Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 239 The Secret of His Royal Highness

   So that later, scholars often came and went in this Xishan.

Fang Jifan aimed at the business opportunity and set up a tea shop next to the school, which sold tea and wine. The scholars’ money was not earned for nothing, and in view of the tradition that scholars always have some elegant hobbies, Fang Jifan even wanted to open a tea shop. A brothel, let them come here to sell money after debating and attending lectures.

   But this idea is only fleeting, because Fang Jifan is a moral person, and his three views cannot tolerate such filthy things, just thinking about it makes him tremble all over.

  Flags and banners were hung in front of Xishan Restaurant, and they fluttered as soon as the breeze passed, which was very eye-catching.

   What is even more satisfying is that the business of this restaurant is not bad.

  Although Wang Shouren came here in a sedan chair in a hurry after dinner, if the scholars from the four villages and eight miles came to listen, they were willing to come early.

Whether you like or dislike Wang Shouren, you are here because you are really willing to learn, or you are here to make a fuss, and you want to hear how ridiculous the rumored deviant words are, but at least, scholars are still civilized, and there are no disputes. Solve it with your mouth.

   When it was time to leave school, a group of schoolchildren were carrying coarse schoolbags, and a group of people poured into the restaurant.

  As the first store in Xishan, Xishan Restaurant undertakes many functions. For example, it sells candied haws and dried sweet potatoes made from sweet potatoes. Not only that, but also specially prepared dried fruits for scholars to serve with tea and wine.

  A group of half-grown children clustered under the high cabinet of the restaurant, with only half of their foreheads protruding from the cabinet.

  The older child is in front, while the younger child is looking anxiously behind.

  The shopkeeper of the wine shop is called Zhu Gui. He used to be a miner. Later, due to a work injury, he became limped and was assigned this leisurely job. He knows a few words, and he is proficient in arithmetic. Now he can use an abacus proficiently.

  He had to lie on his stomach and lean forward to see the faces of the children behind the high cabinet.

  Xu Jie is the tallest, he collected copper coins long ago, raised his hands up very hard, and tried his best to make himself imposing to pat the three Wen coins on the counter, and said proudly: "One hundred dried potatoes!"

   "..." Zhu Gui narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly at Xu Jie: "Sanwen, why don't you grab it, go and go."

  Xu Jie began to show his teeth, and stared at Zhu Gui dissatisfied, as if he was really the king of the mountain.

  Beside Zhang Xiaohu also burst out his little tiger teeth, looking fierce.

  The dark schoolchildren held their chests out and glared.

  Zhu Gui couldn't help shaking his head and smiling wryly when he saw the aggressive elementary school children in front of the counter.

   "Yesterday I took five Wen, but today I only give three. Hey, I have to talk to my benefactor." Seeing more and more scholars entering the restaurant, he continued to shake his head.

   "Okay, okay, let's not take it as an example."

   Then he said to the guy behind him.

   "Fifth, go and weigh two catties of dried potatoes..."

  A group of schoolchildren got dried potatoes, Xu Jie put them in his schoolbag, and led a group of children to cheer.

  A small schoolboy walked in a hurry, tripped over the threshold, and burst into tears with a whimper.

  Then the locust-like schoolboy returned in a hurry, picked him up and left.

  The world... is clean.

   There are more and more scholars, there are more than 30 people, all discussing yesterday's debate and what Wang Shouren said. Those who like Wang Shouren call Wang Shouren Master Wang, and those who don't like him call him "he".

   After waiting for about half an hour, someone said: "Master Wang has arrived."

  So, scholars flocked to the counter to pay accounts, and the sound of clappers sounded in the school, and the schoolchildren went to school one after another. In Minglun Hall, the schoolchildren sat kneeling at the front, and a group of scholars sat in the corner.

  Wang Shouren looked a little tired. He was in the National History Museum of the Imperial Academy.

  He had just taken his seat when Fang Jifan appeared in the corner inadvertently.

  As soon as Wang Shouren saw Fang Jifan, he quickly pulled himself together, stood up, and bowed to Fang Jifan: "Student...greetings to my teacher."

When all the scholars heard the word "Mentor", their faces turned green with fright. When they came in just now, they never thought that this young man was Fang Jifan, and they thought he was an ordinary scholar. People who were close to Fang Jifan inevitably moved away. All kinds of rumors in the market made them curious about Fang Jifan, but also a little bit afraid.

  However, there were also a few scholars who actually bowed to Fang Jifan from a distance, and said respectfully: "Greetings, master..."

  Fang Jifan didn't agree. These guys... were expected to be fans of Wang Shouren, and began to enthusiastically receive Wang Shouren's teachings, and consciously belonged to Wang Shouren's disciples. If so, then...Fang Jifan naturally became their teacher.

   This seems reasonable.

Wang Shouren sat down again, and before he sat down, a scholar sneered and said: "The sage respects propriety, so Master Zhu said, preserving the principles of heaven and destroying human desires, this is called propriety. The difference between man and beast lies in propriety." , so to eliminate human desires can achieve self-denial, and self-denial can restore ritual, but Mr. Wang advocates human feelings, isn't it contrary to the words of the sages?"

