The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

The news of Xie Qian's illness was spread only within a very small circle, and none of the ministers in the capital knew about it except Zhang Zhou.

The Xie family was still cheering for Xie Pi's passing the imperial examination. After all, Xie Qian was not the only official in the Xie family. At least his younger brother Xie Di was a Jinshi three years ago and was doing well in the court now, as he was already the head of the Ministry of Revenue.

But there were very few people who actually came to the Xie family to congratulate them.

It was also because of Xie Qian's incident that the reputation of the Xie family plummeted. After Xie Pi passed the imperial examination this time, he also wanted to keep a low profile. He did not hold a big banquet, nor did he mobilize relatives and friends. He was even ready to ask the court to transfer him to Binhai City.

Xie Pi was a filial son. His father had been offended, and he did not want to stay out of it. Even if he could just become a minor official and go to Binhai City, it would make him feel better.

On the sixth day after he passed the imperial examination, Li Dongyang's son Li Zhaoxian came to visit him.

This was the first time Xie Pi had truly seen the son of a noble family. He did not invite Li Zhaoxian to dinner, but called Li Zhaoxian to his study, counted the books he had sorted and packed, and then planned to give them to Li Zhaoxian.

"Yi Zhong, what are you going to do? Just because you passed the imperial examination, do you have to put the books of sages aside?" Li Zhaoxian still didn't understand.

As a child of aristocratic family and a son of a cabinet minister, Li Zhaoxian seemed to be no worse than Xie Pi in his talent for studying. He was better than Xie Pi in writing books.

But when it came to taking the imperial examinations, Li Zhaoxian knew that he could never compare to this "other people's child".

Xie Pi said: "Most of these books were left by my father. He asked me to study hard. Now that I have completed my studies, even if I want to study again in the future, I plan to go to my father and listen to his teachings. I plan to go to Binhai City. Even if I quit my official position, I can serve my father and find peace of mind."

Li Zhaoxian sighed and said, "You have such a filial heart, I believe that Lord Xie will be pleased. But it is not a good idea for you to do this. The court will assign you an official position, and you cannot go wherever you want."

“So I was ready to resign.”

Xie Pi seemed very open-minded in this matter. He passed the imperial examination to fulfill his father's wish, but whether to become an official or not was not something that others could decide. I thought that if he didn't want to be an official, he could resign.

Li Zhaoxian sat down, feeling somewhat confused, and said, "Actually, I have the same idea as you. Previously, Binhai City recruited people with lofty ideals, and many people found their way out there, including my classmates from the Imperial College. But I..."

"Then why don't you go?" Xie Pi asked puzzledly.

"Alas!" Li Zhaoxian said, "Isn't it because of my father?"

After listening to this, Xie Pi seemed to understand Li Zhaoxian's suffering.

He was obviously talented, but the shadow cast by his father was too great. Li Dongyang was so powerful in the court and a role model for scholars all over the world. Even if Li Zhaoxian worked harder, it seemed that he could not compare to his father's brilliance.

So, Li Zhaoxian gave up on himself. Even though he seemed so talented to outsiders, he could only be content to be a mediocre person and was unable to seek a career in officialdom through the imperial examination.

Now, even if one wants to realize his personal ambition and go to Binhai City to work as a minor official, he is not free.

Xie Pi said: "Sometimes I envy you, at least your family is peaceful, not like mine. My father is honest and upright, I don't want him to suffer over there."

Li Zhaoxian asked, "So you think that what happened to your father is unfair?"

"I didn't say that." Xie Pi said helplessly, "The court situation is like this. I don't want to care about who is right or wrong. At least in my eyes, my father is a perfect man. If you are considerate, Brother Li, I hope you can help the Xie family if there is anything in the capital."

Li Zhaoxian shook his head and said, "I can't even protect myself, how can I help you?"

Seeing that Li Zhaoxian was unwilling to help, Xie Pi did not force him, and even stopped talking.

Li Zhaoxian said: "You are a filial and righteous person. I hope that with your efforts, your father can return to the court earlier, or at least return to his hometown to live out his days. Only in this way can you have a better future."

Xie Pi still remained silent.

"I want to speak to my father on your behalf. Go visit him when you have time." Li Zhaoxian wanted to pave the way for Xie Pi.

In his opinion, as long as Xie Pi went to pay a visit to Li Dongyang and obtained Li Dongyang's approval, Xie Pi would have a bright future in the court.

