Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 498 Willing to Be the Pioneer
Being in the business world, Fourth Master Hua has always known a lot about the officialdom. This is due to his grandfather who always pays attention to the changes in the court and then makes corresponding adjustments to try his best to prevent the Hua family from standing on the wrong side or taking the wrong path. It is also due to the fact that he passed the examination for a scholar before he was twenty, and the Southern Zhili Inspector who admitted him at that time was also a famous scholar.
Therefore, he not only knew very well the current future prospects of the cabinet ministers and the sons and nephews of the ministers in the early years of the Yongchen period, but his home also had the gold list of the imperial examination in the first year of the Yongchen period and the gold list of the following spring examinations. He could even remember the resumes of the top ten Jinshi.
When those big guys were the teachers and presided over the imperial examinations, those Jinshi who were able to rank among the top were all world-renowned talents at the time. The Prime Minister at that time, Xu Ge Lao, even praised the top scorer of the special examination as a talent for governing the country, and said that he would definitely be appointed as a prime minister in the future. But the result... Haha, when he retired due to illness last year, he was just a fourth-rank governor of a place in Sichuan.
Not to mention entering the cabinet, even becoming a provincial governor or vice minister is still a long way off!
Now, almost all the chief officials of the cabinet, the six ministries, the Censorate, and the Dali Temple came from the special examinations and the imperial examinations in the early years of Yongchen. Nine out of ten of them considered themselves to be the emperor's disciples and had little or no contact with the master. And the remaining one was not a fish that slipped through the net. When people met the sons and nephews of the master, they would probably call them "brother" politely, but when they asked for help, they would be helpless.
I remember that it was the Prime Minister Xu who took the lead in giving the late emperor the posthumous title of Ruizong. After the emperor took power, he did his best to oppose sending official ships to revisit the old cruise route on the grounds that it would waste money and labor. But over the years, the disciples that Xu really regarded as successors have all died, and his sons and nephews have not become successful. If the old accounts are really brought up again now, it looks a bit miserable!
Mr. Hua Si was sighing over the miserable situation of the disciples of Mr. Xu after his death, but Cao Wu was not as sentimental as this Confucian businessman from Suzhou and did not sigh.
Zhang Shou's words aroused his passion and ambition, and he said loudly: "I am a rough man. I have never liked reading since I was a child. I only like martial arts. Although people I know have given me the title of the best master, in the final analysis, I am just a rough man who fights and kills. If I can really contribute to the stability of our country's sea borders as Dr. Zhang said, it is my duty!"
Mr. Hua Si did not expect Cao Wu to be so obedient. He immediately obeyed Zhang Shou's orders. After a moment of shock, he felt that he could understand. After learning literary and martial arts, they were sold to the emperor's family. However, scholars have channels to sell, but most warriors have nowhere to sell. The worst thing is that now there is no war to fight!
He thought about it in his mind, and immediately said with a smile on his face: "Dr. Zhang, your idea is indeed like clearing the clouds to see the moon, but this matter is serious, and I have to go back and discuss it with others. However, I heard that a student of the former Prime Minister Jiang Ge Lao has submitted many proposals on maritime and agricultural commerce in the past month, and it seems that he is interested in the governor of Cangzhou. Dr. Zhang, you should pay more attention to it."
Zhang Shou laughed and raised his hand to signal Mr. Hua Si and Cao Wu to stop talking. He also drank a full cup and said calmly, "Cangzhou belongs to the imperial court. Cangzhou has been upgraded to a prefecture. The emperor and the officials of the imperial court will take care of who will be the prefect of Cangzhou. Why should I bother with that?"
"Even if it is really that the disciple of Lord Jiang who finally stood out, there must be someone who appreciated his foresight and extraordinary ability. Is it possible that such a person would destroy the good situation that Cangzhou has finally stabilized right after taking office?"
Fourth Master Hua just wanted to test whether Zhang Shou had the ability to control the situation in Cangzhou, and if so to what extent. But seeing that Zhang Shou didn't care at all, he was confused again.
Therefore, he ate the following meal without any appetite, which was the other extreme compared to Cao Wu who ate voraciously and didn't care about his appearance at all. It was not until he saw the mess on the table that he couldn't help but look at Cao Wu who was happily chatting and laughing with Zhang Shou. He had only one thought in his mind: rough people are really rough people, and they can't help it when they are teased.
However, when he and Cao Wu said goodbye and left Zhang Garden, he heard Cao Wu chuckle, "Master Hua must have been laughing at me just now. He was so happy after hearing a few words from others. He is really a country bumpkin who has never seen the world."
