The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 96 There Must Always Be a Goodbye
This time, Li Qi's wake-up time became very long.

The autumn imperial examinations have ended.

At the Deer Cry Banquet, not only was Li Qi absent, but neither was Li Xianmu, the top scholar of the current imperial examination. This unusual scene immediately made people feel uneasy.

Since the autumn imperial examinations had ended, the teachers no longer kept it from the students and revealed Li Qi's physical condition to them.

This news struck like a thunderbolt in the hearts of countless scholars.

Li Xianmu regarded Li Qi as a god of heaven and earth, a sentiment that was naturally beyond the reach of ordinary people. Yet, countless people in the world regarded Li Qi as their revered teacher, and numerous invitations to visit him arrived in droves. Everyone wanted to pay their respects to Li Qi, because no one knew whether Li Qi would still be in this world the next time they saw him.

Even though Li Qi has woken up this time, his physical condition does not allow him to see guests. Every time he wakes up from a coma, he needs a period of time to recover. The last time he went to the Imperial Academy, he had to recuperate for quite some time before he had the energy to go.

The scholars eagerly hoped to see Li Qi again, even if they couldn't see him alone, they hoped to see him together again. However, the princess's residence kept giving them no definite answer, so they could only continue to wait.

It wasn't until October that news finally came that Li Qi would meet with all the candidates who had participated in the provincial examinations before the spring examinations.

The person who made this decision was naturally Li Qi; Princess Lin'an did not agree with it.

"How can your body go any further out? What if you go out and can't come back?"

Even if the situation is irreversible, and it might drag on for just one more day, I always hope you can stay with me for one more day.

That's how it is with the living; there are so many regrets. We always wish our loved ones could stay one more day, even if it's just to say a few more words.

Li Qi understood perfectly. He had experienced the pain of losing his father, who hadn't uttered a single word before his death. He felt deep regret whenever he thought about it, and it remained unforgettable.

"My wife, I won't go out. I'll just stay on the main street in front of the princess's residence. I won't go to the Imperial Academy. I still need to see these scholars."

In these twelve years, I have not accomplished anything significant. I have witnessed the many chaotic phenomena in the world, yet I have been unable to change them. All I have done is cultivate this reputation, which allows me to stand out and shine among scholars.

The Ming Dynasty will always rely on civil officials to govern the country. These scholars are the hope for the future of the Ming Dynasty. Every time I meet these scholars, I may influence one more person in the future, so that the world will have one more gentleman and one more good official.

"You always have this kind of logic, which makes me seem like I'm being unreasonable."

"My wife is the best princess, a model of noblewoman. It is my good fortune to be able to hold your hand."

Princess Lin'an would eventually agree with him. These were the words in Li Qi's heart. He had been very happy to have been with Princess Lin'an for twelve years.

"I'll go check if the medicine is ready."

Princess Lin'an hurriedly walked out of the house. As soon as she stepped out, tears streamed down her face. She had never cried so many times, not even during her exile. She didn't want to cry at all, lest Li Qi see her and be upset. So she could only hide away.

Li Qi gazed at the roof adorned with auspicious cloud patterns, and looked around at the room's simple yet luxurious furnishings. The curtains and drapes carried a strong herbal scent, a result of his daily medication over the past year, which had permeated the air.

What will my death be like?

Li Qi suddenly thought of this scene. He really didn't know what would happen after death. After all, this wasn't a computer game, and no one was controlling the family.

"The incense of incantation should be able to summon me, but what if there is no incense of incantation? Will I slumber in endless darkness? Will I face the legendary, boundless terror between life and death?"

Li Qi suddenly chuckled softly, "How fortunate I am to know what lies between life and death!"

As the saying goes, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out!
There is nothing between life and death, because no one can stand between the two realms. There is not even a moment's gap between life and death. But now things have changed. Li Qi will become this person who is neither alive nor dead, who is both alive and dead!
The princess's residence remained unchanged, and time moved slowly forward.

At this time, the successful candidates from various provinces had gradually arrived in the capital. Those who lived nearby heard as soon as they arrived that Li Qi was already on his deathbed. Some were as if they had lost their parents, while others were happy but dared not show it. The students from the north who lived further away heard the rumors from the capital on their way and could not believe it at all. After they rushed to the capital, they found that it was true and were in a daze for a moment.

Fortunately, they were able to see Li Qi one last time, which put an end to their regret. This was their first meeting, and most likely their last.

