Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 174 The treacherous minister himself has revealed himself!

"Your Highness, do you favor us scholars?"

They can be considered one of our own!

The white-bearded old man in his sixties looked at Yu Xi, the Minister of Personnel.

Said seriously.

As he said this, his eyes were firm, clearly indicating that he firmly believed what he was saying.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao has always been regarded by many Confucian scholars as the source of their hope.

He thought that Crown Prince Zhu Biao was a benevolent and righteous ruler.

They felt that Zhu Biao would inevitably side with their Confucianism.

Hearing his words, Yu Xi, the Minister of Personnel, felt somewhat relieved.

It is clear that Crown Prince Zhu Biao's reputation was still very useful.

However, he did not immediately agree to it.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "But...Lord Jingshan, His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be quite different now than before."

His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be increasingly influenced by the Emperor.

It seems... that they no longer trust Confucianism as much as before.

No, they stood firmly with us.

"If we actually do something like this, will the Crown Prince really stand firmly on our side?"

After listening to Yu Xi's words, this man, known as Lord Jingshan,

His face showed some sorrow and resentment.

Heaven has no eyes!

To let a beggar gain the world.

Such a cruel beggar, so disrespectful of Confucianism.

It's heartbreaking!

"If the King of Wu were to gain control of the world, how wonderful that would be?"
Given his character, he will surely make good use of my Confucian teachings!
Let us, the scholar-officials, share the world!
Unfortunately, it was Zhu Chongba, an ignorant cowherd, who came to rule the world.

Such hostility towards Confucianism!
This is truly a great misfortune!

His face was pale and he was filled with pain as he said this.

The King of Wu he mentioned was not Zhu Yuanzhang, but Zhang Shicheng.

There were two Kings of Wu at that time.

One of them was Zhu Yuanzhang, who was enfeoffed by the Han-Song regime.

The other King of Wu was Zhang Shicheng.

Zhang Shicheng originally requested the Yuan court to bestow upon him the title of King of Wu.

However, the Yuan court did not agree.

He then proclaimed himself King of Wu and continued to serve the Yuan Dynasty as his master.

He wanted to legitimately seize power and take over the many former Yuan Dynasty territories around the area for his own use.

At that time, in order to distinguish them, people referred to Zhu Yuanzhang as the Western Wu.

They referred to Zhang Shicheng as the Eastern Wu.

"You're quite right about some things. It seems that His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed quite influenced by Zhu Chongba these days."

There seems to be some subtle change.

However, in my opinion, these changes are insignificant and do not affect the overall situation.

When it comes to education, who can compare to us Confucianists?

Don't forget, His Highness the Crown Prince was taught by great Confucian scholars like Mr. Jinglian from a young age.

They studied the most orthodox Confucian teachings!

I accept the principles of Confucianism!

What we naturally yearn for in our hearts is also what Confucianism dictates.

These were the foundations that Mr. Jinglian and others laid for him from a young age.

By the time His Highness the Crown Prince reaches that age, many things are already established.

The changes you want to make might be very minor.

The things he learned in his childhood and adolescence will influence his entire life.

By this time, it was too late for Zhu Chongba to turn the tide.

It's simply impossible to turn things around.

Although there may be some changes in certain subtle aspects.

However, fundamentally, there is no way to change this.

The emperor is now acting perversely and recklessly.

We weren't the only ones who disliked the emperor.

Even His Highness the Crown Prince would find Zhu Chongba displeasing.

I think that Zhu Chongba, as a father, is just messing around with all these things.

However, His Highness the Crown Prince is the son, and sitting in that position, he is facing his father.

It is said that many things are left to the Crown Prince to do.

In reality, Zhu Chongba himself held all the major policies and guidelines in his own hands.

Zhu Yuanzhang is still in charge now.

His Highness the Crown Prince is caught in the middle, which is a difficult situation for him.

Many things, out of filial piety or authority, even if he disapproved, he couldn't do or say anything about them.

After listening to what Mr. Jingshan with the white beard said.

Minister of Personnel Yu Xi nodded.

I think Mr. Jingshan is absolutely right.

