Chapter 11: Carrying a Basin Like an Ant, Startling Words

The daily lecture was different from the classics lecture; the classics lecture focused on remonstrance and righteousness, while the daily lecture focused on imparting knowledge, mainly for enlightenment.

Simply put, the daily lecture was about how to read characters, how to break sentences, and what they meant.

Specifically in teaching, it was the lecturing official stepping out to recite once, and Zhu Yijun following along, reading it ten times.

After ensuring there were no problems with sentence breaking and pronunciation, it was then translated into plain language and explained.

As for sentence breaking and interpretation, whose version to use?

Naturally, every lecturing official had their own version, and they took turns translating.

The so-called "Six Classics annotate me," the role of the classics, was to explain and prove one's own point of view; this was the reason.

This was also to listen to all sides and achieve a thorough understanding.

Going deeper, what principles the article talked about and what concepts it expounded, that was the Emperor's classics lecture, not something that should be discussed in the daily lecture.

And this chapter of "Tai Jia," unlike the Analects, only told historical facts, and there was not much controversy in the content; except for being a bit sensitive, there was no political risk.

If it weren't for this, Gao Yi wouldn't have agreed to this matter.

Zhu Yijun was led by Gao Yi, learning word by word.

"Tai Jia was established, but was muddled; Yi Yin banished him to Tong, and after three years, he returned to Bo."

……

"Calamities sent by Heaven may be avoided. Calamities brought upon oneself cannot be escaped."

……

After reading ten times, Zhu Yijun only felt his mouth was dry.

Different from the pronunciation before he transmigrated, the pronunciation at this time had too many rolled tongues, especially the official language and elegant speech; reciting was like tongue-flicking.

Only now did he understand why being good at debating was called having a tongue like a spring.

Without some tongue-flicking skills, even reciting was difficult, let alone debating with others.

After teaching the recitation, Gao Yi retreated to the side, and the lecturing officials took turns to lecture on the translation.

The lecturing officials were all drawn from various ministries and yamen, including Vice Minister of Rites Zhang Siwei, Yu Youting of the Classics Bureau, Vice Minister of Rites Ma Ziqiang, etc., all of whom were learned people.

"This teacher, is called..."

After a lecturing official finished explaining and was about to retreat, Zhu Yijun suddenly stopped him.

Zhang Siwei paused and replied: "This subject, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Academician of the Hanlin Academy, Zhang Siwei."

Zhu Yijun was stunned.

Jin Party's Zhang Siwei?

Wasn't this Wang Chonggu's nephew?

It turned out he also had the qualifications for the daily lecture.

But now was not the time to delve into Zhang Siwei; he nodded and said: "Academician Zhang, I have something I don't understand."

Zhang Siwei hesitated and replied: "Your Highness, please speak."

Zhu Yijun asked for advice: "Academician Zhang just said that if you select people with virtue, the country will be stable, and if you abandon people with virtue, the country will be in chaos."

"Then what kind of person counts as a person with virtue?"

Zhang Siwei wanted to speak but stopped, finally saying: "Your Highness, this is the interpretation of 'Virtue leads to governance, lack of virtue leads to chaos.' As for what is a virtuous person, like the three assistant ministers of our dynasty, they are all virtuous people."

"The late Emperor left the three virtuous ministers to Your Highness; our Great Ming Dynasty will surely be peaceful and stable for a long time!"

After saying this, he didn't care whether Zhu Yijun still had words, and returned to the ranks on his own.

Zhu Yijun didn't haggle with him either.

How Zhang Siwei replied didn't matter; his posturing was mainly to test Gao Yi.

If the matter of lecturing on Tai Jia was purely Gao Yi's intention to remonstrate with him, seeking fame and straightness, and fishing for political prestige, he should have taken the conversation here.

But Gao Yi was expressionless, obviously not having anything to say.

After another lecturing official explained the classics, Zhu Yijun stopped him again: "Who is this teacher?"

Yu Youting was respectful: "This subject, Equerry of the Classics Bureau and Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, Yu Youting."

Zhu Yijun was stunned again.

It turned out that those who could attend the daily lecture were not simple.

