Chapter 115: Looking up at the starry sky, Zhu Zaiyu

P: This chapter is extremely difficult to understand. Please do not challenge your own weaknesses. Please read carefully.

A long imperial edict was unfolded by two young eunuchs. Feng Bao flicked his whisk and secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, the Emperor had punctuated it, otherwise, he wouldn't even know how to pause while reading this edict. He raised his voice and said loudly: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"Heaven, Earth, and Man are always changing; all things are always changing."

"When will the days end? I will perish with you. King Tang of Shang conquered the Xia Dynasty, and the feudal lords submitted. Tang then ascended the throne of the Son of Heaven and pacified the world. He wanted to move the altar of the earth, but the North Star moved from the right wall of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, the first right pivot, to the right wall of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, the second minor lieutenant. It was not possible, so he built the Xia altar."

"King Zhou of Shang was chaotic and tyrannical. King Wen received this great mandate. Only King Wu, on the morning of the Jiazi day, in the year of the tripod, conquered the Shang Dynasty. Then he reported to Heaven: 'I shall dwell in this Middle Kingdom and govern the people.' The North Star moved from the right wall of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, the second minor lieutenant, to the second imperial star of the North Pole. The poem says: 'Although Zhou is an old state, its mandate is new.'"

"The Three Kingdoms exhausted the spirit of heroes, and the two Jins produced only rats. The list of Chu and the participation of others, the five poisons are all prepared; the three horses in the same trough, the wolf's ambition, everyone knows it, forcing Cao Wei to abdicate and having no way to guard the world. The world has been exhausted and withered for four hundred years. From the North Star to the two stars of the North Pole moving to the five stars of the North Pole, only then did the Tang and Song dynasties appear, and all things were renewed."

"Only the golden spears can pull back the setting sun; the southern crown cannot help but be blown by the north wind. The Hu Yuan occupied the throne, the Huaxia sank, corpses lined the roads, the living were in misery, blood flowed for a thousand miles, and how many wronged souls sighed? The North Star moved from the fifth heavenly pivot of the North Pole to Polaris. Fortunately, the ancestors opened up the land, and the Hu barbarians were completely restored to the world."

"The North Star moves, the world changes. The stars turn and the stars move; all infinite things change. Sir, you observed the shadows of the trees in the wind of the moon and realized the way of the infinite changes of all things, and the contradiction of all principles. It is truly so."

"Confucius said: 'Governing with virtue is like the North Star, dwelling in its place, and all the stars surround it.'"

"The North Star is called the North Pole, and all the stars surround and revolve around it. Why does the North Star change so much? I know that it changes but do not know why it changes. It is like looking at a leopard through a tube—knowing there is a heart but not knowing its nature. This is like knowing two and five but not knowing ten."

"Now that I have obtained a strange treasure, I specially bestow it upon you, hoping to solve my doubts."

"Respect this."

Feng Bao finished reading this long imperial edict and handed over the calibrated!

What way of infinite changes of all things, what contradiction of all principles, what North Star, what North Pole, what right pivot, what minor lieutenant, what second imperial star of the North Pole, what fifth heavenly pivot of the North Pole, what Polaris.

I don't understand! I don't know what those things are at all!

Zhu Yijun asked: "Sir, I have doubts."

"Your Majesty, your subject also has doubts..." Zhang Juzheng was a bit confused. He looked at the imperial edict in his hand and then at the young Emperor's increasingly heroic appearance. For the first time, he considered whether it would be better to retire. He could live a few more years, and the young Emperor could manage affairs anyway. Returning power to the Emperor was the way to go.

If this continued, he was afraid he wouldn't be tired to death by the affairs of the world, but would be asked to stupidity by the young Emperor first!

What was all this!

He could naturally understand every word in the imperial edict, and he could understand most of them when put together. But in some places, he didn't understand the question, so how could he solve the young Emperor's doubts?

The Emperor was not attending to his proper duties; where did he learn star-gazing to come and show off?

