King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 801 Daiyu: Your Majesty is wrong again
Zhu Jing did not say a word during the entire court discussion. During the debates over the past two days, he had been listening and thinking.

On his left and right were the eunuchs who accompanied him in the court recommendation, including Cheng Ying, the governor of the Eastern Depot. This old eunuch had been explaining the resumes of the officials involved.

So Zhu Jinghong roughly understood the situation between the two parties in the current fight.

Everyone is quiet now, and facing the throne, so they are waiting for me to express my opinion... Zhu Jinghong said secretly.

There are now two choices. No matter which side he supports at this time, he will convey his support for these people to the outside world.

For Zhu Jinghong, thoroughly completing the land survey would be of great benefit to the court, so Zhao Yushan had to continue to serve as the prime minister, so supporting him became inevitable.

The goal is clear, but how to achieve it requires methods.

"So many high-ranking officials in the imperial court have been decided, but the position of governor of Zhejiang Province remains undecided. This shows how important this position is!"

"To be honest, I have been in the army for a long time and don't know much about local governance. Can you tell me why this Zhejiang Provincial Governor is so important?"

"Even the two officials from the six ministries are arguing endlessly in this court meeting. If I were not here, I'm afraid they would have fought!"

What happened in the past has proved many times that one should not try to deceive the young emperor. When he says he doesn't understand something, his subjects should be on high alert.

"Mr. Liu, please tell us!" Zhu Jinghong said with a smile.

As mentioned earlier, officials at the level of the six ministries and above would try to avoid speaking in formal occasions, adhering to the principle of saying less and making fewer mistakes.

As for things like charging into battle, it would be better to let the subordinates do it as much as possible, so as to avoid the situation in front of us.

When asked by the emperor at this time, Liu Zhixian suddenly became nervous and he had to be careful about his next response.

"Your Majesty, officials are responsible for the people on behalf of the emperor, so they are of great importance and must be carefully examined and promoted!"

This was useless nonsense, so Zhu Jinghong asked again: "What I want to ask is... why is the Zhejiang Provincial Governor so important!"

Why is it so important? Is it to tell about the party struggle?

Liu Zhixian had been in the officialdom for so many years that he understood that answering questions well was very simple, as long as he understood what the emperor wanted him to answer.

This sounds like nonsense, but it can be summed up in four words: understand the Holy Spirit's intention.

When serving as an official in the court, understanding the emperor's intentions is a compulsory course, and it is also the fundamental guarantee for going far and deep.

How difficult is it to figure out the divine will? The difficulty lies in the information asymmetry, the elusiveness of the divine will, and the short time to "do the test".

Liu Zhixian was silent for only three seconds, and then Zhu Jinghong turned to look at Mei Jingwen and asked, "Mr. Mei, tell me... why is the governor of Zhejiang so important that the two of you are arguing endlessly to the point of exposing each other's secrets?"

Of course, we cannot talk about party disputes. How to come up with a perfect explanation in a short period of time really tests one's ability to respond.

When Zhu Jinghong asked Liu Zhixian, Mei Jingwen was already thinking, so he had more time to react.

"Your Majesty, Zhejiang is an important tax collection area for the imperial court, and it has many connections with foreigners overseas. If we don't send an officer to take up the post... I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle so many affairs!"

Liu Zhixian certainly thought of Mei Jingwen's reply, but why didn't he say it out loud? Because the emperor could also refute it.

After all, Zhejiang has its own special features, and other provinces also have their own special circumstances. Why is Zhejiang so special?
But Zhu Jinghong did not ask further. Instead, he looked at Zhao Yushan and said with a smile, "Lord Zhao!"

"Your humble servant is here!" Zhao Yushan immediately stepped out of the room. This was the first time he spoke during this court meeting.

"As far as I know, you are the teacher of Minister Mei. Tell me...is what he said right?"

After a brief thought, Zhao Yushan replied, "Your Majesty, the ancient sages said, 'Officials are the people's life', which shows how important it is to appoint officials. Therefore, for any vacancy, we should be very careful in recommending candidates, so as not to make a big mistake!"

"The whole land of heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are his subjects. Your Majesty is questioning me... to remind me that I should not show favoritism just because Zhejiang is rich. Mei Jingwen's words are not fair and just. He has made mistakes, and so have I. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"

At the end, Zhao Yushan actually prostrated himself on the ground, forcing Mei Jingwen to kneel down as well.

To be honest, Zhu Jinghong's questions just now were so aggressive in order to strike back at several factions in the court.

The old fox is worthy of being an old fox. He actually realized it and then apologized. It can be seen that he is very sensible.

