Although he had met the emperor twice in succession at the Imperial College and the Xinglong Teahouse, when the official summons came to the nearby Imperial College and a house was specially reserved for the four summoned scholars, as the head of the Zhaoming Academy, Yue Bufan still
I had to think about how to deal with it from beginning to end, and went to bed early that night, for fear that I would not be in good spirits tomorrow.
Early the next morning, he got up and washed up, but also deliberately practiced Tai Chi in the yard, which was said to be left by Emperor Taizu. After making sure he felt refreshed, he went to have breakfast. The time to summon him was
After the morning meeting, carriages and horses would be sent to pick him up, so he was not worried about being delayed.
As for what made him most proud and gratified, because he arrived early, the other three people had not yet arrived in the capital, so his plan was determined. And now there are only him, two students and two followers in this huge place.
The guest was spacious, elegant and quiet. When he walked out of the room freshly dressed and wearing a well-tailored sky blue Confucian shirt, he was immediately greeted by two students who praised him repeatedly.
Although he has long passed the age of caring about appearance and appearance, Chief Yue Shan knows that the first impression is particularly important when it comes to clothes and saddle. Even if it is not the first time for him to meet the emperor, he will not be careless about it.
However, although he was serious about it, his overall relaxed mood only lasted until he boarded the carriage.
Because the carriage was not empty, but there was another strange middle-aged man sitting firmly in it!
Chief Yue Shan originally thought that it was a minor official who came to pick him up, or simply a eunuch, but when he saw the other person sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai, he didn't think it was the case. After sitting down with some surprise, he
He saw the guard from the Rui Cavalry Camp who had just greeted him outside the carriage, smiling broadly and raising his hand to him.
"Originally, this car was specially designed to take you into the palace, but because Hong Shanchang, the head of Yuzhang Academy, had just arrived in the capital, and after the emperor learned about it, he ordered him to pick up Hong Shanchang and go to the palace with you to see him."
Suddenly I heard that the thin middle-aged man with a long beard and a cold face across from me was actually the one who wrote to the emperor to request the emperor to find concubines for the eldest and second princes as soon as possible. He also recommended his daughter to be a virtuous and virtuous man who could be worthy of the emperor's eldest son, Yuzhang Academy Hongshan.
Chang Yue Shan Chang Deng's heart skipped a beat, and the high spirits and calmness he felt at the beginning almost disappeared in an instant.
Fortunately, he was also a person who had experienced strong winds and waves. He tried his best to maintain his expression at this time and just nodded lightly. When the car curtain fell, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the other person for a moment, then said with a smile: "Hongshan is famous, I
I've heard about it a long time ago, but I didn't expect to meet you in this car by such a coincidence today. Speaking of the time you arrived in the capital, this is really just the right time."
Chief Hong Shan seemed not to have heard the sarcasm in Chief Yue Shan's words. His face remained motionless and he said in an unusually cold voice: "I came by boat all the way. The water transportation was busy and I walked and stopped. Naturally, I can't compare to what Chief Yue Shan brought to the students."
Traveling around the world goes very fast. It’s a pity that I couldn’t arrive a few days early, so I didn’t see Jiuzhangtang recruiting new people, nor did I see the Emperor personally visiting Xinglong Teahouse.”
"Some of the world's systems can be changed, and some cannot be changed, especially the two words of etiquette and law, which have always been the pillars of the country. I wonder if Chief Yue Shan is also a great scholar in the world, so he doesn't even understand this, right?"
Chief Hong Shan didn't seem to notice Chief Yue Shan's face suddenly stiffen, and said word by word: "The emperor cannot leave opportunities for rebellious ministers and traitors to take advantage of in the future just because of a temporary preference!"
"The world is peaceful, where are the rebellious officials and traitors!" Chief Yue Shan was not willing to let Chief Hong Shan have the upper hand in words. He raised his eyebrows and said seriously, "Moreover, why has the emperor changed any system? It should be that the court has changed the system in these years.
Some wise men among them destroyed the ancestral system of Emperor Taizu for their own selfish reasons!"
Hong Shan smiled sharply and said tit for tat: "Emperor Taizu was a great leader. In the past, most of the ancestral systems were based on great talents and broad strategies, which cannot be changed. But there is only one heir... That is a mistake. The elders and younger ones are in order.
There is a distinction between direct descendants and concubines. This is the method of inheritance that has been handed down from ancient times to the present, and all dynasties have used bloody lessons to prove that this is not wrong."
"Taizong of the Tang Dynasty forced his father to kill his brothers and his younger brothers. Queen Zetian not only killed his sons, but also massacred the entire clan. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty also forced his father to kill his sons. Therefore, looking at the two hundred years of the Tang Dynasty, the days of real stability only lasted for a few decades.
, and there were internal fights at other times. In the final analysis, it was because Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty gave future generations a bad start! This is still the case in our dynasty. If we don’t want this situation to continue, we must strictly enforce the system."