He knew this Yu Youting; he was the third-place winner ten years ago, the forty-first year of Jiajing, the so-called "Mr. Yu of the forty-first year."

In the same year, the second-place winner was Wang Xijue, and the top winner was Shen Shixing; in history, all three entered the Cabinet one after another. In the more than two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, this was the only class where the top three all entered the Cabinet, which was passed down as a good story for a time.

Zhu Yijun steadied his mind and opened his mouth: "Third-place winner Yu, I have something I don't understand again."

Yu Youting was also in a dilemma and bit the bullet: "Your Highness, please speak."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said: "Yi Yin said that Tai Jia as a king was 'unrighteous,' so he banished him."

"Third-place winner Yu, what is the unrighteousness of a king? What did Tai Jia do? If I am unrighteous, will the Chief Assistant also banish me?"

Yu Youting nearly fainted; the Crown Prince used to find it difficult to memorize, why was he thinking today?

He could answer this question, but he couldn't.

He could only be vague and perfunctory: "Your Highness, this subject is shallow in talent and learning, and can only answer Your Highness's question shallowly."

"The unrighteousness of a king is to go against Heaven above and abuse the people below; it is the abandonment of the Dao."

"But Your Highness is benevolent, filial, and kind, with the common people in your heart, and with many righteous people in the court, it is a sign of great prosperity; how could the unfortunate events repeat themselves?"

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but cast a questioning look at Gao Yi.

Gao Yi was originally calm and unconcerned, but when he met this look, he had to answer.

He stood up and deliberated, replying: "Your Highness, the daily lecture has many lessons and limited time; it is better to recite and memorize it first, and then listen to the scholars analyze the classics when the classics lecture opens."

The daily lecture was fine, but the classics lecture would at least require Gao Gong or Zhang Juzheng to come forward; at that time, he, Gao Yi, didn't want to do this work.

Zhu Yijun said "Oh" and nodded, following the flow.

Yu Youting wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and returned to the ranks.

The following lecturing officials stepped out one after another to lecture, and the content was much the same; Zhu Yijun really didn't ask any more questions.

He pretended to listen carefully on the surface, while in his heart he recalled Gao Yi's reaction when he mentioned Gao Gong, once again excluding the possibility that Gao Gong had instructed him to warn him.

Then it could only be Zhang Juzheng!

He tried to fathom Zhang Juzheng's thoughts and attitude.

Zhu Yijun knew that Zhang Juzheng could not be called a politician; he should be called an outstanding statesman. Every move he made must serve his political philosophy.

Then, what was Zhang Juzheng's political philosophy?

It was to support the country, revive the nation, and make the Great Ming great again.

Even this genius prodigy, who passed the provincial examination at fifteen and the imperial examination at twenty-three, had extraordinary composure and introversion, but he never hid his political philosophy.

In the twenty-eighth year of Jiajing, Zhang Juzheng, who had just entered officialdom, clarified his ambition, and a "Memorial on Current Politics" reached the Emperor's ears directly.

He listed the problems he thought were most urgent for the Great Ming Dynasty, involving the imperial clan and nobility, official selection, official atmosphere, local military equipment, and fiscal crisis.

Unfortunately, this memorial was a bit too high-brow for the court situation at that time.

The Jiajing Emperor was devoted to seeking immortals and asking about the Dao, and had no interest in governing the country; the Cabinet struggle was intense, and there was no time to care about anything else.

Coupled with his low status and light words, this memorial naturally sank into the sea without any surprise.

From then on, he closed his mouth and said nothing; except for writing congratulatory memorials for the Jiajing Emperor, he never commented on the current situation again.

Even if he was bitter in his heart, he would at most sigh in his articles: "The land tax is uneven, the poor lose their jobs, and the people suffer from annexation."

Had he given up? Of course not. The so-called "holding back in the heart, wanting to blend in outside, and acting according to the situation" was his true portrayal.

◆￠O

In the forty-third year of Jiajing, Zhang Juzheng gambled his political career, betting that the late Emperor would surely succeed to the throne; recommended by his teacher Xu Jie, he entered the Prince Yu's Mansion as a lecturer.

