King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

In the east of the city, at Mr. Chen’s home.

"Master, does Prince Lu really want to open a mathematics and physics school?" asked Mrs. Chen.

"It's absolutely true. The news has spread all over the city now."

Mr. Chen nodded, his brows furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.

"Should we let our son sign up as well?" asked Mrs. Chen.

"This..." Mr. Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "We don't know what this mathematics is. If I let my son learn it, it will delay his studies. Isn't it a loss?"

"Master, what you said is wrong. The King of Lu is very powerful now. Who among us nobles dares to say 'no' in front of him? If we don't obey his wishes and end up angering him, we will be in trouble." Mrs. Chen said.

"Madam, what you said makes sense, but..." Mr. Chen wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Madam Chen:

"Master, please don't hesitate any longer. Let's let our second son enroll in the Mathematics and Physics School. Even if he doesn't learn any real skills, he can still show his face in front of King Lu. Maybe he can even be appreciated by King Lu, which will give him a way out in the future."

After hearing this, Mr. Chen pondered for a moment, and finally nodded and said, "Madam is right. Then let's do as you say and let Erzhu go to the mathematics and physics school to register tomorrow."

……

Similar scenes also occurred in the homes of other nobles in the city.

Although most of the nobles looked down on the School of Mathematics and Physics, they did not dare to oppose it openly due to Zhu Tan's power and could only watch secretly.

The day for the mathematics and physics school to officially start classes has finally arrived.

On this day, before dawn, Zhang Tieniu, who lived in a remote mountain village, was pulled out of bed by his mother.

"My son, wake up quickly. Don't sleep any more. Today is your first day of class. You must not be late!"

As Zhang's mother spoke, she stuffed a steaming tortilla into Zhang Tieniu's hand.

Zhang Tieniu was bleary-eyed and yawning, and asked incoherently: "Mom, it's only what time now, why did you wake me up?"

"What time is it? The sun is about to burn your butt! Eat quickly, you little brat, and then get on the road!"

While urging her, Zhang's mother dug out a set of coarse cloth clothes that had been washed so much that they looked pale.

"Come, put on this new dress. I made it especially for you. When you go to school, you must teach the students well and don't embarrass me!"

Zhang Tieniu took the clothes. Although the fabric was rough, it was obviously new. He immediately understood his mother's good intentions and nodded solemnly:
"Mom, I understand. Don't worry, I will teach you well and won't embarrass you!"

After breakfast, Zhang Tieniu picked up the cloth bag his mother had prepared for him and strode out of the house.

Under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, a group of villagers were chatting. When they saw Zhang Tieniu's outfit, they all cast curious glances at him.

"Tie Niu, where are you going? You are dressed so smartly!" asked a white-haired old man.

Zhang Tieniu puffed out his chest and said proudly: "His Royal Highness Prince Lu asked me to be a teacher in the school in the city!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of laughter.

"What? His Highness Prince Lu asked you to be a teacher? Did I hear it right? Hahaha..."

"That's right, Tie Niu, what else can you do besides counting? Why would His Royal Highness Prince Lu let you be a teacher? Hahaha..."

"Tie Niu, please stop bragging. Who is this Prince Lu? Why would he like you? Hahaha..."

The villagers laughed so hard, as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

When Zhang's mother heard the noise, she ran out of the house and pointed at those who were gossiping and scolded them:
"You ignorant fellows, what do you know! My son was chosen by His Royal Highness Prince Lu, believe it or not!"

When everyone saw Zhang's mother getting angry, their laughter gradually died down.

After all, Zhang Tieniu is now favored by His Royal Highness Prince Lu. He may become very successful one day, and ordinary people like them cannot afford to offend him.

Zhang Tieniu ignored the gossip and walked straight into the city.

……

The Mathematics and Physics School is located in a secluded courtyard in the east of the city. There is a brand new plaque hanging at the door with four big characters "Mathematics and Physics School" inscribed on it. The characters are written in powerful and imposing manner.

Zhang Tieniu walked into the school and found that there were already quite a few people sitting inside, all of them were well-dressed young men from wealthy families.

He suddenly felt a little timid and stood timidly at the door, not knowing what to do.

"Sir, you are Mr. Zhang invited by His Royal Highness Prince Lu, right?"

A young man in a blue shirt and a square scarf on his head walked quickly up to Zhang Tieniu and asked respectfully.

"I... I'm Zhang Tieniu, may I ask who you are..."

