Jiajing Chengming

Lu Shen was speechless for a moment and just pursed his lips and shed tears.

He also didn't expect that he, who had always been proud, would end up in such a miserable state and be scolded like a dog by the ten-year-old prince.

When Zhu Houcong heard that Lu Shen had gone to the crown prince to plead for mercy, he could not help but get angry: "This old man, I didn't kill him, not only did he not feel grateful for my kindness, nor did he lament my kindness to the crown prince, he even cried so hard, what on earth is the meaning of this? Does he have to be satisfied if I become a mean and ungrateful tyrant?"

"Tell the officials to forcibly take him to Sunrise and leave the capital today! If he is delayed for another day, the officials will be exiled together with him!"

Zhu Houcong issued a new decree for this purpose.

Therefore, people from the Ministry of Justice forcibly escorted Lu Shen out of the capital that same day.

After Lu Shen left, Zhu Houcong said to Zhang Cong: "Let the Ministry of Personnel promote a new master of the Eastern Palace. It is definitely not possible to have only Zhai Luan. This Zhai Luan, because of his merit in protecting the crown prince, was transferred back to the Ministry of Rites as the right assistant minister and concurrently in charge of the Zhanshi Mansion;"

"Also, although the officials close to the Eastern Palace are selected as senior Confucian officials, two more outstanding people from the new Imperial Academy should be selected as lecturers, so that the Crown Prince can know some new ideas of the young Confucian officials."

"I remember that one of the two students I met on my way back to Beijing from Henan was called Gao Gong. He has now entered the Hanlin Academy, right?"

"Your Majesty, yes, he has been selected as an editor of the Imperial Academy."

Zhang Cong replied.

Because Zhu Houcong repeatedly granted special privileges and expanded the number of students admitted to the imperial examination, Gao Gong passed the examination earlier than in history and became a Hanlin official earlier than expected.

Zhu Houcong then asked Zhang Cong: "Who are the other new Hanlin officials?"

"Your Majesty, there are Li Ji, Ao Xian, Guo Pu, Gao Yi, and Zhao Zhenji."

Zhang Cong then gave out the name.

When Zhu Houcong heard Zhang Cong read out "Zhao Zhenji", he waved his hand and shouted: "Stop!"

Zhang Cong also stopped.

"Zhao Zhenji."

Zhu Houcong ordered.

Zhang Cong, Gui E and Xia Yan, the three ministers of the Imperial Study, all showed curiosity in their eyes.

They didn't know why the emperor chose Zhao Zhenji to be with the prince.

"Zhen is auspicious!"

"Good name!"

As it was noon, Zhu Houcong smiled and said this before getting up and leaving the imperial study.

By the way, after Lu Shen arrived at Sunrise, he was received by the envoy Xu Jie.

Yang Yiqing, Wang Shizhong and Tong Rui, three Ming Dynasty elders who were placed under surveillance and exiled here, naturally followed along.

Xu Jie himself was not very sad about this.

What he didn't expect was that the Sunrise area under his jurisdiction had become a gathering place for the old Ming dynasty loyalists.

This reminded him of Wen Yanbo, Sima Guang and others who had often gathered together during Wang Anshi's reform and were forced to go to Luoyang because they opposed the reform.

Yang Yiqing also thought of this, so, at the banquet to entertain Lu Shen, he said: "I don't know if Zhang Fujing is the Anshi of our Ming Dynasty."

"If he is Anshi, then Gui'e is Lu Huiqing."

Wang Shizhong added a sentence at this time.

Yang Yiqing smiled and then asked Lu Shen: "Mr. Lu, as the leader of the Qingliu, why was he also exiled here?"

"It's a long story. I'm already humiliated."

When Lu Shen said this, he pursed his lips tightly, looked at Yang Yiqing and others and said, "It's all because of Gui E, this villain, who is so despicable and vicious! His accomplices are willing to humiliate the upright people for Your Majesty!"

Lu Shen then told Yang Yiqing and others the reasons and consequences of his exile here.

After listening to what Lu Shen said, Yang Yiqing said nothing more, just sighed.

Lu Shen couldn't help crying and said, "What's wrong with me teaching the prince a strict education? It's for the sake of better co-governance between the monarch and his subjects in the future. But Gui E chose to make a fuss about my grandson! He forced me to admit my guilt and banished me to this barbaric land. I can only hope that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will let me go back when he ascends the throne in the future!" "But how could the Crown Prince let me go back? He would only be more willing to hear the news of my death."