Zhu Yijun asked with surprise: "Sir, is there anything in the world you don't know? Do you still need the Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau to come over?"

Why were there still doubts? As the culprit, shouldn't the Emperor be the most clear? Did he think Zhang Juzheng was a sage who knew astronomy and geography, knew the past five hundred years and the future five hundred years, and understood the past and present? He came to ask about everything!

If he asked again, he would have to attend self-study classes!

"Can your subject find the Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau to ask a few questions?" Zhang Juzheng decided to seek help from the sidelines. Not knowing was not a shameful thing, but pretending to know and having to explain it was deceiving the Emperor.

Zhu Yijun said with surprise: "Is there anything in the world that you, Sir, don't know? Do you still need the Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau to come over? Feng, go and proclaim him."

Feng Bao said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the Commander Zhao Mengyou received news that his mother passed away and requested to return home to observe the mourning period. He is not on duty in front of the hall today. There is a criminal investigation centurion on the side."

"I already knew about this yesterday. Didn't I issue an edict to revoke the mourning period?" Zhu Yijun knew about this news and also issued an edict to revoke the mourning period. But on second thought, even if the mourning period was revoked, he still had to go back to take a look. Burying and crying until the funeral was over—the Zhou rites still had to be followed. Three months was the minimum.

Zhu Yijun was typically giving an inch and taking a mile. The court officials didn't oppose Liang Menglong's revocation of the mourning period, and only one Sun Jigao jumped out. Now it was the Commander Zhao Mengyou's revocation of the mourning period!

What was called "climbing up the face"—the civil officials retreated one step, and Zhu Yijun would advance three steps. Not only would the civil officials play the trick of "doubling," but was the young Emperor's skill of taking an inch and taking a mile not practiced?

The young Emperor's teacher was Zhang Juzheng, who took an inch and took a mile.

Zhang Juzheng felt a chill in his heart. It was exactly as he thought; every step of the young Emperor was not superfluous.

"In that case, Zhang, you make a trip." Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Hong and said.

Zhang Hong immediately went to the Astronomical Bureau and pulled the Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau, Zhou Xiang, to the side hall of the Wenhua Hall. Zhang Juzheng and the Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau struggled for nearly an hour, and only after mutual translation did they understand what the Emperor was talking about.

The Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau didn't quite understand what the Emperor meant by those words. Zhang Juzheng needed to figure out what those stars were!

The North Pole is not simply the geographic pole, but the North Pole of the Earth's axis and the North Celestial Pole corresponding to the Earth's axis. All the stars in the sky revolve around the North Celestial Pole.

The North Star does not specifically refer to any star in the sky, but to the star located near the North Celestial Pole.

The star at the North Celestial Pole is the North Star.

Zhang Juzheng knew the specific definition of the North Star, but he didn't know that this thing would change, and it had been changing since there were records. At the very beginning, the North Star was Tianyi, later it was Taiyi, which is the star marked as the first right pivot of the right wall of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure on the star map of the Great Ming Astronomical Bureau.

"When will the days end? I will perish with you." When the Shang Dynasty replaced the Xia Dynasty, the star closest to the North Celestial Pole changed to the second minor lieutenant star of the right wall of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure.

"Although Zhou is an old state, its mandate is new." After King Wu conquered the Shang Dynasty, the star closest to the North Celestial Pole changed to the second star of the North Pole, which is the Imperial Star.

During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the world was in chaos, and the star at the North Celestial Pole changed from the second imperial star of the North Pole to the fifth heavenly pivot of the North Pole (not the heavenly pivot of the Big Dipper).

And when the Hu barbarians went south and the Southern Song Dynasty was destroyed, the star at the North Celestial Pole changed from the fifth star of the North Pole to Polaris.

The reason it changes is because of precession.

Zhang Juzheng could understand, but he didn't know if the young Emperor could understand.

Zhang Juzheng stood with his hands folded and said: "Your Majesty, it is because of precession. The North Star changes."

"Because of precession." Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng with surprise and asked: "Then what is precession?"

