Chapter 25

The little Emperor personally attending to farming and having doubts—the two Empress Dowagers were both full of smiles. Virtue is to practice the Dao and gain from it. Having doubts about doing things means he is really doing things and thinking, which is virtue.

The Empress Dowager Chen asked with a smile, "Tell me about it."

Zhu Zhu Yijun pointed to the thick stack of books on the desk and said, "I asked Zhang Hong to take many agricultural books from the Ancient and Modern Collection Library, such as the *Classic of Sericulture*, the *Book of Miscellaneous Five Elements*, the *Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People*, *Must-Haves for Scholars and Farmers*, etc. These agricultural books are all written in classical Chinese, and there are no punctuation marks, no punctuation, and no annotations. They are not common characters."

"Obscure and difficult to understand."

The agricultural books Zhu Zhu Yijun read didn't even have a punctuation mark. Memorials at least have punctuation (breaks), but these agricultural books don't even have breaks, so reading them is really strenuous.

Zhu Zhu Yijun continued, "Moreover, there are differences in climate and temperature between the north and the south, but the records in these agricultural books are not detailed and cannot be adapted to local conditions."

"If these agricultural books were written for farmers, farmers can't read them; if they were written for scholar-officials, scholar-officials are obsessed with the Four Books and Five Classics, and most of them don't even flip through these reference books. This is a side path; who would be obsessed with this? Some even regard agricultural studies as heresy. Then, who are these agricultural books written for? And who are they for?"

The Empress Dowager Li and the Empress Dowager Chen were stunned for a moment and looked at each other. The little Emperor's question was extremely tricky.

Agricultural books are not for farmers to read because farmers are illiterate. Scholar-officials are obsessed with the Four Books and Five Classics, and most of them don't even flip through these reference books. This is a side path; who would be obsessed with this? Some even regard agricultural studies as heresy.

Some even regard agricultural studies as heresy.

Zhu Zhu Yijun continued to ask, "The Senior Grand Secretary taught me: 'Agriculture is the great foundation of the world, and what the people rely on to live. To enrich the country, one must take the foundation as the business.'"

"But so many agricultural books are covered in dust on the shelves, no one flips through them, and no one annotates them. It's hard to even find an annotated version. How can this solidify the foundation and enrich the country?"

"Empty talk harms the country. Are these agricultural books written in flowery language, which farmers can't understand when spoken, a kind of detachment from reality? And local officials who don't even look at agricultural books—how can they encourage farming? How can they act for the Emperor to pacify the people? Is this not a kind of empty talk?"

The Empress Dowager Li thought for a long time and said, "Since the Emperor wants to read them, I will find someone to annotate them for the Emperor."

"It's getting late, so go to bed early." The Empress Dowager Chen also stood up. For the little Emperor's slightly sharp questions, they had no answers and didn't know how to answer. Two adults couldn't answer a ten-year-old child's question, so they couldn't talk anymore.

The child is still young and is asking adults questions, but the adults can only mumble, looking left and right.

How can they still lecture the child with confidence?

Better not to lecture!

Zhu Zhu Yijun sent away the two Empress Dowagers and sat at the desk, still flipping through those agricultural books. Obscure and difficult to understand doesn't mean they can't be understood. In these agricultural books, a sentence said inadvertently might save countless lives.

Since no one annotates them, no scholar flips through them, then he will annotate them, he will flip through them, he will correct the errors, and he will test the theories through practice. It is indeed hard work, but Zhu Zhu Yijun always remembers one point: whoever works for the people is the king of the people.

He looked for a long time before he put down the pen and paper in his hand with satisfaction.

"Early to bed and early to rise makes you grow tall." Zhu Zhu Yijun stretched and signaled Zhang Hong to extinguish the lights.

Zhang Hong was also reading. Before leaving, after asking for the Emperor's permission, he took away a volume of agricultural books. When the Emperor asked, he couldn't be completely ignorant.

The next morning, the Zhao Wenhua Hall was still noisy. The little Emperor was writing and drawing in front of the imperial desk on the moon terrace of the Zhao Wenhua Hall, earnestly studying the Four Books and Five Classics. The assessment on the 19th of every month is his confidence to act recklessly. Only after passing the assessment can he continue to neglect his proper duties.

"Zhang Zhang Juzheng!" Ge Ge Shouli was already furious!

What did the little Emperor of the Great Ming do after practicing martial arts yesterday?

He went to Jingshan to hoe the earth!

Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at Ge Ge Shouli, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said, "Chief Censor Ge, this is the Zhao Wenhua Hall. No matter how you address me in private, since we are sitting here discussing court affairs, please address me as Senior Grand Secretary."

