xymnovel Chapter 19 3
Chapter 19 3
The night is deep.
Two figures waded across the stream in the dark, walked along the river for a while, and after confirming that there was no movement behind them, turned to the right bank.
During this time, they encountered soldiers passing by. After confirming that he did not recognize the leading officer and Zhang Juzheng, Zhu Zaizhen and Zhang Juzheng silently hid in the shadows without making a sound.
Having experienced that previous incident, they all knew that someone was impersonating government officials and soldiers, and it was very likely that they were remnants of the White Lotus Sect!
In this situation.
Neither Zhu Zaizhen nor Zhang Juzheng would approach anyone they could trust.
As a result, the villains had to hide, and the soldiers had to avoid them, giving the two men the illusion that they were surrounded by enemies.
My heart is heavy.
His steps grew heavier and heavier.
Zhang Juzheng guarded the rear, keeping watch on the surroundings, while Zhu Zaizhen, shrouded in darkness, walked in front, his eyes darting around. Ever since they approached the Gaoliang River area, he had been trying hard to discern something.
Heading east along the river, past Yijing at the fork in the road, and further in, there's a big locust tree... Zhu Zaizhen recalled what Wu Ang had told him; it must be the big locust tree.
under the tree.
There is a newly rented household.
Not long after, when a tall, dense grove of shadows came into view, Zhu Zaizhen's heart skipped a beat—he had found it!
Beep beep, beep.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and after a moment, a deep voice from inside the courtyard asked, "Who is it?"
"Zhu Si".
After a moment of silence, the wooden door creaked open a crack, revealing half a human face.
Upon seeing this face, Zhu Zaizhen smiled with relief, "Tell your father that I protected him before, now it's his turn to protect me."
Yang Yingwei's mouth dropped open, and he froze for a moment before immediately calling out, "Father!"
A short while later, in the main room.
The women of the Yang family were all awakened and gathered in the inner room. The two brothers, Yang Yingwei and Yang Yingji, stood guard outside the door, one holding a wood-chopping knife and the other drawing a bow and arrow, their faces grim.
Yang Jisheng pulled out a long spear from somewhere, stood it upright, and sat down at the door with an air of grandeur.
Despite being a scholar and a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he appeared more domineering than some generals at this moment.
"Brother Yang, calm down."
Upon seeing the demeanor of the father and sons, Zhang Juzheng quickly explained, "We arrived without any followers, so the White Lotus Sect demons won't be able to find this place anytime soon. As long as we wait here until dawn, we can distinguish friend from foe, and Your Highness's danger will be resolved!"
Zhu Zaizhen gulped down a mouthful of water and said frankly, "Don't be nervous. If there are pursuers, I won't come here."
He chose to seek refuge with the Yang family simply to find a safe place to hide, not to divert trouble elsewhere.
Yang Jisheng remained motionless, still blocking the doorway. He frowned, staring at the bloodstains on Prince Jing's body, and said in a deep voice, "How could Your Highness have been kidnapped by a demon?"
"Ugh!"
Zhu Zaizhen gulped down another mouthful of herbal tea. "Well, that's a long story!"
With his tense nerves suddenly relaxed and the pressure accumulated throughout the day was relieved, Prince Jing's subsequent words were more of a venting rant, such as: "I am eager to find talented people, and I saw that someone had extraordinary talent, so I visited him three times. But that guy played the aloof card with me. I had no choice but to use my ultimate weapon of bribing him with pastries. As a result, I left a trace, ran into a demon, and killed the murderer."
That's how they escaped with their lives.
Yang Jisheng was stunned by these words. Although he didn't understand some of the words, he understood the general meaning.
Immediately.
He looked at Zhang Juzheng beside him. If there were no surprises, this was the one with "extraordinary physique".
Zhang Juzheng, having removed his soiled outer robe, sat upright with his hands on his knees, seemingly oblivious to Prince Jing's complaints, his gaze lowered, sitting silently.
Yang Jisheng tasted the flavor, shook his head, said nothing, and got up to pour tea for Prince Jing.
Zhu Zaizhen slumped back in his chair, drinking bowl after bowl of cold tea until he couldn't drink anymore and stopped.
The room became quiet.
After a period of silence, a light rain began to fall outside, the raindrops pattering softly.
Through the sparse rain, one could occasionally hear a shout or two, or even the faint sound of metal clashing.
Whenever there was any noise, the two brothers squatting at the door would get up nervously, and the women in the inner room would also become restless.
In complete silence.
Perhaps to relieve the oppression, or perhaps because he had experienced a day of life-or-death crisis, Zhang Juzheng was also moved. He suddenly said softly, "When Your Highness came to see me, I did talk about other things, that is a fact, I admit, but I also had reasons for not speaking from the heart."
Zhu Zaizhen turned his head to the side.
Yang Jisheng also looked in the direction of the sound.
