Di Ming

Chapter 140 President Zhu

In the two months since Zhu Yin entered the Southern Imperial Academy, his achievements in poetry, policy essays, legal texts, imperial edicts, memorials, and calligraphy have all surpassed those of Wang Ruifang.

Even in the most important passages of scripture, the two were roughly equal.

The students of Nanyong Imperial Academy, who loved watching the drama unfold, even went so far as to provoke Wang Ruifang with a statement that seemed to go too far:

"Zhu Zhihu entered Nanyong, and Wang Ruifang resigned as a child prodigy."

They deliberately used Zhu Yin to deflate Wang Ruifang's arrogance and curb the pride of the young master Wang.

In this way, Zhu Yin completely took away Wang Ruifang's previous title of child prodigy of Nanyong.

What made Wang Ruifang, who was proud and rarely experienced setbacks, even more jealous was that his opponent was three years younger than him!
This naturally fueled the competitive spirit of the thirteen-year-old Prince Wang, who was going through a rebellious age, making it even more intense and difficult to suppress.

Zhu Yin understood Wang Ruifang's jealousy, but he never expected that Wang Ruifang would resort to running a gambling operation.

That's so childish!

childish.

He was certain that Wang Shizhen was unaware of this matter. Otherwise, given Wang Shizhen's character, he wouldn't allow his grandson to act so outrageously.

What kind of system is this?
“Young Tiger.” Shang Yang sat down and drank a cup of tea. “Wang Ruifang seems to be very confident. He wants to challenge you to a test, betting on your performance in next year’s provincial examination.”

Even if you both fail the exam and both fail, you still lose if his grades are better than yours.

“For scholars, reputation is sometimes something they cannot afford not to fight for. If you are willing to give up the title of child prodigy, you are actually helping him achieve his goal. You cannot back down on this matter.”

Xu Wei nodded and said, "There is no way to retreat. Although it is a childish tactic, it is enough to ruin your reputation. Young Tiger, you have no choice but to fight. Nowadays, scholars only know how to compete and have lost the gentlemanly spirit of humility. Retreating will only make people despise you."

Shang Yang, an old friend, looked strange upon hearing Xu Wei's words.

You, Mr. Qing Teng, weren't you the most competitive person back then? I can say that, but it's really inappropriate for you to say it.

Xu Wei sat with his legs crossed, looking completely at ease, stroking his beard and smiling.
"But if you win, your reputation as a child prodigy will be firmly established. With that title, you'll be able to succeed in many things."

"Take me back then, for example. Although I was just a scholar, I was able to make friends with high-ranking officials and frequent high halls because of my reputation as a child prodigy. I benefited a lot from that."

Zhu Yin nodded and sneered: "Wang Ruifang's move is naive and absurd, but I'll accept it anyway. I don't care about the title of child prodigy, but if even I'm not a child prodigy, then Nanyong can't have any child prodigies!"

"Hahaha!" Xu Wei laughed loudly upon hearing this, his silver beard trembling with laughter. "Good! These words from the young tiger are like a tiger roaring in the forest! That's the kind of spirit we need. If you're not convinced, then let's fight!"

"The gambling dens in the city have opened for betting? Excellent! I'll place my bet on the young tiger to win!"

Shang Yang asked hesitantly, "Brother Wen, do you have money to bet? You've never been... averse to money?"

He and Xu Wei worked together in Hu Zongxian's staff for many years and knew Xu Wei very well.

Xu Wei was extremely famous back then, and he looked down on kings and nobles. He was never short of money.

This Mr. Qing Teng, his talent can be exchanged for money. He used to be wealthy.

Unfortunately, Xu Wei's purse seemed to be leaky. He spent money like water, easily dismissing thousands of gold coins with a smile, without acquiring any property, treating everything like dirt, showing no regard for wealth.

Back then, Mr. Qing Teng rode a fat horse, wore a light fur coat, frequented famous courtesans, and drank wine among the beauties. How dashing and unrestrained he was!

Not only did he spend money lavishly, but he was also generous and charitable, even helping strangers on the street.

Often, the money goes in with one hand and out with the other, and it's spent before you even have a chance to enjoy it.

I myself have received his help.

He so despised money that after the age of fifty, he became extremely poor and had very little money left.

The reason his son turned against him and his wife had an affair was largely because he did not own any property and his family was in dire straits.

Therefore, Shang Yang strongly suspected that Xu Wei still had money to place bets.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "How could you be short of money, sir? I recently bought several of his calligraphy and paintings."

