novelhk Chapter 148 is the Knife in the Palm
Chapter 148 is the Knife in the Palm
Upon entering the imperial study, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the ground. Then, he went to the desk, lifted his robe, and knelt before Emperor Jian'an, who was sitting behind the desk. His voice was deep and steady: "Your subject Zheng Hao greets Your Majesty."
The Emperor Jian'an's majestic yet peaceful voice came from above.
"Flat body."
Zheng Hao stood up and stood respectfully.
Emperor Jian'an closed his eyes slightly, as if in thought. After a moment, he spoke and instructed, "You shall explain the Analects, Wei Ling Gong chapter."
"Yes." Zheng Hao bowed respectfully.
The prince standing nearby asked, "Does Lord Zheng wish to read the Analects?"
After being reprimanded by Emperor Jian'an, the lecturer of the Hanlin Academy returned to the Hanlin Academy with a flustered expression. The eunuch who came to summon the top scholar to the palace, and everyone in the Hanlin Academy, fearing Emperor Jian'an's anger, did not dare to keep him waiting and urged Zheng Hao to enter the palace as soon as possible.
For a time, Zheng Hao didn't bring any books with him.
He slightly raised his eyes and said to Eunuch Wang with gratitude, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I just reviewed the Analects a few days ago and still remember its contents, so I won't trouble you to make another trip."
After these words were spoken, Eunuch Wang remained silent.
Zheng Hao pondered for a moment, then he parted his lips slightly and began to recite the Analects, Book 1, "Wei Ling Gong".
In the quiet imperial study, a clear and gentle voice explained the scriptures.
The Analects, Book 1, Chapter 1, "Duke Ling of Wei," consists of forty-two chapters. The first chapter is where Duke Ling of Wei asks Confucius about military matters.
Zheng Hao: "Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about matters of state. Confucius replied, 'I have heard of matters concerning sacrificial vessels and offerings, but I have not studied matters of military affairs.' The next day, he departed."
Confucius opposed resolving disputes between states through war, though there were exceptions in specific cases. He advocated governing the state through propriety and humility, and therefore, after answering Duke Ling of Wei's question, he left Wei the following day.
Emperor Jian'an remained silent, sitting on the dragon throne with his eyes half-closed. The entire imperial study was extremely quiet, save for Zheng Hao's clear and slow voice.
Zheng Hao stood in the imperial study for about half an hour, only managing to finish the tenth chapter of the Analects, "Wei Ling Gong". During the lecture, he did not pause for a moment. After a while, he felt his throat was dry and sore, and Zheng Hao's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
But under this stinging pain, the dark eyes hidden by the eyelids flickered, and at times, a few terrifying glints flashed in their depths.
From the moment Emperor Jian'an summoned him to the palace, on the way from the Hanlin Academy to the Imperial Study, Zheng Hao appeared calm and composed, but many things were on his mind.
Emperor Jian'an was in a bad mood. After reprimanding the lecturer, he summoned other officials from the Hanlin Academy to the palace to explain the classics and history. If it were anyone else, they would be completely afraid of Emperor Jian'an's thunderous wrath. However, Zheng Hao was quickly analyzing the matter.
Logically, after a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy was reprimanded and returned to the Hanlin Academy, if Emperor Jian'an wanted to summon someone back to the palace to lecture, he should have summoned officials such as scholars and readers, not a sixth-rank official.
Zheng Hao's heart skipped a beat. In many situations, especially during crucial periods of making important life decisions, Zheng Hao's intuition was always surprisingly accurate.
He had a premonition that if this trip went smoothly, he would rise to a higher position and would no longer need to toil away in the Hanlin Academy for many years.
Zheng Hao calmed down and continued lecturing.
Suddenly, Emperor Jian'an opened his eyes and said, "I will not be able to finish the whole story today."
Emperor Jian'an paused for a moment, then spoke again: "You may explain the meaning of Confucius's saying: 'In serving one's lord, one should respect one's duties before enjoying one's food.'"
Zheng Hao lowered his head slightly, his brows furrowing slightly, and then seemed to notice nothing at all.
He replied, “Confucius’ words emphasize that subjects should treat the tasks entrusted to them by their ruler with respect and seriousness, putting their duties first and not considering personal interests first.”
Emperor Jian'an shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice, "Don't try to fool me with the annotations in the book. I want to hear your understanding."
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly, his thoughts wandering.
After a pause, he said, "A ruler should treat his subjects with courtesy, and a subject should serve his ruler with loyalty."
The saying "Serving the ruler requires respecting one's duties before seeking food" emphasizes the responsibilities of a subject. It is not wrong for an official to be diligent and conscientious in fulfilling his duties, but for an emperor, being a subject who is dutiful is not the most important thing; being utterly loyal to the emperor is the most crucial.
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire imperial study fell silent.
Emperor Jian'an sat majestically on the dragon throne.