“There are some things that His Highness the Crown Prince cannot do, but we can do them here.”

The current emperor is stubborn, self-righteous, and hostile to Confucianism.

I think his approach is good.

They had no idea that the world could not exist without Confucianism.

It is even more inseparable from scholars like us.

It is inevitable that the ruler and the scholar-officials will share the world.

Did you not see how prosperous the Song Dynasty was when the emperor and scholar-officials shared the world and the scholars were treated with great favor?
And how wealthy must they be?
Now that the emperor is completely disregarding these matters, the Ming Dynasty is bound to not last long.

Since the Song Dynasty, the idea that civil officials are valued more than military officials has been established.

Zhu Yuanzhang acted perversely and against the tide of history.

Nowadays, they even try to introduce crooked and unorthodox methods into the Imperial Academy, attempting to disrupt the orthodoxy of Confucianism.

As a Confucian, His Highness the Crown Prince was also deeply troubled by this.

So at this time, we should do something appropriate.

We should start with the Imperial Academy, take control of it, and then trace its origins back to their source.

It is the most important and easiest thing to achieve.

This matter cannot wait any longer.

This is safe.

Because everything is reasonable and compliant.

On the one hand, it was indeed time for Song Ne to retire.

This was personally decided by the emperor.

On the other hand, Song Lian was also very unpopular at the Imperial Academy.

The chaos caused by the incident sparked public outrage.

The memorial was submitted, allowing the emperor to see Song Ne's true colors.

It's highly likely that Song Nehui will be allowed to retire by the emperor.

Even if it doesn't work out, the emperor won't pursue the matter of impeaching Song Ne.

Even if they investigate, they'll only investigate the teaching assistants at the Imperial Academy, not you.

The badges were put on by the teaching assistants.

Minister Yu, you are simply exercising your authority in accordance with regulations.

Even if we take a step back and assume that the emperor really wants to take some action against Minister Yu, that's fine with him.

When that time comes, His Highness the Crown Prince should take action.

In other matters, the crown prince could go along with Zhu Yuanzhang.

But not in this kind of thing.

We will definitely lend a helping hand.

As long as the Crown Prince says a few words, given his position in the Emperor's heart, the matter will be over.

The crown prince has a lot of influence; the emperor wouldn't want to embarrass his son.

Yu Xi nodded, agreeing with Mr. Jing Shan's words.

Because that's the reality.

"Besides, many of His Highness's men are our people."

Normally, we might not need to speak.

But when faced with such a situation, how can one remain uninvolved?
If something is really wrong, we can have someone close to His Highness the Crown Prince speak to him on his behalf.

"Does Mr. Jingshan mean that Mr. Jinglian is also paying attention to this matter?"

Yu Xi's expression immediately brightened.

Even the volume of his voice increased significantly.

With Song Lian's support, he can be much more at ease carrying out this task.

There's no need to worry too much, just do it.

After all, Song Lian is the most respected teacher of the current crown prince.

"This is not."

Mr. Jingshan shook his head upon hearing this.

"There's no need for Mr. Jinglian to handle such matters."

There's no need to trouble him with such a trivial matter.

Mr. Jinglian should not be invited unless absolutely necessary.

However, those who are paying attention to this matter are also of high status.

If something were to actually happen, Scholar Wu wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Wu Zhuangyuan?
It was actually Wu Zhuangyuan!

Upon hearing this, Yu Xi's expression brightened considerably.

As Mr. Jingshan said, even if it wasn't Song Lian, the person who secretly took care of him was still quite influential.

In the future, if anything happens, having Scholar Wu by his side to say a few words to His Highness the Crown Prince will be just as useful.

Wu Zhuangyuan was no ordinary person; he was the first Zhuangyuan since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, it was the kind of triple crown that was achieved.

Zhu Yuanzhang had previously launched the imperial examinations, and many people kept mentioning them to him, exaggerating their benefits.

In addition, at that time, Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet demystified many literati.

So they happily started the imperial examinations.

The imperial examination system was used to select talented individuals.

I'm optimistic about scientific expeditions.

We also have high expectations for the talents selected through scientific expeditions.

