I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 309: The Frightened Shen Shixing and Yu Youding

Shen Shixing and Yu Youding walked to the third floor and stopped.

The two men found that the guy who led the way was missing. He might be watching the fun on the second floor, or there was chaos there just now and no one knew where the guy had disappeared.

"Brother Bingzhong, the waiter just said that the private room Mr. Zhang booked is on the third or fourth floor."

Shen Shixing asked.

Yu Youding rolled his eyes at him and spread his hands, "I didn't hear it clearly either."

Just now in the front hall, it was crowded and noisy, and the two were attracted by the bustling scene. The waiter spoke too fast and they didn't pay any attention at all.

"What should we do? Should we go down and ask the waiter and the steward?"

"I'll go ask." Yu Youding just turned around and took two steps on the stairs when he heard the noise coming from the second floor.

"Shen Yi Guan, who the hell do you think I don't know? You look so refined, but the dirty things you do secretly are known to everyone in the clan!

How dare you point fingers at Lord Zhuo Wu? I tell you, if you dare to slander Lord Zhuo Wu again, I will beat you every time I see you!"

"Shen Wanxiang, you poor fellow, how dare you point fingers in front of me! We are reading the books of sages, which enlighten us about virtue and reason."

Shen Yiguan talked a lot, but he didn't dare to target Li Zhi anymore. It seemed that the physics education just now by Li Mingchun and Shen Wanxiang was very effective.

"Brother Buyi, why bother talking to these vulgar people?"

"Who is this?" The voice sounded like Li Mingchun, Li Tanhua.

"I am so-and-so, a student at the Imperial College."

"Did you pass the test?" Li Mingchun asked back.

The other person was speechless.

Li Mingchun spoke again: "I was a Jinshi in the Wuchen year of the Longqing reign, and ranked third in the palace examination. I am not vulgar."

Silence fell.

After listening for a while, Yu Youding sighed, turned around and went back to the third floor.

Shen Shixing asked, "Brother Bingzhong, what's wrong?"

"There's still a quarrel on the second floor. I have a history with Shen Qianhe and Shen Buyi. Li Ziyang was one of the first students from Longhua Academy to be selected to go to Yi Nian Tang in Beijing and listen to Mr. Zhuo Wu's teachings in person.

Mr. Zhuo Wu invited me to give several lectures at Yi Nian Tang, and Li Ziyang and I are old friends."

Shen Shixing couldn't help but look up to the second floor and asked, "Can't they persuade Zhao Rumai (Zhao Zhigao)?"

"The younger generation nowadays are too aggressive and can't be persuaded."

"Then let's look for it on the third floor. I heard Yunya Pavilion."

"Okay, let's look for it."

Walking in the corridor on the third floor, the sound of Shen Shixing and Yu Youding singing could be heard.

"It turns out that all the beautiful flowers are in full bloom, but now they are all left to the broken wells and dilapidated walls. What can we do about the beautiful scenery? Who can enjoy the pleasure in the yard? The flowers fly in the morning and roll up in the evening, the clouds and the green pavilion, the rain and the wind, the painted boats in the mist, the people on the brocade screen look down on this beautiful time."

It is clear, graceful and melodious, pleasing to the ears.

As soon as the song stopped, thunderous applause was heard from the private room.

"Good! Ying Ti'er really sings like a yellow oriole singing at night. The song of "Romance of the West Chamber" is full of twists and turns, sad and moving."

"Ying Ti'er is indeed worthy of being the Zuo Shuzi of Zuo Chunfang, one of the top ten celebrities in the capital! Wonderful!"

Shen Shixing and Yu Youding couldn't help but look at each other. Zuochunfang was the name of an official office in the Eastern Palace and one of the internal agencies of the Zhanshi Mansion. Its responsibilities were to record, compile, etc.

Zuo Shuzi was the chief official of Zuo Chunfang.

Now the crown prince has moved into the Western Garden, and is in charge of the government, directly managing the Silijian, the Supervisory Office, and the six ministries of the Cabinet. Most of the East Palace institutions and subordinate officials, such as the Zhanshi Mansion, have been abandoned, and only some official positions have been granted to the crown prince's close ministers to improve their official ranks. These busybodies have unexpectedly put the blame on the brothels and prostitutes in the capital.

The people in the private room were still shouting.

"Come on, Yingti Zuo Shuzi, and your sisters, come and have a drink with us."

The female voice that had just sung the song replied: "Gentlemen, you are all famous and talented people. It is my honor to drink a cup with you!"

"Haha, stop talking nonsense and come and drink."

Another female voice said, "Sir, I will drink a cup with you. Please be kind and write a poem to make me famous."

The man laughed loudly: "We have a lot of knowledge and ambition, but we have no way to serve our country! Now we only drink wine, not write poetry!"

Shen Shixing and Yu Youding heard that the man who was speaking was Lan Bi, a scholar from the Hanlin Academy. He was the 34th Jinshi in the second class of the Dingwei examination in the 26th year of the Jiajing reign.