Zhao Yushan had been the Prime Minister for nearly ten years. For a new emperor like Zhu Jinghong, it was necessary to warn him before using him. This was a necessary measure to prevent problems before they occurred.

Zhu Jinghong did not comment, but turned to look at Zheng Zhiqing on the other side and asked, "Zheng Qing, what do you think about this?"

"Your Majesty, this is indeed our fault. The officials in the court are the shepherds of the people on behalf of the emperor. They are the parents of the people. Their every word and action involves your majesty's wisdom. You should be extremely cautious in selecting and appointing officials!"

"However, we, the ministers, have been in the government for a long time, far away from the suffering of the people, and have taken the election and appointment lightly. This is indeed an unforgivable mistake!"

"Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Zheng Zhiqing was trying to save himself from punishment, which was a very wise choice and was tantamount to accepting the emperor's warning.

The two cabinet ministers' responses both emphasized that the emperor was the master of the world, which was a more advanced form of flattery.

Both cabinet ministers apologized, and all the people who had spoken at the court meeting just now knelt down and apologized. Zhu Jinghong once again consolidated his authority.

At this time, he did not rush to ask everyone to stand up. Instead, after a few breaths of silence, he slowly said: "I have handed over the world to the cabinet and you ministers. I only hope that you will work hard and do your duty well. I dare not ask for anything else!"

I just hope that everyone will do their duty, which is actually equivalent to accusing everyone present of not doing their duty, such as engaging in factional struggles in court meetings.

Of course, this requires a high level of skill to react quickly and then think about the next question.

"What Elder Zheng said just now is very good. You people have been in high positions for a long time and are indeed too far away from the people!"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong asked again: "Let's get back to the point. The position of the Zhejiang Provincial Governor should be decided as soon as possible!"

"Mr. Zheng, please tell me... who is the most suitable person for this position?"

On the surface, there were two choices, but Zheng Zhiqing knew there was only one answer, so after a brief thought, he replied, "Your Majesty, I think... Song Zhiyuan and Du Chengxuan each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it makes sense to choose either of them to go to Zhejiang. Your Majesty, please make your decision on this matter!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jinghong laughed, thinking to himself that this was also an old wily fellow who never forgot to flatter his superiors.

"I'm asking you!"

Zheng Zhiqing had anticipated the emperor's question and gave his true answer: "Your Majesty, I dare to recommend Du Chengxuan. He has a good reputation and has made remarkable achievements in local governance. It may be more appropriate to promote him to the post of Governor of Zhejiang!"

Zheng Zhiqing's party nominated Song Zhiyuan, the current deputy envoy of Hebei Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. Now that he proposed to promote Du Chengxuan, this "informal" struggle for the position came to an end.

Zhu Jinghong warned his subordinates, and Zhao Yushan and Zheng Zhiqing further confirmed the emperor's will.

From now on, Zhao Yushan will still be in charge, and Zheng Zhiqing will continue to assist in politics and jointly manage all central affairs.

The two people involved understood it, and the other officials present also roughly realized the true meaning. They will act more prudently in the future.

"Lord Zhao, what do you think?" Zhu Jinghong asked again.

"I bow to your majesty's holy judgment!"

At this time, Zhu Jinghong did not press the issue any further, but announced: "Well, Du Chengxuan will be promoted to the governor of Zhejiang!" "Everyone stand up!" Only then did Zhu Jinghong let everyone stand up.

After everyone lined up and stood still, Zhu Jinghong instructed again: "Selecting and employing officials is an important matter. The Ministry of Personnel must carefully review today's discussion and make sure that no disloyal, unkind, or dishonest people are allowed to fill the positions!"

Zheng Xianlin, the newly appointed Minister of Personnel, immediately stepped forward to take charge of the matter.

Zhu Jinghong then ordered: "The Inspectorate supervises all officials. They must strictly perform their duties in the future. If they find any illegalities, they must be impeached immediately. Don't let corrupt officials harm the people!"

The new Chief Censor Wang Pei'an immediately came out and accepted the matter with extreme solemnity, which brought pressure to everyone, including the three cabinet ministers.

At this point, all agenda items have been completed and the court meeting has come to an end.

About half an hour later, Zhu Jinghong arrived at Yaohua Palace, which was Daiyu's bedroom.

In early spring, Daiyu was personally directing the palace maids to rearrange her various potted plants. At this moment, the courtyard of Yaohua Palace was very busy.

But when the emperor arrived, the busyness was put on pause, and everyone came to welcome the emperor.

When Daiyu arrived at the palace gate, Zhu Jinghong happened to arrive. She wanted to pay her respects but was excused by Zhu Jinghong.

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As they walked into the palace with Zhu Jinghong, Daiyu asked, "As far as I know, Your Majesty is going to discuss matters today, so why are you here at this time?"