Wu Zhuangyuan made it to the palace examination and was successfully appointed as the top scholar by the emperor.

According to information obtained from Yuxi, Wu Bozong, the top scholar, was not initially noticed by the emperor.

The top scorer is someone else.

However, Wu Bozong was handsome and had a tall and straight figure.

Standing among the other candidates, he stood out like a crane among chickens.

So the emperor began to test Wu Bozong. Wu Bozong answered the emperor's questions fluently.

It perfectly suited the emperor's wishes.

It was also learned that Wu Bozong had previously passed the imperial examinations twice.

So they decided to grant Wu Bozong's wish.

In the first imperial examination held in the Ming Dynasty, a top scholar was produced who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations.

It is also a beautiful story.

Therefore, Wu Bozong was selected as the top scholar.

So, when luck comes your way, nothing can stop it.
This shows how important it is to have a good-looking appearance.

They often manage to gain an advantage in many things.

First impressions are extremely important.

Of course, Wu Bozong has never admitted to this matter.

He always said in a serious tone that he was selected as the top scholar because of his genuine learning.

It had absolutely nothing to do with his appearance or his previous two successes in the imperial examinations.

He earned it entirely through his own abilities.

Wu Bozong was the first scholar to achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations at the founding of the Ming Dynasty, and he even achieved the triple crown of the top scholar.

Naturally, it receives attention.

He started as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites.

He then rose through the ranks.

Now, he has long since become the person with the highest status and position besides Song Lian by the Crown Prince's side.

Among the many people gathered around the Crown Prince, he was clearly the leader.

She held a very high position by the Crown Prince's side.

His words carry weight.

In this situation, Wu Bozong was secretly watching and doing things.

It's naturally a safe and reliable approach.

Now he was completely relieved.

“Song Ne, that scoundrel, a traitor and a northern barbarian, dares to act so arrogantly.”

He thinks he can get away with anything by taking advantage of everyone?

It is our duty to eliminate evil and uphold the orthodox Confucianism!

If we don't do something while we're here...

Does he really think he can do whatever he wants?

Yu Xi readily agreed, his expression appearing very serious.

When Yu Xi finally relented and gave a definite answer, he was overjoyed.

Mr. Jingshan breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuxi is a very important place.

Only by handling matters in Yuxi could Song Ne, this northern bumpkin, have his retirement documents approved in a reasonable and legitimate manner.

Yu Xi nodded in agreement, and things became much easier from then on.

To be honest, he wasn't surprised that Yuxi agreed to the proposal.

After all, Yuxi is from their side.

Yu Xi's appointment as Minister of Personnel was not solely due to his qualifications or talent.

Behind this incident, there were also people from their side secretly helping.

Yuxi has a deep connection with them.

Yuxi had previously gained so much benefit, and now, in order to safeguard common interests...

He couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"Mr. Jingshan, didn't the emperor say that the North and South should be unified and that the barriers between them should be eliminated?"

Even Mr. Lian Jinglian and Mr. Song Ne have already shaken hands and made peace.

Working together.

Moreover, both of them have made their own statements.

He called upon scholars to take the world as their responsibility.

As the emperor said, put aside prejudices and the North-South divide.

Together, we will contribute to the Ming Dynasty.

There is only one Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty is not divided into North and South.

"Is...is it not a good idea to do this now?"

After agreeing to the request, Yuxi looked at Mr. Jingshan and spoke again, expressing some of his doubts.

"Minister, your idea is somewhat wrong."

What they say and what they actually do are often different.

The emperor insisted that he was the emperor of the entire Ming Dynasty.

They say they want to unify the North and South, and that they want to put aside the North-South divide.

These are all matters concerning the emperor.

The emperor said so, and he even personally summoned Mr. Jinglian and that old scoundrel Song Ne to give them a talk.

In this situation, what do you think Mr. Jinglian could do?
They could only say these things to outwardly support the emperor and comply with his wishes.

These words were merely spoken to deceive the emperor.

Must we really do as the emperor says?

impossible.

When it comes to scholarship and all other aspects, we Southerners clearly have the upper hand.

