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

Chapter 351 Fangling Imperial Wine! A Glimpse into the Sweet and Bitter Future?

Prince Lu's Mansion.

Prince Zhu Yiliu of Lu held a copy of the "Wanli Xinbao" in his hand and recited it while shaking his head.

"A black dragon climbs the wall, its body adorned with countless golden stars."

He smacked his lips, seemingly quite moved, and shook his head repeatedly as he spoke.

"The Wanli Xinbao newspaper has come up with a unique idea, organizing a pre-Lantern Festival activity. Now, everyone in the capital is guessing riddles, and it has become quite a trend."

Sitting in the lower seat, Yu Shenxing cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, we have already ordered the Jingji Daily to be printed urgently. It should be published in the newspaper tomorrow, and it should be no less than the Wanli Xinbao."

Speaking of which, Yu Shenxing was once a student of Zhang Juzheng. In the sixth year of the Wanli reign, due to the incident of seizing the opportunity to mourn, Yu Shenxing and Zhang Juzheng parted ways completely. Yu Shenxing also resigned from his post and returned to his hometown because he had angered Zhang Juzheng.

Now, four years have passed. Although Yu Shenxing has resigned and returned to his hometown, how could he not still yearn for the power and influence in the capital?
Compared to staying in his hometown in Shandong, being able to stay by the side of Prince Lu in the capital was a way to gain access to the world of fame and fortune in Beijing.

In particular, when he was in charge of the "Gyeonggi Daily," writing articles and editing newspapers was now considered an elegant pursuit, and countless literati and scholars across the land started their own newspapers under the influence of the "Wanli Xinbao."

Participating under the guise of a newspaper can also avoid a lot of gossip and rumors about currying favor with the powerful and becoming a prince's advisor.

Zhu Yiliu was very satisfied with this traitorous disciple of Zhang Juzheng. This man was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Longqing reign. He was exceptionally talented, and employing him to manage the "Jingji Daily" was far more reliable than those Shanxi merchants.

"Zhang Shiyuan is always full of tricks."

Zhu Yiliu couldn't help but sigh. He recalled his last encounter with Zhang Yunxiu in front of the Qianqing Palace, and he still felt a lingering fear in his heart. It seemed that the other man's eyes could see right through him.

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and pointed to the riddle from earlier.

"This kid is offering a reward of five hundred taels of silver every day to the first person to solve the riddle. He's making quite a fuss. You two gentlemen are both very talented, so you'll surely be able to solve it. When the time comes, we'll go and ask for the silver, just to give Zhang Shiyuan a hard time!"

The thought of making Zhang Yunxiu suffer a setback filled Zhu Yiliu with a secret sense of satisfaction.

The two people sitting at the lower end immediately trembled, and Yu Shenxing said with a wry smile.

"Your Highness, I usually specialize in classics, history, philosophy, and literature, and I am not very good at riddles and miscellaneous subjects."

A black dragon climbs the wall, its body covered in countless golden stars!
Only someone as audacious as Zhang Yunxiu would dare to publish such taboo riddles.

The black dragon is covered in countless gold dots, isn't that a golden dragon? There is only one golden dragon in the world, and that is the current emperor.

Could the answer to this riddle be something like "Wanli" or "Emperor"?

Even if Yu Shenxing could guess it, he wouldn't dare to.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. The Zhang family had become so powerful now. If he hadn't contradicted Zhang Juzheng back then, would he also be living a life of wealth and luxury in Xishan?

The Zhang family is indeed wicked, but following them can lead to great success!
However, at this point, there is no going back.

Yu Shenxing turned to the scholar beside him and said, "Brother Zhonghua is a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, so he should have some clues."

Shen Li cursed inwardly. Yu Shenxing, that old dog, was hiding his head in the sand, yet he still pushed her to the forefront.

Despite his inner grumbling, he was ultimately an honest man, and faced with the gaze of Prince Lu, Zhu Yiliu, he blushed with embarrassment.