He naturally won the bet, and the harvest was naturally very rich; Zhang Juzheng relied on this qualification to enter the Cabinet in one fell swoop!

After the new Emperor succeeded to the throne, in the second year of Longqing, he finally submitted the second declaration of his political career—"Memorial on Six Matters."

This time, it was as a Cabinet assistant minister, with a voice like a bell.

At the beginning, he stated that the Great Ming was about to finish, which was the so-called "the world has the tendency of being heavily burdened and difficult to reverse," and then again deeply analyzed the current ills, clarifying the necessity of reform.

But, the late Longqing Emperor also didn't take it to heart, only replying that he knew, and there was no follow-up.

Then, after two failures, what would Zhang Juzheng's state of mind be?

Zhu Yijun tapped his fingers on the desk, looking at the article "Tai Jia," lost in thought.

Had he finally given up the expectation of a virtuous minister and a wise monarch, and wanted to be Yi Yin?

Was he thinking that the Emperor couldn't save the Great Ming Dynasty, so he would do it himself?

In history, the sentence Zhang Juzheng said later, "I am not a prime minister, but a regent," was it a relief for the results after the new policy, or a helpless sigh for taking this step?

? co

Even if Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial to retire, he also said "kowtow to return the government," obviously knowing that the great government was all in his hands, and he must also know that he wouldn't have a good end by doing this.

So, was he wanting to be this acting vice-emperor in a situation where he knew it was impossible?

Then was this "Tai Jia" a subtle negotiation with himself? Did he see that he had signs of seizing power?

Or was it a political declaration for reform, showing his ambition to those who wanted to lean on him?

Zhu Yijun only felt that such a smart person was truly a headache.

This Great Ming prodigy hadn't even appeared to make a move, and an article of "Tai Jia" had already made his heart waver and his mind chaotic.

"Your Highness, let's stop here for today."

Gao Yi pulled Zhu Yijun's thoughts back.

Zhu Yijun then discovered that the daily lecture had ended, and he hurriedly returned the ritual: "Thank you for your hard work, teachers."

Gao Yi said respectfully: "Please review your lessons well after returning to the palace, Your Highness; I will check your recitation tomorrow."

This was homework.

After giving instructions, Gao Yi fled and left the East Side Hall.

Zhu Yijun looked at Gao Yi's back and shook his head secretly; this Cabinet assistant minister always thought he could stay out of it, even if all parties were forcing him to ride a duck, he still held a fluke mentality.

It was simply wishful thinking.

How could one be a guardian minister, a Cabinet Zhang Gelao, and a Crown Prince's tutor, and still not be involved in the current situation and stay out of it?

He, Zhu Yijun, was fighting, Gao Gong was fighting, Zhang Juzheng was fighting, and even internal ministers like Feng Bao and Zhang Hong were fighting; you, Gao Yi, are in a high position, why don't you fight?

Gao Yi just couldn't see this point, which was why he would eventually be unable to retire after Gao Gong was expelled, and die of worry at home.

The lecturing officials retreated one after another.

Seeing the hall empty, Zhu Yijun looked at the eunuch beside him: "Has the court deliberation ended?"

When Zhang Juzheng said yesterday that he wanted to analyze state affairs for him, he still had some contempt in his heart.

But after this lecture on Tai Jia, his heart was immediately raised, and he had twelve points of vigilance in his heart.

At this moment, he couldn't help but ask actively.

The eunuch replied: "Your Highness, the court deliberation has ended today."

Zhu Yijun nodded and asked again: "What about Zhang Gelao Zhang?"

Another eunuch stepped forward: "Your Highness, Zhang Gelao Zhang is already waiting in the East Side Room."

Zhu Yijun stood up: "Go and invite Zhang Gelao Zhang to the Warm Pavilion."

The Wenhua Hall East Side Room had three rooms; the Crown Prince's lecture seat was set in the north room of the East Side Room, and the adjacent Warm Pavilion was the Crown Prince's rest room, and also the place for daily summons of ministers.

Zhu Yijun came to the Warm Pavilion desk and sat down, rubbing his face to boost the spirit that had been exhausted by the daily lecture.