"Captain Cao, you are too polite. How dare I laugh at you? Am I not also shaken by what Dr. Zhang said, and my mind is full of bright prospects?" In the mind of Fourth Master Hua, everyone in the escort agency was a desperate criminal who would risk his life if he had to take risks. How could he, who was rich, provoke them? Naturally, he tried his best to deny it.
However, Cao Wu laughed nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. You are the head of a wealthy merchant, and I am a rough man who leads my brothers to fight and kill to make a living. There is a big difference between us. I don't know what you think, I only know that many of the brothers who came to Beijing with me this time are well-known figures in the martial arts world of Cangzhou."
"Originally, they all came to Beijing with me to meet you. After all, you painted a beautiful pie for them. However, being a bodyguard at sea is no different from being a bodyguard on land and rivers. It's still hard work. If there weren't too many people learning martial arts in Cangzhou, but there are fewer and fewer things martial artists can do, no one would be willing to take such a big risk."
"But if we take the same risk and can get a corresponding title from the court, even if it's just a title, it will be an unexpected surprise for us."
"Master Hua, you are the richest man in Suzhou and one of the most famous merchants in the world, but you are not the only wealthy merchant in the world."
When saying the last sentence, Cao Wu deliberately added emphasis. Seeing that Fourth Master Hua's face indeed became serious and he clearly heard the warning in his words, he grinned at him.
"If you don't like it, you can just pretend that Dr. Zhang never said this tonight. But if you don't like it and still spread the news and do something bad behind our backs, then we, the rough people who are seeing our future ruined, may do something impulsive and stupid."
As Cao Wu spoke, he bent down and picked up a stone, then rubbed it in his palm. Seeing the debris gradually fall to the ground, he clapped hands and said coldly: "Scholars in this world can take the imperial examinations and become officials, and businessmen can make money by taking advantage of opportunities. Only those of us who practice martial arts, even if we join the army, will be used up like cannon fodder without anyone to protect us."
Unless you encounter another rebellion by Emperor Yingzong or Emperor Ruizong and gain the credit of following the emperor, there is no hope of making a success!
He ignored the words deep in his heart and then smiled and said, "So even if there is only a slight possibility, I will give it a try. If you are not willing, Mr. Hua, there are many other wealthy merchants."
"Let's say that if the families of Dr. Zhang's students plucked a hair, a public school would be built in the outer city. If they plucked another hair, I might have three or five ships!"
When Mr. Hua Si saw Cao Wu casually bowing to him and then riding away, he stood there in silence for a moment, then turned around and got on the carriage without saying a word. He had brought this matter to Zhang Shou himself, but Cao Wu should have been invited by Zhang Shou, so it was obvious who was closer and who was farther.
Moreover, as Cao Wu said, there are many wealthy businessmen in the world, just like when Cangzhou built a port, the merchants who secretly supported it were definitely not just the Suzhou merchants. Besides, the most important thing is not them, but the attitude of the emperor!
When the night had already fallen in the capital, Zhu Ying did not go home, but stayed at the Queen Mother's place in Qingning Palace. However, this time it was not the Queen Mother who invited her to stay for dinner, but she took the initiative to stay and eat for free. However, she did not like the light and healthy taste of the Queen Mother's small kitchen at all. So, she ate a few bites and said she was full.
The Queen Mother knew Zhu Ying's temper very well. After finishing her meal leisurely, she asked, "Why, after eating so many chefs' food outside at noon, you now complain that my chef's skills are not good enough?"
"It's not that it's bad, I'm just tired of it." Zhu Ying didn't say anything perfunctory, she made a face and said directly, "In my small kitchen, we're always thinking about changing the taste. The two cooks often go out to try new dishes and come back to try them out. Ah Shou also taught them a lot of recipes, but the cooks in your Qingning Palace, Your Majesty, haven't changed at all in decades."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Because if it doesn't change, it won't go wrong. Do you think everyone is like you and the Emperor, seeking novelty and change, and wanting to throw all those outdated old things into the trash?"
Zhu Ying could only laugh dryly at what the Queen Mother said. Her eyes wandered for a while before she whispered, "Isn't it said that as the Son of Heaven, you can't let others know what you like? So it's no big deal that the Emperor likes the new and dislikes the old. If he likes the new and dislikes the old, others won't be able to figure out what the Emperor likes... Ouch!"
Seeing the Queen Mother poking her with a finger, Zhu Ying immediately tilted her head back and then screamed exaggeratedly.
