If it were true, then Zhao Shu would certainly not say so.
If you try to evade the issue, it shows your guilty conscience, and you will still be brutally trampled into the mud with vicious words.
Zhao Shu was furious, but she maintained a calm and collected demeanor, looking at the man with disdain as if he were a clown. "Does Your Excellency consider my use of the word 'self-righteous' to be disrespectful? Then may I ask Your Excellency, what exactly is 'self-righteous'?"
“Princess, stop beating around the bush. Are you feeling guilty?” he retorted.
Zhao Shu smiled mockingly, "You refuse to answer, yet you keep slandering my teacher. Isn't this also being disrespectful and arrogant? I respect you as an official of the court, so please live up to your status and the mentor who recommended you for officialdom."
"Confucius once said: 'All those who fight will think themselves right and others wrong. You, sir, keep saying that my teacher only accepted me into the family because of my grandmother and uncle, and that my teacher is a fame-seeker and does not deserve to be called the Fourth Prince. Then, sir, who are you? What rank do you hold? Has your family produced any sages? Who is your teacher? What great works have you written? Are you praised by the people as the upright ruler of our time? If so, I, the princess, will apologize to you on the spot. If not, please go to my teacher to apologize and ask him for forgiveness.'"
"As a disciple, how can I face my ancestor and teacher if I do not speak up when my teacher is insulted? If I do not defend him, will I be able to face my teacher? If you say I am being disrespectful, and if I defend my teacher and speak up for him, will my rebuttal to your vicious words be misinterpreted? And if all the ministers and nobles of the court think that what I said was excessive, then I can only sigh that the world is going to the dogs, people's hearts are no longer pure, and high moral character is gone!"
After she finished speaking, the other party's face turned pale and then red, and she trembled with anger. Not satisfied, she raised her voice and said, "Besides, I am not recommending a teacher."
"Pfft." Huo Baichuan laughed, pointing the licorice in his hand at the man, "Lord Rong, have some tea to calm your nerves. Go back and read a few classic texts before you come back to discuss your skills with the little princess. You've been busy these past few years judging whether people are just seeking fame and fortune, and you haven't been studying properly. You've forgotten all your knowledge. Your teacher will definitely punish you. Mencius is right. Even if a self-righteous person reads ten thousand books and travels ten thousand miles, he will still be self-righteous. Although my uncle is the head of the Four Young Masters, he has never considered himself one of the Four Young Masters. However, everyone thinks he is knowledgeable and his character is passable, so they affectionately include him in the Four Young Masters. It seems that it was people like the Old Man of Empty Mountain and the Hermit of Cloth-Knotting Grass who made the evaluation. I don't know if these people are as knowledgeable as Lord Rong."
Today he can trample on Luo Hu, tomorrow he can trample on Huo Chengchuo. In Huo Baichuan's mind, this Lord Rong is already a dead man. At this moment, he is thinking about who to find to replace him.
After watching the commotion for so long, Emperor Mingde finally spoke. He slowly said, "Ajun is right to defend the teacher, and I am gratified. However, I am quite curious about who this capable minister you speak of is." He was extremely disappointed that it was not Luo Hu.
Five years ago, after learning that Luo Hu had become Zhao Shu's teacher, he had been waiting for Luo Hu to enter officialdom, but five years had passed.
Although it was inappropriate for Luo Hu to be recommended for office by a woman, he was now eager for talent. He had sincerely invited Luo Hu to serve in the government before, but for some reason Luo Hu did not agree. If his niece could get Luo Hu into the court as an official, he would not care who recommended this official.
"Prefect Zheng Hongsheng of Guanzhou, Your Majesty, is a capable and good official. You must give him an important position." Zhao Shu spoke to Emperor Mingde as if it were a casual conversation, like a niece.
Emperor Mingde was stunned. He never expected it to be this person. Everyone else was also stunned. Rong Weide, who had just been humiliated by Zhao Shu's retort, said without a care in the world after hearing Zheng Hongsheng's name, "As a royal princess, you should know that women should not interfere in politics. Moreover, how do you know that Zheng Hongsheng is a capable minister? Princess, please do not disregard your colleagues in the hall."
Upon hearing this, Ji Dongxue stood up, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to ask the Princess." He was the Minister of Personnel, in charge of the appointment, evaluation, promotion, demotion, transfer, and conferment of honors of officials throughout the country. If he remembered correctly, Zheng Hongsheng had not been moved to a local post for a long time. Local officials in Dayong served three-year terms, and Zheng Hongsheng had served two consecutive terms as the Prefect of Guanzhou.
Zheng Hongsheng was not a member of this party, and given that Guanzhou was a place where the royal family and relatives gathered, it was often difficult to choose a suitable candidate. Fortunately, Zheng Hongsheng did not cause trouble and had a fairly good reputation in Guanzhou, so no action was taken against him.
It would be bad if the young princess accused him of dereliction of duty.
Emperor Mingde glanced at Ji Dongxue, knowing exactly what he wanted to ask, but ignored him and instead asked Zhao Shu, "Why does Ajun say that?" He keenly sensed that Ji Dongxue was bound to be in trouble this time. The Huo, Xie, and Yan faction had only managed to fight to a draw with the Sun, Wei, and Yang faction after five years, and Liu Huan was still serving as a county magistrate in Qianzhou.
“Uncle Emperor,” Zhao Shu said, then stood up and knelt before Emperor Mingde. “Today is your birthday. Please forgive my rudeness. This matter cannot be discussed today.”
Emperor Mingde was suspicious, but seeing Zhao Shu's angry brows and sorrowful eyes, he felt sorry for her and helped her up. "Alright, A-Jun, you can talk about it whenever you want."
Ji Dongxue breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance with Sun Ganzheng, and prepared to investigate Zheng Hongsheng after returning to his residence. However, how could Emperor Mingde let him off so easily? He asked, "Minister Ji, when will Zheng Hongsheng's term end?"
Ji Dongxue's heart skipped a beat. He asked himself if he had ever embezzled or accepted bribes, or ever abused his power for personal gain. Even if he had participated in the factional struggle, his ultimate goal was nothing more than to prevent Emperor Mingde from implementing his new policies. Of course, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. As long as it does not affect the interests of his own faction, he would sometimes turn a blind eye to his subordinates or relatives doing some harmless things for personal reasons. It was quite common for Zheng Hongsheng to serve two terms as prefect in the same place, but if someone used this to attack him for deliberately bullying capable officials of lower rank than him, it would be a troublesome matter.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
