Cyber ​​Daming

Chapter 645: Sitting High on the Mountain
"Your Majesty, this is the New Year's greeting temple drafted by the cabinet. Please review it."

Cabinet Grand Secretary Gao Sheng knelt at the foot of the stairs, holding a memorial in both hands respectfully.

"Is it really necessary? I write and say it every year, but in my opinion, there are few people in this world who are willing to listen to me."

A bland voice floated down from the podium.

"Your Majesty, festival greetings are a rule that has been passed down since the last emperor ascended the throne. Now it has become an important ritual for the people of the world to celebrate festivals, and it must not be easily abolished."

Gao Sheng, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, looked to be no more than 40 or 50 years old, with dark hair and beard, and was in the prime of his life.

"In addition to the common people, the officials of the court have also been waiting for the opportunity. Everyone is eagerly waiting to listen to your majesty's words."

"Really? Actually, your cabinet can handle these matters on their own. You have done a great job over the years, and I am very relieved."

Gao Sheng lowered his eyes and remained silent, his hands still holding the memorial high.

A faint sigh echoed in the empty hall.

Emperor Jiaqi put down the brush in his hand, walked down the steps and stood in front of Gao Sheng.

"Since this is the rule set by the late emperor, I shall follow it. Once I have recorded it, I will send it to your cabinet."

"Your Majesty is holy."

Feeling that the memorial in his hand was taken away, Gao Sheng, who was kneeling on the ground, finally raised his head, but what he saw was a face that seemed a little unfamiliar to him.

The Emperor Jiaqi in front of him had actually started growing a beard without him noticing. Although it was only a light beard for now, his eyes and brows had already made him look less childish and more calm and restrained.

"Your Majesty, according to the Prime Minister's arrangement, during the time he is away from the capital, I will be in charge of your studies."

Emperor Jiaqi smiled and said, "You? Gao Sheng? You come to teach me?"

"Of course I know I am not qualified. So I have come here to resign from my post, Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to relieve me of this job."

"No need for that. Since the Prime Minister asked you to come, it means that in his eyes, you are qualified to answer my questions."

Emperor Jiaqi waved his sleeves, and immediately the Yanren attendant who was serving beside him brought a chair.

"You are the master today, so there is no reason for you to kneel down to teach. Please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat."

Gao Sheng was terrified and stood up quickly, with his butt pressed against the edge of the chair.

"Master Gao, where should we start today's lesson?"

"Your Majesty has studied under Master Zhang and has already mastered the ancient sages' works and the classics of various philosophers. Naturally, I am not capable of giving you any guidance."

Gao Sheng paused and said cautiously, "Why don't we learn what your majesty is interested in today?"

"Well."

Emperor Jiaqi paced back and forth in front of Gao Sheng with his hands behind his back. He then stopped and asked, "Master Gao, I would like to ask you, where is the territory of the Ming Empire?"

"The country and the people naturally depend on the people's hearts."

Gao Sheng gave an answer without hesitation, which he thought was impeccable.

"No. Master Gao misunderstood me. What I was asking was..."

Emperor Jiaqi spoke each word with emphasis: "Who is the mountain of the empire, and who is the river of the empire?"

Gao Sheng's forehead was slightly sweaty, and his mind was racing. After a moment's silence, he said, "Your Majesty, you are Shan, and the Prime Minister is Jiang."

"What's the explanation?"

"The mountains are the terrain, carrying all things with great virtue. All things depend on your majesty's grace to survive. The highest virtue is like water, flowing through thousands of miles of fertile land, nourishing hundreds of millions of people for the empire. The two complement each other, but they also have a clear distinction between the primary and the secondary. The mountain is the master, and the river is the minister."

Emperor Jiaqi did not comment on Gao Sheng's lame excuse and slowly walked behind him.

"Master Gao, I remember your ancestral home is in the capital, right?"

Gao Sheng pursed his lips: "Yes."

"In which year did you enter the Cabinet?"

"The third year of Jiaqi."

"So now, it's your tenth year in the cabinet?"

"It has been almost ten years since Your Majesty has spared my life."

Emperor Jiaqi nodded and said, "You have worked so hard these years. Do you have any children or relatives at home in the capital now?"

Gao Sheng's heart trembled inexplicably, and he said anxiously: "They are all mediocre people, so they didn't enter the official career, and they were all left in the capital by the old ministers."

