Top Scholar

Chapter 318 Crisis Resolved
Wang Shouren spent the Spring Festival of the second year of Zhengde's reign at Erlangtan.

To be on the safe side, he used the alias Yang Yun and assumed the identity of a classical studies tutor hired by Su Lu... Nowadays, the Su family is so wealthy and powerful that hiring a tutor is perfectly normal.

Here, Wang Shouren experienced a long-lost peace and tranquility. The fresh air of Erlangtan, the sweet river water, and the meticulous care of the Su family greatly restored his tired body and mind.

Of course, Wang Shouren wasn't idle either; he tutored Su Lu every day. Su Lu originally thought that Mr. Gangshan's level was already high enough, but he didn't expect that there were always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. Mr. Yangming's level was even higher than Mr. Gangshan's, and even surpassed the old scholar—

Wang Shouren's ability to see the big picture from small details and grasp the essence at a glance far surpassed that of Su Lu, a man who had lived only two lives. Under his guidance, Su Lu's skills in both classical studies and writing improved rapidly once again!
Similarly, Wang Yangming was always amazed by his disciple's high level of understanding, not only for his excellent writing but also for his insights far exceeding those of ordinary people. Especially the 'hypothetical-deductive method' created by Su Lu; the more Wang Yangming pondered it, the more profound its mysteries seemed, even suggesting it might solve a problem that had troubled him for many years…

~~
Meanwhile, in Beijing.

Grand Secretary Li Dongyang of the Ming Dynasty also faced a dilemma. He sat at his desk, staring at the invitation before him, already deeply troubled all day…

"My lord, if you don't want to go, then don't go." Madam Zhu couldn't bear it any longer. "You are the Grand Secretary, is it so hard to say no?"

"Of course I could say no, but the consequences of not going would be too severe..." Power is supposed to be the best antidote for a man's aging, but Li Dongyang, who became the Grand Secretary, aged considerably. The once dashing and debonair Li Xiya was completely gone, leaving only a small old man with a worried face and heavy dark circles under his eyes.

“I don’t believe it. No matter how powerful Liu Jin is, how can he become the Grand Secretary?” Madam Zhu said.

“Of course he won’t do anything to me,” Li Dongyang sighed, “but if I don’t give him face, he definitely won’t give me face anymore. There are just too many things I need him to do for me…”

"For example?" Zhu asked.

"Grand Secretary Liu and Grand Secretary Xie have been listed as the leaders of the traitorous clique by Liu Jin, who intends to confiscate their property and exile them. I must find a way to protect them..." Li Dongyang began to ramble on.

"And then there are Liu Daxia, Han Wen, Yang Yiqing, and the others, who were imprisoned on fabricated charges by Liu Jin. I have to find a way to rescue them too..."

"Oh right, there's also what Minister Wang and Brother Pang asked me to do: beg Liu Jin to spare Wang Shouren... If I don't plead with Liu Jin, none of these people will survive."

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked helplessly at Madam Zhu, saying, "Do you think it's acceptable for me not to give Liu Jin this face?"

"Master, why are you doing this? Not only do they not thank you, they also openly and secretly curse you." Madam Zhu said angrily, "Have you forgotten the poem they wrote on our door last year?"

"How could I forget?" Li Dongyang murmured bitterly.
"His talent and fame should be on par with Dou Shan, yet he served as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat until the sun set."

Looking back, the Xiang River is already green with spring; the partridges have stopped crying, and the cuckoos are now calling…

"They call you a mere figurehead in the government office and even advise you to resign and go home!" Madam Zhu, being a well-educated and reasonable woman, naturally understood the meaning of the poem—

The partridge's cry sounds like "I can't go, brother," and the cuckoo's cry sounds like "It's better to go home." The combined lamentations of these two birds serve two purposes: first, to criticize Li Dongyang for being cowardly and mocking his reluctance to confront Liu Jin; second, to urge him to be dismissed. As the Grand Secretary, he lacks responsibility; he should resign sooner rather than later, instead of occupying a position without fulfilling his duties…

This poem caused Li Dongyang immeasurable harm. He was already famous throughout the land as a child prodigy at the age of twelve. He was summoned by the Jingtai Emperor, took the imperial examination, and entered the Hanlin Academy. Later, he achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination and smoothly rose through the ranks to become a prime minister. Together with Liu and Xie, he supported the entire Hongzhi reign!
For the past few decades, he was so glorious and admired by the world. How did he suddenly become an object of contempt by scholars and a coward in the eyes of the world?
"It's easy to act impulsively, but it's hard to bear the infamy of the world and clean up the mess..." Li Dongyang closed his eyes and said with great pain, "Why can't anyone understand me?"