"My lord."

"Ok?"

Seeing that the Prince of Lu was about to get angry, Shen Li had no choice but to repeat the riddle to himself. After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly slapped his thigh and said...

"Have it!"

Shen Li said with great enthusiasm, "The so-called 'black dragon' is nothing more than a darker color. The use of black, yellow, and purple is a royal privilege, and vermilion is the color of national law. No matter how you look at it, this 'black dragon' doesn't fit the bill."

He first directly denied everyone's subconscious guess, and then explained.

"The difficulty of this riddle lies precisely in this: it uses images of a black dragon and Venus, which will subconsciously lead ordinary people to misunderstand and forget the real answer!"

Shen Li said firmly, "The answer is 'steel scale'! The steelyard is dark in color and can be used to make a black dragon. The scale marks on the steelyard are like ten thousand golden stars. If you hang the steelyard on the wall, it will be like a black dragon on the wall."

This is what is meant by "a black dragon climbing the wall, its body covered with ten thousand golden stars!"

Zhu Yiliu was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed.

"As expected of Mr. Shen! Truly worthy of the title of Hanlin Academician Lecturer!"

He then lowered his head and savored the memory.

"A steelyard balance! It's truly ingenious!"

Shen Li finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with emotion.

"It was only thanks to the prince's good fortune that it was possible."

Zhu Yiliu waved his hand and said, "Mr. Shen, there is no need for us to be so formal. You are my teacher and I am your student. Your respect makes me seem absurd."

"I wouldn't dare," Shen Li said, but in his heart he was extremely proud. A few years ago, he was assigned by the Wanli Emperor to teach the Prince of Lu, so his status and position were naturally beyond what Yu Shenxing could possibly compete with.

Yu Shenxing changed the subject, saying, "Zhang Shiyuan is really cunning!"

Zhu Yiliu narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean by that?"

Yu Shenxing smiled and said, "If an ordinary person presented this riddle, no one would think of anything else. But Zhang Shiyuan has always been a rebellious and rude fellow. When everyone sees this riddle, they will subconsciously think of His Majesty and naturally will not think of the answer 'balance scale'."

Zhu Yiliu found the other party's explanation even more interesting, and he shook his head repeatedly in amazement.

"Zhang Shiyuan is a man with too many tricks up his sleeve."

Yu Shenxing squinted and said, "Your Highness, now that the answer is out, can we go to the Wanli Xinbao to demand an explanation? We'll bring two reporters with us and record the whole story so the whole world can see how Zhang Shiyuan has made a fool of himself."

"Yes! We want to embarrass Zhang Shiyuan!"

Zhu Yiliu slammed his hand on the table and said.

Yu Shenxing cupped his hands in greeting and said with a hint of excitement.

"The student immediately prepared the carriage and accompanied the prince to curb the arrogance of the Wanli Xinbao."

Seeing the other person's excited expression, Zhu Yiliu said something rather strange.

"I didn't say I would go in person."

"Huh?" Yu Shenxing had a bad feeling.

Zhu Yiliu chuckled and said, "It's inconvenient for me to show my face, so let Mr. Yu go in my place. I suppose this can be considered revenge!"

He had no desire to confront that monster Zhang Yunxiu head-on.

Yu Shenxing was terrified. He went to challenge the Wanli Xinbao newspaper? He wouldn't even know how he died!

As a traitor under Zhang Juzheng, wouldn't he be like a lamb entering a tiger's den? If he didn't encounter Zhang Yunxiu, it would be fine, but if he did, and the other party got angry and beat him to death, where would he go to seek justice?

"My lord."

Yu Shenxing wanted to explain further, but Zhu Yiliu waved his hand and said...

"Let's not say more about this matter. My mind is made up. I will send you, sir, to collect the five hundred taels of silver. Let the people at the Wanli Xinbao see what true erudition is!"