"A year is a year, and the sky is the sky. The Earth year and the sky year are different. The difference between the Earth year and the sky year each year is precession. This is very complex. It is very troublesome to explain. The Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau, Zhou Xiang, and your subject talked for a long time before your subject understood a little. Does Your Majesty want to hear it?"

"Listen, the road ahead is long and far, I will search up and down." Zhu Yijun said very firmly.

Zhang Juzheng pondered for a long time. This was not his field of expertise. As a prodigy who was famous far and wide, he could still answer some of the Emperor's questions.

He stood with his hands folded and said: "The Earth year is easy to understand. It is one year on the ground, experiencing spring, summer, autumn, and winter, repeating in a cycle. Simply put, it is from summer solstice to summer solstice, winter solstice to winter solstice."

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "Just like my birthday, year after year."

Zhang Juzheng continued: "The sky year is only used by astronomy students and is unknown to ordinary people. The sky year of the stars is the time it takes for the sun to depart from a certain fixed star on the ecliptic and return to that fixed star. Your Majesty, ordinary people don't use this, so it is not easy to understand."

Zhu Yijun waved his small hand and said: "It is very easy to understand. Isn't it just relative change? Didn't you teach me about contradictions, yin and yang, heaven and earth, and these pairs of opposites? I have studied very seriously!"

"The Earth year is the sun's change relative to the Earth in one cycle, and the sky year is the sun's change relative to the stars in the sky in one cycle."

Zhu Yijun naturally understood. If he didn't understand, he wouldn't have measured the angle of Polaris relative to the Earth's horizontal plane.

After so much effort, magnifying the object, using a level, and rotating the differential drum—if he couldn't even understand a relative motion, why would he be precise? Like the Red-Haired Barbarians, just using two wooden strips to roughly measure the 40-degree angle of the North Pole would be enough.

That would be "grand but not firm," no different from the Confucian scholars he scolded every day. The Master also said: "Born with knowledge, or learned and known, or known through confusion"—born knowing, learning to know, or knowing through confusion are all processes of cognition.

Zhang Juzheng had been teaching for almost two years. The theory of contradictions was Zhang Juzheng's enlightenment work. As a disciple, if he couldn't even understand this relative concept, he would have wasted his lessons.

Zhang Juzheng's face showed a hint of a smile that quickly faded, and then the smile froze. The Great Ming was shrouded in two dark clouds: one was the Emperor not attending to his proper duties, and the other was the Emperor reading books extremely well.

Zhang Juzheng had been governing for so many years, and this was the first time he felt troubled because his student was too intelligent.

Zhang Juzheng then continued: "The Earth year is short and the sky year is long, which creates precession. Precession creates a phenomenon called 'fixed stars moving east, solar terms moving west.' If the ecliptic does not change, the fixed stars move east; if the fixed stars do not change, the ecliptic moves west."

"The *Book of Documents* says: 'The sun is short and the stars are in Mao to rectify the winter solstice.' In the time of Yao, the day when the sun was shortest was the winter solstice, and the Mao star, which symbolized the winter solstice, would appear in the middle of the sky, telling everyone that the winter solstice had arrived and the weather was coldest."

"During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the star official Yu Xi checked all the ancient books and found that the stars of the winter solstice were also changing, which were the Wei star official, the Lou star official, and the Kui star official. This immediately caused Yu Xi to be confused. Liu Liu Zhizhi through confusion, Yu Xi spent several years determining that the winter solstice star official at that time was the Bi star."

"Two thousand seven hundred years, from Mao to Bi. If the celestial sphere is divided into 360 degrees, the solar term star officials moved west by more than 50 degrees. So Yu Xi determined that the solar terms move west, and the precession value is one degree every forty-plus years."

Zhang Juzheng could understand, but he didn't know if the young Emperor could understand.

