Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 533: Tracking and Meeting
Using soft and hard tactics, pestering, and close combat... no matter how they fought, when Zhu Er came out of Principal Yue's yard, he was in high spirits and looked contented.
As for Shanzhang Yue, although he realized during the negotiation that he had been fooled by Zhu Er, he could not refuse .
In other words, he could shirk his responsibility elsewhere, but he couldn't shirk his responsibility in this elegant residence specially built by the emperor to house the four of them. Because there might be spies sent by the emperor to secretly observe their words and deeds, and there might be spies sent by the other three heads of the mountain to spy on them. What's more, when he met Zhu Er, he happened to bring two students with him!
His original purpose was to let the students know that these children of nobles in the capital were uneducated and not to be feared. As a result, Zhu Er asked him to recommend students. If someone could effectively promote good varieties and high-quality seeds in Cangzhou, thereby making the fields productive, he would definitely recommend the corresponding person to the court and even be willing to write a letter as a testimony. He then knew that he had miscalculated.
Sure enough, as soon as Zhu Er left, he saw the expectant expressions of the two students he had recommended that were hard to conceal.
Although Zhaoming Academy inevitably focuses on the imperial examination, it is not only difficult to pass the imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty, but also today. Although there are many people who pass the imperial examination in their twenties or thirties, there are more people who pass the imperial examination in their forties or fifties!
Even though Zhaoming Academy has a long-standing reputation in Guangdong, it does not mean that the students of Zhaoming Academy have reserved a place in the imperial examination. If this were the case, Zhaoming Academy would be criticized a lot.
As for the students that Yue Shanzhang brought with him this time, except for Fang Qing, a young and famous scholar, most of the others were scholars who had wasted a few subjects, and some were even unlucky people who had failed several provincial examinations. How could he block their path to advancement? Although some of the seniors in Zhaoming Academy were officials in the court, and even held high positions, it was impossible for them to bring people with them to teach by example.
Because this is taboo!
Therefore, Shanzhang Yue could only suppress his sigh in his heart and said to them earnestly: "You must not take this kind of young man from a wealthy family seriously. You should be careful in everything. Don't seek credit, but just avoid mistakes. Otherwise, if something happens in the future, he will use you as a scapegoat, which will be really worrying..."
However, when Shanzhang Yue was instilling the idea of moderation to his students, the complacent Zhu Er walked out, happily thinking about another thing Zhang Shou had told him last night.
"As a son of a noble family, don't take it for granted that you are arrogant or even haughty. Of course, if you want to learn from a domineering young master like Zhang Chen, that's fine. You can be a little arrogant to young masters of the same or even slightly lower status, which can highlight your status; and be polite and courteous to the common people, which will show that you are a wealthy family without being arrogant, and others will have a better impression of the Zhu family."
"As for those who are talented, capable, and resourceful, you need to be sincere and patient, and make them feel that you are a wise leader who can be assisted... Of course, this method has little effect on those old hands who are slippery, but it is very effective for young people who are just starting out, or middle-aged people who have experienced many hardships."
Although Zhu Er almost thought that Zhang Shou had ill intentions when he first heard the word "wise leader", but after thinking about it, he understood that this so-called wise leader Zhang Shou meant was someone who recruited staff as a boss.
He never thought that one day he would be able to recruit staff like his father! You know, his elder brother Zhu Tingfang has made such great contributions and is now said to be promoted to the third rank, but he still doesn't have a staff!
Zhu Er was walking and laughing foolishly, not paying attention to the road at all, until he suddenly heard a voice. He looked up and saw a group of people not far away, who seemed to be waiting for a car to go out. The leader was a woman in a dark green dress, with dignified manners and a slim figure, followed by two elderly maids and a young boy as a servant.
If it were someone who strictly abides by the rules of etiquette, he would have known to look away at this moment, but Zhu Erke has never been a gentleman who abides by the rules of etiquette. So, instead of looking away, he simply raised his head to look at the other person's face. Coincidentally, the woman also turned her head to look in his direction, and when their eyes met, he was immediately disappointed.
The woman's appearance was extremely ordinary, even inferior to that of the ordinary maids in the Duke of Zhao's mansion. What a waste of such a good figure!
