Shen Pei Seeks Office

What did they see in the Secret Pavilion?

"Your Majesty, Erudite Dong has reviewed the Jingfa, Shangjun Shu, Shenzi, Juzi, Falun, Shiliujing, Zaiyou, Daofa, Zeifa, Qiufa, and Bufa in the Secret Pavilion. I also have more than ten other books whose titles I do not know!"

"You've seen so much?"

In the Weiyang Palace, the eunuch's report surprised the new emperor slightly.

"Dong Qing is grasping at straws in her desperation!"

No royal family would completely trust any school of thought, nor would any emperor completely trust any one person; Dong Zhongshu, whom Emperor Jing had specifically named, was no exception.

However, when Dong Zhongshu reported the situation, the new emperor felt that Dong Zhongshu was a bit too hasty and reckless.

The books in the secret library are ancient; the more you read, the less you gain.

Even though he had control of the Secret Pavilion, he only used some of its contents as references, rather than rummaging through it indiscriminately.

"Okay, you can go now!"

The new emperor waved his hand and let out a long sigh.

"Your Majesty, Lord Shen requests an audience!"

After the eunuch who had visited Dong Zhongshu left, another eunuch entered the hall and mentioned another person who was the main subject.

"Xuan... wait, I'll go greet him myself!"

The new emperor was about to have the eunuch summon Shen Pei into the palace when he quickly changed his mind, straightened his imperial robes, and stood up.

He had just stepped out of the main hall of the Weiyang Palace when he saw Shen Peigong striding towards him.

This time was much faster than arriving after confirmation. If the new emperor's guess was correct, Shen Peigong had already stepped forward when the eunuchs began to relay the information.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Three meters apart, Shen Peigong bowed slightly in greeting.

Shen Peigong's etiquette was ancient, belonging to the etiquette used by the heads of various schools of thought when meeting the king before the Qin Dynasty unified China.

In those days, the leaders of these sects were often personally greeted by the monarchs, and were also honored guests of the various monarchs. Their status was almost indistinguishable from that of the emperor, let alone waiting for or being informed, or being treated as inferior.

The new emperor glanced at it, but didn't delve into the matter. Instead, he bowed in return.

Shen Peigong was over eighty years old, but his body was frail yet full of vitality. The new emperor could even feel the fiery magical Law Power emanating from him.

He bowed respectfully upon leaving Weiyang Palace, a gesture that clearly pleased Shen Peigong greatly.

The two entered the main hall of the Weiyang Palace side by side.

Is His Majesty reading?

The new emperor liked to stay in the Weiyang Palace, but he didn't just sit there waiting for some minister. Instead, he used it for studying, resting, and everything else.

On the desk were the new emperor's sword and scrolls of bamboo slips.

Shen Peigong glanced at it, and the words on the bamboo slip immediately caught his eye.

"Your Majesty, these poems are merely for amusement. Many writers pile up ornate words but lack substance, and they are not suitable for Your Majesty to indulge in!"

Aside from some bamboo slips that the new emperor reviewed, most of these bamboo slips contained poems written by certain individuals.

Lacking sufficient depth and breadth, the fu (a type of classical Chinese prose) written by these literati is undoubtedly like a primary school student's composition compared to ancient traditions such as the Book of Songs.

These poems are fine as amusement, but if you want to learn real principles and understand the principles of governing a country, these poems are completely useless and will even waste your time.

Shen Peigong frowned slightly.

His student, Wang Zang, was the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, which meant he was the teacher of the new emperor.

The fact that the new emperor is now obsessed with these kinds of short essays is clearly a result of the inadequate teaching by Wang Zang and others.

As Wang Zang's teacher, Shen Peigong was even, to some extent, the new emperor's grandmaster and had a certain educational responsibility towards him, which led him to repeatedly speak up to persuade him.

The new emperor wore a humble expression and nodded frequently, but a fleeting glint appeared in his eyes.

If Zhang Xuezhou were here, he would surely be able to find a similar comparison. It is extremely common in many schools for students to like reading extracurricular books. Some students have their extracurricular books confiscated by teachers, and their parents are even called in. Some students' grades have repeatedly declined because they pay too much attention to extracurricular books.

A strict teacher may be good for students, but whether the students understand this at the time is another matter.

At least students whose extracurricular books were confiscated were unlikely to feel grateful to their teachers at the time.

