Chapter 859

Zhang Zhang Juzheng, as Chief Grand Secretary, had known the list the night before the results were posted, since the list required the Emperor's vermilion approval; the Emperor had ordered Feng Bao to copy it and give it to Xu Jue, who lowered a basket at night to deliver the list to You Ge Shouli.

If Zhang Zhang Juzheng had objections, he could revise it, but he had never made any changes.

This was an imperial favor, a gesture of trust; the line of Feng Bao, Xu Jue, and You Ge Shouli remained intact, not severed by accusations of collusion between court and palace, because the Emperor still endorsed the iron triangle political alliance of Empress Dowager, senior eunuch, and Chief Grand Secretary during the vulnerable period of a young sovereign.

It was merely a gesture; Zhang Zhang Juzheng carefully guarded the boundaries of his power, never recklessly testing them—the Emperor had grown up, and the consequences of failing to treat him as Emperor were severe.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not care about the metropolitan examination list; to him, it was merely a threshold—what came after passing depended on fate.

He, as Chief Grand Secretary, did not care, but Lu Lu Shusheng cared deeply; upon hearing the three names, Lu Lu Shusheng nearly beat his own thigh in regret.

This was the metropolitan examination's second-place finisher—if he had been his disciple, he would have been a great Confucian for life.

Xiong Xiong Tingbi's situation was exceptionally unique, known throughout the land; the Emperor was cultivating a trusted man in the outer court, and this time, again, the Emperor had set the questions—Xiong Xiong Tingbi's top ranking was only natural, but Yuan Yang Keli slipping through his fingers filled him with regret; he wanted to hang the gatekeeper and beat him.

"Lu Pingquan, you say the gatekeeper is hard to deal with—I do not accept that. You must have known Yuan Yang Keli arrived in the capital; throughout this past month until the results were posted, did you ever once inquire about his whereabouts?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng rejected Lu Lu Shusheng's demand for Yuan Yang Keli.

He passed second place, and now you come looking for him—what were you doing before? When Yuan Yang Keli was mired in the cheating scandal, you never once rallied your disciples and former subordinates to rescue him; now you show up—it is truly laughable.

Lu Lu Shusheng smiled and shook his head: "I admit my household discipline was lax—I've already sent that gatekeeper back to his hometown. You, as a teacher, are a hands-off manager; I am not. I only learned he had come to the capital after the cheating scandal broke out during the metropolitan exam. Zhang Zhang Yuanfu, if you steal my disciple, your reputation will suffer."

Lu Lu Shusheng was not lying—the gatekeeper never delivered the visiting card; Yuan Yang Keli gave no gifts, no favors, made no repeated visits; the pile of visiting cards at the gate was enormous, and not every one was delivered to the master.

Lu Lu Shusheng, as a teacher, did not behave like Zhang Zhang Juzheng's hands-off approach—he did not ignore everything; this year, four of his disciples passed the imperial examination, an excellent result.

"State affairs are too heavy—I have no time. Let it go." Zhang Zhang Juzheng waved his hand repeatedly; he was indeed not a good teacher—he devoted all his energy to official administration, took in disciples, shoved them into his family academy, and left their success entirely to their own efforts.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng had a disciple named Liu Tai, a Ming Jinshi of Emperor Longqing 5; in Emperor Wanli 5, Liu Tai submitted a memorial accusing Zhang Zhang Juzheng of clinging to power and refusing to return home for mourning, and the Emperor directly exiled him to Yunnan.

In an era of Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, Teacher, Liu Tai's act was like denouncing his own father; Zhu Zhu Yijun could only exile Liu Tai, regardless of whether his arguments were good or bad.

Because the Emperor, if ambiguous in such matters, would easily be interpreted as intending to follow Liu Tai's example—waiting until Zhang Zhang Juzheng's authority waned to settle scores—so he must punish severely.

"Chief Grand Secretary, you harbor the world in your heart, devoted to reviving decay and restoring ruin—I deeply admire you. I, Lu Lu Shusheng, lack such magnanimity. When I served as Minister of Rites, it was you who recommended me. Sixteen years have passed, and I still do not accept the Emperor Wanli Reforms."

