Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 223: Xu Jie’s followers, no more loyalty!
"My beloved grandson!"

In the hall.

Nie Bao looked at Zhang Juzheng with eyes full of love. He had been calling him his beloved grandson for decades, without any concealment no matter who he was in front of.

In this era where 'master and apprentice are like father and son', it is hard to say whether Xu Jie is suitable to be a master, but Nie Bao is a very competent master.

During the cabinet struggle at the beginning of the year, Xu Jie was still in power and wanted to clean up the house and get rid of Zhang Juzheng. Upon hearing this, Nie Bao wrote a letter specifically, scolding Xu Jie and expressing his concern for Zhang Juzheng.

When persuasion failed, he gave up. Then, things took a huge turn. Zhang Juzheng gained power, while Xu Jie lost it.

The more powerful Zhang Juzheng became, the more Xu Jie lost power. In the end, Xu Jie lost his entire family and his son.

Nie Bao was a sensible man. He knew that Zhang Juzheng had helped his apprentice Xu Jie. Otherwise, Xu Jie's fate would not have been "overthrow Xu but not Xu Jie", but he would have definitely died with Yan Song and Yan Shifan, father and son.

In short, Nie Bao liked Zhang Juzheng more and more as he looked at him, and at this time, he displayed the affection between generations to the extreme.

He pulled her to his side and looked her up and down, then said distressedly, "You are thinner than before. The government affairs are busy and annoying, but you need to eat more. This is the only way to last long."

Nie Bao had never been a cabinet minister, but he was promoted to the Minister of War in the 30th year of the Jiajing reign. He had never eaten pork, but he had seen pigs run.

It is known that when Yan Song was in power, he could eat five or six meals a day, which is why he lived to be eighty years old. If he had not been killed by the emperor, he would have lived a few more years.

Based on his past experiences, Nie Bao was not afraid of Zhang Juzheng getting fatter when he saw him again. Instead, he was afraid that Zhang Juzheng would become thinner and thinner like he was now.

How can one last long if one eats little and does many things?
"Master, I am so busy with government affairs that I often forget to eat. Now I feel hungry and want to eat something. How was your meal tonight? Can you eat more?"

Zhang Juzheng smiled and helped Nie Bao to the table. The table was already filled with food that he had asked the kitchen to prepare.

Nie Bao was very pleased. As an old man his appetite was small, but at this moment he was in the mood to eat and drink. He nodded repeatedly, wanting to eat and drink more.

Zhang Juzheng told the housekeeper not to wait on him, and personally poured wine for Nie Bao and Xu Jie. Holding the wine glass, Xu Jie said meaningfully, "Political affairs are like that. If you are more tolerant and less harsh, you will be much more relaxed and gain some reputation. I haven't had time to teach you this principle yet, but I will teach you today."

The warm atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold. Zhang Juzheng was prepared. He immediately picked up the wine glass and said, "Thank you for your teachings, my dear teacher. I toast to you."

There is no receiving of teachings, only giving of teachings. I don't know whether this teaching was heard or not.

The wine was raised and they had to drink it. Zhang Juzheng drank it all in one gulp. Xu Jie looked unhappy and drank the wine in his glass as well.

A glass of wine.

Xu Jie's face turned red, as if he was a little drunk, and his eyes were not clear. He said: "When Yan Song was in power, Yan Song almost never opposed anyone that the emperor wanted to kill. Not only did he not dare to object, but sometimes he would follow the emperor's wishes. Yan Song was in charge of the country for 20 years and killed more than 10,000 people, causing the heavens to resent and the people to be angry. The name of a treacherous prime minister will also be infamous for thousands of years.

Taiyue, in the past year since you took charge of the country, more than a hundred thousand people have been killed in the court and among the people. As the head of the cabinet, you obey the emperor's orders. Do you also want to be like Yan Song and leave a bad reputation for all eternity?