Eunuch Wang stood behind the dragon throne, serving Emperor Jian'an. At this moment, he couldn't tell whether Emperor Jian'an was in a good or bad mood. He lowered his head and controlled his breathing.
Suddenly, Emperor Jian'an's tense expression relaxed, and he laughed heartily: "What a fine example of a ruler treating his subjects with courtesy and subjects serving their ruler with loyalty! You truly deserve to be the top scholar whose name I personally bestowed upon you. If all officials in the court had such a pure heart as you, my Great Qian Dynasty would not be in constant turmoil."
Zheng Hao replied respectfully, "Your Majesty's praise is undeserved. Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night to handle state affairs, and all of you officials work day and night. The Great Qian Dynasty will surely turn misfortune into good fortune and create a new era of peace and prosperity."
Zheng Hao spoke expressionlessly, but his tone and posture were extremely respectful. From Emperor Jian'an's perspective, all one could see was the young, handsome, and exceptionally obedient scholar, like a fledgling bird, who was very dependent on his father, who had personally appointed him as the top scholar.
A hint of satisfaction flashed across Emperor Jian'an's eyes, but a hint of consideration remained.
He said, "Only you, a newborn calf, are fearless and dare to speak the truth in front of me. Other officials, when faced with the floods in Jiangnan, the displacement of millions of people, and the Red-Clad Army's attack on two prefectural cities, would only try to whitewash the situation in front of me."
At this point, with a loud "bang," Emperor Jian'an slapped the armrest of the dragon throne.
Zheng Hao and Eunuch Wang immediately knelt down.
Zheng Hao lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Emperor Jian'an said with a gloomy face, "I am not senile yet, and they all dare to deceive me. Under heaven, is it the world of the aristocratic families or the world of my Yan family?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire imperial study fell into a suffocating silence.
Eunuch Wang's head was almost touching the ground.
Zheng Hao lowered his eyelids slightly, his gaze dark and unfathomable.
After a few breaths, he said in a deep voice: "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the land, all people are subjects of the king. The world belongs to Your Majesty, not to aristocratic families; your subjects are Your Majesty's subjects, not to aristocratic families."
Emperor Jian'an said in a deep voice, "The newly appointed scholars all understand this principle, but it is hateful that some officials who have served in the court for many years disregard the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues..."
Emperor Jian'an did not finish his sentence.
He lowered his eyes, his eagle-like gaze fixed on the young officials below, and said: "In recent years, the Censorate, which has always been responsible for rectifying the court, has gradually become entangled with powerful families. In order to eliminate dissidents, they have been constantly suppressing officials from humble backgrounds and commoner families, making the court a chaotic place with many wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice."
"If this crooked and evil practice is not rectified, it will discourage countless poor and commoner children who are devoted to studying for the imperial examinations."
Emperor Jian'an said in a deep voice to Zheng Hao: "Your pure heart is invaluable, and your loyalty to the emperor is as clear as the sun and moon. The Censorate needs upright men like you to uphold justice, be fearless of powerful figures, investigate the mistakes of officials, rectify the atmosphere of the court, and safeguard the long-term stability of the country."
"From this day forward, I hereby appoint you concurrently as the Censor-in-Chief, responsible for overseeing all officials, inspecting prefectures and counties, investigating criminal cases, and maintaining order in the court. Do you have any objections?"
Emperor Jian'an stared intently at the kneeling figure below.
Without hesitation, Zheng Hao knelt down and thanked Your Majesty: "Your subject kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your appreciation."
Seeing his calm and composed demeanor and his solemn and respectful posture, Emperor Jian'an said, "The leave for the newly appointed Jinshi to visit his family will be granted soon. After you return from your hometown, I will formally issue an edict appointing you concurrently as the Censor."
"You may leave now," Emperor Jian'an instructed.
"Yes."
Zheng Hao got up and left the Imperial Study.
A special eunuch escorted him back to the Hanlin Academy.
Throughout the journey, Zheng Hao maintained the same composure and calm demeanor as when he arrived, though his mind was racing with thoughts.
He recalled his conversation with Emperor Jian'an in the imperial study.
The opposing side, suppressed by powerful clans, has now reached its breaking point. However, in the imperial court, there are no ministers from humble backgrounds who can rival these powerful clans.
Emperor Jian'an urgently needed a knife, a knife that had no ties to powerful families, acted according to his will, and showed no fear of these powerful clans.
Coincidentally, one of the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) was the top scholar personally selected by Emperor Jian'an. As a protégé of the emperor, he was young and spirited, making him the perfect choice as a sword.
Zheng Hao neither resented nor feared Emperor Jian'an's decision to use him as a weapon against court officials. He believed that wealth and honor were sought in danger, and even if Emperor Jian'an had not promoted him to the position of Censor, Zheng Hao would have sought other paths to advancement.
He couldn't wait, and neither could Uncle Gu. Toiling away in the Hanlin Academy for many years, climbing the ranks step by step, was not the path Zheng Hao wanted to take.
