Chapter 125: Offering Advice, The Dagger Revealed

Zhang Yi’s voice drew the attention of everyone nearby to a certain individual. Ahead, Kong Ne quickened his pace, wanting nothing to do with the scoundrel behind him.

"Ne-ne, Ne-ne, are you deaf?"

The more Kong Ne ignored him, the more exuberant Zhang Yi became. Kong Ne began to jog, desperate to shake off the pest, especially as the surrounding students watched him with amused smiles.

"Ne-ne..."
"I am not called Ne-ne!"

When Zhang Yi finally caught up, the future Duke Yansheng reached his breaking point. He roared at Zhang Yi, who froze, only to immediately put on a look of profound sorrow. Unfortunately, having spent so much time with Zhang Yi, Kong Ne had long since become immune to such theatrics.

"Alright, Ne-ne!"

Zhang Yi’s reply caused Kong Ne’s blood pressure to spike yet again. He glared fiercely at Zhang Yi and stormed off. This scoundrel was exactly as his teacher had described: born solely to test the patience of others.

Watching their harmonious interaction from afar, Xu Cunren could only shake his head and smile. Just then, someone approached him.

"Master Libationer..."
"Director Wang, I am no longer the Libationer."
"Yes, of course, Doctor Xu."

The man addressed as Director Wang smiled. "Although His Majesty has demoted you, he has not appointed a new Libationer. The affairs of the Imperial Academy still rest on your shoulders. Furthermore, the fact that you have been entrusted with such a heavy responsibility shows that His Majesty still holds you in high regard."

The words Zhu Yuanzhang had spoken to Xu Cunren in the dungeon—whether they were spoken in anger or simply as a way for the Emperor to save face—had spread throughout Yingtian Prefecture. Consequently, Xu Cunren’s status had effectively risen rather than fallen. The Imperial Academy was traditionally a place of little real power, tasked with recommending and nurturing talent; however, recommending talent was a privilege held by officials at all levels, not his alone. Those impoverished scholars might look up to him, but other officials were not necessarily as impressed.

Yet, since his release from prison, officials had begun to actively seek him out. The primary reason, of course, was the Emperor’s decree, which effectively delegated a portion of the power to reform the imperial examination system to Xu Cunren. The examination system concerned everyone’s vital interests, and being asked to draft a reform proposal was a form of genuine, tangible power.

While the influence brought by this power made Xu Cunren seem like a man of the hour to outsiders, only he knew the risks involved. Having served that Emperor for ten years and witnessed his transition from Prince of Wu to Emperor, Xu Cunren had gained a more intuitive understanding of Zhu Yuanzhang after his time in prison. The task assigned by the Emperor was not easily accomplished. The Emperor might have been looking for a way to step down, but Xu had caused him to lose face; unless he could present a truly brilliant proposal, the Emperor would surely punish him. Others saw his glory, but they failed to see the peril. And this was something he could not confide in anyone else.

"I truly wish to retire, but I suspect His Majesty would never allow it." He sighed to himself. "Director Wang, please attend to your duties; I am going to teach my class."
"As you wish, sir."

Xu Cunren entered the classroom, and the students quieted down immediately. His gaze fell upon Kong Ne and Zhang Yi, filled with affection. There were few people left in Yingtian Prefecture for whom he felt such attachment; these two youths, who were not his disciples but might as well have been, were among his greatest concerns. Outsiders claimed that his taking them as disciples was a foregone conclusion, but in truth, Xu Cunren had no such intentions. It was not that he did not want to; it was that he dared not. The matter of the examination reform was a sword hanging over his head; if he handled it poorly, it could mean the ruin of his family. He could barely protect himself—wouldn't taking them as disciples only bring them misfortune?

Seeing Xu Cunren, Zhang Yi greeted him cheerfully.

"Quiet!"

Xu Cunren felt quite a headache regarding him, though he knew that while Zhang Yi was restless, he was by no means a malicious person. Once the lecture began, Zhang Yi opened his book and listened attentively. Time passed, and soon the class was over.

"You two, come with me!"

Following a recent custom, the two youths would dine with Master Xu. As always, the meal was frugal, though a few morsels of meat had been added for Zhang Yi’s sake.

"Teacher, here is what you asked for!"

Zhang Yi grinned and handed a book titled *Instructions for Practical Living* to Xu Cunren—a work the old man had been pestering him for, for quite some time. He had only recently finished transcribing it, having been busy crafting life-saving medicine for Zhu Biao.

Xu Cunren stared at the volume. Even the most foolish man would realize that Zhang Yi’s connection to Wang Yangming was far more than mere boasting. However, Zhang Yi was mysterious and possessed a touch of the ethereal, so Xu Cunren didn't bother to press for the truth. He opened the book, and the principles within quickly captured his attention. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Excellent!"