But Zhu Er just looked away as if nothing had happened, and then he came to his senses. How could there be a woman in this elegant house? Could it be the daughter of the stubborn Hong Shanzhang, who had originally recommended herself and was considered suitable to be the eldest prince's consort? He almost subconsciously raised his head again, but unfortunately, the plain-looking woman had already got on the car.
If it were any other woman, even if she was a beauty, Zhu Er, who had long been spoiled by his sister Zhu Ying, would probably just let her go. But Hong was different. He thought for a moment, quickly walked to the door to meet Zhu Yi, and then told him to sneak up quietly.
Whenever Zhu Er thought about how Hong was recommended to the emperor by the stubborn Hong Shanchang, who said that she was worthy of the eldest prince, and then Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou even accompanied the empress dowager to meet people, and that the empress dowager, with such a picky temper, actually had a good impression of Hong, he felt a tightness in his chest. The three words "why" kept lingering in his mind.
After all, Zhu Er had never received any favorable regard from the Empress Dowager, and the same went for his cousins!
Even if the Queen Mother did not directly approve Shanzhang Hong's request, being a princess tutor with the fifth rank treatment would be good, and he doesn't have it yet!
Zhu Yi was not Zhu Er's personal friend. If the second young master had taken him and others to follow another family's daughter, he would have immediately stopped them without any regard. But when he heard that it was Hong, he not only did not say a word, but also quietly ordered another guard to take a shortcut to follow them, so as not to lose them.
However, when they followed the Hong family's carriage and horses from a distance as they passed through the streets and alleys and finally stopped, they looked up and saw the plaque hanging in front of a tall building not far away. From Zhu Er to Zhu Yi and several attendants and guards, everyone had a strange look on their faces for a moment.
If the driver who drove Hong had not been unfamiliar with the road or simply took a detour and took them around the capital, they would have realized where this place was. Isn't this the Yuehua Tower where Princess Yongping usually holds a literary gathering once a month? Could it be that Hong came here today to meet the arrogant and cold princess?
"Let's go." Zhu Er waved his hands in annoyance, feeling bored. He wished he hadn't decided to go on this trip. He avoided the Empress Dowager since he was a child, but he wasn't afraid of the Emperor, because the Emperor was quite naughty when he was a child and was somewhat tolerant of him. Although he didn't see Concubine Yu very often, she would smile at him whenever she saw him.
Only Princess Yongping showed her disdain every time she saw him. Not to mention him, even in front of her elder brother, that girl was cold as ice, and she had never gotten along with Zhu Ying since they were young. There were also gossipers in the capital who said that Zhu Ying was the bright sun and Princess Yongping was the bright moon, but in his opinion, that was just a bullshit moon, it was pure hypocrisy!
His sister is still better. She laughs when she laughs and cries when she cries. She never pretends!
At a private seat by the window on the second floor of Yuehua Tower , she saw Zhu Er, who was not far downstairs, spit on the ground, then turned his horse and left. Several other guards followed closely behind him. The number of masters and servants was exactly the same as the number of people when they went to Yashe to meet Yue Shanchang before. Hong breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she had made the right choice to choose this place to meet him.
When Zhu Er entered Yashe to look for Master Yue, he did not notice her, but she saw his back. Before that, she had habitually looked back from the small window at the back of the carriage halfway through the journey. When she found that Zhu Er was following her, how could she not have some thoughts?
After waiting for a while, Hong heard a light cough outside the door, and the curtain was lifted high. Then, a man with a masculine face walked in with his hands behind his back. At first glance, she saw that he was in his early forties, with a strong back and a slim waist, and an extraordinary appearance, like a general charging into battle. Although she was confused, she stood up immediately.
After the visitor looked him up and down, he nodded slightly and said, "Madam Hong, nice to meet you. I am Chu Kuan."
Even though Hong guessed that the person who came in first might be related to Chu Kuan, the chief of Silijian who had secretly sent her an invitation, she couldn't help but be shocked when the person actually introduced himself.
She thought Chu Kuan would send someone to see her, but she didn't expect that person would come in person!
