The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 91 Li Xianmu Enters the Imperial Academy

Li Qi was ill and did not attend court. After court, Xie Jin and others came to visit him, and during their conversation, they naturally talked about matters of the court.

"This morning, we entered the palace to pay our respects to the Emperor as usual, but to our surprise, the Emperor suddenly announced that he would make the eldest prince the crown prince. Jinghe, you didn't see how interesting the expressions of the court officials were at that time."

As he was speaking, he suddenly noticed that Li Qi was only smiling slightly but not making a sound. A strange thought flashed through his mind like lightning, and he said with a shocked expression, "Jinghe, you came out of the palace so late yesterday. Could it be that you persuaded His Majesty yesterday, which led to today's events?"

Li Qi shook his head slightly, "It wasn't my achievement alone. His Highness the Crown Prince caught His Majesty's eye, and with the help of many colleagues, I was merely the one who ultimately convinced His Majesty to make the decision."

Xie Jin, however, was quite excited and said, "Jinghe, you don't need to be modest. As the saying goes, 'He who travels a hundred miles is only halfway there at ninety.' Being able to make the final decision is your great achievement. The Crown Prince is benevolent, resourceful, and decisive. He will surely be a wise ruler in the future!"

Looking at Xie Jin's excited appearance, Li Qi felt uneasy.

Historically, in the sixth year of the Yongle reign, Xie Jin was falsely accused by Li Zhigang of "participating in the struggle between princes" and demoted to the position of Right Councilor of the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission, supervising the supply of provisions in Huazhou. At this time, Xie Jin still had a chance to be saved. However, in the eighth year of the Yongle reign, Xie Jin went to the capital to report on official business. At that time, Zhu Di was on a northern expedition and Zhu Gaochi was acting as regent. After Xie Jin paid a visit to Zhu Gaochi, he returned. Zhu Gaochi said that Xie Jin had privately visited the crown prince and returned directly without showing any respect for a subject. At this point, Xie Jin had no way out and was eventually drugged and killed in the snow. The root cause of his death was his involvement in the struggle for the throne and his lack of political awareness, which repeatedly angered the emperor.

In this life, Xie Jin did not utter the words "good grandson of the emperor," so Zhu Gaoxu would not target him as he had in the previous life. However, this only reduced the danger by a third. If Xie Jin were still involved, he would have been killed several times over in the twenty years of the Yongle reign.

After all, they had a relationship spanning more than a decade. Li Qi said softly, "Gentleman, I have something I want to say to you."

Seeing Li Qi's solemn expression, Xie Jin immediately stopped smiling and said solemnly, "Jing, tell me."

Li Qi pondered and said, "Although the Crown Prince has been established, the world now belongs to the Yongle Dynasty. We, as his subjects, will always have only one ruler, His Majesty. We must think carefully about everything and consider the general trend of the world in order to know what to do in order to preserve ourselves."

I recommended His Highness the Crown Prince to His Majesty not because of our past friendship, but because I was acting in His Majesty's best interests and for the sake of the Ming Dynasty. His Majesty can sense my loyalty to him from my words, so he will not think that I want to use my role in supporting the Crown Prince to advance my own career.

Xie Jin, being exceptionally intelligent, naturally understood the meaning behind Li Qi's words: he was to serve the emperor wholeheartedly, and even if he favored the crown prince, he should always put His Majesty first.

Xie Jin was always arrogant and haughty, looking down on others. He would not care if others tried to persuade him.

But every creature has its nemesis. Li Qi was the mountain he was determined to overcome. He was completely convinced by Li Qi, and upon hearing Li Qi's advice, he immediately said solemnly, "Jinghe, I understand."

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Li Qi felt a little relieved. The two chatted for a while longer. Li Qi was feeling a bit tired, so Xie Jin smiled and said goodbye, "Jinghe, I have recently collected a few rare stones. When you are fully recovered, come to my residence to admire them."

Li Qi smiled and agreed, but after Xie Jin left, his smile slowly faded. He was much better now, and there was no longer any chance of that happening.

In the eyes of the ministers, Li Qi had become very strange. Since the day he was made crown prince, Li Qi had never attended court again. However, many people knew that Li Qi was going to the palace to do his work normally, which meant that he had recovered. Most importantly, the emperor had not said anything and had always allowed him to skip court meetings on sick leave.

The reason is actually quite simple: Li Qi's vomiting of blood and fainting spells were irregular. Zhu Di was afraid that Li Qi would suddenly faint during the grand court assembly, which would make it impossible to cover up Li Qi's illness.

As for why Li Qi covered up this matter, Zhu Di was also very curious. Li Qi's answer was: "The scholars are not yet at peace, and a sick and weak tiger cannot deter the wild beasts in the mountains."

