I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 39: Shen Shixing vs. Wang Xijue, the daily fight between the top and second place
September in the capital is a cool and refreshing autumn day.

In the inner and outer cities, there was a clamor of carriages and horses, and a constant flow of people.

There are rows of wine shops, teahouses, bookshops, brothels, cloth shops, money shops, rouge shops, spice shops, etc., and the cries of small vendors are endless.

At present, the powerful and wealthy businessmen in the Ming Dynasty are all happy to enjoy it.

Visiting prostitutes and listening to music are no longer evil, but are praised by literati and poets as elegant and graceful things.

Those who are rich and fond of music and women live in red-light district today and drunk in willow alley tomorrow, living a life of extravagance.

The richer ones.

He kept twenty or thirty actors and more than ten prostitutes in his house, ready to serve at any time.

Most officials are no exception.

Some people like to keep maids, some like fine houses, some like opera theaters, some like antiques, and some like flowers and birds...

After many students passed the imperial examination, their first priority was to take a concubine.

After leaving the office, I went into my private residence and took off my official uniform, and that was a different life.

This extravagant style began in the Jiajing period and reached its peak in the Longqing period.

Emperor Longqing of that time would paint "Spring Palace" on the bowls and plates he used in daily life, and Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng could only sigh helplessly.

As the saying goes: What goes around comes around, and practice becomes a trend.

This is how the world has become more corrupt and hedonism has become more important.

The literati even call it a beautiful name: fame and fortune are not as good as leisure!

Fame and fortune, that is, official career.

And this leisure means: having a beautiful house with palaces, having wives and concubines to serve you at home, wandering around places of singing and dancing, talking about major events in the world, and satirizing the incompetence of those in power!
of course.

There are also many poor and busy people in the capital.

For example, those students who are nearly forty or fifty years old and have not yet passed the imperial examination.

I rented a small hut and slept on a straw mat. There was little lamp oil on summer nights and no charcoal or firewood in winter. From time to time, I had to borrow money and send visiting cards to rely on others.

Some people have gray beards, their parents have passed away, and they are still unmarried, but they still study hard and are unwilling to find other ways to make a living.

Find out the reason.

This is because he knew that once he passed the imperial examination, rich men would seek him out for marriage and beautiful women would compete to be his concubine, and he would be able to become a top player in an instant.

This is the temptation of being an official.

Even if the probability is very low, you have to give it a try. Maybe the "old man" will become the "master".

……

Compared with the extravagance and decadence of some officials in other government offices, the private lives of officials in the Hanlin Academy were relatively decent.

Some people are true gentlemen.

For example, Zhao Yongxian, the Hanlin reviewer, was really devoted to learning from Du Fu and Gongbu, wanting to make his king as good as Yao and Shun.

Some people may be enduring or pretending.

Once you are in a high position, things may become different.

As for Shen Nian.

He is very satisfied with having a lovely wife at home. In his spare time, he likes to play with some ancient books.

As a person of later generations, he would not use the Confucian etiquette to restrain himself.

He also has ideals.

His political ambition is to have the power to change the world.

recently.

In order to record his daily life, Shen Nian read many memorials.

He found that although Zhang Juzheng seemed to have great power, he actually had many frustrations.

For example: He may have reached some kind of tacit understanding with Feng Bao that no matter what illegal behavior the Silijian did, they would not be investigated.

For example, he wanted to promote two officials from Tancheng County and Fei County in Shandong Province to the position of county magistrate. He wrote a letter to the local governor and explained to the officials of the Ministry of Personnel several times before he was able to make it happen.

……

Shen Nian felt that Zhang Juzheng's power was not great enough.

His uprightness.

In fact, it is based on a certain degree of smoothness and compromise.

Under such circumstances, even if he gambled everything, the effect of reviving the Ming Dynasty might still be minimal.

Therefore.

Shen Nian has a bold idea - if he enters the cabinet one day, he must accumulate power that surpasses Zhang Juzheng.

He has seen through the current officialdom.

No matter you are good or bad, do something or do nothing, you will be scolded, so you might as well do something you want to do.

……

September 10th, afternoon, Review Hall of the Hanlin Academy.

Shen Nian sorted out a document that Shen Shixing, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, had asked him to review and proofread, and stood up to deliver it to him.

In fact, he could have asked a clerk to deliver it, but Shen Nian wanted to exercise.