Not only that, at first glance at his words and deeds, she could hardly believe that this was the most trusted eunuch in front of the emperor in this dynasty with the least eunuchs! Was it because he didn't look like a eunuch at all that he gained the emperor's trust?
After being surprised, Hong immediately stood up and said, "I didn't expect that Eunuch Chu would come here in person. I am really terrified. I am a humble person with little talent and knowledge. If Eunuch Chu wants to conspire for something big, there are many talented people in the court. How could he mistake me for a woman? If I hadn't thought about it, no one would have joked like this. I almost didn't dare to come here today."
"Haha, luckily you came, otherwise I would have misjudged you."
Chu Kuan sat down calmly, and then looked at Hong for a moment. Seeing that she remained calm under his bold and explicit gaze, he nodded and said, "It is just as the Queen Mother sighed privately. If you are really beautiful, then you are definitely the eldest prince's consort. After all, the eldest prince values both family background and beauty."
Hong took a deep breath and did not feel offended by Chu Kuan's words, because since she was a child, she had been criticized for her ordinary appearance.
Especially when she recited a poem for the first time, her father was very pleased with it, but the maid secretly told her that those students, who their father was very proud of and hoped would become pillars of society, secretly regretted that she was not good-looking, otherwise they would have competed to marry such a beautiful woman with both talent and beauty.
At that time, she sneered in her heart. These guys who didn't even pass the imperial examination and didn't have any special skills, when they were passionately giving advice to the world and evaluating beauties and talents, did they ever think about how real beauties and talents would be attracted to frivolous and shallow people like them? Pillars of the country... bullshit pillars of the country?
At this moment, she calmed down and said calmly: "Father has this idea, and as a daughter, I naturally cannot go against his wishes. As for whether the eldest prince likes it or not...don't people say that parents decide and matchmakers decide ? But now the matter has been settled. Didn't the Queen Mother give me silk and order me to be the tutor of Princess Yongping?"
"Of course, the princess' tutor has been clearly decreed, but as long as you are truly willing, you can be the eldest prince's consort. Moreover, you don't even have to go to the Zongzheng Temple to accompany the eldest prince who has no hope every day. I can keep you apart. With the title of eldest prince's consort, if you want to preside over the girls' school, you can naturally take over from Princess Yongping."
Chu Kuan said it lightly, but to Hong, it sounded like a raging storm.
What kind of character does the current emperor have? Does Chu Kuan mean that he can deceive the world and turn the tide?
Although there was a voice in her heart that tried desperately to persuade her to agree, Hong still made up her mind and said calmly, "Eunuch Chu is so kind to me, and I am really grateful and terrified. However, this matter should be decided by the emperor, and I dare not accept such kindness. Besides, the princess's talent is well known in the capital. Although I, as a tutor, have never met her, I will not plot against her in secret."
Chu Kuan's face darkened and his eyes became fierce, but he stared at Hong's eyes for a long time, but he did not see any fear on her face, only a calmness like a pool of stagnant water. He could not help but marvel at it secretly. After examining her, he smiled and said, "It seems that I underestimated you. After all, you are a talented woman who is well- and has a lot of knowledge. I take back what I said just now."
As he spoke, he walked forward and sat down happily, then raised his hand to signal Hong to sit down as well, and then clapped his hands gently. A moment later, two humble servants came out from the outside, holding up a wooden tray and delivering some exquisite snacks and a pot of fragrant tea.
After personally pouring a cup of tea for Hong and then for himself, Chu Kuan said bluntly: "The matter of women's education is unorthodox, but it existed during the reign of Taizu. I can find the imperial edicts of Taizu as a legal basis, but you have to be mentally prepared. Princess Yongping is not easy to get along with."
Chu Kuan skipped the topic immediately. He raised his cup and took a sip of tea, then said casually, "Although the Third and Fourth Princes are very interested in mathematics, they cannot neglect other subjects. Madam Hong, do you think there are any subjects you are good at that you can teach the two princes?"
If Hong had already determined that Chu Kuan's initial offer was just a poisonous bait, and that she would be doomed if she agreed, then she couldn't help but be tempted by this bait. She didn't care about the title of the prince's teacher, but if she could influence the future emperor, it would be better than all the previous plans!