"I understand. It means that before Yu Xi, no one discovered that the sun does not return to its original position in the celestial sphere after one year. Yu Xi discovered this phenomenon and determined that the fixed stars move east by one degree in the celestial sphere every forty-plus years. The star officials who report the solar terms move east by one degree. Moving and moving, the star officials who report the solar terms changed. Is that it?" Zhu Yijun seriously understood Zhang Juzheng's words, asking instead of answering.

The ancients always regarded the stars in the sky as immortal officials in the sky. The star officials who reported the solar terms kept changing, which caused Yu Xi to be confused. After thinking and observing, he obtained the concept of precession. The sky year minus the Earth year, the fixed stars move east, the solar terms move west, moving one degree every forty-plus years.

It couldn't stump the young Emperor.

Zhang Juzheng said quite sincerely: "Your Majesty is wise."

The Assistant of the Astronomical Bureau had spent a lot of effort, explaining with gestures and explanations, before he completely explained the matter. It was thanks to the telescope bestowed by the Emperor that Zhang Juzheng also often looked up at the starry sky, otherwise, he wouldn't have understood what the Astronomical Bureau said.

Zhu Yijun looked puzzled and said: "Sir, I have doubts."

Zhang Juzheng immediately felt that the young Emperor had changed from a sunny and cheerful ruler into an indescribable monster. Where did so many doubts come from? If you have doubts, you should be the most clear as the culprit! Did he think Zhang Juzheng was a sage who knew astronomy and geography, knew the past five hundred years and the future five hundred years, and understood the past and present? He came to ask about everything!

"Your Majesty, knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing. Your subject does not study star-gazing and cannot solve your doubts." Zhang Juzheng righteously expressed that he didn't know!

He only knew this little bit, and he was still learning and selling it. Don't ask anymore.

Zhu Yijun said with some regret: "Sir, knowing through confusion is the principle you taught me. Only by having doubts and solving them can one gain new cognition; you also taught me that contradictions succeed each other to release all principles, and knowing and acting succeed each other to achieve conscience; you also taught me that being grand and firm is for scholars, and not being grand and firm is to be cowardly; you always say to practice what you preach and teach by example. I don't understand, why as the Emperor's teacher, you don't solve my doubts?"

"You are not even afraid of the powerful and wealthy of the world, why are you afraid of small doubts?"

"Sir? Sir?"

Zhang Juzheng was truly numb. They were all the principles he taught, and now the young Emperor was using the principles he taught as gunpowder and lead bullets, all firing at him, Zhang Juzheng!

Zhang Juzheng was truly dizzy from the boomerang. He bowed his head and said: "Your subject is here."

Zhu Yijun continued: "Sir, in May of the year before last, the late Emperor passed away and summoned you to the Qianqing Palace, entrusting the world, the nation, and me to you. You are the Emperor's teacher, tireless. You also said: 'This is your subject's duty to repay the late Emperor and be loyal to Your Majesty.' How can you bear to see me have doubts and not solve them?"

"I am young and inexperienced. How can you bear to abandon me? Is it because I didn't study seriously that I angered you?"

"I will definitely study seriously."

Regret, regret!

Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said: "Your subject will solve your doubts."

Zhu Yijun immediately said: "Then, why does precession appear? Why is the sky year longer than the Earth year? This is very strange. And this one degree every forty-plus years—how many years is it? Will the sun's relative position in the celestial sphere keep circling like this and return?"

"Your Majesty, please allow your subject to think slowly." Zhang Juzheng was silent for a long, long time before saying: "Your subject can only answer one of the questions. Your subject has to slowly find the answers to the others."

"Precession, the sun's relative position in the celestial palace moving east by one degree every forty-plus years—this is inaccurate. Because the calendar has changed many times since the time of Yao, it cannot be verified. So Yu Xi's measurement was also a rough calculation. Forty-plus years is an imaginary number."

"Zu Chongzhi measured it as fifty years in the *Great Ming Calendar*. By the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Li Chunfeng wrote about astronomy and the calendar, and did not adopt the theory of precession. There were many arguments, and it took more than a hundred years to finally determine that there was indeed precession."