   This kind of messing around happens every day.

  Wang Shouren has long been used to it.

  He slightly raised his eyes to look at the troubled scholar. He didn't have too much emotion in his whole body, but was expressionless, and only wrote lightly.

"Saints rely on human feelings to make rituals. Rituals do not come from the sky, nor do they come from the earth, they are just human emotions. If there is no human emotion, how can the ritual come from? The three emperors and five emperors did not know that they had the desire to destroy human desires. Could it be that they are also animals? "

   "Nonsense, the time of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors..."

   It started again.

  Fang Jifan admires these scholars the most. In a debate, he can talk about Confucius to the Three Emperors and Five Emperors, and the Three Emperors and Five Emperors to Penglai Xiandao. It seems that he can talk about it for a lifetime.

  Afterwards, the debate became more and more intense. Wang Shouren played it lightly, and always managed to win by surprise.

It's just that these lines of defense have begun to become more and more like sharp swords, showing their sharpness. Fang Jifan felt ashamed when he heard it, and he couldn't help muttering to himself in a low voice: "One day, if Fang Jifan's head is chopped off by the emperor, ten times more Eighty-nine, just for you, Wang Shouren."

  Behind him, someone patted Fang Jifan on the shoulder. Before he could turn his head to see who, a familiar voice sounded in his ear.

   "Fang Jifan, if I am the emperor, I will never cut off your head, we are brothers..."

  Fang Jifan looked back in astonishment, but saw Zhu Houzhao, wearing a nondescript Lun scarf and a Confucian shirt behind him, and he didn't know when he came in.

  Fang Jifan hurried out of Minglun Hall, Zhu Houzhao chased him out.

  Seeing that there was no one around, Fang Jifan frowned and said, "Why did Your Highness leave the palace at night, something will happen."

  Zhu Houzhao was grinning.

"I dug it out, and someone got a pro-military badge. The guards at the city gate didn't dare to stop me. I have something to tell you in the palace. Let me tell you a bad news first. There is news in the palace. Your father, Got away."

"What?" Fang Jifan's eyes widened, deserting soldiers... just like his grandfather in the rumors in the world, he slipped back to the capital from the civil fortress. Although the father was saving people, or maybe being rescued, it doesn't matter. At that time, the civil fort collapsed across the board, and they could only be prisoners if they were not deserters, so it was not a shame.

  But if you run away in Guizhou, things will be tricky.

   "How is this possible, my father is not such a person." Fang Jifan bared his teeth, looking angry.

   "What are you doing to lie to you? There are still fakes coming out of the palace, and there is still a playbook at the Ministry of War."

  Zhu Houzhao looked very excited, and then he said seriously to Fang Jifan: "But after I read the latest military intelligence report, I found something new. Come, I brought the map of the palace."

   As he spoke, he dragged Fang Jifan to a remote classroom where there was no one there. Liu Jin caught up and lit the lamp for the two of them.

  Zhu Houzhao was on the desk, unfolding the map with great interest.

"A few days ago, the rebels captured a county, and the Ming army suffered heavy losses. However, have you noticed that the governor Wang Shi did not send out a mountain battalion to fight in the mansion newspaper. This is strange, such a big thing happened , should send elites to regain the lost ground, but it was Zuo Chuanwei who was sent, and this Zuo Chuanwei has made no progress."

"But after that, the rebels raided Anshun, and the governor personally led the troops to rush to help..." Zhu Houzhao seemed very excited, pointing his fingers to every position on the map with familiarity. Obviously, before this, he had already seen this map. I don't know how many times I watched it.

   There was light in his eyes, and under the reflection of the candlelight, he was particularly eye-catching.

  Fang Jifan also frowned, analyzing the map.

"However, the mountain camp... still didn't go to battle. The mountain camp is best at fighting the rebels, but why didn't they send out the mountain camp to rescue Anshun, such an important city? There is only one possibility, the mountain camp needs to rest , or, Wang Shi and your father are at odds."

   "Of course, it doesn't matter."

   Speaking of this, Fang Jifan's heart was shocked, and he suddenly remembered why his father 'ran away'.

  Could it be because of my own letter.

Thinking about it this way, he breathed a sigh of relief and fled the battle. This is a serious crime. No matter how discordant with the governor, this is not allowed. If this leads to the defeat of the entire Ming army in Guizhou, how many frontlines will be killed? officers and soldiers.

  Fang Jifan came to his senses, he stared at Zhu Houzhao: "Your Highness, what's next?"

   "But, old Fang, have you ever thought about one thing, why the more and more thieves are being suppressed, the court has repeatedly increased its troops, and there are many victories, but in the end, the thieves' flames are even more powerful. What is the reason?"

   Sure enough... the crown prince discovered the crucial problem.

  Fang Jifan had a hint of admiration for the rumored 'Ming Wuzong': "Milu!"

  (end of this chapter)