He abandoned his meal, took the book to a corner, and began to read, with exclamations of admiration escaping him from time to time. Kong Ne, consumed by curiosity, craned his neck to see, unable to focus on his own food. Zhang Yi, however, devoured the dishes on the table with gusto. By the time Kong Ne snapped out of his trance, he found that all his favorite dishes had been finished by Zhang Yi, and he glared at him with fury. But Zhang Yi’s skin was thicker than the city walls of Nanjing, and he ignored him completely.

"This Master Yangming—what a pity I have no chance to meet him!" Xu Cunren sighed halfway through the book, losing interest in his food.

"Is something troubling you, Teacher? Tell us, and perhaps we can help you bear the burden!" Zhang Yi had been waiting for this opportunity. Xu Cunren, who viewed Zhang Yi as something of a kindred spirit despite their age gap, did not hold back.

"It is the Emperor’s task. Days have passed, and I still have no clue how to proceed with this so-called reform!"

Zhang Yi chuckled. "When you were arguing with the Emperor, you had plenty to say. Why have you gone silent now? You scholars have a common flaw: you know what is wrong, but you cannot offer constructive solutions. Now you find yourself in a bind, don't you?"

Facing Zhang Yi’s blanket criticism, both Xu Cunren and Kong Ne glared at him. Despite having studied at the Imperial Academy for so long, he had no sense of identity as a scholar.

Xu Cunren’s face reddened. It was true; when Zhu Yuanzhang had proposed his ideas for reform, Xu had felt they were wrong and had opposed him. But when the Emperor threw the ball back into his court, demanding a proposal that would satisfy him, Xu was utterly stumped. After all, he had only opposed the Emperor initially because he wanted to keep the examinations as they were. But he knew that if he submitted a proposal to maintain the status quo, the Emperor would have him flogged before the court the very next day. The reputation he had gained for standing up to the Emperor would be destroyed in an instant.

"You little demon," Xu grumbled, "all you do is play the contrarian. If you’re so capable, give me a suggestion. If it’s good, I’ll reward you. If you can’t make sense of it, then keep your mouth shut!"

This was exactly what Zhang Yi had been waiting for. "That is easy enough. I will offer you a suggestion, but I must be clear: if the Emperor adopts my proposal, you must not go back on your word. You must grant me a favor!"

"Fine, I agree!" Xu Cunren was intrigued. His student might be young, but he was certainly capable.

Zhang Yi cleared his throat, ready to begin. Xu Cunren and Kong Ne sat in rapt attention.

"First, Teacher, you must consider why the Emperor released you and handed the responsibility of reform to you. He realized your initial opposition was for the sake of the Great Ming, so he forgave you. But he didn't want to lose face, so he ordered you to reform the system. This has two layers of meaning: first, he has implicitly abandoned his original plan to overhaul the examinations—in this, you have won! Second, the Emperor is unconvinced and wants you to propose a better method for selecting talent—one that satisfies him. This is a test, and perhaps a bit of revenge. If you pass, he will act as if nothing happened; if you fail, you will surely face the rod."

Xu Cunren smiled bitterly and shook his head. What Zhang Yi described was precisely his current dilemma. It was easy to destroy, but difficult to build.

"What if His Majesty is intentionally making things difficult for you?" Kong Ne asked, voicing his own fears. In his eyes, the Emperor was a terrifying, vengeful man.

Zhang Yi laughed. "You can rest assured on that point. While our Emperor’s temperament is... well, he is a man who distinguishes clearly between public and private matters. If your proposal is truly good, he will not intentionally make things difficult. It is just that his standards will be... a little bit high."

*A little bit high.*

Zhang Yi left Xu Cunren feeling both amused and anxious. Before Xu could lose his temper, Zhang Yi got to the point.

"To discuss reforming the examinations, we must understand the Emperor’s true needs. He has likely abandoned his original plan, but we should not dwell on that. My advice is: do not make any major changes there. If changes are to be made, let the Emperor make them! Just submit a proposal based on the old precedents."

Xu Cunren was stunned. If he followed Zhang Yi’s advice, wouldn't it be as if he hadn't reformed anything at all? Wouldn't the Emperor be furious if he just kept using the old ways?

Zhang Yi saw his confusion. "Whether it is the Emperor or you, the dispute over the examination reform was essentially a clash of ideologies. It ended with the Emperor taking a step back; your goal has been achieved. If you try to push further, you are courting death. I believe you have received hints from certain people, have you not?"

Xu Cunren remained silent, implicitly confirming Zhang Yi’s suspicion. He had indeed received hints from his colleagues, especially those from Eastern Zhejiang.

"So," Zhang Yi continued, "we cannot touch the core of the 'ideological dispute.' But if we want to make a big show of reform without offending either side, we must focus on the trivial details."

"Trivial details? What do you mean?"

Zhang Yi finally revealed his hand: "Mathematics!"