Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 553: Patience and Persuasion, Fighting and Dispelling
The emperor came to the Imperial Household Department in person?
Chu Kuan was shocked. When Lü Chan brought the emperor into the Imperial Household Department of Beihuang City with a bitter face, this small government office was in complete chaos. It was not that no one wanted to inform Chu Kuan, but Hua Qi, who came with him, squatted directly on the wall of Chu Kuan's yard, so the informers did not stop.
Moreover, in the eyes of the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department, who all came out of the Inner Study Hall and had been educated in loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, Eunuch Chu was the most loyal example. Even if the emperor just broke into the Imperial Household Department through the main gate, there would be no accidents. So in the end, the emperor was allowed to follow Lu Chan directly to the official hall where the Imperial Household Department held the seal and did business.
At this moment, the emperor saw Chu Kuan, who hurriedly opened the door and saluted, and he just nodded slightly and walked straight into the door. He patted Chu Kuan on the shoulder as he passed by and said, "Don't be so polite. I have something to say to you. The rest of you, all stay away from me. Anyone who dares to eavesdrop will be killed without mercy!"
Although the emperor was a maverick and still had the habit of doing everything according to his own preferences when he was young, the expression "kill without mercy" would never appear in his common words. Therefore, everyone from Lu Chan onwards hurriedly responded and retreated. Lu Chan, who was the last one to leave the courtyard, couldn't help but look up at Hua Qi squatting on the wall, and couldn't help feeling strange.
He was the most trusted guard beside the Duke of Zhao, bar none. It was said that the emperor had taken a fancy to him many years ago, but had never been able to recruit him. He just got his wish recently. However, how could such a guard who was once an outsider be so trusted by the emperor in such a short time, and still stay so brazenly when others retreated? Was the three words "kill without pardon" not directed at this person?
After dismissing the outsiders, the emperor walked around Chu Kuan's not very spacious hall, and then said with a smile: "When I was a child, I felt that with your talent, if you took the imperial examination, you might have passed the examination and become the prime minister. When you were promoted to the chief secretary of the Imperial Household Department, others thought that you were already treated very well at your age, but I felt that you were still wronged."
Although the emperor looked natural and spoke in a friendly tone, Chu Kuan did not think that the emperor was really just the child he had watched grow up. Anyone who had been on the throne for nearly thirty years would have a very cunning mind. The emperor was just unwilling to compromise himself most of the time, so he seemed to be willful.
So, after pondering it over for a moment, he simply bowed and said, "I was able to be reborn because of the kindness of the Empress Dowager, I was able to study and learn martial arts because of the mercy of the late emperor, and I was able to take charge of the Imperial Household Department because of the emperor's respect for me. Therefore, I am determined to be loyal and repay the kindness of the three saints. As for the imperial examination and becoming an official..."
Chu Kuan raised his head directly, his face full of magnanimity: "Except for a small number of officials who are dedicated to the country and the people, and a small number of people who are truly incorruptible, and who are also upright and honest, not just good at talking, but who can assist the king, write books and educate the people, I don't care about the rest of those scholars!"
"If I were to be in the same group with these people, I would probably feel uncomfortable all over!"
The emperor couldn't help but twitch his eyelids slightly, thinking back to when he had just ascended the throne, he and Chu Kuan sat on a tree branch in the imperial garden, pointing at the moon and cursing at those hateful old men in the court. But twenty-seven years had passed, and he had compromised with those hateful old men in many cases, while Chu Kuan clearly continued his disgust for those pedantic and useless people to this day.
He couldn't help rubbing his brows, and then said unhappily: "Well, those scholars look down on you, and you look down on them, so we're even! Get up, and fight me, don't you mind the pain under your knees!"
Chu Kuan did not stand up as he was told, but maintained the same posture as before: "I have been quite independent in recent years. If Your Majesty thinks that I have done something wrong, please let me know."
“You also know that you are acting on your own !” The emperor was so angry that he took a few steps forward and directly pulled Chu Kuan up from the ground, and shouted angrily, “Who told you to send a spy to Zhang Shou? If you want to send someone, you can send them to his door openly, instead of doing it sneakily like this…”
"Isn't my spy above board?" Chu Kuan saw the emperor grabbing his collar, and thought of how he liked to grab people's collars when they were young. After answering, he couldn't help but feel a little dazed. When he found that the emperor had let go of his hand, he said seriously, "When he left, he said that he was a craftsman who had cast copper movable type in the Silijian Jingchang."