Li Qi's health was deteriorating, a fact known to all his relatives and friends. Under these circumstances, it was natural not to go to the Princess's residence casually, lest it disturb Li Qi's recuperation.

But as relatives and friends, they still had to say goodbye. It was impossible not to see each other one last time. So Xie Jin and the others sent visiting cards to the princess's residence to see when Li Qi would have time to meet with them.

Everyone knows that Xie Jin, Chen Ying and Li Qi had a good relationship, but over the years, it's not just these two who have had a close relationship.
Huang Huai, who was appointed to the Wenyuan Pavilion and served as the chief examiner for the provincial and metropolitan examinations in Yingtian Prefecture, was also an extremely intelligent person. He gradually figured out and guessed many things, and for whatever reason, he would always come to visit.

When Huang Huai walked into the inner room and saw Li Qi, he was stunned for a moment, because the Li Qi he saw was completely different from the person he remembered.

His impression of Li Qi was mostly from the Zhejiang East Conference. At that time, Li Qi was just like the legend, dominating the world and filling Zhejiang East with both despair and hope. From then on, he had a fear of Li Qi, as if he was naturally inferior to him.

It wasn't until the emperor suddenly appointed him as the chief examiner for the imperial examination that he felt as if the dark night sky had been suddenly torn open, and a dazzling light shone down, revealing a bright future. Later, he learned that it was Li Qi who had made the suggestion.

Now that only he and Li Qi were in the room, he finally couldn't help but ask the question that had troubled him for a long time, "Lord Jinghe, what kind of person are you really?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qi burst out laughing. He knew why Huang Huai had asked that question. He stared at Huang Huai for a long time before slowly saying, "I'm just an ordinary person who wants to make the world a better place."

"If you were an ordinary person, the Ming Dynasty would have already achieved three generations of good governance."

"In that case, you may call me a saint."

Li Qi readily agreed, leaving Huang Huai stunned once again. He hadn't expected Li Qi to change his mind so readily.

Coming to his senses, he said with a helpless smile, "So you are a true man who doesn't concern himself with trivial matters, just like the sages recorded in the classics." "Unfortunately, a sage can't change too much. Rather than pursuing a sage, it would be better to help every scholar become a gentleman. You have a long way to go."

Li Qi looked at Huang Huai and said, “I don’t know where Zhejiang will go in the future, but if the general trend remains unchanged, there will inevitably be some changes after I die. This is the natural order of things.”

But you must fulfill your responsibilities and limit the scope of things, so as not to cause too much trouble. If you fail to do so, eastern Zhejiang will continue to suffer. My disciples and sons are extraordinary people who will carry on my legacy.

Upon hearing this, Huang Huai immediately became solemn. Li Qi's meaning was simple: Huang Huai was now a leading figure among the scholars of Zhejiang and should fulfill his responsibility to restrain himself. However, complete restraint was difficult because it was essentially due to the heavy taxes levied on Zhejiang by the Ming Dynasty. If this was not changed, the scholars of Jiangnan were destined to become disloyal.

However, even though they are both forms of centrifugal force, the degree is completely different. At least it cannot cause too much confrontation in the court. It is not yet the middle or late stage of intense factional struggle, so it can be completely restrained.

Huang Huai immediately assured him, “Lord Jinghe, I have kept in mind everything you said at the Zhejiang East Conference. I will do my best to restrain my disciples and promote the merging of the North and South. This is the general trend of the world, and I understand it.”

Li Qi smiled and said, "I am helping you because I know you are not bound by the distinction between North and South. If you can fulfill what you have promised today, you may have even greater wealth and honor in the future."

Li Qi then inquired about the recent situation of scholars in Zhejiang. Huang Huai told Li Qi everything. After a short while, Huang Huai quietly left the room. He was already covered in the smell of herbs. He sighed softly, knowing that this might be the last time he would see Li Qi in his life.

After Huang Huai left, Li Qi pondered the current situation in Zhejiang. He knew that Huang Huai alone could not suppress the situation, but it was also unrealistic to expect to suppress it completely. The reason why the scholars in Jiangnan were behaving themselves was because of Huang Huai's presence; his personal prestige was simply too high.

In the human world today, his reputation has almost reached its peak, reaching as high as 98!

To put it simply, in the real history of the Ming Dynasty, there is absolutely no one else with such prestige, not even Wang Yangming himself.