Northerners aren't even worthy of carrying our shoes.

Now, the emperor wants to unify the North and South.

They do all this under the guise of doing what's best for China.

To put it bluntly, isn't this just sacrificing the interests of us Southerners to support Northerners and allow them to rise up?

Moreover, after shouting such a slogan, what did the emperor actually do?

Besides favoring northerners in every aspect, they also engaged in crooked practices within the Imperial Academy.

They provide it for students to study, attempting to challenge the dominant position of Confucianism!
Their actions are infuriating to behold.

We mustn't be fooled by the emperor.

The truth is, the emperor was unrighteous.

Since the emperor has said one thing and done another, we should naturally do something to resist him.

To protect the interests of us Southerners.

This is perfectly normal and entirely legitimate.

Considering the interests of the entire world?

To hell with considering the whole world!

That's the emperor's business, not ours!
We are not emperors, so we don't need to think too much.

We only need to consider our own interests.

The emperor wants to unify the north and south, that's fine, we support that too.

However, the premise is that my interests cannot be harmed.

We, the people from the South, need to fully utilize our knowledge and leverage our strengths.

Instead of suppressing the Southerners.

No matter what the emperor does or says, it cannot harm our interests!

Power, official positions, and even the Confucian classics—all of these must be in our hands.

We cannot back down!
Taking a step back means taking a step back.

If you take a step back, he'll want you to take ten steps back.

Therefore, the best thing we can do is not to back down an inch.

Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to consolidate his power, but how could we support such a tyrannical ruler?

Ideally, the Zhu family's empire should rot away.

Let a better, more virtuous person become emperor.

Only then can we better realize the ideal of the emperor and the scholar-officials sharing the world.

As long as we are strong, no matter who is the emperor, they will all need us.

We can all hold onto our wealth and status, and not become fish to be slaughtered.

Minister, you must distinguish between these!
If we don't understand this, we'll suffer huge losses.

If not handled properly, it could bring disaster to one's descendants.

Future generations will find it extremely difficult to obtain these things.

When Mr. Jingshan said this, he was full of emotion, with sighs and earnestness.

After hearing his words, Yu Xi also became serious and deeply agreed with them.

"Mr. Jingshan, you are right, that is indeed the case."

The emperor talked about the revival of China, the resurgence of the Ming Dynasty, and the unification of the North and South.

No matter how well he speaks, he can't use such a pretext to harm our interests.

This is something we absolutely must fight against.

We should do what we can to help.

We can't just hand these things over to others.

If you give it away now, it will be very difficult to get it back later.

Taking ten steps back is extremely easy, but taking one step forward is incredibly difficult.

We Southerners have achieved our current status thanks to the hard work of our ancestors.

I didn't steal or rob, and I don't owe anyone anything!

"Yes, yes, that's exactly it!"

Mr. Jingshan agreed with Yuxi's words and applauded in praise.

"Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to act against the tide and harm our interests."

"Now, let him see what we're capable of!"

The two talked for a long time before Mr. Jingshan finally left.

After Mr. Jingshan left, Yuxi sat here and pondered for a while.

Let's do a thorough review of this incident.

Then, I plan to get Song Ne's retirement certificate sorted out tomorrow.
Get this done as quickly as possible, completing the process as quickly as possible.

At this moment, all his worries had disappeared.

This was within his authority, and Song Ne had indeed reached the age to retire.

Even if the emperor was unwilling to let Song Ne retire, he wouldn't have much suspicion about the retirement document he had prepared.

At most, the emperor might disagree.

I am safe.

The current emperor is extremely cruel. Many people wouldn't dare to stand up, confront him directly, and openly oppose him.

But it's still possible to do things secretly.

What was most powerful and most distressing to the emperor were these clandestine actions.

Resistance was everywhere, yet the emperor couldn't easily pinpoint the exact individuals involved...

……

"Haha, third brother, you did a great job at school this time."

"We're thinking of promoting you!"

Inside the Wuying Hall, after hearing what the third brother said, they learned that their third brother had thoroughly exposed these people.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his third son and said with a smile...

(End of this chapter)