He did indeed buy a lot of Xu Wei's calligraphy and paintings, all of which were his latest creations.

He admired Xu Wei's calligraphy and paintings, considering them rare commodities. He also wanted to indirectly support Xu Wei. He was happy to be Xu Wei's patron.

Upon hearing this, Shang Yang couldn't help but feel a little envious of Xu Wei.

Because he knew that Zhu Yin was wealthy, Xu Wei would have no worries about food and clothing in the future.

Shang Yang reminded him, "Wang Ruifang's essays for the imperial examinations have been personally guided by Wang Shizhen, so they will definitely be excellent."

“Child Tiger, Wang Ruifang was born into a wealthy family and has a lot of support. He is very influential. You must not underestimate him, lest he plot against you.”

"Now he has also started a society and is the president of the Chrysanthemum Society, which is located at Chrysanthemum Hall."

"Chrysanthemum Society, the president?" Zhu Yin looked puzzled. "Why is it called Chrysanthemum Society? I think sunflower suits him better."

Shang Yang said, "There should be two reasons. Jushan Hall is the chrysanthemum garden in the east of the city of Wang family, which can be used as the site of the cult. Secondly, perhaps this child prodigy Wang is comparing himself to the chrysanthemum."

Zhu Yin nodded with a straight face, feigning seriousness. "That's understandable. Hmm, does he think that just because he's become the chrysanthemum chief, I'll be afraid of him?"

Shang Yang corrected, "It's not 'Chrysanthemum Chief,' it's 'Chrysanthemum Society President.'"

"Don't underestimate the Chrysanthemum Society just because it's a newly established society. It has attracted many people from Nanyong. In just one day, dozens of students from the Imperial Academy joined the society. Members include Dong Shi, Xu Yuanjin, Wang Shu, and others, all of whom are from prominent families."

"You know Dong Shi very well, so I won't mention him. Guess who Xu Yuanjin is? He's the grandson of Xu Huating (Xu Jie). Wang Shu is the nephew of Wang Taicang (Wang Xijue)..."

"What?" Zhu Yin frowned. It was one thing for Wang Xijue to be Xu Jie's grandson, since Xu Jie was dead. But Wang Xijue was a powerful figure in the current government.

“Young Tiger.” Shang Yang was very worried about Zhu Yin. “Uncle Wang Shu is the second-in-command of the government (cabinet), and his father, Wang Dingjue, is also a third-rank official. These princes and noblemen are all members of the newly established Chrysanthemum Society.”

"So many princes and nobles who identify themselves with chrysanthemums." Zhu Yin shook his head, his little face showing surprise. "That's a bit frightening. But why do these people follow Wang Ruifang's lead? Wang Juhua is only thirteen years old, isn't she? Can she really manage?"

Shang Yang honestly replied, "Although Xu Yuanjin, Wang Shu, and others are a few years older than Wang Ju... Ruifang, their academic performance at the Imperial Academy is not as good as Wang Ruifang's. Wang Ruifang is young, and is actually the most likely to pass the imperial examination next year. Otherwise, how did he get his reputation as a child prodigy?"

"Furthermore, Wang Ruifang and Wang Shu both come from the Taicang Wang clan. Although Wang Ruifang is a few years younger, he is Wang Shu's uncle, so their seniority is obvious."

Zhu Yin asked, "It's not that simple, is it, that these sons of officials colluded to set up some kind of gambling game?"

"Of course it's not that simple." Xu Wei put down his rat-whisker brush. "This is a scheme to kill someone by taking advantage of their power, and to get drunk on the dregs of their wine."

“Child Tiger, you must understand that whether you pass the imperial examination depends on the attitude of the examiners. If the examiners see that these children of high-ranking officials are opposing you, even if they originally wanted to admit you, they may ultimately reject you because they dare not offend the powerful and influential.”

"They don't know that there's a guarding eunuch standing behind you."

"If you didn't have a powerful backer, and you didn't use this trick of taking advantage of someone's situation to kill them, you definitely wouldn't have been able to win next year."

Zhu Yin's expression was gloomy.

The only people in Qingqiao Village who speculated that he was related to Tian Yi were just speculating; they couldn't be sure that Tian Yi was his backer.

As for those in Nanjing, apart from a very few people, no one knew that Tian Yi was standing behind him.

Wang Ruifang and the others were of course unaware of this.

Kangxi and Qianlong, who were temporarily serving as Xu Wei's page, couldn't help but ask, "My lord, Master Xu, isn't the provincial examination supposed to be held anonymously? How can the examiners...?"