Li Qi, as the leader of the literati, compared the literati to wild beasts. Zhu Di naturally understood why. He was moved by Li Qi's loyalty and integrity, but also lamented Li Qi's fate. So he only allowed him to enter the palace to consult with the emperor every day, without having to do those energy-consuming ceremonial things.

……

"Mu'er, do you know what to do after you enter the Imperial Academy?"

"His brilliance shines above all students, surpassing all scholars across three hundred prefectures! He stands before ten thousand men at the Imperial Academy, cultivating prestige, gathering momentum, and awe-inspiring the hearts of all!"

"The more outstanding one's talent and learning, the more humble and considerate one should be as a person."

"Yes, father."

“You were born an extraordinary person, destined to look down upon the world, but you must not truly develop an indifferent heart.”

"Yes, father."

"Over the years, you have made countless policy proposals, but those were nothing more than theoretical discussions. The real policy proposals are the ones I taught you about the ills of the Ming Dynasty. You must keep them firmly in mind and be determined to save it. If you fail, then pass them on."

"Yes, father."

Looking at his son, whose radiance was as bright as the moon in the sky, Li Qi was filled with emotion and had countless words to say.

Unlike Li Fang and Li Mao, Li Xianmu was raised by him. He taught him every word, every classic sentence, and even his understanding of the world. As a born demigod, Li Xianmu accepted everything. This child was a trace of his existence in this world after his death.

“Take good care of your health when you go to the Imperial Academy. Don’t end up like your father, dying young and exhausted.”

"Yes... it's my father."

Li Xianmu's eyes were red. Ever since Li Qi started coughing up blood and falling into a coma from time to time, his condition had clearly begun to deteriorate, and he looked increasingly frail and old.

"Okay, let's go."

Li Xianmu knelt on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to Li Qi, then got up and went to the carriage outside the mansion.

With his mature demeanor, although he was a young man, he only occasionally showed his youthful nature in front of his family. Therefore, after leaving the mansion, there was no trace of sorrow on his face. He calmly got into the carriage and instructed the coachman to go to the Imperial Academy.

Even before he arrived, the Imperial Academy was already buzzing with excitement. Everyone knew that the youngest son of the Sage Li was coming to study at the Imperial Academy in order to participate in the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture this August.

“This third young master was born in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, and is only eleven years old now. Li Sheng dared to let him participate in the provincial examination, so he must have enough confidence. He is another child prodigy.”

"It is said that Li Sheng once jokingly said that the Third Young Master's talent and ability were even greater than his own. Is that not just an empty boast?"

"Impossible. Li Sheng attained enlightenment through the brink of life and death, and his talent is so great that he can dominate three hundred states with a wave of his hand. How can anyone compare to such a talent?"

"Since ancient times, the sons of sages have often been virtuous and capable, but none of them have been able to match even a fraction of the sages' abilities. This is an immutable law."

"However, Li Sheng didn't let the Third Young Master participate in the provincial examination just to get a mediocre ranking. If the Third Young Master is truly a genius, wouldn't it be better to wait a few more years and become the top scholar in the provincial examination? Why is he in such a hurry to enroll?"

"That makes a lot of sense, but sages naturally have their own reasons. If we could understand them, wouldn't we be considered half-sages and philosophers?"

The students at the Imperial Academy were all talking at once about Li Xianmu's admission.

“We don’t know, but Wang Gen once topped the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture. He is a first-rate talent in the Imperial Academy. He will surely be the top scholar in next year’s metropolitan examination. He is Li Sheng’s only disciple and often attends family banquets. He must know the inside story.” “Let’s go and inquire.”

"Let's go together, let's go together."

A group of students who had no classes couldn't contain their curiosity and swarmed to find Wang Gen. Wang Gen had just finished packing his books and knew when Li Xianmu would arrive at the Imperial Academy, so he was preparing to go to the gate to greet him.

To his surprise, a large group of people suddenly appeared in front of him when he opened the door, which startled him. He thought something serious had happened.

As Li Qi's disciple, and with his own talent, Wang Gen enjoyed a high reputation at the Imperial Academy. He immediately asked, "What has happened, fellow students?"

"Jingzhi, are you aware that your teacher's third son is coming to the Imperial Academy today?"

"Of course I know. I was just about to go out to pick up my junior brother for his enrollment. Is your presence here related to him?"

Everyone immediately began to voice their doubts.

Upon hearing this, Wang Gen burst into laughter, “You all pride yourselves on your intelligence, but your cleverness has backfired. The reason your teacher asked you to participate in this year’s provincial examination is naturally because you already have the ability to become the top scholar.”

If you were to participate in the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture this year, you would be outdone by the eleven-year-old top scholar.

