I was the emperor in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 69 The Millennium Family
It has been more than [-] years since the imperial examination began in the Sui Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty.

It has to be said that this system of selecting talents from all over the world has directly overturned the foundation of the aristocratic families controlling the court.

Although there were many aristocratic families in the Ming Dynasty, there will never be a grand scene like the Taiyuan Wang family in Tang Dynasty, where a family has tens of thousands of people, and thousands of people become officials.

However, there is a special family that has really prospered for thousands of years.

Shiyongfang Yansheng Gong's residence, Confucius Hall.

Kong Yanjin, who was wearing ordinary clothes, was sipping the tribute West Lake Longjing tea. The flat and smooth tender green tea leaves stretched out in the delicate white porcelain cup, dyeing a cup of emerald-like yellow-green tea soup.

Sitting in the same room with Kong Yanjin, except for his sons Kong Chengqing and Kong Chengli.

There are also three great Confucians who are sometimes called the three elders of Zhejiang, Tan Zhongyou, Su Miaoheng, Hu Zhibai, Qin Tianjian Supervisor Zhou Mingli, and Imperial Academy Minister Han Pingzhang.

Putting down the teacup heavily, Kong Yanjin, who was only forty years old and had just reached the age of [-], said with sadness in his eyes:

"The emperor insulted me, I think you all have heard about it."

Kong Yanjin's two sons came to serve tea and pour water, so naturally they had no part to speak. Han Pingzhang, the attendant of the Imperial Academy, took over the conversation and said:

"Although I didn't go to the palace banquet last night, I also heard about the emperor's arbitrariness, which caused the adults to take the door away. I think that the emperor's move is inappropriate."

"Of course not." Tan Zhongyou, who was dressed in a blue Confucian robe and had half-white temples, glared at the table and said:
"Brother Chaoshen is also a saint, how can the emperor act like this, can the new emperor disregard the saint after he ascends the throne?"

Those who could be invited by Kong Yanjin to speak at the Konglin Hall naturally had close friendships with him.

As soon as Tan Zhongyou finished speaking, the four Qin Tianjian supervisors, Zhou Mingli and Zhou Mingli, who hadn't spoken, also felt the same and were filled with righteous indignation to help.

After the group of people complained, Kong Yanjin wiped the corners of his eyes twice, looked at the people and bowed their hands, and sighed:
"It would be great if the emperor could be as sensible as the brothers."

"Brother Chaoshen, don't worry." Tan Zhongyou stretched out his hand and said in a deep voice:
"Although I don't have any official positions, my disciples are quite up-to-date and they all work in Beijing. I just ask them to perform on my behalf."

Kong Yanjin was secretly happy when he heard the words, but his face was full of hesitation and he said:

"Brother Tan, this is not good."

"Don't worry about Chaoshen, the imperial court arbitrarily deposed and executed important officials in the court, and set up yamen indiscriminately in disregard of the law of the ancestors, it is none of your business.

The old man is already ready to play. "Tan Zhongyou waved his big hand, and said resolutely with his old face.

Tan Zhongyou spoke so resolutely that Su Miaoheng and Hu Zhibai couldn't keep silent anymore, and they all expressed that they would let their disciples perform on their behalf.

The resolute statement made by the three elders made Kong Yanjin very happy. Yan Shenggong was his hereditary vain job, and the Guozijian sacrificial wine was something he couldn't bear to give up.

Although the post of Jijiu in Guozijian is only of the fourth rank, it is the top position among Qingliu officials, with a very high reputation and status. As far as selfishness is concerned, Kong Yanjin does not want to lose this official position.

But last night at the palace banquet, he had already hated the emperor, and if he wanted to keep his official position, he had to use the hands of others to put pressure on the emperor, so that the emperor would understand that he was recognized by everyone as the Imperial Academy.

Putting up his sleeves and standing up, Kong Yanjin looked at San Lao with a grateful face and said:

"Chaoshen has caused trouble for the three of you."

