"Teacher Mei submitted his resignation to the Emperor and wanted to retire and return to his hometown."
"The emperor has approved it."
It was the first snowfall in the twelfth lunar month. When Lu Yunhong came back from the court, his cloak was soaked through.
Wang Xiu thought about the bare persimmon tree he saw in the backyard today, without even a leaf. At that time, he was thinking that it was another cold winter and he didn't know if something would happen. He didn't expect that the Mei family was in ruins.
She put down her cloak to Lu Yunhong and asked, "Isn't there anyone who can give me some advice?"
Lu Yunhong shook his head: "The old master didn't tell anyone in advance, how to persuade him? In addition, because of his family affairs, his energy is not as good as before. Instead of supporting him in the court, it is better to go to the countryside and cultivate his body."
"Your Majesty probably thinks so too. Gao Xian has been sent abroad and is going to Taiyuan to become the prefect."
"The engagement between him and Mei Min was terminated. Mei Min was betrothed to Li Jin and will stay in the capital."
The old teacher had already resigned on his own initiative, so naturally he would not pave the way for Gao Xian. After all, Gao Xian was still outside Jiuqing. Although he did not make any advances, he was too influenced by the Mei family, so he probably would not have much of a future.
Wang Xiudao: "It's quite irritating to see Mei Min. It's a pity that the old master has worked hard for half her life and the connections and prestige she has accumulated are so easily dissipated."
"Then they will wait until Mei Min's marriage before leaving Beijing?"
Lu Yunhong nodded and said, "The marriage is scheduled for the 26th of the twelfth lunar month. It's very urgent."
"If I don't guess too much, the two old people are just waiting for Mei Min to return home from the third day. After the New Year, they will leave."
"Gao Xianhui will leave Beijing two years ago, probably the day after tomorrow."
"It should be the intention of the old master. He has completely given up on Gao Xian."
Wang Xiudao: "If you work hard to mend things, you may not be able to pretend to be harmonious and go on. The old teacher has such courage, he really deserves to be the leader of the ministers."
Lu Yunhong said: "Old Master is naturally good, but he pays too little attention to his daughter. If Mei Min's disorder could have been discovered earlier, perhaps today would not have happened."
"Also, he was too kind to Gao Xian. He always felt that Gao Xian would always stand with him, but he forgot that the day Gao Xian became an official, he was already a master. There are people who flatter and flatter him.
, naturally there will be times when you act arbitrarily."
"And he wanted to promote the marriage between Mei Min and Gao Xian. He knew that his daughter didn't like Gao Xian but did not give up the idea in time. He allowed Mei Min to verbally insult Gao Xian countless times. Gao Xian would naturally not talk to Gao Xian again because of the distance between them.
As before, put him first in everything."
"But he was willing to marry Mei Min to Li Jin, which I didn't expect. Maybe he thought Li Jin was easy to handle."
Wang Xiu sighed: "Speaking of which, Pei Shan hasn't been here for several days. What is he busy with?"
Lu Yunhong said bluntly: "He is already the master of the family. Don't think about him like a child."
"There is no Grand Master in the capital. This is a big deal. It will be enough for everyone to talk about it for a long time."
Wang Xiu said speechlessly: "It's enough if I know. I don't gossip. Is it possible that I go to the streets every day to tell stories?"
Lu Yunhong smiled and said, "Don't be angry. What I mean is, don't worry about Pei Shan. He has grown up and knows what he is doing?"
Wang Xiu asked: "What are you doing?"
Lu Yunhong laughed: "How would I know? I don't pay attention to him."
Wang Xiu: "..."
She imitated Lu Yunhong's tone and said, "Just be lucky that Pei Shan is not an expert, otherwise he would pull off your hind legs."
Lu Yunhong couldn't help laughing when he thought of Taishi Mei's current situation.
After finishing his joke, he changed into regular clothes, hugged Wang Xiu tightly and kissed her.
Wang Xiu didn't even know what he was going to do, so he heard him say very seriously: "I feel soft."
As he spoke, he stroked Wang Xiu's eyebrows, as if to impress her deeply into his heart.
"I'm not soft-hearted because other people's fate is miserable. I just feel that everything is not easy now, so I'm soft-hearted."
"Axiu, I want to go to Mei Mansion. Do you have any objection?"
Although Wang Xiu was a little surprised, he still said: "Whenever have I taken care of your affairs, you can go if you want."
Lu Yunhong smiled and wanted to kiss her again.
Wang Xiu pushed him away and said angrily: "Are you coming back for dinner tonight?"
Lu Yunhong affirmed: "Of course I'll come back. I'm afraid I'll be drugged again on this trip!"
Wang Xiu laughed and hit him, urging him to leave quickly.
Lu Yunhong finally walked out with relief. There was no warm sunshine outside, and even the air was cold.
But he didn't know why, after taking this step, he felt much more at ease.
It's not that he has no plans or means, nor is he afraid of retaliation. He just thinks that it would be nice to have a wife like Axiu and spend the rest of his life as a person who doesn't look very smart and spend his whole life in a muddle.