Zhang Juzheng continued, "When the prince asked me about the deep-seated problems of the Ming Dynasty, I said there weren't any, but if I had to say, there were some..."
"Not long ago, the Ministry of War reported that Anda invaded Xuanfu and the deputy general Shi Lue died in battle. Last August, Anda invaded Datong and plundered Shuozhou, Yingzhou, Shanyin and Mayi. Going back further, there were countless border invasions. There was even a siege of the capital and rampage in the capital."
"Without a doubt, there must be a serious problem with the Ming Dynasty's border defenses, otherwise things wouldn't be like this..."
"The fortresses need repair, the military system needs to be reorganized, and the nine border regions need to be reorganized. It has reached a point where it cannot be left unresolved."
"The situation is such in the north, and there are Japanese pirates in the south. The cabinet has already made a decision: we must resist the Japanese pirates, recruit soldiers, and mobilize troops from all provinces."
"The reorganization in the north requires money, and the recruitment and troop deployment in the south also requires money, and when it comes to money..."
"It's like pulling one hair and affecting the whole situation!"
At this point, Zhang Juzheng's gaze remained lowered, and his expression showed a hint of melancholy.
"If Your Highness had read the reports from various provinces, you would surely have seen through that money-grubbing lens the decay and rot within the very core of our Ming Dynasty."
"I am willing to make changes, otherwise I would not have submitted that memorial on current affairs. However, these deep-rooted problems must be drastically reformed, otherwise nothing can be accomplished! Please forgive my frankness, but relying solely on Your Highness's support is wishful thinking..."
Zhu Zaizhen had already sat up straight.
Take this seriously.
Before he could respond, Yang Jisheng spoke first, saying, "What Lord Zhang said is both right and wrong."
Zhang Juzheng looked up. "What's wrong?"
Yang Jisheng squinted, "Nothing in this world is perfect. We can't wait until all conditions are met before we do something. If they're never met, does that mean we should just stop doing anything?"
"Given the current resources, do as much as you can. If the problems are deep-seated, then start with the less serious ones, making changes little by little. It's better than doing nothing!"
It was raining heavily outside the house.
The two men, both from the same year, had already begun to clash. Yang Jisheng said without any politeness, "I also know about the deep-seated problems you mentioned. Those in the Ming Dynasty who are interested in this matter know about them."
"Do you know why things don't change? Some are beneficiaries of the system who oppose change; some are complacent and don't care whether things change or not; and some, like you, see it all, suffer in silence, worrying about this and that, and dare not change!"
This was somewhat of a personal attack. Zhang Juzheng was never one to back down, so he raised an eyebrow and spoke with a sharp, commanding tone:
"If we're talking about comparing my courage to Brother Yang's direct impeachment of Grand Secretary Yan, then I truly dare not do anything."
"But this kind of seemingly brave, but actually useless and reckless 'daring,' I must say, is something I cannot agree with!"
Although Yang Jisheng went to prison and was released, which changed him a lot, his fierce nature remained and he could not show weakness.
These two distinct individuals seemed destined to spark a connection from the moment they sat down together.
For example, right now.
It was clearly directed at Zhu Zaizhen, but as the two talked, they started arguing.
The women and children inside were clearly bewildered and at a loss. Yang Jisheng's two sons also forgot about the tension outside and were unsure whether to go forward and offer some advice or just watch helplessly.
They were conflicted.
Zhu Zaizhen listened attentively.
He looked at Zhang Juzheng one moment and thought he made sense, and then he looked at Yang Jisheng and thought he also made sense.
However, Zhu Zaizhen couldn't stand by and watch for long, because the debate quickly escalated and even affected him personally.
Zhang Juzheng: "Prince Jing is indeed noble, but compared to the clamor of the court, I'm afraid he won't accomplish anything!"
Yang Jisheng: "I understand what you mean. A major overhaul is needed, and there's no other way but for the Emperor's support. But will the Emperor support you? If he did, your memorial from three years ago would have already put you in the Grand Secretariat! Why would you still be writing memorials in the Hanlin Academy every day?"
"The Emperor doesn't support it, but Prince Jing does. This is already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. If I were you, I would laugh out loud three times."
"Shout out that Heaven has eyes!"
Zhang Juzheng: "I have no disrespect for Prince Jing, but in the end, Prince Jing is just a prince, not the crown prince, much less the emperor. Once the reforms backfire and the power struggles begin, we ministers will die, but what will become of the prince then? Have you ever thought about that?"
Yang Jisheng: "You're not a prince, how would you know what a prince is thinking? Of all the people in the world who dare to stand up, only you, Zhang Juzheng, are you?!"
"You two!"
Before Zhang Juzheng could speak further, Zhu Zaizhen interjected, "Gentlemen, may I also say a few words?"
Zhang and Yang looked at each other in silence.
