I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 352 Finally here
Xu Jie was lying on the recliner in the study with his eyes closed, humming a Kunqu tune vaguely, shaking his head, looking so comfortable!

This kind of recliner, also called the Crown Prince's recliner, was designed by the Crown Prince himself for the late Emperor when he was the Crown Prince of Prince Yu, and was made by the Imperial Household Department.

The late Emperor Jiajing liked it very much, especially after the 45th year of Jiajing, when he lay on it almost every day, fishing by the lake, and feeling leisurely and contented.

This chair soon became popular among officials and their families in Beijing and spread to other places.

Xu Jie was lying on a super luxurious recliner made of Xiangfei bamboo and nanmu today, feeling very comfortable.

It’s comfortable to lie down!
No wonder the emperor didn't want to move after lying down in the Forbidden City.

The old man also lay down completely.

Xu Jie, who has experienced ups and downs in officialdom for decades, is well aware of all the rules of officialdom and has a political sense far beyond that of ordinary people.

On the morning of New Year's Day, Zhu Yijun announced in public the great victory in Liaodong. Tumen Khan fled alone, and an army of 100,000 was wiped out. The golden seal of the Great Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and the nine-flag white banner passed down by Genghis Khan were seized and presented to the Taimiao.

At that moment, Xu Jie knew that the day for him to retire and return home was just around the corner.

The prince was already extremely powerful, and now his trusted troops have won unprecedented military achievements in Liaodong, comparable to those of the Second Ancestor. The credit goes to Emperor Longqing in name, but to the crown prince in reality.

With such power, no one dared to say a word no matter what he did.

Emperor Taizu dared to depose the prime minister, and all the civil and military officials and founding heroes were killed, but no one said a word. Why? Because he had an army that had just conquered the country.

Now the prince has an army with military achievements and moral integrity comparable to those during the Hongwu period. Who in the world dares to say a word?
Given the prince's temperament, he would certainly use his power to vigorously implement the New Deal in the third year of Longqing. He would fully support Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others who were willing to reform, and comprehensively suppress the conservative Qingliu who were hindering the reform.

Once the situation breaks down, I, the paperhanger used to balance the situation, will lose my function and it is time for me to retire and return home to vacate the position of cabinet minister.

But Xu Jie did not dare to retire and return home.

The crown prince is even more difficult to serve than the late emperor, and he is just as narrow-minded.

If you make him unhappy for a moment, he will make you unhappy for generations!
I didn't tell you to leave, but you were in a hurry to leave. Do you have any dissatisfaction with me?
Xu Jie doesn't want to make such a low-level mistake!
We are all smart people and we understand what we should understand.

The second son, Xu Kun, walked into the study quietly, holding a cup of hot tea, and placed it on the coffee table next to Xu Jie.

"Father, this is freshly brewed Fuding white tea."

"Hmm." Xu Jie closed his eyes and snorted.

The eldest son Xu Fan had done something wrong, which was publicized by Xu Jie. He went insane due to the loss of his beloved wife, and was then forcibly sent to Hanshan Temple to become a monk.

You must stay in there for three years until the storm has passed. If you dare to run out without permission, your legs will be broken immediately and you will become a lame monk.

Now Xu Kun has taken over the household affairs, busying himself all over, just like the next generation head of the Xu family.

"Father, are you resting again today?"

"I am almost seventy years old. Seventy is rare! Can't I take a day off?"

"Father, of course you can, you can rest if you want. But I am worried that the one in Xiyuan is said to be very harsh, and father has to rest every now and then, son."

"Are you afraid that the wrath of Xiyuan's thunder will harm you?"

"I dare not. I am really thinking about my father and the Xu family." Xu Kun explained hurriedly, wishing he could take his heart out.

Xu Jie lay on the recliner and waved his hands, "You don't understand. It's time for your father to rest. Also, don't say such words as Xiyuan is harsh in the future, and don't say them in front of anyone.

Now is a time of great change, people’s minds are changing, and their hearts are hard to predict.”

Xu Kun immediately responded respectfully: "Son, I understand."

"If you can do practical things and be useful, the one in Xiyuan will be easier to serve than any of the ancestors. Qi Yuanjing and Hu Ruzhen, one led the Northern Expedition and the other led the Southern Expedition. When the battle was stalemate, the six ministries of the cabinet and the Supervisory Office were all anxious.

But Xiyuan said nothing, only received the battle report, and did not issue any orders. This trust, this determination, which emperor have you seen in history books?" Xu Kun disagreed, "My son doesn't think so either?"

