"My lord, thank you Lord for your kindness!"

Shen Yichen thanked Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen for the reward, and the joy on his face could not be concealed.

You must know that with Shen Yichen's current official position and status, it is not an easy task to invite the birth mother Shen.

According to the provisions of the "Da Ming Hui Dian" concerning the benefaction of wives and concubines: "Any great-grandparents, grandparents, or parents who have committed the ten evil crimes of adultery, theft, and expungement, and the conferred wives were not married to the main wife with courtesy, or were remarried to prostitution. You are not allowed to apply for maids and concubines."

Although the mother Shen was born as a maid, her family background was innocent and she did not violate the stripe regulations above.

What really becomes an obstacle is that there is a supplementary regulation in the "Da Ming Hui Dian", that is, "Although the son born to a remarried woman and her maidservant is noble, the mother shall not be granted a title!"

The translated meaning of this sentence is that the son born to a second-married woman and a maidservant, even if he has a distinguished status, cannot be granted a royal title.

Many people in later generations confuse the birth of a son by a maid with the birth of a son by a concubine. It is true that he is a son. As long as the father admits that he is in the genealogy, he is a bastard and has no distinction between high and low.

But as a mother, a maid is not the same as a concubine. As a concubine, you can be granted a title, but a maid cannot!

In addition, in practice, there are some unspoken rules. That is, the title of a concubine cannot be higher than that of the legitimate wife. Even if the son is promising and in a high position, it is difficult for the biological mother to be granted a title higher than that of the legitimate mother.

However, things are uncertain. Even in the extremely strict etiquette environment of the Qing Dynasty, academician Yin Jishan still managed to find a first-class imperial conferment for his biological mother, surpassing his aunt's mother's.

So it couldn't be done, which only meant that the status of the son was not "valuable" enough for the emperor to make concessions.

When you are powerful and highly respected by the emperor, even if you amend the "Da Ming Huidian", let alone such a trivial matter as asking for an imperial edict, it is not a dream!

Although this is the truth, when Shen Yichen asked Zhu Qizhen to be his biological mother today, he really did not violate any obvious etiquette.

The reason is that Zhu Yong, Duke of Cheng, has agreed to provide a concubine to his mother, Shen, which does not count as a maid. In addition, Mrs. Lin, the Duke's wife, is currently a first-grade concubine, and Shen is only a fifth-grade Yiren. In line with etiquette.

It can be said that Shen Yichen was on the edge of the etiquette and law of the Ming Dynasty, repeatedly jumping around and getting into bugs. It felt like it was not in line with the rules, but there was no clear violation in the legal provisions.

Just do it without any prohibition by law!

The happy smile for her mother on Shen Yichen's face became evidence of a conspiracy in the eyes of other officials.

A good move to turn retreat into advance!

I thought that this son's talent was all about his success in the imperial examination, but he didn't expect that he could thrive in the officialdom.

Sometimes I really have to admit that there is no comparison between people, and this guy's wisdom is almost that of a demon!

Shen Yichen didn't know what others were thinking. If he knew, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand such "praise" now that he's thick-skinned.

I had really thought about the step of "retreating", but it was a pure surprise to "advance". Who knew that the emperor would be so moved by his filial piety that he gave him an extra reward of studying in the East Pavilion.

If you really have this strategy to control the overall situation, you won't have to worry about becoming a "public enemy of Confucianism". You need to consider taking a step back to broaden your horizons...

The imperial driver continued to move towards the Forbidden City, probably because he was in a good mood and because he was the same age as Shen Yichen. The content of Zhu Qizhen's subsequent conversation was no longer about family and country affairs, but more about asking some parents outside the palace about their petty affairs.

To be honest, looking at Zhu Qizhen like a curious baby, asking about some anecdotes from the people. For some reason, Shen Yichen suddenly felt that the emperor was quite pathetic in some aspects.

For Zhu Qizhen, the Forbidden City was like a giant cage. His life trajectory from childhood to adulthood was all planned by the Empress Dowager and San Yang, like a statue and a puppet.

Perhaps this is why, after taking power, he became more and more rebellious, self-willed, and determined to have his own way.

What you sow when you are young will surely bear fruit when you grow up.