As for the emperor, that was even more impossible.

Li Qi's prestige was due to a series of coincidences. First, all his real political enemies were gone. Second, although he was the leader of the Northerners, after reconciling with Zhejiang, he went from being hostile to at least neutral among the Southerners, with only a few scheming individuals still disliking him.

Secondly, he didn't actually hold power, and ironically, he didn't have many political enemies.

If you do not contend, no one in the world can contend with you!

He was a spiritual leader, not a political leader, which is why he enjoyed high prestige among officials and scholars.

He also enjoys a very high reputation among the people because his story of how the son of a nobleman fell into misfortune and then attained enlightenment has been so widely circulated that it has even inspired rhymes and children's songs similar to the Three Character Classic.

As for folk tales, they are frequently seen, and these legendary stories have become extremely popular.

The royal family trusted him and spared no effort in promoting him, which is why he is who he is today. If one wants to surpass him, it would probably only be possible to do something like Emperor Guangwu of Han, who rebuilt the country.

The Li family's current reputation is 70, of which 30 is due to his role as the family head. The Li family's true reputation as a clan is only 40, and a large part of that is due to the label "Li Shengren's family".

If no talented individuals emerge from the Li family later, the prestige brought by this label will gradually diminish until it becomes completely useless.

For example, the Kong family in Qufu, although they are descendants of Confucius and a true thousand-year-old family, their reputation is only around 70, simply because they have nothing else besides bloodline.

However, Li Qi predicted that with Li Xianmu also becoming a prominent figure in his time, the Li family's reputation alone should rise to 60. In the Ming Dynasty, this reputation was already quite remarkable, making them one of the top scholar-official families.

As long as one doesn't offend those in power, this prestige can sustain one's family for one or two generations without any problem. However, once one reaches the age of 60, the growth becomes too slow. After all, this is the Ming Dynasty, and the environment for the survival of aristocratic families and powerful clans like in the Han and Tang Dynasties is no longer available.

Seeing Huang Huai leave, Li Xianmu walked in from the outer room.

"Mu'er, Huang Huai may become your ally in the future. If there are any disturbances in Jiangnan, you can ask Huang Huai to help you."

Li Xianmu had always known that his father was wary of the gentry in Jiangnan. The reason for this wariness was simple: Jiangnan's economic and cultural strength was too great.

If we compare the entire Ming Dynasty to a person, then the capital city is the brain, and Jiangnan is the heart, which supplies blood to the whole body and sustains life. If Jiangnan fails to cooperate, then the entire person's life will be in trouble.

But Jiangnan alone is not enough. The other students are like limbs, liver, gallbladder, spleen and stomach, each with its own function. No part can split up and go it alone. The North naturally does not want to go it alone because it is poor, while the wealthy Jiangnan always has this idea, so it must be suppressed.

In Li Xianmu's memory, his father had told him about many problems that the Ming Dynasty urgently needed to solve, but only the Jiangnan region was mentioned again and again, each time with great solemnity.

Apart from Jiangnan, my father would only occasionally point to the Western Regions when he looked at the map of the unified Ming Dynasty and said, "This is the old territory of my Han and Tang dynasties. There used to be a thousand-mile Buddhist kingdom and Han clothing, but now nothing is left."

If the Ming Dynasty cannot reclaim this land, it will be his lifelong regret.

Li Xianmu didn't know why his father cared so much about the Western Regions. In Han history, the Western Regions had always been used as a tool to deal with the northern grasslands.

Only the Tang Dynasty truly regarded the Western Regions as its own territory.

In reality, that place had been lost for six hundred years. The people of the Ming Dynasty were completely unfamiliar with that land and didn't care about it at all. The court probably had no intention of expending military force to take it back. The Ming Dynasty cared more about Liaodong, Hetao, Yunnan, and even Annam.

How could Li Qi share his innermost thoughts with anyone?

He once lived in a prosperous era, in which the Western Regions were an inseparable part of the country, a fact that was deeply ingrained in people's minds!

He once guarded the lights that illuminated thousands of homes on the beautiful Yili grassland.

The people there speak Mandarin, and a large number of Han Chinese live there. How could Li Qi possibly accept that the Western Regions were no longer within his territory?
But Li Qi knew he couldn't be impatient. Now was not the right time. He needed to let nationalism ferment a little longer, and one day the Western Regions would return to the embrace of the Central Plains and never be separated again!

(End of this chapter)