Naturally, the three of Tan Zhongyou would not look at Kong Yanjin to thank him, and they all hurriedly got up to return the gift, and then they were polite again.

Kong Yanjin's reason for inviting a few people here was of course not to vent his anger. After being a saint, he still wanted face.After discussing the content of the performance, Kong Yanjin stood up and invited:

"I invite you to come here today. In fact, I came across a historic site a while ago. I would like to ask you to identify the authenticity. I wonder if you are interested?"

"No one in the world knows that you, Kong Chaoshen, are the number one collector in the capital." Tan Zhongyou is an idiot, he immediately became interested, got up and asked with a smile:
"Which one of you wrote it?"

Kong Yanjin pursed his lips and smiled, with a bit of modesty on his face, but he said complacently:
"Be lucky, Su Zizhan's handwriting."

"Su Zizhan?"

This time it was not only Tan Zhongyou, but also Zhou Mingli who had been silent all this time, exclaimed.Kong Yanjin dared to take it out and look at it, he must have confirmed that it was authentic, but no one expected that it was actually a painting by Su Zizhan of the Song Dynasty.

Tan Zhongyou is a painting idiot, but Zhou Mingli is a poetry idiot. Li Bai and Du Fu in the Tang Dynasty, and Su Shi and Xin Qiji in the Song Dynasty are all masters of poetry and poetry that he admires.

Now that he heard that Kong Yanjin had obtained a painting by Su Zizhan, Zhou Mingli suddenly grabbed Kong Yanjin's arm in a somewhat glum manner and said:
"Hurry up, hurry up, I claim to be Su Zizhan's disciple, but I have never seen Master Su's authentic work."

A group of people walked out of Konglin hall quickly, Kong Yanjin looked at Zhou Mingli with a smile and said:

"I don't know if it's the real one yet, Brother Zhou, be careful and have fun for a while."

Zhou Mingli turned a deaf ear to it, already determined in his heart that he would definitely see Su Zizhan's painting today, shook his head and said:

"When will the bright moon come? Ask the blue sky for wine. I don't know the palace in the sky. What year is it? Su Zizhan is a great talent, and I really admire him."

Strolling to the Library Pavilion, Kong Yanjin didn't hold back any more, and ordered his two sons to fetch the unframed picture scroll from the second floor, and unfolded it on the table in person:
""Picture of Dead Wood and Strange Rock", everyone laughs at me."

The thin yellowed paper roll was slowly unrolled, and Zhou Mingli and the others hurriedly opened their eyes wide.

Look closely.

In the concise and clear picture, a strange rock is entrenched in the lower left, and a few bamboo leaves grow behind the stone, full of wild interest.

And on the right of the strange rock is a dead tree firmly grasping the ground.The trunk of the tree twists and turns, straight and obliquely pierces into the sky.

Although there is no leaf on the canopy, the branches resembling antlers can still make people feel the stubbornness of the tree.

Everyone buried their heads in watching, Kong Yanjin said in a low voice from the side:

"This painting was made by Su Zizhan when he was the prefect of Jiangzhou. There is also a poem written by Mi Fu on the left. Please take a good look at it and see if you have made a hole."

"Casual and happy, with natural charm, good painting, good painting." Tan Zhongyou's face trembled with excitement, wishing to put his eyes on the painting.

The painting has not been mounted yet, Kong Yanjin didn't dare to let the painting leak in the air for a long time, so he put away the painting himself, smiled apologetically and said:

"Sweeping everyone's interest, after the mounting, I will invite you brothers to appreciate it."

Although Tan Zhongyou and the others could understand, they still had an expression of incompleteness, but the painting was not their own, so they could only show an open-minded attitude to see it again when they had a chance.

Zhou Mingli watched Kong Yanjin put away the painting with his eyes fixed on him, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly followed Kong Yanjin to the second floor of the Zangshu Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)