Most students found it difficult to swallow their anger, let alone when the new emperor was criticized by Shen Peigong.

The Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, and as the emperor, who was high above all others, the new emperor disliked being constrained.

He invited Shen Peigong and others to the court to free himself from constraints and to find a group of obedient ministers, without needing to add another layer of constraints.

The topic eventually ended with the new emperor losing his temper and forcing a smile as he changed the subject.

"I wonder what brings Lord Shen here in such a hurry?" the new emperor asked.

His question brought Shen Peigong's lecture to a halt.

Teaching students is important, but matters of Confucian School are clearly of greater importance.

This prompted Shen Peigong to quickly state the purpose of his visit.

Now that Dong Zhongshu's matter is resolved, he can confidently request a position from the imperial court.

Having been invited by the new emperor with high-level etiquette, Shen Peigong also wanted to see what kind of position the new emperor could give him, and this would truly touch upon the new emperor's inner thoughts on the status of Confucian School.

Shen Peigong asked a few probing questions, which made the new emperor hesitate for a few seconds.

A fire can only burn brighter and brighter if it burns slowly; how could he possibly offer Shen Peigong a high-ranking official position at the beginning?

None of the officials involved are simple; their ranks, both high and low, require careful consideration.

For emperors, as long as their ministers do not make mistakes, they will remain in their positions until they become too old to continue.

It was indeed not easy for the new emperor to make room for Shen Peigong.

The current situation is that the imperial court hasn't even dug the pit yet, and Shen Peigong is already thinking about planting trees.

Shen Peigong was a bit impatient, but the new emperor was also a bit rash, inviting Shen Peigong over too early.

"Dong Zhongshu bid me farewell today, and the position of Imperial Academy Doctor has become vacant in the court!"

The new emperor spoke slowly, and when he saw Shen Peigong's slightly solemn and dissatisfied expression, he knew very well that the position of Dong Zhongshu was completely unsatisfactory to Shen Peigong.

"But Shen Peigong, you are the head of the Confucian school, how can you be appointed as a great Confucian scholar?" the new emperor changed his mind.

"Then what about me?" Shen Peigong's expression softened.

"What position do you think would be best, Lord Shen?" the new emperor asked.

"That's naturally the case..."

Shen Peigong almost blurted out, "The higher the better."

If the new emperor is willing, he certainly feels that the position of prime minister is suitable for him.

However, a country cannot have two prime ministers. If they want him to take the position, then Prime Minister Wei Wan must step down.

Shen Peigong felt he had come in a bit too hastily. After finishing his own business, he should at least pay a visit to some high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

As long as there is prior communication, and some people are willing to 'abdicate' their positions, his official rank is easy to determine.

However, Shen Peigong needs to carefully consider who this applies to.

Within the Confucian school, disputes can be resolved through internal power struggles, but when non-Confucian factions are involved, there is a need for formal visits.

He pondered for a while, but couldn't decide which weak point to accept.

"The more I can utilize my abilities, the better!"

Shen Peigong's words also changed direction; he no longer dared to dream of being directly granted a position among the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers by the new emperor.

The new emperor can't just give out these positions randomly; they need to solidify their base of support before they can compete for them.

"There are many positions in the court where Shen Gong's abilities are well-suited," the new emperor said casually. "But for every person to rise, someone else must fall. If Shen Gong can offer some assistance, these high-ranking positions can be made available!"

"I am willing to cooperate with whatever Your Majesty decrees," Shen Peigong said excitedly. "There are many Confucian School talents among us, no less than any of the current high-ranking officials in the court!"

"Then I gladly welcome all the talented Confucian School scholars to the court," the new emperor said with a smile. "As long as the Confucian School have suitable candidates, I can even arrange positions like Prime Minister and Grand Censor!"

The new emperor appointed two positions, both of which were powerful and top-ranking posts in the imperial court.

The former held the highest position among all civil officials in the land, while the latter possessed the power to supervise all officials.

These two positions were so weighty that Shen Peigong was speechless, and even his breathing became slightly rapid.

Clearly, the new emperor revealed his dissatisfaction with the high-ranking officials in these two positions.

This involves Chancellor Wei Wan and Imperial Censor Zhi Buyi.

If Confucian School wants to rise to power, it must first remove these two from their positions.