“Master, they won’t appreciate anything you do anyway, so let’s just quit and go home!” Madam Zhu said with heartache. “We haven’t offended Liu Jin, so he will definitely let you retire peacefully.”

“No.” Li Dongyang shook his head resolutely. “If I retire, Jiao Fang will take over as Grand Secretary. He and Liu Jin are completely in cahoots, and the situation will become increasingly hopeless. So I must hold onto this position no matter what!”

"Ah, it seems you want to go..." Madam Zhu finally understood and sighed, "But if you go to wish Liu Jin a happy birthday, you'll completely confirm all the infamy, and no one will defend you anymore..."

“Yes, I am worried whether I advance or retreat. No matter what I do, it will be wrong.” Li Dongyang sighed deeply and said, “So be it. Whether you know me or condemn me, only history will tell. Compared to my colleagues who are about to die, and the people who are persecuted by the secret police and whose families are destroyed, my reputation is not that important.”

He looked up at the deep night outside the window, his eyes swirling with helplessness, yet also revealing a hint of resilience:
"Let them curse all they want, I'm the only one who can save people from Liu Jin!"

"Master..." Madam Zhu's eyes reddened as she tried to persuade him further.

Li Dongyang, however, made up his mind and said, "I can't worry about that anymore!"

~~
The 27th day of the first lunar month was Liu Jin's 60th birthday.

That day, his outer residence, Chengyuntang, on East Chang'an Street was incredibly lively and extravagant!
Before nightfall, the area outside the mansion was already brightly lit by rows of palace lanterns, as if it were daytime. A scarlet carpet stretched from the main gate to the hall. A stage was set up in the courtyard, where actors sang from morning till night, accompanied by musicians. Inside the hall, a huge round table made of huanghuali wood was covered with a bright red brocade tablecloth. The tableware was equally exquisite: gold bowls, ivory chopsticks, jade cups, rhinoceros horn spoons… Dishes were served one after another: roasted camel hump made from the hump of a three-year-old camel from the northern desert; bird's nest soup made from the finest bird's nest from Siam; even the side dishes were made with ginseng from Liaodong; the grand finale, "Qilin Bringing a Child," was made with a whole bear paw paired with deer placenta, and surrounded by a circle of fresh Tian Shan snow lotus—this single dish alone was worth a hundred taels of silver!
Since they are all tributes from the imperial treasury, with Eunuch Liu's current status, he can take them at will, right?
The large round table was already full of people. In addition to the chief eunuchs from both inside and outside the capital, there were also officials such as Jiao Fang and Zhang Cai who had already pledged allegiance to Liu Jin. They all arrived at the mansion early to present valuable birthday gifts and celebrate Liu Jin's birthday together.

Also present were Liu Jin's father, Liu Rong, and his brother, Liu Jingxiang... Actually, they all originally shared the surname Tan.

Back then, Liu Jin was also called Tan Jin, but after entering the palace, he was required to recognize a godfather and seek the protection of the chief eunuch, so he changed his surname to Liu after his godfather.

After Liu Jin rose to power, his father and brothers all came from their hometown in Shaanxi to acknowledge him, and they even voluntarily changed their surname to Liu to follow him...

"Son, the food is getting cold, aren't you going to start?" Liu Rong, who was also wearing a bright red python robe, asked.

"Father, there's still a guest who hasn't arrived yet. Please wait a moment longer." Liu Jin, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, sat on the dragon throne, looking at the extreme luxury and flattery before him, but his expression was not good.