The Dingwei exam in the twenty-sixth year of the Jiajing reign, the Ming Dynasty’s Dragon and Tiger List!

They were classmates of Li Chunfang, Zhang Juzheng, Yang Jisheng and Wang Shizhen. No wonder they complained that they had great ambitions but no way to serve their country.

But it’s hard to say whether he is as knowledgeable as he claims.

The late emperor was fond of Qingci, and those who could hold high positions must be able to write good Qingci.

The crown prince who now reigns over the country is very pragmatic, and he requires his ministers to combine knowledge with action and be courageous in taking on responsibilities.

Some are like Hu Zongxian and Tan Lun, who are both civil and military, able to command the army on horseback and comfort the people on foot; some are like Li Chunfang, who can reconcile yin and yang and coordinate contradictions; some are like Pan Jixun, Wang Guoguang, and Pang Shangpeng, who are specialized in one job.
Sigh! The difficulty is too high, these skills are too difficult to practice!
This is really making things difficult for those famous scholars who are well-read by sages and well-versed in classics. It would be better for them to practice writing poetry!
That’s why this person is here complaining about having no way to serve his country!
Seniors, the world has changed, and we must change with it.

The scientific examination is just a stepping stone that allows you to enter the official career.

But how far you can go in your career is up to you, each with their own unique abilities!
The late Emperor Jiajing liked Qingci. Yan Song, Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, Yan Ne, Yuan Wei and others made timely adjustments and changes. Didn’t they get promoted?
When you encounter setbacks, don’t blame others, but ask yourself if you have made any changes!
Saints change the world, wise men change others, intelligent men change themselves, and mediocre men remain complacent.

Well, the ideas of Mr. Zhuo Wu that I heard when he gave a lecture at Yiniantang emerged involuntarily in my mind.

I never thought that in just a few years, Mr. Zhuo Wu’s ideas would have such a profound impact.

Or maybe, everyone has seen clearly that Mr. Zhuowu’s philosophy is actually the New Qingci of Xiyuan, and those who can write New Qingci will be promoted very quickly!

Yu Youding gave Shen Shixing a look, and the two of them quickly left this place of trouble.

You dare to call prostitutes "officials of the Eastern Palace" and "officials of the Eastern Palace". Are you playing elegant? You are courting death!
You have no way to serve your country, you are directly smashing open the door to Yama's Palace!
Get out of this troubled place immediately!
Xiyuan has eyes and ears throughout the capital and the world. When Xiyuan’s iron fist strikes down, don’t hurt the two of us!
We are just passing by, innocent people!
Shen Shixing and Yu Youding hurried away along the corridor and turned to the other side, when they suddenly heard a roar coming from a private room.

"I want to impeach Li Zhi! This man is ignorant and unskilled, he spreads heresy and evil, speaks nonsense to deceive the world, and distorts the principles of heaven. Nowadays, the ignorant young people in the countryside are shocked by his false reputation and are deceived by his shocking theories. He blasphemes the saints and sages, harms people's hearts, and causes endless disasters. I want to impeach this beast!"

The voice is clear and full of energy.

Someone nearby advised: "Duke Yude, Li Zhuowu is in favor now, why bother to cause trouble?"

"Li Zhuowu's gang is extremely vicious. I don't need to destroy my precious body with them."

Yu Yude, also known as Yu Changde, was a Jinshi in the 29th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing. He was the director of the Imperial Academy and was famous for his poems. He was called the first of the Five Sons after the reign of Emperor Jiajing by those who liked to gossip, the top celebrity, and an old-fashioned clean person.

Yu Changde said righteously: "It's ridiculous! We have read the books of sages, understand the principles of heaven, and uphold justice. We want to fight against treacherous people like Li Zhi to the end!

I have already contacted dozens of censors from the Hanlin Academy, the Censorate, and the Five Temples, as well as more than 400 young students from the Imperial College, and have jointly submitted a petition to impeach Li Zhi! "

He shouted loudly: "Li Zhi's teachings are based on liberation and directness. Young people with lofty ideals and ambitions admire him. Later generations are like madmen, deviating from the orthodoxy! If this continues, the defense of the holy religion will collapse!"

Ladies and Gentlemen! The writings of the traitor Li are all wild and perverse, not sagely and without law, and he praises and criticizes others according to his words. He has reversed the good and evil handed down through the ages, especially the crimes that cannot be punished!
We submitted a petition, but the Western Garden was deceived and refused to accept it. So we went to the Meridian Gate, knocked on the gate and cried to our ancestors, asking the Holy Emperor to uphold justice!
We must uphold the righteous spirit of heaven and earth and bring to justice the traitor Li who dares to advocate heresy and deceive the people!"

Shen Shixing and Yu Youding looked at each other.

Execute him to the law!

Knocking on the palace gate and crying for the ancestors, please ask the Holy Emperor to uphold justice!
Have we run into some evil spirit today? Have we ended up in such a dangerous place?
Let’s go quickly, Zhang Gongding’s private room must be on the fourth floor!

(End of this chapter)