Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 111 Parents are only worried about their children's illnesses

Inside the Qianqing Palace, you could hear a pin drop.

The only sound in the hall was Qi Xinxiao's muffled coughs, which he couldn't suppress and made people feel uneasy.

On his throne, Zhu Youjian calmly swept his gaze over everyone in the hall.

Wang Zuoyuan frowned, his face contorted with anger.

Huang Lijie remained expressionless, his shoulders and back tense.

Li Guopu hesitated to speak, while the other lecturers looked even more nervous.

It probably wasn't a deliberate test.

Zhu Youjian shook his head inwardly. He couldn't understand what the person was trying to find out by using such a self-destructive method.

Surely they couldn't possibly be planning to use a cold or pneumonia to assassinate the king? That method is far too convoluted and outrageous.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian even subtly moved back a little, distancing himself from the situation.

His gaze finally settled on the figure on the ground.

He was very young, and his blue official robe was washed clean. Judging from his rank, he should only be an editor or a reviewer.

Ok?
Zhu Youjian's eyes narrowed slightly.

From the collar of the man lying prone, he could see a section of the inner cotton garment, with fine fuzz balls at the collar.

He seems to be a genuinely poor scholar.

After a thorough scan, Zhu Youjian immediately had a plan in mind.

He snapped out of his reverie, breaking the suffocating silence with a calm voice.

"What's his name?"

Wang Zuoyuan's heart skipped a beat.

Although he had reprimanded them sternly, he deliberately avoided naming names, leaving room for maneuver and attempting to gloss over the matter.

But since the emperor had personally asked the question, there was no longer any hope of escape.

He bowed with difficulty and replied, "Your Majesty, this is Qi Xinxiao, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, who passed the imperial examination in the second year of the Tianqi reign."

“Qi Xinxiao…” Zhu Youjian nodded, his tone gentle, “Qi Aiqing, raise your head.”

Qi Xinxiao stiffened, slowly raised his head, but dared not look directly at the emperor's face, instead focusing his gaze on the emperor's knees.

"I see you are dressed simply. Did you catch a chill last night due to the strong autumn winds?"

The emperor's gentle questioning made Qi Xinxiao almost think it was an illusion.

He lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head, and replied in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty is wise... Your Majesty... cough... I studied a little late last night and indeed caught a chill."

He dared not say that he had only bought charcoal for half a night, which ended up being burned out early and freezing for the rest of the night.

If I say this, what will I say when His Majesty asks about the government's firewood and firewood allowance?
Later, it might even get involved in matters such as the donation of salaries for the three major projects and the late emperor, which would be even more terrifying.

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "So-called etiquette lies in the heart, not in the actions. Minister Qi was unwell, yet he still insisted on coming to speak, which shows his sincerity. Such a momentary lapse in manners was ultimately not his intention, so why punish him so lightly?"

He turned to Gao Shiming, who was standing to the side, and said, "Gao, my companion."

"The servant is here."

"Take Qi Aiqing to the side hall to rest first, and warm a pot of honey water so that he can calm down."

"Send another message to the Imperial Medical Academy, asking the head of the academy to send a suitable imperial physician to examine the patient and prescribe a medicine, all of which should be sourced from the palace's treasury."

Qi Xinxiao was stunned, as if he had heard heavenly music. He could only instinctively kowtow and express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your boundless grace!"

Zhu Youjian then asked, "Scholar Wang, is Minister Qi going to give the lecture today?"

Wang Zuoyuan quickly replied, "Your Majesty, the chapter on 'Governing' in the Analects of Confucius is what Compiler Qi is lecturing on. According to the order, it should be after he finishes lecturing on 'The Doctrine of the Mean'." "That's good then." Zhu Youjian nodded. "There is still plenty of time. Let Minister Qi rest well for a while. There's no rush with the chapter on 'Governing'. I will listen to him lecture on it when he is fully recovered."

These words sealed his future, lest he lose his position as a lecturer because of this matter.

