When Zhu Youzhen summoned Zhang Yaofang and other officials to control the water, he also heard that Zhang Yaofang's son Zhang Dai was running among them, and he had some credit.

For Zhang Yaofang, Zhu Youzhen had no impression in his mind. But for Zhang Dai, a native of Shaoxing, he knows a little about it.

For those young people who pursue a bourgeois life, what could be more touching than Zhang Dai's words?

Even the former Su Changqing has read several of Zhang Dai's texts, especially the paragraph in "Self-Epitaph": Less is a gentleman, and loves prosperity very much. Good house, good beautiful maid, good child, good fresh clothes, good food, good horses, good lanterns, good fireworks, good pear orchards, good advocacy, good antiques, good flowers and birds, and tea, obscenity, poetry, and magic, half a lifetime of hard work, all are dreams. … Looking back on 20 years ago, it was like a lifetime away.

This passage is very short, but it shows the life of a child of a family who was rich and noble when he was a teenager, but his family and country were lost after middle age. Even when I read this passage hundreds of years later, it is still embarrassing.

In the great era of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Zhang Dai could neither defend his country nor his family, but he always kept his heart, and it was not the last insistence of a literati.

No matter what, the former Su Changqing still admired this literati in the late Ming Dynasty. Since they heard his name, they naturally ordered him to be summoned.

The 33-year-old Zhang Dai is in his prime, with a good family background and a rich and leisurely life, which makes him always have a calmness that is different from ordinary people.

Even standing in front of Chongzhen, he didn't show nervousness and restraint, but was a little curious, secretly looking at the young man sitting above.

Zhang Dai, who wrote such a beautiful and refined text as "Watching the Snow in the Lake Pavilion", is not a handsome person.

Zhu Youzhen's first impression of Zhang Dai was that this person's nose was really big enough. Although this nose makes Zhang Dai's appearance have nothing to do with the word handsome, but with Zhang Dai's facial features, it looks very amiable.

After talking with Zhang Dai for a while, Zhu Youzhen felt lonely and unheard of for the first time in front of a Ming person. With the exception of Western doctrines and future history, there seems to be nothing that is not in the belly of this being.

A person who has a strong reputation and memory to such an extent is no wonder that he can write so many beautiful words. So the conversation between the two soon became Zhang Dai's words, and Zhu Youzhen listened to them.

If it weren't for Zhang Yaofang coughing a few times on the side, Zhang Dai, who was talking about it, would have almost forgotten that he was now in the office of the Emperor of Wenhuadian.

Seeing Zhang Dai retreat, Zhu Youzhen finally couldn't help but ask suspiciously: "Zongzi is so talented, why is he still just a sentient being?" ”

Hearing Chongzhen's question, Zhang Dai's face suddenly darkened, and he lost the momentum of his speech that he had just swayed freely.

Seeing his son's speechless appearance, Zhang Yaofang had to explain to Chongzhen. After listening to the reasons why Zhang Dai repeatedly failed the exam, Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but smile and said: "The current Daming imperial examination is really too pedantic, and talents like Zongzi have been brushed down just because their views are different from Zhu Xi's.

It's no wonder that most of the current officials of my Ming Dynasty are inactive. In addition to being conservative, where can the state and the people be appeased? ”

Hearing Chongzhen's emotion, Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel like a confidant, he immediately nodded and said: "Your Majesty's words are good, the student thinks that this imperial examination is used to carve the liver and sausage of pedants, and it is also used to kill the ambition of heroes..."

"Don't be rude in front of Your Majesty." Zhang Yaofang reprimanded his son in a low voice, and then quickly asked Chongzhen for guilt: "The minister has no way to teach his son, and I ask Your Majesty to forgive me." ”

Although Zhang Yaofang is unwilling to succumb to the world, he knows far more about the world than Zhang Dai.

Chongzhen was dissatisfied with the imperial examination system, and it was not a big deal to complain a few words. However, if Zhang Dai's remarks attacking the imperial examination in front of the emperor were spread, I am afraid that he would soon be regarded as an enemy by the scholars of the world.

Zhang Yaofang naturally wouldn't let his son fall into this fate, so he reprimanded Zhang Dai quite rudely, and then helped him deny his previous remarks in front of Chongzhen.

Zhu Youzhen looked at Zhang Yaofang, who was nervous, and then looked at Zhang Dai, who was still full of anger next to him, although he was silent, and said a few words casually, which was regarded as covering up the matter.

Immediately, Zhu Youzhen shifted the topic to official business, "I will notify the Ordnance Superintendent of your request for the transfer* and the purchase of stainless steel stone cutting tools, and someone will naturally negotiate these matters with you at that time."

As for Zongzi? Yenching University's Faculty of Liberal Arts still lacks a professor, I wonder if you are willing to give in? On weekdays, I can also ask you for some knowledge nearby. ”

The current Yenching University is no longer the Guozijian of a year ago. In the past year, Yenching University has not only recruited many northern scholars, but also recruited many disciples of Li Zhen and the Taizhou School.

