The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 247

Zhu Youtang summoned three members of the cabinet and the newly appointed Hanlin scholar Wang Jia in Qianqing Palace.

Just ask one thing.

It is about the progress of the compilation of "Da Ming Hui Dian".

As the chief assistant, Liu Jian reported back on behalf of the Imperial Academy: "..."Emperor Ming Zu Xun" has been compiled and needs to be proofread; "Ming Law" is more than halfway through, and "Zhu Si Zhi Zhang" is less than [-]% complete ..."

He talked a lot, mainly mentioning the difficulties in compiling, and Liu Jian also specifically mentioned that one person is indispensable, "...the former Hanlin Yang Tinghe did his duty in compiling "Zhu Si Zhi Zhan", and consulted and proofread many times. Let him do it himself, after he leaves Beijing and returns to Shu, his errands are irreplaceable, and I hope His Majesty will recall him as soon as possible."

"Ah."

Zhu Youtang just nodded, looked at Xiao Jing beside him and said, "Is there any news from Xindu County?"

Xiao Jing said: "Not yet."

Zhu Youtang said: "I have already gone back. I promised to come back in four months and give him the position of Hanlin Bachelor. Will I break my promise? Is there any progress in the compilation of "Ming Ji Li"?"

"This……"

Liu Jian was also very embarrassed.

When I mentioned revising such a book of laws and regulations, I mentioned that I should also rewrite the "Da Ming Ji Li" in the early years of Hongwu. fix this.

Xie Qian came forward and added: "Currently, the Imperial Academy is understaffed."

He wanted to remind the emperor.

After the crown prince left the pavilion to study, the tasks of the Hanlin system were intensified. In addition, this year, even the Shujishi were not selected. Although there are only twenty or thirty Shujishi, they can often get twice the result with half the effort if they help in the revision of books.

In fact, Xie Qian can't say that the progress of the compilation is not fast, mainly because Cheng Minzheng, who was previously the "deputy editor-in-chief", was convicted and dismissed from his post. If it is all up to this group of politicians to edit the book... then it is estimated that it will not be completed in the next life. What's going on.

As for Wang Jia, although he is now a Hanlin bachelor in charge of the academy, he puts more energy on teaching the prince.

"That means no progress. Alas!"

Zhu Youtang sighed and said, "There is one person who seems to have a lot of experience in compiling the "Hui Dian". He also compiled some of the classics in private. I am going to find someone to verify and inspect."

When the three cabinet ministers and Wang Jia heard this, they instinctively thought that the person the emperor was talking about should be Cheng Minzheng.

If someone from the current Imperial Academy system is doing this, the emperor does not have to come and tell them alone, unless this person is not currently in the Imperial Academy.

Apart from Cheng Minzheng, who else is not in the Imperial Academy, and can get the emperor's favor in the matter of compiling the "Da Ming Hui Dian"?
"Your Majesty, all officials in the court should perform their own duties, and there should be no arrogance in positions." Li Dongyang reminded.

This is to prevent Cheng Minzheng from making a premature comeback.

Although to a certain extent, the three members of the cabinet did not show open hostility towards Cheng Minzheng, they were actually the instigators of the Cheng Minzheng incident, and others did things based on their faces.

Zhu Youtang said: "Arrogance? Not really, he usually has mixed thoughts, but at present this book is still being handed over to someone for preliminary investigation. After a few days, when the time is right, it will be sent to the Imperial Academy for verification. "

The three members of the cabinet were a little confused.

According to this, the book is almost finished?
Which one is included in "Da Ming Hui Dian"?
"Your Majesty, I don't know who it is, what book did you study?" Wang Jia asked on behalf of the three members of the cabinet.

Zhu Youtang sighed, "Just to be blunt, it's Bingkuan..."

It's him again.

This was the most intuitive idea of ​​the four of them. Even Wang Jia felt that this Juren, who he had selected in the Jiangnan provincial examination, was a bit too eye-catching now as the No. [-] scholar in Ming Dynasty.

"It's not any one, but the whole book of "Hui Dian". As for how it was compiled, I don't know. Let's read it later." Zhu Youtang seemed careless.

It's not that he looked down on Zhang Zhou. If he really felt that Zhang Zhou was beyond his reach, he wouldn't have asked these four people to bring this matter up in advance.

He thinks so.

No matter how well Zhang Zhou cultivated, others would not welcome him because he touched the most basic interests of the Hanlin system.

It is reasonable to say hello to the minister in advance.

