Chapter 115: Xu Cunren Is Imprisoned, Reunited with Liu Bowen

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, the temperature in the imperial study dropped several degrees.

Zhu Biao’s expression changed drastically; he had not expected the Emperor to be so enraged after reading the memorial. Beside him, Xu Cunren remained calm, as if he had already predicted the storm that would be unleashed by delivering this document to the Emperor.

"I did not want to speak my mind. A while ago, Your Majesty asked me to draft a proposal and submit the results, but I had no heart for it. I only wished to resign and retire, finding solace in the fields and mountains. But yesterday... I thought I should at least give Your Majesty an answer, rather than run away."

Xu Cunren’s candor and Zhu Yuanzhang’s fury swirled through the study. Zhu Biao did not know what to say—what could he say?

"So, you are saying that my direction for reforming the imperial examinations is to elevate fools, and that I lack the capacity to tolerate others...?"

Zhu Yuanzhang reached his limit and threw the memorial to the floor. Xu Cunren knelt, remaining silent.

"Master Xu, you have been with me for nearly ten years. From the moment you joined my ranks, I believe I have treated you well. Although the position of Chancellor of the National Academy is a modest post, it involves the selection of talent for the examinations, and I was the first to consult you—I did not even consult Liu Bowen or Li Shanchang. I thought I trusted you, but this is how you see me?"

"Your servant deserves death! Your Majesty may execute me, but I must speak my heart. In selecting talent for the nation, one should choose the virtuous and capable. If Your Majesty allows others to guess the imperial mind with selfish intent, it is merely like trying to draw a tiger and ending up with a dog—it is useless! Our Great Ming is in a state of decay and revival, a time when we desperately need virtuous talent. Your Majesty must not let personal interests ruin the future of the nation!"

Xu Cunren repeatedly accused the Emperor of having "selfish interests," infuriating Zhu Yuanzhang. He did indeed harbor such petty thoughts, but to have them spoken aloud was an act of treason.

A monarch’s mind is unfathomable, especially the darker impulses within. Zhu Yuanzhang had already contemplated killing Zhang Yi, a child of great utility, on several occasions—let alone Xu Cunren. Yet, the Emperor knew that if he threw Xu into prison now, it would only confirm the accusations of his selfishness.

Old Zhu sneered: "So, you think you are the worm in my belly, knowing my thoughts? And... as you said in your memorial, what is wrong with me reforming, contemplating the sages, and imitating them? What is wrong with holding the words of the sages in one's mind, even if one judges the imperial will through the lens of personal interest?"

Xu Cunren was left speechless by Zhu Yuanzhang’s words. He recalled the meaning behind Zhang Yi’s words that day: perhaps the Emperor had already decided long ago how to find the talent he wanted, and had already prepared the lofty, righteous excuses to justify it. Even he could not easily shake that foundation.

Since the rise of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, Confucianism had absorbed many Buddhist and Taoist theories, shifting from a pragmatic philosophy toward metaphysics. This had greatly enhanced the sanctity of Confucianism and completed its logical loop, yet such a version of Confucianism was no longer essentially different from the Zhengyi sect of Mount Longhu.

"The Way is different; we cannot work together! Your Majesty, forgive me!" Xu Cunren smiled faintly and lowered his head to accept his guilt.

"Guards, take him away and throw him into prison!"

"Father, think twice!" Zhu Biao immediately knelt, pleading for mercy. By both reason and sentiment, Xu Cunren was one of his teachers.

"Take him away!"

At the Emperor’s roar, guards rushed in and dragged Xu Cunren away. Seeing that his father would not relent, Zhu Biao chased after them.

"Master Xu..."

The guards dragged Xu Cunren out of the palace, heading toward the Ministry of Justice prison. "Please, bear this hardship for a while. I will plead with Father!"

Xu Cunren smiled: "Your Highness is kind, but I was prepared for this when I came. I understand the Emperor’s mind, but I still believe that this course of action will shake the very foundations of the nation."

Zhu Biao lowered his head, unable to agree or disagree. Although Zhu Yuanzhang had not spoken in detail about how he would arrange future examinations, Zhu Biao had a rough idea. His own cultivation was shallow, and he could not fully grasp the intricacies; even the dispute between his father and Xu Cunren left him bewildered.

"The Master has his position, and Father has his difficulties. Sigh, if only the Master had stuck to the facts..." Zhu Biao trailed off.

Xu Cunren replied: "How could I not know that if I kept silent, the Emperor and I might both have a chance at a peaceful outcome? But the imperial examinations concern the foundation of the state. If I did not speak with gravity, I would be betraying the trust the Emperor has placed in me for all these years. Alas, such is fate... That person told me I had the aura of death about me. I should have avoided disaster, yet I chose this path anyway!"

With those words, Xu Cunren turned and let the guards escort him away into the distance.

Zhu Biao, lost in thought, turned and returned to the imperial study.

"If you are here to plead for him, you may stop. I will not kill him this time, but that is not enough to vent my anger!"

As Zhu Biao knelt, Zhu Yuanzhang had already returned to his administrative duties, but his voice was cold, clearly still burning with lingering rage. The will of the monarch pressed down like a mountain. Zhu Biao could feel a sense of alienation in his father's tone; he was no longer a father, but Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor!

"I am not here to plead, but there is something I must tell you, Father. Please, consider it!"

"Speak!" Old Zhu suppressed his fire, waiting for Zhu Biao to continue.

