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

Chapter 29 You are not Zhang Shiyuan!
The twilight was as cold as iron.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the blue bricks of Qipan Street.

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of a grand courtyard. Zhang Juzheng lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage, his expression somewhat solemn.

You Qi was already waiting at the gatehouse and immediately came forward to greet him.

"Why did you choose to ride in a horse-drawn carriage instead of a sedan chair today, sir? Your health can't withstand such a bumpy ride."

Compared to sedan chairs, horse-drawn carriages were obviously too bumpy, which is why most Ming Dynasty officials were unwilling to ride in them.

Moreover, You Qi, as Zhang Juzheng's personal steward, was naturally aware of Zhang Juzheng's dysentery.

Those suffering from dysentery should really avoid excessive physical activity.

Zhang Juzheng patted his slightly wrinkled court robes, looking exhausted, and exhaled as he spoke.

"It's all so we can come back sooner."

You Qi understood, his facial features scrunched up, and he sighed.

"Master and Fifth Young Master, he's here!"

In matters of the imperial court, You Qi had always helped Zhang Juzheng communicate with various officials, so he was naturally well-informed.

In fact, he also had his own opinions about this young master.

In the past, one could explain it by saying that the person was young, but this time it's useless to say that the person is young. How could someone so young slap a minister in court?

Simply unheard of.

It's only because the emperor didn't pursue the matter that he was Zhang Juzheng's son; otherwise, he would have been dragged to Xisi Archway long ago.

Now it's time to prepare his remains for burial.

Zhang Juzheng's face was stern and expressionless, revealing no emotion.

Is he at home?

You Qi nodded and said, "Fifth Young Master returned early. He went straight to his study as soon as he got back, and he seems to be studying diligently."

You Qi looked somewhat embarrassed. The Fifth Young Master had made such a big mistake; it was probably too late for him to study hard now.
He knew his master's temperament all too well.

This time, with the arrival of the matriarch of the Zhang family, there was no room for negotiation.

You Qi had even found a doctor, fearing that Zhang Juzheng would be beaten to death by his son.

As he was pondering this, he looked up and saw that Zhang Juzheng had vanished without a trace.

Strolling into the back hall, the corridors twist and turn, passing pavilions and waterside terraces.

Zhang Juzheng finally stopped in front of the study window.

A faint yellow candlelight shone through the window paper, and one could vaguely see a boy holding a wolf-hair brush, writing rapidly on the paper.

Seeing his youngest son's slightly comical appearance, Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes, recalling a word his son had mentioned last time.

"Skilled in governing the country, but inept at self-preservation."

Although he was unwilling to admit it, those words still struck a chord with Zhang Juzheng.

If he were after power and wealth, he could easily be like Yan Song, adept at social maneuvering, able to please the emperor above and feed the officials below.

At that time, there will be far fewer people opposing him. Unlike Yan Song, he can protect himself by virtue of his relationship with the emperor and his connections with various factions.

But he insisted on taking the most difficult path.

But if you ask Zhang Juzheng if he regrets it, he certainly doesn't.

Without any warning, Zhang Juzheng walked straight into the study and saw Zhang Yunxiu writing furiously from afar.

The way the brush is held is also not the usual way of holding a calligraphy brush.

The more I look at him, the more he seems like a heretic.
This child is becoming less and less like the youngest child I used to know.

In the past, his antics were merely minor and absurd, but now...
Zhang Juzheng's expression was complicated. He glanced at his youngest son's profile again before slowly walking to the desk.

But then he looked at the densely packed, dog-scratched characters on the desk.

I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.

I let out a breath and held back again.

Zhang Juzheng did not speak, but instead took out a piece of white paper from the side and a sheep-hair brush from the brush holder.

Immediately afterwards, he lifted his long sleeves, revealing a pair of well-defined, long, and powerful hands, his long beard swaying slightly with the movement.

Before long, rows of neat pavilion-style characters appeared on the paper.

Zhang Juzheng copied the original contents of his youngest son's manuscript paper completely again.