"It's already this late, everyone who's supposed to be here must be here, right?" Liu Rong said.

"Yes, Mr. Dongli, I don't think the Grand Secretary will be coming," said the Second Grand Secretary Jiao Fang. He was hoping Li Dongyang wouldn't come so he could take his place.

"Shall we start the feast?" said Ma Yongcheng, the second of the Eight Tigers.

Seeing everyone say this, Liu Jin became irritated, and a fierce glint flashed in his triangular eyes as he said, "You're asking for it..."

Just as he was about to order the banquet to begin, he heard his nephew Liu Erhan, who was greeting guests at the door, announce loudly: "The Grand Secretary has come to offer his congratulations!"

Liu Jin's anger immediately turned to joy, and he laughed heartily as he stood up and said, "Let's see, Old Li isn't someone who doesn't know what's good for him!"

He even went to the door to greet Li Dongyang with great pleasure. "Haha, the arrival of the Grand Secretary is truly an honor!"

"I apologize, Lord Dongli, I was at home preparing a birthday gift for you, which caused the delay." Li Dongyang also smiled, showing no sign of resistance, and presented a scroll with both hands. "This is a small gift, please accept it, Lord Liu."

"Ah, anything from the Grand Secretary is the most precious gift!" Liu Jin hurriedly accepted it with both hands, and upon unfolding it, he was overjoyed. It turned out to be a birthday greeting scroll filled with flattering words—

Phrases such as, "Gai Gong's loyalty is like the bright North Star, illuminating the four seas; his diligence is like rising early and retiring late, never daring to slacken."

"...May you live as long as Mount Song, and enjoy boundless blessings, forever assisting the imperial plan and bringing peace to the four seas. This would not only be a blessing for you, but also for the dynasty and the people." Such flattery was even more fervent than Jiao Fang's, almost rivaling Zhang Cai's.

Seeing this, Jiao Fang knew that she could not replace Li Dongyang... She couldn't help but curse him inwardly for being shameless. How could he become the Grand Secretary and still try to flatter the eunuch like she did?
Regardless of what he thought, Liu Jin was overjoyed. He was flattered and invited the Grand Secretary to take a seat, addressing him as "Old Gentleman" repeatedly, giving Li Dongyang plenty of face!

~~
After that day, Li Dongyang's reputation was completely ruined, but he gained an important place in Liu Jin's heart.

After much earnest persuasion, Liu Jin only stripped Liu Jian and Xie Qian of their official titles, refraining from further punishment or confiscating their property. In the end, they were spared basic dignity and safety…

Li Dongyang's protection of Liu and Xie was of great significance. It not only protected the two of them, but also the others on the "list of treacherous officials"... Since Liu Jin was no longer relentlessly pursuing the "leader of treacherous officials," he naturally had even less interest in continuing to persecute the "treacherous officials" under the two of them.

Of course, this excludes Han Wen, who led the memorial to the throne, Li Mengyang, who wrote the impeachment memorial on behalf of others, and Wang Shouren, who could never be caught.

Li Dongyang didn't have any good solutions for Han Wen and Li Mengyang at the moment, but he could still protect Wang Shouren. So he said to Liu Jin, "Wang Shouren, the son of the top scholar, is someone I watched grow up. That child has had mental problems since he was a child and has always dreamed of becoming a sage. If you kill him, wouldn't that fulfill his wish?"

"Hmm..." Liu Jin had also heard those absurd rumors about Wang Yangming, so he asked, "Then, according to the old master, how should he be dealt with?"

“Just leave him in that barbaric land of Guizhou, let him cry out to heaven and earth in vain. After a while, nobody will remember him. That's the best punishment for him.” Li Dongyang said, then clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"To be honest, Scholar Wang came to me for help. I didn't want to upset Lord Liu, nor did I want to disappoint my old friend. So I came up with this solution that satisfies both sides. I hope Lord Liu will give me the honor of letting him go like a fart..."

"..." Liu Jin's expression changed several times, but he finally smiled and said, "If the old man has asked, how can we refuse? Fine, let's do as you say and let him fend for himself."

P.S. Post first, edit later.

(End of this chapter)