Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 206 A gentleman talks but doesn’t do anything

In front of a lobby of the academy.

The students who came to watch the fun formed three layers inside and three layers outside, surrounding the lobby so tightly that no one could get in or out.

In the middle, He Zheng, with his clothes disheveled and his chest exposed, was wrestling with a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a Confucian robe.

Although that man was taller and stronger than He Zheng, He Zheng was also a hot-blooded man and was not willing to show weakness.

The man on the opposite side punched him, and he twisted sideways and stretched out his hands to pinch his opponent's neck. The opponent's cheeks turned red, his breathing became rapid, and in an emergency, he grabbed He Zheng's long hair behind his head.

He Zheng grimaced in pain, his facial features shifted, and the strength in his hands increased suddenly.

As the opponent felt pain, the strength in his hands increased suddenly.

Neither of them was willing to give in to the other, and they were like two fighting cocks, holding on to each other's sore spots.

The students who were watching the excitement around were enjoying it so much that some even clapped their hands and cheered, waved their fists and gave exaggerated cheers.

"What are you doing! What are you doing?!"

An angry voice was heard and everyone looked back.

Zhang Yunxiu walked quickly forward under the protection of several Jinyiwei attendants, followed by a blond-haired and blue-eyed Portuguese.

Suddenly, everyone was frightened and scattered to both sides to make way for Zhang Yunxiu.

When the two people who were fighting saw the police coming, they let go and moved aside.

The middle-aged scholar took two deep breaths before looking at Zhang Yunxiu, pointing at He Zheng and accusing him, "Zhang Sicheng, this guy said some unfilial words. I argued with him for a few words, but he wanted to kill me to silence me. His mind is really vicious."

He Zheng wiped the blood from his neck and sneered, "Hey, you're good at talking. It was obviously you who started it first, but now you're turning the tables and blaming it on me!"

"You have no king or father, and you are making up stories!" The middle-aged scholar was furious and pointed at He Zheng and cursed.

"What do you mean by 'I'? As the ancients said, 'A gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists.' You villain, I just wanted to have a verbal fight with you, but you started fighting with me first." He Zheng spat and replied with a nonchalant look on his face.

"Alright, alright, shut up!" Zhang Yunxiu was so annoyed by the noise that he glared and swore, "You haven't had enough, but you keep fighting. If you still don't feel satisfied, I'll have someone lend you a knife.

"You can just beat him until he's dead, okay?!"

After these words were spoken, the two looked at each other, tilted their heads and said nothing.

Seeing that the victim had calmed down, the guards began to drive the students away. Soon, the students who had come to watch the excitement dispersed.

The middle-aged Confucian scholar still felt that Zhang Yunxiu favored He Zheng, but he could not do anything about him. He could only say some harsh words and leave angrily.

As soon as he left, He Zheng changed his expression and personally led Zhang Yunxiu to the small hall to sit down.

Matteo Ricci and his guards went to the side hall.

After the two men sat down, He Zheng's disciple served them tea and then hurriedly left.

Zhang Yunxiu had been walking for a long time and suddenly felt thirsty. He took a sip of the tea on his left hand, his eyes narrowed, and he asked, "Tell me, what's going on?"

He Zheng was very interested and told in detail what had just happened.

The middle-aged scholar who fought with him was called Huang Sheng. He was a juren and the dean of a well-known academy in Beijing.

However, since He Zheng opened the academy, his "high-level theories" have shocked the world and attracted many students in Beijing to praise him. These Confucian masters were immediately unhappy and came to his house every few days to discuss with him. He Zheng's words were sharp, and in the past month, many Confucian masters were defeated by him.

This morning, Huang Cheng refused to believe in evil and brought his disciples to debate with He Zheng. The two sat opposite each other in the square, with their own disciples and supporters standing behind them.

As soon as their eyes met, Huang Cheng's face turned serious and he was the first to speak in difficulty: "The ancients said 'Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parents, and Teachers'. Apart from Heaven and Earth, the emperor is the most honorable. In this world, everyone has his or her own position. How dare you say something like 'Everyone can become a saint'? You are truly disrespectful to the emperor and the father!"

"Haha, you still claim to be well-read in Confucian classics." He Zheng laughed loudly, then suddenly stopped laughing and sneered, "The king is the leader of his subjects. If the king is not righteous, the subjects will defect to another country. The country is the leader of the people. If the country is not righteous, the people will rise up and attack it. The father is the leader of the son. If the father is not kind, the son will flee to another place. The son is the hope of the father. If the son is not righteous, the family will be destroyed for the sake of justice. The husband is the leader of the wife. If the husband is not righteous, the wife can remarry. The wife helps the husband. If the wife is not virtuous, the husband will divorce her.

"Brothers are respectful and friendly, fathers are kind and sons are filial. Could it be that if your master is unkind, your parents are unkind, and your brother is disrespectful, can you still be filial to them in every way?"

As soon as these words were spoken, He Zheng's fans immediately cheered.

Huang Cheng smiled coldly: "If the king wants his subjects to die, they must die. If you can do this, you are a loyal subject. Let me ask you, if the master wants to take your life, do you dare not die?!"

"Why not?" He Zheng blurted out, and then said, "If I have not violated the law, and the master wants to take my life, if I surrender, the master will kill a loyal minister by mistake, then wouldn't that make the master commit a mistake?"

"How dare you, a traitor, say such outrageous words." Huang Cheng stood up suddenly in shock.

He Zheng stood up and cursed: "How dare you, a bookworm, criticize me!"

Huang Cheng was immediately filled with anger when he heard the scolding.

He took a step forward and, relying on his tall stature, grabbed He Zheng by the collar. He Zheng, not willing to be outdone, reached back and grabbed Huang Cheng's neck.

The two of them immediately started fighting.

So this is the scene that Zhang Yunxiu saw.

After hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu glanced at He Zheng and said, "You were quite ruthless. If I hadn't come, what would you have strangled him to death?"

"No." He Zheng shook his head. He knew the strength of his hands. "That guy is tall and strong. If I didn't put on a desperate posture, he would really have caught me."

After hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu looked at this person again.

Seeing that his hair was disheveled and his cheeks were covered with bloodstains, but he still had a fierceness. For a moment, he had a higher opinion of this "madman" who dared to speak out and argue with his master.

In the feudal era when the emperor's power was granted by heaven and the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues prevailed.

It's rare to have such a person.

While he was pondering, Zhang Fu came in with a few people from outside, each of them holding a food box in their hands.

Walking to the table, Zhang Fu ordered people to open the food boxes, take out the dishes inside and put them on the table, then he respectfully withdrew.

He Zheng twitched his nose, took a deep sniff, and immediately swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Hmm, this food tastes so delicious. We are all thanks to you, Zhang Sicheng."

"Hahaha"

Seeing that he looked hurt but still seemed so relaxed, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He Zheng smiled carefreely, picked up the chopsticks, and devoured all the dishes on the table.

(End of this chapter)