Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 503: The pedantic old man and the vengeful child
"In that case, Hong Qing can go back in a few days."
Zhang Shou was not surprised at all by the emperor's short ten words, while Yue Shanzhang showed a shocked expression, while Hong Shanzhang, on the contrary, had a calm expression. He bowed deeply and thanked him in a serious manner , and when he straightened up, his face was full of magnanimity.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your help! I have no intention of pursuing a career in politics, nor of becoming famous. I only hope that the world will be peaceful, the people will be honest, and the atmosphere in the court will be austere, so that I can teach more upright people for the country. I recommend my daughter because she is indifferent to fame and fortune, and does not seek wealth and honor. Therefore, if there are other virtuous women who are willing, it does not mean that she is the only one."
"The eldest prince made one mistake after another because Concubine Jing failed to fulfill her duty as a mother. If he had a virtuous wife to advise him and a beloved son to accompany him in the future, I think he would be able to change his ways. Not only him, but the second prince is the same. I heard that in the capital, from the powerful to the common people, marriage is often based on family background first, then appearance, and things that cannot be seen, such as character, are often ignored."
"For example, it is said that the second prince once humiliated the daughter of an official on the street because of rumors he heard from others. It was because of this bad habit! So..." He paused, and his eyes suddenly fell on Zhang Shou standing aside.
"Although I don't agree with Dr. Zhang's philosophy and I don't like his behavior, I still have to praise Duke Zhao for keeping the marriage contract and marrying his daughter to Dr. Zhang, who is completely out of lineage. Many officials who have risen to prominence say that they will not divorce their wives who have shared their hardships, but all of them have concubines and maids. And the marriage contract they made for their children when they were poor, they broke it when they became famous. It's simply a low character!"
"As for marriage, shouldn't it mean marry a virtuous daughter-in-law and marry a virtuous daughter-in-law?"
Zhang Shou, who was listening nearby, was speechless. The old man had scolded him harshly at the beginning, and then he gave him - or his future father-in-law, Duke of Zhao Zhu Jing - a high hat. If he wanted to write it off, he would not be so generous. But now he could finally understand that he was a rigid and old-fashioned old man!
What era is it now? Do you still want to stick to the words "virtue" in marriage and daily life? This is just like some old pedants who stick to the ancient times of saints and sages! Everyone understands the big principles, but in real life, how many people don't take care of their own interests first? Is it useful for you to call on everyone to talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality?
Seeing that Zhang Shou and Yue Shanzhang were both looking at him, the emperor's expression unconsciously became a little strange, and he felt at a loss whether to laugh or cry. You know, he had sent people to investigate the four great scholars he summoned to the capital this time, and he was sure that they were not confined to the so-called sage books, but were well-read and had dabbled in various subjects, and could even be said to have made great achievements.
For example, the principal of Yuzhang Academy, Hong Shan, although he set a lot of rules for the academy, and there were many teachers who advocated retro style and former censors in the academy, so it was not as important as Zhaoming Academy, which focused on water conservancy and agricultural science, but it also had some interesting highlights in various subjects. The people sent out found that Yuzhang Academy had some interesting little incidents.
For example, the telescope that can see distant objects clearly presented by the governor of Jiangxi Province was said to be made by a little-known student of Yuzhang Academy using white crystal, and has been introduced by the Military Equipment Bureau. For example, a mystery case in Nanchang Prefecture was solved by a student of Yuzhang Academy who provided a solution to the case, and the solution was quite interesting.
For example... Yuzhang Academy actually has a class that accepts female students. And they are not the daughters of rich families who have no worries and study just to recite poems and write essays to while away their precious time, but girls from poor families, even widows. In addition to needlework, they also teach many interesting practical skills...
If the students are like this, one can imagine what the teacher in charge of the academy must be like.
It was for this reason that the curious emperor added Hong Shanchang to the list of people to be summoned this time. Who would have thought that before Hong Shanchang arrived in the capital, he suddenly wrote a letter that shocked and angered him, and he also shamelessly recommended a candidate for the eldest prince's consort.
And when he was summoning people, the old man started talking a lot of words that sounded reasonable but were actually extremely pedantic.
At this moment, seeing that after Chief Hong Shan finished speaking, he bowed to the ground. The emperor, who had a million thoughts in his mind, tried to control his expression, and then nodded slightly and said, "Mr. Hong, what you said does make sense."