Working at a desk for a long time can easily lead to physical weakness.

If Shen Nian wants to achieve his dream, he must first have a good body.

Shen Nian walked out of the review room and strode forward.

He walked around a small garden, passed the front hall, and then crossed a corridor, and arrived at Shen Shixing's public housing.

The door is closed.

Just when Shen Nian thought there was no one inside, he suddenly heard a series of "bang bang bang bang" sounds coming from inside.

It seemed like someone was fighting.

Shen Nian was shocked, thinking that someone was trying to assassinate Shen Shixing. He immediately slumped his shoulders and rushed towards the door.

"boom!"

The door opened in response.

Then, Shen Nian saw Shen Shixing, the bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, and Wang Xijue, the chief academician of the Imperial College, fighting with each other.

The latter rode on the former's waist, and the former grabbed the latter's neck.

The official robe was very messy.

One of Shen Shixing's boots fell off.

If Shen Nian hadn't seen that both of them had ashen faces and were staring at each other, he would have thought that they were doing something shameful!

The two were also startled by Shen Nian who broke into the room, and quickly let go of each other and stood up to tidy up their clothes and hair.

"Mr. Shen, Mr. Wang, I didn't realize you were busy. I will come back later!" Shen Nian was about to leave immediately.

As a subordinate, Shen Nian should not ask any questions about what these two people do.

Wang Xijue glared at him and said, "What are you busy with? We were fighting. Since you saw it, come over and judge the situation. Close the door. Don't let others see us fighting. It's really disrespectful!"

"You still know how to disgrace the etiquette? You come to the Hanlin Academy to bully me!" Shen Shixing was full of anger.

"Wang Xijue, let me tell you, Ziheng is definitely on my side. Ziheng, come here quickly! If he dares to attack me again, let's beat him together!" Shen Shixing puffed out his chest, full of momentum.

He spoke so arrogantly, obviously he had suffered a great loss in the fight just now.

Shen Nian had no choice but to walk over.

Shen Nian knew something about Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue.

Both of them were Jinshi in the 41st year of Jiajing.

The age difference is only one year.

Shen Shixing was the first in the first class, also known as the top scholar; Wang Xijue was the second in the first class, also known as the second place.

The two men were both from the Nanzhili region, so they could barely be considered fellow villagers. Initially, they both worked in the Hanlin Academy, one as a compiler and the other as an editor, so they were old acquaintances.

The relationship is usually good.

At present, Shen Shixing, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, is also the right vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, an official of the third rank.

Wang Xijue is a little worse.

The chief academic officer of the Imperial College was only a fourth-rank official, and the status of the Imperial College was obviously lower than that of the Hanlin Academy.

The reason why Wang Xijue lagged far behind Shen Shixing in his official career was not because of his lack of ability or talent, but because of his bad temper.

He originally took office as the director of the Imperial College in Beijing in the fourth year of Longqing, but because he offended Gao Gong, he was demoted to Nanjing. He returned to Beijing only after the young Wanli ascended the throne.

He first served as a fifth-rank lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, and was later promoted to a fourth-rank chief academician in the Imperial College.

It went through an extra circle, so it was one and a half levels lower than Shen Shixing.

However, Wang Xijue has been diligent and responsible in his duties at the Imperial College in Beijing, and has done very well in the past two years, and is expected to be promoted.

Shen Nian really couldn't understand why these two forty-something third-rank officials and a fourth-rank official were fighting.

immediately.

The two of them each told the reason for the fight.

Shen Nian listened for more than a quarter of an hour and finally understood the whole story. This morning, Wang Xijue went to the cabinet and was criticized by Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng said that although the academic officials of the Imperial College no longer spoke nonsense after the rectification of the academic atmosphere, the students there were still too lazy and needed to be rectified, so he asked Wang Xijue to come up with a strategy.

Zhang Juzheng once served as the director of the Imperial College. He could not bear to see the Imperial College getting worse and worse, so he was very strict.

Wang Xijue thought about it and felt that the students of the Imperial College lacked ambition and education in patriotism.

The officials of the Hanlin Academy were the most proficient in this kind of education.

So he came to find his old acquaintance Shen Shixing, wanting to say hello first and ask him to recommend a few people to give lectures to the students of the Imperial College, and then report to the cabinet.

Then, Shen Shixing put on airs in front of Wang Xijue and began to analyze (Wang Xijue called it putting on airs, while Shen Shixing said it was normal etiquette in officials).

