreover, King Qing is a direct bloodline of Taizu, so why is this so?
It is strange to say that generally speaking, one cannot comment casually on this kind of government affairs, but every now and then, a voice would come up, and the court would not deal with it, as if it was condoning it.
The mood has reached this point today. Some people want to fight for the emperor. Opponents say so in secret, while supporters like Li Mengyang say it openly.
In addition, the emperor intended to limit the wealth of the vassal kings. This intention was not only caught by the elders, but also some middle and lower-level officials who wanted to take this opportunity to win the emperor Jian Zai's heart. Otherwise, why would so many people come to such a simple article?
So as soon as the conversation started, some people couldn't help it.
"It is these people who blindly apply the method of kissing. Prince Qing was killed firstly because of being a thief, and secondly because of his crime. Prince Qing's mansion covers an area of thousands of hectares and has plundered countless goods. He insulted and humiliated him on weekdays. The people are not without it. Your Majesty is taking the wealth of this palace for the sake of your ancestors, the country, and all the people of the world, and it is the people who will benefit!"
"A gentleman loves money and gets it in the right way. Should he rely on killing the king to get it? The palace of the vassal prince was given by his ancestors."
"Why can't you kill him? When a prince breaks the law, the common people are equally guilty. This has been the truth since ancient times."
…
Yan Song looked at Li Mengyang, feeling the arguments between you and me. At a certain moment, he suddenly began to realize something. Government affairs were originally not negotiable, but now the matter of the vassal king can be brought up and discussed directly, probably with the emperor's shadow behind it. Now he is asked to take advantage of the order...
So if that's the case, then it's not without reason that he, the 'treacherous minister', should be regarded as such.
Perhaps he had thought more clearly, and Yan Song was no longer silent. He spoke: "Brother Li, Brother He, the names of our six sons are known to everyone in the world. I believe you all know that my Ming Dynasty is rooted in the clan, and I am also a blood relative of Your Majesty." In the clan. Whether the vassal king is guilty or not will be decided by His Majesty. Brother Li and others openly talked about King Qing’s death today. Is this meant to provoke royal relations? You need to know, if the vassal kings all over the world hear this today If so, how would you feel?"
Li Mengyang was in the mood, and he immediately asked: "The vassal king is content with himself, as long as he obeys the imperial edict and abides by the laws of the country? Is there anything else to be afraid of?"
Speaking of this, he shook his sleeves and said, "I'm afraid that most of the vassal kings will rape the countryside, seize people's fields, and harm all living beings. That's why we should be afraid!"
After hearing this, Bian Gong clenched his fist and said, "That's right! We serve as officials for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world. Yan Suozhengzhen is also from the holy school. Shouldn't we think about those people when we do what we say?"
Yan Song cupped his hands toward the Forbidden City, "Being an official is not only for the people, but also for Your Majesty. The things you discussed here today will make all the kings in the world uneasy. If something bad happens, won't it be for the people to suffer?!"
Li Mengyang and Bian Gong looked at each other. I had never seen this Yan Weizhong before. Why did he look so traitorous but yet so loyal? !
Behind them,
He Jingming came out to stand on the ring, "I'm asking you to call me brother Wei Zhong. Brother Wei Zhong has been favored by the emperor, shouldn't he serve you wholeheartedly?"
Yan Song didn't feel any discomfort in the eyes of everyone, and he felt quite as shameless as when Liu Bang entered the Lu Mansion.
He said openly: "It is precisely because I want to repay the kindness of the king that I kindly remind you. The vassal kings are all close relatives of your Majesty and are also descendants of Taizu. What you are doing today will not cause trouble?"
"What trouble?" Li Mengyang asked, thinking he had succeeded.
But what level is Yan Song? How could he fall into such a trap? "This is a big deal, not a place to show off your words. If you ask me what the disaster is, I will tell you, forcing the king to rebel! At that level, who can bear it? Does this have anything to do with it?"
Wow!
Force the king to rebel!
Yan Song really dares to say this!
Uncle Weining on the side hadn't said a word yet, but he suddenly regretted coming to a place like this today. Just meet these people who you can’t understand. Don't make any trouble when you look back. Wouldn't this make yourself a mess?
So he approached Yan Song and said, "Weizhong, don't talk nonsense about this!"
Yan Song seemed relaxed: You people are arguing about winning and losing, but I am trying to seize the Holy Spirit.
Since Your Majesty wants to restrict the feudal king, the first thing to consider is whether the feudal king will rebel.
Since this issue has been brought up for debate through the article meeting today, don’t hide it and talk about it all. If you say it, the feudal king will be afraid. It is better to expose a problem than to cover it up.
To put it more bluntly, His Majesty probably wants to personally ask those feudal kings if they want to rebel. But it would be too serious for the emperor to ask such a question, and he would almost kill someone. Instead, it would be better for the ministers to ask the question for the emperor.