"You don't think anything of it, so you are just a mediocre person!" Xu Jie said bluntly.

"What does a general fear the most when he is away from home? It's not the enemy, but the intrigues behind him, or a stab in the back by his own people. Xiyuan's trust in Qi Yuanjing and Hu Ruzhen is not only a recognition of their talents, but also a confidence in his own use of people and military deployment. He is not even afraid of the two being defeated, because Xiyuan is confident that he can turn the tide.

It is precisely because of this confidence that Xiyuan can be so calm and at ease. Trust, the most precious thing between the monarch and his subjects, is given without hesitation. Concentration, a 16-year-old boy has such concentration, can you believe it?

You don’t understand these things, you don’t feel anything, so this is how your life will be.”

Xu Kun nodded and didn't dare to say anything.

Xu Jie glanced at him and asked something else, "Yuanchun, Yuanqiu, and Yuanhua are in the Imperial College. How are they doing?"

Yuanchun was Xu Fan's eldest son and Xu Jie's eldest grandson.

Yuan Qiu and Yuan Hua are the eldest sons of Xu Kun and Xu Ying respectively.

Xu Kun hesitated and dared not answer.

"Speak up, bastard!"

"Yuanchun and the other two said that the Imperial College has become corrupt and turbid, and they don't want to study there."

"Asshole!" Xu Jie glared fiercely, "Li Xue is a branch of Yangming's philosophy of mind, and it is the same school as mine. It is extremely muddy. Does that mean my knowledge is also extremely muddy?"

Xu Kun knelt down and said, "Father, please calm down. Yuanchun and the other two have been taught by great scholars since they were young. They have studied Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and have made great achievements. Now it is really difficult for them to change their studies."

Xu Jie closed his eyes and cursed helplessly: "What a bunch of mediocre people! Learning is about diligence and thoroughness. Once you have learned something, you must be able to come out. If you indulge in it, you can only be a nerd. Only by jumping out and absorbing a wide range of knowledge can you become a real master.

For the children of aristocratic families, learning is only the foundation for understanding the world and current affairs, and it is the stepping stone to winning the imperial examination. Why do they delve so deeply into it? The Xu family does not need great scholars, they need Jinshi Hanlin, and cabinet ministers!
What's more, they are not great scholars, but sour and corrupt scholars!
Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism flourished because the Second Ancestor Emperor listed it as a subject for the imperial examination. After the Zhengde period, Yangming's School of Mind flourished. Although there was no imperial decree, many of the examiners for the imperial examinations were Yangming's disciples, so naturally students would choose this shortcut.

Now the new Li school is flourishing, and it will definitely be a subject for the imperial examinations in the future. I spent a lot of effort to train Yuanchun and the other two, and asked them to go to Yi Nian Tang, but after just a few days, they quarreled with others and dropped out of school in anger.

Now we send them to the Imperial College, but they complain about this and that. They don’t want to take the road to fame and fortune. What do they want to do? "

Xu Jie was so angry that his white beard twitched.

Only then did Xu Kun understand his father's painstaking efforts.

That's right, no matter what kind of science or psychology it is, any knowledge that can help one become an official is a good knowledge. The old father has a sharp eye and can judge the trend of future science examinations.

At the beginning, he saw that the Yangming Society of Mind was flourishing, so he chose the opportunity to become a disciple of Yangming's famous disciple Shuangjiang Gong (Nie Bao). Then he gradually gained fame in the literary world and was promoted step by step in his official career.

"I will go and persuade Yuanchun and the other two and tell them about my father's painstaking efforts."

Xu Jie sighed, "Yuanchun and the other two are young and full of vigor, conceited about their talents, but they don't know that there is no shortage of talented people in this world, but what is lacking is opportunities.

If they don't have the heart to study Li Xue, they will lose their chance, and the Xu family will also lose their chance. Tell them that if they are expelled from the Imperial College, I will remove their names from the family tree!"

"Yes!"

A steward ran in in a panic and stood at the door of the study to report: "Master, Second Young Master, there is an envoy from the West Garden."

Xu Jie was stunned, his face full of melancholy and reluctance, "Finally here. Which envoy is it?"

"My Lord, it was Yang Jinshui, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, who said he came with an imperial edict."

"Why is it him?" Xu Jie didn't have time to think about it at this time, and ordered repeatedly, "Quick, set up the incense table, and help me change my clothes so that I can go to receive the imperial edict."

(End of this chapter)