Top Scholar

Chapter 476 My Master is a Bitchy Bitch (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Master, you flatter me." Su Lu could only change the subject, bowing and apologizing, "I was afraid of causing trouble for you before the imperial examination, so I delayed my visit. Please forgive me."

"Oh, so it was to avoid suspicion." Li Dongyang laughed and said, "I thought you didn't acknowledge me as your grandmaster anymore."

Su Lu was surprised to hear this and said, "Grandmaster, why do you say that? You are the Grand Secretary of the current court. Your grand-disciple is afraid that if I were to visit you rashly, I would be accused of trying to curry favor!"

"You're overthinking it. With my current reputation, who would want to curry favor with me?" Li Dongyang said with a self-deprecating laugh. "They'd all be thinking of severing ties with me to avoid tarnishing their reputations."

“I have no such thoughts,” Su Lu said seriously. “Although I have never met you before, I can understand some of the hardships you have endured.”

“I believe you.” Li Dongyang smiled with satisfaction. “I’ve read your essay, ‘The Sage Serves in Lu,’ wasn’t it just you speaking up for my master?”

"Uh..." Su Lu was slightly embarrassed; that was actually his way of trying to please the examiner.

"Don't be shy." Li Dongyang was already convinced that this was tailor-made for him.

He enthusiastically grabbed Su Lu's hand and led him inside, saying to himself, "The words in your article, 'When the state is well-governed, one should implement policies and proclaim benevolence; when the state is poorly governed, one should seize opportunities to clarify the Way,' resonated deeply with me. Now the political situation is gloomy, and my colleagues are suffering terribly, with wave after wave of persecution following."

"As the Grand Secretary, I can only endure humiliation and bear the burden, maneuvering between these forces, saving one person at a time, protecting one person at a time. Others criticize me as a 'mere figurehead' in the Secretariat, saying I'm cowardly and avoid trouble, but who understands the difficulty of 'seizing opportunities to understand the Way'? I would like to leave like Liu and Xie, but if I leave, who can protect the loyal and virtuous as I have protected them?"

"Yes." Su Lu nodded: "Master's act of protecting the virtuous is of immeasurable merit, but unfortunately too many people only know how to make moral judgments."

“Well said!” Li Dongyang was even more moved and said, “Just like the sentence in your article, ‘Do not blame the country for being perfect, but observe the feasibility of the way,’ it is just like my heartfelt words—between empty fame and real disaster, I would rather give up empty fame than real disaster.”

"But what I'm avoiding isn't my own misfortune, but the misfortune of all the people, the misfortune of those loyal and virtuous people who have suffered for the country!" He emphasized, his voice filled with anguish, "Unfortunately, people only see the surface, they insult me, curse me, belittle me, and despise me. All the illustrious reputation I've built up over half my life has been ruined, and I've only earned a bad name!"

“Hongzhi, the phrase ‘guarding one’s heart without fault’ in your writing is simply a tailor-made description for me.” He looked at his grand-disciple whom he was meeting for the first time, and a little tears welled up in his eyes: “No one has ever been able to understand my good intentions so clearly!”

"..." Su Lu looked at the pitiful old man and saw a hint of pleading in his eyes. He could only nod and say, "Alright, that's what I mean."

"Thank you, thank you..." Li Dongyang held his hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.

Su Luwan never expected his first meeting with the Grand Secretary to be like this.

Well, he never imagined that his first meeting with his teacher would be like that.

What? Which Teacher Wang? It doesn't matter. Mr. Yangming was being chased at the time, while Mr. Zhenze was being threatened with stabbing someone who blocked his door.

Is there even one normal one among these?!

It can only be said that when Liu Jin was in power, it was truly a hellish situation for civil officials...

~~
Li Dongyang then led Su Lu to visit his wife.

This Grand Tutor's wife was no ordinary person; she was the daughter of the late Duke of Cheng, Zhu Yi, and the younger sister of the current Duke of Cheng, Zhu Fu. A legitimate daughter of a duke, and a first-rank lady.

Moreover, being a second wife, she was only in her early forties. Yet, she showed no arrogance whatsoever and treated Su Lu with the same kindness.

"Good child, let your grand-master's wife take a look." After Su Lu bowed, she told him to get up and step forward, and looked at her young grand-disciple with delight.

"To have passed the imperial examination at the young age of eighteen is truly remarkable!"

Su Lu then laughed and said, "My master passed the imperial examination at the age of eighteen. How could I, his grand-disciple, not live up to his expectations?"

“Alas, the mere mention of the imperial examinations saddens me,” Li Dongyang sighed. “I took the imperial examinations in the seventh year of the Tianshun reign. That year, a great fire broke out, killing more than three hundred candidates.”

"Ah..." Su Lu couldn't help but be surprised. "Wasn't it said to be nearly a hundred?"

"That's the official version; the actual situation was much worse," Li Dongyang sighed. "The fire started in the middle of the night, and many people were burned to death in their sleep. Many more people woke up and tried to escape the fire, but the damned officials refused to open the doors, citing the exam period. By the time we broke down the doors, even more people had been burned to death."

“Those who survived witnessed the tragedy and were completely devastated, unable to take the exam,” Li Dongyang continued. “So the provincial exam was postponed to August. After six months of recovery, I thought I was fine. However, when I returned to the same place, I was still completely overwhelmed. I was seeing ghosts every night, how could I possibly take the exam!”

He sighed again and said, "I performed terribly and only ranked 185th. I almost became a laughing stock."

