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

Chapter 264 You are Mr. Donglin?
Inside the vast Cui Xian Ju restaurant, there were only four or five tables of diners at the moment, so Wang Heng could easily hear the group of scholars talking behind him.

But then a scholar speaking with the accent of Changzhou Prefecture in Southern Zhili Province offered advice to his companion.

“Brother Shushi, you should not be too fixated on trivial matters. Scholarly fervor is nothing more than verbal disputes. Now that the capital is in turmoil and powerful clans are causing trouble in Jiangnan, we, the new scholars, should assist Mr. Zhang with thunderous force to fight against these petty villains and achieve our scientific path!”

The white-robed scholar who was in the lead waved his hand repeatedly.

“Brother Cunzhi is too rash. As Master Shiyuan often said, investigating things is like controlling water; it is better to dredge than to block. The resistance of the Jiangnan gentry to the new learning and new policies is precisely what we should do to distinguish right from wrong.”

"No, no, Mr. Shiyuan is too kind, and His Majesty is too lenient towards the gentry of Jiangnan."

The image of a scholar wearing a Yangming-style hat shaking his head.

What a scene of scholars discussing the Way! However, the Way they were discussing was far too unorthodox.

Fortunately, we were at Cui Xian Ju, where there weren't many Taoist scholars, otherwise I would have definitely come up and given them a good argument.

However, this was a very pleasant surprise for Wang Heng.

The more he listened, the more he felt he had met a kindred spirit, and his eyes grew brighter with each word.

These days, he has been evading his family's pursuit in taverns and teahouses all over the capital, while also enduring the scorn and curses of the city's literati.

Clearly, in the eyes of most scholars, Zhang Shiyuan was no different from Yan Shifan, the former "Little Grand Secretary," and in terms of thought, he was no different from Li Zhi, who was unorthodox and dared to criticize Confucius.

Supporting Zhang Shiyuan is tantamount to going against mainstream Confucianism.

These days, Wang Heng has been all alone. It seems that in this vast capital city, he is the only student who follows the path of science.

Is science still correct then?
Therefore, seeing the scholars discussing this today, he could no longer contain himself and immediately picked up his wine pot and went to their table.

He bowed deeply and said.

"Have you gentlemen also dabbled in modern learning?"

"Who are you?" A scholar in white robes looked up, somewhat wary.

Wang Heng quickly waved his hand and said, "Brother, please don't misunderstand. My name is Wang Heng, Wang Chenyu. I have recently become engrossed in this new learning, and seeing you all discussing it, I thought I would like to get to know you. May I ask?"

But before he could finish speaking, the scholar wearing a Yangming headscarf exclaimed in surprise.

"So you're Wang Chenyu, the one who ran away from home?"

"It is indeed I." Wang Heng looked embarrassed, realizing that the news of his recent departure from home to pursue enlightenment had already spread far and wide.

Just as Wang Heng was preparing to launch a verbal attack, he saw the three people in front of him rise and bow with great excitement.

"So it's Brother Chenyu. It's truly a pleasure to meet you in person. My name is Gu Xiancheng, courtesy name Shushi." The speaker was the scholar in white.

The scholar sitting next to him, speaking with a Changzhou accent, said, "My name is Gao Panlong, courtesy name Cunzhi."

The last scholar, wearing a Yangming scarf, had a very friendly face and spoke with a smile.

"My name is Zhao Nanxing, courtesy name Mengbai."

Upon learning Wang Heng's identity, Gu Xiancheng was overjoyed. He pulled Wang Heng to sit down at the table, treating him like an old friend.

"If we had known Brother Chenyu was here, we would have ordered more dishes so that we could have had a more enjoyable discussion!"

“Yes! Yes!” Gao Panlong nodded slightly. “Chen Yu is a dragon among men. I have long wanted to meet him, but I never expected to meet him today. It can be said that it was destined.”

Wang Heng was stunned.

He had imagined countless scenarios, but he hadn't expected these people to be so enthusiastic. In fact, he had never met these three before, and their enthusiasm was excessive, making Wang Heng somewhat wary. He tentatively inquired.