Wang Zhen was on the other side of the chariot, watching Zhu Qizhen chatting happily with Shen Yichen like a young man, with an "old father" smile subconsciously appearing on his face.

If "San Yang" and other cabinet ministers had seen this scene, they would have stopped Zhu Qizhen's behavior long ago.

In the eyes of traditional civil servants and Confucian officials, the most competent king should be like an administrative machine, discarding all personal emotions and preferences, and reaching the standard of an inner saint and an outer king.

It is obvious that Zhu Qizhen's current behavior of caring about "strange and obscene skills" does not meet the standards of sage kings in ancient times and should be stopped!

But in Wang Zhen's eyes, it was different. Apart from the eunuchs, there were very few officials of the same age as the emperor in the palace, let alone someone like Shen Yichen who could speak well.

Others didn't know it, but Wang Zhen understood that Zhu Qizhen was lonely a lot of the time. The appearance of such a young man could make him temporarily forget his status as an emperor and chat happily and relaxedly for a while.

It is indeed not easy for an eighteen-year-old boy to have his family, his country, and the world pressing down on him.

When the imperial chariot drove to the palace gate, Shen Yichen also made a request to the emperor. That is, not to issue the decree for the time being, but to postpone it to a special time after his mother Shen came to Beijing, so that she could receive the decree in person.

For such a small matter, Zhu Qizhen, who was in a good mood, naturally would not refuse and agreed casually.

The emperor Luan drove into the palace, and Shen Yichen stood in front of the palace gate to see him off. From a distance, he saw Zhu Qizhen turn his head once, with an unfinished expression on his face, and finally disappeared from sight.

Due to the delay in issuing the decree and the fact that only a few important ministers and senior officials heard the conversation, the news that Shen Yichen went to Dongge to study did not spread widely.

However, his lectures in the Imperial College that established the sect have become a must-talk topic among the literati in the capital in just a few days, and even the Hanlin Academy was hotly debated.

Of course, this debate does not mean that there are pros and cons. All Hanlins have the same view on attacking Shen Yichen's heresy.

The point of debate is whether one should publicly accuse Shen Yichen of misleading the public with his monstrous words, or choose to tolerate it for the time being. Or wait until the court meeting to impeach Shen Yichen!

It has to be said that on the first day after Shen Yichen became an official, he used his "official" position to suppress others and establish his authority. Although in a sense he offended the officials and made himself a public enemy, he was also exempted from the A lot of trouble.

Otherwise, there would be no need to argue now. People probably came to ask Shen Yichen to apologize for his theory and admit his mistakes.

"Master Zhuangyuan, the officials in Yutang are making a lot of noise outside, but you can still calm down and study here. I really admire you."

In the Dianbook Hall, the official Cao Xuan saw that Shen Yichen was at the center of the storm and could still compile "Huanyu Tongzhi" calmly and calmly. He couldn't help but say something, and he was filled with admiration in his heart.

He has served as an official in the Hanlin Academy for nearly ten years, and has welcomed three new Hanlin Academy recruits, but he has never seen a maverick new scholar like Shen Yichen.

On the first day of employment, he bullied his colleagues. Judging from his behavior, he must be an arrogant person who is not easy to get along with.

As a result, I didn't expect that after getting along for half a month, Shen Yichen was humble and polite. He never bossed around a low-ranking official like himself. He had an elegant temperament that emanated from his bones, far surpassing all previous Hanlin officials!

Because politeness and respect are two completely different concepts, Cao Xuan met many Hanlin officials who were courteous and considerate. Only in Shen Yichen did he feel a kind of respect for officials.

In Shen Yichen's words: "There are only good and bad people, there is no distinction between superior and inferior. Who is nobler than whom?"

Cao Xuan felt incredible at that time. Facts have proved that the number one scholar actually practices what he preaches!

Now it seems that in addition to Shen Yichen's elegant and modest gentleman's demeanor, he has also reached an extremely high level in terms of mental attainments. It can be said that the mountain has collapsed but his appearance remains unchanged.

"Otherwise, why don't you go and argue with them?"

Shen Yichen replied calmly while writing.