When working, one must be professional.

Ge Ge Shouli said angrily, "You first expelled the Grand Secretaries and monopolized these lectures. Your control of power is almost shaking the master! Holding power like this, you are almost going to shake the master! Now you dare to monopolize the lectures. What will you dare to do in the future? Are you going to monopolize the imperial power?"

When Ge Ge Shouli said this, Zhang Zhang Juzheng, who had been looking a bit gloomy, actually had a smile appear on his face. And then this smile immediately melted away, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng said with a smile, "Hmm?"

"Speaking of the Emperor's studies."

"The readers, lecturers, book-exhibiting officials, and ministers communicate with each other, and the Emperor's progress in reading is extremely fast. To tell the truth, the Four Books and Five Classics I annotated can't keep up with the speed of the Emperor's reading. Recently, I have also been burning the midnight oil to annotate, fearing that I will fail the late Emperor's entrustment, the Empress Dowager's earnestness, and the Emperor's expectations."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was smiling, and it was not the kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes, nor was it sarcasm, but a very genuine smile, a smile from the heart.

Ge Ge Shouli was attacking the Senior Grand Secretary, but the Senior Grand Secretary didn't seem to care much, and instead praised the Emperor's studies.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng finished talking about the Emperor's studies and then continued, "Ah, right, Chief Censor Ge mentioned that I monopolized the lectures. This is the point."

"Chief Censor Ge, isn't this saying too little of the Grand Secretaries?"

"On the 19th of every month, there is an assessment. Does Chief Censor Ge think that the Grand Secretaries are occupying positions without doing their jobs, unwilling to properly assess the Emperor's lessons? Or is it that you are erasing the contributions of the Grand Secretaries?"

Wang Wang Xilie looked at Ge Ge Shouli, his eyes slightly puzzled. Zhang Zhang Juzheng is indeed responsible for teaching, but the one responsible for the examination is the previous lecture Grand Secretary. What is Ge Ge Shouli saying?

Have the Grand Secretaries not been doing their best in the Emperor's education, or have they made no contributions?

"Chief Censor Ge, do not hurt the good kind." Wang Wang Xilie looked at Ge Ge Shouli with unkind eyes and tapped the table. The Jin Party and Zhang Zhang Juzheng are fighting; don't hurt the innocent.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng is not unskilled at dealing with the supervising secretaries, but the previous affairs were complicated and chaotic, especially the little Emperor's homework, which also made him feel at a loss. He couldn't just pull out a ruler and hit his palms.

That is the Emperor.

After this case of the attempted assassination, His Majesty finally realized that being an Emperor is not so simple and was finally willing to put his heart into studying properly. This is great news for Zhang Zhang Juzheng.

The Jin Party is powerful, the northern barbarians are going south, the six evils of the Jieku Academy are all present, the Emperor is personally attending to farming, and even challenging the long-standing conclusions of the Sage Mencius—none of these are major events. In Zhang Juzheng's heart, the most important thing is that the Great Ming's ten-year-old little Emperor can grow up to be a talent.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng is not afraid of court officials, not afraid of supervising secretaries, and not afraid of the Jin Party. After he took charge of the country, his biggest worry was that the little Emperor would not become a talent. And the lectures of the first six months had extremely poor results, which made him worried.

It wasn't until recently that the knot in his heart was completely untied. It's just that there were two small dark clouds. One was that the little Emperor was a bit neglectful of his proper duties, practicing martial arts and agricultural studies. The second dark cloud was that the little Emperor was reading too well.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng is extremely gratified that the little Emperor is reading well. The national system of the Great Ming needs an enlightened monarch to lead the Great Ming to rise again. Whether it is martial arts or farming, as long as it does not delay learning the principles of governing the world, Zhang Zhang Juzheng will not interfere excessively.

So, reading too well is just a small dark cloud.

Reading doesn't necessarily cure the country, but not reading definitely won't cure the country.

Ge Ge Shouli took a deep breath and said sternly, "His Majesty went to Jingshan yesterday, not to climb high, enjoy flowers, drink, or shoot arrows, but to hoe the earth! His Majesty is of supreme nobility, living deep in the nine-fold palace, yet he personally attends to farming. Senior Grand Secretary Zhang! You are the Imperial Tutor and Senior Grand Secretary, yet you hold such power that you shake the master. If you die, shame and slaughter will surely follow!"

Ge Ge Shouli's words were extremely piercing. He was saying: Zhang Zhang Juzheng is forcing the monarch to do such hard work. After he dies, shame and slaughter will surely follow.

