"Your subject, Liu Yingqiu, Grand Scholar of the Hanlin Academy!"
This subject was a small old man, fifty years of age, holding a fifth-rank official position. Upon hearing his self-introduction, Emperor Wanli recalled him. It seemed he had been transferred to Nanjing in the eleventh year of Wanli's reign and only returned in the eighteenth year; there seemed to be such a matter.
"It is you, I seem to have some impression..."
"Your subject believes that although Daoist Master Ji rendered meritorious service in saving His Majesty, he should not be granted the position of Libationer at the Imperial Academy!"
The old man, Liu Yingqiu, spoke, "The Imperial Academy studies the Way of the Sages. Daoist Master Ji belongs to Taoism. Although Confucianism and Taoism share common ground, they cannot be mixed. I speak of human affairs, he speaks of the Heavenly Way; I speak of governing the state, he advocates non-action. His Majesty's action is like letting a cow lead a flock of sheep! It looks similar, but in reality, it is vastly different."
Emperor Wanli: "I am merely granting him an official title. There are two positions for Libationer at the Imperial Academy, and I am adding another. It is not as if I truly want him to teach those scholars. What is wrong with that?"
At this moment, the chief eunuch Tian Yi seemed to recall something and quietly reported it to Emperor Wanli.
After listening, Emperor Wanli glanced at the three Grand Secretaries, communicated with them through his gaze, and understood.
"Liu Yingqiu... I heard that a few days ago, you received orders from the Grand Secretariat to become the Libationer of the Imperial Academy?"
The old man almost slapped his thigh... He had spoken too hastily.
Emperor Wanli was clearly displeased. His next sentence was almost "Tomorrow, settle your salary at the Ministry of Revenue, and then don't come back," but Emperor Wanli was a man who valued his reputation. He would not say such things openly. Otherwise, he would not have fought with the civil officials for eleven years over the matter of establishing the Crown Prince, and finally confined himself for nine years.
The old man would not give up. At this moment, he spoke, "Your subject is to take up the post of Libationer of the Imperial Academy, and naturally, I cannot allow problems to arise with the position of Libationer. If His Majesty truly wishes to bestow an official position at the Imperial Academy, could he permit your subject to conduct an examination?"
Emperor Wanli looked at the old man, "Very well, what you say has some reason. Then, you may examine him."
The Emperor sat up straight.
The stage is now set for you. Begin your performance.
Ji Xiang stood beside the two Grand Secretaries, maintaining an awkward yet polite smile. He was suddenly called upon and found it quite troublesome.
Working in the Forbidden City is truly... boring and annoying.
Ji Xiang's silence made the old man very happy. "Daoist Master, why do you not speak? Is it because you do not understand or because you are not afraid? Are you waiting for this old man to ask a question? If you are ready, this old man will begin to ask."
Ji Xiang, of course, did not know what the other party was going to ask, so he said in advance:
"This humble Daoist is still young and has never taken the imperial examinations. My understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics is truly not extensive, I only have a slight grasp. I implore you, sir, to be lenient."
The old man's spirits rose. This was his chance to show off before Emperor Wanli, who had not attended court for many years, and to deepen his impression:
"It is naturally as difficult as ascending to heaven for a monk to write in the eight-legged essay style. The words of our Confucian Sages, their thoughts and ideas, transcend millennia and span the Spring and Autumn periods. You are like a stream that cannot fathom the ocean. How can you understand? I will not test you on these."
"But as the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, you should be able to compose poetry, right?"
Ji Xiang thought for a moment and nodded, "Slightly."
The old man nodded, "Then that is fine. Poetry can best showcase a person's literary talent, and it is also the most straightforward."
"Since you, a high-ranking official of the fourth rank as Libationer of the Imperial Academy, are being appointed by His Majesty to an additional post, even though you will not have substantive power, the reputation of the Imperial Academy must not be tarnished by this old man's hands. If you know nothing and still hold this position, and others mock you, you will not be comfortable, will you?"