Wang Gen's words immediately drew gasps from the crowd, many of whom were unconvinced, saying, "Even if he is the son of the Holy Son Li, we are not fools. How could an eleven-year-old possibly defeat me?"

Wang Gen simply said calmly, "How can fireflies compete with the brilliance of the moon!"

“Wang Jingzhi! That’s going too far. We’ve all met the son of Duke Jinghe before.”

Wang Gen glanced at them and recognized them as the talented scholars from Jiangnan who had always rivaled him at the Imperial Academy. He knew that the person was referring to Li Fang and Li Mao, his teacher's two sons. Both of them were mediocre, especially compared to their grandfather, father, and brother, who were outstanding individuals. They were hardly from the same family.

Wang Gen said calmly, "I didn't say you were fireflies, I was talking about myself."

Uh……

Wang Gen's words left everyone speechless. This was Wang Gen, who stood out among the students of the Imperial Academy and was a direct disciple of the sage. In ancient times, such a person would have been enshrined in the Temple of Literature.

Now, fireflies are compared to the bright moon.

Even though Wang Gen was Li Qi's disciple, it was not enough for Li Xianmu to climb the ladder by stepping on the reputation he had built up over the years.

Moreover, Wang Gen was always upright and would disdain such matters, which could only mean that what Wang Gen said was true, but it was really hard to believe.

"Some things and some people, if you haven't seen them, are like a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the world. I once thought that my talent and learning could amaze the scholars of the world, but after meeting my teacher, I realized what it means to be a lone boat on a vast ocean, and after meeting my junior brother, I realized why all the sages of the past were lonely."

My junior brother will soon become your classmate. Whether he possesses genuine talent or is merely a fraud will soon be revealed. I only hope that you will not let this blow shatter your resolve.”

Wang Gen's voice was very calm, but everyone could hear a strong sense of confidence in it. This was the first time the students had seen Wang Gen so highly praise someone other than his teacher.

This third young master seems to be quite extraordinary.

Wang Gen said no more. He had built up enough momentum, so he immediately said loudly, "Please make way, everyone. I need to go pick up my junior brother."

"Let's go together, let's go together."

It is said that the son of Duke Jinghe was born with exceptionally beautiful features, like the clear moon in the sky, possessing a truly celestial appearance.

As a result, the Imperial Academy was once again crowded with students. Not long after the students arrived at the gate of the Imperial Academy, they saw a very ornate carriage coming from the end of the street. The carriage was decorated with royal items.

Li Xianmu was the son of Princess Lin'an. Everyone immediately knew that Li Xianmu had arrived and wanted to see him as soon as possible. Fortunately, they were a group of scholars and still had some restraint. Moreover, Li Xianmu's reputation was not like Li Qi's, so he was not so popular that his doorstep was overrun.

As soon as he turned into the street where the Imperial College was located, Li Xianmu already knew about the Imperial College. He calmly lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, then calmly bowed to the students and said in a clear voice, "This junior is Li Xianmu, greetings to all students."

Aside from those who have a grudge against the Li family, anyone who sees Li Xianmu for the first time will inevitably like him. In addition to Li Xianmu's top-notch appearance, which is as clear as the moon and as turbulent as the wind, he also has the blessing of infectious properties. He was born to be a top-notch succubus.

"This is the son of Duke Jinghe."

"This should be the son of Duke Jinghe!"

“The son of a sage should be just like this.”

Having only met him once, they were already quite impressed by Li Xianmu's demeanor, just as Zhang Fu's wife had decided to make him her son-in-law the first time she saw him.

Wang Gen stepped forward and took the package from Li Xianmu's hands, laughing loudly, "Junior brother, you have finally come to the Imperial Academy. The whole world will know that our teacher has a successor."

Li Xianmu said gently, "With my senior brother here, our teacher has a successor."

The two traveled together, and Wang Gen sighed, "You're not the same at all. How can I compare to you?"

This is a double entendre. Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher. A disciple is ultimately inferior to a son. Li Xianmu can revitalize the Li family and inherit everything from Li Qi in terms of thought and bloodline.

The second meaning is that Wang Gen's talent is insufficient to fully inherit everything from Li Qi, and this still needs to be done by Li Xianmu.

Li Xianmu smiled and stopped dwelling on the matter. Instead, he looked at everyone curiously and asked, "Senior brother, what's this?"

Wang Gen pondered for a moment before recounting what he knew: "Junior brother, you are now the most famous person in the Imperial Academy, and almost everyone is paying attention to you."

"The more people who pay attention, the better, because it will save a lot of trouble when you become famous."

Li Xianmu's voice was very calm, as if making a name for oneself was as simple as eating and drinking. Wang Gen was taken aback at first, and then laughed out loud.

That's exactly right!

(End of this chapter)