Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 594: What Virtue and Ability
The Imperial Lecture of the 27th year of Yongchen was destined to go down in history - whether it would be a good name or a bad name, that was hard to say. Because after the verbal battles of the previous few days, this one on October 6th had a commotion before it even started. It was Zhang Shou arguing with Academician Kong, two people of vastly different ages, experiences and official ranks, arguing in court.
The one who finally came out to act as a peacemaker was none other than the emperor. However, the emperor who acted as a peacemaker openly took sides and directly approved the new thing of the Suanjing Hall, and decided to promote it to the whole country regardless of anything.
Then, Wu Ge Lao, the emperor's yes-man, fully demonstrated his characteristics and jumped out to support and echo.
Faced with such a situation, although Academician Kong was furious, there were not many resolute opponents like him. In addition, the Third Prince came out to act as the second peacemaker and proposed to change the Mathematical Classics Hall into the Miscellaneous Classics Hall, printing dozens of miscellaneous books such as water conservancy and agriculture books for students to borrow and copy. He also persuaded Yue Shanzhang and others to support it, and the matter was settled.
Actually, Dean Yue, Dean Xiao and the other three did not really want to support it, but the Third Prince personally lobbied them with a smile and asked them to recommend books to be placed in the Miscellaneous Scriptures Library for people to borrow. If they were not even given this honor... no one thought that they could still be a lecturer in the Eastern Palace.
As for Chief Hong Shan, it was not known whether it was a coincidence or he was not summoned by the emperor, but he did not come to the imperial lecture that day. He avoided such a difficulty but also missed such an opportunity.
When the imperial lecture ended, the three heads of the school, who had been at odds with each other before, came together again. All three of them avoided commenting on the emperor or the future crown prince's actions to act as peacemakers, but only focused on commenting on the lectures of the people at the imperial lecture. As for who won and who lost in the debate between Zhang Shou and Confucius, the three of them knew it all.
When facing a new noble like Zhang Shou, the dignified cabinet minister actually rolled up his sleeves and went into battle himself instead of using his pawns. Academician Kong was definitely not so weak, and it was very likely that he was deliberately showing weakness or had other purposes. As for Zhang Shou, the Suanjing Hall became the Miscellaneous Scripture Hall, and it was the third prince who proposed this. Did Zhang Shou ever think about it? Was he willing to accept it?
Another thing the three of them discussed was that as soon as the imperial lecture ended, the Third Prince was blocked by Zhu Ying. Principal Yue felt that the eldest lady, whose eyebrows were raised in anger, seemed to be very unwilling to accept it, while Principal Xiao also commented on Zhu Ying's arrogant attitude in dragging the Third Prince away. Principal Xu laughed it off and was vague, as if he didn't want to comment on anything related to Zhu Ying at all.
Not to mention them. The Fourth Prince who ran after her also felt that Zhu Ying really didn't take his Third Brother seriously. However, until he was furious and followed Zhu Ying and the Third Prince into the Linzhi Gate, he found that Zhu Ying was talking to the Third Prince with a smile. She looked so happy, how could she be angry at all?
Inside the Linzhi Gate is the Ciqing Palace, but it also has another commonly accepted name outside - the East Palace. It is located in the east of the entire palace city and in the northeast of the Wenhua Hall. The current emperor moved in after following the empress dowager to the capital and being named the crown prince. Soon, this place will also become the residence of the third prince.
However, both the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were unfamiliar with this place. In the past, they had two older brothers, and they would never go to such a place that could easily lead to misunderstandings. Although the Third Prince is now the future Crown Prince, he has no intention of declaring his ownership of Ciqing Palace in advance.
So, when the fourth prince came here for the first time, he looked around and saw that there was no one in such a big place. He then walked forward hesitantly and asked in confusion: "Sister Yingying, what is going on between you and Third Brother? I was confused and thought you were going to bully Third Brother!"
Seeing Zhu Ying smiling but not saying anything, he couldn't help but ask again: "Third brother messed up the good things of the teachers, are you really not angry?"
Although what the third brother said and did when he was acting as a peacemaker in Wenhua Palace just now were what the emperor ordered him to do, based on what the fourth prince knew about Zhu Ying's temper, he would probably go and settle the score with the third brother first, no matter what.
The Fourth Prince's sharp gaze and questioning were met with Zhu Ying's hands grabbing his cheeks, and then she kept pinching them. It wasn't until his face was squeezed into a dough ball and he cried out in pain that Zhu Ying let him go.