.
The most important thing for people is to know how to be content.
What's more, he doesn't feel comfortable watching others suffer.
He had almost forgotten how cruel and lonely he once was.
In the Mei Mansion, Mrs. Li, who is already sorting out the land titles for various farms, is particularly busy.
Mei Chengwang was different from her. He never cared about such trivial matters. After leaving the court, he changed into a loose Taoist robe, hummed a tune, and watered the bare flowers and trees in the garden with a kettle, but it seemed that
Enjoy yourself.
Hearing the housekeeper say that Lu Yunhong was here, he was stunned, and then thought, so many old guys didn't come to see him, why is Lu Yunhong here?
Then he put down the kettle and went to the main hall.
When they met, they found that Lu Yunhong was also dressed in regular clothes, as if he was here to drink tea.
At this moment, Mei Chengwang was filled with emotion when he recalled that Lu Yunhong once fell from the clouds to the trough and then climbed up from the trough to the clouds. Before sitting down, he said: "People say that a good wife is half a blessing. I used to think so too."
"But at that time, I didn't know that a good wife is half the blessing in the first half of life. Educating children well is the blessing in the future."
"Although I have become a grand master and have taught the late emperor, I have only now understood this truth. Today I am honored to have you come to see me. I have nothing to give you, so I will give you these words."
"From now on, for future generations, you must be disciplined in your family's training and rules, and don't let your guard down!"
Lu Yunhong thanked him with his hand, and the two of them exchanged pleasantries before sitting down seriously.
Lu Yunhong said: "Master Tai is originally from Jiangxi. When are you planning to leave?"
Taishi Mei said: "I plan to leave on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. There is still one month left. If you want to talk to me before the end of the year, you can come at any time."
Lu Yunhong said: "I think since the founding of the Yan Dynasty, a total of 399 academies have been built and 423 academies left over from the previous dynasty have been renovated. The total number of academies is less than 1,000."
"Over the years, countless people have taken the imperial examinations, and there are many people who have failed. But how many of the people who really want to set up schools and educate students are scholar-bureaucrats and great scholars?"
"Not to mention that today, private schools are rising in various places, and profit-making is the top priority. Let's talk about official schools. The atmosphere of aristocratic families has become popular, and children from poor families are being squeezed out. Who among them can sit high in the court and uphold justice."
"The Grand Master is well-educated and has seen a lot of people. Whether it is the court, officialdom, imperial examinations, or the foundation of a family, he understands everything thoroughly. So, are you really willing to go into seclusion and not care about worldly affairs?"
"If you are willing, Grand Master, I would like to ask the Grand Master. As the country of Yan continues to this day, how many scholars are there? How many people are truly knowledgeable? What they have learned is not put to use. It is placed like an old object just for show.
After accumulating dust for many years, was it taken out and buried in a handful of soil?"
"Grandmaster, you know, it's easy for others to dig up the earth, but what they dig up again is not full of knowledge, but the withered bones of whose names they don't even know."
Mei Chengwang sat blankly and said nothing for a long time.
The large Taoist robe on his body was swayed from side to side by the wind blowing in from the door. The cold air was biting, and he felt colder than ever before.
I was also ashamed of the idea of being alone and preparing to retire to the countryside.
Which book in the palace library has he not read?
Which piece of the chopping board in the Imperial College has he not touched?
When you are over fifty, you can retire and return to your hometown. However, Prime Minister Gu back then is still sitting in a high hall at the age of seventy-eight. Who does he look like now?
After a long time, Mei Chengwang sighed, looked at Lu Yunhong timidly like a child and said, "Then what do you think we should do?"
The resignations have been submitted and the emperor has approved them.
His wife was all pawned by a pawnbroker, and he... said all of it out loud.
Lu Yunhong saw that he could still speak eloquently, so he smiled easily and said, "What's so difficult about this?"
"Since ancient times, it has never been said that there can only be one Imperial College. The old Imperial Master worked as an Imperial College minister for twenty years before he was promoted to the Cabinet Grand Master. Who dares to say anything more when he opens another Imperial College?"
"As long as you are willing to nod, I will write a note when I get back. If the funds are not enough, I will go to Ji's Mansion to kowtow to Prime Minister Ji and beg him not to take the treasury too closely, and then I will ask my wife to find a solution.
If it doesn't work, Her Royal Highness the Princess can also come forward to help, just like the original Wuxi Official School."
"No matter when, opening an official school in Dayan is a good thing that benefits the country and the people, the emperor will not disagree."
Mei Chengwang happily wiped away tears and said in response: "Okay, okay, I'll leave it to you. If my old bones are still of some use, no matter who the student is, I will teach him well."
"
Lu Yunhong said: "Then you go back and change your robe first, lest the emperor finds out about it and drags you into the palace to give lectures. Then I really can't do anything."
Mei Chengwang was amused by him, and he couldn't help but think about it while he was relaxed.
If this is true, then his life will not be in vain.