"It's good to be in the capital. There are troubles everywhere in the empire, but the capital is relatively peaceful."

In just a few words, the two seemed to have switched identities.

Gao Sheng was no longer a teacher but a prisoner being questioned, and the dominant power was completely in the hands of Emperor Jiaqi, who was supposed to be a student.

"I heard that when the former Prime Minister was still the principal of the New Donglin Academy, you were his student? Who were your classmates?"

"Yes, in addition to the old ministers, those who have served in official positions include the current Chengdu Prefecture Governor Pei Xingjian and the former Japanese District Envoy Li Bufeng. As for the others, most of them stayed in the academy to teach."

"Every one of them is a loyal minister of the Ming Empire."

Emperor Jiaqi chuckled and said, "But their achievements are far inferior to yours. It seems that you should be the Prime Minister's favorite student?"

Gao Sheng smiled and said, "I don't deserve it. I happen to be the least talented one among my classmates. I don't have the ability to take charge on my own, so I can only stay by the Prime Minister's side and run errands."

"If even the dullest one can become a cabinet minister, then aren't the others just pearls in the dust, unworthy of their positions?"

Emperor Jiaqi suddenly sighed: "It is my fault that so many talented people have not been put to good use."

"It was this old minister who made a mistake in speaking. Your Majesty, please punish me."

Gao Sheng's hairs suddenly stood up, his waist straightened, and his body, which was pressed against the edge of the chair, was about to fall down.

"Since it is a lesson, there is no ruler and subject, only master and student. What crime has Master Gao committed?"

Emperor Jiaqi held Gao Sheng's body, pressed his shoulders, and pushed him back into the chair.

"Okay, we were just chatting, let's get back to the point."

Emperor Jiaqi said: "Master Gao, you just mentioned that I am the mountain and the Prime Minister is the river. I think this statement is not appropriate."

"please say."

Gao Sheng tried his best to keep his voice calm.

"Emperor Sejong once said that the ruler is not the 'mountain' and the subjects are not the 'river'. Without us, the mountains and rivers will still exist. But without the ruler and subjects, there will be no one to control the chaos in the mountains and rivers."

Emperor Jiaqi said loudly: "So in my opinion, the way to secure the throne is very simple, that is, to kill all the rebellious bandits and quell all natural and man-made disasters!"

"Then who is the bandit?" Gao Sheng asked in a trembling voice.

"Of course, it's Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain who proclaimed himself the Protector of the Nation, the Nine Lords of the East Palace who overstepped their authority, and the Honghu Kings who incited the people. Of course, there are also some of our own people among them."

Gao Sheng didn't know if it was his illusion, but he felt that Emperor Jiaqi emphasized the three words "his own people" with extra gravity.

"But since I am the ruler of the country, I should naturally stand at the highest point of the mountain and watch the wind and clouds roll in. So Master Gao, what you said about 'the king is the mountain' is not wrong. But if one day the river bursts its dam and floods, what should I do?"

A pair of not-so-broad hands pressed on his shoulders, and Gao Sheng, who was sitting upright, trembled violently all over.

“I believe that no matter how big the waves are, they can never submerge the top of the mountain. They will always surrender at the foot of the mountain.”

"I'm just saying it's possible. If you really encounter turbulent waves, what will you do?"

The hot breath hit his ears, but Gao Sheng felt a piercing chill rushing from his tailbone to the top of his head.

"Gao Sheng, let me ask you, what will you do then?"

Emperor Jiaqi repeated this sentence again, and every word was like a sword, piercing Gao Sheng's body.

Gao Sheng fell down and knelt on the ground with a bang: "I will follow Li Bing's example and make it my life's mission to pacify the flood. I will serve Your Majesty until my death."

"Okay, I'll remember Master Gao's teachings."

Emperor Jiaqi bowed respectfully to Gao Sheng, who was kneeling on the ground, but when he stood up, his tone suddenly became very cold. "I am tired. Today's class ends here. Lord Gao, please leave."

"Yes, yes, I will take my leave."

Such mood swings made Gao Sheng sweat profusely.

But he didn't dare to raise his sleeve to wipe it. He stood up in a hurry and walked backwards out of the hall.