These progressive scholars, who had previously been suppressed by the scholars of science, gradually formed a group at Yenching University and raised the banner of opposition to Cheng Zhu Lixue, which had emerged since the Northern Song Dynasty. It has become one of the most influential academic societies in Beijing, along with the new academic groups in the university that study chemistry, physics, mathematics and natural sciences.

Because of these academic groups advocating new trends of thought, Yenching University has become the most influential place in the north and the birthplace of new scholarship and new ideas.

At this time, those who were able to enter Yenching University to teach were no longer those who had a bad career in the imperial examination, but scholars from all over the world who had learned expertise. Any professor who can be hired by Yenching University is a scholar who has a unique perspective in one area.

Chongzhen's closeness to the professors of Yenching University, and the professors who asked about relevant knowledge when formulating national policies with the cabinet, gradually formed a system. This made the position of a university professor start to become hot.

At present, if a professor at Yenching University does not have a special specialty, it is difficult for even Jinshi to find a position. And Zhang Dai just chatted with the emperor and obtained such an appointment, if this is spread, it will inevitably make some insiders red-eyed.

However, now standing in front of Chongzhen are all middle- and low-level officials from Shandong, who may have heard the name of the famous Yenching University, but they are not very clear about what the position of professor at Yenching University means, so they are not very surprised.

Although Zhang Yaofang felt that Zhang Dai went to Yenching University to teach as a student, it seemed that his identity was a little inappropriate, but he did not doubt whether he had enough knowledge to serve as a university professor.

However, Zhang Dai himself is eager to try this, he has heard a lot of rumors about Yenching University when he was in Shandong, and he also wants to go to Beijing to see if Yenching University is really as wonderful as rumored.

When Zhu Youzhen was still waiting for Zhang Dai's answer, the door suddenly opened, and everyone in the room looked back, but a waiter of no low status walked in briskly holding a wooden box.

After recognizing that the person who came in was Lu Qi, Zhu Youzhen beckoned to him. Lu Qi hurriedly held the wooden box in his hand and walked forward, bypassing the people standing in the middle of the room, and walked to Chongzhen's side.

He lowered his head and whispered in Chongzhen's ear for a while, and Zhang Dai saw that the young man's brows were tightened, and he relaxed again.

Zhu Youzhen didn't open the wooden box in front of him, but raised his head and smiled at Zhang Yaofang and said: "There is good news, Zhu Xieyuan, the governor of the five provinces, and Qin Liangyu, the governor of the southwest, led the armies of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Shaanxi to defeat more than 100,000 rebels in Yongning. ”

Zhang Yaofang immediately took several officials around him to congratulate Chongzhen: "The ministers congratulate Your Majesty Hongfu, and the southwest general is safe..."

After accepting everyone's congratulations, Zhu Youzhen continued: "I also have to discuss with the cabinet about the aftermath after the rebellion in the southwest is quelled. Therefore, today's summons will be here first, and as for the matter of Zongzi, it will be decided. ”

Zhu Youzhen decided on Zhang Dai's appointment, and waved them to retire. Zhang Yaofang's father and son glanced at each other, finally accepted the emperor's appointment, and retired with everyone.

After these people left, Zhu Youzhen opened the wooden box in front of him, took out the recital documents inside, and looked through them.

This was a secret report sent back by Zhang Daojun, the commander of the Jinyi Guard sent to Sichuan, and the official report document would arrive in about seven or eight days.

What the document says is very concise: After Hou Liangzhu, the chief soldier of Sichuan, ventured into Chishui and retreated from Chishui in the autumn of last year, Zhu Xieyuan consulted with Qin Liangyu, the governor of the southwest, Liu Kexun, the deputy envoy of military garrison, and Xu Chengming, the chief soldier of Guizhou.

It was decided to use the general plan to lure the rebels out of Shuixi, where the terrain was dangerous, and ambush the rebels in the areas of Yongning Wufeng Mountain, Taohong Dam, and Exiangling.

After two years of repair, although the Shuixi clan has recovered some vitality, it is obviously impossible to support an army of more than 100,000 people for a long time with Shuixi's material resources.

Therefore, after Hou Liangzhu was defeated and retreated, An Bangyan sent troops in February this year, and after dividing his troops to seize Luguang, Yachi, Sancha and other important places, he entered Zunyi, calling himself the "Great Elder of the Four Descendants" and calling Yu Chongming the "King of Daliang".

At the end of April, the two joined forces with 100,000 troops to attack Chishui. As a result, Yongning was ambushed by the main force of the official army that had been assembled, and suffered three consecutive defeats at Wufeng Mountain, Taohongba, and Exiangling. At the end of May and the beginning of June, the rebels finally collapsed on all fronts, and An Bangyan and Hao Chongming were both killed in the defeat.

In the end, the remnants of less than 10,000 soldiers fled back to Shuixi, and continued to resist the imperial court under the command of An Kuniyan's brother's son.

This is good news, but it is not the only news sent by Zhang Daojun. There is another news in the document, which is the news that made Zhu Youzhen frown quite a little just now.