Xie Pi said: "No need."

Li Zhaoxian was puzzled and asked, "Don't you want to take the imperial examination? If you can pass the examination and enter the Imperial Academy, I believe this is your father's greatest wish."

The palace examination was over, and although the top Jinshi candidates in each class had been decided, there was still one more examination, which was the Shujishi examination. The 15th year of Hongzhi was the normal year for the selection of Shujishi. Of course, this kind of selection was not held after every palace examination. At least in this year of Xie Pi, there was still a chance.

Xie Pi said, "I have no intention of entering the Imperial Academy, nor do I seek any official position. I hope Brother Li will not force me. In the next few days, I will ask the court to transfer me to Binhai City. Isn't that where they need manpower? If they think it is not needed, then I will resign on the grounds of supporting my father and go to Binhai City to fulfill my filial duty to my father."

……

……

After meeting Xie Pi, Li Zhaoxian was deeply touched.

He returned home with a somewhat sad mood, and saw a large number of carriages in front of the mansion. In his impression, such a lively scene seemed to have not happened for a long time.

After entering the house and asking the people there, I found out that those carriages all came from one family, the Kong family of Qufu. The leader was naturally Kong Hongtai, the current head of the Kong family. The purpose of Kong Hongtai's coming was naturally for the heir of the Kong family.

Li Zhaoxian did not disturb Li Dongyang.

After waiting for a long time and waiting until everyone had left, he entered Li Dongyang's study and met Li Dongyang in person.

"Father, are you taking a day off today?" Li Zhaoxian asked.

Li Dongyang looked up at his son and said, "I heard that you went to see Yi Zhong today? How is he? Is he ready for the selection?"

Li Zhaoxian said: "I asked him, he doesn't plan to take the Imperial Academy entrance exam."

"Why?" Li Dongyang asked, "At his age, he can be said to be the best among the younger generation. As long as he is willing, this exam will be no problem. If he enters the Hanlin Academy, with his father's connections, what's there to worry about?"

When Li Zhaoxian heard what his father said, he felt extremely resistant for some reason.

He seemed to understand why Xie Pi was so resistant to being an official, because these officials... seemed to have no conscience, and everything they did was just a mechanical task, lacking the human touch.

Li Zhaoxian said: "He wants to go to Binhai City to take care of his father."

"Binhai City? Where?" Li Dongyang seemed very dissatisfied with this name.

Because the so-called Binhai City was built by Zhang Zhou, even the name of a city was not recognized by traditional civil officials. It seemed that Li Dongyang did not want his son to call the city that.

Li Zhaoxian said: "He just wants to take care of Elder Xie. He thinks that Elder Xie would not be able to adapt to working by the sea." When Li Dongyang heard this, he did not answer for a while.

The father and son just sat there in silence.

After a long time, Li Dongyang said, "You can go back."

Li Zhaoxian said, "Father, when we saw the Kong family members coming earlier, they were not here for my sister's matter, were they? Our two families have severed ties, so why did they go through so much trouble to come and visit us?"

Li Dongyang waved his hand and said, "There are many things you don't understand."

"I understand everything," Li Zhaoxian said. "Father rejected the marriage between the two families because the former Duke Yansheng of the Kong family was evil and could even be said to be a wicked person. You didn't want your sister to marry into a family like that. Now that the matter is over, why are you still entangled?"

Li Dongyang was a little angry when he heard his son's question, but after thinking about it, he calmed down.

"Father, don't say that no one wants my sister. With your wealth and status, it's just a matter of a word to decide who to marry. Do you really want my sister to hang herself on the Kong family tree?" Li Zhaoxian argued.

Li Dongyang said: "The child of the Kong family is now going to be adopted by Dongzhuang, so he will have nothing to do with the previous cause in the future."

Li Zhaoxian said helplessly: "His background determines his future. I have always looked down on them. They just want to take advantage of my father's fame."

"What else can I do?"

Li Dongyang got angry and said sternly, "You are also a father now, you should also understand the concerns of being a parent. If your sister doesn't marry into the Kong family, who else would dare to propose a marriage? Who in the world doesn't care about the reputation of the Kong family? Do you really think I want to harm your sister?"

Suddenly, a huge grudge arose between the father and the son.

Li Dongyang was furious and wanted to give his son a good scolding, but he couldn't bear to do it.