In the empty palace, Emperor Jiaqi picked up the memorial that was written with beautiful words, shook his wrist lightly, and the memorial instantly broke into pieces of paper and scattered all over the floor.

"When will the festival be held? Who is still qualified to celebrate the festival?"

Emperor Jiaqi turned around and looked at the palace door where Gao Sheng left, and smiled coldly.

"An old fox pretending to be stupid."

"Your Majesty, would you like me to go and deal with Gao Sheng?"

Emperor Jiaqi's vision suddenly rippled, and he found himself in a dream.

The scene in the dream was exactly the same as the palace in the real world. A young Confucian scholar stood here respectfully, and the voice just now came from his mouth.

"Although Gao Sheng is not very capable and has been stuck at the threshold of the third rank for his entire life, he has a wide range of friends in the Confucian rank and is very popular. If we move against him rashly, it will inevitably cause others to feel grief. Now is the time to win people's hearts, and doing this will not be worth the loss."

Emperor Jiaqi shook his head slightly: "Besides, Zhang Fengyue left him here as my teacher, which might be a test for me. Now is not the time to completely break up, so we can't touch him."

"Yes. But Your Majesty, did Zhang Fengyue really give up Northern Zhili on his own initiative? Why?"

"He is giving me a practical lesson."

Emperor Jiaqi sighed and said, "He deliberately left me a stage where I could display my abilities, just to see if I have the ability to be an emperor who can stabilize the country and quell unrest. Master Zhang has good intentions. If he hadn't been determined to cut off the foundation of my Zhu Dynasty, I would really like to be his student for a few more years and fulfill my filial duty as a teacher and student."

"Your Majesty, please do not be deceived by him!"

The young scholar cursed: "Zhang Fengyue is a hypocritical and despicable person. He even tried to destroy the thousand-year plan set by Emperor Yizong for his own selfish desires. Even if he is cut into pieces, it is not a pity!"

"Shut up!"

Emperor Jiaqi suddenly shouted, "Yan Dongqing, you are so bold. Who gave you the qualifications to evaluate the current Prime Minister, my master, in this way?"

"Your Majesty forgive me."

The scholar turned over and knelt on the ground. "But I really can't stand Zhang Fengyue's arrogant and domineering behavior. As a servant, it would be fine if he didn't feel grateful for your majesty's kindness, but he actually dared to do such a rebellious act. He deserves to die, he deserves to be killed!"

"I know you are loyal, but it is not yet time to make a final judgment on Zhang Fengyue's merits and faults in his life. If he can turn back and stop before it is too late, then in my eyes, he will still be a great minister of the Ming Empire, and his name will go down in history and be remembered for eternity!"

"Your Majesty is so kindhearted. If he dares to be ignorant of good and evil and insists on doing it his own way."

Yan Dongqing said coldly: "Even if it will anger Your Majesty, I will definitely chop off the head of this old man."

"Don't you understand what I said? How dare you speak nonsense here!"

"This matter concerns my king and father. I simply cannot contain my rage!"

"You oh you"

Emperor Jiaqi's gaze suddenly turned from stern to gentle. Looking at the indignant Yan Dongqing, he smiled helplessly and said, "When will you change your hot temper? You act so impulsively. How can I trust you to entrust the Spring and Autumn Association?"

"I know I made a mistake, please punish me."

"Okay, get up and talk."

Emperor Jiaqi personally helped Yan Dongqing up and said, "I have long told you that you and I are not only monarchs and subjects, but also like-minded colleagues. When the Ming Dynasty is elevated to a divine kingdom, you will be my new prime minister. I understand your sincere intentions, and you should also understand my current difficulties."

"I was reckless and ignored your majesty's painstaking efforts. I deserve to die."

A trace of excitement flashed across Yan Dongqing's eyes, and he quickly took two steps back and bowed deeply.

"You're here again, why are you being so formal?"

Emperor Jiaqi looked at his empty hands with a helpless expression.

"The etiquette between the ruler and his subjects must not be violated."

Yan Dongqing changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty, I actually have one thing I don't understand."

"Is it about the family clan?"

Emperor Jiaqi asked with a smile.

"Yes!"

Yan Dongqing said bluntly: "Do we really want to hand over the Songjiang Xu family? I have received news that Yang Bai Ze has collected enough charges and may take action against the Xu family at any time."

"The speed is quite fast. This student of Pei Xingjian is no ordinary person."

