Chapter 51: Family Abandonment
If the court is to be cleansed, it is impossible to wipe out many families. Yan Xuanyu once thought of selecting fresh blood through the imperial examination, but that was ultimately too idealistic.
Even if there is a major reshuffle in the imperial court in the future, it will not be possible to kick out all the families in the capital.
This is also the reason why the aristocratic families act so recklessly. As long as they unite, what can the emperor do to them? Does he have the ability to drive them all out of the capital?!
Yan Xuanyu would never let them get their wish.
He sat at the desk and pondered for a while, then came up with a good idea -
Run a military academy.
What does a large family lack?
There is no shortage of playboys.
Most of these playboys were born out of wedlock, and a few of them had older brothers who were many times more outstanding than themselves. Over time, they became playboys who were not valued by their families and only knew how to enjoy themselves.
They also have the blood of aristocratic families...
The more Yan Xuanyu thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Moreover, they are not considered as heirs and rarely come into contact with the "lifelong learning" taught by their elders. Their thinking is probably not at that level yet. Perhaps Yan Xuanyu can change that.
But who will run such a "military academy"?
Yan Xuanyu searched his mind and thought of someone.
...
Han Yuan's eldest son, Han Shidong, had been suppressed by his father Han Yuan and had not entered the officialdom. He went to ask his father, but his father said nothing.
He once had some resentment because his second and third brothers, born to his stepmother, all got some official positions in the court, but he was the only one who did not join the officialdom. Han Shidong even felt that in his father's heart, his father's favorite student Lin Fu was more important than him.
But later the emperor appointed his father as Duke, and he suddenly became a prince with a title. Even if he did not enter the officialdom, he had a bright future, so his resentment dissipated a lot.
Han Shidong had heard his father and friends talk about him and shake their heads and sigh more than once, as if he were as stupid as a pig. This made him feel indignant for many years.
His wife comforted him and said that it was good to live an ordinary life under his father's protection. After all, the capital was full of famous families. If he was not careful, he would be doomed. The longer he was away, the more risks he would face.
In order to make his wife happy, Han Shidong pretended to listen, but in his heart he was thinking, Madam, I actually have some ambitions too.
But he also knew that what the lady said was right.
He touched the little hair of his fourth daughter who was happily eating sweet cakes, and his heart was in turmoil.
....
"Oh, mother-in-law, you are the only one who listens to me." Han Shidong took out a few steamed buns from his sleeve and put them down.
The mother-in-law was a mother-in-law that Han Shidong found in a corner of the garden of the Duke's Mansion. According to his observation, the other party might be a servant in the mansion in his early years, who was not driven out after he became blind - his father protected the mansion like a rock, and no outsiders could come in.
Thinking of this, Han Shidong laughed at himself. He was the only one who could stroll around the Duke's Mansion so leisurely.
Han Shidong had just put the steamed buns down when the blind old woman with white hair took the hot steamed buns and started eating them. Han Shidong couldn't see her face hidden under her white hair, but he could see that she ate very slowly and leisurely, which was quite pleasing to the eye.
"But I... am not willing to just be under my father's protection..." Han Shidong murmured.
He is over forty years old this year.
Han Shidong was probably very upset and kept chattering for a while.
"Father said that the current emperor is not a good monarch. In a few years, the world will be in chaos, and he will not be able to save it..."
Han Shidong was speaking immersedly when he suddenly heard a hoarse voice, which startled him.
"The Emperor of Great Zhou is a benevolent ruler."
Han Shidong staggered in fright. He looked left and right, but there was no one around except this "mother-in-law" in front of him!
"You..." Han Shidong widened his eyes. The person in front of him was clearly wearing a patched dress, but the style could be seen to be the clothes of a maid in the old Han Mansion!
The "blind old woman" finished eating several steamed buns, patted her body and stood up, ignoring Han Shidong who was in shock.
"Also, I am your uncle."
...
"Prince!" A sound of footsteps was heard, and Han Shidong was very familiar with the voice of the person in the lead. It was Fu, the guard beside his father.
He looked over quickly, only to see the other party bow and say, "A distinguished guest has arrived. Please come in, Prince."
A noble? Ever since his father became a Duke, is there anyone in the capital who can be called a noble here?
Han Shidong looked again and saw Fu San was also inside!
Fu San said anxiously, "Oh my Lord, why are you here? And you're all alone, without even a servant? I can't find you anywhere!"
"I..." Han Shidong was about to say that he wasn't alone, and there was a weirdo who said "I am your uncle", but when he turned around, that weirdo was nowhere to be found!
He's really the only one there.
