"They have always been indifferent to the northern border affairs, and only jumped up to oppose when the court asked Jiangnan to provide financial support." Zhang Juzheng smiled bitterly when he heard this:
"I have no idea what their attitude will be this time."
In fact, he only said half of what he said. Gao Gong's disciples had been looking for trouble with the Jiangnan Group this year, impeaching them for competing with the people for profits, illegally running schools, monopolizing people's livelihood, etc. But they were all suppressed by Zhao Zhenji.
You can't write two Zhao characters with one stroke. Based on the principle of "I support what Gao Gong opposes", Zhao Ge Lao was willing to be a free human shield for the Jiangnan Group. As a result, the conflict between him and Gao Gong became more and more intensified.
"Hmm..." Gao Gong knew the answer well, and he said nothing. Although he and Zhang Juzheng were like-minded and inseparable, and they exchanged glances and talked about everything, who knew whether the boy surnamed Zhao would become the son-in-law of the Zhang family, so he never discussed anything related to the Jiangnan Group.
He thought about it silently for a moment, and decided to put the issue aside for the time being, and then asked, "What will be the attitude of the nobles?"
"Nine out of ten are the opposition." Zhang Juzheng spread his hands and said, "If we don't fight, how can they make achievements?"
"They talk as if they can fight..." Gao Gong spat, pouting his lips. Even if the nobles didn't fight the war themselves, their relatives and followers still needed to develop in the army, so they definitely didn't want to negotiate peace.
"These ten or so votes against are really fatal." Zhang Juzheng sighed.
"Is there any way to make them change their ways?" Gao Gong pulled his beard and said, "Even if we can just pull half of them over, it will be fine."
"Then I have to talk to the three gentlemen." Zhang Juzheng said.
"I can't negotiate with them." Gao Gong shook his head decisively. Duke Cheng was ruthless, Duke Ding was cautious, and Duke Ying was obsessed with money.
The most important thing is that I can't come up with any chips that can impress them...
"Then who can get along with them?" Zhang Juzheng asked thoughtfully.
Gao Gong felt annoyed and said, "Why are you beating around the bush? Just tell me straight, this matter can't be done without that kid named Zhao!"
"I didn't say that." Zhang Juzheng laughed and said, "But Brother Suqing seems to have a prejudice against Zhao Hao. I think he doesn't even dare to come to the capital..."
"Shouldn't I have a prejudice against him?" Now that it's come to this, Gao Gong speaks frankly. "Don't be too modest, you and I are both rare geniuses. I was good at couplets at the age of five, recited a thousand words at the age of eight, and won the first prize at the age of seventeen. Your uncle is a world-famous child prodigy, but when that kid was born, he surpassed us all."
"Yes, every generation has talented people, and each of them leads the country for hundreds of years." Zhang Juzheng couldn't help laughing.
"Oh, yes, he can also write poetry..." Gao Gong said depressedly: "For this kind of person, there is no more appropriate word to describe him except 'evil'!"
"That's not a nice word..." Zhang Juzheng said with a smile.
Monsters are abnormal things, and the ancients believed that they were a bad omen. As the saying goes, "When a country is about to fall, there will be monsters."
"Of course it's not a good word!" Gao Gong raised his voice and said, "In just four years, he founded the Xishan Group and used the princess to unite the nobles in Beijing. He also founded the Jiangnan Group and united the powerful families in Jiangnan. This ability to form cliques is really shocking. I heard that the local officials in Jiangnan only know about the Jiangnan Group and don't know about the court!"
"He is also vigorously developing education in Jiangnan. Good fellow, if we let him go for another ten or twenty years, by the time our generation is old, the court of the Ming Dynasty will be filled with people with the surname Zhao!" Gao Gong paused and said in a cold voice: "What exactly does he want to do? I think he has ulterior motives! Now that he has laid a solid foundation, it will not be so easy to move him. But because of this, we must confront him as soon as possible!"
Zhang Juzheng was secretly shocked when he heard this. He had never expected that in Gao Gong's eyes, Zhao Hao was as threatening as the Tartars. To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the internal situation. Gao Huzi was ready to deal with Zhao Hao as soon as he had time!
He couldn't be vague now, and said in a deep voice: "Maybe because Brother Su Qing has had too little contact with him, he has some prejudice against him. I have had in-depth talks with that guy several times, and I can guarantee that he is sincere to the Ming Dynasty. He has done everything without hiding it from me, and it's not that he intends to form cliques, it's just that the company's organizational form is too powerful."
"Didn't he invent the company?" Gao Gong asked with a sneer.
"That's different. When a baby is born, no one can tell whether he will grow up to be a saint or a devil. We need time to observe him slowly." Zhang Juzheng said seriously, "We shouldn't kill him with one blow just because he has just started to speak."
"As long as there is a possibility of it growing into a demon, it should be killed early to prevent future troubles!" Gao Gong gritted his teeth and said, "Don't you think so, uncle?"
"But I have a different opinion." Zhang Juzheng did not respond as usual, but said in a clear attitude: "The Ming Dynasty has lost its vigor and vitality after 200 years. It is dead and has become a mere routine. Even if we have the ambition to make up for the past, our measures are nothing more than 'reducing opinions', 'strengthening discipline', 're-edicting', 'checking facts'... It's just a few moves back and forth, nothing good to say. If we do well, we can only extend the life of the country for a few dozen years, but it is impossible to restore the prestige of the Second Ancestor, let alone the Han and Tang dynasties."
