Xu Wei nodded and said,
"That's good. Zhang Taiyue fancies himself as a pure scholar. Reforms are reforms, but his sincerity is limited. He's not like Zi Xuan, who undergoes a radical transformation... Patching things up like him won't do the Great Ming Dynasty any good now..."
Oh?
Zhu Mo couldn't help but look at him with renewed admiration. He truly felt that this Xu Wei was an extraordinary talent, seeing things more clearly than others. Perhaps it was related to his being a painter, giving him a naturally unconventional way of thinking.
This trip,
Xu Wei had contributed, and he had also taken risks. While in Yongchang Prefecture, Yu Chaosheng had wanted to throw him into the Dadu River...
At this thought,
password563743675
He looked at Xu Wei's weathered face and couldn't help but say,
"Brother Wenchang, I shouldn't have left you alone in Anshun City. It's too dangerous..."
Xu Wei, however, chuckled,
"Zi Xuan, you underestimate me. This water still can't do me in! Hahaha..."
Zhu Mo thought to himself that it was true. This man was quite cunning in his youth. The staff offices of Yang Bo and Hu Zongxian were not easy places to be in... This time, he had investigated under Yu Chaosheng and Dong Wei, and in such perilous circumstances, he hadn't been thrown into the Dadu River to feed the fish. This showed his extraordinary intellect.
It seemed his fame as a poet and painter had overshadowed his true abilities. The world saw Xu Wenchang as a reckless scholar, unaware that he was a true prodigy.
Thinking of this, Zhu Mo said apologetically,
"Brother Wenchang, I misspoke. You are a rare talent of our time. You have made contributions in border defense and resisting Japanese pirates. The small arena of Anshun is naturally no challenge for you."
Hahaha,
Xu Wei was greatly pleased. He patted Zhu Mo's shoulder and laughed,
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"Zi Xuan, all my life I've wanted to revitalize the Great Ming. Painting and calligraphy are merely for my own amusement. Yet the world considers me a 'painting demon,' with my fame overshadowing my true talents... Back in Yang Bo's staff office, Young Master Yang regarded me as a mere scholar and asked me to teach his nephews painting... Alas, it was perhaps my art that misled me. In Minister Hu's staff office, I did accomplish some things, but unfortunately, the Japanese pirates were too deeply involved, and with internal strife and constraints, my achievements were mediocre..."
Speaking of this,
He sighed and continued,
"Zi Xuan, I heard about your reforms, and I wasn't optimistic at first... Why? Firstly, you were too young. Even if you had read a little, how much insight could you have? Secondly, the Great Ming has long been terminally ill. The more one sees, the colder one's heart becomes... But later, Zhang Taiyue also came down, and Minister Hu, Qi Yuanjing, and I thought it was somewhat promising. Later, the methods you implemented were reasonable and aligned with the general trend, truly earning my admiration. But even then, I still thought you would fail. However, later, you produced firearms, which were truly extraordinary...
Zi Xuan, up to now, I believe reforms are extremely difficult. You might have to retreat and not get too deeply involved with the imperial family, otherwise, you will surely meet a violent end..."
After saying this,
He was deeply moved, staring into Zhu Mo's eyes with genuine emotion.
Zhu Mo had been very busy lately. When he was nearly assassinated the last time, he had also considered retreating. However, events had propelled him forward, and he couldn't stop. Since arriving in Yunnan and Guizhou, he had been in constant danger of being harmed. Fortunately, Mu Chaobi was a man of integrity, which had allowed him to survive until now. Xu Wei's words were certainly sincere. If he continued, even with Emperor Jiajing's support, he could still face disaster at any moment. After all, Emperor Jiajing had also withdrawn his support for the establishment of the Yangming Official School the last time.
If it came to that, and Prince Yu was implicated, Emperor Jiajing would do anything to protect his only son. He couldn't possibly endorse a prince as the emperor, could he? Moreover, there were still the Ning King's three sons, and the mysterious Prince Jing. These would all surface sooner or later. With the slightest carelessness, he would truly be unable to escape.
Thinking of this,
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He was truly a little frightened and sighed,
"Brother Wenchang, last time in Hangzhou, I was almost killed, and I thought about retiring. But can I really retire? Do you think Yan Shifan would let me go? I'm afraid he'd hunt me to the ends of the earth to kill me..."
Xu Wei pondered for a moment and said with a wry smile,
"I've also thought about it. The Junior Cabinet Minister truly hates you, but it wouldn't be difficult to protect your life. It all depends on the Emperor... Zi Xuan, have you ever considered what you would do if the Emperor decided to stop here? Moreover, even if the Emperor wanted to continue, he might not be able to achieve it...