Remind these four, no matter whether Zhang Zhou cultivates well or not, don't discourage his enthusiasm.

Xie Qian said: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid it will be difficult to write a book with the strength of one person? Is there someone behind him to help?"

"I don't know either." Zhu Youtang said, "However, according to reports from Dongchang, Li Bingkuan had handed over this book to Lin Qing's family in the Guozijian Jijiu yesterday, and Lin Qing's family didn't raise any questions about it. Come."

"He... Lin Shilang doesn't seem to have participated in the revision of the book." Xie Qian reminded again.

Just say, what the hell does Lin Han know?

But Liu Jian heard something different from it.

Zhang Zhou's book seems to be almost finished, and he dares to show it to others?
Even if Lin Han did not participate in the compilation of "Da Ming Hui Dian", Lin Han can be said to be the current leader in the academic world. Even he can't fault the book. It seems that the degree of completion is very high, and the textual research should also be Very rigorous, otherwise, with Lin Han's temper, would he see the problem and not speak up in order to cater to the emperor and Zhang Zhou?

Zhu Youtang continued: "I'm not saying that I'll just use Bingkuan's manuscript to publish it, but use his manuscript as a reference, hoping to help in the revision of the "Huidian". Do you have any comments?"

Liu Jian said: "Your Majesty, the old minister has never seen this original copy, I wonder if it is possible... to check it first?"

This time Liu Jian was a little impatient.

No matter what Zhang Zhou did before, he didn't make a fuss about the basics of their civil servants. Even if he taught the prince, it would be a slant.

But if Zhang Zhou compiled the "Da Ming Hui Dian" by himself, their civil servants gathered so many manpower and material resources, and worked hard for two years, but they couldn't even reach one-third of this person's compilation progress. What face do you have to question Zhang Zhou's ability?
But Zhu Youtang directly rejected Liu Jian's invitation: "Old Liu Ge, as I said, I have asked him to find someone to investigate first. The person he is looking for is not currently in the Imperial Academy, and will not affect the current Imperial Academy. The progress of the school's book revision."

Liu Jian looked gloomy, but he couldn't say anything more.

……

……

After the inner court meeting.

The three members of the cabinet did not go the same way as Wang Jia, and when the three of them returned to the cabinet to be on duty, Xie Qian immediately pointed it out: "How can I ask him to fix books?"

Li Dongyang said: "The "Hui Dian" involves the major political affairs of the Ming Dynasty. It’s hard not to remember him.”

Xie Qian asked: "Then Binzhi, do you think that he wants to force himself to earn a reputation? Is His Majesty helping in secret?"

"I don't know." Li Dongyang shook his head.

Liu Jian said: "According to reason, it is difficult for him to write a book with the strength of one person. How can such a huge masterpiece be completed by one person? But I have never heard that His Majesty dispatched people from Hanyuan to help him!"

"Will there be Cheng Keqin?" Xie Qian asked.

Liu Jian and Li Dongyang looked at each other.

Although the two are not sure whether Cheng Minzheng is involved, but at present, it seems very likely.

Xie Qian said: "In the previous case, it was said that there was no connection between Cheng Keqin and Zhang Bingkuan. Isn't there a big connection?"

Li Dongyang shook his head: "It's too early to say. Could it be Yu Qiao that you think that Zhang Bingkuan was thinking about the "Hui Dian" before he won the first prize?"

"Then... is it unlikely?" Xie Qian also felt that what he said was untenable, "Could it be Wang Jizhi?"

Li Dongyang continued to shake his head: "Looking at Jizhi's performance in the court today, he doesn't know about it."

"Then who else? It can't be Lin Hengda, right? Zhang and Lin's family may be married, but Lin Hengda is quite a noble person, will he look up to Zhang Bingkuan? And Zhang Bingkuan is responsible for editing books?" Xie Qian was also in a hurry, it wasn't this or that, it couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, right?

Liu Jian said: "Yu Qiao, you have paid attention to the wrong direction from the beginning."

"Why?" Xie Qian said.

Li Dongyang smiled and said: "If Zhang Bingkuan really wants to revise the book, it must be done by him alone. Otherwise, how can he show his ability? If this is the case, we don't have to worry at all, because..."

Xie Qian suddenly said: "Because it's impossible to complete! It's just that someone is letting smoke out!"

"En." Li Dongyang nodded, and at the same time he was looking at Liu Jian, wanting to ask for Liu Jian's opinion.