Yu Shenxing's face looked like he had eaten shit. Shen Li, who was standing next to him, stood up and bowed.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Yu Shenxing felt like he was about to faint.

As if drained of all his energy, Yu Shenxing walked unsteadily toward the editorial office of the *Wanli Xinbao* newspaper. He didn't know how long this short street would take. Fortunately, ever since Zhang Yunxiu invented the mask, wearing one had become a legitimate practice.

Yu Shenxing covered his mouth and nose with a mask, afraid of being recognized by acquaintances in the court.

Just as he was crawling forward like a tortoise, a stone suddenly flew out of nowhere from the street corner and hit his feet.

Yu Shenxing was startled and almost jumped up. Just as he was about to lash out, he turned his head and saw two people hiding in the corner. They were none other than Prince Lu, Zhu Yiliu, and Shen Li.

Seeing Zhu Yiliu baring his teeth, Yu Shenxing felt like crying but had no tears left, and could only quicken his pace forward.

Fortunately, there were many people visiting the editorial office of the Wanli Xinbao today, forming a long queue outside the office compound.

These past few days have been a holiday, and everyone in the capital who can read wants to solve this riddle.

Ordinary scholars are after the five hundred taels of silver, but the纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families) in the capital are after fame.

If they could solve the riddle, their names would be published in the Wanli New Daily for several days. They certainly wouldn't miss such an opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Yu Shenxing was very cautious and waited patiently in line at the back. Compared to the anxious crowd in front of him, he was clearly not in a hurry at all.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the front of the procession.

"It's untied? How could it be untied!"

"Could it really be that answer? Zhang Shiyuan is a man who can't play games. He chose this answer, and who would dare to guess it? It's probably an inside job!"

"No, no! It seems to have been solved by a woman!"

Hearing the commotion ahead, Yu Shenxing was so excited he almost jumped up, but when he felt the menacing gaze behind him, a sad expression immediately appeared on his face.

After gathering some information, Yu Shenxing stumbled to Zhu Yiliu and said with a mournful face.

"Your Highness! I am so sorry! I was too late! Someone else got there first! I am ashamed of my ingratitude to Your Highness! I wish I could die to atone for my sins!"

Yu Shenxing appeared to be in great pain, beating his chest and stamping his feet.

Seeing the commotion in the crowd, Zhu Yiliu had already made up his mind, but he still spoke with a sullen face.

Who guessed the answer to the riddle?

Yu Shenxing then said tremblingly, "I heard that it was the Japanese woman Hosokawa Iya who arrived early this morning and revealed the mystery, which immediately shocked everyone present."

"A Japanese woman?" Zhu Yiliu narrowed his eyes, his expression a half-smile. "The Japanese woman who had a three-life romance with Zhang Shiyuan?"

“Exactly!” Yu Shenxing explained. “I have heard that the Japanese woman is exceptionally talented, well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics of our Great Ming Dynasty, and especially skilled in riddles and poetry. I suspect that her visit to the capital this time is motivated by a desire to marry Zhang Shiyuan.”

"Getting married?"

Zhu Yiliu couldn't help but sneer; he was clearly enjoying watching Zhang Yunxiu get entangled with this person.

"Your Highness, what are we doing?" Shen Li asked from the side.

With a "whoosh".

A snowfall had just passed, but it couldn't stop Zhu Yiliu's urge to use a fan. He opened the fan, fanned himself subconsciously, and turned to leave, saying...

"No rush. The Ministry of Rites is going to hold a Lantern Festival poetry gathering. It's a huge event, and no one in the capital will miss it. Let's go back and prepare some poems first."

Zhu Yaoying was engrossed in reading a book called "Anthology of Tang Poetry" and was sweating profusely. Liu Wan'er passed by her several times, but she didn't react at all.

Liu Wan'er couldn't help but sigh and said, "Your Highness, it's useless to cram at the last minute. There's no such thing as being able to compose poetry in just a few days. You used to know nothing about poetry."