Li Mengyang was greatly surprised. To be honest, he and Yan Song used to belong to different 'fields', one in the literary world and the other in the officialdom. So he didn't pay much attention to Yan Weizhong, but he didn't expect that he would general an army for him today.
But don't underestimate him.
"Dying to be filial to my son and loyal to my ministers, why not die? If we were afraid of death, none of the six of us would be here today." Li Mengyang said with full of righteousness, and saluted Yan Song, "Yan is righteous, You were originally a servant in the chamber, and you should be the best to understand the emperor's holy will. Although the few of us have no official positions, we have been in the court for a few years. The emperor puts the people first when he is in power, and sets an example. He is always frugal in the palace and carries out large-scale construction projects. Library gardens, hospitals, academies, etc. were built to benefit the people.
It can be said that His Majesty has made everything new, driven the Tatars from the north, and opened up the road to wealth in the south. However, over the years, Sichuan is still suffering from disasters, and refugees are everywhere in Huguang. Even though there are flowers like the capital, there are also people who are cold and hungry! Why? In the final analysis, it is just the same sentence: The rich have a lot of land, but the poor have no place to stand.
In the second year of Zhengde's reign, His Majesty presided over the redistribution of official and village fields in the capital, and smoke began to curl up from all over the capital. But the Ming Dynasty covers thousands of miles, including the capital, Henan, and Huguang. The people there have no land to farm but have to pay taxes. The people's livelihood is already miserable! What we are arguing today is that the vassal king is guilty and should be punished. If this is not for the sake of the common people, is it like Yan Suozheng did, to instigate the royal family for his own selfish interests? ! "
After all, Li Mengyang is still a person who has been famous for a long time. The so-called life and death threats, official career, etc. cannot scare him. He already has a point of view in his mind and is very determined. It is impossible to scare him away.
As soon as these words were spoken, the mood at the scene changed.
Everyone nodded.
Because they are not King Qing or other vassal kings, Li Mengyang wants to 'hurt' these people and benefit more people at the same time. From a moral point of view, there is no problem with such a good deed. From a profit point of view, supporting it can also show that he is a good deed. The state is for the people.
Therefore, many people follow it at once.
Zhang Zheng, who had been in the garden, also asked Gui E, "What do you think?"
Gui E frowned and said in a low voice: "Li Tianci uprightly maintains his integrity. He is concerned about the people of the world. There are countless disasters in the feudal prince's palace. I think he must deal with it with thunder. And the emperor's treatment of the feudal prince is not unkind." Between heaven and earth, there are small benevolence and great benevolence. To benefit one family and one house at the expense of the interests of thousands of households, this is small benevolence. Small benevolence is not as good as great benevolence. If the people's resentment boils over and the country is endangered, at that time, say It’s too late for anything.”
Zhang Zheng nodded, "Although I have learned a lot from reading, I have gained a lot from speaking quickly, I have gained the deepest thinking, and I have learned the most practical things from my actions. At that time, I used this as my lifelong income. In the future, I hope you can go to high school and achieve what you are talking about today." , this is the most practical way to act.”
Gui E wasn't very enthusiastic at this time, so he just listened.
In fact, he didn't quite understand how Yan Song, an attendant of the emperor, could talk like an old Confucian scholar. In the current imperial court, the emperor still loves the emperor most for his practical management of the world.
above.
Yan Song glanced around, without any hint of timidity, and said: ""Zi Zhi Tong Jian" says: The emperor's duty is no greater than etiquette.
The status of vassals is different from that of common people. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Liang Taifu Jia Yi reported that the dignity of the emperor is like the great hall, while the ministers are like the steps under the hall, and the common people are like the flat ground. This is etiquette. When etiquette is correct, the upper ones make the lower ones move like the hands and feet, and the roots control the branches and leaves. The lower ones serve the upper ones, just like the hands and feet protect the heart and hands, and the branches and leaves protect the roots. Then the top and bottom can protect each other and the country is safe and orderly. Brother Li, what you said has never been done in three generations. If it is true, how will your Majesty face the reputation of future generations? How can we live up to our ancestors? "
Still in the center, on the other side.
Someone came to Song Heng's ear in the library garden and said a few words. Then Song Heng's expression changed, and he immediately stood up and said to Li Mengyang, Yan Song and others: "Your Majesty has an oral message."
ah!
Everyone exclaimed that this was a big deal.
Yan Song lowered his head and smiled slightly. The emperor has been paying attention to this place. It's almost done at this point. It's enough to bring up the topic and start the controversy.
You can't keep arguing, otherwise no one will know what will be said next. If something is really treasonous, it will be difficult for the emperor to 'control the situation'.
So it’s best to just stop there. Anyway, a large number of people will submit memorials later.
And he will probably be scolded a lot, after all, Li Mengyang's status is beyond what his official position can match.
well.
(End of chapter)