Zhu Zhu Yijun heard Ge Ge Shouli attacking Zhang Zhang Juzheng because of the farming in Jingshan and suddenly said, "What I want to do, the Senior Grand Secretary stopped, but didn't stop it."

As soon as the little Emperor spoke, everyone looked at Zhu Zhu Yijun on the platform. This was the first time the Great Ming Emperor spoke about court affairs.

Almost all the court officials believed that Zhang Zhang Juzheng's purpose was to humiliate imperial power and increase his own authority to push through political decrees. But looking at the little Emperor's words, it didn't seem to be the case.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the puzzled gazes of everyone and showed a sunny smile, saying, "I am young, and I rely on all the ministers to assist the country. Since I am idle anyway, I saw it and felt interested. Luo Luo Gongchen presented an auspicious object. If it is true, it will allow the common people to have crops to save them from famine, which can be considered a meritorious deed."

Ge Ge Shouli was even more indignant. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes for a long time, and then said with tears, "The people of Jing are truly rampant, deceiving the monarch. This is the disaster of the country's collapse and the people becoming slaves. The loyal ministers in the court are afraid of power and dare not speak! We should support the country and rectify the court!"

"Today I will definitely do my best to remonstrate. With me here, I will support the great difficulties!"

"People of Jing" is a derogatory term Gao Gong used for Zhang Zhang Juzheng. No one dared to shout this term in front of Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Even Gao Gong had never called him this to his face. If Ge Ge Shouli hadn't been furious, he would never have called him that.

In Ge Ge Shouli's view, the little Emperor's words were entirely because he was afraid of Zhang Zhang Juzheng!

If this is not holding power and shaking the master, what is it?!

If this is not the disaster of the country's collapse and the people becoming slaves, what is it?

The monarch of the Southern Song Dynasty could not defend the world, the country collapsed, the Han people became slaves, and they had to carve characters on their faces to survive. That is the disaster of the people becoming slaves.

Zhu Zhu Yijun understood Ge Ge Shouli's words and asked quite suspiciously, "Chief Censor Ge, did I not make myself clear enough?"

"I wanted to do it, and the Senior Grand Secretary stopped me, but didn't stop it. At the time of the lecture, we talked about Emperor Renzong of Song valuing the five grains and despising pearls and jade. The readers, lecturers, and book-exhibiting officials all heard the content of the dialogue. Chief Censor Ge must have heard of it."

"Are you not confusing black and white and reversing cause and effect?"

Ge Ge Shouli opened his eyes and said with extreme grief, "Your Majesty, this is the danger of the 'people of Jing.' He let Luo Luo Gongchen present an auspicious object, and then separately brought out these two cases to lecture. This is him deceiving and fooling Your Majesty while you are young!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Ge Ge Shouli, his eyes dark and unclear. He was judging whether Ge Ge Shouli was sophistry or really convinced that Zhang Zhang Juzheng was usurping power.

When facts are favorable to oneself, talk about facts;

When rules are favorable to oneself, talk about rules.

This is a typical, common line of sophistry.

Whether facts are important or rules are important, for court officials, there is an extremely flexible scale.

Just like the curfew only restricts the common people; for those with a little power, it is just a mere formality. Even the palace ban of the Great Ming palace is just a window paper in the eyes of the Great Ming virtuous officials, and even the eunuchs dare to trample on it to seek profit.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Ge Ge Shouli for a long time and finally distinguished one thing: this guy is not acting; he really thinks so.

Feng Bao is a typical actor among actors. Ge Ge Shouli is not.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked for a long time, but Ge Ge Shouli was not acting; he really thought so.

Yang Bo and Zhang Juzheng had talked about it: Ge Shouli is honest and straightforward, a typical remonstrating official. When the Emperor opened the Baoqi Hall and "monarch and people farmed together," the first thing Ge Shouli thought of was not that the little Emperor violated the words of the Sage Mencius, but that Zhang Juzheng was tyrannical, using glib tongue to deceive the Emperor, and even humiliating the little Emperor.

In Ge Ge Shouli's view, or in the view of most court officials, this is the truth.

The Jin Party and Zhang Zhang Juzheng finally had a head-on conflict over the issue of the Emperor's education.

Yang Bo, the leader of the Jin Party, didn't say a word. It would be best if Ge Ge Shouli won, and it didn't matter if he lost. He always had to remind Zhang Zhang Juzheng that if he reformed like this and refused to form a clique for private gain, there would only be one end.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was thinking. All doubts and all inquiries should have a starting point. And this base point, the little Emperor used two breaths to think clearly.

"Chief Censor Ge..."