The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 21 Students of the Academy
The wind blowing through the capital already carried a deep chill.

The courtyard was covered with fallen willow leaves, their withered yellow color conveying a sense of desolation.

Li Qi opened the window, and the system's incessant chatter filled his ears.

Your reputation among the common people and scholars in the capital has increased by 1 point, currently at 56.

[Your reputation has soared in the Imperial Academy, reputation +3, current reputation 59.]

[Your reputation has soared among scholars, and countless men are flocking to see you. Reputation +6, current reputation 65]

[Due to your increased prestige and promotion, the Emperor has placed greater trust in you, and the people of the land are paying more attention to your family. The Li family's prestige has increased by 20, while its current prestige has decreased by 30.]

The road to the summit is always paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and piles of white bones.

News of the major events at court reached the common people: the entire families of two ministers were executed in one fell swoop, implicating forty-six families of officials in the capital. Li Qi's reputation, thanks to these numerous blood relatives, became known to everyone in the capital.

This was followed by a surge of prestige within the scholarly community.

Almost every moment, a message pops up in the system saying "[Reputation +0.0000001]", but it won't notify him unless he reaches 1 point.

"Prince Consort, are we going to the East Pavilion or one of the various ministries today?"

A fragrant scent wafted from behind, and then she gently embraced Li Qi.

Li Qi's current official position is Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, which is his main post. However, he also has many other duties, so he can both report to the Eastern Pavilion and conduct investigations in various ministries and departments.

"The case of Zhan and Li has just been concluded, and it is not advisable for any major events to occur at this time. Fortunately, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy has invited me to give lectures at the Imperial Academy, which is exactly what I want. I believe Father Emperor will also be pleased to see this happen."

After all, Li Yuanming died in an academic debate, and the literati were watching with bated breath.

The investigation into the old customs of the Mongol Yuan dynasty was originally just a pretext to target Zhan Hui and Li Yuanming in connection with the Yang Jing case.

Most importantly, he suppressed the literati and clans, thereby allowing Li Qi to make a name for himself, gather disciples, and become a grand master of Confucianism in his time.

Ultimately, this paved the way for his son, Li Xianmu.

It's reasonable that the son of a Grand Secretary is called "Little Grand Secretary" and the son of a Sage is called "Little Sage," right?
When Li Xianmu grows up, he can directly inherit Li Qi's status in the literati and become a true big shot who has one foot in the literati and one foot in the court!

With both prestige and official position, the Li family can be considered to have truly revived!
Now the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy has sent a letter of invitation, inviting Li Qi to lecture at the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty. This is an opportunity for Li Qi to make a name for himself, and the next step would be to enter the palace to lecture the emperor and write books and biographies.

This is both a clear gesture of goodwill and a test.

Many scholars from the Hanlin Academy will attend, and among all the talented individuals, whether one can stand out will depend on their true abilities.

"My elder brother, the Crown Prince, has returned from Luoyang with a message. He will not return to the capital for the New Year, but will stay in Luoyang until the earth warms up in the spring, around the end of February or the beginning of March."

Li Qi paused, then gave a soft "hmm" in response.

He could tell that Zhu Biao intended to bring him into the Crown Prince's palace, like the learned scholars Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, and Fang Xiaoru, to form the foundation for Jianwen's future rule.

pity.

Fate is like a knife!

Throughout history, many heroes have suffered regrets. Zhu Biao's grand ambition to establish a unified empire ultimately proved to be nothing more than a mirage, a dream unfulfilled.

The Li family will not stand on a ship destined to sink.

……

As the focus of public opinion in the capital, news of Li Qi's departure spread far and wide, with many people even waiting for him in front of the princess's residence.

Upon seeing him leave the residence, they immediately went forward.

"Jinghe Public Security Bureau is good."

"When Duke Jinghe denounced Li Zishan, all the scholars in Hebei were greatly encouraged." "Li Zishan presumptuously claimed to be the Confucian master of the world, but he is nothing but a laughing stock."

Li Qi responded to each question with a smile.

Most of these people were scholars from the north, and Li Qi's political stance gradually became clear after the investigation of Mongol Yuan customs.

He was consciously targeting the literati of Jiangnan, namely the three provinces of Jiangxi, Zhili, and Zhejiang. These were the three provinces where the imperial examinations were most prosperous during the Ming Dynasty. They were known as the provinces that had captured the literary spirit of the world, with academies everywhere and poetry and books in every household. Every year, more than 70% of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations came from these three provinces.

This is a heritage that has been accumulated since the Southern Song Dynasty.

Li Qi's political stance naturally drew scholars from outside Jiangnan to him, and this rapprochement reached its peak after he forced Li Yuanming to commit suicide with just a few words!

Because he was the first learned Confucian scholar from outside Jiangnan who could possibly emerge since the founding of the Ming Dynasty!

Great Confucian scholars hold the right to interpret Confucian classics, which is the orthodox path of Confucianism, while the rest are considered unorthodox schools.

In ancient times, when regionalism was extremely strong, it was very difficult for most northern scholars to become disciples of great Confucian scholars.

And now, a giant will emerge from outside Jiangnan in Shilin!
Although his birth as a member of the imperial family and the serious crimes committed by his family made him somewhat imperfect, it was enough in an era when Jiangnan literati dominated the world.

The only pity is that the prince consort's official rank was too low; he was only a Grand Secretary of the fifth rank.

If a high-ranking official of the second rank could protect and guide his protégés in the officialdom, that would be perfect.

The number of scholars who hoped that Li Qi could attain enlightenment was immense.

"Please make way for me, everyone. I have been invited by a colleague and cannot be late."

The crowd quickly made way, and Li Qi's carriage headed towards the Imperial College.

"Let's go to the Imperial College! Let's go to the Imperial College!"

Scholars called upon their friends and went to the Imperial Academy, and even many people from the Hanlin Academy and other ministries went there.

It can truly be said that one person's action can cause a city-wide uproar.

Li Qi sat in the carriage, listening to the commotion outside. He saw the Imperial Guards and their cavalry on the streets and alleys, and he knew they were all sent by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang was inherently suspicious, even towards his own sons.

Zhu Biao was probably one of the few crown princes in history whose ministers in the Eastern Palace were all ministers of the emperor.

Those people were his father's subjects, not his.

Therefore, he could not stop Zhu Yuanzhang from doing anything, and could only be trembling with fear and then shedding tears.

Sometimes one can't help but marvel at the wonder of the Creator; Zhu Yuanzhang and his descendants were truly completely different.

After Zhu Yuanzhang, most of the emperors of the Zhu family were affectionate people. Yongle treated his meritorious officials well, Hongzhi only married one wife, and Chenghua only loved Wan Zhen'er. These emperors of the Zhu family were truly good to those they trusted.

"The dragon that ruled the entire empire is old and frail, yet it still firmly grasps every ounce of power. No matter how great a figure is, in his old age he is nothing more than this. The hero who once shouted to restore the Central Plains and reopen the Tang and Song dynasties will never return."

Li Qi always looked forward to Zhu Yuanzhang's death, even though he didn't have many years left to live by then, but he still hoped for it.

because--

He also wanted to live comfortably, even if only for one day.

The carriage stopped.

We've arrived at the Imperial College.

(End of this chapter)