Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 998: It is impossible to invite this king, you have to pay more
Seeing that His Royal Highness the King of Zhou had already entered the house in front, Li Jibai quickly calmed himself and hurriedly followed him. When he arrived in front of the house, he once again loudly asked for an audience: "I, the humble minister Li Jibai, would like to see His Royal Highness the King of Zhou of the upper country!"

After waiting for a long time, he heard someone inside the house scolding: "Who disturbs me from understanding the Way of Heaven? Go, go! Wait!"

"Don't make any noise!"

Li Jibai was startled. Realizing the Way of Heaven? Such a big tone. On the other side, the old eunuch hurried over and said, "Your Excellency, it's not good. I'm afraid the prince is thinking about learning today."

"If that is the case, don't raise your voice any more. Just follow me."

"I will escort the envoy to the study to meet the marquis!"

Li Jibai trembled with fear and nodded quickly, then followed the old eunuch to another room. As soon as he opened the door, Li Jibai gasped.

Books, all books!
The room was filled with a dazzling array of books, piled up in disorder, as if all the books in the world were here. There were even several bamboo slips inside, giving off a cultural vibe.

The old eunuch said, "This is your highness' study. Please wait here. But please do not touch the things on the table."

"Otherwise, His Highness will lose his temper."

"Yes... yes, thank you." Li Jibai stammered.

This room was really exaggerated. The Li family had often tried to pretend to be cultured in recent years, but even so, Li Jibai had never seen so many books.

When the old eunuch closed the door, the bookshelves and the floor filled with books made Li Jibai feel very uneasy. This "barbarian" from Annan felt the cultural gap between himself and the King Zhou of the Ming Dynasty.

After sitting in this room for another half an hour, Li Jibai finally could not maintain his sitting posture any longer. He stood up out of boredom, thought for a while, and finally walked towards the desk.

He didn't dare to turn the pages, so he just leaned his head out and looked at the manuscript on the table.

"How are you, I am fine thank you and you..."

"The shirt costs 9 pounds 15 pence..."

“1+1=2，2+2=4……”

"Helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon..."

The more Li Jibai looked at it, the more surprised he was. The things on the table seemed to contain some extremely profound knowledge.

There were not only Chinese characters, but also foreign languages ​​and strange symbols. Although some of them were mixed with Chinese characters, he couldn't understand a single sentence.

Is it possible that His Majesty the King of Zhou is so knowledgeable?

……

"How is it?" In another room, Zhu Su, who should have been "studying", was now sitting with his legs crossed, eating a piece of osmanthus cake in great comfort.

Seeing Xiangdeng coming in, he asked curiously and with a bit of sarcasm.

"Your Highness, the Annan man was so frightened when he entered the room." Xiang Deng was naturally leading the old eunuch Li Jibai. Hearing Zhu Su's question, he couldn't help laughing. "He sat in that room for a long time, and finally couldn't help but get up to peek at the 'treasures' your Highness wrote."

"After taking a few glances, he was even more surprised. In my opinion, he must have been scared to death."

"Have you seen it?" Zhu Su said with a smile, and put down the piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake he had picked up. "Well, then, we can go see him now."

Although his reputation was well-known in the Ming Dynasty, Li Jibai was from Annan and might not believe that a prince in his twenties had any real talent. But it didn't matter, pretending to be cool was a compulsory course for every time traveler, especially when facing a country bumpkin like Li Jibai, it was easy for Zhu Su to make him believe that Zhu Su was a learned man.

If he was facing other learned people, it might be difficult for Zhu Su to show off. But the head of the Li family, Li Jili, started to study for his own political needs. Li Jibai, the envoy, was even more ignorant and incompetent... How difficult would it be to show off in front of him?

First, use poetry, lectures, etc. to create momentum and give him a strong first impression. Then, create some things that he "can't understand or see". Naturally, he will think of Zhu Su as a "great scholar" whose knowledge far exceeds that of ordinary people.

The saying "I don't understand, but I am deeply shocked" is a great rule of showing off. The sea turtles who went abroad to gain experience and then liked to mix uncommon English words into Chinese after returning home also followed this principle.

Even people who received nine years of compulsory education in later generations could be deceived by this turtle which was actually just an embroidered pillow, let alone Li Jibai, an ancient Annan who had never seen the world?

