Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 21 I had an epiphany like Yangming (Please read on!)
Zhang Juzheng wanted to continue testing Zhang Yunxiu, so Zhang Yunxiu was naturally unperturbed.

He thought for a moment and then replied.

"This newspaper is the first step for me to put Mr. Yangming's philosophy into practice. Practice, of course, cannot remain merely words."

Father, you can go and see for yourself how many peddlers and laborers have benefited from my newspaper, and how many people have been able to learn about the prices in the city and no longer be confused about buying and selling because of it.
How many people rely on the almanac in the newspapers to plan their agricultural activities, daily life, and other affairs?
Many displaced people earned some money by helping to sell newspapers. As for novels, many people criticize them as frivolous pursuits that lead to the loss of one's ambition.
But the lives of ordinary people are already difficult. My newspaper, which costs only five coins, brings them spiritual comfort. Isn't this a good thing for the country and the people?
The officials of the court had never
besides"

"Okay."

Zhang Juzheng interrupted his youngest son, rubbing his forehead as he felt a headache coming on.

He suddenly realized that his youngest son was even more eloquent than the officials in the imperial court.

He could immediately come up with ten sentences for the one sentence he was given.

Zhang Juzheng glanced at his youngest son: "You still read the works of Master Yangming?"

Nodding, Zhang Yunxiu cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am not very talented, but I recently read Master Yangming's 'Instructions for Practical Living' and had some sudden insights."

As a time traveler, the changes that occurred in him would inevitably raise suspicions.

Wang Yangming was the excuse Zhang Yunxiu gave himself.

Given his legendary status and position in history, it's not hard to understand why he could have an epiphany while reading "The Record of Learning".
At this moment, Zhang Juzheng was finally somewhat satisfied.

He nodded: "You are willing to study, but you need to put your mind on the right path."

As he calmed down, Zhang Juzheng flicked his sleeves, sat down in the armchair, and pointed to the empty teacups on the table.

"Pour the tea."

"Dele!"

Zhang Yunxiu immediately became much more docile and respectfully poured tea for his father.

He's tough, not stupid.

Seeing that Zhang Yunxiu was actually serving tea to his father, the father no longer felt any sense of reprimand.

The two older brothers, who had been kneeling on the ground, were suddenly somewhat bewildered.

For a moment, both of them thought that Zhang Yunxiu was going to be beaten to death by Zhang Juzheng.

But in this question and answer, Zhang Yunxiu actually managed to smooth things over?

Is it even possible to do it this way?

Since ancient times, the father has been the father of the son. This is the fundamental principle of ethics and morality. If the son has made a mistake, how can one talk about it with a smile?

Zhang Juzheng took a sip of tea and narrowed his phoenix eyes.

The death penalty may be waived, but punishment will not be spared.

He had no intention of letting Zhang Yunxiu off easily, and instead spoke in a dignified voice.

"Let's put the newspaper matter aside for now and explain why you made unwarranted comments about the new policies."

“No.” Zhang Yunxiu shook his head. “I am not making any rash comments about the new policies, but merely stating the facts. Father is skilled in governing the country, but inept at protecting himself. This is not a blessing for the nation!”

"You!" Zhang Juzheng slammed his teacup on the table again. "What do you know about the new policies?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and comforted him, "Father, there's no need to argue with me. I don't expect to convince you with words. Knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial. Even if I argue with you, it won't be as effective as seeing the results of my newspaper."

"How can you prove it?" Zhang Juzheng frowned.

"The next issue of the newspaper," Zhang Yunxiu said mysteriously, narrowing his eyes. "Father will know then."

Backyard den.

Earlier, the dispute and farce in the study had subsided.

At this moment, all around is quiet, with only the soft rustling of ink being ground on the inkstone and the gentle rustling of the brush tip touching the paper.

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu rubbed his sore wrists and complained helplessly.

"Father is so cruel! He makes us copy this family precepts, which are tens of thousands of words long. Copying them a hundred times would kill someone! Why do you two have to copy them fifty times, but I have to copy them a hundred times?"

"Silence!"

The eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, lowered his voice and looked around before speaking.

"My father said he might not have left yet."

"Sigh~" Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu let out a long sigh. Although copying the family precepts was hard work, it was the best outcome of this whole affair.

Of course, all of this is thanks to the "heroic" performance of the younger brother, Zhang Yunxiu.

However, the root of the problem was Zhang Yunxiu's "heroic" performance.

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu suddenly had a feeling in his heart, which was "Don't associate with bad people!"
Recalling the earlier commotion, the eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, couldn't help but feel a little confused.

"How did Fifth Brother know about the controversy in the imperial court regarding the abolition of the hereditary chieftain system and the replacement of hereditary chieftainships with centrally appointed officials?"

Zhang Yunxiu's brushstrokes on the manuscript paper were like dragons and snakes, his calligraphy was like a dog's crawl, yet he copied it the slowest.

"Replacing native chieftains with appointed officials?" Zhang Yunxiu looked up. "Replacing native chieftains with appointed officials is no secret. The court started implementing it during the Yongle era, didn't it? Moreover, this matter has spread throughout the capital. Doesn't my elder brother know about it?"

Zhang Jingxiu looked embarrassed: "When I'm on duty, I'm mostly handling official business and rarely chat with people."