As he wrote, he realized something was wrong; it was all medical content.

Is this rebellious son starting to study medicine again?

Just as Zhang Juzheng was about to ask, he saw Zhang Yunxiu hand over another piece of paper with a sly expression on his face.

"Father, thank you for your trouble."

Zhang Juzheng felt something stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down, but he still took the manuscript.

In this back and forth, Zhang Juzheng immediately copied the manuscript that Zhang Yunxiu had finished writing, and then neatly placed it aside.

To the uninformed, they would only praise the "kind father and filial son" and the "scholarly family," but if someone actually entered the study, they would feel the terrifying atmosphere of the two men remaining silent.

Finally, Zhang Juzheng seemed to have gotten tired of copying. He glanced at the wolf-hair brush in his young son's hand and said something inexplicably.

"It's also my fault for neglecting your upbringing and wasting this fine wolf-hair brush. Your handwriting is simply..."

Zhang Juzheng didn't finish speaking, but Zhang Yunxiu understood the implied meaning.

Officials in the imperial court were accustomed to using witty banter, and Zhang Juzheng was naturally a master of it.

Even Zhang Yunxiu could figure it out with a simple stroke of the pen: Zhang Juzheng was using the pen to satirize him, saying that he had great talent but didn't pursue the right path.

However, Zhang Yunxiu did not intend to take the bait. If you did, you would fall into the trap of the shameless Confucian scholar's debate.

Therefore, he chose to be direct and straightforward.

"Is Wei Yunzhen dead?" Zhang Juzheng frowned, looking distressed and somewhat suffocated.

Finally, he continued his teaching with a single sentence.

The Book of Rites says: Harmony is the universal principle of the world.

You should also understand that pushing things too hard or letting them go too loosely is not good; only moderation is the right path.

Zhang Yunxiu either couldn't understand or was unwilling to listen to instruction; he only paid attention to one point.

Is it too tight?

I think it's better if it's tighter!

I felt a little mischievous inside, and it made me very happy.

But outwardly, he still had to ask Zhang Juzheng, "Will you release him without charge?"

Only then did Zhang Juzheng reply: "Twenty strokes of the cane, and dismissal from office as a commoner."

Nodding, Zhang Yunxiu immediately understood what his father meant.

"They were beaten half to death, and then rushed back to their hometown?"

Zhang Juzheng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The "twenty strokes of the cane" mentioned here are clearly different from the "court caning" used in today's imperial court.

The latter was to kill Wei Yunzhen, while the former was to make him suffer a fate worse than death, but in the end, he was spared.

Zhang Yunxiu let out a breath and said, "It seems that the court officials have compromised with His Majesty."

Clearly, the court officials understood that once the article "On Reforming the Native Chieftain System to Directly Appointed Officials" was published, the newspapers could continue operating even if they didn't want to.

The Wanli Xinbao newspaper has already been printed and distributed throughout the capital, and it will soon spread throughout the north and south of the country; this is unstoppable.

At that time, all the students in the country will be able to learn this article, and if the court wants to adopt the "Proposal on Changing the Native Chieftains to the Imperial Administration", it will be difficult to deny the value of the "Wanli New Gazette".

In addition, newspapers are very popular among the people.

The emperor liked it, the people liked it, the scholars liked it, and even the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng had an ambiguous attitude. What use was it for the officials in the court to oppose it?
If they continue to pressure him and anger the young emperor, not only will Wei Yunzhen lose his life, but several other censors and officials will also be implicated.

They preach principles but keep business to themselves; these supposedly upright individuals are masters of the art of compromise.

Rather than fighting to the death, it's better to go with the flow and pretend to save Wei Yunzhen's life, which will also give us an explanation to Shilin.

As for the existence of newspapers and vernacular novels? That will certainly be addressed gradually in the future.

After thinking about it, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't help but sigh, "The officials in the court are truly cunning and treacherous."

In terms of assessing the situation and winning people's hearts, if he didn't have some kind of cheat code, he really wouldn't be qualified to fight against these people.