She knew her princess's situation all too well. In the field of medicine, the princess was exceptionally gifted, but in other areas, she was a complete mess.

Zhu Yaoying gritted her teeth and said, "Don't worry about me. I absolutely cannot lose to that Japanese woman. Let her be arrogant for now. When the Lantern Festival comes, I will definitely make a name for myself!"

Liu Wan'er sighed and counted on her fingers.

"Recently, Your Highness, you have sent Zhang, the head guard, medicine three times, and attempted embroidery, which ended in failure. You have also written more than a dozen letters in your study, but none of them have been sent. Do you think it was all worth it, Your Highness?"

Zhu Yaoying turned her head in surprise and said, "You little maid, you always speak up for Zhang Shiyuan."

Liu Wan'er smiled and said, "But this servant ultimately wants what's best for Your Highness."

Zhu Yaoying's nose tingled with emotion, and she hugged Liu Wan'er tightly.

"It's Wan'er who thinks of me the most."

Unexpectedly, Liu Wan'er chuckled and whispered something in Zhu Yaoying's ear.

Wan'er thought, "Princess, all of this is futile. It would be better to secretly disguise yourself and leave the palace to find Guard Zhang and force the issue. He can remain unmoved in front of Japanese women, but he might not be so sure in front of Your Highness."

Zhu Yaoying blushed immediately and said coquettishly.

"You wretched maid, what indecent words are you spouting now!"

She raised her hand and slapped Liu Wan'er's little bottom.

"Ah~"

"Your Highness, to be honest, if it were Zhang, the head guard, His Majesty would likely spare his life and go along with it."

"You still said that!"

"Ah~"

Even during their days off, the cabinet still had to handle state affairs, only the location was changed from the Wenyuan Pavilion to the Zhang family study.

Zhang Juzheng warmed a pot of yellow wine on the stove, then casually picked it up and filled the wine cup in front of Shen Shixing.

He spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Huguang has few products, but its yellow wine is famous. It has been known as 'Baimao' since the Western Zhou Dynasty. Later, Wu Zetian bestowed upon it the name 'Fangling Imperial Wine'. Emperor Zhongzong of Tang designated it as tribute wine. It has been passed down for thousands of years. Even today, it is not considered improper for ordinary people to drink a cup."

In the past, my family was not well-off in Jingzhou Prefecture. My grandfather was a guard in the Liao King's palace, but we could only drink a pot of 'Fangling Imperial Wine' on holidays.

That year, I passed the imperial examination with top honors and became a second-class scholar. My grandfather was overjoyed and, at the invitation of the King of Liao, drank three hundred cups of this wine. However, his joy turned to sorrow, and he died suddenly from the wine.

Since then, I have never drunk this wine again; it has been thirty-four years.

Shen Shixing was just about to savor the drink when, after hearing the story, he found it to have a slightly bitter taste. He slowly began to speak.

"All things in this world are a mixture of fortune and misfortune, just like this house wine, which has both sweet and bitter aftertaste."

Zhang Juzheng drank the scalding hot yellow wine in one gulp, but his face remained unchanged.

Shen Shixing's eyes showed a hint of worry, and he couldn't help but remind her: "Your Majesty, it's time to relax a bit. With a son like this, what more could a husband ask for? The Ming Dynasty is showing a new look, and we old folks should also step back a little."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head: "It is precisely because of this son that I am even more worried. It is precisely because of the new atmosphere that we need to be even more careful."

"Sigh~" Shen Shixing sighed. He knew he couldn't persuade the other party, so he asked helplessly.

"Is this princess truly unsuitable for your son to marry?"

“I absolutely must not marry her,” Zhang Juzheng said firmly. “Not only for the Zhang family, but also for my own sake.”

Shen Shixing said leisurely, "That Japanese woman?"

Zhang Juzheng: "It's just a pretext."

(End of this chapter)