Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 20 The Azure Wolf? Or a Prodigy?

Zhang Yunxiu had a wealth of analytical materials and papers on Zhang Juzheng's merits and demerits.

He didn't want to "show off" in front of his brothers; more importantly, he needed their support.

The so-called unity is to unite all forces that can be united.

This is the best way to fight against the father's "tyranny".

Just as he was getting into his speech, his father, Zhang Juzheng, returned ahead of schedule.

"Master! You mustn't get angry!"

Butler You Qi was quick-witted; he shouted it out from outside the door, and all three people inside knew the news.

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhang Juzheng, dressed in a scarlet official robe, walking with a slightly unsteady gait, yet exuding a murderous aura.

He stepped over the threshold, glared at the three people inside, and said with eyes wide with fury.

"Zhang Jianxiu!"

"Zhang Yunxiu!"

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu felt as if thunder had struck; his mind went completely blank, his previous bravado vanished, and his legs went weak, causing him to collapse with a thud.

Kneel down.

His face showed a mixture of regret and fear as he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Father! Your son was wrong! Your son was wrong!"

Seeing Zhang Jianxiu kneel down, his elder brother Zhang Jingxiu also knelt down, speaking earnestly to Zhang Juzheng.

"Father, my fourth and fifth brothers acted impulsively. Please don't be too angry and forgive them this time!"

Zhang Juzheng's blood boiled with anger. He was already somewhat displeased, but the conversation he overheard at the door made him even more furious.

"You guys here"

He was about to lose his temper and give these unfilial children a good scolding when he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Zhang Juzheng's gaze lingered on his youngest son, Zhang Yunxiu.

At this moment, the eldest brother Zhang Jingxiu and the fourth brother Zhang Jianxiu were both prostrate on the ground, while only Zhang Yunxiu stood in the hall, his integrity as upright as a lone pine tree standing in the snow.

Well, instead of admitting his mistake, he puts on a tough-guy act?

"You, Zhang Shiyuan!" Zhang Juzheng laughed in fury. "You've committed such a treasonous act and uttered such immoral words, and you still think you're without fault?"

Seeing his younger brother in such a state, the eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, was extremely anxious. He immediately tugged at his sleeve and said in a low voice.

"Shiyuan, just kneel down and apologize to your father. Everything is still negotiable then, don't do anything else."

He then turned to look at Zhang Juzheng.

"Father, please don't get angry and hurt yourself. That's just Shiyuan's temperament. Look at the higher-ups, they've already redeemed the Immortal Map, which can be considered making up for their mistake."

Zhang Jingxiu pointed to the painting of immortals hanging above the study.

It's fine if you don't look at it, but once you do, Zhang Juzheng gets furious.

In the past few days, he has been having nightmares about the "Tanuki Fairy" every night, which has almost left him with psychological trauma.

Zhang Juzheng snorted coldly: "This is none of your business. Let those two unfilial sons talk!"

Fourth Brother Zhang Jianxiu was about to cry. He looked at Zhang Yunxiu and said, "Shiyuan, you should apologize to your father. There is no end to suffering, but you can turn back to the shore."

But Zhang Yunxiu had something to say; he looked at Zhang Juzheng with an arrogant expression.

"I did nothing wrong, why should I kneel? Wouldn't kneeling make me truly wrong?"

Is kneeling truly wrong?

Zhang Juzheng's hair stood on end. He paced aimlessly around the hall, as if searching for a suitable weapon to end this rebellious young son in one fell swoop.

"You, Zhang Yunxiu! You, Zhang Yunxiu!"

Zhang Yunxiu remained unmoved: "Father, please calm down first. If you think I'm wrong, then tell me where I went wrong."

Instead of resorting to violence at the drop of a hat, which is not the behavior of scholars, we who study the classics should be reasonable.

We can talk, right? If we reach an agreement and you're right, then it's not too late for me to kneel down.

Is Zhang Yunxiu discussing this with his father?

The eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, stared wide-eyed, somewhat admiring his younger brother's courage.

"You...you..." Zhang Juzheng's finger trembled as he pointed at his young son. There were so many things he could be angry about, and for a moment, Zhang Juzheng couldn't find anything to scold him with.

"Father, have some tea," Zhang Yunxiu said, even offering him a cup. "Your health isn't good, so please don't get too angry. Let's sit down and have a proper talk."

"Stop with your sophistry and delaying tactics!" Zhang Juzheng pushed away the tea. "Very well, since you want to talk, I'll tell you exactly what you've done wrong!"

He stared at Zhang Yunxiu, his long beard trembling slightly.

"Firstly, you stole property from your own home without asking permission, which shows your poor character!"

Secondly, you have misled His Majesty by advocating the establishment of newspapers and using absurd words to confuse people's minds. This is an act that will bring chaos to the court!

Thirdly, you dare to slander your father and recklessly discuss national affairs. This is a crime of violating moral principles and showing no respect for the authority of elders!
"Disrespectful to the ruler, father, and lacking in virtue, tell me, shouldn't you be punished?"