Li Dongyang's words had a background: he was once a child prodigy who lectured the emperor and studied at the Hanlin Academy, where he was considered to have a sure chance of becoming the top scholar.

"Later, during the palace examination, things went better when the examination was held in a different location. I got first place in the second class, which somewhat salvaged my reputation..."

Su Lu couldn't help but gasp. What kind of people had he met these past few days? Huang Jia Chuanlu had only just managed to salvage some of his reputation.

But why does that sound so slutty?
"You've become the Grand Secretary, and you're still holding a grudge about not being among the top three scholars in the imperial examinations back then," Madam Zhu said to Li Dongyang with a smile, shaking her head.

"Sigh, will I ever be able to hold this position as Grand Secretary for even a day longer?" Li Dongyang sighed.

"If you can't do a good job, then don't be one." Madam Zhu sneered, "You're reluctant to resign." "What nonsense are you spouting in front of the children?" Li Dongyang blushed.

Madam Zhu then changed the subject, smiling as she asked Su Lu, "Child, you're so young, you're not engaged yet, are you?"

"Reporting to Grand Tutor's Wife, my grand-disciple got married last year," Su Lu replied respectfully.

"Oh? So early?" A hint of disappointment flashed across Madam Zhu's face... She had been hoping to find a good husband for her little niece. Then, she pressed on with further curiosity:

"Which family's daughter is so lucky to marry you, Yuanlang?"

“She is the daughter of Huang, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shanxi.” Su Lu then laughed and said, “It took a lot of effort to propose marriage back then, and it was only after much effort that the old man reluctantly gave up his daughter.”

"I see, they are indeed a good match." Madam Zhu sighed softly.

"Hahaha!" Li Dongyang suddenly burst into laughter out of nowhere.

"What's wrong with you now? Why are you so easily startled?" Madam Zhu gave him a reproachful look.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Li Dongyang quickly waved his hand, stopping his laughter, "You two are a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman."

As he spoke, he turned to Su Lu: "Have you been to Grand Secretary Yang's residence?"

Su Lu shook his head: "Not yet. I plan to pay my respects to my master first, and then send him my invitation to pay my respects."

"You absolutely must go," Li Dongyang instructed. "Grand Secretary Yang is a senior figure in your Sichuan region. He is very deep and thoughtful, and he is also the youngest Grand Secretary in the Cabinet. You must never offend such a person."

Su Lu's heart tightened upon hearing this. His master was warning him that Yang Tinghe was even more despicable than him...

He couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "I'm afraid I've already offended them."

“You have to maintain appearances.” Li Dongyang smiled and comforted him, “Seniors should take care of their juniors. You are the most outstanding among his juniors, so he has to look after you.”

"I understand, grand-disciple," Su Lu nodded hurriedly.

Seeing that the two had started talking about serious matters, Madam Zhu stood up and said with a smile, "You two can chat slowly. I'll go to the kitchen and make some of Hongzhi's signature dishes."

Clearly, no matter how outstanding a married grand-disciple is, he can no longer attract the enthusiastic aunties to ask him all sorts of questions.

~~
As soon as his grandmaster's wife left, Su Lu composed himself and asked Li Dongyang in a low voice, "May I ask, Grandmaster, when will my master be exonerated?"

He shouldn't have asked that question on their first meeting, but Li Dongyang kept trying to get close to him, so he didn't hold back.

"You and Zhu Shou are so close, wouldn't begging him be more effective than praying to Buddha?" Li Dongyang stroked his white beard and laughed like an old monkey.

Su Lu shook his head and said, "I can't ask him for help; it's an unspoken rule between us."

"Is that so?" Li Dongyang sighed in disappointment. "Then there's nothing I can do. Saving your master's life is the best I can do."

After a pause, Li Dongyang explained, "Bo'an is the eighth on Liu Jin's list of treacherous officials, and the first seven have already quieted down, but he's always going around lecturing and taking on students, having a great time. Isn't this a slap in the face to Liu Jin?"

He lowered his voice and said, "Moreover, this is a critical period for Liu Jin's career. He will never allow any opposition to have a chance to turn the tide... Do you know that last year he dismissed most of the governors of the country in one fell swoop?"

"I've heard about it; our Sichuan governor is one of them," Su Lu nodded in response.

“His original plan was to abolish all the provincial governors. I pleaded with him, but he only dismissed the governor of the central region, leaving the governors in charge of grain transport and the governors of border regions intact.” Li Dongyang sighed again. “At that time, I knew he would have more to say. Now, his true colors have finally been revealed.”

Su Lu asked curiously, "What does he want to do?"

“He wants the eunuchs who guard the garrisons in various places to concurrently serve as governors and censors,” Li Dongyang said, emphasizing each word. “In this way, the military and political power in the local areas will be entirely in the hands of the eunuchs.”

"What an enormous appetite!" Su Lu gasped. Was Eunuch Liu trying to build a powerful eunuch faction?
“That’s not all.” Li Dongyang lowered his voice even further, so that only the two of them could hear him.

"I've also heard that Liu Jin thinks the Eastern Depot and Western Depot aren't powerful enough, so he plans to set up an Inner Depot, which he will personally oversee, to keep an eye on the actions of all the officials. If this continues, the situation of the officials will become increasingly dangerous, so it's safer for Bo'an to stay in Guizhou for now."

"Understood." Su Lu nodded in agreement and then dropped the matter.

P.S. This is a post I'll edit later. Please vote with your monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)