"The Xu family is too dirty. There is no need to dig deep to collect a lot of evidence. Moreover, these things are not important at all. Yang Bai Ze just wants a legitimate excuse."

Yan Dongqing said solemnly, "Your Majesty, although the Xu family is not important, Xu Haichao can die. But now is the critical moment for the Spring and Autumn Society to step out from behind the scenes. If you choose to give in at this time, I am worried that it will dampen the enthusiasm of others and make some wavering fence-sitters turn to the New Donglin Party. This is not a good thing for the Spring and Autumn Society!"

"Where is Zhang Fengyue now?"

Emperor Jiaqi did not directly answer Yan Dongqing, but suddenly changed the subject.

Yan Dongqing frowned slightly, not understanding the emperor's meaning for a moment, but still answered honestly: "Zhang Fengyue is now in the foreign land, and he also ordered Zhang Siyuan to use Huangliang's authority to blow up a Taoist star. This should be a warning to Longhu Mountain before sending people to project Chengdu Prefecture."

"The power of Huangliang, which is a precious weapon of the empire, cannot be controlled by me. It is really a pity."

Emperor Jiaqi muttered to himself, and then said to Yan Dongqing: "I know you think highly of Xu Haichao and have always regarded him as a capable subordinate. But there is one thing you must understand. Ever since Yang Baize was transferred from the Japanese area to Songjiang to serve as the magistrate of Huating, Zhang Fengyue has already set the Xu family as the first target to attack."

"Now the New Donglin Party is still strong. Although many of the older generation of clan leaders are also dissatisfied with Zhang Fengyue's actions, they have long been frightened and dare not make any resistance. They just hope that Zhang Fengyue will let them go after killing enough other people."

"This is not a completely bad thing for the Spring and Autumn Association. The more he pushes, the more people will naturally turn to the Spring and Autumn Association."

Emperor Jiaqi said patiently: "So now is not the time to worry about the gains and losses of a family, understand?"

Although Yan Dongqing was still unwilling, he did not dare to say much and could only grit his teeth and said, "I understand."

"Okay, seize this opportunity and win over a few more clans. Once the Spring and Autumn Association has completely established its foothold, there will naturally be no need to give in like today."

"The minister obeys the order."

Yan Dongqing bowed and his figure disappeared into this dream.

"His Majesty."

This dreamland has a flavor of one person finishing his performance and another taking the stage. Yan Dongqing had just left when another figure connected and entered.

"Yan Dongqing is an ungrateful person. His purpose in protecting the Xu family is not for the Spring and Autumn Association, but for..."

"Okay, Third Uncle, I understand everything you said."

Emperor Jiaqi chuckled and interrupted: "Yan Dongqing is indeed ambitious, but if you want to achieve great things, how can you do it without ambition?"

"Ambition and evil intentions cannot be lump together."

The visitor said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty must be careful and watch out for him."

"I have seen clearly what he is thinking. He is just a tool that is barely in my hands. There is no need to be on guard against him. On the contrary, I will give him the opportunity to pursue his delusion of 'establishing a Confucian country and reviving the Spring and Autumn Period'."

Emperor Jiaqi said calmly: "Only in this way can the leader of the younger generation of Confucianism focus all his energy on the Spring and Autumn Conference. He will lead that group of arrogant Confucianism who don't know the height of heaven and earth to fight Zhang Fengyue to the death."

"Your Majesty, aren't you worried about raising a tiger as a threat?"

"What are you afraid of? Isn't this a good opportunity for us to break through the barriers and advance? Isn't this exactly the situation we have been working so hard to create?"

Emperor Jiaqi turned to look at the other party and said earnestly, "Uncle San, there is actually something I have always wanted to ask you in person. You switched from being a strategist to a soldier, hiding your real name, practicing the Six Strategies and doing menial business, and slaughtering the people with your wealth. Have you ever resented me in your heart?"

"Your Majesty, didn't you also put on a layer of Confucianism and compromise with Zhang Fengyue? It was all for Zhu Ming, so there is no resentment."

"Yes, it's all for the Ming Dynasty and our ancestors."

Emperor Jiaqi took a deep breath and said with a smile, "But it won't be long before we uncle and nephew no longer have to wear this smelly coat."

"Yes. We have been waiting for this day for a long time!"

(End of this chapter)