When Zhu Su appeared in the study wearing a Confucian robe, Li Jibai looked at Zhu Su with respect, like looking up to a mountain. Even when he knelt down to pay his respects, he was more willing.

"I, a humble official from the lower state, Li Jibai, greet His Majesty the King of Zhou from the upper state."

"Hey, Envoy Li, please stand up. We are meeting in a private room, so why do we need to talk about our identities?" Zhu Su said.

Li Jibai was even more respectful after hearing this. Now, he had successfully put on a filter of a master for Zhu Su. He felt that Zhu Su, who was of noble status, treated the title of King Zhou as if it were a worn-out shoe. This was really a master's demeanor that could not be higher.

Under this filter, he had begun to ignore Zhu Su's age and started to view Zhu Su as a "master" of scholarship.

"I wonder what brings you here to see me?"

"Oh, I've heard that Your Highness is a leader in the academic world, and I also admire learning. If I come to the upper country and cannot be taught by the great scholars of the upper country, wouldn't it be a disaster? That's why I am so shameless..."

"Oh! I see. I don't deserve to be called a great master. But if your Excellency comes to discuss the Dao with me, I will be very happy. Haven't you heard that..."

So Zhu Su started chatting with the Annan envoy in the study. What was Zhu Su's background? Although he could not be called a learned scholar, under the influence of compulsory education in later generations, he could be said to have a basic knowledge of astronomy, geography, and other affairs.

Even if he didn't know, he could still use the nonsense literature of later generations to exchange witty remarks with the French envoy, who actually didn't have much knowledge.

Li Jibai was confused by Zhu Su's nonsense. Although he didn't feel that he understood any truth or made any progress, his preconceived notions made him firmly believe that what Zhu Su said was extremely profound knowledge, but he just didn't have a good understanding. So when the sun set and Li Jibai said goodbye to Zhu Su, Li Jibai said, "It is really a joy in life to sit and discuss with Your Highness."

"I would like to visit you again tomorrow. I wonder if Your Highness has time?"

"Haha, of course it's okay." Zhu Su smiled and acted like a master. He didn't think that Li Jibai would beg for mercy just this once.

Naturally, we should give him more opportunities to visit.

Sure enough, Li Jibai began to frequently visit the Zhou Palace, sometimes discussing the teachings of sages with Zhu Su, and sometimes listening to Zhu Su's explanations of the principles of heaven and earth. After "witnessing" Zhu Su's profound knowledge time and time again, Li Jibai finally believed that this young Prince Zhou was a powerful figure in the academic world who was equal to the great scholar Song Lian. If he could be invited back to Annan, he would certainly be able to fulfill the request of his cousin Li Jili.

"Your Highness, I have been listening to your teachings these days. I am following your instructions... I have another request, Your Highness, can you agree to it?"

During one of his visits, Li Jibai finally chose a time and said these words carefully.

"Finally they are here." Zhu Su thought to himself, but he still looked like a hermit and said with a smile, "Envoy Li, there is no need to be polite. Just go ahead and say whatever you want."

"To be honest." Li Jibai sighed in a pretentious manner and said, "I feel that I have made a lot of progress in my discussions with Your Highness these past few days, but... I am concerned that there are still many people in Annan who do not understand etiquette and morality and do not know the king's rule."

"I feel... I feel ashamed for getting up early and staying up late."

"Oh?" Zhu Su also pretended to be impressed. "It is rare that the Li envoy cares about his country. I wonder what I can do for him?"

"I don't dare to take the responsibility with my country in mind... But, Ji Bai really wants to let everyone in Annan hear your teachings." Li Ji Bai secretly glanced at Zhu Su. "If so, I think Annan will also become a country of ritual and music education!"

"Ji Bai is so bold as to want to... to invite His Royal Highness the King of Zhou to come to Annan to give lectures and educate the students of Annan..."

"I wonder...if it is possible?" As he said this, he looked at Zhu Su cautiously.

"Let me go to Annan?" Zhu Su pretended to be surprised, but in his heart, he had already laughed out loud. These days' behavior finally paid off, and the Annan envoy finally took the initiative to make this request.

Zhu Su pretended to ponder for a long time, but still shook his head with regret: "Envoy Li, you should also know that it is said that reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles, if it were just me, I would be very willing to go to Annan to give lectures."

