Chapter 84 The Beautiful Scenery of Hainan
Chapter 84 The Beautiful Scenery of Hainan (First Order Request)
Zhu Zaigui's initial greeting and the call of "Uncle Gao" moved Gao Gong so much that he almost cried.
As the cost of living in the capital was too high, Gao Gong, a noble Hanlin, could not possibly be as wealthy as officials serving in other places, so he had lived almost entirely alone in the capital over the years, without any relatives around him. During these cold winter months, apart from Zhu Zaigui who would send people to deliver some daily necessities, no one else visited him.
Now Zhu Zaigui suddenly showed up, bringing a stranger with him. Gao Gong immediately reacted and said to Zhu Zaigui, "Okay, okay, come in quickly. It's cold outside."
When saying this, Gao Gong also glanced at Hai Rui who came with Zhu Zaigui. He saw that Hai Rui was wearing only a thin gray cloth gown, which did not seem to be filled with much cotton.
However, this person had an aura of righteousness lingering about him at that station. Such an extraordinary sign naturally attracted Gao Gong's attention.
Gao Gong bowed to Hai Rui and said, "My name is Gao Gong, my courtesy name is Suqing, my pseudonym is Zhongxuan, and I am from Xinzheng, Henan. May I ask your name, Gao Xin?"
Hai Rui also bowed hastily upon seeing the greeting, "I dare not call you so noble. My name is Hai Rui, courtesy name is Ruxian, alias is Gangfeng, and I am from Qiongshan, Guangdong."
Gao Gong was surprised to hear that he was from Qiongshan, Guangdong. This place was not nearby. It was the southernmost part of the Ming Dynasty, almost to the end of the world.
Zhu Zaigui watched the two people greet each other at the door and interrupted, "Uncle Gao, please invite them in quickly. It's very cold outside. Don't let them get frozen."
After hearing what Zhu Zaigui said, Gao Gong did not hesitate and said to Hai Rui, "Brother Hai, please come in."
Hai Rui returned the greeting, "Thank you, Brother Gao."
Then Zhu Zaigui went into Gao Gong's courtyard room as if he had returned to his own home without Gao Gong's guidance.
Seeing the small courtyard where Gao Gong lived, Zhu Zaigui couldn't help but say, "Uncle Gao, the place you live in is too small. I'll ask Meng Chong to find you a bigger house and arrange a few servants. Otherwise, how are you going to live in your daily life?"
When Gao Gong heard that Zhu Zaigui cared about him so much, he was so moved that he couldn't express it in words.
Gao Gong said, "No need, no need, your Highness. Since this place is close to the Hanlin Academy, I don't have to go back and forth. If I change my residence, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch the morning class."
Zhu Zaigui also laughed when he heard this, "Yes, the rules of your Hanlin Academy are strict, and it's good to live here nearby. But I still have to arrange a servant to take care of your daily life, otherwise if this gets out and people know about it, they will blame me for not knowing how to respect my elders."
As Zhu Zaigui and Gao Gong entered the room together, Hai Rui heard Zhu Zaigui say that Gao Gong seemed to be working in the Hanlin Academy, and saw that Gao Gong's room was full of various books.
At this moment, Hai Rui couldn't help but be surprised, "Could Brother Gao be a Jinshi from the Hanlin Academy?"
After Gao Gong heard Hai Rui's words, he glanced at Zhu Zaigui again and found that Zhu Zaigui did not give any other instructions, so he said frankly: "I am a fifth-rank academician in the Hanlin Academy. I am sorry to have embarrassed you with my humble abode, Brother Hai."
When Hai Rui heard that he was really a Jinshi, he was immediately shocked. He never expected that this noble young man whom he met by chance would take him to the home of a Jinshi. This was so fantastic, like a dream.
Hai Rui bowed and said, "I dare not, I dare not, the tutor is noble and I am just an ordinary candidate, how dare I talk to the tutor as an equal."
Hai Rui was a man of integrity, but that didn't mean he was a fool with high expectations. In normal situations, if he met someone with a higher official rank than himself, Hai Rui would still meet him on weekdays.
However, it was impossible for Hai Rui to pay obsequious respect to Shangguan like other scholars and gentry. Hai Rui would only show his respect for people and things within the scope of etiquette. He would never go beyond the limits of etiquette, such as kneeling down to greet Shangguan.
This is Hai Rui's character! It is like a stream of fresh air, bringing a different color to the Ming officialdom that has been turbid for hundreds of years.
It was precisely because of this touch of color that Hai Rui became a clean and upright minister, hence his nickname "Gangfeng".
Gao Gong was also surprised when he heard that this person was actually a juren, and sighed, "The juren in Qiongshan have a hard time."
Before Hai Rui could say anything, Zhu Zaigui said, "Why is life so miserable in Qiongshan? It's summer all year round there, and there are endless coconut delicacies everywhere. The sea water is as clear as crystal, and the fine sand on the beach is as soft as a cushion. The treasures produced in the sea are countless."
"If I were to live by the sea in Qiongshan, enjoying the sunshine and beach, stepping barefoot on the crystal-like waves, feeling the sea breeze, and picking up shells, how comfortable and cozy would it be? How could such a beautiful place be considered bitter? Isn't it much more comfortable than Beijing in the cold winter?"
When Zhu Zaigui said this, both Gao Gong and Hai Rui were stunned.
Hai Rui asked uncertainly, "Have you ever been to Qiongshan, sir?"
Zhu Zaigui sighed to himself, "Of course I have been there. I still miss it today."
After Zhu Zaigui said this, Hai Rui seemed to understand why Zhu Zaigui looked at him differently. It might be because Zhu Zaigui had been to Qiongshan with his family elders and read his "Governing the Li Plan", so he was so impressed with him.
Otherwise none of this would make sense.
However, Gao Gong also showed an expression of disbelief and shock. He knew very well that Zhu Zaigui was a wealthy prince who had never been to the capital, let alone Qiongshan, which was thousands of miles away.
However, the scenery of Qiongshan that Zhu Zaigui had just described was as real as if he had experienced it in person. The feeling of confusion made Gao Gong at a loss.
"Could this be what the prince saw in the Yongle Encyclopedia?"
Gao Gong knew that Zhu Zaigui had been borrowing the "Yongle Encyclopedia" that was being copied by the Hanlin Academy recently, and he had already read many copies. Perhaps he saw these Qiongshan customs in the "Yongle Encyclopedia".
Otherwise Gao Gong couldn't think of any other reason.
Hai Rui sighed, "Although Qiongshan is beautiful, the Li people are difficult to govern. If the court can pay attention to governing the chaos of the Li people in Qiongzhou, Qiongshan may really be as infinitely beautiful as you said."
Zhu Zaigui was not stunned when he heard this, but asked: "Why? Are there still Li people in Hainan who refuse to obey the king?"
In Zhu Zaigui's subconscious mind, Hainan is an enjoyable holiday paradise. On the beach, there are either coconut trees waving in the wind or bikinis walking on the sunny beach. How could there be any harm?
Even if there are any harms, they are just some illegal taxis and shops that overcharge customers and damage the local reputation.
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