Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 224 Dad, I'll carry you on my back this way!

From the initial lessons learned to the current attitude of seeking advice.

Gradually, Zhang Juzheng clearly set aside his traditional father-son relationship and began to earnestly discuss national affairs with his youngest son.

This attitude would have been almost impossible in the past.

This clearly demonstrates Zhang Juzheng's approval of his youngest son.

This would have been almost impossible in the past.

Sensing the change in his father's attitude, Zhang Yunxiu smiled and said.

"It's nothing more than taking advantage of the situation."

"Taking advantage of the situation?"

"By leveraging the power of science and technology, and by leveraging the power of the people through self-interest, this great undertaking can be accomplished!"

"Is this why you started the newspaper and founded Xishan?" Zhang Juzheng squinted his eyes.

Zhang Yunxiu did not give a direct answer, but instead sighed with emotion.

"Recently, the Gyeonggi Daily has been slandering Seosan in every possible way, even saying that the Seosan textile workshop is a brothel, doing everything it can to defame them."

But so what?

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"No matter how others attack it, Xishan Workshop has always stood firm. Why?"

It's simply because they borrowed the strength of the Xishan workers. Xishan gave them a way to make a living, and they reciprocated by supporting Xishan. With tens of thousands of people working together with one heart and one mind, how could Xishan not prosper?
It was nothing more than the help of officials and nobles. Xishan gave them shares, and they watched Xishan prosper. On the surface, they seemed not to mention it, but everyone hoped that Xishan would be even better.

It was nothing more than taking advantage of His Majesty.

"Ahem." Zhang Juzheng's face turned pale, and he reminded the other party not to continue speaking.

Zhang Yunxiu tactfully changed the subject.

He thought for a moment and said, "Looking at Father's new policies, they can be described as grand plans and ambitions. All he seeks is to give our Great Ming a new life."

Now, the new policies have indeed been implemented with the help of the father's prestige and have achieved certain results with great force.

Taicang's annual revenue has increased year after year, corruption in government departments has decreased, and there are no police incidents on the borders, which can be described as remarkable achievements.

However, why did the new policy still repeatedly suffer from criticism and attacks? Countless people outwardly supported the new policy, but secretly raised the banner of opposing it.

Father, have you ever thought about this?

Zhang Juzheng's gaze grew increasingly serious: "According to your words, the new policies now lack this 'momentum'?"

"exactly!"

Zhang Yunxiu continued.

"Since ancient times, the gentry and powerful have been a persistent problem for the country. What do they rely on?"
It's nothing more than having connections in the court, being able to write books and establish doctrines, and being able to command the masses and stand against the imperial court.

Therefore, even if the court had the will to reform, it would have to sacrifice the interests of the gentry and powerful to benefit the poor and common people.

However, how can ordinary people, easily misled and manipulated, know the court's earnest concern for the people?
Without the support of the gentry and powerful clans, and also the common people, how can the court possibly reform, even with forceful decrees?

Zhang Juzheng's eyes deepened, and before Zhang Yunxiu could speak, he analyzed the crux of the matter.

"Therefore, you should take the Wanli Xinbao as a base and first eliminate the ability of gentry and powerful people to express their opinions and write books."

He repeatedly stirred up trouble and eliminated dissidents in the court.

Finally, by leveraging the resources of medical clinics and workshops, they gathered together all available forces in the capital to alleviate the plight of ordinary people and win their hearts.

"Is this all the power you've got?"

Zhang Yunxiu, somewhat speechless, corrected him, saying, "It wasn't me who started the trouble; those people had ulterior motives. I was just retaliating."

Zhang Juzheng stared intently: "What are you planning now?"

Zhang Yunxiu then said with great pride, "Let us use the academy and the momentum of new science to gather all the wise men in the world and create this great momentum!"

"Using gold as bait is nothing more than a ploy to lure people in!"

Zhang Juzheng's tone was somewhat critical, recalling the auction and the frequent use of the term "Golden Continent" in the academy.

He questioned, "The world is bustling with activity, all for profit. Is this the principle you follow, and this is your strategy?"

Zhang Yunxiu responded frankly, saying, "Following the facts is the principle of science."

"According to your words, everyone in the world only talks about profit?" Zhang Juzheng frowned slightly.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled as he looked at his father, his eyes showing a mixture of cunning and seriousness.

"People in the world do not speak of profit, but can everyone become a saint with a pure heart and few desires? May I ask, Father, can you do it? May I ask, Father, could the sages of the past do it?"
If even the sages of the past couldn't do it, why should we expect everyone in the world to be like them?

He took a deep breath, his eyes determined.

He uttered a statement that would never have appeared in this era.

"We must respect the objective facts!"

Zhang Juzheng swayed slightly, his expression changing rapidly before finally regaining its composure.

He exhaled a long breath, gazing at the blood-red setting sun in the west, its afterglow painting the distant mountains a hazy, inky blue.
As dusk deepened, a gentle evening breeze swept by, bringing a touch of coolness.

After a long silence, Zhang Juzheng sighed softly, "It's getting late, let's go down the mountain."

A knowing glint appeared in Zhang Yunxiu's eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Father, would you like to have another match?"

“How can this be compared to going down the mountain?” Zhang Juzheng said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"Then I'll take my leave first." Zhang Yunxiu lifted his foot and walked away.

"Wait a minute," Zhang Juzheng suddenly spoke.
"?"

Zhang Yunxiu turned his head with a puzzled look.

But his father's expression was stern: "You just said you still had the strength to carry me down the mountain, but I don't quite believe it."

"Old man"

Just as he was about to utter a sentence, Zhang Yunxiu noticed that his father was leaning against a dead tree, his legs trembling slightly.

A sudden pang of anxiety struck me, and I realized that this climb had exhausted all of my father's strength. It was a case of suffering for the sake of saving face.