"I am not saying they should not be done—you well know the fates of reformers throughout history," Lu Lu Shusheng said earnestly. "Xiong Xiong Tingbi is the Emperor's man—he has no fear. But what of Yuan Yang Keli?"

"If Yuan Yang Keli enters your door, what difference is there from entering the gates of hell? Can Yuan Yang Keli withstand the gossip? Can he endure others' attacks?"

Lu Lu Shusheng had been recommended by Zhang Zhang Juzheng to serve as Minister of Rites, yet he had constantly opposed Zhang Zhang Juzheng, eventually submitting his own memorial to retire; these years, he had sought no reappointment. He had said these very words to Zhang Zhang Juzheng before—Yang Bo had said them to Zhang Zhang Juzheng, and Wang Wang Chonggu had said them too.

Yang Bo had long advocated the merger of Chu and Jin, to completely sideline the Emperor, because Gao Gong judged that the young Emperor Wanli was unfit to be Emperor; Gao Gong had taught the young Emperor Wanli for four years, yet the boy could not write well or recognize all characters, and his character was the classic example of being neither broad-minded nor resolute—he considered others' interests but lacked any perseverance.

Indeed, Gao Gong misjudged—perhaps he taught poorly. After Zhang Zhang Juzheng took over the lectures alone, the Emperor's studies did not merely improve rapidly—he completed the Four Books in one year, the Five Classics the next, and later achieved great mastery in mathematics; even Zhu Zhu Zaiyu repeatedly lamented that the Emperor, burdened by state affairs, could not devote himself fully to the study of things, and the world had lost a great scholar of investigation.

But a group led by Yang Bo still held to that view: this empire belonged to the Zhu family; Zhang Zhang Juzheng's end would not be good; complex political struggles were not decided by the Emperor alone; every reformer in history met a bad end—none escaped.

In short: you love the Great Ming deeply—does the Great Ming love you?

"Indeed it is. Then take Yuan Yang Keli away." Zhang Zhang Juzheng fell silent for a long time, then chose to let him go.

Yuan Yang Keli was utterly unlike Xiong Xiong Tingbi; after becoming a juren, Xiong Xiong Tingbi had already secured the Yin Mountains with three arrows; had Zhang Zhang Juzheng not restrained him, he would have long since joined the capital garrison as a vanguard. Xiong Xiong Tingbi had his own achievements, and his patronage was crystal clear—the Emperor.

Yuan Yang Keli truly could not withstand such storms.

"Master, Yuan Yang Keli and Xiong Xiong Tingbi have returned." You Ge Shouli, hearing they had reached an accord, summoned Yuan Yang Keli and Xiong Xiong Tingbi into the Zhao Wenchang Pavilion.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng studied Yuan Yang Keli, again confirming he was a good boy; he said reluctantly: "Yuan Yang Keli, you have seen these past months how I am consumed by state affairs, unable to attend to you. Since the rightful master has come, this false teacher of mine is no longer legitimate. Our master-disciple bond is severed—go with Master Lu."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was deeply reluctant; for an old man, one always seeks echoes of one's youth. Yuan Yang Keli resembled him in his early years—both ambitious, both resolute; Yuan Yang Keli was even more stubborn than Zhang Zhang Juzheng had been. But ultimately, there was no master-disciple destiny.

Yuan Yang Keli finally met Lu Lu Shusheng, the man his father had mentioned repeatedly; he glanced once, then looked away, puzzled.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was indeed too busy to attend to him, but Yuan Yang Keli had excelled himself—both the top scorer and the second-place finisher were from the Quan Chu Hall—how could he be expelled? Was it wrong to perform well? Zhang Zhang Juzheng was indeed an incompetent teacher, but Yuan Yang Keli was a diligent student.

It must have been something Lu Lu Shusheng said that made Zhang Zhang Juzheng give him up.

