Chapter 1 The Minister of the Hanlin Academy, Liu Yingqiu!

"Your subject, Liu Yingqiu, Attendant Academician of the Hanlin Academy!"

This subject was a small old man, fifty years old, a fifth-rank official. After the Wanli Emperor heard his self-introduction, he remembered. It seemed that he had been transferred to Nanjing in the eleventh year of Wanli, and only returned in the eighteenth year. It seemed that there was such a thing.

"It's you, I seem to have some impression..."

"Your subject believes that although Daozhang has rendered meritorious service in saving me, he should not be awarded the position of Sicheng of the Imperial College!"

The little old man, Liu Yingqiu, said, "The Imperial College studies the Way of the Sages. Daoist Ji is a member of the Daoist religion. Although Confucianism and Daoism have things in common, they must not be confused. I speak of personnel matters, he speaks of the Heavenly Dao. I speak of governing the country, he speaks of wu wei. Your Majesty's behavior is like asking an ox to lead a flock of sheep! They look similar, but in reality, they are vastly different."

The Wanli Emperor said, "I am just giving him an official title. There are two slots for Sicheng of the Imperial College. It won't hurt to add another one, and I don't want him to actually teach those students. What's wrong with that?"

At this time, the Grand Eunuch Tian Yi seemed to have remembered something and quietly reported to the Wanli Emperor.

After the Wanli Emperor listened, he glanced at the three Grand Secretaries, and after a series of eye contacts, he understood.

"Liu Yingqiu... I heard that you received an order from the Grand Secretariat a few days ago to go to the Imperial College to become the Jijiu?"

The little old man almost slapped his thigh... He had spoken rashly.

The Wanli Emperor was obviously unhappy. The next sentence was almost "Tomorrow, settle your salary at the Ministry of Revenue, and then don't come back," but the Wanli Emperor was a person who cared about his reputation, so he wouldn't say such things outright. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fought with the civil officials for eleven years over the matter of establishing a crown prince, and then closed himself off for nine years.

The little old man would not give up. At this time, he said, "If your subject is to take office as the Jijiu of the Imperial College, naturally, the position of Sicheng cannot have problems. If Your Majesty really wants to bestow an official position in the Imperial College, may your subject be allowed to examine him?"

The Wanli Emperor looked at the little old man, "Alright, what you said makes some sense, then go ahead and examine him."

The emperor sat up straight.

Now, the stage is set for you, let the show begin.

Ji Xiangzheng stood beside the two Grand Secretaries, maintaining an awkward yet polite smile. Suddenly being named, he also found it very troublesome.

Working in the Forbidden City is really... endlessly boring and annoying.

Ji Xiang's silence made the little old man very happy, "Why doesn't Daozhang say a word? Is it because you don't understand or are you not afraid? Are you waiting for this old man to set the question? If you are ready, this old man will begin to ask."

Of course, Ji Xiang didn't know what the other party was going to ask, so he said in advance:

"This poor Dao is still young and has not taken any imperial examinations. I don't know much about the Four Books and Five Classics. I only know a little. Please be lenient, sir."

The little old man perked up. This wave was bound to show off in front of the Wanli Emperor, who hadn't been to court for many years, to deepen his impression:

"Asking you, a member of the clergy, to write eight-legged essays is of course as difficult as climbing to the sky. The words of our Confucian sages, their thoughts, span thousands of years and traverse the Spring and Autumn Period. You are like a stream, unable to glimpse the rivers and seas, how can you understand? I will not test you on these things."

"But as a Sicheng of the Imperial College, you should be able to compose poetry, right?"

Ji Xiang thought for a moment and nodded, "I know a little."

The little old man nodded, "That's good. Poetry best reflects a person's talent and is also the most straightforward."

"Since you, this Sicheng of the Imperial College, a fourth-rank official, is one that Your Majesty wants to add, although you have no real power, the reputation of the Imperial College cannot fall into the hands of this old man. If you really don't know anything and hold this position, you won't be comfortable if others laugh at you, right?"