Finally, Shen Shixing said: The reason why the students of the Imperial College are lazy is not because of the students themselves, but because of the teachers. It is the teachers who are willing to degenerate and have no lofty ambitions.

He suggested that the editors or compilers of the Hanlin Academy should give lectures to the registrars, supervisors, doctors, and six assistant teachers of the Imperial College.

These words immediately angered Wang Xijue, who was already holding his breath.

Although the teachers in the Imperial College did not hold high official positions, they were all Jinshi graduates, and some of them were even more senior than the editors and compilers in the Hanlin Academy.

If you become their student, it will be a great shame for the Imperial College.

Immediately, the two started fighting, and then Shen Nian broke in through the door.

"Ziheng, please judge for yourself. Is what I said true? I was kind enough to help him solve the problem, but Wang Xijue not only didn't appreciate it, but also beat me up. As the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, it's really rude!" Shen Shixing said with a sneer.

"I'm rude? You were the one who insulted me first, Shen Shixing. I'm one year older than you, and you actually called me by my first name. How rude!"

"So what if I'm older? I'm a third-rank scholar and you're a fourth-rank scholar. I'm the top scholar, and you're just a runner-up!"

When Wang Xijue heard the words "number one scholar" and "number two scholar", he became very angry.

He didn't care that Shen Shixing was a higher-ranking official than him.

But he ranked first in the Ministry of Rites examination that year, and only became second in the imperial examination.

I have always been unwilling to accept it.

"Shen Shixing, I...I will kill you!" Wang Xijue rolled up his sleeves and wanted to take action again.

Shen Nian quickly hugged his waist and pulled him back.

At this moment, he just wanted to laugh.

The two men in the court had expressions more solemn than each other, but at this moment, they were like two children.

Maybe, it's just too familiar.

So they insult each other and start fighting as soon as they disagree.

After Wang Xijue was pushed onto a chair by Shen Nian, he said, "Ziheng, please give us your opinion!"

Shen Nian looked helpless.

How should he judge this kind of thing?

Shen Shixing's words were indeed rather venomous, and Wang Xijue's actions were indeed rather ruthless.

He paused and said, "I feel that the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial College are one and the same. Wang Jijiu was transferred from our Hanlin Academy to the Imperial College. It would be better to put the fight behind us!"

"No!" they both said in unison.

"If you can't judge right or wrong, we will go to Master Ma to judge!" said Shen Shixing.

Shen Nian was overjoyed and immediately bowed and said, "Then I'll take my leave!"

"You can't leave. You are a witness. Come with us to find Bachelor Ma!" Wang Xijue said in a hoarse voice.

Shen Nian had no choice but to stop.

A high-ranking official can crush people to death, let alone one who is several levels higher.

……

After a while.

The three of them appeared in the room of Hanlin scholar Ma Ziqiang.

Ma Ziqiang saw traces of fighting on the two men's faces and immediately said to Shen Nian, "Ziheng, don't air your dirty laundry in public. Close the door immediately!"

Ma Ziqiang is already familiar with handling such matters.

Anything that can be resolved behind closed doors should be resolved behind closed doors.

Once it spread outside the Hanlin Academy.

There is no way to escape punishment. If it is serious, you may even be beaten with a stick.

He also knew that given the relationship between Wang Xijue and Shen Shixing, it was not surprising that they had a fight.

"Tell me, what happened? How did Ziheng get involved?" Ma Ziqiang asked.

Immediately.

Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue each angrily recounted the events of the fight.

Shen Nian also explained what he had seen.

Ma Ziqiang stood up and said slowly, "Those students at the Imperial College really need to be disciplined. Half of the capital is talking about their gossips."

There are four main types of students in the Imperial College: those admitted through hereditary appointments, those admitted through recommendation, those admitted through tribute, and those admitted through regular appointments.

Yinjian means being specially admitted to school based on the merits of one's ancestors;
Jujian refers to the more talented failed candidates under the age of 25 who are selected.

Gongjian refers to outstanding students recommended by local prefectures, counties and schools. Wu Chengen, who is now retired at home, was one of this type.

Lijian refers to students who enter school by paying money or their war horses.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the court was short of officials.

Students of the Imperial Academy could even be directly appointed as county magistrates or even prefects of a state.

But at present, there are more than 10,000 registered students in the Imperial College in the north and south, plus many talented people taking the imperial examinations. If they do not take the imperial examinations, they will not be able to get an official position at all.