Clearly, it was not Yuan Yang Keli's background—he was a military household, Zhang Zhang Juzheng was a military household, Xiong Xiong Tingbi was a military household; his lineage was spotless, never having committed a crime. So it was not his fault—it was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's concern.

This concern was easy to understand: Zhang Zhang Juzheng believed Yuan Yang Keli's continued presence in the Quan Chu Hall would bring him grave political risk; Lu Lu Shusheng, even when in office, could not threaten Zhang Zhang Juzheng, let alone now that he was retired.

"Master, your forty catties of millet are nearly gone," Xiong Xiong Tingbi frowned and immediately bowed. Zhang Zhang Juzheng had accepted forty catties of millet—millets were everywhere, but these were Yuan Yang Keli's gift upon becoming his disciple, carried from his home in Henan. Once you accept a gift, how can you expel the disciple?

"Go to the back courtyard. There's still the palace examination—aren't you taking it?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not anger; he issued a direct order.

Xiong Xiong Tingbi, helpless, bowed: "Yes."

Yuan Yang Keli looked at Lu Lu Shusheng and suddenly asked: "Master Lu, do you teach the theory of contradiction?"

"I do not study the theory of contradiction," Lu Lu Shusheng shook his head. "The Emperor has annotated it in vernacular—if you wish to learn it, I will not stop you."

"Master Lu, do you teach class theory?" Yuan Yang Keli continued.

"I do not study class theory either," Lu Lu Shusheng shook his head again; he had a bad feeling—this Yuan Yang Keli had his own ideas and plans; this scholar from the countryside was unusually stubborn.

"Master, forgive my impertinence—I cannot go with Master Lu." Yuan Yang Keli answered firmly; what he wished to learn, Lu Lu Shusheng did not teach—he would not go.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was helpless; his disciples, one after another, were all strong-willed—the Emperor, Shen Shen Shixing, Wang Wang Xiyuan, Xiong Xiong Tingbi, Yuan Yang Keli—all like this. His words seemed less effective with his disciples than those of other teachers.

Lu Lu Shusheng frowned, his face stern: "Yuan Yang Keli, do you know what these studies you seek truly are? You've only read the first two volumes of class theory—have you read the third?"

All were intelligent men; it seemed they spoke of studies, but they were really warning Yuan Yang Keli: these studies were extremely dangerous. The second volume's distribution already bore signs of rebellion; the third volume was outright rebellion—but the third volume was written by the Emperor himself, and later, the Emperor could retract it, claiming it was Zhang Zhang Juzheng's work.

The Emperor could retract, but the students who studied these doctrines had no path back.

"I know—the Struggle volume," Yuan Yang Keli answered clearly; he understood the situation he faced, and he had no regrets.

"The blood of youth is always hot; when faced with things, it slowly cools," Lu Lu Shusheng said to Zhang Zhang Juzheng. Yuan Yang Keli was too young, his blood too hot—this fervor was almost blinding.

Yuan Yang Keli believed he could endure it, but only when the moment came would he, after fury, accept helplessly; slowly, the blood would naturally cool.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng was deeply displeased with this remark: "The blood of the old can be hot too."

His words were blunt, his tone unyielding; Lu Lu Shusheng had once been a fellow traveler, also devoted to reviving decay and restoring ruin. Later, he grew afraid—like Zhang Zhang Juzheng's son-in-law Wang Wang Zhigao—walking together, they eventually drifted apart.

After entering court, Lu Lu Shusheng realized what Zhang Zhang Juzheng intended to do was too dangerous, so he defected. Zhang Zhang Juzheng did not retaliate—not because he was magnanimous, but because he was too busy to care; Lu Lu Shusheng did not seek reappointment, was relatively honest, and merely avoided confrontation.

"Zhang Zhang Yuanfu, Yuan Yang Keli has already suffered—he was implicated in the cheating scandal by Xiong Xiong Tingbi, and in this process, Yuan Yang Keli was innocent," Lu Lu Shusheng, looking at the old man and the youth, directly pointed out the risk: Yuan Yang Keli had entered the Quan Chu Hall for only a month and already faced such turmoil; his future official career would be like a merchant ship lost at sea—dangerous at every turn.