"The Mathematical Scriptures Institute was originally just a trial run. Looking at the expressions of Grandpa Ge and Fatty Lu, it's obvious that they didn't expect it to work. Ah Shou also told me yesterday that he just hoped that all the people who study Mathematical Scriptures in the world would not be in the same predicament as Ye Mengqiu his four brothers. You know, in the two consecutive rounds of candidates for the Jiuzhang Hall, nine out of ten were either from the capital or nearby areas."
"Because Lu Sanlang's bookshop mainly sells books in the capital and nearby areas. For example, the four brothers of Ye Mengqiu can't buy the Suanjing in Guangping Prefecture. You can see what the situation is like in other places in the world."
Zhu Ying didn't really sympathize with Ye Mengqiu and the others, nor was she a merciful saint, but as long as Zhang Shou decided to forgive generously, she would also be generous enough not to care about the four fellow disciples who had gone to the Lu family's coming-of-age ceremony to cause trouble for Zhang Shou and Lu Sanlang.
At this point, she felt that she had explained it clearly enough to the brothers, so she smiled and said, "I just want to play a trick on some people, to make them think that I am so angry that I am looking for the Third Prince to settle the score, and that Ah Shou and his men have failed this time, and then they will jump out to cause trouble, and then I will give them a good beating."
"However, the Third Prince's proposal is indeed a good one. It directly dragged down the three of Yue Shanzhang and others. He is worthy of being the future crown prince. He is getting more and more powerful!"
The Third Prince blushed at Zhu Ying's praise, and after a while he whispered, "Sister Yingying, you think too highly of me. In fact, it was my father who taught me to say that... In fact, my original intention was to ask the teacher to put the "New Edition of Ge's Mathematics" in the Mathematical Library so that ordinary scholars could also get to know these not-so-profound mathematical essentials. As a result..."
He paused, looking a little dejected.
"But my father said that we shouldn't put everything in there. We should just put three volumes, covering fractions and linear equations. For the rest, people who are interested in taking the Jiuzhang Hall entrance exam will naturally look for the next books. Otherwise, when they pass the Jiuzhang Hall entrance exam, someone will naturally teach them. But I think the first three volumes are too simple..."
Seeing that the Third Prince kept thinking that the first three volumes were simple, and seeing that the Fourth Prince did not know whether to laugh or cry when he heard this, Zhu Ying's expression suddenly became extremely subtle.
Of course, she had read "New Edition of Ge's Mathematics". She could understand the first volume, but she started to feel dizzy when it came to fractions and recurring decimals in the second volume. She had a hard time with common denominators and fraction addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. As for using single-variable equations to solve chickens and rabbits in the same cage and even turning on and off water valves, she felt dizzy after reading it once.
Although Zhang Shou later gave her a thorough and easy-to-understand explanation, she had already decided to give up! If she had this talent, she would have become Grandpa Ge's student eight hundred years ago!
When Zhu Ying heard the Third Prince say that it was the Emperor who actually ordered the double act, she was surprised, but it was also reasonable, so she had to catch the Fourth Prince and ask him in detail. When the Fourth Prince exaggerated the conversation between them and the Emperor, she praised the Fourth Prince for his progress, and of course she couldn't help but praise the Third Prince for becoming more and more like the Crown Prince, and the Fourth Prince for becoming more and more like the Wise King.
But when the Third Prince heard the titles of Crown Prince and Wise King, his expression suddenly changed. Although Zhu Ying was talking to the Fourth Prince, she keenly noticed that the Third Prince seemed to be hesitant to speak, and immediately became confused.
Could it be that the Third Prince still hasn't accepted that he will soon be the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, and is no longer the same as the Fourth Prince?
"Sister Yingying." The third prince finally made up his mind. He stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "I think if I were the first one to take sides between Master Kong and the teacher today, and then my father would come out to be the peacemaker and change the Calculation Hall into the Miscellaneous Scripture Hall, wouldn't that be better?"
"I always feel that my father made this special arrangement for me... But wouldn't it damage my father's reputation? It was in public at that time, and I couldn't reject my father's request, but I just felt that it was not right."
"That time, there was a rumor that I gave advice to the emperor, saying that my elder and second brothers should attend the imperial lecture. I clearly only gave advice in private and did not write a letter, but the news spread like wildfire. I asked the emperor to investigate thoroughly, but he smiled but did nothing. I felt it was strange at the time, and even wondered if the emperor had deliberately spread the news!"
