Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 207 Zhang Jingxiu's Examination
The news of the fight between He Zheng and Huang Cheng quickly spread throughout Beijing.

Immediately, it caused quite a controversy.

Some people say that he has no loyalty to his king or his father and is extremely bold and presumptuous, while others say that he is a hermit who regards imperial examinations as dirt and takes it as his responsibility to enlighten the people.

However, this little matter became insignificant with the announcement of the results of the spring imperial examination in the 14th year of Wanli.

Early in the morning of that day, the residence of Grand Secretary Zhang was decorated with colorful lights and fireworks, and the air was filled with joy everywhere.

Because Zhang Juzheng left Beijing, the mansion was handed over to his eldest son Zhang Jingxiu for management, and Zhang Yunxiu bought the courtyard house next to the Grand Secretary's Mansion.

The two families lived next door to each other, and sometimes they would visit the Grand Secretary's house.

At this moment, there were three people sitting in the living room of Grand Secretary Zhang's mansion.

Sitting in the first seat was the eldest brother Zhang Jingxiu, sitting on the left was Zhang Yunxiu, and sitting on the right was a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old.

He had a fair face, soft features, and was slightly fat. He was wearing a popular green Taoist robe and a Chengzi scarf on his head. He looked like a scholar.

It was Zhang Yunxiu’s sixth brother, Zhang Jingxiu.

The results of the imperial examination were announced today, and he ranked 74th in this subject.

Seeing that his sixth brother had also passed the imperial examination and was about to become a Jinshi, the eldest brother Zhang Jingxiu was very happy and was the first to praise him: "Jingxiu, you should be happy to pass this exam, but I hope you will be modest and do your best in the palace examination."

"Don't worry, big brother. I will do my best." Zhang Jingxiu stood up and clasped his fists to the big brother who was sitting in the first seat. Then he turned to look at the fifth brother who had a stern face all the time and asked bravely, "Fifth brother, I have passed the imperial examination now. What about me and Lan'er?"

"You pervert, you're so happy now that you immediately think about this?" Zhang Yunxiu raised his voice and shouted.

Zhang Jingxiu was so frightened that he trembled and stood there in a daze, rubbing his hands, looking uneasy.

But after New Year's Eve this year, Zhang Jingxiu came to the capital to participate in the imperial examination.

Zhang Fu went to greet him. When the two met, Zhang Fu took him to a small courtyard. Since they were old acquaintances, they drank a few more glasses.

After three rounds of drinking, Zhang Fu's daughter Zhang Lan walked into the room.

Zhang Jingxiu and Zhang Lan are of similar age and grew up almost together.

Seeing that she has a slim figure and a rosy face today, he can't help but be moved. Zhang Fu had planned it in advance and came here today just to hook up with the Sixth Young Master.

So he found an excuse to leave the room.

A man and a woman alone, living together in the same room.

That is like dry wood and raging fire, which can be ignited at any time.

The next morning, Zhang Jingxiu woke up from his bed and saw Zhang Lan naked, and he could not deny it. But he was a little afraid of his brother, so he told Zhang Jingxiu and Zhang Yunxiu about it seven days ago.

At this moment, the hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Zhang Jingxiu's cheeks flushed, and a burst of dense drumbeats rang near her eardrums.

Seeing his brother so nervous, Zhang Lan had watched him grow up by herself, so Zhang Yunxiu could only pinch his nose and admit it: "Alright, alright, get out of here, if you get cheated again next time, I'll show you how I'll deal with you!"

"Brother agreed?" Zhang Jingxiu said happily.

"If you don't agree, will the child be born without a father?!" Zhang Yunxiu glared at his brother fiercely, and then said, "Whether you are a concubine or something else, you have to be nice to him. I treat him as a half sister."

"I understand. I understand." Zhang Jingxiu was so happy that he danced with joy and staggered out of the hall.

I couldn't wait to announce this good news to Zhang Lan.

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head repeatedly. Zhang Jingxiu, who was sitting in the main seat, smiled faintly and said with emotion: "Xiaoliu has reached the age of marriage in a blink of an eye. It is normal for him to have such thoughts." "If you don't learn your lesson, you will be deceived by others sooner or later." Zhang Yunxiu said, his old face flushed.

He thought of Sun Yahan whom he met on the Japanese warship.

Zhang Jingxiu didn't notice his brother's abnormality. He thought of He Zheng who was jumping high nearby, so he reminded him, "Yun Xiu, He Zheng is a lunatic. You'd better stay away from him, so as not to implicate yourself."

"Don't worry, brother. I know what to do." Zhang Yunxiu smiled, signaling his brother to rest assured, and then said, "Besides, my school is also recruiting disciples. Who knows, by then, I may be even more arrogant than him."

Seeing his brother's careless look, Zhang Jingxiu put on the dignity of an elder brother and refuted: "I know that you are favored by the emperor, but now my father has resigned and the cabinet has been reshuffled. You should not act the same as before."

"Oh. I know. I know." Zhang Yunxiu made up a few words and turned and ran away.

Zhang Jingxiu chased out the door and kept chattering until the door.

After watching Zhang Yunxiu return to the courtyard next door, he waved his sleeves and returned to his mansion.

Zhang Yunxiu entered the mansion and immediately locked himself in the study. He was seen leaning over the table, writing "Recruitment of students for the Beijing Academy". As soon as he saw the name, he knew the content.

The school has been repaired.

Naturally, we need to recruit students.

If you want to expand your influence, you must obtain the emperor's consent.

So this memorial came into being.

"Your humble servant Zhang Yunxiu pays respect to me:
As the ancients said, every inch has its own strengths and weaknesses. The same is true for people. The imperial examinations are mainly based on the Five Classics and Six Arts, but they do not teach people practical things. Many talented people spend their entire lives in these examinations and never achieve any results. It is really sad that they have no skills to rely on until they are old and gray.

Therefore, I petition Your Majesty to open a school to teach students all over the country a variety of skills. After they have completed their studies and passed the examination, the court will arrange for them to go to school."

After finishing writing in one breath, Zhang Yunxiu's forehead was already covered with sweat.

He rolled up his sleeves to wipe the sweat off the paper, blew gently to dry the ink on the paper, and then he let out a long sigh.

Looking at his masterpiece, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart.

All beginnings are hard.

As long as there is such a source, new ones will naturally spring up everywhere like mushrooms after a rain, one after another.

Moreover, because there is a madman like He Zheng in front of him, his school does not seem so unorthodox.

After all, there were also students in his school who studied the Four Books and Five Classics and prepared for the imperial examinations.

In fact, he used this as a shield.

This guy was enjoying it, and the two of them were walking on the same road, each with their own thoughts.

However, Zhang Yunxiu is different from He Zheng, who only talks nonsense and brags.

If you raise a question, you naturally have to solve it. If you only raise a question but don’t think about solving it, then what’s the point?
The two were just passing by.

Sooner or later, there will be a battle between him and the School of Mind.

No ruler would like heresy that hinders unity.

Just as I was thinking, there was a knock on the door outside the study, followed by a pleasant call like an oriole: "Sir, it's time to eat. The young lady asked me to call you and ask you to go and eat quickly."

"Oh." Zhang Yunxiu replied to the outside, put the memorial into the folder, and strode out the door.

(End of this chapter)