I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 440: Yanshenggong

It is very hot in the capital city in summer. Cicadas lie on the trees, screaming hysterically, probably thinking that screaming to death is better than dying from the heat.

Xiyuan has three large lakes and abundant vegetation, so it seems cooler than other places.

Duke Yansheng Kong Shangxian sat anxiously in the duty room at the Nanhua Gate of the Western Garden, sweating slightly on his head due to the heat.

He straightened the round-collared red robe he was wearing, smoothed it along the seams, and shook his sleeves. Suddenly, he felt that his black gauze hat seemed to be crooked, and he could not help but reach out to straighten it.

After a long sigh, Kong Shangxian felt his heart calm down a little.

Xiyuan has been a daunting place since the Jiajing period.

I inherited the title of Duke of Yansheng when I was young, and was ordered by the late Emperor Jiajing to stay in the capital to study Chinese culture. It has been ten years now. In these ten years, I have grown from a fifteen-year-old boy to a twenty-five-year-old young man, married, and had children.
In the past ten years, Kong Shangxian has thought about returning to the Confucius Mansion in Qufu, the place where he was born and raised.

Sometimes I don’t want to go back.

The place is run by my second uncle and it is impenetrable. Why should I go back? I will be a puppet and suffer the bullying of villains everywhere.

Also, what’s the matter that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince summoned me this time?

The late Emperor Jiajing summoned me to the Western Garden several times to ask about my studies and show concern for my daily life.

When the current emperor was in his residence, he summoned me several times to discuss the classics together. But after he ascended the throne and moved to the Forbidden City, he summoned me twice in the first year of his reign, and then he had no time to summon me.

After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince took office in the Western Garden, he had never summoned me. He only saw me from afar when he held court in the Taiji Hall on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month on behalf of the Emperor.

His Highness suddenly summoned me today. What is his intention?
Kong Shangxian's mind kept turning, thinking about the answer.

He certainly wouldn't come to discuss the meaning of scriptures with me, nor would he ask about my life and studies. So what could that be?
Suddenly, Kong Shangxian remembered the rumors in the court that the working group sent by the Ministry of Revenue to Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi to survey the land was beaten only in Shandong, and someone was killed.

It is said that the leader is from a local family.

The local noble family in Shandong, isn't it headed by our Yanshenggong Mansion?

No wonder Gao Gong looked unhappy every time he saw me.

Gao Gong is not scary. Even if he grits his teeth, he can't do anything to himself and the Confucius family. The key is that when he implements the new policy, everyone knows that he is following the will of the prince and is a vanguard acting on orders.

Thinking of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Kong Shangxian felt panicked.

Kong Shangxian had been in the capital for a long time. Although he kept a low profile, he was not blind or deaf. He saw and heard many things. He knew very well what the Crown Prince was doing.

Kong Shangxian's Adam's apple twitched back and forth and he kept swallowing his saliva.

"Duke Yansheng, are you waiting for His Highness to summon you?"

Suddenly someone greeted him outside the door. Kong Shangxian looked up and saw that it was Cai Maochun, the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, who was greeting him with a bow.

Standing next to him was Li Zhi, the Minister of Taichang Temple, who forced a smile and bowed to him.

"Mr. Li, Mr. Cai, that's right. I am waiting for your Highness to summon me. Who are you?"

"I just paid my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Cai Maochun replied, looking at Kong Shangxian, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

When Kong Shangxian was studying Chinese studies, Cai Maochun was his teacher and they got along well. When Kong Shangxian saw Cai Maochun's appearance, he felt a little uneasy.

These two are the prince's close ministers. Could it be that they heard some rumors when they were paying them a visit just now?
Kong Shangxian couldn't help but want to ask Cai Maochun a question, but Li Zhi said beside him, "Duke Yansheng, we have to go back to the Taichang Temple to take care of government affairs. We'll take our leave now."

After saying that, he bowed and turned to leave. Cai Maochun bowed helplessly and left as well.

Kong Shangxian became even more panicked.

What happened?

Is there anyone who can tell me?

"Master Kong!" A voice startled Kong Shangxian who was lost in thought.

He turned around and saw that it was the eunuch Qi Yan, the prince's personal eunuch.

Kong Shangxian quickly calmed down and replied, "Eunuch Qi."

"Sir, please!"

Kong Shangxian stood up quickly, his body swayed, but he held on, forced a few smiles, and followed Qi Yan in. "Eunuch Qi, may I ask why His Highness summoned me?"

While walking on the road, Kong Shangxian couldn't help but ask.