Zhang Tieniu asked somewhat at a loss.

"My last name is Liu, and I'm an assistant teacher at this school. You can just call me Mr. Liu."

The young man introduced enthusiastically, "Sir, please come in. The students are waiting for you to start the class!"

Under the guidance of Mr. Liu, Zhang Tieniu walked up to the podium. Looking at the curious eyes below the stage, he took a deep breath and started his first class.

"My dear young masters, what we are learning today is called 'Arithmetic'..."

Although Zhang Tieniu's voice was a little trembling, what he said was profound and easy to understand, and soon attracted the students' attention.

After class, Zhang Tieniu hurried home with a cloth bag on his back.

He didn't know that not far behind him, someone was quietly following him...

……

In the Wang family compound with carved beams and painted buildings, Mr. Wang sat upright, his fat body almost bursting the mahogany armchair.

He had a frown on his face, and was holding a string of agarwood bracelet in his hand, but he was turning it with a crackling sound, completely unlike his usual calmness.

"What did you say? That Zhang is a peasant?"

Mr. Wang slammed the table so hard that the tea in the cup splashed out. The maidservant beside him fell to her knees and trembled in fear.

"Yes... I saw it with my own eyes. Zhang Tieniu... after class, he carried a rag bag and went back to the countryside. The name of that village was... something..."

The servant who came to report was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat and tried hard to recall, "Oh, that's right, it's called Niujia Village! That place is so poor that there's not even a well!"

"waste!"

Wang Yuanwai was so angry that his beard stood up:

"Niujia Village? Where did His Royal Highness Prince Lu invite this 'great god' from? Is this kind of bastard qualified to teach my son?"

The more Mr. Wang thought about it, the angrier he became.

He had heard that His Royal Highness Prince Lu had opened a new school of mathematics and physics.

He sent his son there specifically, hoping that he could learn some real skills and inherit the family business in the future.

Who would have thought that His Highness Prince Lu would be so crazy that he actually invited a country bumpkin to be his teacher! "Master, calm down," a middle-aged man who looked like a legal advisor stepped forward to persuade him, "Your Highness Prince Lu must have some other intentions for this move. We should just wait and see what happens."

"Just wait and see what happens?"

Wang Yuanwai glared at him:
"What do you know? His Highness Prince Lu obviously has bad intentions! Think about it, if he really wanted to run a school, why would he hire a peasant? Isn't it obvious that he is trying to fool us common people?"

Mr. Wang paced back and forth in the room.

The more I think about it, the more complicated it seems.

Although he was a businessman, he also knew who the King of Lu was.

He is the most beloved son of the current emperor besides the crown prince. In this small piece of land in Shandong, he is like a local emperor.

"No! I have to think of a way." Wang Yuanwai stopped and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. "Since His Royal Highness Prince Lu is unkind, don't blame me for being unjust!"

He turned to look at the servant kneeling on the ground and asked sternly:
"Are you sure that Zhang Tieniu lives in Niujia Village?"

"I am sure! I can see clearly that there is an old locust tree with a crooked neck at the entrance of the village. It is very thick!"

The servant replied quickly.

"Okay! Go to Niujia Village again..." Mr. Wang leaned close to the servant's ear and whispered a few words.

The servant took the order and left. Mr. Wang then turned around and said to the master:

"Sir, tell me, if the current emperor knew that his most beloved son actually used a peasant to teach the children of the common people, what would he think?"

Upon hearing this, the master's eyes suddenly lit up, and he clapped his hands and smiled:

"Great! It's really great! This move of the master is really brilliant! His Majesty attaches great importance to education. If he knew about this, he would definitely be furious! By then, hehe..."

Wang smiled complacently, with a hint of viciousness flashing in his eyes:
"I, Wang Fugui, am not someone you can easily mess with! If His Royal Highness the Prince of Lu wants to bully others in Shandong, he has to ask me if I agree!"

Wang Yuanwai's plan spread like a plague throughout Shandong. People were talking about it in teahouses, bars, streets and alleys, and the topic was always about Zhang Tieniu, the "mud-legged gentleman".

"Have you heard? The teacher of the new mathematics and physics school opened by His Royal Highness Prince Lu is actually a country bumpkin!"

"That's right! I heard that he hasn't even read the Four Books and Five Classics, and he can only count!"

"If you ask me, His Royal Highness Prince Lu was probably deceived by that country bumpkin!"

Most of the people were illiterate, let alone understanding mathematics. In their view, the purpose of studying was to gain fame and bring honor to their family.