Despite thinking this to himself, Zhang Yunxiu still squatted down half-jokingly, his broad back ramrod straight.

"Then come up here, and I'll show you what it means to fly over rooftops and scale walls."

Zhang Juzheng looked at the figure in front of him, who was already half a head taller than him.

In a daze, I saw the child who had played and frolicked at my feet, as if he were superimposed on the person in front of me.

His eyes welled up slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he was about to say something.

"Stop making a fuss. We're going down the mountain now. Hold on tight, or don't blame me if you fall!"

Zhang Yunxiu lost his patience, hoisted his father onto his shoulder, and strode down the mountain.

"Ah—slow down, slow down!" Zhang Juzheng was caught off guard and exclaimed in surprise, realizing that the situation was not good.

For a moment, he regretted it and quickly reminded her.

"This mountain path is rugged; you must not act in this way! Be careful! Be careful!"

But Zhang Yunxiu didn't care and jumped down the steep slope in front of him.

"My feet! My feet!"

Zhang Juzheng's shouts echoed through the mountains, startling several birds returning to their nests.

"This"

Shen Shixing and Zhao Shizhen, standing behind him, looked at each other, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

Shen Shixing's lips twitched as he said, "Zhang Tongzhi doesn't seem as weak as he was when he was climbing the mountain. It seems he was holding back his strength just now."

"Is the Grand Secretary alright?" Zhao Shizhen couldn't help but ask.

Shen Shixing nodded: "It seems there's nothing wrong. Although Zhang Tongzhi may seem reckless, he is actually quite sensible."

But just then, another scream came from the mountains.

"This bend is sharp! My arm! You unfilial son! Do you want my life?!"

Shen Shixing and Zhao Shizhen exchanged another glance.

Zhao Shizhen: "Grand Secretary Shen, we'd better follow him."

Shen Shixing answered without hesitation.

"good."

Southern Zhili.

Songjiang Mansion.

There are reasons why Xu Jie was able to live to such an old age.

Despite suffering repeated blows, he stubbornly clung to his broken body, refusing to give up.

He had just woken up the day before yesterday, and today he was already able to lean back on the bed and listen to his eldest son, Xu Fan, read the contents of the newspaper.

I don't know when it started, but it was not limited to the Wanli Xinbao, the Jingji Daily, or any other newspapers.

These everyday items, which originated from the official gazette, are something people find hard to part with.

The efficient information dissemination model brought about by newspapers meant that many scholars relied on newspapers to learn about world affairs every day.

As a remnant of the Songjiang tradition, Xu Jie was naturally no exception to the common practice.

But everyone knows that the Wanli Xinbao is the mouthpiece of the Zhang family, and the "pure and self-disciplined" Confucian scholars would naturally sneer at it.

However, when it comes to learning about the big and small anecdotes of the capital, the Wanli Xinbao is the most authoritative and detailed publication, not to mention the many captivating vernacular novels it contains.

Therefore, the Wanli Xinbao was usually read through by subordinates before being read aloud to Xu Jie.

"The new school of Xishan is 'science,' and our Xishan science is inherited from Mr. Yangming."

Xu Fan naturally did not understand or recite this passage today. The rise of the Western Hills New School has caused quite a stir in the capital.

But Xu Jie could not bear it any longer. He grabbed the teapot from the table and smashed it on the ground.

"You scoundrel! You deceive the people in the name of Xishan Glazed Tile! And now you want to use the name of new learning to bewitch the world! How dare you touch this philosophy of mind!"

In his early years, Xu Jie studied under Nie Bao, a master of the philosophy of mind and a disciple of Wang Yangming. Nie Bao advocated the principles of "maintaining stillness" and "returning to tranquility" in the philosophy of mind, emphasizing the use of inner meditation to realize one's conscience.

Zhang Yunxiu's promotion of "new learning" and "science" not only deconstructed Cheng-Zhu philosophy, but also this "philosophy of mind." How could he not be angry?
What are you still saying inside? You're just focusing on inner meditation and seeking only your own self-interest. That's heresy and a misinterpretation of Yangming's philosophy of mind.

It was like slapping a bunch of disciples of the School of Mind right in the face!
Seeing his father's agitation, the eldest son, Xu Fan, prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly, shouting loudly.

"Father! The doctor said you must not get angry. I hope you will think about your health, your sons, and the whole Xu family."

If Father doesn't cherish his health, then I, too, will not live.

Xu Fan burst into tears, looking as if he were dying, but it was hard to tell whether it was a genuine expression of emotion or a deliberate performance.

However, the anger on Xu Jie's face finally subsided somewhat.

He exhaled heavily and said.

"Enough. The principles of the School of Mind will be debated with great Confucian scholars. If Zhang Shiyuan is determined to defy the world, let him do it. Let's see how long he can be so arrogant!"

Xu Fan quickly got up, went forward to pour his father a cup of tea and said, "It is excellent that Father thinks this way. As long as Father takes good care of his health, Zhang Shiyuan is nothing but a petty scoundrel."

"Don't you all understand why I'm in poor health?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Jie let out a cold snort.

"And what about Xu Ying's unfilial son? He squandered over ten thousand taels of silver from the family, yet he's still living a carefree and happy life outside?"

Clearly, he was still resentful about the fact that he had given away hundreds of thousands of taels of silver for nothing last time.

Xu Fan shrank back and said, "My third brother went back to Nanjing. He said he had some official business to attend to. Actually, it's not his fault, Father. He was just being filial."

"Hmph!" Xu Jie said resentfully. "He's nothing but a good-for-nothing!"

After scolding his three sons, he turned to his eldest son and said with narrowed eyes.

"How did the investigation go when I asked you to send someone to the capital to investigate last time?"

(End of this chapter)