Chapter 139 Master and Disciple Enter the Palace to Play a Conversation
Zhu Yuanzhang revealed his fame.

The officials were in an uproar.

Everyone lost their composure.

Shen Zhiye...

Zhu Yuanzhang continued to lower his head, staring at the three words "Shen Zhiye", which ranked second on the list. Obviously, this could not be wrong.

But... this is really hard to believe. Zhu Yuanzhang even suspected that someone was behind this.

But soon, Zhu Yuanzhang felt reassured when he remembered that the examiner was Song Lian.

Song Lian was a world-famous scholar, not only was he knowledgeable but also extremely famous. Such a person would cherish his reputation the most and it was absolutely impossible for him to have judged the paper wrongly.

Then... the only possibility is... this kid Deng Qianqiu...

As for Shen Zhiye, it was said that he was absurd and had no knowledge at all. But Deng Qianqiu could turn stone into gold, which was really incredible.

This kid Deng Qianqiu really can't be underestimated. How capable is this guy...

But what followed was great joy.

Zhu Yuanzhang remembered something and asked Xu Da, "Shen Zhiye ranked second in the imperial examination, why did so many people surround the Thousand Households Office?"

Xu Da thought for a moment and said, "I only know that the situation is serious and I am worried about the safety of the Qianhu Suo, so..."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. He knew that Xu Da was swift and resolute. No matter what caused the incident, the most important thing at the moment was to suppress the matter first and then investigate the cause and effect.

However... Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have grasped the key point at once.

He had a vague feeling that this must be the effect Deng Qianqiu wanted... Could it be... he wanted to make a bigger fuss?
So that everyone in the world knows that Qianhu has a Shen Zhiye... and this Shen Zhiye...

When you reach this point in your mind, everything becomes clear.

Zhu Yuanzhang was such a smart man that he figured out all the connections at once and felt relieved.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not show any emotion on his face. He said, "This matter is indeed serious. Duke Wei, please quickly select 300 guards and send them to the Qianhu Division as soon as possible. Do not harm innocent people."

"Bring out the three princes, as well as Deng Qianqiu and Shen Zhiye. Hmm... Shen Zhiye is truly remarkable. I have always liked people who love to learn. Let Deng Qianqiu bring him into the palace. I want to see him with my own eyes."

Xu Da said, "Yes."

Then he left the hall in a hurry.

Everyone in the hall was so shocked that they were speechless.

Everyone still found this news hard to digest, especially Wang Guangyang, whose face turned pale as paper. He stood there, his scalp numbing with embarrassment.

"His Majesty."

At this moment, someone stood up and said, "I think this is inappropriate. Shen Zhiye is just a scholar. If your majesty wants to summon him, should we..."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said, "Respect the wise and humble, isn't that what you often say? Although he is only a scholar, he is a real man, relying on his achievements in the classics and history. What's wrong with me meeting him? I advise you not to talk nonsense."

The hall fell silent again.

The main thing is that all this happened too suddenly, catching everyone off guard.

It was a long time later that Deng Qianqiu and Shen Zhiye entered the palace.

It was really lively just now. Not only were there many common people, but in the capital, first there was the inspection team, then the Five Cities Army, then the Yingtian Prefecture, and finally the Guard Department.

It can be said that this is a gathering of talented people. Now everyone knows that Shen Zhiye is on the list.

For this purpose, Deng Qianqiu prepared dozens of baskets of copper coins for rewards, but even so, many people still did not get any reward money.

This made Deng Qianqiu feel guilty, because this was a question of professional ethics. After all, even in the previous life, those who said they would give out eggs really did give them out.

But now His Majesty has issued an urgent decree, Deng Qianqiu dare not delay and can only rush into the palace.

During the journey, he was a little worried that Shen Zhiye would not dare to respond, so he said to Shen Zhiye all the way: "Don't be afraid, His Majesty is magnanimous, you just need to answer well, if you can't answer, praise him, praise others, do you know how to do it?"

Shen Zhiye frowned and thought seriously, "Students... I'm afraid they don't know how to do it."

Deng Qianqiu sighed, "Oh, what a pity, my disciple Deng Qianqiu is so dull. It is said that a teacher does not have to be better than his disciple, but if you can't even do this, how can you survive in the future?"

Shen Zhiye said in shame: "I am ashamed."

Deng Qianqiu waved his hand and said, "Forget it, don't look so sad. You've made the list, you should be happy. We'll just act according to circumstances when the time comes."

After entering the hall, the two of them entered one after another.

Deng Qianqiu was the first to salute and said, "Your Majesty." On the other side, Shen Zhiye fell to his knees, prostrating himself, and saluted, "I am Shen Zhiye, a student. I am extremely honored to see Your Majesty..."

Deng Qianqiu blinked and glanced at him sideways.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "You are Shen Zhiye? Shen Zhiye, you don't have to be so reserved."

"Your Majesty, I am not at all reserved."

"Oh?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in surprise, "Really? That's rare."