Liu Jian did not draw conclusions like Li Dongyang did.

Obviously, the emperor's attitude today made Liu Jian see many problems.

Xie Qian laughed and said, "If it wasn't for the smog, then His Majesty could have allowed people from the Imperial Academy to participate in it, but he insisted not to show it to these people. Doesn't that mean there is a problem? But what does it do to His Majesty and Zhang Bingkuan?" What are the benefits?"

Xie Qian, who was outspoken, uttered another very unreasonable doubt.

Since Zhang Zhou did not make any progress in repairing the book, the emperor still said it in advance, and vowed to show it to others in the near future...

Xie Qian added: "It didn't take three to five or seven years to complete the "Hui Dian", so it is difficult to make progress? At the beginning, I also participated in a section, and it took a lot of time to research this article. I heard that Yang Jiefu had previously edited the book. He often forgets to eat and sleep, and often sleeps for days on end. Since everyone knows that the revision of the book will not be successful, then His Majesty deliberately said this, isn't he afraid of being suspected afterwards?"

Li Dongyang said: "Then there is only one explanation, Zhang Bingkuan is deceiving the saint."

Xie Qian directly questioned: "Then why did Lin Hengda not have any opinion after reading this manuscript?"

Li Dongyang shook his head and said: "Or it's just a simple part, and it doesn't involve detailed regulations such as the "Law of the Ming Dynasty"."

Talk and go.

Even the three members of the cabinet couldn't pinpoint Zhang Zhou's pulse.

"Don't make unreasonable guesses." Liu Jian said, "You can find someone to inquire later, and see who is involved now, and you will probably understand a thing or two."

"Hmm." Both Li Dongyang and Xie Qian nodded.

Guessing and guessing, it is better to find someone to find out, as long as someone can see the so-called "Da Ming Hui Dian", basically the truth can be found out.

"Who are you looking for? You can't ask Lin Hengda, right?" Xie Qian asked with a smile.

Going round and round and back to the original question.

Information asymmetry.

And it seems that there is no way to get the most direct contact with Zhang Zhou.

……

……

Regarding the first draft of "Da Ming Hui Dian", Zhang Zhou had someone do a simple engraving.

Among them, Zhang Zhou selected some parts that might be controversial, transcribed them separately, and sent them to Cheng Minzheng, who then provided reference opinions.

Cheng Minzheng sits at home... In his mansion in the capital, there is only one old servant left, who acts as the gatekeeper and sweeps the yard. It is also the same old servant who usually lights the fire and cooks... Cheng Minzheng probably feels that he has been tricked by others I'm afraid, but if you can do it yourself, you will never do it to others.

""Congress Code"? Zhang Bingkuan?"

Cheng Minzheng thought, is it so absurd?

Obviously, he couldn't connect these two keywords in his mind.

"Yes, sir." The old servant said.

"Go and bring the books in... I'll go myself."

Cheng Minzheng thought that since it was "Da Ming Hui Dian", it must be a thick stack, at least seventy or eighty books, but when he arrived at the door, he saw the Jin Yiwei sent by Zhang Zhou to deliver the books, and there were only two thin, few With a ten-page booklet, he immediately frowned.

But he still didn't say anything in front of Jin Yiwei.

After taking back the book and closing the door, he sighed: "Even if it's a secret, he has a good mouth, but he still can't believe everything about him. Are you kidding me?"

Cheng Minzheng was holding two books, thinking of throwing the books on the ground and ignoring them.

It was said that Zhang Zhou helped him, but he also felt that Zhang Zhou had harmed him.

From Cheng Minzheng's point of view, he would think, if Zhang Zhou hadn't been so popular before, others would have misunderstood that Zhang Zhou asked him for a topic?
No matter whose fault it is...

It's all Zhang Bingkuan's fault!

"Master, the Jinyiwei Baihu who came earlier seems to be saying that Zhang Zhuangyuan mentioned that whether the master can return to the court in the future depends on this opportunity." There is some piety in the old servant's duty. Still said it.

"Just rely on this? Alas!"

Cheng Minzheng sighed.

"Anyway, he can figure it out. Could it be that he really thinks why I'm not reconciled? It's better to let me go back to my hometown earlier and let me live a quiet life for a few days."

Cheng Minzheng didn't have much nostalgia for officialdom.

Just like when he was impeached by others in the early years of Hongzhi, he voluntarily resigned from office and returned to his hometown. Being an official is really not a life pursuit for him.

Embellishment at best.