Yuan Yang Keli bowed to Zhang Zhang Juzheng: "Master, I shall return to the back courtyard to study—I must prepare for the palace examination; it begins tomorrow."

Lu Lu Shusheng frowned, took a deep breath to steady himself: "Yuan Yang Keli, think carefully. I give you three days—before the palace examination, there is still time. This path is truly treacherous."

"Assassination of the monarch, palace fire, assassination at Xishan, the Renhe fire—each incident is more terrifying than the last. Wang Wang Chongyi, brother of Wang Wang Chonggu, was blown to death before he even left the street outside his home. Yuan Yang Keli, I tell you this to urge you to calm down and think clearly."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng opened his mouth but fell silent; Lu Lu Shusheng's words, viewed from a personal standpoint, were entirely reasonable—the collapse of the realm affected everyone, but why must it be me who bears such risk?

In these three days before the palace examination, if Yuan Yang Keli chose to leave voluntarily, Zhang Zhang Juzheng would not detain or persuade him—he would treat this month's stay as a lodging, and the forty catties of millet as payment for lamp oil and firewood.

"I take my leave," Yuan Yang Keli did not respond; his stance was unmistakable—he would not leave, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng could not force him out.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng frowned sharply: "Wait—you know what you're doing?"

Yuan Yang Keli turned around and said firmly: "Master, the Emperor said: 'Success need not be credited to me, but success must have me.' I understand your concerns—it is the conflict between long-term and immediate interests, between state interests and personal interests."

"This contradiction is opposing, seemingly conflicting, yet not black or white. Individual strength may be as faint as fireflies, but when gathered, it becomes an unstoppable historical tide."

"I am a subject of the Great Ming. I do not wish to see the Great Ming collapse, the earth split, the mud and sand swept away—then every subject of the Great Ming becomes a victim."

If one studied the theory of contradiction yet still viewed all things as black or white, then the study was wasted. As Yuan Yang Keli said, Lu Lu Shusheng's teachings could not save the Great Ming—he would not learn them; he would learn the teachings that could save the Great Ming.

"Your disciple takes leave." This was Yuan Yang Keli's third departure—Lu Lu Shusheng had tried to stop him once, Zhang Zhang Juzheng once; to stop him again would be impolite.

"Hahaha!" After Yuan Yang Keli left, Zhang Zhang Juzheng laughed loudly—after so many years, he had never laughed so freely.

Lu Lu Shusheng's face had been dark, but as Zhang Zhang Juzheng laughed, he relaxed; he shook his head: "Zhang Zhang Yuanfu, I admire you, and all of you. I even admire Wan Shihé. I cannot do it—I lack the courage—but I will never mock the brave."

If mocking the brave brought even a sliver of psychological comfort, then that person was a base Confucian.

Lu Lu Shusheng was a true great Confucian, not a base one. His split from Zhang Zhang Juzheng was due to incompatible ideals, different paths, and inability to prevail—so he simply kept his distance.

"He is a brave man. I hope he maintains this sincerity, and never regrets today's decision." Lu Lu Shusheng stood and smiled: "I've troubled you long enough. Farewell."

"Ge Shouli, see the guest out." Zhang Zhang Juzheng gestured, signaling You Ge Shouli to escort him away.

Fifteen minutes later, You Ge Shouli returned to the Zhao Wenchang Pavilion, glanced around, stepped closer, and said with a mysterious air: "Lu Lu Shusheng appeared magnanimous, seemingly indifferent—but soon after leaving the Quan Chu Hall, he became so furious he refused to ride in his sedan chair and walked back."

Lu Lu Shusheng had arrived in a four-man sedan chair; now he walked ahead, while the four bearers carried the empty chair behind him. He claimed the motion made him dizzy—he had ridden for decades, and now suddenly felt dizzy?

