Wanli Xinming

Chapter 426 Southern Tour (X)

Because of the emperor's prestige, no one dared to speak when the prince was embarrassed. The prince was embarrassed at first, and then felt ashamed. He could only whisper: "I really don't like the Four Books, but I like the study of things." He paused and added: "Among the Four Books, I also like to read the Analects."

Zhu Yijun found him embarrassed and felt quite amused. Hearing this, he jokingly said, "As Zhao Pu of the Song Dynasty said, 'Half of the Analects can rule the world, and half of the Analects can bring peace.' If you have mastered the entire Analects, you are old enough now." The prince's face returned to normal.

Wang Xijue hurriedly changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty's evaluation of us as 'a model for all ages' is something that Queli should be honored to have. I propose to place it in the main hall as a plaque. What do you think?" Upon hearing this, Kong Shangxian hurriedly expressed his agreement and pleaded with the emperor for approval.

Zhu Yijun smiled and nodded, glanced at the prince, and stepped forward. Queen Zhuang Jingjia was afraid that her son would be embarrassed, so she gently pushed him from behind.

After walking a few steps, the prince suddenly pointed at the surrounding buildings and said, "The court has issued an order that all palaces and pavilions in the world must use lightning rods to prevent lightning strikes and fires. Why don't you do it?"

Duke Yansheng was startled and bowed quickly, saying, "I was negligent in this matter. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me and we will correct it immediately."

Zhu Yijun smiled and glanced at the crown prince when he heard this. Wang Xijue agreed, "Your Majesty, what your Highness reminded me of is correct. I remember that during the Hongzhi reign, the Confucius Temple was struck by lightning and caught fire, and all the halls and pavilions were reduced to ashes. Emperor Xiaozong allocated funds for reconstruction and spent hundreds of thousands of yuan - the Duke of Yansheng should not be neglected."

Kong Shangxian was sweating and kept nodding his head.

The prince said, "I heard that there is a statue of the most holy teacher in the Confucius Temple. Is this true?"

Zhu Yijun frowned slightly when he heard this. Wang Xijue asked hurriedly, "Duke Yansheng, is this true?"

Duke Yansheng Kong Shangxian replied, "There were indeed statues based on Wu Daozi's portraits in the Confucius Temple before, but since Emperor Jiajing banned the destruction of statues of the world's greatest sages and teachers, they have all been demolished. This is absolutely not the case. Your Highness, the person who made the suggestion may not know this, which is also possible."

The prince looked quite dignified at a young age. Hearing this, he sneered, "I have also heard that someone from the Confucius Mansion said to others, 'There are only three families in the world: my family, the Zhang family in Jiangxi, and the Zhu family in Fengyang. The Zhang family in Jiangxi is a Taoist family; the Zhu family in Fengyang is a nouveau riche family with a petty mentality.' Is this true?"

Zhu Yijun was certain when he heard this, and turned to look at the queen. The queen, Zhuang Jingjia, did not dare to look at him, and her face was slightly embarrassed. Zhu Yijun suppressed his anger, and when he looked at the Duke of Yansheng with a normal expression, he saw that he had already knelt down and kowtowed, and his body was shaking like sieve chaff.

Zhu Yijun snorted lightly, and seeing that Wang Xijue's face was flushed, as if he wanted to give some advice, he hurriedly sneered: "An ignorant person says ignorant words. Is it worth saying this in front of me? There is no need to do this, Lord Yansheng. Get up." After a moment of silence, he glanced at the queen again. Seeing that the queen's face was a little nervous, she pulled the prince's sleeve and shook it, his heart couldn't help but soften.

Then he smiled, comforted Duke Yansheng with a few gentle words, and ordered his attendants to help him up. Duke Yansheng was almost killed by the prince's words, and his mind was a little dazed. After he stood up, he was still crying and shaking.

While Zhu Yijun was comforting Duke Yansheng, he watched the prince's performance coldly. He saw that the prince was trying hard to appear expressionless, but the slightly raised corners of his mouth betrayed his mood.

Zhu Yijun sighed inwardly. Then he calmed down and finished his visit to the Confucius Temple with a smile on his face. After being warned by his mother, the prince did not make any more trouble. The Duke of Yansheng originally planned to ask the emperor to go to the Confucius Forest to worship Confucius as planned, but now he dared not open his mouth. Zhu Yijun thought about it and said to the Duke of Yansheng: "Today is the lecture. Those who are above the level of scholar or have entered university in the Confucius Mansion can come to listen to the lecture."

Duke Yansheng's body shook violently, and then his face flushed with excitement, and he said, "Today, my family has received the emperor's grace. I can comfort my ancestors."

When the prince saw that the emperor had appeased Duke Yansheng with a small favor, his face became serious and he seemed to be thinking about something.

After the visit to the Confucius Temple, it was still bright. Because the emperor wanted to go to the Poetry Hall with his ministers to listen to the lecture of Duke Yansheng, the empress excused herself and returned to the palace on the grounds of fatigue.

Zhu Yijun was afraid that she would think too much, so he gently squeezed her hand and said, "I and the prince will have dinner here. It's spring, so you should eat more." The queen's somewhat tense body relaxed at once, and she smiled like a flower and said, "Yes, the emperor should eat more too."

Although the emperor said he wanted to go to the Poetry Hall before lunch, two hours was enough time for the Confucius Mansion to prepare. When the group passed through Yanshen Gate, Wang Xijue flattered his horse and said, "This name means Confucius's residence. Now that the emperor is visiting here, it is better to change it to 'Chengsheng Gate'."

Zhu Yijun smiled at Duke Yansheng. Kong Shangxian had calmed down by now and nodded quickly, saying, "That's what I think." Zhu Yijun did not comment, but turned to ask the crown prince, "Where did the word 'Yan Shen' come from?"

The prince could not answer. Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "'When you are at home, you are as gentle as a chaplain.' This is a quote from the Analects. It means that when Confucius retired from the court and lived in seclusion, he was well-dressed and gentle - he was not depressed because of his failure, nor did he lose his temper because he could not be an official. It is still about 'self-control', which is natural and is the result of self-cultivation."

The prince nodded. Seeing that he was a little dejected, Zhu Yijun took his hand and said with a smile: "You are still young, it's okay if you don't know these things. Remember to learn more from me, from your teacher, and from your classmates. You will become an outstanding person sooner or later."

Upon hearing this, the prince grinned and said happily, "Well, I understand now. I will definitely learn more from my father."

Zhu Yijun continued, "It's not just about learning from your father. Confucius said, 'When three people walk together, there must be one person who can be my teacher.' Everyone around you has their own strengths. You should observe carefully and learn from their strengths according to the teachings of the saints."

After a pause, he pointed at Duke Yansheng and said, "For example, Confucius, he read widely in classics and history, and could recite poems fluently. His study skills are his strengths. You can learn from him. Confucius will be the main speaker at the Classics Lecture in the Hall of Poetry and Rites today. If you listen carefully, you will gain something."

Duke Yansheng listened to the conversation and bowed to express his gratitude. Zhu Yijun pointed at Wang Xijue and said, "For example, Jing Shiqing is a man of reform, talented and upright, but he is often angry and intolerant. You should learn from his uprightness and avoid his angry and intolerant side."

Wang Xijue opened his mouth wide, his eyes immediately turned red, he bowed and choked with sobs and could not speak. Zhu Yijun said to the prince sternly: "If a monarch wants to govern the country, he must make good use of everyone's strengths, prevent his shortcomings from affecting government affairs, and not employ people based on his own likes and dislikes - this is very, very important, remember?"

The prince seemed to understand but not quite, and nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)