After passing the imperial examination, Zhang Jingxiu was appointed as a principal officer in the Ministry of Rites.

Perhaps influenced by Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Jingxing was always cautious in his work and even dared not have too much contact with his colleagues.

In modern terms, he was like a heartless work machine. Zhang Yunxiu shook his head helplessly: "Brother, this won't do. Being an official means dealing with people. If you keep your head down and don't go out and make friends, how can you survive in the officialdom?"

"This..." Zhang Jingxiu said somewhat awkwardly. "I'm not good with words."

Zhang Yunxiu had figured out this older brother's temperament.

Zhang Juzheng, Zhang's father, was a master at governing the country, and Zhang Juzheng himself was quite shrewd in his youth, but he was really not good at teaching children.

Both his eldest son Zhang Jingxiu and the young Emperor Wanli can be said to be products of his failed education.

The latter brought utter destruction to the Zhang family.

The eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, pursed his lips, seemingly realizing his own problem, which made him even more curious about Zhang Yunxiu's changes.

"Fifth brother, have you really studied the philosophy of Yangming?"

The eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, had bright, expectant eyes.

"Of course," Zhang Yunxiu said, shaking his head and lying through his teeth.

“In the past, Yangming attained enlightenment in Longchang, and I was seriously ill a few days ago. During my leisure time, I had some thoughts and carefully read the ‘Record of Teachings and Practices.’ I felt refreshed and invigorated. Could this be what the ancients called ‘sudden enlightenment’?”

Zhang Yunxiu spoke these words without batting an eye, clearly having reached a certain level of mastery.

The honest Zhang Jingxiu couldn't understand at all; instead, his eyes lit up and he said excitedly.

"Can Yangming's philosophy of mind really enlighten people? Could I perhaps study this 'Record of Teachings and Practices'? What do you think, Fifth Brother?"

Although Zhang Jingxiu, the eldest brother, didn't say it to his face, he secretly envied Zhang Yunxiu the most.

Simply being able to converse fluently with Zhang Juzheng was already something he had always dreamed of.

Zhang Yunxiu paused for a moment and said, "Studying the 'Record of Learning' is no problem, but elder brother, please remember not to follow my example and argue with our father."

He was genuinely afraid that his elder brother would be beaten to death by Zhang Juzheng!

The reason he was able to recklessly test Zhang Juzheng's psychological boundaries was not because of the "Record of Learning and Practice," but mainly because he had conducted a detailed analysis of Zhang Juzheng's personality through historical materials from later generations and his understanding of his father.

Most importantly, although Zhang Yunxiu might not be able to refute Zhang Juzheng, he could use "magic to defeat magic," quoting Zhang Juzheng's own words to refute himself.

The ancients were old, but not stupid.

He was not naive enough to think that he could outmaneuver the top shrewd officials in the court with the experience of a civil servant, as some online novels in later generations suggested.

All I can say is that they died without even knowing how they died.

Playing to one's strengths and avoiding one's weaknesses is the best choice.

Zhang Yunxiu's strength lies in his experience spanning several hundred years, as well as the information gap between his mind and that of the ancients.

Just as Zhang Yunxiu was worrying about his older brother's future.

The eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, ignored all advice and instead drifted off into his own thoughts.

In Zhang Jingxiu's fantasy.

The person who had just been conversing fluently with his father was not his younger brother Zhang Yunxiu, but himself.

The father's surprise, the father's approval, the father's expectations.

These intertwined emotions caused Zhang Jingxiu's body to tremble with excitement, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

He desperately wanted a word of approval from his father.

But just then, a complaint shattered his reverie.

"I'm not copying anymore. How long will it take to copy this fifty times? It's a waste of time."

Zhang Yunxiu shook his hand, baring his teeth in a grimacing manner.

This family precept is tens of thousands of words long. If one were to honestly copy it all, it would take an unknown amount of time.

So he simply threw down his brush and got up to leave.

"Fifth brother, where are you going again?"

Zhang Jingxiu grew anxious, fearing that he would displease Zhang Juzheng again.

But Zhang Yunxiu turned his head and said, "When will I ever finish copying the family rules fifty times? I might as well go and run my newspaper well. If I run it well, everything will be fine. If I don't, copying the family rules a thousand times won't do any good!"

"Fives"

Before Zhang Jingxiu could finish speaking, Zhang Yunxiu had already disappeared through the door.

But then he thought about it again and realized that what the other person said seemed to make a lot of sense.
"What a madman!"

With a sigh, Zhang Jingxiu decided to ignore it and looked back at the thick stack of manuscript papers beside him.

"Big brother, we..." The fourth brother, Zhang Jianxiu, also wanted to run away, but he didn't have the courage of Zhang Yunxiu.

Zhang Jingxiu sighed and said, "We are different from Shi Yuan, so let's just copy honestly."

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with helplessness.

As he was copying, Zhang Jingxiu looked up and said gently, "Fourth brother, if you can't finish copying, I can help you copy it a few times."

"Really?" Zhang Jianxiu was overjoyed. "I knew my brother was the best to us. If you help me copy it twenty times, I'll have a much easier time."

Twenty times?
“…” Zhang Jingxiu took a deep breath and said, “I’ll copy it five times for you.”

(End of this chapter)