Uh… a craftsman who used to work as a book printer in the Imperial Household Department was actually recruited by Zhang Shou’s workshop so openly? Zhang Shou also accepted people so easily?
The emperor was slightly distracted, and then he couldn't help but stare at Chu Kuan with a fierce face: "You didn't discuss this matter with me in advance!"
"I just want Zhang Shou to think that this is the Imperial Household Department who took the initiative to plant someone in his place. If he doesn't care, then he won't care about this. If he cares, then when he complains to the emperor, who knows nothing about this, Zhang Shou is smart. Just by looking at the emperor's expression, he will naturally be more certain that this is just what I did privately."
"He will never doubt that Your Majesty is worried about him. In fact, Your Majesty does trust him very much."
Seeing that the emperor was glaring at him more and more angrily, Chu Kuan said calmly, "But I am different. I have to think about things that the emperor is too lazy to think about. In the past year since Dr. Zhang came to Beijing, he has done too many things that his predecessors had not thought of, let alone could not do. Moreover, his teacher is obviously not that simple. Even if Master Ge insists that he taught him everything, do you believe it, Your Majesty?"
Don’t believe it!
His teacher now thinks that Zhang Shou is perfect, so he not only arranges Zhang Shou's marriage, but also wants to hold the ceremony of coming of age. If he has a daughter, Zhu Ying might meet his biggest rival...
Not to mention helping Zhang Shou with the problem of succession to his master, even if Zhang Shou had problems in other areas, Ge Yong would take them on without hesitation!
After all, apart from his master, Zhang Shou's background was clean, and in the more than one year since he came to the capital, everything he did was aboveboard, and it could even be said that he benefited the country and the people.
The emperor accused the teacher of being biased in his heart, but in front of Chu Kuan, he acted as if nothing had happened.
"I don't care who Zhang Shou's teacher is, and he has always been upright. I hope to fulfill the long-cherished wish of Emperor Taizu and let my glorious Ming Dynasty stand at the top of the world. To achieve this, can I still count on those old guys who only delve into piles of ancient books?"
Chu Kuan was the person who knew the emperor best besides the Empress Dowager. Even Concubine Yu, who was his bedmate, was far behind him. Therefore, he was not surprised by the emperor's thoughts and even agreed with them, but that was not his complete agreement.
"I know that the emperor hoped that Zhang Shou could stir up the stagnant Imperial College. Now it seems that he has obviously done it. But the emperor has also seen that although many noble children in Banshan Hall have begun to revive and strive for progress, and Jiuzhang Hall has been in good shape not long after its reopening, the other six halls of the Imperial College... Haha, the academic officials are fighting for power and profit, and Zhou Jijiu and Luo Siye are just the same as before."
"So, Zhang Shou can only stir up the people around him who can be influenced, and they are all young people who are unwilling to be mediocre. As for those parasites who are not very old but have already aged their hearts, they are of little use. And as far as I know, the disturbances that Zhang Shou has stirred up now have caused many people to desperately try to trace his origins."
Seeing the emperor's disdainful expression, as if he wanted to ask if the palace hadn't investigated Zhang Shou's background enough, Chu Kuan said word by word: "The emperor knew that Zhang Shou was the posthumous son of an ordinary scholar because of what Hua Qi saw with his own eyes, as well as because of Concubine Yu and Madam Zhao. But he was born on the same day, month and year as Princess Yongping and Miss Zhu after all."
"Gossip can melt metal, so we must be on guard. Therefore, I will act on guard in advance to stop people from talking."
The emperor was full of disapproval, but Chu Kuan's next words made him even more irritated. Just like Chu Kuan's self-proclaimed name at this moment, it made him feel uncomfortable. He knew very well that Chu Kuan would only call himself a slave in front of others, and this time he was doing it on purpose!
"The Emperor is about to appoint the Third Prince as the Crown Prince. Although Zhang Shou has taught the Third Prince before, if he continues to serve as the Crown Prince's teacher, I'm afraid there will be even greater opposition in the court. The Emperor should not say that he still intends to let the Third Prince continue to attend Jiuzhang Hall."
"I just want Sanlang to continue to go to Jiuzhang Hall." The emperor said in a deep voice with a stern face, "With Sanlang's temper, even though he has Silang to keep him company in the palace, he still can't come into contact with too many outsiders. He will be the emperor in the future. If he can't come into contact with people often and know how to deal with them, then over time, he might become the cowardly person he used to be."
