The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

The fifteenth day of the first month.

While the capital was still reveling in the joy of the Lantern Festival, the war in the northwest had already begun.

The Cabinet and the Supreme Court were operating at full capacity after the tenth day of the first lunar month. That afternoon, the news that Zhang Zhou had left Zhangjiakou reached the Cabinet.

"Three days..." Li Dongyang handed an urgent border report to Liu Jian, "He left the capital and it took him three days to get through the border. In terms of the speed of dispatching troops, he is not bad."

Liu Jian took it and looked at it, but just glanced at it and put the urgent report down again.

On the other side, Wang Ao came over and wanted to take a look, but was held down by Li Dongyang.

Cheng Minzheng was recuperating at home and had not appeared in the cabinet since the end of the year and the beginning of the next year. Now the cabinet has returned to a triangular state, but the relationship of the iron triangle has been broken, and Wang Ao cannot integrate into the power monopoly formed by Liu Jian and Li Dongyang.

Liu Jian said: "Zhang Bingkuan is determined to fight to the death with the Tatars."

The implication is that he was so anxious to lead three thousand soldiers out of the grassland that he seemed to be in a hurry to be reborn.

After all, in everyone's opinion, three thousand soldiers are not enough to accomplish anything big. Even Tang Yin, who led seven or eight thousand soldiers into the grassland, now has no way to retreat, and his life or death is uncertain. Even his troops have disappeared along the way. How can you, Zhang Zhou, turn the tide with three thousand soldiers?

Wang Ao did not insist on reading the urgent report. He said, "I heard that this time the expedition was led by Duke Cai as the vanguard. He brought many new weapons with him, which were so effective that one man could block a thousand. I don't know if it's true or not."

Li Dongyang asked: "Jizhi, do you think there is such a weapon?"

Wang Ao said: "The Divine Power Cannon has indeed been very powerful in the northwest over the past few years."

"The Shenwei Cannon is certainly good, but it may explode after only a few shots, which will affect the safety of the soldiers. It is also heavy and cannot be transported easily. It may be useful for guarding the pass, but if you enter the grassland, how can the Tatars set up targets for you to shoot at?" Li Dongyang implied that he was very pessimistic about Zhang Zhou's new weapon.

Wang Ao sighed. He knew very well that the two heads of the cabinet were determined to confront Zhang Zhou, and it seemed that everything was irreversible.

It's no use saying anything, Liu Jian and Li Dongyang will not accept his point of view.

Wang Ao said: "I hope everything goes well. The battle in the northwest can stabilize the grassland. If it is successful, it can also make the Ming Dynasty stable and peaceful for hundreds of years."

Li Dongyang smiled and said, "It's just a fool's dream."

……

……

Wang Ao was feeling a little depressed.

He really wanted to go to the Shangtingchu to see what the opinions were there, but he knew that the main leaders of the Shangtingchu, including Zhang Zhou, Wang Qiong, and Cheng Minzheng, were not in the yamen. Wang Qiong had gone to war with the army, and the previous leader of the Shangtingchu, Lu Wan, was still leading troops to suppress bandits in the Central Plains.

This resulted in him having no one who was close to him in the upper court.

It was as if the emperor was leading the army in person, with Zhang Zhou as the vanguard. Even the forces that Wang Ao could trust had disappeared in the capital. He had no choice but to run to Cheng Minzheng's office when it was dark, and under the pretext of visiting a sick patient, he told Cheng Minzheng about his distress.

Cheng Minzheng's condition has gradually worsened recently, to the point where he cannot stay in the hospital.

But Cheng Minzheng still dragged his sick body to meet Wang Ao in the room.

"The people in the court are unwilling to give in to each other due to their party views. Some of them have lost their minds. They don't care about the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty, and even the safety of the emperor. Knowing that Your Majesty's expedition may bring chaos to the court, they don't try to dissuade him, but instead gloat over the misfortune behind his back..."

Cheng Minzheng probably felt that he was a dying man, so he openly criticized anyone he disliked in the court.

Wang Ao was surprised and asked, "It's not as bad as what you said, Keqin, right?"

Cheng Minzheng waved his hand and said, "It's even better than that."

These words made Wang Ao silent.

Cheng Minzheng said, "I have already submitted a petition to Your Majesty, requesting to resign and return to my hometown to enjoy my remaining years. I also request Your Majesty to select talented people from the Hanlin Academy to assist in the administration of the government. I really cannot face Your Majesty again, nor can I face the world."

Wang Ao asked, "What is the condition of the disease?"

