"Do you know anything about Guozixue?" When asked this question, Wu Bozong's voice was trembling, and he could not hide the fear from the depths of his soul.
"I heard about it." Zeng Tai nodded and said, "I passed by the Confucius Temple when I came here, and I also saw the things on the bamboo poles."
"There are Wang Jiahui, Chen Qianfu, and a group of famous Confucians and literary figures in the south of the Yangtze River. It is not an exaggeration to say that it accounts for half of the literary world in the south of the Yangtze River." Wu Bozong said sadly: "You will see it again when you pass by the Ministry of Civil Affairs some other time.
There is also the head of Minister Yu Ji hanging on the wall! Isn’t it scary?”
"It's really scary." Zeng Tai nodded.
"This is all caused by His Highness the King of Chu whom you praise so much." Wu Zhuangyuan said with a somewhat rapid breathing: "They just wanted to bring justice to the students, and they killed them all in a joint bulletin.
Now, tell me, is this still a human being?!"
"How did I hear that they incited students to strike?" Zeng Tai frowned.
"That was what the students did spontaneously to support the division commander!" Wu Zhuangyuan said in a loud voice: "He killed them, insulted their corpses, and slandered their reputation! He was so heartbroken and crazy!"
"But in my impression, His Royal Highness the King of Chu never kills anyone." But Zeng Tai had been a border official for a year, so he was not that easy to fool.
"I don't have the habit of killing people. Let alone His Highness King Yan, I think it's possible. But King Chu, you can't do such a thing, right?"
"How can you speak for him?!" Wu Bozong couldn't help scolding: "He has become the public enemy of scholars in the world. All scholars with conscience will be at odds with him!"
"You can't say that." Zeng Gangjing said with some displeasure:
"I also taught at the Guozi School for two years, before Song Ne went there. The place was in a state of chaos due to the southerners, who worked together to squeeze out the northern instructors, let alone the students... Ninety-nine percent of the students are dropped out of school every year.
They are all from the north. So I dare not say it anywhere else. The scholars in the north will definitely support him."
"You are also a southerner. You need to know your own position." Wu Bozong couldn't help but said angrily.
"I am an official of the Ming Dynasty." It is different to have been a high-ranking official. Zeng Tai raised his voice and said: "We all belong to China and are the same people of the Ming Dynasty. Why should we divide the north and the south? Then what is the significance of the unification of the Ming Dynasty?"
"The north has been under the rule of the Hulu for hundreds of years, so it is no different from the barbarians." Wu Bozong said in a dull voice.
"Okay, then you will petition tomorrow to revoke Yan Shenggong's title!" Zeng Tai can always find a tricky angle to strike. "The Kong family is also a barbarian now, what qualifications do they have to be Yan Shenggong again?!"
"You, aren't you being arrogant..." Wu Bozong almost choked to death. How could they, the Confucian believers, ruin Duke Yan's job? Doesn't that mean they bully their teachers and destroy their ancestors?
"I'm really not trying to make excuses," Zeng Tai said in a deep voice, "but I sincerely think that as a Xi Ma in the East Palace, Brother Bo Zong should break out of the stereotypes of the north and the south and think about issues from the standpoint of the entire Ming Dynasty."
"Hahaha, I've learned a lesson." Wu Bozong nodded with a smile and said, "It's been three days since we've seen each other. We should look at each other with admiration. Brother An Ding is in a great position now."
"His Royal Highness the King of Chu taught me." Zeng Tai sighed: "If the country wants long-term peace and stability, it should bridge conflicts instead of artificially creating gaps."
"Hahaha, it's okay for you to think so. Gentlemen are harmonious but different." Wu Bozong was filled with hatred in his heart, but he still had to smile on his face.
~~
As the saying goes, "It's not enough to talk without speculation." The two of them didn't expect that they would have such a big difference in their views after not seeing each other for a year.
So the planned all-night talk ended hastily with the words, "Brother Anding, you are tired from the journey, take a rest early."
Lying in the guest room of the Number One Scholar's Mansion, Zeng Tai regretted that he had been too hasty in agreeing to stay at Wu Bozong's house.
'Well, if I had known, I might as well have gone to sleep with Teacher Luo. At least he talks nice and has novels to read.' Zeng Tai sighed secretly, and thought about having to face the saint today, and he tossed and turned more and more, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Fortunately, he had not completed the formalities and was not considered a capital official, so he did not have to go to the morning court, otherwise he would not have to sleep at all.
He stared in a daze for a while until dawn, and was soon woken up by the boy, who quickly washed and dressed him.
At this time, Wu Bozong had already gone to court. He had a hasty breakfast and walked to the palace.
As soon as he left the Number One Scholar's Mansion, he breathed a sigh of relief and told the boy: "I will go to Zhongshu to report to Zhongshu after I meet the emperor later. As soon as the official residence is arranged, you can come back to pick up your luggage."
They have different paths and don't work together, so they don't want to wait for a moment longer.
~~
As he walked along Taiping Lane, he saw that the streets were bustling with shops, row upon row of shops, and a dazzling array of signboards. It was like a gathering of department stores, and all businesses were prosperous.
Zeng Tai couldn't help but secretly lamented that in just a few years, Nanjing has become much more prosperous.
But this also has its disadvantages. There were too many pedestrians on the street, and they were so crowded that no one noticed him, a second-rank official, and almost squeezed his black gauze hat off.
Zeng Tai complained secretly. If he had known earlier, he should have listened to the Wu family's arrangements and headed there in a carriage. How good is this? How decent is it?
Fortunately, after crossing Dazhong Bridge and walking on West Chang'an Street, it suddenly became less crowded.
Firstly, West Chang'an Street is very wide, and secondly, there are government offices on both sides of the street. Stalls and shops are not allowed, so there are naturally fewer pedestrians.
Zeng Tai then straightened his clothes and smiled bitterly at the boy: "This Nanjing is just different from our Nanchang. It's really unbearable to walk."
"That's for sure." The boy responded with a smile.
"Hey, three years ago, I wasn't squeezing in the crowd and walking to and from get off work every day? Now that I have become a second-grade official, I can't stand it? It really shouldn't be." No one made any excuses, and Zeng Tai even said that he All good.
While the master and servant were talking, they saw a group of dwarves coming to the Wuman Bridge on the left side of the road.
Well, that's too rude to say. I should say he's a foreigner who is as short as a child.
This scene is not unusual, because in the north of Wuman Bridge, there is a Huitong Pavilion to receive envoys from foreign vassals, and a Wuman Post to receive their entourage. Therefore, foreign envoys often come and go here.
Zeng Tai has seen the world, so naturally he won't make a fuss... But it's really funny to see them wearing official robes similar to those of the Ming Dynasty, like children sneaking through adults' clothes, hehehe.
He quickly straightened his face to avoid damaging his official image. But those envoys from the Lilliputian Kingdom actually followed him on the same journey...along the West Chang'an Street, entering the right gate of Chang'an, then Chengtianmen and Duanmen.
It was really hard to watch them with their heads raised and talking to the tall gatekeepers.
Fortunately, Zeng Tai had been professionally trained and could still hold on. But the next moment, he couldn't hold on anymore - those Lilliput officials actually went straight to the Dengwen Drum outside the Meridian Gate!
I saw the leading official jump up, take off the drumstick hanging next to the drum, and start to beat the drum!