"So, even if you don't manage anything, you must at least be able to compose poetry. If you really can't, just say a few words for Your Majesty and everyone to judge."

The surrounding ministers also whispered to each other, nodding frequently, indicating that this was fair. If you don't know the eight-legged essay, then test you on poetry.

Ji Xiang pondered and thought it was okay, so he asked, "I wonder what requirements you have for this poem, sir?"

"Requirements? Today, Your Majesty has returned to court, and my Great Ming... everything is renewed! You will use 'new' as the theme to compose a poem, but the poem is not allowed to contain the word 'new', how about that?"

The little old man felt that he had come up with a profound topic. It looked simple, but he was setting a trap for you:

Ji Xiang had just heard the little old man take a big breath and thought he was going to say that my Great Ming was invincible....

"Allow this poor Dao to consider it for a moment."

Ji Xiang slowly chewed on the little old man's topic.

Poetry, his predecessor knew a lot of it. After all, he was a walking scripture encyclopedia, a proper great man of culture. However, writing on the spot, how could it be faster than copying poems? Anyway, there was still a Great Qing Dynasty after the Great Ming, so just copy them.

Everything is renewed. The Wanli Emperor's return to court was stimulated. At this time, Ji Xiang's heart, inexplicably, thought of Fire Lord's words.

In this world, the ministers, dukes, and marquises, and the Son of Heaven will not understand how much suffering the people endure. Can going to court make Great Ming brand new?

Perhaps they know the situation below, but what does it have to do with them? Only a few are willing to turn their eyes to the people below, most are devoted to party strife.

Thinking about it this way, Fire Lord felt that destroying the old world and reopening the sun and moon was new... it was not entirely unreasonable, but was it enough to just reopen the sun and moon?

Ji Xiang didn't want to think about these things. He skipped this topic.

He was no longer a human being, so what was the point of caring about such things? The world of gods and ghosts had its own operations.

However, at this time, a dusty short poem gradually emerged in Ji Xiang's memory and came to his mind.

The court was full of mediocre officials.

The five dynasties of emperors were muddleheaded.

The Ming Dynasty was destroyed by Chongzhen, but in reality, it was destroyed by Wanli, and it began to decline during Jiajing. This Great Ming Empire would collapse into dust in a few decades, and now that the Wanli Emperor has returned to court and the Guangzong Emperor has disappeared, perhaps a different future will be born.

It was precisely at this moment, just like the scene.

At the beginning, he took a step, making a loud thud on the large stone floor tiles, the sound was clear, and echoed for a long time in front of Fengtian Gate.

"Great Ming is about to have a chance for change."

Looking at the red-walled Forbidden City, the morning sun filled the sky, all things awakened, the sky was bright, and suddenly, a sense of boldness and emotion rushed into his lungs. The white sun in the sky seemed to change with the wind and clouds, and thunder and rain were coming from afar.

The ministers saw that Ji Xiang had finished thinking and waited silently. In front of Fengtian Gate, no one spoke, not even the birds chirped, and one could hear a pin drop.

Ji Xiang took another step, his eyes from the sky to the ground, with a slight sigh:

"The nine provinces rely on wind and thunder for vitality; the silence of ten thousand horses is truly lamentable."

As soon as the first two lines of the poem were spoken, many ministers' eyes moved.

These two lines alone showed his level. This was not a random composition. This was a prepared poem. This was not doggerel, this was real talent!

Many people's eyes towards Ji Xiang changed slightly, and even the little old man Liu Yingqiu narrowed his old eyes.

Ji Xiang looked at the ministers, this glance seemed to be from the sky to the ground, from the distant mountains and rivers to the temple below, and then took another step... another step. He took two steps in a row, and the last two lines were also completed in one go:

"I urge the Heavenly Duke to bestir himself; let him bestow talents without confining to one style!"