"Do you all recognize me?"

Even if he has become famous throughout the capital for "running away from home," it shouldn't be like this.

The three exchanged a smile, and Gu Xiancheng shook his head and said, "Brother Chenyu, you've been fighting us for days, yet you can't even recognize your own 'mortal enemy'?"

"Who are you?" Wang Heng's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the three men.

“Yes.” Zhao Nanxing nodded. “We are the Donglin scholars from the Wanli Xinbao. Brother Chenyu, we have had quite a few exchanges, yet you don’t recognize an old friend?”

Upon hearing this, the three of them burst into hearty laughter.

Gao Panlong, who looked younger, joked, "Brother Chenyu's articles really stumped us!"

Upon hearing the words of these three men, Wang Heng was speechless with astonishment. He never imagined that the "Donglin Gentlemen" who spoke so eloquently in the Wanli New Daily were actually these three scholars before him.

However, it's not too surprising. Every article written by this "Master Donglin" is meticulously crafted and based on rigorous research. If it wasn't written by multiple people, it must have been written by a learned scholar.

After all, there is only one prodigy in the world, Zhang Yunxiu.

The four of them could be described as "becoming friends after a fight." Under the oppression of the literati in the capital, they huddled together for warmth and naturally grew closer.

Wang Heng brought over his own food and wine, especially a pot of Zhuangyuanhong wine. The four of them raised their cups and drank together, chatting about everything under the sun, as if they had known each other for a long time.

For a moment, Wang Heng couldn't hide his smile and sighed with emotion.

"I feel like I've found kindred spirits in a foreign land, and to be able to meet you gentlemen is truly a blessing."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened slightly. In recent days, he had gone from making a firm decision to feeling lost and confused. If it weren't for the Wanli Xinbao newspaper as an outlet for his emotions, he would have gone mad.

Gu Xiancheng shook his head and said, "Hey, my good brother, please don't take offense. Why do you call me 'sir'? We are only a few years older than you, so we can just call each other brothers."

Wang Heng shook his head and said, "Absolutely not. Mr. Shushi and Mr. Mengbai hold official positions, while I am merely a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination). How can we address each other as equals?"

Gu Xiancheng and Zhao Nanxing exchanged a glance, and the latter sighed helplessly.

“Brother Chenyu, why do you take it so seriously? I am just a minor official, how can I be considered an official? We share the same ideals and should address each other as brothers.”

Both were sixth-rank officials in the Ministry of Revenue. In the capital, a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue could be considered a high-ranking official, but in the capital, one could see vice ministers, senior officials, and junior officials everywhere, so they were really nothing special.

Moreover, Gao Panlong, who was about the same age as Wang Heng, was also present. After several rounds of polite exchanges, the four of them agreed to address each other as brothers. They were just one step away from finding a place to learn from Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's oath of brotherhood in the Peach Garden.

While drinking and discussing history and current events, Gu Xiancheng, the backbone of the group, with a slightly tipsy face, couldn't help but sigh and say something.

"Everyone thinks Mr. Zhang is absurd, but only we, who are in the Ministry of Revenue, realize how amazing he is."

He was slightly intoxicated and lowered his voice.

"Since the establishment of Xishan Workshop, it has caused a great uproar in and around the capital, with gentry, officials and merchants all complaining."

But no one noticed that the number of people living in the Western Hills was increasing. In previous years, at this time, refugees from all over the country had already migrated here. Not only outside the capital, but even the outer city was a mixed bag.

The imperial court should have prepared for disaster relief long ago, so what has happened?

Zhao Nanxing nodded and said, "That's right. Since the establishment of Xishan, there have been far fewer beggars and vagrants in the capital. The Xishan workshops are thriving, not only increasing the tax revenue for the court, but also taking in tens of thousands of vagrants, making our capital stable inside and outside."

For this one thing alone, I, Mr. Zhang, have done immeasurable merit!

(End of this chapter)