"By the Yuan Dynasty, Guo Shoujing measured it in the *Shoushi Calendar* as one degree every sixty-six years and eight months."

Zhu Yijun heard this and said with a smile: "It's getting more and more accurate. What about our Great Ming? What is the measurement?"

"Great Ming... no measurement." Zhang Juzheng said helplessly. The Great Ming's performance on precession was zero. On this matter, Zhang Juzheng was also helpless.

Zhu Yijun frowned and asked: "What does 'no measurement' mean?"

Zhang Juzheng let out a turbid breath. Although he didn't want to admit it, he still intended to explain this matter clearly: "No measurement means it has never been measured."

"Later methods are often better than ancient methods, and they are revised more and more densely. The calendar is the most obvious. From the Yellow Emperor to the Qin, the calendar was changed six times; the Han changed it four times; from the Wei to the Sui, it was changed fifteen times; from the Tang to the Five Dynasties, it was changed fifteen times; the Song changed it seventeen times; from the Jin to the Yuan, it was changed five times. Only our Great Ming's *Datong Calendar* is actually the old *Shoushi Calendar* of the Hu Yuan. It has been used for more than two hundred and eight years without ever changing the constitution."

"Why?" Zhu Yijun asked again.

Zhang Juzheng kept his mouth shut and said nothing. He knew the answer, but he really couldn't say it. That was not a field a subject should discuss.

Zhu Yijun actually knew the answer. Zhang Juzheng was always so cautious. This was a field that a subject could not involve. He smiled and said: "The *Tao Te Ching* says: 'The greatest sound is silent, the greatest form has no shape.'"

"Sir, your silence is like thunder, deafening."

The greatest sound is silent, the greatest form has no shape. The greatest Tao is often invisible.

Zhang Juzheng's silence was deafening.

Zhang Juzheng dared to speak of the late Emperor's faults because the late Emperor asked him to look after the young Emperor, and because the late Emperor was also Zhang Juzheng's ruler. To demand difficulty and state goodness is respect. Zhang Juzheng had to look after the young Emperor well. The old abuses of the past needed to be eliminated, so he could speak and would speak.

But Zhang Juzheng could not speak of the faults of the Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. That would represent Zhang Juzheng wanting to make a big news, which was a challenge to the Great Ming's legal principle, a path that would only be taken if one wanted to usurp authority.

Zhang Juzheng did not want to usurp authority, so he said nothing.

The reason the Great Ming did not change the rites and laws was very simple: ancestral laws, revering heaven and following ancestors, the *Datong Calendar* is the path, removing the growth and decline of the year's reality, the *Datong Calendar* is eternal.

In fact, since the Yongle era, there had been people who submitted memorials saying that the *Datong Calendar* was inaccurate and requested to change the calendar.

And when the Jingtai Emperor was in power, he made a decision that went against the ancestral teachings, changing the time of the winter and summer solstices, which directly led to the supervisor Xu Dun almost being beheaded. The Jingtai Emperor ascended the throne after the Yingzong Emperor was captured, and the public opinion in the court became more and more intense. The Jingtai Emperor couldn't argue with the court officials and had to issue an edict that from then on, the calendar would still use the old systems of Hongwu and Yongle.

Tong Xuan in the tenth year of the Chenghua era, Yu Zhengji in the seventeenth year, Zhang Sheng, an astronomy student in the nineteenth year; Zhu Yu, a doctor of clepsydra in the thirteenth year of the Zhengde era, Zheng Shanfu, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites in the fifteenth year, Le Hu, a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing in the sixteenth year; Hua Xiang, a director in the Ministry of Works in the second year of the Jiajing era, Zhou Xiang, the assistant to the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture in charge of the observatory in the third year of the Longqing era.

So many astronomy students, one after another, requested to change the calendar. Although there were reckless people like Yu Zhengji and Leng Shouzhong who made plans indiscriminately, others had evidence. But after going around and around, they were all trapped by one problem: the ancestral laws cannot be changed.