"He's angry at himself. He saw himself in Yuan Yang Keli—he regrets not having been braver back then." Zhang Zhang Juzheng and Lu Lu Shusheng, once close friends, became enemies who never spoke again—in just one year.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng understood Lu Lu Shusheng well—he truly wished to revive the Great Ming, but he lacked courage and responsibility.

Of course, Lu Lu Shusheng would not do anything despicable—like colluding with disciples and former subordinates to harass Yuan Yang Keli; he still had this moral integrity, or he would have been destroyed in the fierce struggles of Emperor Wanli's early years.

To harass Yuan Yang Keli would make Lu Lu Shusheng's reputation even worse than Zhang Zhang Juzheng's.

The palace examination arrived as scheduled; this time, the examination questions were even bolder: the Emperor asked:

"I inherit the glorious legacy of my ancestors and have pursued reform for seventeen years. Yet today, three difficulties remain: new laws have been enacted, but old corruptions persist; territory has expanded, yet cultural assimilation remains elusive; reform continues, yet the cultural lineage struggles to revive. You, who understand history and the present—how will you assist me in resolving these three dilemmas?"

The Emperor Wanli Reforms had raged for seventeen years; Yuan Yang Keli had grown up entirely within them, from enrollment to entering the Zhu Jianji Hall for the palace examination. He could no longer comprehend the mindset of scholars like Lu Lu Shusheng—he believed this was how things ought to be.

The three questions posed by the Emperor drew from three sources: first, the conflict between land and people under the Land Return Edict; second, the Han-Yi conflict between overseas Han and barbarians; third, the conflict between the new and old curricula under the Dinghai education system.

To answer these with empty rhetoric would take a thousand words in moments—who cannot sing praises?

But the Emperor's consistent style clearly did not seek flattery; flattery? These four hundred Ming Jinshi candidates were all greenhorns—could they rival the poetic ministers of Emperor Jiajing's late reign?

Others on the palace floor might be seeing the Emperor for the second time, but Xiong Xiong Tingbi knew him well; these three questions had been debated in the Quan Chu Hall between the Emperor and Zhang Zhang Juzheng, even fiercely argued over—so fiercely that Xiong Xiong Tingbi had grown afraid. Yet the next day, everyone acted as if nothing had happened, just as before.

Zi Xia Zi Xia Zongyao had read the complete version of the Theory of Contradiction; he knew the Emperor was testing it—requiring candidates to begin from phenomena, analyze the problems, dissect their root causes, then propose a plan, however seemingly practical, to be refined through small-scale trials and eventually implemented.

The Theory of Contradiction taught Zi Xia Zi Xia Zongyao: phenomena, problems, causes, solutions—these were the true ways to resolve issues; mere scolding was merely a teacher or superior venting anger—or worse, powerless rage born of ignorance of the problem, its cause, and its solution.

Zi Xia Zi Xia Zongyao also understood why others had falsified the Theory of Contradiction; most of his teachers since childhood had been just like that.

"No wonder the Emperor and Xiong Xiong Tingbi learned so well—Chief Grand Secretary truly has substance," Zi Xia Zi Xia Zongyao thought, gazing at the Chief Grand Secretary standing below the moon terrace.

But this was a mistaken view; Zhang Zhang Juzheng had always raised his disciples through neglect. The Emperor and Xiong Xiong Tingbi's success came from their own efforts, not from the Chief Grand Secretary.

Xiong Xiong Tingbi, a cowherd, had passed the military juren, juren, and Ming Jinshi examinations—he was truly a genius.

Yuan Yang Keli, at least, came from a hereditary battalion commander family; Xiong Xiong Tingbi had no home—he lived by tending cattle.

The palace examination passed peacefully, lasting only half a day: write one essay, go through the formalities of being a disciple of the Son of Heaven, and the Emperor would personally select the top three of the First Class—rankings after that rarely changed.

The palace examination was merely meeting the Emperor; most Ming Jinshi would never see him again in their lives.

