"Very well!"
Fang Xiaoru dispensed with courtesy. "Since Your Highness is so confident, please recite all of the Four Books."
The Four Books were the four Confucian classics: the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects, and Mencius. Even Zhu Yunwen, with his excellent academic performance, could not guarantee that he could recite them all. They were only fourteen or fifteen, and their studies had not yet gone that deep.
"Certainly."
"I'll start with the Great Learning. The way of great learning lies in illuminating bright virtue, in renewing the people, and in resting in the highest good..."
Zhu Yuntong remained perfectly calm, reciting at an unhurried pace.
Before transmigrating, he had memorized quite a few Chinese classics, and he still remembered them.
Reciting them again was as easy as turning his hand over. He could recite every last word without missing a single one. Even explaining their meaning would pose no problem at all.
At first, neither Fang Xiaoru nor Zhu Yunwen thought much of it.
Who couldn't recite those opening passages?
But as time passed and he recited more and more, things changed.
As Fang Xiaoru listened, his expression gradually grew grave.
Zhu Yunwen was somewhat dazed. He had never expected Zhu Yuntong to actually know them by heart. This was no mere act. His recitation flowed more smoothly than Zhu Yunwen's, and he knew more of the text. How was that possible?
He had been hiding his abilities again!
Yes, that had to be it. He must have memorized everything long ago and was now using it to grind Zhu Yunwen into the dirt.
In an instant, sweat drenched Zhu Yunwen's back.
If this went on, it seemed he would be no match for Zhu Yuntong even in scholarship. He kept thinking, What do I do? What do I do?
"Give me a copy of the Great Learning!"
Zhu Gui was stunned too. He picked up a book and turned to the passage Zhu Yuntong was reciting.
He listened while checking the text, and the other princes all crowded around to look.
When they realized that Zhu Yuntong really could recite it fluently, their eyes widened. Even reading straight from the book, they could not have matched the smoothness of his recitation.
He soon finished the Great Learning.
Zhu Yuntong transitioned seamlessly into the Doctrine of the Mean and continued reciting, followed by the Analects and Mencius. Each flowed straight into the next, his recitation smoother than reading aloud.
After finishing all four books, Zhu Yuntong felt his mouth go a little dry. He looked up and asked, "Master Fang, how was that?"
Fang Xiaoru undoubtedly knew the Four Books backward and forward. Hearing Zhu Yuntong recite them without a single mistake, he could not help flushing red, feeling as though he had been slapped hard across the face.
As for Zhu Yunwen, his face was pale and his back drenched in sweat. One glance showed that Zhu Yuntong had struck another blow, leaving him panicked and at a loss. He was timid and lacked composure. Now that he could not even outdo Zhu Yuntong in scholarship, he felt he had lost every advantage.
Only now did Zhu Yuntong discover just how satisfying it was to play the pig to devour the tiger-to show off and deliver a stinging slap to their faces!
"Master, how was that?"
Zhu Yuntong asked again, as though delivering another slap across Fang Xiaoru's face, one that hurt badly.
"Acceptable!"
Fang Xiaoru's voice was hoarse, and his response somewhat wooden.
Zhu Yunwen stammered, "Master, I... I can do it too."
"Never mind."
Fang Xiaoru said, "Go back to your seat. I'll set your assignments."
From Zhu Yunwen's stammering, Fang Xiaoru knew he would not be able to recite it properly. He was merely trying to force a recovery of his dignity, but doing so would only make him lose more face.
Fang Xiaoru felt he had to do something. He could not let Zhu Yuntong keep dazzling everyone.
Utterly dejected, Zhu Yunwen shot Zhu Yuntong a resentful glance, his fingernails nearly digging into the flesh of his palms.
"Well done!"
Zhu Gui and the others cheered together.
Their cheers made Zhu Yunwen miserable. This glory should have belonged to him, yet Zhu Yuntong had stolen every bit of it. He could not accept it. He refused to concede!
I have to take it back.
Zhu Yuntong, just you wait.
"Quiet!"
Only after Fang Xiaoru barked at them did they stop.
Before he could begin setting their assignments, a young eunuch walked in and said, "Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson, His Majesty summons you."
"All right!"