Zhu Yijun took a deep breath and said: "Water drips through stone. Although the amount is very small, it will become obvious after a long time. This is the principle of quantitative change leading to qualitative change that you mentioned. If it is off by nine quarters a day, at the time of midnight, the mistake will be one day; if the solar terms are off by one day, the leap month will be wrong; if the leap month is off by one month, the season will be wrong; if the season is off by one season, the year will be wrong."

"Sir, the Great Ming's *Datong Calendar* has not changed for two hundred and eight years. Today, you are reforming the law, and all things are renewed. Why not revise the calendar?"

"I know this matter is extremely difficult."

"I often hear farmers say: 'The plan for the year lies in spring.' If spring plowing is delayed by one day, the whole year will be delayed. 'The harvest for the year lies in autumn.' If autumn harvest is delayed by one day, the whole family will starve. The common people are trapped by grain tax, grain rent, and private demands from the township, and their suffering is indescribable. I am not afraid of the heavenly power of solar and lunar eclipses, but the farming time is not accurate, and the world is exhausted. How can I have the heart?"

"This is an extraordinary achievement, so it should be an extraordinary matter. Sir, what do you think should be done?"

Zhang Juzheng's right hand unconsciously tapped his thumb held in his fist. Zhu Yijun immediately knew that this action of Zhang Juzheng indicated hesitation. He had ideas in his heart, but didn't know whether to say them or not.

Zhang Juzheng had thought about this problem!

Obviously, Zhang Juzheng had ideas about this matter, because there were more important things to do, so he had never mentioned it.

"Sir, what is your plan?" Zhu Yijun asked with some surprise. What kind of warrior was Zhang Juzheng that he was so hesitant?

Zhang Juzheng said hesitantly: "It is not that your subject has any hesitation. Your subject has always kept this matter in mind. The people are the foundation of the nation, and the foundation is solid, the nation is peaceful. The Great Ming common people are trapped by annexation. Your subject sincerely knows their suffering. Your Majesty personally engages in farming, which is the blessing of the nation. The assisting officials should naturally do their best to share the worries for Your Majesty. The calendar of the nation has not been changed, and your subject is extremely anxious but has no good plan. I am not good at this, so I cannot assist Your Majesty."

"Your subject does know one person, but this person's identity is a bit special."

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "What is inappropriate? Prince Duanqing, I have long heard of his virtue. Proclaim him to the capital to accompany me, as my astronomy teacher, to show the friendship of relatives." Zhu Yijun actually knew the great scientist and great musician Zhu Zaiyu.

Rites and laws—isn't this what they are used for at this time?

Some time ago, Hou Yuzhao submitted a memorial belittling the imperial clan, saying that all those below the Commandery Prince should make their own living. Zhu Yijun directly waved his hand and stamped his seal. There was a wave of opposing public opinion brewing in the court, and it was becoming more and more intense. Many officials submitted memorials one after another, saying that they feared losing the friendship of relatives.

Just right, proclaim the Prince Duanqing, Zhu Zaiyu, to the capital. Who would dare to say that there was no friendship of relatives?

Zhu Yijun grasped the rites and laws firmly.

The Zheng Wangfu had been passed down since the Xuande era. The Zheng Prince Zhu Zhanjun was the second son of the Ming Renzong Emperor. The Ming Xuanzong Emperor Zhu Zhanji had to call him second brother. Although they were no longer so close, Zhu Yijun didn't have any relatives anyway, and they were all quite far away. Proclaiming anyone was the same.

Zhang Juzheng said with some emotion: "There is a story here. In the twenty-seventh year of the Jiajing era, the Zheng Prince's eldest son, Zhu Zaiyu, submitted a memorial of four proverbs, advising the Shizong Emperor not to be obsessed with heterodoxy and to revere the Taoist way. The Shizong Emperor was furious and reprimanded him. In the twenty-ninth year of the Jiajing era, the Zheng Prince was falsely accused and was demoted to a commoner, imprisoned in Fengyang."