As for arithmetic, that is the job of accountants and has nothing to do with noble scholars.

For a time, all kinds of rumors were rampant, devaluing Zhang Tieniu to the point of being worthless.

However, Zhang Tieniu, who was at the center of the public opinion whirlpool, acted as if nothing had happened. He still showed up at school on time every day, carrying that rag bag on his back.

However, the students who were originally respectful now looked at him with a bit more contempt and suspicion.

On this day, Zhang Tieniu walked into the school and prepared to start teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as usual.

"Wait a minute!"

A sharp voice interrupted him.

Zhang Tieniu looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a brocade robe with a jade pendant around his waist, looking at him with disdain.

The young man's name was Mr. Zhao. He was the only son of Mr. Zhao, a famous wealthy businessman in Shandong Prefecture. He relied on his family background to be arrogant and domineering on weekdays, and he was used to bullying in school.

"You are a country bumpkin, are you qualified to teach us scholars?"

Young Master Zhao glanced at Zhang Tieniu with a tone full of contempt, "These arithmetic skills are so crude, what's the point of learning them?"

Zhang Tieniu was somewhat at a loss for words by his sudden questioning, and he stammered, "This...this mathematics...His Royal Highness Prince Lu said that it is useful..."

"Bullshit!" Young Master Zhao shouted angrily, interrupting him. "His Royal Highness Prince Lu is well-educated and talented. How could he be deceived by a villain like you? You are clearly trying to take this opportunity to get close to His Highness and plot something bad!"

Zhang Tieniu's face suddenly turned red. He wanted to explain himself but didn't know where to start.

He was not good at speaking to begin with, and now he was so frightened by Mr. Zhao's aggressive accusations that his mind went blank.

Seeing Zhang Tieniu speechless, Master Zhao became even more proud. He turned to look at the students around him and said loudly:
"Everyone, is such a vulgar person qualified to stand here and mislead the students? How can we tolerate it?"

Mr. Zhao's words resonated with many young men from the gentry. They stood up one after another, pointing at Zhang Tieniu and loudly accusing him.

Some people even started rolling up their sleeves, ready to take action.

Just as a conflict was about to break out, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door.

"stop!"

Following an angry shout, a group of armored guards rushed into the school and surrounded the sons of the nobles who were clamoring to take action.

The crowd automatically parted and Zhu Tan walked in slowly.

Zhu Tan's eyes swept across the room, finally landing on Master Zhao, his gaze as sharp as a knife:

“Who says math is useless?”

Zhu Tan's appearance was like pouring a bucket of cold water into a boiling oil pan, and the entire school became quiet in an instant.

Those sons of the aristocratic families who had originally clamored to take action now looked at each other and remained silent.

They had witnessed with their own eyes the methods of His Royal Highness the Prince of Lu.

At the beginning, in order to implement the new policy, those officials who dared to obstruct it, regardless of their rank, were all ruthlessly taken down by Zhu Tan.

The punishment could be light, such as dismissal from office; severe, such as confiscation of property and exile; many people even lost their heads.

Thinking of Zhu Tan's decisiveness in killing, everyone became frightened and anxious.

The sons of the aristocratic families who surrounded Zhang Tieniu were so frightened that their faces turned pale, their legs went weak, and they wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Young Master Zhao was also panicked. He usually relied on his family background to bully others in the capital city. He had never seen such a scene before.

He knelt on the ground trembling and explained incoherently:
"Your Highness... Your Highness, please spare my life... I... I was just confused for a moment..."

Zhu Tan ignored him and just glanced coldly at those sons of the aristocracy who were about to take action. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, which made everyone feel scared.

After a long while, Zhu Tan sighed, with a hint of disappointment and helplessness in his tone:

"I established this school to recruit talented people and develop Shandong. Instead of studying hard and serving the court, you are bullying others and showing disrespect to your elders. How can this be allowed?!"

At this point, Zhu Tan's tone became stern, and he pointed at Master Zhao and ordered the guards, "This student has no respect for his teacher and is lawless. Come on, take him out and give him twenty lashes of the cane!"

"Your Highness, spare your life! Your Highness, spare your life!"

Young Master Zhao was so frightened that his soul left his body. He struggled desperately, but was dragged out by the guards like a dead dog.

"Everyone else, give them ten strokes of the cane to serve as a warning to others!" Zhu Tan glanced coldly at the trembling nobles, his tone unquestionable. (End of this chapter)