"I can't get better." Cheng Minzheng said, "I'm already so seriously ill. It's all God's will. I can't force it. God can extend my life, but it can't change my inner depression. In this life, I have been pursuing the ups and downs of officialdom and have not even seen life clearly. I hope you can turn back."

Wang Ao asked, "Why are you turning back?"

Cheng Minzheng smiled and said, "Don't fight. Fighting or not fighting is meaningless. For example, the cabinet and the six ministries are all fighting for official positions and for a short period of time. They call it serving the literati, but who is not fighting for himself?"

"Oh!" Wang Ao also sighed heavily.

Cheng Minzheng said: "But your good days are approaching."

"how do I say this?"

"From what I can guess, if the Duke of Cai wins on the battlefield and can pacify the grassland, His Majesty will definitely change his ways in the future. The cabinet will be headed by you, and you will have to support the country." Cheng Minzheng said with a little more spirit in his eyes, "With your ability, it is enough."

Wang Ao asked, "You asked me to turn back, but you still asked me to fight?"

Cheng Minzheng smiled and said, "Then you won't have to fight for anything. I've seen through Bingkuan a long time ago. He has no intention of competing for fame and fortune with the people in the court, or retiring after success. He already has a title, so why bother to fight for a while in the court? It's too tiring."

Wang Ao thought about it and nodded.

In the past, he would think that Zhang Zhou was a stumbling block to the future development of civil officials.

But now I think that Zhang Zhou might really retire at the peak of his career. If the emperor still wants to use Zhang Zhou, he will definitely arrange many people in the court who are related to Zhang Zhou or who support Zhang Zhou's political views.

This group of people must also need a leader.

In the past, this person had to be either Lin Han or Cheng Minzheng, but as one of them was about to die and the other had lost interest in government affairs, Wang Ao felt that in the future, he might have to carry the government and the country alone.

"Let's go." Cheng Minzheng said, "I will recover from my illness, and you can recover from your heart. After you have cultivated your body and mind, you will find that there is nothing to pursue in this court, and the court can still function without anyone. I don't know if I can see the pacification of the north before I die. I really hope to see that day."

……

……

Zhu Youtang and Zhang Zhou went on an expedition, attracting a lot of attention from the capital.

With the large-scale printing of newspapers, the court's major events were no longer secrets among the people. Any random thing could stir up a thousand waves in the market, and the people were happy to talk about these things. What was different from before was that the court no longer held a reserved attitude towards the people's discussion of national affairs, but let it go. Even if the people said something unfavorable to the court, even if these words were known by the censors, no one would blame them.

Everyone seems to know that honest advice is unpleasant to the ear, and this is true for people as well as the court.

That day, Li Zhaoxian attended two literary gatherings outside. As a "high-ranking official's son" who returned from Binhai City, Li Zhaoxian even won the recognition of Zhang Zhou and became a supporter of the Zhang Zhou school. He now has a very high status in the new school, and many people meet him wherever he goes.

This is also related to the fact that he is the son of a cabinet minister.

The fact that a cabinet minister who was the most staunch opponent of Zhang Zhou's political views had a son who firmly supported Zhang Zhou's academic thoughts also made people in the court feel that he was a hot topic. Wherever Li Zhaoxian went, he was the focus. Others also wanted to learn some "advanced experience" from him and know how he "abandoned darkness and turned to light."

When he returned home, he found that his old father had come back early and had specifically instructed the doorman to meet him in the study after he came back.

Li Zhaoxian originally wanted to discuss some academic matters with his sister, but after hearing this he had no choice but to go to the study.

"What were you doing in Binhai City during those days?" Li Dongyang questioned his son.

Li Zhaoxian originally did not want to return to the capital, but Zhang Zhouren was no longer in Binhai City, and the academic atmosphere there was not as strong as that in the capital, so he chose to return to the capital. After all, in the capital, his identity and status could bring him more supporters.

Li Zhaoxian said, "Traveling around, does father want to interfere?"

Li Dongyang's expression was indifferent.

He always knew that his son was very rebellious, otherwise he would not have been so sick.

Now that Li Zhaoxian has returned to the capital, he is willing to bring his wife and children back to visit, which is also a "blessing" to Li Dongyang. If it were not for the sake of his grandson, Li Dongyang even planned to cut off contact with this son.

As for severing the relationship, he was reluctant to do so, after all, he only had this one son.

Li Dongyang said coldly: "According to the people in the mansion, you often mentioned some heretical theories to others in Beijing."