That person disappeared silently under the noses of so many people.
Han Shidong was a little frightened for a moment. An outsider had actually entered the Duke's Mansion? He had to report it to his father.
"Young Master, please stop being distracted and follow Guard Huang to the front hall first." Fu San said.
"Okay." Han Shidong came back to his senses, raised his foot and hurried out, "Let's go to the front hall."
...
"Father." Han Shidong saluted respectfully.
Han Yuan sat on the armchair and asked calmly, "Where did you go just now? The guard said you were not in the yard?"
"Father, I took a walk in the Duke's Mansion garden."
Han Yuan looked at Han Shidong with neither joy nor anger, and his expression clearly said that he was such a grown-up and still liked those things.
Han Shidong hadn't forgotten the strange man he had just met. He was afraid that someone unfavorable to them had sneaked into the Duke's Mansion. He was panicked for a moment and hurriedly said, "Father, I met a strange man in the Duke's Mansion today..."
Shidong naturally told him everything, even the phrase "I am your uncle". Han Yuan listened quietly and asked, "What does that man look like?"
Han Shidong tried hard to recall, "white hair, old clothes, short stature..."
He trembled in his heart when he thought about how many days that man had been lurking in the Duke's Mansion.
"Why didn't you tell him the first day you met him?" Han Yuan asked.
Han Shidong said hurriedly, "It's my fault. I thought that the Duke's Mansion had many guards and no outsiders had ever entered. That person was sitting in the corner with a swagger, and she was blind, so I thought she was a servant of the Duke's Mansion..."
The man's eyes were hollow, as if covered by a layer of white film, and he seemed to have an eye disease, so he didn't think that he was a spy who had sneaked into the Duke's Mansion.
He stopped talking after saying this, and even he himself found that the more he spoke, the more stupid he seemed, and his face was embarrassed for a moment.
But the strange thing was that Han Yuan did not blame him. He just said lightly, "It's okay. Just forget about it."
Han Yuan was naturally polite to his son, but he was angry in his heart, saying, "You are such a good senior brother. You have been staying in the Duke's Mansion for such a long time without saying anything, but you just avoided him and saw his son."
"That's right!" Han Shidong was shocked. He suddenly remembered something. "My son suddenly remembered that person said something..."
"What is it?"
Han Yuan wanted to know what his good senior brother said to his son. Could it be that he gave him some advice?
"He said that the Emperor of the Great Zhou is a benevolent ruler..."
Han Yuan stood up suddenly, and Han Shidong trembled with fear.
Good Lord? !
"Dad, who is that person?" Han Shidong walked up to him and asked.
Han Yuan closed his eyes and said, "An old friend."
Han Shidong said that the man looked very old and seemed to have eye problems. He wondered what his senior brother had calculated to make him like this.
Han Yuan felt a little worried again.
At this time, the doorman came to report that the nobleman had arrived at the mansion.
...
Han Shidong felt a little uneasy ever since he saw his father's unusual attitude and his expression changing several times, but his father didn't say anything and just took him to meet the distinguished person.
When the group arrived at the door in a grand procession, Han Shidong understood that there was only one noble person in the world who could be welcomed in this way by the Duke's Mansion.
Han Shidong stood aside, watching his nose and his mind, as he always did in such situations.
Watching his father being helped up by the Emperor, Han Shidong couldn't help but think of the strange man's words. He glanced at the Emperor a few times without leaving any trace. The Emperor was still young and was said to be frail and weak, but Han Shidong was proficient in medicine. Judging from the Emperor's gait, he didn't look like someone whose body had been hollowed out by alcohol and sex...
The emperor came to the Duke's Mansion in person, but no one knew why.
While he was thinking, he didn't realize that the group had entered the front hall and sat down.
Han Yuan asked his family and several sons to leave, leaving only Han Shidong behind.
Why did my father leave me alone? Han Shidong cast a glance at his wife.
His wife followed the family members who were leaving and shook her head gently, telling him to just be at ease. However, when Han Shidong's wife saw Han Shidong like this, she couldn't help but think: Why is my husband still like this...
When Han Yuan's second wife's sons saw that their father had only left their eldest brother, they looked at each other, then concealed their expressions and retreated respectfully.
Han Shidong stood respectfully behind Han Yuan and began to think about the article he had finished writing that morning...
It seems better to change the character "落" to "踏"...
At this moment, Han Yuan's voice seemed to be a little louder, which brought Han Shidong back to his senses.
...
"I am afraid I cannot take on this important task." Han Yuan said calmly.
Yan Xuanyu touched his nose when no one was watching, and then quickly regained his majestic imperial appearance.
