During the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, there was a man named Zhang Cong who was determined to become a government official. However, he kept failing the imperial exams—he had been taking them for over twenty years without success and was about to give up.
At that moment, he encountered a mysterious fortune-teller who said to him, “You will become a high-ranking official one day!”
This encounter completely changed his life. Later, he rose against all odds and eventually became one of the most powerful ministers in the Ming Dynasty.
After hearing this story, you might gain a whole new understanding of the word “destiny.”
00:00:00 From 7 Failed Exams to Becoming Prime Minister
00:00:01 One prophecy kept Zhang Cong going despite 7 prior failures
00:13:12 Zhang Cong specialized in the studies of rites in Nanjing
00:16:52 Young Emperor Jiajing faced a lot of resistance from the senior ministers when he ascended the throne after the previous emperor passed away without a direct heir
00:31:44 Zhang Cong helped Emperor Jiajing regain power through reference to the Great Rites
00:38:01 Offerings to monks in the past life resulted in great success in the current life
00:45:43 What is causality?