Chapter 25: Xu Shangshu, who is in harmony with the world
Chapter 25: Xu Shangshu, who is in harmony with the world
Xu Jie looked at Zhang Juzheng, who had a clear attitude and was very emotional, and couldn't help feeling envious.
Once upon a time, he was also such a young and heroic man, but decades of ups and downs in the officialdom made him understand a truth:
That is, you cannot change this turbid world by relying on momentary emotions or personal likes and dislikes. If you want to do something in this turbid world, you must learn to be in harmony with the world.
Xu Jie patiently taught Zhang Juzheng: "You need to think more about this matter, think more about it, and then think about it again. Think about what problems there will be and what disadvantages there will be. Only after thinking about all these can you make a suitable choice."
Zhang Juzheng seemed to understand Xu Jie's teachings, but he still did not have a sufficient understanding of what Xu Jie said.
Zhang Juzheng believed that since the previous crown prince had died suddenly, the most important thing the court had to consider next was the selection of a new crown prince.
The candidate for the new crown prince is undoubtedly His Royal Highness Prince Yu.
Prince Yu is the eldest of the Emperor's surviving sons, and the Empress has no children.
Therefore, no matter in terms of the eldest son or the eldest son, Prince Yu is the undisputed candidate for the crown prince.
And this is not just Zhang Juzheng's opinion, but the opinion of the whole world.
The patriarchal system and rituals are above everything else, and this has been proven with blood and tears by successive dynasties over thousands of years.
Any dynasty that does not follow the patriarchal system and rituals will inevitably have extremely turbulent political struggles, which may even lead to the destruction of the country in serious cases.
Therefore, there can be no doubt on this matter, otherwise the country will no longer be a country.
Zhang Juzheng said, "Teacher, that is correct, but I think etiquette is more important than heaven. Prince Yu is your majesty's eldest son alive, so he is the best candidate for the crown prince both emotionally and logically."
"Moreover, this is the most glorious time for Yan Song and his party. If we don't carry the banner of righteousness, how can there be a bright and clear sky in the world in the future?"
The problem Zhang Juzheng mentioned is equally serious.
Ever since Yan Song and his faction defeated the former Prime Minister Xia Yan last year, they have enjoyed unrivaled power and have become the object of countless opportunists' efforts to please and follow them.
If we fail to stand before them and take a clear stand on the righteousness of the world, we will have to wait until they take the lead to recommend Prince Yu as the crown prince.
At that time, would these righteous people go against their conscience and recommend King Jing as the crown prince?
This is obviously impossible.
Because Prince Jing is young, not the eldest, and not the legitimate heir. If Xu Jie and his party nominated Prince Yu as the heir after Yan Song and his party took the lead, would they follow suit or make other choices?
Therefore, at this critical moment, we cannot hesitate too much, nor can we overthink it. We can only seize the opportunity immediately. No matter what decision His Majesty the Emperor makes, at least in the hearts of the people of the world, those who claim to be the clear stream have truly upheld morality and etiquette.
Xu Jie was silent for a moment. Sometimes he had to admit that his student's perspective on things was indeed very insightful and much more courageous than his own character of always thinking twice before doing anything.
But Zhang Juzheng was still too young and had never encountered any setbacks. Sometimes he was still easily emotional, which was a taboo in officialdom!
Especially when it comes to Xu Jie and his rank, they are at the center of power, but there is only one person who can decide the power, so they have to fight and grab! But when fighting and grabbing, they have to be careful, because if they lose the fight and fail to grab, then the end will be extremely tragic.
Therefore, they had to be careful and cautious at every step, for fear that they would accidentally fall into the abyss and never be able to get out!
Xu Jie raised his head and looked at Zhang Juzheng again, saying, "You are right. Whether this matter succeeds or not, we cannot let Yan Song's party take the lead. Prince Yu is the eldest son, and naturally he is the foundation of the country. It is reasonable for us to nominate Prince Yu as the heir at this time. Even if His Majesty has other ideas in mind, he cannot get angry."
After hearing what Xu Jie said, Zhang Juzheng's eyes suddenly lit up. This was the teacher in his mind who governed the country and cared about the world.
Zhang Juzheng bowed to Xu Jie and said, "I am willing to submit a petition with you to recommend Prince Yu as the heir."
Xu Jie looked at Zhang Juzheng's excited eyes and waved his hands, "Let me do this alone. You are still young, so you should not get involved in this dangerous struggle for the foundation of the country too early. You still have a long way to go in the future. You must learn and see more in the Hanlin Academy now, hone yourself well, and become a great man in the future, so as not to let me down for cultivating you."
Zhang Juzheng was deeply moved by Xu Jie's words. From the time he became famous at a young age to the present, apart from his parents and relatives, only his teacher Xu Jie truly cared for him and protected him.
Zhang Juzheng also kept this in mind, thinking of repaying Xu Jie's kindness in the future for his recognition, guidance and cultivation.
Zhang Juzheng bowed again and said, "I thank you for your care, sir."
Xu Jie felt very pleased to see Zhang Juzheng being so grateful.
It would be great if their son could have half the talent and knowledge of Zhang Juzheng.
Unfortunately, this is impossible, so after Xu Jie discovered Zhang Juzheng, this unpolished jade, he has been carefully carving and caring for him, hoping that Zhang Juzheng will inherit his ideals in the future and keep the right path for the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, in Xu Jie's eyes, his disciple Zhang Juzheng was even more important than his own son.
Therefore, whenever encountering major issues, Xu Jie would call his disciple to discuss together. On the one hand, this could hone Zhang Juzheng's ability to handle affairs, and on the other hand, he could also listen to the young man's ideas, which was also crucial for Xu Jie.
After all, Xu Jie is still in charge of the Hanlin Academy, and Zhang Juzheng is also considered a prominent figure in the Hanlin Academy. It would be of great benefit for Xu Jie to understand some of the ideas of the younger generation through him.
And it was precisely because of Xu Jie's thoughts and his special favor for Zhang Juzheng that in the original history, when Emperor Jiajing passed away in the 45th year of Jiajing, Xu Jie specifically called Zhang Juzheng to draft the late emperor's will, and kept it secret from other members of the cabinet such as Gao Gong and Guo Pu.
It can be said that from this incident, it can be seen that Xu Jie really loved Zhang Juzheng to the extreme and promoted him to the extreme. Even his own son could not compare with Zhang Juzheng.
Therefore, Zhang Juzheng was always grateful to Xu Jie. When Hai Rui investigated Xu Jie when he served as the governor of Yingtian in the future, Zhang Juzheng was also thinking about how to protect his teacher.
This shows that the relationship between Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng as a master and apprentice can be regarded as a true and benevolent one. It's a pity that this relationship was too constrained by feudal ethics, which made Zhang Juzheng unable to make up his mind to use Hai Rui as a pioneer at the critical moment of reform.
(End of this chapter)