As expected, the Queen Mother was unwilling to touch her granddaughter, so she withdrew her hand and laughed, "No wonder the Emperor has liked you since childhood, your tempers are just like cut from the same mold! I never objected to the selection of the imperial chef from the beginning, and I even paid for it. Why, Yingying, do you want an old woman like me to do something else to make it more popular?"
Before Zhu Ying could speak, the Queen Mother smiled and said, "For example, could you donate some money to the school you are going to build?"
"Oh, that's great!" Seeing Zhu Ying jumping up with joy, the Queen Mother was immediately amused and pointed at the jubilant girl and scolded her, "You are really obsessed with your ideal husband. You even want to extort a small amount of money from me. I don't know what kind of tricks he has put into you!"
"There's no such thing as a potion!" Thinking of what Zhang Shou said to her today, Zhu Ying's eyes suddenly became blurry, and then she said frankly, "He just said that he likes me because I'm straightforward and impulsive, and he also likes me because I'm good at dancing with long sleeves."
The Queen Mother thought that if she were to go back to her teenage years, she would not be able to resist hearing such sincere words of love, let alone Zhu Ying, who was already sentimental. So, she could only shake her head helplessly, and then agreed to donate money to help him study, and as expected, she received a lot of gratitude from Zhu Ying.
Only after she saw Zhu Ying leave the palace with great satisfaction did she summon Yuquan and ask him about the situation of Xinglong Tea House today. When she learned the details of the inside story, she couldn't help but sigh.
"Lu Wan and Liu Zhiyuan, both of whom have experienced decades of ups and downs in the political world, were actually persuaded by Zhang Shou's few words in advance. This shows that they value the future prospects of the public school, that such an event can benefit countless people, and that they can leave their names in history. From this point of view, it is reasonable for me to donate some money."
But was Zhang Shou really only interested in training talents for the court, or was he just using this as a stepping stone to advance his career? Even though the Queen Mother had once ruled the country from behind the curtain and held power over the world, she still couldn't be sure. She even had the same guess as Ge Yong, that is, during the more than ten years that Zhang Shou had been in Rongshui Village, perhaps someone else had taught the obviously gifted boy.
Zhu Ying left Qingning Palace but did not leave the palace immediately. Instead, she asked the eunuch to take her to Qianqing Palace. She was a frequent visitor among the frequent visitors in the palace, and she had been to the palace much more often than the lady-in-waiting. Naturally, no one dared to disobey her, so she arrived at Qianqing Gate smoothly. But as soon as she entered the huge courtyard in front of Qianqing Palace, she heard the emperor's roar.
"If she wants to go on a hunger strike, then let her go. She has almost turned her two sons into useless people, and now she still doubts that I will choose two messy daughters-in-law for her? She doesn't even think about it. I am still worried that my son will mistreat other people's good daughters!"
Zhu Ying hesitated for a moment, thinking that it was not appropriate for her to go in at this moment. However, she hesitated outside for a while before she heard the emperor's voice coming from inside again.
"Who is hesitating outside at this hour? If you have something to say, come in and say it. I won't vent my anger on anyone!"
The emperor said this casually in a rage, but when he saw the wide door curtain of the main hall was lifted up a little, followed by the smiling Zhu Ying sticking her head in, and then she slipped in swiftly, he couldn't help but laugh.
"So it's you, Yingying... Why, you still need me to promise not to vent my anger on you before you dare to come in?"
"It's because the emperor rarely gets so angry. Your temper has been getting better and better over the years, and you rarely curse so loudly." Zhu Ying shrugged, and then asked with a smile, "I just want to ask the emperor, is my eldest brother coming back? When he comes back and is not in Cangzhou, can Ah Shou and I let go and do something over there?"
When the emperor heard Zhu Ying asking about Zhu Tingfang's return date, he planned to just answer casually and tease the little girl whom he had always treated as his daughter. But when Zhu Ying said that Zhu Tingfang was back and she planned to do something with Zhang Shou, he immediately started to have a headache.
It was Zhang Shou's troublemaker again! After he returned to the palace at noon, the grief-stricken Kong Daxueshi and Zhang Yu came together, accompanied by a helpless Wu Gelao. He was almost tired of hearing such words as "a son of a wealthy family should not sit in the hall". Although he only made some comments on Jianxue and Xinglongfang, he was extremely vigilant about the academic journal and the business newspaper.
The emperor rubbed his temple in annoyance, then asked cautiously: "What is he going to do now?"