Seeing that Zhang Yunxiu still acted nonchalantly.

Zhang Juzheng coldly reprimanded him.

“You took a shortcut. If it weren’t for His Majesty’s protection, even I, your father, couldn’t have saved you from your performance in court today.”

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and said, "Father, don't you understand? This is what I want to achieve. If I want His Majesty to trust me, it is useless to rely on some feelings or some flattery."

Values ​​and needs can build trust, and what His Majesty needs is a loyal subject!
To be a loyal and independent official, one must do what ordinary people cannot!

Zhang Juzheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing increasingly cold, his previously suppressed anger finally about to erupt.

He was filled with rage.

"But you shouldn't have assaulted a high-ranking official and insulted court officials in public. Do you know what the consequences of such actions will be?!"

Completely lacking in restraint—that was Zhang Juzheng's assessment of his youngest son's daytime behavior.

What's the difference between a young person with no experience in officialdom rashly getting involved in official disputes and courting death?
Not only did he bring about his own death, but his family will also be implicated.

Zhang Yunxiu's eyes shone brightly: "As a loyal subject, I must share the burdens of the emperor. If I do not punish Wei Yunzhen today and humiliate the officials in the court, how can I gain His Majesty's trust?"

Zhang Juzheng showed no mercy: "How dare you be so sure that His Majesty will protect you? If it weren't for my influence in the court, you would have your family wiped out today!"

The emperor and I were in cahoots, so why wouldn't he protect me?
Zhang Yunxiu grumbled inwardly.

But then again, if he didn't have a good father, or Zhang Juzheng's influence in the court, and only relied on the emperor's protection, he really wouldn't have dared to do these things.

But Zhang Yunxiu had a different idea. As for bringing trouble to his family, what did I do?

He met his father's gaze and said.

"Father, in implementing your new policies, you've made countless enemies. Have you ever thought about the dozens of people in your family? Have you ever thought about your elderly mother? Have you ever thought about the safety of me, your youngest son?"

These three soul-searching questions are truly piercing to the heart.

Zhang Juzheng trembled, then erupted in anger: "How dare you speak to me like that!"

How could Zhang Yunxiu of the past have dared to speak to him like this?
"Father, are you still going to be so stubborn?!" Zhang Yunxiu refused to back down. "You have cultivated yourself and devoted yourself to the cause, and you have been able to support this Ming Dynasty and implement the new policies. But there will come a day when you are exhausted, and that day will be the day when my Zhang family is destroyed!"
"The principle of 'governing is not difficult, as long as you don't offend powerful families'—do you really need your son to teach you that? Can any system of governance implemented by one person last forever?"

Can a system of official laws implemented by one person last forever?

These words kept echoing in Zhang Juzheng's mind, and they also struck a nerve with him, a problem he had always been unwilling to touch.

But these questions actually came from the mouth of a young child?
Zhang Juzheng stared wide-eyed, somewhat incredulous, feeling that something must have changed about his young son, or that some secret was hidden within him.

The events of recent days cannot be explained simply by reading "The Record of Learning".

He thought of the words Zhang Yunxiu had said to him last time, which he had not yet settled accounts with.

Compared to before, Zhang Yunxiu was undoubtedly pointing his finger at him and cursing him today, and even the officials in the court dared not be so presumptuous.

Zhang Juzheng's chest heaved with anger, but he also realized that something was amiss.

In the past, although my youngest son was a bit outrageous, he would never talk back to me like this.
Just as Zhang Juzheng was pondering this.

Zhang Yunxiu shook his head helplessly and said, "Father, you are already on the path to death. At that time, all the new policies and everything you have worked hard for will turn into nothing but a mirage! Why are you still so stubborn?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng seemed to understand something immediately. His face turned ashen, and he uttered a cold yet certain voice from his chest.

"You are not Zhang Shiyuan!"

　Note 1: "Governing is not difficult; one must not offend powerful families" is from Mencius, Li Lou I.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)