Zhu Yuntong readily left with the young eunuch.
Once again, Fang Xiaoru felt a sense of crisis. He had to recover their advantage as quickly as possible.
Seeing that his imperial grandfather was now ignoring him, Zhu Yunwen grew even more resentful. Through gritted teeth, he thought, Why? Why? It was all mine! What right do you have to steal it from me?
Everything that had happened since yesterday had provoked him to the point of nearly losing his reason.
All that remained in his heart was resentment, bitterness, and refusal to concede...
But he only dared scream that resentment inside his heart, never venting it aloud. He was weak and timid; when confronted with a real crisis, he might well be the first to retreat.
The Great Ming emperor conducted his daily work in the Hall of Martial Valor.
Zhu Yuntong had barely arrived when he heard Zhu Yuanzhang say, "You defiant grandson, you certainly hid your abilities well. You recited all four books without missing a single word! If Fang Xiaoru hadn't pushed you, I wouldn't even have known you had that talent."
This defiant grandson was far too good at hiding things.
If he had not been preparing to contend for the succession, he surely would still have been unwilling to reveal his abilities.
"Imperial Grandfather, you've summoned me alone. Zhu Yunwen must hate me to death now."
Zhu Yuntong strolled over casually, glanced at the memorials on the desk, and quickly looked away.
Memorials were for the emperor's eyes alone. He was not yet the Imperial Grandson and had no right to read them. He needed at least that much self-awareness.
"If he can't even endure this little setback, he's no grandson of mine."
Zhu Yuanzhang was not about to concern himself with Zhu Yunwen's feelings.
A life of nothing but fair winds and smooth sailing would not do. Without experiencing setbacks, a person could never mature and would only collapse before adversity, never to recover. If Zhu Yunwen proved to be like that, he was essentially useless. Zhu Yuanzhang could never appoint such an imperial grandson as his heir.
In truth, this was also a test he had set for Zhu Yunwen, to see whether he could withstand it.
If Zhu Yunwen withstood it without breaking down, Zhu Yuanzhang would still be willing to acknowledge him. But if he failed, abandoning himself to despair and losing his fighting spirit, the Great Ming's future had no need of such an emperor.
"What did you summon me here for?"
Zhu Yuntong asked.
For the moment, he had no interest in learning about Zhu Yunwen's situation.
In any case, given how things stood, he could keep pinning Zhu Yunwen down and grinding him into the dirt for now. Next, he would see what move Lü Shi made.
"Help me read the memorials."
Zhu Yuanzhang pushed the memorials on the desk toward Zhu Yuntong. "Your father is gone, so I have to read all these myself. It's exhausting!"
Zhu Yuntong: "..."
Didn't you bring that on yourself?
He had abolished the chancellorship and taken everything into his own hands. There were advantages and disadvantages to that.
The advantage was that imperial power was highly centralized.
"Then I'll read them. Don't regret it later. If Zhu Yunwen finds out, his heart is sure to shatter."
Zhu Yuntong opened a memorial and began reading. He was quite interested in the memorials submitted to an emperor in ancient times.
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed. "You brat, you don't stand on ceremony at all. I'm afraid you'll bring Lan Yu and the others along to snatch my throne before I've even abdicated."
Zhu Yuntong nodded very seriously. "If I had Father's prestige and ability, I might really snatch it. But I know my own limits. If I took it today, you might kick me out tomorrow."
Hearing how freely he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang thought that Zhu Yunwen would probably have been frightened to death in his place. Yet he felt no anger, only the same appreciation as before. This defiant grandson was bold, but he also knew where to draw the line. Most importantly, there was no gulf between their generations.
They could converse freely, without nervousness.
It let him experience the warmth of family.
"This memorial reports corrupt officials in Shandong."
Zhu Yuntong opened the first memorial.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "How do you think we should handle it?"
"Execute them!"
"Well said!"
They went through the memorials like that, one after another. After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang had to step out. Zhu Yuntong curiously leafed through the remaining documents and unexpectedly discovered a memorial from Jiang Jue of the Embroidered Guard.
It was a memorial concerning Lan Yu's adopted son, Zhang Zhou, secretly sheltering remnants of Hu Weiyong's faction.
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