Zhu Zaizhen first looked at Zhang Juzheng and pondered, "I will definitely compete for the throne. I have to compete whether I want to or not. To be honest, I myself want to sit on the throne, and even the throne. After all, who wouldn't want to be able to enjoy the company of beautiful women and hold power over the world?"
If Zhang and Yang's words were sincere before, then Zhu Zaizhen's words at this moment were overly sincere.
Both ministers were deeply moved.
Let's look at it seriously.
Zhu Zaizhen chuckled lightly, seemingly unaware of the audacity in his words. He then turned to Yang Jisheng and said, "The Right Chief Secretary is referring to others, not me. How would he know what I'm thinking... To be honest, I might disappoint you."
Zhu Zaizhen, unusually self-assured, pondered for a moment, "What kind of person am I?"
"If I ask myself honestly, I am neither a good person nor a bad person. I do not commit murder, arson, rape, or kidnapping, nor do I act selfishly or selflessly."
"If I encounter homeless beggars, I can give them some money; if I encounter moral saints, I can avoid them. I can help the former, but I can't compare to the latter. I indulge in wine, women, wealth, and power; I enjoy all kinds of pleasures. I am not hypocritical or pretentious."
"This is me."
After he finished speaking, the room remained silent for a long time.
After a while, Yang Jisheng, who was a subject of Prince Jing, tried to smooth things over: "Your Highness is too kind. As a prince of the Ming Dynasty, Your Highness knows how to be loyal to the emperor and is wholeheartedly devoted to the people. Your Highness is frugal in his travels. Since leaving the palace, you have neither acquired a mansion nor beautiful maids, nor have you occupied any shops or land. Compared with Your Highness, many other princes would be ashamed to death."
Zhu Zaizhen seemed determined to carry on with his earnestness today. As soon as the Right Chief Secretary finished speaking, he continued, "People are used to using morality and integrity to deceive themselves. They do not own fertile land, do not have beautiful maids, and do not indulge in extravagance, all because of my good character and high moral cultivation."
"But what's the reality?"
"There aren't that many moral saints, only ordinary people who have no money or power and are good at self-deception."
"There's no need to make excuses for me."
Zhu Zaizhen looked at the two people on either side of him, "You don't want to hear me lie, do you?"
Yang Jisheng and Zhang Juzheng fell silent again! Their previous argument was a clash of ideologies, but it was also a clash for the sake of arguing in front of Prince Jing.
One side consisted of officials from the Prince's residence, who were praising their lord, while the other side, understanding the situation, took over.
just now.
King Jing stepped forward himself.
After Yang Jisheng finished speaking from the bottom of his heart, he fell silent. Zhang Juzheng said softly, "It's good that you don't commit crimes and don't forget your moral principles. You don't indulge in wine, women, wealth, or sensual pleasures. People would suspect you if you were so selfless and a moral exemplar. They respect you, but they dare not get close to you."
"Your Highness has been so frank."
"I believe you."
Zhu Zaizhen's expression remained unchanged, but his heart pounded. Now that the conversation had progressed this far, it seemed he could say some things more freely. "You know my heart. Today I can speak frankly with you, even presumptuously: when I am king, I will support you; when I am crown prince, I will support you; and one day, if I ascend the throne, I will support you in the same way!"
This was not a question that could be answered easily. Zhang Juzheng was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, there is something I have never known. Why do you value me so highly? I am not the only one in the court who desires reform."
"Oh!"
Zhu Zaizhen chuckled. "Actually, a failed scholar named Hai Rui once asked me the same question. He asked me why I valued him, and I said: 'I see that you have extraordinary bones and noble spirit!'"
"Now, I'll pass these words on to you verbatim: I see you possess a noble spirit!"
"Believe it or not, it's up to you."
"...I just said, I believe you." Zhang Juzheng: "I have one last question."
"Go ahead and say it!"
Why is Your Highness so insistent on reform?
"Why?" Zhu Zaizhen stood up and paced around the room. "I've been wandering around lately, that's true, but I've also learned what I need to know. If I close my eyes and bury my head in the ground, I may live a life of peace and prosperity, but if I just lift my head up a little, it's not hard to detect hidden dangers, such as the White Lotus Sect, the Tatars, the Japanese pirates, and many others."
"On a grand scale, it means serving the country and its people; on a smaller scale, it means indulging in selfish desires that overestimate one's abilities."
At this point...
The women and those around them held their breath, while Zhang and Yang watched with utmost seriousness.
Zhu Zaizhen, however, became spirited and spoke with conviction: "Young people all have a dream, don't they? Since we've come into this world and taken on the title of Prince Jing, we should leave some trace and accomplish some deeds! I dare not say we can compare ourselves to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, but we should at least look at..."
"Emperor Chengzu of Tang!"
"If you can, then stand tall and upright; if you can't, then fall spectacularly. Only then will you have lived a worthwhile life in this world." After Zhu Zaizhen finished speaking, it seemed that nothing could make his body, which had fled in such a sorry state that night, any smaller!