Good guy!
Had his secret affair with the young emperor been discovered? However, Zhang Yunxiu never imagined that this matter would be kept from Zhang Juzheng.

During the Wanli era, Zhang Juzheng, Empress Dowager Li, and Feng Bao formed a powerful trio that suppressed the young emperor.

There is almost nothing in the palace that can be kept from these three people.

It's really too difficult to keep them in the dark.

Of course, Zhang Yunxiu was well-prepared to be so assertive.

Zhang Juzheng rose through the ranks among a group of Ming Dynasty's elite scholars. If you don't prepare in advance, wouldn't it be suicide to debate with him?
"That... Shiyuan."

Seeing that things were not going well, the eldest brother, Zhang Jingxiu, tried to smooth things over.

"Shut up!"

"Brother, don't interrupt!"

Unexpectedly, Zhang Juzheng and Zhang Yunxiu both intervened.

Feeling wronged, Zhang Jingxiu could only lower his head and shut his mouth.

Zhang Yunxiu met his father's bloodshot eyes, thought for a moment, and then answered.

“Father has laid out three points, and I have three points to respond to.”

Firstly, I stole the painting of immortals not for personal gain, but to establish a better future for all living beings. What kind of immortal is one who doesn't stand up for the common people? This painting of immortals is just gathering dust in my study, so I might as well lend it to you.

Secondly, I am not trying to bewitch Your Majesty, but rather to guide Your Majesty to understand the general trend of the world. Newspapers can transmit news from all directions and can collect information on various matters from all over the world, such as agriculture, sericulture, commerce, disasters, and new policies. When these are sent to the capital, they can be disseminated to all directions, which will benefit all people.

Thirdly, I am not slandering my father, but stating the facts. I deeply admire Father's new policies, but Father is old and has strayed from his original intentions. His mistakes lie in his judgment of people and his inability to plan for his own future!

"You speak with such certainty!"

Zhang Juzheng sneered, but his expression softened somewhat.

He used to hope his sons would be docile and obedient sheep, but now he hopes to have a child like a mastiff.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

But Zhang Yunxiu was really too "extraordinary". This is not a Tibetan Mastiff, but a wild wolf that is unruly and out of control!

However, Zhang Yunxiu's newspaper seems to have some novel ideas.

What are the benefits of the new policy?

Zhang Juzheng was a pragmatic man. He became interested, put his hands behind his back, and looked stern.

"Tell me, what good is this newspaper?"

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yunxiu appeared to be a gentleman with an open and honest demeanor.

“I can’t explain it; if I did, it would just be empty talk and platitudes.”

Zhang Juzheng was furious again, slamming his fist on the table and exclaiming.

Are you toying with me?

Zhang Yunxiu immediately tried to smooth things over.

“Father, don’t worry. As Yangming once said: ‘If a scholar cannot be bound by physical form and is instead entangled in language, he will stray further and further from the right path.’”

Whether it's personal conduct, the quality of a newspaper, or the implementation of new policies, getting bogged down in verbal arguments is pointless.

Real things are achieved through hard work! Otherwise, you'll be going against the truth.

Practice makes perfect; I don't want to use flowery language!

Wang Yangming was already famous throughout the world during the Wanli era, and countless Confucian scholars regarded him as their guiding principle.

Even though Zhang Juzheng "banned lectures" for his new policies, he was banning empty talk that would harm the country. Regarding the "unity of knowledge and action" in Yangming's philosophy of mind, Zhang Juzheng opposed focusing solely on the "mind" while neglecting the "action."

In fact, Zhang Juzheng was a pragmatist.

For example, in the first year of the Wanli reign, he submitted a memorial to the emperor entitled "Request to Investigate Memorials and Evaluate Their Results in order to Improve Practical Governance," in which he mentioned this point.

"The difficulty in governing the world lies not in enacting laws, but in ensuring their enforcement; it lies not in listening to advice, but in ensuring that advice is effective!"

Therefore, although Zhang Yunxiu's words were somewhat far-fetched, they truly resonated with Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes, his expression softening considerably.

"So, you've learned to be eloquent and pedantic, haven't you?"

Despite saying this, Zhang Juzheng was filled with emotion. He glanced at his eldest and fourth sons kneeling on the ground, and compared to them, his youngest son seemed to shine brighter.

Even the third son, who became the top scholar in the imperial examination, seemed to lack the magnanimity of the youngest son.

This fierce and agile "Azure Wolf," if properly trained, may very well transform into a Qilin child who rides the clouds and winds!

Can.
Zhang Juzheng's expression was complex. He was a pragmatist, and then he asked in return.

"What you said earlier makes some sense. Have you figured out how to implement it?"

　Note 1: Volume 3, "Record of Transmitting Teachings (Part 2)," of the Complete Works of Wang Yangming, page 121.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)