Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 252 Keep a low profile
Emperor Hongwu wanted to delegate power, and it seemed that he was planning to further transfer power to the hands of the Crown Prince. This was not just a casual remark.

After the Grand Court Ceremony and the New Year's Day, the Hongwu Emperor would not easily appear in the court. There was no news that the emperor was ill, he simply ordered the Crown Prince to preside over the morning court.

Even during the Spring Examination, Zhu Yuanzhang still did not show up and still planned to let Zhu Yunhuan handle the matter.

Looking at the empty dragon throne and the crown prince who was already standing on the steps, everyone knew the emperor's determination. If the emperor really wanted to pass on the throne suddenly, it seemed nothing surprising.

This was the first time that the Ming Dynasty divided the imperial examination into two lists, north and south, and the quotas given were naturally divided by region.

The scholars in the south were naturally dissatisfied, thinking that their opportunities were taken away. But there was nothing they could do, as this was the policy of the imperial court, and the scholars had no choice but to accept it.

Zhu Yunhuan would naturally pay attention to the examination, and all officials knew it. The court was determined to balance the ratio of officials from the north and south, and had a series of policies.

If anyone dared to do anything in the examination this time, the end would undoubtedly be miserable. Not only was the Ministry of Rites very nervous, but the Jinyiwei and other government offices were also paying close attention.

The officials in charge are all very cautious. They dare not make mistakes themselves, for fear that their subordinates will make mistakes and be implicated. They cannot initiate a major case at this time!

Zhang Fu arrived at the Governor's Mansion and saw Xu Huizu and said, "Duke Wei, His Highness has ordered me to inspect the Zhongdu Garrison."

Xu Huizu looked at Zhang Fu and asked seriously, "Do you have a written order from His Highness?"

After receiving the imperial edict, Xu Huizu said, "Since His Highness has given the order, I will naturally do it. But I don't know what the county horse means, and there is no need for me to do anything."

There is nothing wrong with what Xu Huizu said. The transfer order does not need Xu Huizu's signature, and he does not need to transfer personnel. Basically, there is no need for Xu Huizu, the Duke of Wei, to express his opinion on this matter.

Zhang Fu said seriously, "Your Highness ordered me to inspect the troops of the garrison, check the arsenal reserves, and supervise the construction of the mansions of the nobles. However, many facts are still unclear, so I came here to bother the Duke."

If it were someone else, Xu Huizu might not necessarily give some convenience in these matters, because that is not his character.

But the one in front of him is different. Although Zhang Yu and Zhang Fu do not have titles, Zhang Fu is the brother-in-law of the Crown Prince. This is enough to be taken seriously.

The Zhongdu Liaison Office is very special. Generally, only nobles can have access to it. Even among the nobles, only those with strong in-law attributes can go there to lead and train troops.

This is also an opportunity to gild your skills. After training in the Zhongdu Liaison Office for a year or two, you will basically be a deputy governor when you come back, and you will have the opportunity to try to manage a part of the Five Military Governor's Office.

"Yesterday, I followed the princess into the palace and had the honor of meeting His Royal Highness, the great-grandson of the emperor." Zhang Fu congratulated him and said, "His Majesty really loves His Royal Highness and has been holding him all the time."

Xu Huizu couldn't help but smile. His nephew was the emperor's great-grandson. News coming from all sides was that the emperor had begun to educate him personally. Even the current crown prince did not receive such treatment.

Xu Huizu suppressed his happiness and said, "You and I are both outsiders, so it's not easy to talk about the affairs of the imperial court. I'd better talk to you about the noble families. They all left the hometown, so there are many things to be explained clearly."

There are many nobles who retired and returned to their hometowns this time. Naturally, the Ministry of Works and the Five Military Governor's Office are responsible for building residences for them to live in their old age.

The specifications and so on were basically determined, but Xu Huizu, who also came from the Huaixi noble group, knew more about the preferences, family background, etc. of some veteran generals.

These were also the reasons why Zhang Fu came to inquire. Some tasks seemed relatively simple, and were clearly opportunities to make meritorious contributions. But if they were messed up, it would become a joke.