Zhu Biao said: "Before Master Xu left, he told me that someone had warned him he carried the aura of death..."

Zhu Yuanzhang’s brush trembled, leaving a long, black streak across the memorial. He looked up abruptly: "Someone? Who?"

He immediately realized, his expression shifting: "Is it that brat?"

Zhu Biao kept his head bowed: "I do not know!"

"If it was that brat Zhang Yi, did he say something to Xu Cunren?" Old Zhu’s fury turned into suspicion. He might ignore Xu Cunren’s words, but if it were Zhang Yi, he had to think twice...

...

In the Taoist temple, Zhang Yi had worried all night. Although he had not spent much time with Xu Cunren, he was a man he could sincerely call "Master."

The next morning, he arrived early at the National Academy. Before he even entered, he could vaguely hear the students whispering. Zhang Yi hurried to the classroom, but the Master was nowhere to be seen.

"The Master has been imprisoned!" Kong Ne had arrived earlier and was the first to tell him the news.

"As expected. These scholars have lost their minds. I told him to avoid disaster, yet he went to his death..." Zhang Yi was dazed, his head spinning with chaotic thoughts.

The entire National Academy was in a state of panic, and no one was attending classes. Since Zhu Yuanzhang had conquered Nanjing, the Academy had been managed by Xu Cunren; his prestige there was unmatched.

"Do you know why the Master was imprisoned?" Zhang Yi asked. Kong Ne shook his head. He was practically a prisoner himself; how could he know palace news?

"I heard a little—it was my uncle who told me..." Many students in the Academy had relatives in the government, and together they pieced the truth together. "They say Master Xu argued with the Emperor over the imperial examinations, and his memorial even claimed the Emperor lacked personal integrity..."

Walls have ears. Although no specific details leaked from the palace, through hearsay, everyone had a rough idea of the truth.

Hearing this, Zhang Yi’s face went dark. A wave of guilt washed over him. He remembered their candlelit conversation the night before last, and how earnestly the Master had taught him calligraphy...

Zhang Yi sighed, no longer holding his former high spirits. "Even if he had resigned, he might have met his end, but he only intended to resign. Now, because of my prattling, he went to defy the Emperor. Zhang Yi, oh Zhang Yi, you thought that being a time-traveler meant you could guide others, but you are just as much a mortal drifting in the sea of bitterness! When a real storm hits, you are powerless!"

"What is wrong with you? This isn't like you." Kong Ne had never seen Zhang Yiming like this and pushed him slightly.

Zhang Yi came to his senses, ignored Kong Ne, and turned to run toward the gate of the Academy. Panic was everywhere, and no one stopped him. Kong Ne was stunned; this guy was acting too strangely today. He liked Master Xu too, but not to the point of being devastated by his imprisonment. Yet, seeing Zhang Yi like this, Kong Ne felt a flicker of concern. Seeing the chaos in the Academy, he gritted his teeth and followed him out.

"Where are you going?" Kong Ne caught up, seeing Zhang Yi trying to find his way.

"I remember the Master's house is nearby, but it was late when he took me there, and I don't remember the roads of Nanjing clearly. His wife gave me a bowl of rice the other day—I want to check on her!"

"You little Taoist, I thought you were heartless and shameless!" Kong Ne retorted, but seeing that Zhang Yi was too distracted to even argue back, he sighed: "I have delivered an invitation to the Master's home before; I will take you!"

"Thank you!" Zhang Yi’s sincere gratitude took Kong Ne by surprise. He curled his lip and said, "Consider it repaying the favor of your advice from that day. Let's go—if we don't move now, the other masters will come out to restore order, and we won't be able to leave!"

Kong Ne led the way, and Zhang Yi followed. The two wound through Nanjing, searching for Xu Cunren’s house.

At the Xu residence, Mistress Xu had long since lost her composure, weeping. Sitting before her was an old man in official robes.

"I told him that day not to worry about dinner, I thought he was busy with work at the Academy... We have been husband and wife for years, yet he didn't reveal a single word of what he was planning... Oh, Master, how could you leave us behind like this..."

The weeping of Mistress Xu made the old man opposite her look somber. He comforted her softly: "Sister-in-law, do not worry. The Emperor has a quick temper, but he is not an unreasonable man. Brother Xu is only imprisoned, not sentenced! We, his old brothers from Zhejiang, will try to find a way. Your priority now is to take care of your health and keep this house together. If you fall ill, how will I face Brother Xu when he returns?"

Mistress Xu stood up and bowed: "I am but a woman who knows nothing, and the children are not by my side. I must leave the Master's affairs to you, Master Liu."

The person before her was none other than Liu Ji—Liu Bowen—whom Zhang Yi had encountered that day.

"Rest assured, sister-in-law, I will do my best. Sigh, if I had known Brother Xu was so unyielding, I would have advised him to just go and resign from the Emperor directly!"

Liu Bowen stood up, ready to leave. Seeing Mistress Xu about to see him out, he quickly said: "No need, sister-in-law, we are all family, no need for formalities!"

With that, Liu Bowen had his servant leave a gift and turned to leave. But as soon as he stepped out the door, he bumped into someone.

"Ouch!" A child fell to the ground!

"It’s you? Why are you here? It’s class time at the National Academy—are you skipping school?"

Although Zhang Yi was dressed in civilian clothes, Liu Bowen recognized the little Taoist at a glance. He frowned and began to scold him.