“You silly child,” Xu Wei shook his head. “It’s true that the names are kept anonymous. The exam papers still need to be copied by a special person. But even if you pass the exam, the examiners can still find an excuse to reject you. Since the Ming Dynasty’s imperial examination system, there have been scholars who passed the exam and then found an excuse to reject them.”

"For example, they might accuse you of cheating or being reported. Or they might add a note to your exam paper afterward saying that you didn't try to hide anything. There are many ways to do it. It just depends on whether the examiner is willing to do so."

"If the examiners are willing, they can pretend not to know even if they discover that someone is taking the test for them."

Xu Wei sighed, "I failed the imperial examinations eight times back then, one of the reasons being that I offended powerful figures, and the examiners dared not admit me. Only a fool would believe that the imperial examinations were fair and just. It was only relatively fair compared to other things." Zhu Yin sat down, "If Kou can go, so can I. He loves chrysanthemums and started a chrysanthemum society. I'll form one too, but I'm not as vulgar as them!"

"Good!" Shang Yang clapped his hands. "Young Tiger, what spirit! Forming a society at ten! What society do you want to form?"

Zhu Yin said, “Mu She! Mu means to spread virtue and uphold righteousness, and to show one’s true feelings. In addition, it means to be just, virtuous, kind and benevolent.”

"Anyone who meets the requirement of having the character 'Mu' (穆) can become a member of the Muslim community, regardless of whether they are scholars, farmers, artisans, or merchants!"

“Wang Ruifang has the Chrysanthemum Society, and I, Zhu Zhihu, have the Mu Society.”

Xu Wei's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood Zhu Yin's intentions and ambitions.

Mu She, this name is indeed powerful, yet not taboo; it's rare that Zhihu came up with such a name.

"What a brilliant Mu Society!" Shang Yang couldn't help but slap the table in admiration. "Zhihu, just based on the name of the Mu Society, it's already a cut above the Ju Society. Its style and conception are far superior!"

"Child Tiger, I'd like to join the Mu Society as its first member, what do you say?"

Xu Wei suddenly said, "Zhouming, I am older than you. With me here, how could you possibly be the first member?"

"Your Excellency..." Shang Yang looked at Xu Wei in surprise, "Brother Wen has long been famous and his conduct is exemplary; why would you condescend to join us..."

"Nonsense." Xu Wei cursed directly. "Why can't I join the Mu Society? I've joined countless societies in my life, what's the big deal about joining one more now?"

"Although President Zhu is only a ten-year-old child, I find him more pleasing to the eye. Count me in."

“Alright.” Shang Yang didn’t dare to argue, but he felt that Xu Wei joining the Mu Society would put pressure on many people.

Zhu Yin, however, said seriously, "Sir, do you really want to join? My Mu Society has quite a few rules."

Xu Wei laughed and said, "So what? Every decent society has its own rules and regulations. I may not follow the rules my whole life, but can't I follow them when I'm old? You can set the rules as you like. If you, the young president, can follow them, then I, the old member, can naturally follow them too."

Zhu Yin was even more interested and said:
"The headquarters of the Mu Society will be located in Qinmao Thatched Cottage in my Nanzhuang Manor. The rules and regulations of the society will be determined gradually. We already have three members."

"Brother Zhouming, please help me spread the word and encourage like-minded people to join the Mu Society. However, we must be selective and not allow anyone to sneak in."

Shang Yang smiled and pointed at Zhu Yin, saying to Xu Wei, "Brother Wen, look at this young Zhu, he's really quite capable. He's already so confident and has such a grand vision."

Although he had known Zhu Yin for more than two months, his understanding of Zhu Yin was not as deep as Xu Wei's.

Xu Wei stroked his beard and said, "Before establishing a propaganda society, we must first set out its rules and regulations. Whether someone wants to join depends first on the president, and then on the regulations."

Zhu Yin said, "The society's charter will be ready within three days."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei and Shang Yang were both very much looking forward to Zhu Yin's charter, wondering what kind of rules this President Zhu would come up with.

But Shangyang still kindly reminded him:

“Child Tiger, although your reputation as a child prodigy has spread throughout Nanyong, you are still only ten years old. Many people still look at you with suspicion. Our Mu Society may not have many members, maybe ten at most.”

“There are now fifteen or sixteen societies in Nanyong, of all kinds and types. The leaders of these societies are either scholars who have already become famous, or deputy scholars who almost passed the imperial examination.”