Lu Shen said this with a wry smile.

Wang Shizhong then said, "Your Majesty also wants to let your party know that if you want to come back, you must ensure that the Crown Prince can take over smoothly, and at the same time sincerely ask for the Crown Prince's magnanimity. You, Lu Shen, are quite famous in Neo-Confucianism. I'm afraid that your disciples who care about you and rely on you to return to the court will really have to obey the Crown Prince's orders."

"Mr. Lu, you are confused!"

"Since your majesty is willing to appoint a crown prince and hand him over to you, the Qingliu, you should give up the idea of ​​making the crown prince a second filial piety temple and just want to enlighten his wisdom."

Tong Rui then spoke directly to Lu Shen.

Snapped!
Lu Shen stretched out his hand and slammed the table, then stood up and looked at these people with tears in his eyes: "That's because you don't know what the world has become in these years just by staying here!"

“What has become of the world?”

Wang Shizhong asked at this time.

Yang Yiqing also looked at Lu Shen at this time.

Lu Shen said: "Zhang Fujing and Gui E instigated Your Majesty to make profits for the people of the world. To this end, they began to issue bonds. At the same time, they also built a four-wheeled carriage and a horse-drawn cart. The cart consists of multiple carriages and can move quickly on iron-clad wooden tracks. It can greatly improve the difficulty of land transportation. In the future, it will be even more difficult to distinguish between the noble and the humble!"

When Lu Shen reached this point, he sighed and sat down.

"Are Zhang Fujing, Gui E and the others still planning to thoroughly survey the land in the country, so as to achieve the goal of equalizing taxes and labor service, alleviating the people's suffering, and strengthening the court's control over the land in the country?"

At this time, Yang Yiqing took the initiative to come over and ask about Lu Shen.

Lu Shen nodded.

"I knew it, I knew it!"

Yang Yiqing sighed and spoke at this time.

Wang Shizhong also said: "Suppressing annexation and surveying all the lands secretly occupied by the big families is naturally a good policy that is beneficial to the national economy and people's livelihood. However, as Lu Gong said, if the lives of the common people get better and better, how can we distinguish between the noble and the humble? This is not in line with the original intention of Emperor Taizu Gao!"

"That's right. If that's the case, it's better to stay in this place ruled by foreign countries, where you can tell the nobility from the foreign people."

“Only in this way can etiquette exist.”

Tong Rui followed up.

Yang Yiqing said at this time: "Let's see how Xia Guixi and his men respond. Your Majesty now relies on Zhang Fujing and Gui E, so he will naturally have to divide the world equally. However, the people who protect the etiquette will not be cut off. As long as Xia Guixi and his men respond properly and let Your Majesty understand that there are benefits to dividing the world by nobles and humbles, he will naturally not let Zhang Fujing and Gui E do whatever they want."

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have claimed to be an upright person and thought that I could let the world's affairs be decided by the public in the future. I should have learned from Zhang Fujing and others to follow your Majesty's lead."

Lu Shen spoke with great regret at this time.

Xu Jie, who had been silent all this time, spoke up at this moment: "I have something to tell you gentlemen. I have received an imperial decree to go to the capital to serve as the Eastern Palace Master, with the title of Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Junior Secretary."

After hearing this, everyone looked at Xu Jie.

Yang Yiqing nodded, "Xu Shaohu is wise enough to know that he must obey the emperor's will before he can protect the moral principles. You are the first person to come here to recommend yourself. The whole world is watching your career. If the emperor doesn't allow you to be the master of the East Palace, he can't convince the whole world! But I hope that after Shaohu comes to Beijing, he will get to know Xia Guixi more and lend him a helping hand."

Xu Jie nodded.

A few months later, Xu Jie really returned to the capital after a long absence, to meet Zhu Houcong again.

"How is the sun now?"

When Zhu Houcong met Xu Jie, he first asked about the sunrise.

Xu Jie replied: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that I am receiving education in an orderly manner."

"Where are Yang Yiqing and the others?"

Zhu Houcong asked.

Xu Jie took out a thick book of quotations from his sleeve and said: "I know they are criminals, and I have the responsibility to monitor them, so I compiled a book of quotations of old ministers and handed it to Your Majesty today. Your Majesty will know it after reading it." (End of this chapter)