At the same time, he pondered what attitude he should use to face this figure who could not be bypassed in the Great Ming Dynasty.

Was Zhang Juzheng worth trusting?

This question was very complicated.

For the Great Ming Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng was naturally worth trusting.

But for him?

Zhang Juzheng certainly had the ambition to save the country, but was he going to entrust himself to Zhang Juzheng?

Zhang Juzheng wanted to eliminate all obstacles and implement reform.

And didn't he, Zhu Yijun, also want to hold all power and implement his new policy?

This kind of thing was either the east wind overwhelming the west wind, or the west wind overwhelming the east wind.

……

The small eunuch came to the East Side Room and walked to Zhang Juzheng, who was sitting and drinking tea: "Zhang Gelao, the Crown Prince's daily lecture has ended; he invites you to the Warm Pavilion."

Zhang Juzheng put down the teacup in his hand and stood up: "Please lead the way, Eunuch."

The words were polite, not at all like a Cabinet assistant minister facing a small eunuch.

The small eunuch was flattered and hurriedly led the way.

Zhang Juzheng had a square face, delicate eyebrows, and a beautiful beard hanging down; he naturally had the look of an official.

The two walked quickly, and soon arrived in front of the Warm Pavilion.

The eunuch in front of the door greeted them: "Zhang Gelao, the Crown Prince says you can go in directly, no need to announce."

Zhang Juzheng nodded and stepped in directly.

The room wasn't big; he turned around and reached the middle of the room.

He swept over the Crown Prince sitting at the desk unobtrusively and bowed down: "This subject pays respects to the Crown Prince."

Zhu Yijun hurriedly stood up, walked out from the desk, and made a gesture to help him up: "Zhang Gelao is a pillar of the state; I am young and inexperienced, ashamed to receive such a great ritual, please get up quickly."

Zhang Juzheng moved slightly to the side to avoid it: "Your Highness inherits the ancestral temple, the master of the world; how can this subject not receive the minor ritual?"

Zhu Yijun took the ritual and helped him up: "The world is suddenly added to my body, I am terrified, and I have to rely on the Zhang Gelao to assist me."

Zhang Juzheng stood up and arched his hands: "Your Highness, if you have any questions, this subject will naturally explain them clearly, so that Your Highness's wisdom will open, and state affairs will naturally become proficient over time."

Zhu Yijun knew the heat was enough.

He opened his mouth unobtrusively: "Zhang Gelao, what do you have to teach me today?"

Zhang Juzheng faced him solemnly: "Your Highness, the Great Ming Dynasty is about to finish!"

Zhu Yijun: "Ah... ah!?"

Note 1: The Emperor attended to business at the Xuanzhi Gate; Zhang Gelao Zhang Juzheng and others proposed the daily lecture ritual: The Emperor lectures on "The Great Learning" and "Shang Shu" in the Donggong; now it should be continued, first "The Great Learning" ten times, then "Shang Shu" ten times, lecturing officials each lecture immediately, and retreat after lecturing. — "Veritable Records of Ming Shenzong"

Note 2: Regarding the pronunciation of Ming Dynasty official language and elegant speech, there is a video on Bilibili; if you are interested, you can go and see it, it's very fun.

Note 3: "Accumulated habits produce ills, there is a tendency of decadence and lack of spirit, there is a tendency of being heavily burdened and difficult to reverse." — "Memorial on Six Matters"

Note 4: Jiangling took the world as his own responsibility; guests who flattered his prime minister career would say: "I am not a prime minister, but a regent." The word "regent" is not wrong for Jiangling, but throughout the ages, only Ji Dan and Wang Mang have been so; now can there be a third? In the spring of Gengchen, because his younger brother Juqian died, he decided to seek to return, but the memorial words did not say "beg to rest," but said "kowtow to return the government," then the Emperor was already like King Cheng. — "Wanli Yehuo Bian, Volume 9, Cabinet"

Note 5: "The land tax is uneven, the poor lose their jobs, and the people suffer from annexation." — "Jingzhou Prefecture Title Record" ===== CHAPTER 12 =====