As a result, batches of students who were unable to pass the imperial examinations were assigned to remote areas after graduation, and could only serve as minor officials of the seventh or eighth rank for the rest of their lives.

Under such circumstances, the students could not see the light and lost their ambition, and the teachers also lost the energy to teach.

Many people, when they have no chance of becoming an official, think about writing books. Even if they cannot achieve the same success as Wang Yangming, they can at least gather a group of apprentices and have no worries about food and drink.

Therefore, the students did not like to study, but loved to debate, discuss state affairs, and criticize those in power.

What's worse, they often miss classes and often go to teahouses, taverns, and brothels, just to enjoy themselves and live in the present.

This also led to the Imperial College becoming a place where the second generations of officials, military personnel, and businessmen were kept free, and its status in the court became increasingly lower.

Ma Ziqiang stood up.

"I think what Rumo said is correct (Shen Shixing, courtesy name Rumo). I suggest that in addition to teaching the students, we should also teach the teachers of the Imperial College! Also, there's no need for the editors and compilers to go; Ziheng would be more suitable!"

As soon as these words came out.

Shen Shixing, Wang Xijue, and Shen Nian were almost petrified.

This seems even more insulting!

No matter how powerful Shen Nian is, he is only a seventh-rank.

Wang Xijue was stunned for a moment, took two steps back, and then looked Ma Ziqiang up and down.

"Master Ma, I have always believed that you... you... are a person of good character and always fair in your dealings. I never thought you would be so protective of your own shortcomings and insult our Imperial College like this!"

“Although I dare not hit you, I still…” Wang Xijue glanced at Shen Nian, then quickly looked at Shen Shixing and said, “You still dare to beat up other people in the hall!”

Shen Nian has a tall and straight figure and looks strong and powerful. Wang Xijue feels that he cannot beat him, so he can only target Shen Shixing.

Shen Shixing subconsciously took two steps back.

This was not the first time the two had fought, and he had never had the upper hand.

"Don't be anxious, listen to me slowly!" Ma Ziqiang stroked his beard and said in a deep voice.

"The Imperial College students don't strive for advancement because they have no prospects for officialdom, and because their instructors are too exhausted and want to transfer to other government offices! I know you often admonish them, but the effect is minimal."

"Right now, there's only one way to boost their morale. That's to humiliate them and let them know how incompetent they are. The same goes for the instructors. Most of them want to join the Imperial Academy, but instead of improving their abilities, they resort to unorthodox methods. They're not even qualified to enter!"

"Most of the teachers at the Imperial College are of the eighth rank, not as good as Ziheng. Moreover, Ziheng is only 25 years old, not much older than the students. It would be most effective if Ziheng humiliated and scolded them. If they still don't make progress after being severely humiliated, then these people are almost hopeless!"

"If you feel Ziheng's official position and qualifications are not enough, then please ask the three elders to personally scold and reprimand him!"

"Enough! Enough! Enough! If the three elders scold them, they will probably be completely discouraged!" said Wang Xijue.

The instructors in the Imperial College have always felt that their talents are not appreciated, while the students consider themselves to be the best among men. They all care a lot about their reputation, and if they are humiliated, they might be motivated to fight.

Suddenly, Wang Xijue felt that this plan was feasible.

Ma Ziqiang looked at Shen Nian again.

"Ziheng, I can see that you are good at teaching people a lesson. Maybe after you scold them, they will hate you, but in time they will definitely be grateful to you. You won't be reluctant, right?"

"Your humble servant is willing to do it!" Shen Nian bowed.

Although this kind of work may offend people, it is actually quite enjoyable to do.

It will also help to establish Shen Nian as a "violent self-critic and straightforward historian", which will be beneficial to Shen Nian's advancement.

Wang Xijue's face suddenly turned into a smile. He looked at Shen Shixing and said, "Rumo, I have a bad temper. I apologize. I will treat you another day!"

After saying that, Wang Xijue bowed, turned around and walked out quickly.

……

Note: In the officialdom of the late Ming Dynasty (Wanli Dynasty), it was difficult to enter the fourth rank or above without being a Jinshi. The highest position for a Jiansheng who was not a Juren was magistrate, and there were few exceptions (Juren Hai Rui was an exception).

　Please support me with guaranteed monthly tickets for February, thank you all!!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)