"Therefore, even if you do not manage anything, you should at least be able to compose poetry. If you truly cannot, just say a few words for His Majesty and the assembled officials to judge."
The surrounding officials also exchanged whispers and nodded frequently, indicating that this was fair. You cannot write eight-legged essays, so you will be tested on poetry.
Ji Xiang pondered and thought it was acceptable. He then asked, "May I ask what requirements this poem has, sir?"
"Requirements? Today His Majesty has returned to the court, and our Great Ming... all things are being reformed! Take 'New' as the theme and compose a poem, but the word 'new' is not allowed to appear in the poem. How about that?"
The old man felt he had come up with a profound topic. It seemed simple, but it was a trap:
Ji Xiang had just listened to the old man's long pause and thought he was going to say that the Great Ming was invincible...
"Allow this humble Daoist a moment to consider."
Ji Xiang slowly savored the old man's topic.
Poetry, his former self was quite skilled in it. After all, he was a walking encyclopedia of scriptures, a truly cultured person. However, writing on the spot was not as fast as copying poetry. Anyway, the Great Ming would later be followed by the Great Qing, so copying was the way to go.
The reform of all things, Emperor Wanli's return to court was due to being stimulated. At this moment, Ji Xiang's mind, for some unknown reason, inexplicably thought of Huo Jun's words.
How much suffering the common people endured in this world, the officials in court, the nobles and ministers, the radiant emperor, they would not understand. Would attending court once reform all things in the Great Ming?
They might know the situation below, but what did it have to do with them? Those willing to look down at the people below were ultimately the minority, most were engrossed in factional struggles.
Thinking this way, Huo Jun felt that shattering the old world and reopening the heavens and earth was new... it wasn't entirely unreasonable, but was reopening the heavens and earth enough?
Ji Xiang did not think about these things. This topic was to be skipped directly.
He was no longer human. Why should he care about such matters? The world of gods and spirits had its own way of operating.
However, it was at this very moment that a forgotten short poem surfaced in Ji Xiang's memory, appearing in his mind.
The words of all the officials in court, all mediocre.
The five generations of emperors, all muddled and ignorant.
The Great Ming fell in Chongzhen, truly fell in Wanli, and began to fall in Jiajing. This Great Ming Empire would collapse into dust in a few decades, and now with Emperor Wanli's return to court, Emperor Guangzong disappeared, perhaps a different future would be born.
This was precisely the moment, fitting the scene.
At the beginning, he took a step, making a "dong" sound on the large stone floor tiles. The sound was clear, echoing for a long time before the Fengtian Gate.
"The Great Ming must have an opportunity for reform."
His gaze fell upon the red walls of the Forbidden City. The morning sun filled the sky, all things awakened, the light of day brightened, and a surge of heroism and emotion rushed into his chest. The white clouds and blue sky seemed to change like wind and clouds, and thunder and rain approached from afar.
The officials saw that Ji Xiang had finished thinking and all waited without speaking. In front of the Fengtian Gate, no one spoke, no birds chirped, and one could hear a pin drop.
Ji Xiang took another step, his gaze sweeping from the sky to the earth, with a slight sigh:
"The vitality of the Nine Provinces relies on wind and thunder; the silence of ten thousand horses is truly sorrowful."
As soon as these first two lines of poetry were spoken, many officials' eyes moved.
These two lines alone showed his skill. This was not random writing; he was prepared. This was not a doggerel poem; he had true substance!
Many looked at Ji Xiang with slightly changed expressions, even the old man Liu Yingqiu narrowed his old eyes.
Ji Xiang looked at the assembled officials. This gaze seemed to span from heaven to earth, from the distant mountains and rivers to below the imperial court. Then he took another step... and another. Taking two steps consecutively, the remaining two lines were also recited in one go:
"I urge the Heavenly Duke to rouse himself with vigor, and descend talent without adhering to rigid patterns!"