This day, Li Zhi arrived in the capital from Henan, and after leaving the Ministry of Personnel, he reported to the Wenyuan Pavilion.
Lu Kun knew him and brought him in after a few pleasantries. Zhu Mo saw this person for the first time and found him to be refined, in his thirties, and completely different from the later "crazy spirit" persona.
It should be known that Li Zhi was a major topic of discussion on certain forums, with many prominent figures considering him the foremost opponent of ritual and propriety. However, his current appearance presented a stark contrast.
Lu Kun chuckled, "Zi Xuan, this is Zhuo Wu... Zhuo Wu, come and meet Grand Scholar Zhu."
Li Zhi had long heard about Zhu Mo's reforms. Some people from the academy in Hui County, Henan, had gone to the capital to lobby not long ago. At the time, he was very worried, and later received a letter from Lu Kun, which led him to agree to come to the capital. Seeing Zhu Mo's extraordinary spirit and demeanor now, he was even more amazed.
Zhu Mo, having been involved in significant matters for a long time, had developed a good sense of people. He now realized that Li Zhi was more flexible than Lu Kun, but less capable in practical matters. As for these two, they would initially serve in the Wenyuan Pavilion. Later, when opportunities arose, Lu Kun would be dispatched to take charge independently, while Li Zhi would remain in the center, specializing in engaging in verbal battles for him.
He immediately bowed deeply and said, "Grand Scholar Zhu, I am immensely grateful that Mr. Li is willing to help me!"
Li Zhi was overjoyed by his respectful attitude and replied with a smile, "Grand Scholar Zhu's reforms are a cause for ten thousand generations. It is my honor to be a part of this endeavor, Li Zhi."
Zhu Mo's reforms in the Great Ming were directed against the feudal bureaucracy. Although he also appreciated the scholarly demeanor, it was merely an appearance. For like-minded individuals, he preferred to interact as equals, engaging in open and honest discussions, and then making the final decisions and taking responsibility. He smiled and said:
"Zhuo Wu, things are quite different here. You will soon realize... Uncle Jian has always said that Zhuo Wu is exceptionally talented. Since we are both committed to innovation and reform, let us treat each other as friends bound by righteousness. You may simply call me Zi Xuan."
While Li Zhi appeared refined and quiet on the surface, his heart burned with the same fiery passion as He Xinyin's. He detested ritual and propriety so much that after passing the imperial examination, he simply went through the motions, not even aspiring to take the advanced imperial examinations. Seeing Zhu Mo's refreshingly unconventional approach truly moved him, and he exclaimed with excitement:
"Brother Zi Xuan, you are truly reforming! Thoroughly reforming! I, Li Zhi, am willing to serve you with all my might!"
It should be known that
After experiencing this setback, Zhu Mo deeply understood that in order to contend with the Yan family, he not only needed to be familiar with their scholar-official methods but also to assemble a completely different team and foster a new atmosphere.
Initially, he admired people like Zhang Juzheng and still harbored some illusions about the "pure officials" among the scholar-officials. However, he gradually realized that these scholar-officials were fundamentally different. It was difficult for them to break free from their established ways. For instance, their patron-disciple dependency relationship predetermined that thorough reform was impossible.
Conversely, through his interactions with Lu Kun, He Xinyin, Yan Shanong, and others not long ago, he gradually discovered that his true supporters were those who were willing to think about and solve problems from the fundamental root. Although these individuals were few in number at present, as long as the path was correct, they would gradually increase. And between him and these people, the patron-disciple relationship must be severed; reform must begin at the source.
Of course, this approach could only be extended gradually, and it could not be entirely separated from the scholarly atmosphere. After all, Zhu Mo was enacting reforms, not engaging in something else. Without the scholarly demeanor, the common people would be at a loss.
The three of them spoke with utter candor, conversing all morning in the Wenyuan Pavilion's office.
Li Zhi's ideas were indeed very close to He Xinyin's, but he was much more insightful, capable of articulating the principles of reform in a scholarly manner.
Zhu Mo had not understood him very well before and was deeply impressed by some of his pronouncements. For example, he said, "Heaven establishes rulers, fundamentally for the sake of the people," and that for the common people and all professions, one should "follow their nature without hindering their abilities." He also stated, "The common people are not lowly, nor are princes and kings high; heaven and earth create people with no inherent distinction between noble and humble." As for the "sage's system" and "sage governance" that the Yan faction and officials constantly invoked, he almost blurted out profanities, saying he was writing a book called "Burning Books" to thoroughly clear these things away...
It could be said that this Li Zhi had gone further than anyone else, already shaking the entire system comprehensively, even approaching the cycle of order and chaos that Zhu Mo understood. Zhu Mo was genuinely a little shocked by this.
It was evident that if Li Zhi's ideas were publicized and known to Yan Song and Xu Jie, they would most likely be arrested and beaten to death in prison.
Seeing him still speaking with great emotion, Zhu Mo patted his shoulder and said:
"Zhuo Wu, in the next stage of reform, all that you have spoken of will emerge. At that time, we will rely on you... He Xinyin and Yan Shanong have already gone to Jiangnan to oversee the academies. After the case in the capital is settled, we will all go down together. At that time, you will be the mouthpiece of the reforms..."
Lu Kun and Li Zhi were both secretaries in the Wenyuan Pavilion at this time, holding seventh-rank official positions. However, for a juren, this was already significant, and they could reside in official quarters in the capital. But Li Zhi, like Lu Kun, had a stubborn temperament and insisted on a quiet place, so they ended up lodging in a Buddhist monastery.
...
Upon returning home,
The old servant brought him a letter, saying it was from someone named Ding Chun, who had left without waiting.
Zhu Mo opened it and found two letters. One was very short, hastily written in charcoal, stating: "Young Master Zhu, this letter is a reply from Wang Shenzhong. The matter of the five-character romantic poems is now clear. Haha."
As he opened the second letter below, his heart grew increasingly alarmed—
"Ao An:
This poem was indeed handled by the methods of my family. After thinking about it repeatedly, I recall that seven or eight years ago, a young noble young master did indeed seek me out to learn poetry. This young master refused to reveal his name, but was generous with his money, and I received much wealth from him. After more than a year, this young master suddenly disappeared. I heard people say that he had offended Shi Fan and had been killed. Ao An believes this young master to be Prince Jing, and I truly dare not get involved. Shen."
Killed?
The more Zhu Mo thought about it, the more bizarre it seemed...
He then took out the poem from his怀中 and examined the calligraphy and handwriting. He felt that both the poem and the writing indeed possessed a noble aura, and it was likely Prince Jing's. At that time, Prince Jing was still in the capital residence. It was not unusual for these people to have such tastes, but how could they have been harmed by Yan Shifan? Did Yan Shifan dare to kill Prince Jing? And how could it be that no one knew Prince Jing had been killed?
If Prince Jing had been killed seven or eight years ago, then who was it that later went to Anlu to take up his post? Was it a puppet found by Yan Shifan?
While he was in doubt,
With a creak, the door opened.
The old Daoist priest and Li San suddenly appeared.
Ah?
Zhu Mo almost cried out.
It hadn't been that long since they had advised him to give up, but in his heart, it felt like years had passed.
Li San smiled and said, "Oh, Young Master Zhu, you haven't gone to Jiangnan yet? I heard you became a Grand Scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion. We two old fellows haven't come to congratulate you yet, haha..."
Zhu Mo was also overjoyed and smiled:
"I was just preparing to pack my bags and wanted to go to Chaotian Temple to bid farewell, but you two arrived first!"