This situation is not unexpected. Hanlin is a leader in Confucian Neo-Confucianism. If they do not object to their attack on Neo-Confucianism, then they are in trouble.

Even if one or two refutes one or two, one can still debate the scriptures. Nowadays, it can be said that the entire literati subgroup cannot accept the view of "applying knowledge to the world and seeking truth through dialectics". Can everyone still debate it?

In comparison, the Hanlin Academy is doing pretty well. At least for now, it's just talk. Those troublesome officials from the Department of Science and Technology have already written memorials to impeach themselves for their monstrous words and misleading the public.

However, most of these impeachment memorials were blocked by Wang Zhen in the palace, and then a few insignificant ones were picked out for the emperor to review, so naturally they were not taken seriously.

Wang Zhen even sent a young eunuch to inform Shen Yichen and ask him to return his love.

So now Shen Yichen has too many lice and is not afraid of itching. If you like beeping, you can continue. When you say you are tired, then I will come again to shock the world. One day, these Neo-Confucianists and moralists will slowly and slowly listen. Get used to it.

"Master Zhuangyuan, aren't you worried that these remarks will affect your career?"

Cao Xuan asked again. He sincerely hoped that people like Shen Yichen would be successful in officialdom and occupy a high position.

"If your official career is smooth, what's the point of becoming a high-ranking official?"

Shen Yichen put down his pen and asked Cao Xuan with interest.

"for……"

Cao Xuan subconsciously wanted to talk about money and power, but when the words came to his lips, he felt that it was not good to be so explicit.

So Wei Guangzheng replied: "Of course it is to govern the country and bring peace to the world!"

"What I am doing now is what I will do when I become a high-ranking official. Since it will happen sooner or later, why should I care about the impact?"

Cao Xuan did not understand the meaning of Shen Yichen's words. It might have to wait many years before he could understand the meaning behind this conversation.

However, Shen Yichen did not give him time to think. Instead, he stood up and said, "I'll stop studying for today. I have important things to do, so I'll leave first."

"Yes, Duke Zhuangyuan, go slowly!"

Cao Xuan also quickly stood up and sent Shen Yichen off respectfully.

However, when he reached the door of the Dianbook Hall, Shen Yichen stopped and turned around and said, "The 16th of next month is my wedding day. Don't forget to attend when Cao officials arrive."

After that, he strode out of the courtyard.

Hearing these words, Cao Xuan stood there blankly. He had been an official for ten years when he was over thirty, and no Hanlin official had ever entertained him on a special occasion, let alone Shen Yichen, who had such a noble status as the number one scholar.

While I was moved in my heart, my nose couldn't help but feel sore.

After Shen Yichen left the Hanlin Academy, he called Cang Huotou and A Niu, rented a few carriages and rushed to Yingtian Guild Hall.

Yesterday, he received news that Wang Neng and a group of miners had escorted his mother, Shen, to the capital. However, because they arrived late and were exhausted from the journey, they went to the Yingtian Guild Hall to make some repairs first.

Today, Shen Yichen left the Hanlin Academy in a hurry to prepare to greet his mother, Mrs. Shen.

In addition, Shen Yichen was too busy after becoming an official and had not seen his teacher Li Tingxiu for more than half a month. This time, he was able to kill two birds with one stone.

Arriving at the lobby of Yingtian Guild Hall, the place was much deserted after the three-year spring festival ended. The shopkeeper in the front hall was dozing off with his chin clenched down, probably because there were not many guests.

Seeing this scene, Shen Yichen tapped the table at the front desk, and the other party immediately woke up and asked: "Sir, do you want to eat or stay in the hotel?"

After finishing speaking, looking at Shen Yichen's familiar face, shopkeeper Wang was immediately surprised and lost all sleepiness. He quickly raised his hands and said: "I don't know if the number one scholar is coming here. I'm sorry to welcome him from afar!"

"No need to be polite, Shopkeeper Wang. Did a group of guests from Yingtian check in last night? What room number were they in?"

Faced with Shen Yichen's inquiry, shopkeeper Wang did not dare not answer, and immediately replied: "The guests who stayed last night booked six rooms in the Tianzi and Diji sizes, which are at the end of the second floor."

"Thank you."
To be continued...