Everyone knows that you should marry a virtuous wife and a virtuous daughter... The question is, can you tell? When his queen first entered the palace, she was also good-looking and had a good temperament. The queen mother did not choose her for her family background alone. But people's hearts change easily. Who knows what will happen to a good person in three to five years!
However, as soon as Zhang Shou heard the emperor's ambiguous words, he knew something was wrong. Sure enough, the next moment, Hong Shanzhang, who had straightened up, was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
"Your Majesty is wise! God bless our Ming Dynasty! In my opinion, the current atmosphere in the court should be rectified..."
Seeing that this old man, who had just criticized him and then talked about morality, was about to start talking nonstop again, Zhang Shou quickly took the opportunity to whisper a few words to the Fourth Prince.
So, the Fourth Prince, who hated these big principles the most, immediately ran to the Emperor , and then whispered something to the Emperor in the same way that Zhang Shou had just spoken to him, pretending not to notice Hong Shan's strange expression.
Thanks to the naughty boy's running errands, the emperor, who had received a hint from Zhang Shou, finally found the key to ending today's conversation. He coughed lightly and interrupted Hong Shanzhang's eloquent speech in time.
"Hong Qing, I am really curious about your daughter. Let's put it this way. My children's marriage is not something I can decide alone. The Queen Mother is also worried about the eldest prince. Since your daughter came to the capital with you, you should go to Qingning Palace to meet the Queen Mother tomorrow. Yue Qing arrived in the capital a few days ago and has rested for a few days. You just arrived in the capital, so you might as well go back to your residence and rest first."
At this point, seeing that Hong Shanchang opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak, the emperor was not sure whether he was going to agree or resist, so he immediately said domineeringly: "This is my order, not to discuss with you! Come, send Hong Shanchang back to Yashe!"
Only then did Chief Hong Shan agree with some disappointment. As the attendant from the Imperial Household Department who had brought him here hurried in, he did not realize that he had acted foolishly several times despite his age. He bowed meticulously, then stepped back facing the emperor, and finally turned around and left without saying a word. Every move he made was in accordance with etiquette.
When he left, everyone in the huge main hall of the Qianqing Palace breathed a sigh of relief, even the young Fourth Prince.
Yue Bufan, the headmaster of Zhaoming Academy who always paid great attention to his manners, was also like this. That was entirely because he was summoned together with such a stubborn old man, and he felt extremely depressed at this moment.
So, after taking a long breath, he immediately said, "Your Majesty, Principal Hong also said some inappropriate things on the way here, but please be a little lenient with him because of his age. As far as I know, Yuzhang Academy has been full of talents over the years, only because Principal Hong is not only strict with himself, but also stricter with others."
He didn't intend to spend all his time on others. After saying this, he immediately changed the subject back to himself: "Each academy has its own rules. For example, Zhaoming Academy accepts students and their cultivation depends on each individual. Apart from the classics and history, the rest depends on the students' own interests."
"Because the majority of students in Zhaoming Academy are from poor families or even farmers, there are many who are interested in agricultural science. They all hope to apply what they have learned in their hometown so that their hometown elders can harvest an extra three or five bushels of rice every year and live and work in peace and contentment. Nowadays, there are three-season rice in East Guangdong and Southern Hainan, and many of the good varieties are improved and spread by students who farm in Zhaoming Academy..."
Zhang Shou sat nearby, listening attentively to Principal Yue's endless talk about how his academy focused on agricultural science, how it improved seeds, and how it worked hard to research more efficient fertilizers. In his mind, he compared him with Principal Hong, who seemed like a pedant just now. He thought that Lu Sanlang and Ji Jiu had been asking him to pay attention to the four wise men specially summoned by the emperor, and Principal Yue's performance at this time was not disappointing their vigilance.
When Yue Shanchang started talking about water conservancy after the agricultural science course, he gave him a high score in his heart. Because this person was presenting facts and reasoning, and brought out two famous water conservancy officials who had graduated from Zhaoming Academy, but he did not talk about their achievements, but only talked about the examples they set for the younger generations. Now many students from Zhaoming Academy are in charge of repairing canals in Guangdong.
This time, even the Fourth Prince, who had been disgusted at first, gradually lost his impatient expression. He even listened while asking Zhang Shou to explain to him the terms he did not understand.