The fourth prince, who was listening at the side, became more and more confused, and finally couldn't help asking: "Did the emperor do this? But why?"
Zhu Ying thought for a moment, then looked at the Third Prince and said softly, "Since you think it was the Emperor who did it, then I wonder why?"
"I think it's for me. This time, my father taught me to say that. Will others think that my father is arbitrary, while I seem to be impartial? And last time, will others think that my father is too ruthless, while I seem to value filial piety and brotherhood? But it's not like that..."
Before the Third Prince could explain why it was not the case, Zhu Ying smiled and interrupted the future Crown Prince's increasingly incoherent confession. She pulled the already stunned Fourth Prince aside and pushed him in front of the Third Prince, then said word by word: "I am an outsider, so it is difficult for me to comment on this matter. You should discuss it with the Fourth Prince more."
"But..." The third prince hesitated for a moment, and finally said what he had been holding in his heart for the past few days, "Sister Yingying, you may also be my biological sister!"
This time, Zhu Ying smiled even more happily, even showing her two little white teeth: "Even if I am really your biological You and the Fourth Prince are brothers, you grew up together, if there is something you don't understand, of course you should talk to him."
Seeing Zhu Ying walk away as if no one was around after saying this, the Third Prince was stunned. The Fourth Prince, who was sitting opposite him, hesitated for a moment before asking, "Third brother, do you think that the Emperor is intentionally letting you, the future Crown Prince, show kindness and fairness to the outside world?"
At this moment, the Third Prince immediately forgot about Zhu Ying's departure and asked hurriedly, "Fourth brother, did you find out too?"
The fourth prince sighed, lowered his head and said, "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have thought of this... Since childhood, you have been more careful and steady than me, so I never realized my father's painstaking efforts... But it is only natural for my father to be good to you. You will be the crown prince in a few days, so of course my father will help you establish his prestige. As long as you understand his intentions, my father should be very happy..."
When the Third Prince first heard the Fourth Prince comparing the two brothers, he felt a little amused, but when he heard the latter part of the conversation, he gradually felt uncomfortable.
He knew that the Fourth Prince was not just saying this casually, but was expressing his true feelings from the bottom of his heart. However, the more he felt this way, the more he felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on his heart. He was not a man of extraordinary talent, nor was he a man of noble character. How could he deserve the Emperor's love and care for him since he was a child, and why was he suddenly appointed the Crown Prince, even ignoring his own reputation to highlight him?
How could he deserve the trust and love of his father? After standing there for a long while, the Third Prince gently held the Fourth Prince's hand and said in a low voice, "No, Fourth Brother, you are wrong. I never thought of becoming a crown prince before, but now that I am about to become one, I don't want others to make sacrifices for me, whether it's you or my father."
"There are still many things I don't understand, but I will learn. If you find that there is something I haven't noticed or something I'm confused about, you must tell me, even if you have to scold me to death, you must remind me."
The fourth prince's eyes widened immediately, but after the initial surprise, he smiled and said, "Since you said so, Third Brother, I won't be polite! The same goes for me. If I become a jerk like Prince Lu in the future, you must scold me to wake me up. If you are really angry, you can beat me to wake me up! I don't believe it. What do you mean that brothers from the royal family must turn against each other? There is no such reason in the world!"
Outside the Linzhi Gate of Ciqing Palace, Chu Kuan avoided Zhu Ying who left in a hurry and quietly came here. After listening to the conversation between the two brothers, he could not help but frowned slightly, and then turned and left. After meeting up with Lu Chan who was waiting for him not far away, he said in a deep voice: "Send someone to check and see if anyone has been making trouble in front of the fourth prince recently."
Otherwise, how could the Fourth Prince angrily refute that it was nonsense that the brothers of the royal family would turn against each other? The Fourth Prince's biological mother, Concubine Jiang, has always been gentle and shy, so she shouldn't say these things in front of the Fourth Prince!
When Zhu Ying left Ciqing Palace, she did not leave immediately, but went to Qianqing Palace without stopping, and directly reported to the emperor what she had said to the third and fourth princes. When she was about to leave, the emperor could not help but stop her and said, "Yingying, on the day when the crown prince is canonized, you should also come to watch the ceremony!"
If it were someone else, they would either be flattered or terrified, and the best they could do would probably be to just be calm. But Zhu Ying simply snorted at the emperor : "On such an important day, do you still need your advice, Your Majesty? He is also my brother!"