Taiyue, Your Majesty, if you want to kill someone or implement any controversial government policies, you might as well delay it for now.

Try to delay it until His Majesty forgets about it. If His Majesty hasn’t forgotten about it, then do some more work.

In addition, when the emperor is happy, for example, when a good omen appears in the world and the court wants to build a palace for the emperor, and when the emperor is very pleased, we can tell the emperor about it and he may release the person he wants to kill.

That's all. If you can be more tolerant and less harsh in your dealings with others, the government, scholars, and the people will all think you are a wise minister. Thousands of years later, your reputation will be passed down through the world."

Another teaching or lesson.

This time.

Zhang Juzheng's expression changed. As a master and a disciple, he definitely didn't want Xu Jie to be imprisoned or have his head and body separated.

Therefore, he helped Xu Jie when he fell, and did not let anyone step on him when Xu Jie regrouped, founded Donglin Academy, and criticized the government.

As for banning the School of Mind, it was not directed at the Donglin Academy, nor at Xu Jie. It was one of the ways to save the Ming Dynasty.

When Xu Jie expressed his dissatisfaction, Zhang Juzheng pretended not to understand and just brushed it aside.

However, Zhang Juzheng could not accept Professor Xu Jie's "method of serving the emperor". If the new policy was delayed for a day, many complications would arise.

If His Majesty implicates everyone, there will certainly be innocent people. If he does not implicate everyone, there will be more innocent people in the world.

When you are in the imperial court, you will certainly feel pity for the innocent people you can see around you, but who will have pity for the innocent people among the people who cannot be seen?

Twenty years ago, when the emperor did not have the final say, Yan Song killed people in order to please the emperor.

Twenty years later, the emperor is in control of the country and the nation. Who dares to delay killing someone? Who can delay?

According to Xu Jie's method of serving the emperor, within a few days, the butcher's knife would fall on Zhang Juzheng's head.

His ambitions were not yet fully realized, yet he stretched out his neck for the emperor to chop off for the so-called posthumous reputation. Zhang Juzheng could only say that he was not that stupid.

The new policies that need to be implemented must be implemented, and no one who the emperor wants to kill can escape.

The way he covered his face with wine and spoke his true feelings while drunken made Zhang Juzheng completely lose his hypocritical and polite mind. He did not respond, but picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish cake, and said, "Master, try this."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Nie Bao deliberately broke the awkward atmosphere, tasted the fish cake, and praised it: "Fresh, tender, soft and smooth, fragrant and delicious, not bad!"

The warmth and kindness shown by the master and his grandson made Xu Jie even angrier. Nothing could make a teacher, or someone who claimed to be a teacher, more angry than being ignored by his disciples.

Under the influence of alcohol, Xu Jie was about to lose his temper, but Nie Bao's eyes immediately looked over at him, the meaning was simple and clear: stop embarrassing yourself.

When Xu Jie and Yan Song impeached Zhang Juzheng together, it was tantamount to severing the relationship between master and disciple. Zhang Juzheng's later cooperation could be regarded as the fulfillment of the past relationship between master and disciple. In fact, Xu Jie was no longer worthy of being called Zhang Juzheng's mentor.

Zhang Juzheng was being considerate, so Xu Jie could not push his luck any further.

The School of Mind was dead, so they returned to Confucianism. Today, they came to do things for Confucianism. After drinking two more glasses of wine and eating something, Zhang Juzheng and Nie Bao felt full, but Xu Jie didn't eat a single bite, and no one cared.

"Tomorrow, my great-grandmaster and mentor will return to Changzhou Prefecture." Zhang Juzheng wiped his mouth and said.

As master and disciple, Zhang Juzheng gave Nie Bao and Xu Jie his final advice.

Don't participate in discussions among the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

Otherwise, this reunion dinner might be the last one for our master and mentor.

"Grandson, what do you mean?"

"Master, that's all I have to say."

(End of this chapter)