"Discussing matters is not as important as coming to see you. Important court affairs...will be handled by the cabinet!" Zhu Jinghong said with a smile.

Knowing that Zhu Jinghong was joking, Daiyu asked, "From what your majesty said, for the sake of me... could you even give up your kingdom?"

"My beloved concubine is so beautiful and unique in the world. How can I give her up?" Zhu Jinghong replied.

Curling her lips, Daiyu said, "In this case... why don't you ask Your Majesty to allow me to die!"

At this moment, the two of them had already walked to the front of the hall. As they walked up the steps, Zhu Jinghong asked, "Why is this?"

"If, because of me, your majesty neglects government affairs and the world falls into chaos... I will never be able to redeem myself even if I die!"

"So, it would be better for Your Majesty to sentence me to death now, so that the people of the world will suffer less!"

"Hahaha... He really has a sharp tongue. It turns out what the ancients said was true!"

"Which ancient person? What did he say?" Daiyu asked.

"only……"

Entering the palace with Zhu Jinghong, Daiyu waited for him to utter the first word before she said, "Only girls and villains are hard to raise."

Zhu Jinghong smiled even more. He really wanted to say this, but Daiyu answered first.

After Daiyu finished speaking, she did not stop in a hurry. Instead, she explained to Zhu Jinghong what the original meaning of this sentence was.

In other words, Daiyu was telling Zhu Jinghong that what he said was wrong.

Helping Zhu Jinghong sit down, Daiyu asked seriously, "Your Majesty, do you understand?"

"Girl, you are trying to reason with me, but let me ask you...what is the truth in this world?"

Taking the teacup from Zijuan, Daiyu handed it to Zhu Jinghong and replied like the officials: "Your Majesty, I think your fist is the truth!"

Sure enough, this girl did all the talking, and Zhu Jinghong couldn't even find his lines.

"If you know all this, why do you still tell me those words? Don't I know Confucius' true meaning?"

As soon as Zhu Jinghong said this, he was met with Daiyu's scrutiny. The suspicion that he wanted to hide but couldn't was what bothered him the most.

"How dare I doubt your Majesty's knowledge? I just learned that your Majesty will personally examine the scholars in the palace in a few days, so I reviewed the books with your Majesty in advance!"

The joint examination will be held in a few days. In theory, the emperor will be the chief examiner of the palace examination after the joint examination, so what Daiyu said is correct.

After pulling Daiyu into his arms and dismissing Zijuan and the others, Zhu Jinghong asked, "Girl, I guess you must be wondering, how can a person like me, who is so ignorant, be the chief examiner of the palace examination? Is that right?"

Turning her head to look at Zhu Jinghong, Daiyu replied in a serious tone: "This... Your Majesty is wrong again!"

"Oh?" Zhu Jinghong looked unconvinced.

Then Daiyu said, "Learning is for practical use. No matter how much knowledge you have, you still have to learn for practical use. Otherwise, you are just a nerd!"

"Since your majesty was appointed by the late emperor, everything you have done has benefited the country and the people. It has been of great use to the country and the people... Even if you say you have not learned, I will say you have learned!"

Daiyu's last sentence quoted Mr. Zixia's famous saying, which was just right.

Her theory is indeed very convincing. Even if Confucius were here, he would not find fault with Zhu Jinghong.

"Is this...serious?"

Daiyu is one of the few people in the harem who can make Zhu Jinghong let down his guard. That's why there is clear stupidity in her eyes when he asks her questions.

"The ancient sages said so, how could it be false?" Daiyu pretended to be surprised.

"Okay, okay... You're right. My beloved concubine can express such insightful opinions. It shows that she is more than qualified to be a Jinshi!"

Daiyu then smiled and said, "If your Majesty wants to learn, I can teach you a few words!"

"Dad, Mom...hug me!"

Just as the feelings between the two people were growing deeper, a voice sounded from the side, and they looked over and were met with a pair of innocent eyes.

This is a little boy, born to Daiyu, named Zhu Muqi. He is the fifth son of Zhu Jinghong and is now two years and two months old.

Daiyu then left Zhu Jinghong, walked quickly towards her beloved son, then bent down and picked him up.

Daiyu's health has improved a lot in recent years, so she can hold the child now, but she still can't hold the child for too long.

So when she walked in front of Zhu Jinghong, she seemed a little struggling, and then Zhu Jinghong took it over.

"Hey, call me daddy!"

"Dad~~"

"Eh!"

While the father was being filial, the relevant situation was immediately reported to Kunning Palace. At that time, Baochai was lying in bed to take care of her pregnancy.

She is going to give birth in about two months, so it is extremely inconvenient for her to move around right now.

(End of this chapter)