Chief Yue Shan stared at Chief Hong Shan, unbelievable that this man would talk so brazenly about the establishment of heirs and the system in a carriage with soldiers from the Rui Cavalry Battalion outside. He took a deep breath, and then
Finally calmed down.
"The Emperor is at his peak in the Spring and Autumn Period. Doesn't Chief Hong Shan think that his worries are unfounded? What's more, as a foreign minister, he rashly mentioned the internal affairs of the Tian family and even recommended his own daughter. Now he talks about the order of elders and children and the distinction between concubines and concubines.
How dare you say that you have no selfish motives? The emperor has made the eldest prince's crime known to the world, are you still thinking about letting Taijia go to Tong Palace?"
"It is because the emperor has made it known to the world that the world should know that such an unvirtuous and unfilial son cannot be heired, but he cannot be abandoned. As for Taijia... Chief Yue Shan, please respect yourself. Taijia is Shang.
After Tang, the emperor succeeded to the throne seriously, but the eldest prince is not even a prince, and now he is just the eldest son of a concubine who is guilty!"
Although Chief Yue Shan had never met the eldest prince, he was very sure that if the eldest prince were here and heard the words "eldest son, concubine", he would be so angry that he would slap Hong Shanchang directly on the face, and he would never want such a person.
father in law.
Is it possible that the man in front of me is really willing to sacrifice a daughter to make the emperor a benevolent king? Instead of wanting to be a father-in-law to assist the eldest prince in his comeback?
Outside the carriage, among the guards accompanying the carriage, Hua Qi, who was dressed in very inconspicuous attire, could not help but clench her teeth slightly as she listened to the movement in the carriage. She thought to herself that the most complex and unpredictable people in the world are indeed the ones with the most complex and unpredictable minds.
Scholar.
What they said about the distinction between concubines and concubines, and the order of elders and younger ones. Even when he heard it just now, he felt that Chief Hong Shan wanted the emperor to establish a direct descendant, but what happened? What he said to Chief Yue Shan now was so frank!
The eldest prince is just the eldest son of a concubine who is guilty of a crime. He cannot be regarded as a legitimate eldest son, let alone the ruler of the East Palace. In other words, just like the least popular rumors in the market, the head of Yuzhang Academy, Hong Shan, just hopes to have a son.
A virtuous and capable princess watched over the eldest prince and advised or restrained him not to continue to degenerate.
In this way, the emperor who chose a good concubine for his eldest son would not have to bear the reputation of treating his son harshly. In order to embarrass other families who did not want to marry their daughters to the eldest prince, the elder Hong Shan who made this suggestion took the initiative to give his daughter to the eldest son.
Apply as a candidate.
Listen to these words, he is so glorious and upright, so tall and complete, he just doesn’t have the word saint on his face!
If Chief Hongshan knew that after receiving such a memorial, the emperor's already bad mood became even worse. He was so angry that he left the palace late at night and went to the Buddhist temple that had been robbed during the Yewang Rebellion to pay homage to the deceased.
, will you still be so confident and confident? How much of this magnanimous and unashamed momentum will be left after you finally meet the emperor?
Xianggui thought so. Hua Qi was just ordered by the emperor today to see the two celebrities and teachers, Hong Shanchang and Yue Shanchang. By the way, he took a look at what the two people would look like when they faced each other in private. Now that he has seen it, he
He kept it in his heart, but didn't show it on his face at all.
Escorting the carriage to Donghua Gate, he saw a chief of ceremonies, the Supervisor of Ceremony, who came to greet him, smiling and greeting Chief Hong Shan and Chief Yue Shan. He glanced around and saw Chu Kuan standing alone in the most inconspicuous corner.
After jumping off his horse, he walked closer and asked with a smile: "If Eunuch Chu wants to observe these two people, he should go to Qianqing Palace. What's the use of standing here and watching from a distance?"
Chu Kuan and Hua Qi were also old acquaintances. After giving each other a glance, he said lightly: "Of course the teacher invited by the emperor for the princes is the one who takes the exam himself. Why do I, an eunuch, stand by and pester him so much?"
What's the matter? Besides, isn't there a more suitable person accompanying Zhangyan in front of the emperor?"
Hua Qi was immediately surprised: "Who is more suitable to accompany the Emperor? You mean Mrs. Ge?"
"What kind of person is the old master? If the four people summoned by the emperor gather together in the capital, they might be able to help him come and take a look. Now that he has been invited, the emperor is embarrassed." Chu Kuan chuckled and saw Hua Qi.
Showing an expression of enlightenment, he shrugged and said, "The emperor has sent people to inquire repeatedly, but in the end, a fake Taoist still sneaked in."
Hua Qi suddenly smiled, and then whispered to Chu Kuan what she heard from Chief Hong Shan to Chief Yue Shan. After Chu Kuan listened, he asked about Chief Yue Shan's response of Zhaoming Academy, and learned that the person initially
He retorted, but then simply sneered in response. He nodded slightly and said, "Compared with that fake Taoism that is trying to please everyone, this Yue Bufan is much smarter."