Zi Xuan, think about it. The Emperor is probably not seeing officials anymore, spending his days cultivating immortality and taking elixirs. How can he endure? Prince Yu is already over forty. Currently, Grand Secretary Yan and others are planning for Prince Yu to succeed the throne. With a single imperial decree, everything could turn to dust. If that time comes, it will be impossible to retreat..."
At this moment,
Zhu Mo walked to the window and looked at the rapid current not far away. The dark mountains loomed terrifyingly in the night, and the rushing sound of the Dadu River was heart-stopping. Thinking about the road ahead, where every step might lead to disaster, he suddenly felt a surge of panic.
But then he thought again—
What he had done was not excessive at all. After all, he had never unjustly executed anyone, had he? He who killed He Maocai was a traitor who colluded with the enemy, and anyone in charge would have executed him. He was fortunate not to have his family implicated. Then there was Li Lai from Datong Prefecture, the second person he killed. But given the circumstances that day, coupled with the crimes that person had committed, how could he have survived? Moreover, the Imperial Guard's Yu Er was present that day. It couldn't be counted as solely his doing, could it? Besides these, there were several people in Hangzhou who had been colluding with the Japanese for years, but those were also signed off by Zhang Juzheng. He was the Minister of War and used military law, so it had nothing to do with him...
Some things were indeed humiliating, like the incident with Yan Maoqing, but Yan Shifan had humiliated him even more severely, hadn't he? Take Gao Gong's situation, for instance; if it were someone else, he would have been the first in history to die miserably.
This is also the truth.
As for businesses, where do worldly people's fortunes last forever? Wealth that prevents others from living will not end well in itself... So it's not a matter of cutting off people's livelihoods...
After much thought,
He felt his emotions surge, finding it difficult to control himself for a moment.
Xu Wei, being of a similar nature and having witnessed countless storms of hardship in his life, naturally understood his feelings. He gazed at the rapid current of the Dadu River and sighed leisurely,
"Zi Xuan, as your elder brother, I advise you. In my opinion, perhaps you could let Zhang Juzheng take the lead... Let's retreat for now and lie low for a while. We'll see what happens then. If it doesn't work out, so be it. Who can predict the cycles of heaven? What do you say?"
Zhu Mo couldn't help but nod and say,
"When I return this time, I'll go into seclusion for a while and see what the Emperor says. Then I'll see what Zhang Juzheng intends to do... I won't manage things anymore. If the Emperor also doesn't want to continue, then I'll resign my titles and return to be a Taoist priest!"
Xu Wei clapped his hands and laughed,
"Zi Xuan, it's not that I don't care about the suffering of the common people, but that's just how things are. Throughout history, if something cannot be done, it simply cannot be done. The fact that you can mend things bit by bit is already commendable... Though you are young, your actions have shamed countless past sages. I think that's enough, don't do it anymore..."
Mm-hmm,
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Zhu Mo felt a sense of relief at this moment and a sudden lightness. He chuckled and said,
"When I return this time, Brother Wenchang, you must teach me painting... Then we can invite Mr. He, Shujian, and the others, and retreat to the mountains for a few years of happiness..."
Good!
"It's a deal!"
Xu Wei nodded emphatically.
The next day,
The two bid farewell to Zhou Hongzu and others. Although Yu Chaosheng had not returned, his cousin Yu Chaoyong came from Wusa to see them off. Zhu Mo and Xu Wei declined and left Anshun that very day.
Several days later,
The group arrived at Jiangkou, bought a boat, and sailed downstream. At this time, both men had begun to entertain thoughts of retirement. They enjoyed the scenery along the way, and even in the rapid currents of the Three Gorges, they no longer felt alarmed.
Zhu Mo lingered, stopping everywhere to admire ancient sites long lost to later generations, as if returning to his past days of wandering the land.
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...
Meanwhile,
In the capital, the atmosphere was completely different. It was only the end of October, yet it felt like winter had arrived. The usually scorching late autumn heat had failed to materialize. Although the markets were as lively as ever, many people sensed that a cold current was brewing beneath the surface.
On this day,
At the Chaotian Temple,
Wang Daren was summoned to a secret chamber by two young Taoist priests.
Emperor Jiajing, who was engrossed in cultivating immortality, had for many years summoned alchemists at the Chaotian Temple. He never showed himself, remaining in the simple chamber behind the secret chamber and having Lü Fang relay his questions, much like an imperial court.
Wang Daren, having just returned to the capital, was suddenly summoned, and he felt a faint sense of unease. Although he had been summoned to an audience several times before, his back was already drenched in sweat. After all, this mission had failed, and he was unsure if he would be able to get through today.