“These societies range from over a hundred people to at least twenty or thirty. But our Mu Society is probably the smallest society in the entire Southern Yong. Don’t be discouraged then.”

Shang Yang was worried that it would hurt Zhu Yin's feelings.

But he wants to tell the truth.

Zhu Yin was also aware of the situation and smiled, "Brother Zhouming and I are thinking about the same thing. Our Mu Society should be the smallest society in Nanyong. But this is only temporary."

Zhu Yin had long harbored the desire to form a society.

This just happened to be an opportunity.

His Mu Society wouldn't just be a small-scale operation within the Imperial Academy. He wanted to make it the most cohesive and powerful society in the land!

From the very beginning, his Mu Society did not regard Wang Ruifang's Ju Society as a true rival.

Of course, the Chrysanthemum Society, composed of the sons of high-ranking officials, should not be underestimated.

These princes and nobles may not be good at accomplishing anything, but they are more than capable of ruining things!

.........

The Wang family residence on the shore of Xuanwu Lake.

In the East Chrysanthemum Garden by the lake, the sound of a pipa plays softly.

A beautiful girl of fourteen or fifteen, holding a pipa, sang "The Hegemon Bids Farewell to His Concubine" with her delicate hands, her voice like jade beads falling onto a plate.

The surrounding chrysanthemums were in full bloom, exuding a rich fragrance.

Four or five teenagers sat idly by the green pond, dressed in brocade robes, intoxicated by the fragrance of incense, and all of them looked either rich or noble.

The oldest among them was only sixteen or seventeen years old, while the youngest was Wang Ruifang, who was only thirteen.

Wang Ruifang held the fish bait and fed the fish under the waterside pavilion. Her delicate and pretty face looked a little gloomy.

The Chrysanthemum Society was established, and the bet with Zhu Yin on the provincial examination was arranged. As expected, he was scolded by his father and grandfather, but the matter was accomplished, so the scolding was not in vain.

Once that little brat Zhu Yin comes to the Imperial Academy tomorrow, he won't be able to escape.

Of course, Zhu Yin was just an accomplice.

"Stop singing." Wang Ruifang turned around and glanced impatiently at the pipa player. "What are you singing, 'The Hegemon Bids Farewell to His Concubine'? I'd like to take off your armor myself."

He had already tasted the flavor of women, and had become so enamored with them that he couldn't resist.

They've already secretly gone to the brothel.

"Haha!" a square-faced boy laughed. "Second Uncle, this girl is alright. It's a blessing for her to have her armor removed. But Second Uncle is still growing, so you should still restrain yourself when it comes to women."

This young man is Wang Shu, the nephew of Wang Xijue, the current Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Although he meant well in advising Wang Ruifang, he himself was no longer a virgin and, at only sixteen, already had two concubines.

Another slightly younger, long-faced boy laughed:

"Let's get down to business. The Chrysanthemum Society has only been established for one day, yet it already has thirty-six members. Even the one from the lowest social class comes from a family with an eighth-rank official position."

"Ju Jun (Wang Ruifang's newly chosen courtesy name), we've made such a big fuss, it can't just be to deal with that damn prodigy, can it? We think too highly of him, does he even deserve it?"

“Of course he doesn’t deserve it. What makes him think he does?” Wang Ruifang sat down casually. “Isn’t that like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Teaching Zhu Yin a lesson is just a side effect, it’s just my primary objective.”

Dong Shi clapped his hands and said, "I knew it all along. Ju Jun is far-sighted and thinks three steps ahead for every one step she takes. She would never be so simple."

"It's laughable that some people say that Ju Jun's move is childish and absurd, but they don't know that Ju Jun had already planned it out in advance and had a deeper meaning."

Dong Shi and the others always relied on Wang Ruifang as their leader, not only because he was a child prodigy, but also because although Wang Ruifang was the youngest, he was the most cunning among them.

He's small in stature but incredibly clever.

But then Wang Ruifang said, "Today we're all on the same side, so it's time for me to share my plans."

"Zhu Yin was just unlucky; he got in my way. He deserves to die. But what I really want to do isn't hunting Xiao Hu."

“They think I’m being childish, that I’m just jealous and willful, and that’s all the better. I wish they thought that.”

"Before I say anything more, I hope you brothers will keep our plan a secret!"

P.S.: I'm not feeling well today, so that's all I can write for now. What do you all think of the name "Mu Society"? What will the society's charter contain? Thank you, goodnight!
(End of this chapter)