"Father is wrong." Li Zhaoxian said, "It's not some heresy, but the study of the mind. Nowadays, many people are learning and studying it. Even among young scholars, they think it is a famous saying. It is much more profound than the study of principles. Many people are willing to learn it. I have no hope of passing the imperial examination, so I want to promote it so that more people will know about it."

Li Dongyang said angrily: "Then do you know who created it?"

"Yes, it's Duke Cai." Li Zhaoxian said, "Or rather, it's Mr. Zhang."

Li Dongyang almost wanted to hit someone.

It seemed as if the son was challenging him on purpose. He knew clearly that he didn't want to hear these words, but he still insisted on contradicting him in person.

Moreover, there was not even a servant nearby, and there was no way for them to persuade the father and son, calm both sides down, or give each other a way out.

Li Zhaoxian said, "Father, I know you look down on me, so I came back this time just for the sake of formality, and then I will move out. Now Binhai City has a subsidy plan for scholars. As long as the scholars are willing to serve Binhai City and have a certain level of strength, they can receive subsidies. No matter where they are, even if they are out at sea, they can go through the procedures to get the money back."

"What do you mean?" Li Dongyang frowned.

Li Zhaoxian shook his head and said, "Now I don't need to rely on your prestige to survive, and I thank you for your tolerance over the years."

Li Dongyang was dumbfounded after hearing this.

Before, he thought that his son was a typical good-for-nothing who relied entirely on his family to survive. Although the family had income from land and other sources, Li Zhaoxian had none after all. But now, Li Zhaoxian can survive on his own by relying on some talent subsidy program. Isn't this... a slap in his own face?
The only means to control my son is now ineffective?
Li Zhaoxian said, "Oh, by the way, father, my little sister has also come back with me recently. You should have seen her today, right? After she comes back, I know you love her so much, so I will ask her to come back more often."

"What do you mean?" Li Dongyang really wanted to hit someone this time.

It’s bad enough that you’re an unfilial son, but now you want to kidnap your sister?

Li Zhaoxian said calmly, "My younger sister has also participated in the subsidy program. This program is open to all men, women, old and young. Now my younger sister wants to learn medicine, and she has already learned medicine in Binhai City. And my younger sister is quite talented in weaving and other things. My younger sister plans to enter the workshop in the capital as a female teacher to teach people the technology of weaving."

"Cough cough cough..."

Li Dongyang was so angry that he kept coughing.

Li Zhaoxian seemed to be unaware of his father's state of mind and continued to add fuel to the fire, "Father, you have always taught us to serve the country and the people, which is consistent with the philosophy of Xinxue. My younger sister and I are both working for the prosperity of the world, and we have not violated our family precepts or our ancestors' teachings. Although this may be disrespectful to you, as long as it is for the benefit of the people, I hope you can understand."

Li Dongyang said angrily: "You evil boy, do you know what you are talking about? Your sister is not married yet!"

Li Zhaoxian said, "From the time that father arranged a marriage for my sister, to the time that he cancelled the engagement for her, do you think my sister can still get married now? My sister is not too old now, and she is young and energetic. We are willing to do something for the people of Ming Dynasty, and we hope that father can understand. This does not affect father's selection of a good match for my sister... Of course, the matter of marriage is decided by you, father, and my sister has no way to object, but please don't harm her for the sake of my filial piety."

"How did I harm her?" Li Dongyang asked.

Li Zhaoxian shook his head and said, "Father has already harmed her once, making her a laughing stock among the ladies. Do you still think you can laugh at the future? What we are doing now is nothing more than for the court and the people. Father, there are some things you should think about carefully. I'll take my leave first!"

……

……

Far out in the Pacific Ocean.

Liu Jin stood at the bow, looking at the vast ocean in front of him, and fell into deep thought.

"Eunuch, we still have more than a month's voyage ahead of us. You should... go into the cabin and rest first." A guard beside him reminded.

Liu Jin said, "The wind is strong and the waves are big. I have heard this a hundred times. Aren't you tired of it?"

The guard stood there and said nothing more.

"Such a big ship, are you still afraid of sinking? I originally wanted to be loyal to Duke Cai, but Duke Cai made me come here to experience hardships. Whether I can go back... is uncertain. This sea... is really a ghost land. What is ahead?"

Liu Jin suddenly pointed into the distance.

After these days of sailing, the only thing Liu Jin wanted to do was to keep his feet on the ground and live like a human being.

"It seems to be... an island."

"Hurry... hurry to the island! No matter what it is, even a poisonous snake, get it on the boat!"

Liu Jin almost cried with joy, "I know that this place is still far from our destination, but I just want to... find a place to stop. I am tired of traveling across the ocean, and I want to go home." (End of this chapter)