"Why would I speak for him? It's not out of personal feelings... Besides, I don't have any personal feelings for that kid!" He advised earnestly:
"I feel the vigorous vitality and the power of change from new things like companies, especially Jiangnan Group! This is what Daming lacks the most now, so I hope to observe and see what tricks they can come up with and what changes they can bring to Jiangnan and Daming."
"Change, change." Gao Gong said irritably, "What if it becomes hopeless?"
Zhang Juzheng lowered his eyelids and said, "The changes of the Dao of Qian will correct the nature and destiny of each person..."
"Each of you should live your life properly? Is this what a great scholar of a country should say? I think you are out of your mind!" Gao Gong snorted coldly. Zhang Juzheng's words come from the "Book of Changes: Qian Gua", which can be understood as "all things on earth must adapt to the changes of the sky, the fittest will survive and grow, and the unfit will be eliminated."
"..." Zhang Juzheng stopped talking. In fact, there were four more sentences he didn't say, which were even more excessive.
"Hey, I'm off topic. We were talking about the court discussion, how did it get to that kid?" Seeing that the difference in attitude towards Zhao Hao was too deep, Gao Gong hurriedly changed the subject. The most important thing at the moment was Altan Khan's tribute, and everything else had to be put aside. He laughed and said, "Where were we just talking about? Have you forgotten?"
"When it comes to the person to negotiate with the nobles, Zhao Hao is the most suitable." Zhang Juzheng also smiled and said, "I was just talking nonsense. What I said just now is not counted."
"Yes, yes, it doesn't count." Gao Gong nodded and said with a smile: "Then call that kid to Beijing, and I will have a good chat with him." He laughed at himself and said: "The last time he went to Gaojiazhuang, I was so busy with my anger with Zhao Liben that I didn't have a detailed chat with him."
"It's my duty." Zhang Juzheng nodded, and suddenly remembered something. He gritted his teeth and said, "Speaking of which, Bu Gu should have a good talk with him too!"
~~
In the Wei Ji Xian flagship store in Xiaocangshan, Jinling City.
Master Zhao, who was attending a farewell banquet for his teachers, sneezed twice loudly.
"Who is thinking about me?" Zhao Hao took the handkerchief handed to him by Sister Ma and blew his nose.
"I guess it's one of his lovers?" Li Zhi, who was sitting next to him with a big horse and a golden sword, teased him without any hesitation when he heard the words.
"Nonsense, I am a chaste man." Zhao Hao rolled his eyes and didn't argue with him. The boss is very tolerant of irreplaceable ace employees... Of course, you can't tease the boss's secretary.
This time, Li Zhi and Pan Zhongzhan, the pair of tutors, made extraordinary achievements.
On September 18, the results of the Yingtian County Examination were announced. The top scorer was Jiao Hong, who was from Yufeng Academy.
The second runner-up, Wu Rulun, graduated from Yufeng Academy.
The third runner-up is Xia Liuren, who graduated from Yufeng Academy.
After that, up to the tenth runner-up, there were three more people from Yufeng Academy.
In addition, 27 students passed the imperial examinations, bringing the total number of successful candidates to 33.
Even though there are still 62 people who failed, it is twice the number of people who passed.
However, this was the Nanzhili provincial examination where internal competition was the most serious!
In the Gengwu examination of the fourth year of Longqing's reign, a total of 4,300 candidates took part in the Yingtian Prefecture provincial examination, and finally 135 Juren were admitted.
The admission rate was only a pitiful 3.49%, but it was already the highest in the 16th year of Jiajing.
However, Yufeng Academy’s admission rate for the provincial examination was as high as 34.7%, which is ten times the overall admission rate!
This only counts the results of the Yingtian County Examination. The results of other provincial examinations are not so impressive. It is estimated that the final admission rate will rise.
Sure enough, a few days later, good news came from other provinces.
Among the fifty students who participated in the Shuntian Prefecture's provincial examination, thirty of them passed the examination, including Li Tingji, the top scholar.
Among the twenty-two students who participated in the Jiangxi provincial examination, nine of them became Juren, including the top scholar Wu Tianliang.
Among the sixteen students who took part in the Shandong provincial examination, eight of them, including Yu Shensi, passed the examination.
There are also two from Huguang No. 3 Middle School, three from Fujian No. 4 Middle School, and one from Henan No. 2 Middle School...
In the end, the total success rate of Yufeng Academy reached a shocking 44.8%.
However, Zhao Hao would not publish this data, as it would attract too much attention. The county examination records would only record the candidates' place of origin and school status, and would not specifically record which private tutoring institution they came from. Therefore, outsiders had no way of keeping statistics except within the academy.
According to him, there would be no need to hold a celebration banquet, and the only thing to do was to make a fortune quietly.
"You are just trying to cover up your mistake." But Pan Zhongxian reminded him, "Others can't calculate it exactly, but they can make a rough estimate. You are trying to cover it up, but it seems like you have something to hide. It's better to admit openly that we are good at tutoring for the imperial examinations, so that everyone will get used to it sooner and won't be surprised."
Zhao Hao thought about it again and again, and it was indeed true. He always wanted to get away from Gao Huzi, but he was a little timid. He had been staying in his old nest for almost a year without moving, and it seemed that he had no intention of letting him go.
Only then did he decide not to hide it anymore, and attended the thank-you banquet held by the new candidates for their teachers with a group of teachers from the academy.
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