Chapter 4: Lawsuit
At that time, Deng Zhiwei's father was framed and imprisoned, making him like a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone and subjected to humiliation.
The gang of thugs led by Xiang Tiange beat and scolded him and teased him in every way. They not only felt no guilt, but instead regarded this as a heroic act of upholding justice.
Deng Zhiwei had been working hard and enduring humiliation. Through his unremitting efforts, he finally came out on top and entered the officialdom with a high attitude.
However, the tragic experience in the Imperial College had completely changed him, his temperament had changed drastically, he became cold, aloof, and ruthless.
Deng Zhiwei was well versed in human nature, had great skills and talent, and in just eight years, he was promoted to prime minister and held great power in the court.
Then, he used his tremendous power to repay those who had framed and humiliated him before a hundredfold, and would never forgive them!
Even innocent people were affected, and the relatives and friends of Xiang Tiange and others were affected, and they should be killed without mercy!
According to the convention of the Great Zhou Law, the son of a guilty minister is absolutely not allowed to enter the officialdom.
Jiang Zhiyu guessed that Deng Ziqiu changed his name when he took part in the Spring Examination, and took the words "止危" to warn himself and also to make it easier for him to act in the future.
Deng Ziqiu in "The Legend of Mo Xiang" has a simple and honest character. The reason why he went astray and turned into a vicious boss is closely related to the instigation of Xiang Tiange and others.
"Stop accusing my father!"
Faced with the sarcasm and ridicule from Xiang Tiange and the others, Deng Ziqiu finally couldn't stand it anymore. He suddenly became furious, roared, and rushed fiercely towards the burly Xiang Tiange.
Xiang Tiange sneered, calmly put his hands on his hips, and planned to throw this ignorant boy over his shoulder to the ground, making him look embarrassed in public.
"Hey! What are you doing!?"
At this moment, a loud and deep voice suddenly came.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and Deng Ziqiu also stopped what he was doing.
He was a thin man in a black robe with thick eyebrows, fierce eyes, a straight nose, thin lips, and a thin figure. He was probably in his early forties. He was staring at them without blinking.
There was an awe-inspiring majesty about him that silenced everyone present. Even someone as arrogant as Xiang Tiange felt a little afraid.
"Ah, Shangguan Siye is here!" Shachun exclaimed, his face turning blue and white, as if he had seen a ghost.
Siye was the deputy head of the Imperial College, mainly responsible for assisting Jijiu in supervising students.
The current Dean’s surname is Shangguan, and his given name is Zhengming. He is famous for being strict and harsh, and he would often hit students on the hands, and he would hit them very hard.
Therefore, the students in the Imperial College were particularly afraid of him and were terrified at the mere mention of him!
Xiang Tiange is no exception.
After all, Shangguan Zhengming's uncle was the General of Cavalry, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops. Even the emperor did not dare to offend the Shangguan family easily.
Before Shachun's exclamation had even died down, Shangguan Zhengming had already walked over with steady steps.
His eyes were sharp as he glanced at the stunned people, and an aura of majesty spread out from him.
"Shangguan Siye, we are all studying hard and have not violated any school rules." Xiang Tiange stood up and tried to defend himself.
Shangguan Zhengming gave him a cold look, as if to say, "Do you think I will believe it?"
Then, his eyes fell on Shachun and he asked, "Are you Shachun?"
Silly Chun trembled and nodded with difficulty: "Yes, I am Silly Chun."
Shangguan Zhengming nodded slightly and said, "I know your name and your deeds. Do you think you can avoid punishment by deliberately skipping classes many times?"
Shachun's face turned pale instantly. He understood that he really couldn't escape this time.
Shangguan Zhengming added: "Do you think that you can do whatever you want in the Imperial College just because of your father's relationship? I tell you, no one can be an exception here!"
After hearing this, Shachun's body began to tremble like a sieve, realizing that he had really made a big mistake this time.
Shangguan Zhengming snorted coldly when he saw this, and said, "If that's the case, you should reflect on yourself. When you are done reflecting, come back."
Shachun stood there in a daze, his eyes full of fear and regret.
This time Shangguan Zhengming was really angered, and the days ahead will probably not be easy.
Xiang Tiange, looking at Shachun's miserable appearance with cold sweat pouring down his face, felt a sense of gloating in his heart.
"Master Dean, Senior Brother Deng and I are the ones who are truly discussing academic matters!" As she said this, she respectfully presented Deng Ziqiu's worn-out copy of "Lüshi Chunqiu" with both hands.
Shangguan Zhengming took the book from Jiang Zhiyu, with a flash of surprise and doubt in his eyes: "Such a profound book, can you, a poor student, understand it? Are you deceiving me?"
Jiang Zhiyu nodded confidently: "Please ask Lord Shangguan to inspect it."
Shangguan Zhengming stared at Jiang Zhiyu with a pair of sharp eyes, revealing a hint of consideration. After a little hesitation, he slowly asked the first question: "Jiang Zhiyu, do you know the background of the compilation of "Lüshi Chunqiu" and its main content?"
Jiang Zhiyu smiled slightly, his clear eyes sparkling with wisdom: "Lüshi Chunqiu is an encyclopedic work compiled by Lu Buwei, the prime minister of Qi during the Warring States Period. This book is intended to unify thoughts and strengthen central power. The book is mainly divided into twelve chronicles, eight chapters, and six theories, covering many fields such as politics, economy, military, culture, and philosophy. It aims to summarize the essence of the thoughts of the pre-Qin philosophers and provide theoretical guidance for governing the country."
Shangguan Zhengming's eyes flashed with surprise. He didn't expect Jiang Zhiyu to have such a deep understanding of Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals. He continued to ask the second question: "Then, do you know the meaning of the concepts of 'valuing life', 'valuing oneself', 'despising things', and 'valuing the virtuous' in Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals?"
Jiang Zhiyu smiled and replied, "'Valuing life' and 'valuing oneself' emphasize the value and dignity of the individual, advocating cherishing life and focusing on self-cultivation. 'Despising material things' advocates not being tempted by material desires and maintaining inner purity. 'Respecting the virtuous' emphasizes respecting talents and selecting virtuous people. These concepts have had a profound impact on later generations."
Shangguan Zhengming nodded repeatedly as he listened, and became more and more impressed with Jiang Zhiyu's talent.
He decided to ask a more challenging question: "So, Jiang Zhiyu, do you think the 'art of employing people' in Lüshi Chunqiu is still applicable in today's dynasty?"
Jiang Zhiyu lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then answered fluently: "The 'Art of Employing People' in Lüshi Chunqiu advocates employing people based on their talents. This is still very important today. For example, when the emperor selects officials, he should use their actual political achievements and spirit of serving the people as the criteria, rather than just focusing on their relationships at all levels. Only in this way can effective governance be truly achieved. My lord, what do you think of my answer?"
After hearing this, Shangguan Zhengming couldn't help but applaud and exclaimed: "Great, great, Jiang Zhiyu, your talent and insights really make me look at you in a new light!"
Jiang Zhiyu smiled and said modestly: "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Shangguan. I still have a lot to improve on. I hope you can give me some advice in the future."