The emperor listened and asked questions at the same time. When he confirmed that Master Yue was indeed as talented and knowledgeable as he had investigated, he nodded slightly and then suddenly asked, "Old Master Ge once suggested to me that the calendar used at the beginning of the founding of the country has become less and less accurate, so he requested to recalculate it in the same way as Guo Shoujing's four-sea measurement in the Yuan Dynasty. What do you think, Master Yue?"
Being asked about a field he was not familiar with, Yue Shanzhang's face suddenly changed slightly, and he almost couldn't help looking at Zhang Shou. Fortunately, he was very good at controlling himself, and he recovered immediately, and said with a smile: "Every profession has its own expertise. For things like calendar, Master Ge knows much more than a half-baked person like me. Even if the emperor asks Doctor Zhang, he is better than me."
Without waiting for the emperor to look at him, Zhang Shou said without hesitation: "Your Majesty, I am only slightly familiar with arithmetic, and I am a layman in calendar. But since Director Yue attaches so much importance to agricultural science, I think he should know whether the current calendar is suitable for the current farming season."
Shanzhang Yue was caught off guard when his question was pushed back to him so directly.
If he was seven points alert towards Zhang Shou, then he was at least nine points alert towards Zhu Jing behind Zhang Shou, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was twelve points alert towards Zhang Shou's teacher Ge Yong.
Although he was no longer in the court, the court was full of various legends about this old Grand Tutor. He felt that the old Grand Tutor was paving the way for Zhang Shou when he was so old and yet he was still promoting the Four Seas Test and revising the calendar.
Therefore, even though Zhang Shou said he was a layman in the calendar, he immediately took it very seriously and said, "Since Your Majesty is willing to consult a layman like me, and Doctor Zhang is so humble, then I think that Master Ge is old. Although I heard that there are two old gentlemen, Qi and Chu, to assist, they are old and weak after all. This matter cannot be entirely left to the people of the Imperial Observatory."
"So I suggest that you issue an imperial decree to allow people who are proficient in mathematics to recommend themselves to the government, and then summon them to the capital to prepare for the emperor's inquiry."
Hearing that, Zhang Shou almost clapped his hands and praised Yue Shanchang for his great help. You know, the people who were recruited into Jiuzhangtang at present were at best potential mathematics talents with decent talents but no future prospects. They were still far from being talents. Those real high-end mathematics talents probably didn't look down on them.
But if the court lifted the astronomical ban by compiling the calendar, there would be many high-end talents gathering in the capital! Even if some of them looked down on him, he would definitely be able to find some like-minded people!
So he immediately responded with emotion: "Your Majesty, what Shanzhang Yue said is absolutely right. I second your opinion!"
When the emperor saw that Shanzhang Yue's face flashed with obvious surprise when he heard this, and then he quickly lowered his head slightly as if to hide it, he laughed secretly - Zhang Shou was a disciple of Ge Yong, so his ideas are naturally different from ordinary people. You cunning people always like to measure him with worldly ideas, aren't you shooting yourself in the foot?
And...I've actually been waiting for you to say this!
The emperor, smiling, clapped his hands and praised, "Mr. Yue, your words are very insightful. Let's do this. Someone, go to the cabinet and pass on the message. Previously, due to the lack of talent in the Imperial Observatory, the progress of the Four Seas Test was slow. Now, due to Mr. Yue's advice, we should look to the world to recruit talents who are proficient in mathematics. In order to recruit real talents, please ask Grand Tutor Ge and Qi Chu to set the questions. Those who are interested can solve the questions in the local government offices, and then they will be sent to the capital by bus!"
At this moment, it was difficult to describe the feelings of Yue Shanzhang. He just felt that he had always thought he was behaving properly, but was fooled by the emperor and Zhang Shou!
But at this moment, facing the calm emperor, the jubilant Fourth Prince, and the delighted Zhang Shou, he could no longer object and could only sulk in his heart. Just at this moment, he heard the Fourth Prince suddenly ask: "Father, I heard that when my third brother and I applied for the Jiuzhang Hall, there were students from Zhaoming Academy who questioned my third brother, and then Principal Yue expelled them from the school?"
Zhang Shou remembered that he had informed the emperor about taking Fang Qing in a long time ago, and the emperor had no intention of pursuing the matter, but he did not expect the fourth prince to suddenly bring it up. This little brat actually holds a grudge like this?
Just as he was thinking this, he saw the Fourth Prince smile slyly: "If a child is not taught well, it is the fault of the father; if a child is not taught strictly, it is the laziness of the teacher. Isn't it a bit too harsh for Master Yue to expel someone without teaching him at all?"
