The silence…
After an unknown period, the Daoist academy remained quiet, the three of them exchanging no words.
The past thousand years flowed through their hearts like white clouds, none able to articulate the taste of it.
A certain sorrow, a certain desolation,
And much more helplessness, emptiness…
Jiajing had pondered for forty years, contending with officials for forty years, and had not failed to consider this aspect. Yet, he always felt that it was only natural for the monarch to bestow honor upon officials, and for officials to be loyal to the monarch. Without officials, how could he govern the people? Moreover, were all people inherently good?
To have officials return to serving all people, one must change hearts. The ancient teachings had always emphasized the path of education; reading the words of sages and becoming sages. Only when scholars could achieve this could there be a lasting era of good governance. But this was too slow, and perhaps even impossible…
He himself had employed good men and bad men. Whether they were upright or corrupt depended on how he used them. Regarding human nature, he had always possessed a very realistic insight, never expecting all officials to act for the people. Consider this: if officials were to abandon the temptations of bringing glory to their ancestors and securing their families, how could they possibly work diligently?
But as he listened and reflected just now, he suddenly realized—
Were the ways of the former kings themselves not flawed? Preaching education while also acknowledging desires… expecting them to be a step above the common people while also demanding their wholehearted unity with the people? Was this not a contradiction?
However,
Even if this Zhu Mo had some valid points, to truly act according to his words would be absolutely unfeasible in reality…
Even the Taizu, with all his might, only achieved temporary success. This showed that his methods were not to be emulated! Since they were not to be emulated, it was better to stick to the safe and steady approach, which was to transcend the dichotomy of uprightness and corruption, and employ only the art of the emperor. As for anything else, it was beyond his control…
With this thought, his confidence was restored—
He had not been wrong in his forty years. How could the changes of the world be reversed by human effort? What he said was merely wishful thinking. If it were put into practice, it would be utterly unworkable, perhaps even leading to greater trouble… Did not great chaos ensue after the Taizu?
…
Although Lü Fang was of eunuch origin, those who served as supervisors of the Directorate of Ceremonial were intelligent men selected from the eunuch ranks. They had studied and trained since their youth, and their overall quality was actually stronger than that of ordinary officials. Having served Jiajing for forty years, he was quite an expert.
After pondering Zhu Mo’s words several times, he suddenly felt an unprecedented fear regarding the cycle of governance and chaos, and the dominance of official clans. Yet, after much deliberation, he still felt it was somewhat unstable. If things were done according to Zhu Mo’s words, it would be an affront to all officials and scholars in the land, which would be disastrous. Thus, only a hero like the Taizu could undertake such a task; no one else could.
So he said:
“What Young Master Zhu says, I find coherent… But coherence does not mean feasibility. To go against the will of all the scholars in the land is bound to have no good outcome… If His Majesty were to think and act this way, would that not block their path to promotion and wealth? Even an ordinary man would fight for his life…”
Jiajing could not help but nod.
Zhu Mo, however, let out a soft snort and calmly replied, “Fight for their lives? Of course, it is a fight for the lives of the common people. If they do not fight, how will this man-eating beast of the official clans be tamed?”
Jiajing and Lü Fang exchanged glances, feeling that this young man, despite his refined appearance, had suddenly become so sharp. The cold killing intent they sensed startled even them, two seasoned veterans.
A man-eating beast…?
The official clans…?
The two of them pondered carefully and could not help but sigh.
Indeed,
Officials, the imperial system,
They were called the ways of the former kings, but over the past two thousand years, there had indeed been more chaos than order. And what else could it be now, if not a man-eating beast?
Jiajing repeatedly mulled over this, and a bitter smile involuntarily appeared on his face—
For forty years, he had indeed been locked in a desperate struggle with an invisible man-eating beast, fighting until he was covered in wounds and utterly disheartened…
Lü Fang, seeing his suddenly sorrowful expression, softly said, “Daoist Master, the sky is getting late, and Immortal Lan has matters to attend to. Perhaps we could conclude for today?”
Mm, mm,
Jiajing stood up, gave Lü Fang a meaningful look. Lü Fang took out a piece of dark, black jade jue and smiled at Zhu Mo, saying, “Daoist Master says this jade jue is very auspicious. In my old age, it is of no use. Today, it is fated to be with Young Master Zhu, so I will give it to you for protection. Please do not refuse it, Young Master Zhu…”
Zhu Mo had been in the Great Ming for over ten years, and apart from his master, he had few acquaintances. These two men had not only saved him but also conversed very well with him. He felt he should not be too reserved, so he accepted it. Upon closer inspection, he saw strange, ancient runes written on it, resembling both writing and patterns, which he could not understand.
However, the item was clearly very valuable. Zhu Mo sensed the old Daoist’s sincere intention, his eyes filled with genuine care. He accepted it.
Little did he know that this jade jue was a ritual artifact for the royal sacrifices to Heaven, similar to the imperial edicts of merit for meritorious officials. In the Great Ming, it could exempt one from all death penalties.
At this moment,
Wu Feng somehow reappeared, bowed deeply, and led Zhu Mo away from the Feixuan Palace.
…
“This servant sees Young Master Zhu as a talent…”
“Mm, of course…”
“However, this servant ponders that what he said is too grandiose, speaking of re-establishing grand rituals and laws for ten thousand generations. How… how can that be achieved?”
“Heh, I also have my doubts…”
Long after Zhu Mo had departed, Jiajing, fiddling with a chess piece, pondered for a long time.
This child’s words always made him feel stifled, yet they were so reasonable, even touching him deeply, making him tremble with shock, almost to the point of breaking out in a cold sweat. The laws of governance and chaos he later discussed were truly groundbreaking, profoundly shocking…
Compared to Prince Yu, this child was indeed much stronger.
But saying that was one thing; his actual abilities were still unknown. Throughout history, few could both speak and act. Yang Xiong and Dongfang Shuo were eloquent, but when it came to taking action, were they necessarily capable?
With this thought, Jiajing remembered something and casually said,
“Lately, has the Hanlin Academy not been discussing the matter of the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau? Is there someone named Gao something Wen who proposed a strategy? You tell them… tell them to discuss it openly, that anyone in the Hanlin Academy can propose their own strategy…”
Lü Fang replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, that person’s name is Gao Hanwen,呵呵, he has a bit of superficial talent, wouldn’t you say…”
Jiajing also chuckled, “Let these upright scholars stir up trouble… let Zhu Mo also present his lofty opinions and see if he is merely a vase or truly possesses substance…”
In his heart, he thought: Whether he is capable or not will depend on his true abilities. What good is just boasting? If he truly wishes to legislate for ten thousand generations, he must start with small matters… Moreover, disaster relief in Jiangnan is no small matter…