"We take our leave," the candidates bowed in unison under the leadership of Shen Shen Shixing, Wang Wang Jiaoping, and seventeen examiners.

Passing this formality transformed them from students to ministers; from now on, they enjoyed equal official status, could use state relay stations, were exempt from taxes and corvée labor, and after passing the selection for supervisory posts, would receive formal appointments.

The palace examination is an audience with the Emperor; most Ming Jinshi will never see the Emperor again in their lives.

"Your servants take leave." Under the leadership of Shen Shen Shixing, Wang Wang Jiaoping, and the seventeen other examiners, the candidates bowed in unison.

Passing this ritual transforms their status from students to subjects; from now on, they all enjoy the same official privileges: use of official relay stations, exemption from taxes and corvée labor, and upon selection by the Supervising Official, they will receive formal appointments.

If viewed through the lens of class theory, from today onward, all the Ming Jinshi on the imperial dais are members of the ruling class.

Zi Xia Zi Xia Zongyao disliked class theory; he found it dangerously unstable, detrimental to the peace of the Great Ming's realm. The Emperor was wise, but the next emperor might not be—then class theory would become treasonous, and even if the Emperor himself grew unwell in old age, this theory would almost certainly never be mentioned again.

Standards of morality and good and evil are constantly changing.

"Xiong Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yang Keli stay behind." Zhu Zhu Yijun rose and took the two students away.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was deeply displeased that Lu Lu Shusheng had gone to the Quan Chu Quanchu Huiguan demanding Yuan Yang Keli's presence. In front of everyone, Zhu Zhu Yijun directly retained the two students for private reprimand—his meaning was clear: these were his men. Xiong Xiong Tingbi had backing; Yuan Yang Keli had it too.

The retention of four hundred Ming Jinshi was unexpected. Xiong Xiong Tingbi being singled out was natural, but Yuan Yang Keli being kept as well shocked the students—until they recalled the smuggling case had implicated Yuan Yang Keli; the Emperor's special favor was thus understandable.

I did not kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me.

Both Xiong Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yang Keli were drawn into the smuggling case due to the brutal political struggles of the Emperor Wanli Reforms. The Emperor's special treatment was thus justifiable.

Xiong Xiong Tingbi was upright; Yuan Yang Keli was unyielding. Once he resolved on something, he saw it through to the end—he had resolved to destroy the Wang Jian slaves, and would use every means possible.

Unfortunately, Yuan Yang Keli did not complete his mission. At that time, the court offered him no aid; instead, factional purges dragged him down. He won seven battles in seven engagements, shattering Nurhaci's spirit—Nurhaci's son-in-law was even swayed by Yuan Yang Keli's influence, and ultimately died fighting for the Great Ming.

Yuan Yang Keli's son-in-law was turned by Yuan Yang Keli's persuasion, and ultimately died on the battlefield for the Great Ming.

Yuan Yang Keli had been sidelined for twenty-six years, stripped of his official rank and scholarly status on the tenth day of the first month of the twenty-fourth year of Emperor Wanli, until he was reinstated in the first year of Taichang.

Yuan Yang Keli was sidelined for so long because, in the twenty-third year of Emperor Wanli, he submitted a memorial doing exactly what Hence Hai Rui had done—he insulted the Emperor, and insulted him terribly.

In his memorial, he called the Emperor Wanli Emperor: "You neglect ancestral sacrifices, long abandon court lectures, fail to promptly reply to memorials, issue inconsistent rewards and punishments between palace and court, make promotions as difficult as rolling stones, and impose levies that drain the ponds dry. Right and wrong are inverted; the virtuous and the wicked are confused. The loyal suffer injustice, the upright seethe with rage—can this be called compliance with Heaven's will?"

No sacrifices, no court lectures, no replies to memorials, unclear rewards and punishments between palace and court, vacancies left unfilled across the realm, oppressive taxation sparking popular resentment, moral inversion, confusion of virtuous and wicked men, loyal and upright officials bearing false charges and bitter rage—can this be called acting in accordance with Heaven's will?