Shen Zhiye said in a clear voice: "On weekdays, my grandfather and father have always taught me that the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty has eliminated the evil spirits in China, avenged China's hatred and shame, and expelled the Tartars, so that the Hu people can no longer oppress our Chinese subjects. His merits far surpass those of Tang Yu, and even Yao and Shun cannot match them. Such a holy monarch has never existed since Pangu created the world. This is a blessing for all the people. The Chinese army and people are bathing in the rain of the holy emperor, just like a long drought and a sweet rain."

After a pause, Shen Zhiye continued, "Besides, my teacher often told me that Your Majesty is kind and generous, and I feel like being bathed in spring breeze. What he cares about most is the people of the world. I am Your Majesty's people, so how can I be afraid? I can only shed tears of gratitude and be so excited that I can't control myself."

Deng Qianqiu glanced at Shen Zhiye again.

Zhu Yuanzhang was obviously very happy. He smiled and said, "This kid is very good. He is well-versed in literature, talented, and understands justice. Hahaha, very good, very good. I heard that you are from a merchant family?"

Shen Zhiye said: "Yes, my family has been engaged in business for generations."

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This is strange... Your family is a merchant family, and you have not received any education, but you can pass the examination of Yingtian Prefecture and even rank among the top. Among my ministers, there are many people who have inherited poetry and books from their families and have been farming and studying for generations. What a profound family background this is, but they are not as good as you..."

When Zhu Yuanzhang said this, his ministers were so embarrassed that they wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Wang Guangyang and said, "Mr. Wang, why do you think this is happening?"

Wang Guangyang didn't know how to respond for a moment. After more than a dozen generations of hard work, he couldn't just say... the ancestors of the Wang family didn't have a good foundation.

If it were anyone else, it would be fine, but Shen Zhiye came from a humble merchant family, which made Wang Guangyang's so-called family tradition of poetry and literature a joke.

He could probably understand that His Majesty was deliberately diverting the topic to Deng Qianqiu.

But Wang Guangyang was puzzled. Why did His Majesty do this? Was it necessary?

Zhu Yuanzhang obviously did not intend to leave it at that. He pressed on, "Why don't you answer, Mr. Wang? For example, Mr. Wang, your family has been studying for more than a dozen generations, but your grandson...why is he not as good as a mere merchant's son?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..." Wang Guangyang was unable to speak.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Think about it carefully, is it because... your family education is not as good as... some people's teachers..."

Wang Guangyang was furious. What a crap master! What a heretic! How could he compare my ancestor with him?
But it was the emperor who said this, so he had to hold it in no matter how angry he was.

Deng Qianqiu thought to himself that it was bad, the emperor was trying to make him hate him... After these words were spoken, wouldn't all the officials in the court hate him, Deng Qianqiu, to death?
But a thought flashed through my mind: I, Deng Qianqiu... seem to be afraid of everything except offending people.

Oh, that's okay.

But Wang Guangyang was the right prime minister after all, so he really didn’t know how to answer.

Deng Qianqiu had good intentions. He knew Wang Guangyang's dilemma. After all... this was denying his family tradition. Denying family tradition meant denying his ancestors. His Majesty was too cruel. He would do anything to make money and make a name for himself.

Deng Qianqiu couldn't help but come to Wang Guangyang's rescue, saying, "Your Majesty, I think it may not be that there is something wrong with Lord Wang's family education, but Lord Wang's bloodline is not good, so this child... may be a little stupid..."

After hearing this, Wang Guangyang got angry again. He was humble in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, but he didn't care about Deng Qianqiu. He immediately shouted: "Deng Qianqiu, who are you scolding?"

Deng Qianqiu shrank his neck in fear: "Woof... Mr. Wang, I... I... I am here to help you out."

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Okay, this is the court, not the street. What kind of behavior is this? Mr. Wang is the right prime minister. He has made great contributions to me. Mr. Deng's family is also very good. He is well-read and knowledgeable. He teaches and educates people. He has not only taught my sons well, but also Shen Zhiye. Isn't he a talented person?"

All officials were silent.

Some people secretly rolled their eyes.

But now, everything seems irrefutable. You can say that he is a heretic, but if he is really a heretic, how can his disciples succeed in the imperial examination?

You have to know that this imperial examination tests the most authentic Neo-Confucianism in the world. If there is the slightest mistake or if there are any taboo words, you will not be able to pass. The person who examines the papers is the great Confucian scholar Song Lian, so he can be said to be very strict.

Zhu Yuanzhang then asked about the situation at Shen Zhiye's home.

Shen Zhiye answered them one by one.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "It's not easy, it's really not easy. You should study hard in the future, follow your mentor and learn more skills. As the saying goes, a teacher is a father for life. You should learn until you die. Do you understand?"

Deng Qianqiu stood aside and thought to himself, twenty thousand taels a year. If he could live for seventy years and keep learning until he’s old, then Shen Zhiye still has fifty-four years to live. Fifty-four times two, shit, one million and eighty thousand taels… Isn’t this… a bit too heartless?

Zhu Yuanzhang saw that Deng Qianqiu was distracted, and seemed to have seen through Deng Qianqiu's thoughts at a glance. He coughed and said, "Mr. Deng's family, Mr. Deng's family..."

“Ah…ah…ah…ah…” Deng Qianqiu came back to his senses, looking bewildered.

(End of this chapter)