If there is, it is good, if not, it will not affect life.

"Master, our family is afraid that we will run out of rice..."

"What?"

"I spent a lot of money to redeem your prison sentence. The money you bought for the books was still owed on credit. When people heard that you were in trouble, they went to our ancestral house to ask for it. The family had no choice but to pay. The family also wrote many times. He said that he hoped that the master would find a way to make up for it..."

"Cough cough!"

Only then did Cheng Minzheng know that he was not an official, and he couldn't even support his family!
"You are a scholar who is useless!" Cheng Minzheng sighed.

"Master, even if it is to give face to that Zhuangyuan, he also said, as long as you can change a few more words on this, and each word can give a lot of embellishment, you should follow." The old servant said bitterly. face.

His idea is.

Your family is hungry, isn’t my family hungry?

As an old servant of the Cheng family, who is different?

"The most annoying thing is to give books, calligraphy and paintings to some ignorant people, who don't know what they are... Well, Zhang Bingkuan shouldn't be considered ignorant, right?"

"That's right, master, he is the number one scholar, and he won't aim at nothing indiscriminately."

"Then take a look?"

"have a look."

……

……

It didn't matter to Cheng Minzheng's opinion, when the old servant went to deliver the meal at night, Cheng Minzheng didn't even bother to eat.

"No time, don't bother me without my order!"

"Master, can you still watch?"

"go out!"

After a while, the old servant was about to go to bed, but he saw Cheng Minzheng running into the kitchen by himself.

"Master, you?"

"Come to find some water to drink, what kind of work do you do? If you don't eat, you won't even give me tea?"

The old servant thought for a while, you said don't let me bother you, but now you say I'm not doing my job well?

Sure enough, any master is difficult to serve.

……

……

Chengguo government office.

Zhu Fu returned home, first went to see his mother, then called the eldest son over to reprimand him, holding back his anger, went to the main hall to wait for the second son to come back.

But it was not until the second watch that the servants reported that Zhu Feng came home reeking of alcohol.

Then people were called to him.

"Father?"

Zhu Feng was still surprised.

Originally Zhu Fu said he would come back the first day, and Zhu Feng went out of the city to wait, but Zhu Fu came back a day later, Zhu Feng couldn't go out of the city to wait every day, and ran out to find someone to drink.

Zhu Fu said: "I have some military merits, so I don't know how to get it, right? Look at what you look like? Later, if His Majesty knows that you are so careless, wouldn't you take away the Marquis you got?"

"I... my boy is just bored with personal matters, so I asked Brother Zhang to go drink with me."

Zhu Feng is also very innocent.

Recently, there was a divorce again, and a bunch of people asked for help. The Yanwu Hall was overwhelmed by so many messy things, and I wanted to pick someone up... It was just a drink, and I didn't delay my work. Didn't they all drink after part-time work?
Not to mention me as a lecturer, but those who are students, should they drink alcohol or not?
Do you expect this group of big bosses to talk about romance?
"Brother Zhang you're talking about is that clever Mr. Zhang next to His Majesty?"

"Yes."

"Oh, it's all right." Zhu Fu lost all his anger in an instant, and instead asked eagerly, "Apart from drinking, did you do anything else?"

"What is the father asking?" Zhu Feng was half drunk and half awake, and had no political awareness, so he couldn't understand the hidden meaning in the words.

Zhu Fu said: "Where did you drink? Didn't go to the Jiaofang Division, how many girls can you find?"

"It's just an ordinary restaurant." Zhu Feng shook his head.

"I don't know how to do things! Did you ask him, what arrangements does His Majesty have for... being a father?" Zhu Fu wanted to put on a straight face in front of his son and pretend to be a strict father, but he seemed to be asking for something. .

Half serious, half flattering.

Then it became a state of neither anger, nor joy, nor sadness, even he himself felt awkward.

He couldn't hold his head up in front of his son.

Zhu Feng said: "Didn't Your Majesty ask father to study martial arts hall?"

"Hmph! Let Weifu go to that kind of place and listen to you young people talking about how to fire guns? What's there to listen to?" Zhu Fu felt that the emperor was making fun of himself.

Learning to learn is actually to learn from his son and his son's friends.

Disgraceful and lost.

"Father, not only you, but also the Duke of Baoguo and the Marquis of Shouning. Recently, many Dukes and Dukes have sent people to ask me if they have the opportunity to come and learn... I told them all, Listen to His Majesty's orders...Father, that's not shameful."

(End of this chapter)