The meaning was clear: if you wish to rule, rule; if not, step down—let the Crown Prince ascend.

Hence Hai Rui insulted Emperor Jiajing by saying "every household under the Son of Heaven is emptied," hoping the Daoist would rally, summon the courage he once showed in reforming the old order, restore discipline, and stop hiding in the Western Garden as a priest—the realm was already in decay.

Yuan Yang Keli insulted the Emperor Wanli Emperor hoping he would die soon.

Xiong Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yang Keli sat on a small steam train, its whistle blowing, racing into Tonghemen. The train ran on a single line—only the imperial road.

"Such a divine device shall stabilize the state and revive the nation." Yuan Yang Keli, after disembarking, circled the train once and succinctly summarized its significance—he knew well: wherever the imperial road reached, that land belonged to the Son of Heaven.

The Great Ming's territorial expansion on land depended entirely on the imperial roads. Overseas governorates might fluctuate, but wherever the Great Ming's imperial roads reached, that land became Han territory—this was depth, mineral wealth, borders, resilience, and abundant resources. No matter how far overseas expansion went, land expansion could never be abandoned.

Yuan Yang Keli himself had ridden the train from Kaifeng Prefecture into the capital, and as a juren attending his first imperial examination, he received free passage on the state relay system.

"We humbly pay our respects to Your Majesty." Xiong Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yang Keli bowed deeply. Feng Bao had specifically instructed them: the Emperor disliked kneeling during private audiences.

"Rise." Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Yuan Yang Keli's hands and smiled broadly. "Yuan Yang Keli—we meet again."

"I am terrified," Yuan Yang Keli hurriedly said. "At the time, I did not know Your Majesty's identity, and failed to pay proper respects."

"Sit, sit, sit." Zhu Zhu Yijun extended one hand, palm upward—not to shake hands, for they stood a full zhang apart.

Yuan Yang Keli did not understand the Emperor's intent. He stared at the hand, then immediately understood, and extended his own hand, palm upward, for the Emperor to see.

"Hahaha!" Zhu Zhu Yijun withdrew his hand, laughing heartily. He turned to Feng Bao and said: "Feng Feng Banban,

See to the tea."

Feng Bao knew the Emperor was truly delighted—because he called him "Feng Feng Banban." If the Emperor said "Feng Feng Da Ban," his mood was merely good; if he called him by name, he was furious.

The reason the Emperor laughed was simple: Yuan Yang Keli's hands, like his own, bore the calluses of long years farming and training with weapons—no one could fake such hands.

They were kindred spirits.

"Is it not joyful when friends come from afar? Fellow travelers, fellow comrades—only then is joy true." Zhu Zhu Yijun greatly admired Xiong Xiong Tingbi and Yuan Yang Keli. The Great Ming had produced many civil and military talents, yet ultimately could not halt its decline.

Yuan Yang Keli, Xiong Xiong Tingbi, Sun Chengzong, Sun Sun Chuanting, Lu Lu Xiangsheng—talented men emerged in abundance, but the empire's fate was already utterly ruined.

"Yuan Yang Keli, as you've traveled this path, how do you judge my rule?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked a question both simple and perilous. He added: "Speak plainly—I detest lies."

Yuan Yang Keli replied firmly: "Your Majesty's diligence is known throughout the realm; your rewards and punishments are clear. The Kaocheng Law and the Lijǔ Law are unprecedented reforms. Without Your Majesty's support, Master's administrative reforms could never have reached today's state. In recent years, land taxes have steadily declined; land surveys, land restitution, and the yingzhuang system are all foundational policies. A sage ruler, observing beginnings and ends, exhausting all matters, yet clearly distinguishing right from wrong."

"When a wise sovereign rises, virtuous men advance, and the realm prospers. Your Majesty is a sovereign without peer."

"Oh? Is that so?" Zhu Zhu Yijun drew a deep breath. "Li Qing (Yuan Yang Keli's courtesy name), do you know when the greatest danger lies? It is when flowers bloom in abundance, and music and dance fill the air."