"I know from you that you are a man from Annan who is eager to learn. Besides, traveling to Annan can help you gain more knowledge, so why not do it?"

"only……"

"Just what?" Li Jibai asked eagerly.

"It's just that... I am a prince after all." Zhu Su said apologetically. "Although I don't want to care about this worldly identity, I am a prince of the Zhu family after all."

"It is not easy for a prince to travel to a foreign country. Although I am willing, my father will certainly not be willing."

"Therefore, I can only decline this matter. Please don't blame me." Zhu Su bowed.

Li Jibai quickly dodged to the side, feeling disappointed. He thought he had grabbed a new life-saving straw and could fulfill his brother's request. But he didn't expect that the King of Zhou, who wanted to go to Annan, still rejected his request...

Li Jibai left disappointed. Outside, Xu, who was holding her child and looking for Zhu Su, happened to hear the conversation in the room. She walked into the room and poured him a cup of tea. She couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, you finally got him to open his mouth."

"Why did you reject him again?"

"Hehe, I am a prince after all. You, Annan Li, want to invite me away with just one sentence?" Zhu Su tilted his head back and drank the tea in one gulp, then crossed his legs under his scholar's robe.

"You have to pay more!"

From his previous masterly appearance to his sudden mercenary behavior, Xu couldn't help laughing and said, "Your Highness is not afraid of saying this and scaring him away."

"Then all the preparations that Your Highness had made previously, as well as the instructions given by His Highness the Crown Prince and Master Song, have all been wasted."

"No." Zhu Su said. "Li Jibai is an unlearned person, but Li Jili is not."

"If I am invited to go, how much benefit will it bring to the Li family? He knows clearly."

"They'll come back for more."

Zhu Su said firmly.

……

Li Jibai returned to the small courtyard of the Honglu Temple. Coincidentally, the Minister of Rites Ren Ang came to the Honglu Temple to express his condolences to the envoys from various countries. While talking with Li Jibai, he asked about Li Jibai's frequent visits to Prince Zhou's Palace in recent days.

After learning that Li Jibai actually wanted to invite Zhu Su to Annan to give lectures, Ren Ang's expression was very surprised, but soon he became relieved: "Your Majesty the King of Zhou is a scholar of heaven and man. The beginning of the new learning originally came from Your Majesty."

"Speaking of which, Your Highness is more suitable to go to Annan to give lectures than Mr. Song Lian..."

"However, Your Highness is a prince of the Ming Dynasty and holds a high position. How can you easily go to a foreign country? You are being rude!"

Li Jibai also said disappointedly: "Alas, His Royal Highness Prince Zhou is of noble status, and I was indeed rude."

"But... Alas!" Thinking of his cousin's instructions and the great cause of the Li family, Li Jibai's disappointment finally turned into a long sigh.

Ren Ang saw this, a sly look flashed in his eyes, and then he said: "If you want to invite His Royal Highness Prince Zhou, you should at least..."

"What?" Li Jibai was shocked, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Given your status, if you want to go to Annan, at least your Annan ruler should personally invite you." Ren Ang said. "Besides, your status is so noble. Where do you want to place your highness in Annan?"

"Do you want His Highness to stay at your Annan Inn?"

"This..." Li Jibai was stunned. He was not a man of quick wits, but because of his last name, he was lucky enough to hold a high position in Annan.

Now that he thought about it, Fang Jue felt that it was indeed inappropriate. The King of Zhou was a prince, and by comparison, even the ruler of Annan, who was nominally affiliated with the Ming Dynasty, was half a level higher.

If the King of Zhou, whose status was even higher than that of the king, was invited to Annan, it would be impossible for the king to live in the palace and the King of Zhou to live in the inn. This would definitely be a disrespectful act and a great insult to the Ming Dynasty.

But could the king of the country give up the palace to the King of Zhou and live in the inn himself? This is unrealistic!

Seeing that Ren Ang seemed to be unsatisfied, Li Jibai suddenly had an idea and bowed hastily, saying, "What should I do? Please teach me, sir!"

Ren Ang was worthy of being the Minister of Rites. He quickly came up with a way to exploit a loophole in the ritual system.

"Why don't you rent a piece of territory from your country of Annan to our country and let Your Highness stay there?"

"In this way, Your Highness will be based in the land of our Ming Dynasty Concession... Naturally, there will be no worries of violating etiquette!"

(End of this chapter)