Chief Hong Shan did not know that he had become a false Taoist in Chu Kuan's mouth. At this time, he was walking side by side with Chief Yue Shan behind the eunuch leading the way. He was not as sharp as he was on the carriage, and was silent all the way.
Jin. But he didn't say anything, and Chief Yue Shan was even less interested in talking. As he walked, he thought in his heart about what Chief Hong Shan meant.
So, when the two people with different thoughts entered the Qianqing Gate, they didn't even pay attention to the guards who were nailed to the ground like nails, and directly followed the ceremonial supervisor who led the way.
When they arrived in front of the main hall, they just stood in silence for a moment as someone announced loudly in front of the door, and then they heard the announcement coming from inside.
But just as Chief Yue Shan was taking steps to walk in, he saw Chief Hong Shan holding his head high and standing in front of him. Although he was very angry about this, he rushed forward to fight with others. But it was not in line with his usual principles of dealing with others, so he simply let Chief Hong Shan take the lead, and he followed closely behind with a cold face.
Judging from what he realized after two dealings with the emperor, if Chief Hong Shan thought that he could win the trust of the emperor by doing his best, he must have underestimated the emperor today!
When Chief Yue Shan followed Chief Hong Shan into the Qianqing Palace, he did not bow his head respectfully and lower his hands like Chief Hong Shan, appearing to be etiquette and respectful and humble. Instead, he quickly observed the surroundings openly and quickly. He followed closely. Then, he noticed two unexpected people.
One is standing on the lower right side of the emperor, with a calm and leisurely look on his face, as if he was just accompanying an elder in the family to meet a visitor, Zhang Shou!
One was a child peeking out from behind Zhang Shou. It was the fourth prince whom he had already met twice in the Imperial College and Xinglong Teahouse. Today was the third time, which clearly shows the emperor's love for this young son.
In fact, if Zhang Shou had not taken the initiative to get up before the people came in, what Chief Yue Shan and Chief Hong Shan saw at this moment would have been him sitting calmly and calmly on the first chair to the right of the emperor. Considering that Chief Yue Shan He Hongshan was more than twice as old as him, and it was not a good sight to sit with him and see other people, so Zhang Shou stood up.
And when he was announcing outside, the fourth prince suddenly ran from the side of the emperor's throne and ran behind him. This also made him a little unexpected, and he couldn't figure out what this little naughty kid meant.
The emperor saw the fourth prince's wanton behavior, but just pretended not to see it. In fact, he asked Zhang Shou to be his eye keeper. Originally, he wanted to use Zhang Shou, who often made unexpected moves, to stimulate the two people in front of him. He observed their reactions. Sure enough, at this moment, he keenly noticed that the two people who came in one after the other had completely different reactions.
Chief Hong Shan, who was walking in the front, did not raise his head, but looked at his nose and heart, which was more solemn than respectful. Chief Yue Shan, who was walking behind, not only looked at him calmly, but even noticed that After Zhang Shou, he smiled and nodded slightly.
In this comparison, when he thought about how he had always acted neither humble nor arrogant when he met Chief Yue Shan two times before, the emperor unknowingly became biased in his mind. Although according to Chu Kuan, a student from Zhaoming Academy once worked in both the Imperial College and the Xinglong Tea House. Du made a lot of nonsense, but when the emperor heard that Zhang Shou actually took in the outspoken young man, he laughed it off and didn't care too much.
At this moment, seeing the two people coming forward to salute side by side, the emperor gave a faint order to give him a seat. Seeing that Chief Hong Shan sat down on the first chair on his left without any hesitation, Chief Yue Shan did not argue and bowed his head. Sitting on the second chair, he couldn't help but give two completely different ratings in his mind.
And when he saw that Zhang Shou had already sat down, but the fourth prince still stayed behind him and refused to come over, the emperor couldn't help but smile and shook his head slightly at him, and then began today's formal summons.
Compared with the previous informal meeting, this time the emperor was naturally not as approachable and casual as before. He first asked how many students there are in Zhaoming Academy and Yuzhang Academy, how their studies are, how rich or poor they are, and how the imperial examination status is. , whether he is self-reliant or not, as well as details such as school fees, teacher status, etc., have not been spared.
But this time, both Principal Yue Shan and Principal Hong Shan showed the characteristics of an excellent principal. They knew the situation of their own academy very well, and they even took advantage of the opportunity of the summons to spare no effort to recommend their students.
Regarding such a scene, Zhang Shou, who used to often take the opportunity to recommend students to the emperor, finally felt that he had met a competitor. But at this moment, he suddenly heard the emperor ask with a smile: "Zhang Shou, what do you think?
As a teacher, can he be compared to President Yue Shan of Zhaoming Academy and President Hong Shan of Yuzhang Academy?"