He admitted that he did look like a bit of a bully, but there was nothing he could do. Han Yuan was in a high position and was easy to talk to. The key point was that he had no ill will towards him and was not like other officials who were full of tricks. Apart from being a bit pedantic, he was dedicated to the Great Zhou...
So he chose to come in person, firstly to show his sincerity, and secondly, given the current situation where a storm was brewing, there was no need to be cautious and pretend, because no matter what, there were people who wanted him dead.
"Your Majesty letting me take over the cabinet was already the biggest concession I have made." Han Yuan said with his eyes lowered.
Yan Xuanyu would not force Han Yuan. In fact, he was already giving him face by not standing up and leading the opposition. So he turned the jade ring on his thumb and said, "I know that Duke Han wants to be quiet. Let's just pretend that I am here to visit the Duke today..."
"The Crown Prince may be able to accomplish what Your Majesty wants to do." Yan Xuanyu didn't know what to say when he suddenly heard Han Yuan say this.
"Me?" Han Shidong couldn't help but spit out a word, and then quickly shut up.
Yan Xuanyu also saw Han Shidong. He looked puzzled and couldn't figure out Han Yuan's attitude for a moment. Did he really want to help him by letting this eldest son who seemed unreliable come?
Han Yuan pretended to know nothing and continued, "The status of a Duke and a Crown Prince is enough to overpower all the other sons of officials. My son has learned a bit of my literary talent now."
Yan Xuanyu looked at Han Shidong, who was shocked because his father praised him in public for the first time, and was doubly shocked because this person was the emperor.
At that moment, Yan Xuanyu suddenly understood Han Yuan as if a key had been opened up in his heart. Han Shidong was indeed a good candidate. Judging from his character alone, Yan Xuanyu would not doubt or suspect him. Han Shidong was also the prince of the Duke, so opening a school in his name was indeed a good choice...
However, Han Yuan may not quite understand what he means now, thinking that it is a school for children of officials. That place is not just for studying, there are many other things to do.
It's just... seeing Han Shidong and some officials who are obviously about the same age but have completely different personalities, I felt a sense of regret. It seems that Han Yuan's most precious son is actually this...
He looked at Han Yuan meaningfully, who was frowning, not knowing what he was thinking.
....
After the emperor left, Han Shidong cautiously asked Han Yuan: "Father, what mission did you and His Majesty talk about?"
"His Majesty wishes to fund the construction of a school and recruit the children of officials to attend." Han Yuan paused, "I recommend you as the principal, and His Majesty has agreed."
"Me?" Han Shidong was stunned.
If Yan Xuanyu were present, the most accurate picture he could imagine would be the demon king ordering the little demon to capture Tang Sanzang...
"I was mistaken before." Han Yuan sighed, "Father is really old."
"Father..." Han Shidong's eyes turned red.
He actually didn't know why his father chose to get involved in this mess now. Agreeing to His Majesty's request would be equivalent to making an enemy of the officials in the court. He didn't believe that his father didn't know what he already understood.
But he had a hunch...it seemed like it was because of him.
Everything became strange today, which made Han Shidong a little unacceptable.
...
Yan Xuanyu went to the Duke's Mansion without hiding from others, and soon everyone in the capital knew about it.
Officials from all sides speculated about why the emperor went to see Duke Han Guo. At first, everyone thought that Han Yuan was dissatisfied with the emperor. After all, the emperor had confined Han Yuan in his palace as soon as he ascended the throne. Later, the emperor bestowed a generous title on his cousin, but unfortunately Han Yuan did not stand on the emperor's side. Instead, he began to stay indoors, and his disciples gradually became silent in the court.
In the second hall, everyone knew why the emperor went to the Duke's Mansion.
The emperor actually wanted to open a school for the children of officials!
In whose name should it be opened?
It was not Han Yuan, but his eldest son Han Shidong.
He is Han Yuan's eldest son who has not yet held an official position at the age of forty.
...
"The Emperor is still a little naive if he wants to use the younger generation to threaten us." The head of the First Family sneered, "He didn't say which young man he wanted to enroll, did he?"
What was the emperor planning? Wasn't it just to have something to hold these noble families in check?
To them, this school was just a joke played by the little emperor.
So the same scene appeared in the homes of countless officials. Those illegitimate sons who were originally unfavored or even ignored were brought out, and some even brought in cousins from outside the capital.
Yan Xuanyu had naturally heard the rumor. There were already countless playboys who came to the Jixiang Theater to watch the theater every day, and many of them were die-hard fans of the theater.
Many of them are "abandoned children" who are being prepared to be sent to school by their families.
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