"Sir, I don't know either." Qi Yan remained tight-lipped as always.

When they arrived at the Qinzheng Hall, Kong Shangxian walked in with his head lowered. Seeing Zhu Yijun sitting behind the desk, he hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down to kowtow.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, is greeted by your Highness, the Crown Prince."

"Please stand up, Lord Yansheng. Please take a seat. Qi Yan, serve tea."

Zhu Yijun didn't even raise his head, but waved his left hand, "Sir, please sit down for a moment. I still have a paragraph of reply to write."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Kong Shangxian stood up and saw clearly that Zhu Yijun was leaning over the table, writing with his right hand.

Kong Shangxian sat down halfway, took the tea brought by Qi Yan, and put it on the table next to him.

After Zhu Yijun finished writing his reply, he picked up the question book and blew gently on the ink a few times. When the ink was slightly dry, he covered it lightly with an ink-absorbing cloth, and the ink quickly dried.

After closing the petition book, Zhu Yijun stood up, turned around and handed the petition book to Qi Yan, "Give it to the Supervisory Office, keep it on file, and send it to the Shandong Prince for recommendation."

"Yes."

Zhu Yijun sat down at the head of the table, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Master Kong is not only teaching at the Imperial Academy, but is he also studying under a master?"

Kong Shangxian quickly replied, "When I inherited the title, I vowed to live up to my ancestors' teachings, the country's grace, and my studies. That's why I have been studying hard."

"Well, you are a descendant of Confucius, so you must be decent in terms of knowledge. I heard that you recently had a debate with some of Mr. Zhuo Wu's disciples at the Imperial College?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I feel that my mind is originally pure, but it is obscured by habits and is scattered everywhere.

Only by returning to the clear and bright, and being as clear as the beginning, can the learning be completed. All the thousands of streams and schools of thought in the world have their origins in this. The one who has fully expressed its meaning is Wang Wencheng.

He said: There is no good or evil, the nature of the mind is originally clear; there is good and evil, the movement of the mind, clarity may flow into clarity; knowing good and evil is conscience, clarity is always clear; doing good and avoiding evil is the study of things, using clarity to return to clarity.

Although Zhu Yijun was a poor student in Confucian classics, he still had the skills he had learned since childhood. He had not forgotten the knowledge that his teachers had instilled in him since he entered Xiyuan.

I could still understand what Kong Shangxian said.

"Master Kong is also a disciple of Yangming's School of Mind?"

"Yes, Your Highness. The biggest regret in my life is that I cannot be a disciple of Mr. Yangming in person."

Zhu Yijun stood up, put his hands in his sleeves, and walked around the room again.

"Since you are all disciples of Yangming's School of Mind, why are you arguing endlessly? I heard that the argument was so intense that the master was about to raise his fist to fight."

When it comes to learning, Kong Shangxian's anxiety suddenly disappears, and he said confidently: "There are millions of people in the world who say they are disciples of Yangming's School of Mind. It is natural for everyone to hold their own views."

Zhu Yijun smiled and asked, "You are a descendant of Confucius, so they didn't give in to you?"

Kong Shangxian was embarrassed for a moment, and he stammered, "Your Highness, academic disputes have nothing to do with one's background."

It really has nothing to do with it.

If it has something to do with his family background, then as a descendant of Confucius, wouldn't Yanshenggong have the highest right to interpret Confucian classics? Those great Confucian scholars and celebrities are still a fart! Dong Zhongshu, Cheng Zhu, and Wang Yangming will never be able to make a name for themselves.

Your status can respect you, but you will not be given the right to speak. Otherwise, no one, from the emperor to the Confucian scholars, will sleep peacefully.

"That's good." Zhu Yijun laughed, took out a petition from his desk, and handed it to Kong Shangxian, "This is the impeachment petition of the Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Mr. Hai."

Hai Rui's impeachment memorial!
Hearing this name, Kong Shangxian couldn't help but swallow and became a little nervous.

Who will Hai Qingtian, who is famous throughout the country, impeach this time?

Kong Shangxian carefully took the memorial, which was a secret book with only the words "Hai Rui, the Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, presents this memorial" written on the cover.

Opening it, the first line on the right reads: "Please punish the scum and traitors in the Yanshenggong Mansion and help the local people."

Kong Shangxian's heart couldn't help but pound. When he saw the words "The great sage and teacher will be remembered throughout the ages, while the Yanshenggong Mansion will leave a legacy of harm to thousands of households", his legs went weak and he fell to his knees.

(End of this chapter)