The father and son seemed to have a grudge against each other, but when it came to family affection, there was an inexplicable bond. Li Dongyang could only wave his hand and said, "This matter has nothing to do with you, so you don't have to get entangled anymore. It's not your turn to make the decision on the Li family's affairs. If you want to make the decision, wait until your father dies!"

Li Zhaoxian said, "Father did something wrong, but you don't allow others to say anything? I don't understand. You are afraid that the Kong family will talk to the Duke of Cai about the inheritance, so you want to sacrifice your sister's future and restore everything to the way it was, in exchange for a so-called happy marriage, and then preserve the reputation of father and the Confucian officials in the court. By then, father and the adults will be satisfied, and only your sister will have to bear it all."

"That's enough!" Li Dongyang said angrily, "If you say that again, you will never be allowed to leave the house again."

Li Zhaoxian shook his head and said, "The reason I stayed at home is to take care of my wife and children, not to support you. Filial piety is important, but if father insists on doing what he wants, it will only cause this family to fall apart. Back then, it might have been better for him to die of illness instead of seeing what happened today."

"you……"

Li Dongyang didn't expect that it was bad enough that he was bullied in the court, but now even his son dared to scold him in person.

That feeling... made him very uncomfortable.

Li Zhaoxian said, "I was touched by your thoughts. I wanted to go to Binhai City to start a career, but my father kept me trapped in the capital. Now my child has grown up and can adapt to short journeys, so I plan to take my wife and children with me."

"If you dare to do anything wrong, I will not acknowledge you as my son!" Li Dongyang said harshly.

Li Zhaoxian seemed to be unconcerned and said in a cold voice: "Father is going to break up this family, and you still say such things? Well, not everyone wants to have a father who is a minister. At least you... have a great reputation in the court, but as a father, you don't seem to have fulfilled your responsibilities. I'll take my leave first!"

After saying this, he did not give Li Dongyang any chance to teach him a lesson. He bowed and turned away.

……

……

After Li Zhaoxian left, Li Dongyang thought about it and decided to teach his son a lesson.

He immediately called the housekeeper of Li Mansion.

"Cut off Zheng Bo's daily supply and only allow the eldest son's family to have basic food and clothing. He is not allowed to be given money when he goes out. He is not allowed to disobey this order." All Li Dongyang could think of was to cut off Li Zhaoxian's supply.

In this way, Li Zhaoxian would lose his source of money and would probably have to surrender.

The housekeeper said, "Master, the eldest young master has recently rented a yard outside. I heard that he has packed up everything and will move in at any time. If you do this... you are actually driving the eldest young master out."

"what?"

Li Dongyang frowned and asked, "When did this happen? Why don't I know about it?"

The housekeeper said helplessly: "Master, you haven't asked about family matters for a long time. If it weren't for the distinguished guests visiting the mansion today, how long have you not been home?"

This question stumped Li Dongyang.

As a senior official in the court, he seemed to go home only once after the New Year, and he left in a hurry. He seemed to have forgotten that he had a home.

It's not that he is so heartless, but it is indeed difficult for him to balance family when he is in the court and holds great power. Moreover, in the eyes of powerful people, the meaning of life brought by wielding power is far more exciting and attractive than achieving family harmony.

"If he dares to move out of this house, I..."

Li Dongyang was about to say something harsh, but then he thought that these words seemed to have no effect on Li Zhaoxian.

His son had already prepared to break with the family without informing him. It seemed that Li Zhaoxian no longer cared about filial piety and reputation. As a father, he was totally ignorant of this, but he also wanted to use threats to make his son come back?
This is pushing your son away.

"Why did he become like this?" Li Dongyang asked, "Who does he usually interact with?"

The housekeeper said, "The eldest young master rarely goes out. He has been studying at home recently. I heard that he is studying psychology or something. And... I am not sure about that either."

"Zhang Bingkuan, it's Zhang Bingkuan again!" Li Dongyang was so angry that his teeth were itching.

The housekeeper said helplessly, "Now that things have come to this, Master should talk to the eldest young master calmly. If the eldest young master wants to leave the mansion, he may take the young young master with him. At that time, when Master comes back, he will not be able to see the young young master."

Li Dongyang was a little bit upset now.

If the son is grown up and difficult to manage, then just leave.

But his newly born grandson is his dearest child. If his grandson also moves out and cuts ties with him... he absolutely cannot accept it. (End of this chapter)