"Since then, the Prince Duanqing, Zhu Zaiyu, built a mud room outside the gate of the Zheng Wangfu. For nineteen years, he lived alone on straw, wearing coarse clothes and eating vegetables, until the first year of the Longqing era, when his father, the Zheng Prince, was exonerated and returned to the Zheng Wangfu, Zhu Zaiyu returned to the palace to reunite with his father."

Zhu Yijun frowned and asked: "Is it true that he lived alone outside the palace for nineteen years without entering the palace gate?"

Zhang Juzheng was also surprised when he first heard this story and had to ask: "Is it really so?"

Zhu Yijun frowned and asked: "Did he really live alone outside the palace for nineteen years without entering the palace gate?"

When Zhang Juzheng first heard about this, he also wanted to ask if it was really like this? Nineteen years of not living in the palace and living frugally outside?

Zhu Yijun pondered and asked: "What exactly do the Zheng Prince and Prince Duanqing want? What is their appeal?"

"The late Emperor sent a eunuch to talk about repairing the Prince's mansion, but Prince Zheng submitted three memorials to firmly refuse. The late Emperor increased his salary by 400 shi, but Prince Zheng still refused. The late Emperor then bestowed the crown and belt of the heir apparent on Zhu Zaiyu, but Zhu Zaiyu submitted seven memorials to explain his feelings and also refused." Zhang Juzheng explained the story clearly.

"If it is not very excessive, we can compensate them a little."

Nineteen years of grievances—no matter how beautifully Zhu Yijun said it, it was the grievance given by the Jiajing Emperor, the old Taoist. The descendants giving them a little compensation was reasonable. Besides, the matter in those years was also because the Zheng Prince's line was fighting for the throne and falsely accusing each other.

The Jiajing old Taoist was primarily responsible, and the Zheng Prince's line was secondarily responsible.

The Zheng Wangfu was difficult, but was the Emperor's family not difficult? Jiajing himself almost lost his life twice. If it weren't for Lu Bing and Zhu Xixiao's protection, he might not have lasted until the twenty-ninth year of the Jiajing era. Everyone was from the Yan Wangfu, and everyone was difficult, so just make do.

"There are some inappropriate places." Zhang Juzheng said with gritted teeth.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and answered: "What did he say? Nineteen years of resentment, some complaints are normal. Just say it, I don't mind."

Zhang Juzheng really gritted his teeth and said: "Zhu Zaiyu said, he only hates that he is a member of the Zhu family. Your Majesty, please allow your subject to report: the Prince Duanqing was initially pardoned, and his father returned home. He was overjoyed, so his words were naturally a bit biased and indignant, which is human nature."

Zhu Yijun heard this and said: "Are you redefining 'overjoyed'?"

The old Daoist Jiajing bears the primary responsibility, and the Zheng Prince's lineage bears the secondary responsibility.

This was the fundamental reason why Zhang Juzheng had been hesitant.

You, the Emperor, think your words are effective, but the decree is sent to the Zheng Wangfu. This dead knot that cannot be opened—whether the Zheng Wangfu listens to the proclamation is ambiguous. If they give you face, they call you "Emperor, big nephew"; if they don't give you face, they would rather go into the grave than accept the proclamation.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and replied: "Why say that? Nineteen years of resentment, some complaints are normal. Just say it, I don't mind."

Zhang Juzheng looked at Zhu Zaiyu's attitude, fearing that when the Zheng Prince passed away, Zhu Zaiyu wouldn't even want the throne.

If even the imperial clan couldn't be proclaimed to the capital, what kind of blow would that be to the Emperor's majesty?

"There are some inappropriate places." Zhang Juzheng, although he recommended Zhu Zaiyu, still tended not to proclaim him. Let everyone be peaceful, and don't make things difficult for each other. Just pretend there is no such relative.