"You should know that from ancient times to the present, those so-called wise emperors know how to control their subjects best. They are usually not raised by women in the palace, but have often been running outside the palace since childhood and are best at dealing with people. And those emperors who were raised by women in the palace were either incompetent rulers or puppets played in the palms of their ministers."
"I will never change my original intention just because of some people's opposition. If they don't want to do it, then get out. After all, I have accumulated a few talents in my pocket over the years. It's not like when I first ascended the throne and my mother was afraid that the ministers would give up their duties!"
"I am very satisfied with Zhang Shou and the students of Jiuzhang Hall. So I will let Zhang Shou teach Sanlang, and let the students of Jiuzhang Hall accompany Sanlang to study, so that he can know what ordinary students are like from a young age."
Chu Kuan just wanted to test the emperor's attitude towards Zhang Shou as the prince's teacher. Seeing that the emperor had obviously made up his mind, he simply stopped talking about it and tried to change the topic to another aspect he wanted.
"If the emperor is determined to have Zhang Shou as one of the prince's teachers, then choosing other teachers is very important. The imperial lecture was originally scheduled for a few days, but now it seems that it is better to do it sooner rather than later. As for the four principals specially summoned by the emperor to the capital, after learning that the new prince is about to be enthroned, I am afraid that even Principal Hong, who once said he would go back, will change his mind."
"I have nothing better to do than to recruit that old fellow to teach Sanlang? I can't stand him, why would I bring him in to harm Sanlang! He has already asked to return home, and as soon as the imperial lecture is over, I will let him go!"
The emperor got angry when he mentioned Dean Hong, and glared at Chu Kuan angrily: "You said that you would select the best academies from all over the world, those that have many students and talents, those that have become officials in the court, and those that have tolerant and open-minded personalities, can accept new things, and are proficient in various subjects. But in the end, such an old Taoist got in!"
Chu Kuan felt helpless after being scolded by the emperor. The Silijian had limited manpower, and more of their energy was focused on managing the various industries for the royal family. Spying on intelligence all over the world was just a side job. Moreover, even if they were spying, they were only focused on the officialdom. It was only after he took control of the Silijian that he began to spy on the teachers and subjects taught in those academies.
The emperor suddenly sent him to select the principals who were proficient in various subjects from many academies across the country and summon them to the capital. Time was tight and the task was urgent. He could only summarize the situations of various academies reported from below and then make a judgment based on the information on paper.
The achievements of some students in Yuzhang Academy in miscellaneous subjects were really outstanding. It was even said that someone had used white crystal to grind a magic mirror that was said to be able to ignite fire. This was witnessed by a spy from the Imperial Household Department. He naturally assumed that it was taught by Hong Shanchang. Unexpectedly, when he met Hong Shanchang that time, Hong Shanchang actually confessed to him that it was she who secretly funded and encouraged him!
So, at this moment, he could not help but sigh, and then he said seriously: "I have asked someone to investigate Yuzhang Academy again, and finally found out that the students who are very outstanding in miscellaneous subjects in Yuzhang Academy are all daughters of Principal Hong. Hong secretly funded them and gave them guidance, so they are obsessed with miscellaneous subjects..."
He very frankly told the emperor what Hong said and what he had found out, and sure enough, the emperor's expression became extremely subtle.
He knew that the emperor's attitude would be either angry at Hong's intentions and drive him out of the capital, or he would think that Hong had a unique vision and was different from his father. But since he had made the decision, he would naturally push the emperor to make a choice that favored his choice.
"Your Majesty, Hong is so good at scheming that we need to be wary of her, but since Your Majesty hates Principal Hong, why not keep her? I have personally tested Hong's talent and learned that she is proficient in all the Four Books and Five Classics. She is a rare talent. What's more, the most rare thing is that she taught all the women from the most basic things."
"Your Majesty, don't you think that before Grand Tutor Ge became the Imperial Tutor, all the teachers who taught you tried to make the already profound classics even more profound? As if if you don't make it confusing, you are not a good teacher. Young children have their own teaching methods, and it is correct to start from the simple to the complex. At least in this respect, the Hong family still has an advantage."
Seeing that the emperor was silent and obviously began to consider his words, Chu Kuan struck while the iron was hot and said, "The most important thing is that if Hong is selected, her father can go back with peace of mind. Moreover, her case can overshadow the matter of the teacher and student of Jiuzhang Hall."