Qi Xinxiao, who had just struggled out of his fear, was instantly overwhelmed by immense gratitude. He slammed his head heavily on the cold gold brick, his voice trembling with sobs: "Your Majesty's grace is beyond my... I could never repay it even if I died!"

The other officials in the hall also bowed down and sincerely praised, "Your Majesty is virtuous and benevolent; we admire you greatly."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand: "Get up, all of you. Let him go first. I haven't finished memorizing the Great Learning yet."

……

Qi Xinxiao followed a young eunuch and sat down in the west wing in a daze.

His mind went blank, and his hands and feet were still cold.

Before long, another eunuch brought over a cup of warm honey water.

Qi Xinxiao took it with both hands, and the warmth traveled from his fingertips to his heart. He took a small sip, and the dryness in his throat and the chill in his body were immediately relieved.

The young eunuch leading the way said softly, "Is Compiler Qi feeling better? If you are feeling better, you can leave the palace. Eunuch Gao has already given instructions to the Imperial Hospital, so you can go directly there."

Qi Xinxiao quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law."

He walked out of Wenhua Hall in a daze, through the long palace road, until he stepped out of Chengtian Gate, when Qi Xinxiao suddenly snapped back to his senses.

Fear, relief, gratitude, regret... all sorts of emotions surged into my heart like a jumbled mess of flavors.

The Emperor's kindness is boundless and can never be repaid.

But... how exactly should we repay this? Should we prepare that essay "On Governance" thoroughly and deliver it in a brilliant and unparalleled manner?
Qi Xinxiao gave a bitter smile.

Meng Wubo asked about filial piety, and Confucius said: "Parents are only worried about their children's illnesses."

The ruler has done a very good job in governing, but it is the subject who has lost his filial piety.

Judging from His Majesty's words and actions today, as well as the various ruthless methods he has employed since ascending the throne, it would be utterly presumptuous of me to try and teach him the "way of governance."

Just as he was feeling uneasy, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

He looked back and saw another small group of eunuchs emerge from the palace gate, hurrying to the huge list of classic texts on the left side of Chengtian Gate. They deftly took out a brand-new yellow paper and began to post it.

Qi Xinxiao's heart stirred, and he moved closer.

On the yellow notice board, a line of large characters came into view: "Second document of the State Administration: A petition to provide relief to the starving people in the capital."

His gaze shifted downwards, taking in the densely packed, tiny characters. From the number of starving people, the money and food needed, and the methods of resettlement, to epidemic prevention, work assignments, and long-term plans, he had written over ten thousand words.

Qi Xinxiao clenched his fists and subconsciously turned to look at the deputy list of successful candidates next to him.

Sure enough, the task about "starving people in the capital" had been crossed out with a vermilion line, and the name on the right was written: Zhang Zibing, Vice Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture.

There is another line of small print next to it: Formerly the Bureau of Personnel, Personnel.

From a seventh-rank official to a fourth-rank official in charge of the Shuntian Prefecture?

This...this is almost comparable to the speed at which a censor is promoted!
Qi Xinxiao subconsciously turned his head to look at the majestic Chengtian Gate. Behind the gate were his colleagues, giving the young emperor his first daily lecture.

As for myself, I'm afraid I won't have the chance to set foot there again within ten days.

His gaze returned to the list once more, sweeping over the various tasks: thieves in the capital, gambling in the countryside, sanitation in the inner city, commercial taxes at the nine gates...

He was known as a child prodigy from a young age, and his greatest pride was his brilliant writing. However, the practical skills listed on the list were far beyond his reach.

Should I spend some time learning things I've never encountered before?

Should we continue down the path of becoming a scholar of noble birth?
Although Your Majesty is magnanimous today, can you truly be without any resentment in your heart?

Having behaved improperly today, has His Majesty already placed several green marks on my reputation?
What should I do now?
Qi Xinxiao, who had spent his life studying the classics and writing brilliant articles, stood blankly beneath the notice, looking around in bewilderment, unsure of what lay ahead.

(End of this chapter)