Zhu Yijun said with a calm face: "Poverty does not exceed three generations. Poor families will have no descendants after three generations

You, the Emperor, think that your words are useful, but your edict reached the Prince Zheng's mansion. This dead knot that cannot be opened, whether Prince Zheng's mansion listens to the edict is ambiguous. If they give you face, they call you the Emperor, the big nephew. If they don't give you face, they would rather go into the ground than follow the edict.

The Emperor restored the Prince's title and granted the heir apparent the crown and belt. What did Prince Zheng's mansion do? They wore plain clothes and ate vegetables. The group of hypocrites who ate, drank, and played in the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties do not count as having character. This is what character is.

Looking at Zhu Zaiyu's attitude, Zhang Juzheng is afraid that when Prince Zheng passes away, Zhu Zaiyu will not even want the Prince's title.

If even the imperial clan cannot be summoned to the capital, what kind of blow would that be to the Emperor's majesty?

"I fear there are inappropriate aspects." Although Zhang Juzheng recommended Zhu Zaiyu, he still tended not to summon him. Everyone is peaceful, no one should make things difficult for anyone, just pretend there is no such relative.

Zhu Yijun said calmly: "Poverty does not last for three generations. Poor families have no heirs for three generations. Prince Zheng's mansion has received imperial grace for generations and continues endlessly. From Hongwu to now, eighty-one princes have been enfeoffed, twenty-two have been posthumously enfeoffed, fifteen have had their titles removed due to lack of heirs, and some have had their titles removed due to crimes."

"No mistake," Zhang Juzheng hurriedly bowed and said: "The abolition of the Liaodong Prince's title was a heinous crime, not because I held a grudge and retaliated. The world is mistaken."

Zhang Juzheng presiding over the abolition of the Liaodong Prince's title is truly like mud falling into his pants; he has reason but cannot explain it clearly.

It was clearly the Liaodong Prince himself who, after the late Emperor passed away, was not sad, was impeached by the censor, and finally made a scene. The late Emperor was furious and abolished the title. Such a big thing as abolishing the title, could Zhang Juzheng decide it by himself?

Zhu Yijun did not care much about the abolition of the Liaodong Prince's title. Below the commandery prince, everyone in the world has to find their own way. Abolishing the Liaodong Prince's title is just that.

Zhu Yijun said quite definitely: "In our Great Ming, there are tens of millions of people, but only twenty-six princes. If he, Prince Zheng and Zhu Zaiyu, did not have the Prince's title, could he cultivate virtue, lecture, write, know astronomy, know geography, learn all kinds of skills, blow, pull, sing, and look at the stars at home? Can he say he is not a Zhu family member just because he doesn't want to be? It's fine if he is useless. Since he is useful, he should obey the edict."

"I know your meaning, Sir. The friendship of relatives and the great ethics of the five constants, I know the importance. I said, I don't mind, so I don't mind. A gentleman keeps his word and keeps his promise, so why not let people have some resentment? I have a good method, and I will definitely make him come to the capital willingly."

Zhang Juzheng was slightly hesitant and looked at the sextant placed aside. To Zhang Juzheng, this thing is just a toy for adults. As the Grand Secretary, he just looks at the stars when he is free. He does not have so much energy to be obsessed with looking at the stars.

But for Zhu Zaiyu, who looks at the stars, the sextant is a treasure that cannot be found anywhere!

The Dutch's crude sextant doesn't even have a level, relying entirely on visual estimation. Can it be compared with the tribute from the Great Ming Imperial Workshop that the young Emperor has used himself and said is good?

If he likes astronomy and music, just attack his soft spot!

The word "China" first appeared in the edict of King Wu of Zhou pacifying the world. Let's call it an edict. It really has a long history. I spent several hours writing that imperial edict, and I spent nearly half a month checking the materials for this chapter. Only after writing it did I find that it was broken. It is harder to understand than those Four Books and Five Classics. It is difficult for everyone to understand, and it is also very difficult for the author to write, but it was written after all. Everyone, please bear with it. Please vote for the monthly ticket, Awoo!!!!!!!

End of chapter