He needed power, the power to quickly seize control of the world, so that after he and Uncle Gu got together, no one would dare to speak ill of them or hinder their wonderful marriage.
Being appointed as a censor was his first step toward power.
The Hanlin Academy Compiler was a sixth-rank official, while the Censor was a seventh-rank official. Although the latter seemed to be of a lower rank than the former, in terms of real power, the Censor could monitor all officials and reach the emperor directly. From imperial relatives to local officials, everyone had to be careful in front of them.
Correspondingly, censors are also the most likely to offend people. If they are appreciated by their superiors, they can rise rapidly in rank. If they are unlucky, they can become cannon fodder in the power struggles between various parties.
Various opportunities for wealth and fortune coexist with dangers and challenges.
Emperor Jian'an did not immediately issue an edict appointing him concurrently as a censor, partly to test him or to subdue him.
This caused him daily anxiety and doubt. He wondered if His Majesty would summon other newly appointed scholars and say similar things to them, and whether he would be able to successfully assume the position of Censor a month later.
After a period of great anxiety, Emperor Jian'an issued the decree as promised. Ordinary minor officials would be grateful to the emperor, but Emperor Jian'an happened to encounter Zheng Hao, who seemed respectful and humble but was actually rebellious.
To put it arrogantly, if Zheng Hao weren't currently in a lowly position and with little influence, he wouldn't hesitate to dream of the dragon throne.
Back at the inn, Zheng Hao did not tell Uncle Gu about Emperor Jian'an's summons to the palace to lecture on classics and history, and his appointment as censor. Zheng Hao had noticed Uncle Gu's recent busy schedule and wanted him to have some rest and relaxation.
At the same time, the residence bestowed by Emperor Jian'an was also renovated. On the same day, Zheng Hao finished his shift and went directly to Zhenyu Tower to pick up Gu Lin and take him to the new residence.
Sitting in the car, Gu Lin asked, "Our luggage is still at the inn. Shouldn't we go get it first before going to the manor?"
Zheng Hao explained, "Uncle Gu, don't worry, I've already sent someone to the inn to pack your luggage and send it to your residence."
The carriage traveled all the way to the new mansion.
Upon entering the mansion, Gu Lin alighted from the carriage and, upon seeing the renovated residence before him, exclaimed in amazement, "Weren't you supposed to lower the standards? How come it's even more magnificent than before after all this renovation?"
Zheng Hao explained, "The people from the Ministry of Works did indeed demolish some buildings within the mansion that exceeded the regulations. The scenery and decorations in the back were all arranged by me according to the regulations."
Zheng Hao led him toward the front yard, explaining the layout of the scenery along the way: "This area is for red plum blossoms. Winter hasn't arrived yet, so the plum blossoms haven't bloomed. I thought Uncle Gu had always loved plum blossoms, so he had someone find an empty space in the front yard and the back yard, planting red plum blossoms in the front yard and white plum blossoms in the back yard."
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes slightly. Why weren't two different types of plum blossoms planted in the front and back yards together? Naturally...
Zheng Hao lightly touched his teeth with the tip of his tongue. If there were both white and red plum blossoms in the backyard, why would Uncle Gu come to the front yard?
Zheng Hao pointed to a pond, which was about half an acre in size. He said, "This pond is flowing water. It was there before. There used to be lotus flowers on the river, but no one took care of it for a long time, and the lotus flowers withered. So I had someone clean it up and put a dozen or so small fish in it. Uncle Gu can feed and raise fish in his spare time."
Zheng Hao paused for a moment and said, "If Uncle Gu finds it boring, I will ask the craftsmen to transplant some lotus flowers to the pond in a few days. That way, in the summer, Uncle Gu can enjoy the flowers and feed the fish in the pavilion."
Gu Lin felt increasingly uneasy as he listened. He did enjoy appreciating flowers, but it seemed as if the other party was preparing a mansion for him.
Gu Lin asked, "What do you like?"
Zheng Hao tilted his head slightly, looked down at the young man beside him, and said, "I have no other preferences. If Uncle Gu likes it, then I like it too."
Gu Lin felt a little helpless upon hearing this.
He thought to himself, "It's all because the young man in front of me is getting better and better at sweet-talking people as he gets older."
The two arrived at the front hall.
Zheng Hao asked Gu Lin to sit in the main seat in the hall, and then took a seat as a guest.
Then, a man who looked like a steward came in from outside and bowed respectfully to Gu Lin and Zheng Hao: "Master, husband."
Zheng Hao instructed, "Let the others in."
"Yes," the steward replied and left.
Zheng Hao turned to Gu Lin and said, "We're new here and don't have enough manpower. Such a large mansion can't just house the two of us, so I bought some servants from the brokerage."
As soon as he finished speaking, the steward entered with a group of servants.
Seeing the men and women entering separately, each with rows of servants, Gu Lin was surprised.
The steward stepped forward and respectfully reported: "Master, husband, fifteen maids, fifteen young masters, and twenty men have all arrived."