Therefore, there is absolutely no harm in being cautious. Now that you are still young and have the opportunity, you should naturally try your best to grasp it.

Zhu Yunhuan summoned Jiang Lin and asked, "The southern scholars have already arrived in Beijing. Have you heard of any scholars submitting visiting cards or essays?"

Jiang Li replied cautiously, "Your Highness, this is the case in every imperial examination. It is not just the provincial examinations, but also the provincial examinations. Many scholars submit their essays in the hope of being appreciated by examiners and dignitaries."

Hearing this answer, Zhu Yunxun couldn't help but laugh, "It seems that this year is the same, that's right. People go to higher places and water flows to lower places. If you have noble people to help you, things will go more smoothly."

Jiang Lin couldn't help but get nervous, he really didn't know what the Crown Prince meant. Now the Crown Prince's thoughts were becoming more and more difficult to guess, so he had to be careful.

Zhu Yunhuan didn't care much and continued to ask, "Have you heard of anyone selling test papers or spreading rumors about the imperial examination questions?"

This was also a "custom" in the past. As long as it involved the imperial examination, there would always be someone who would say that they knew the content of the examination in advance, or that there were some leaks and so on.

"We have investigated a few of them and found that they were nothing more than ruffians who cheated and deceived people, but some people were deceived." Jiang Li replied, "Those ruffians are ready to be punished, and the scholars are not guilty for the time being."

This is also normal. Don't think that you know everything just because you have read books. Especially when it comes to the stage of the imperial examination, some people will do anything to get their names on the list, and they will also take the attitude of "it's better to believe it than not to believe it".

Zhu Yunhuan didn't pay much attention to these things. "Keep watching. If there are any leaks of test questions, or if the examiner's family members or servants are cheating outside, arrest them immediately."

In fact, there was no need for Zhu Yunhuan to remind him about this matter. If Jiang Lin really discovered something, he would definitely let his men take action immediately.

In the final analysis, the current situation is different. This is the first time that the examination is divided into two lists, the North and the South. The whole world is watching. If something goes wrong, it will be a disaster.

Therefore, at this time, it is not too cautious, and no one can bear such a crime.

Since everything seemed normal, Zhu Yunhuan could rest assured. He really didn't want any mistakes to happen in the North-South list, as it was related to the future court structure and the hearts of the scholars in the north.

This should be treated seriously, so let alone some corrupt officials, even if it is nobles and relatives who act recklessly in this matter, Zhu Yunhuan will not have any tolerance.

This is an absolutely major event and a fundamental policy. We absolutely cannot allow anyone to sabotage it at this time.

After Jiang Li left, Daoyan said, "Your Highness, I think this exam should be conducted with caution, and the test papers of successful candidates should be made public when the list is posted."

As long as it is the first time, it will naturally attract some attention and curiosity. There will also be a lot of discussion about these things.

"Then the southern scholars will be even more resentful, and will feel that the northern students' essays are not as good as theirs." Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "If any scholar feels dissatisfied, they can check the papers." This is also a routine operation. It is said that there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts, but every time there is an imperial examination, there are some people who fail in the exam and are dissatisfied. They will feel that their failure is due to the injustice of the court, cheating and so on.

It is not uncommon for failed scholars to cause trouble, and there is nothing strange about it.

But the situation this year is different. If someone makes noise, guides public opinion, etc. at this time, it will indeed cause great damage to the credibility of the court, which is what Zhu Yunhuan does not want to see.

Therefore, it is not surprising to allow the examination of papers. There have been such examples in the past, and this is not a compromise made by Zhu Yunhuan in order to be absolutely sure.

Daoyan continued, "Your Highness, I think we should pay attention to some movements. If there are scholars colluding, it may not be a good thing. In the previous division of the list, many southern students had complaints, and northern scholars also had many extravagant demands."

Look, this is the reality. When it comes to their own interests, no one doesn’t care, and no one doesn’t want to fight for it.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "The southern scholars think that they should be the ones on the list, and the northern scholars think that they are fearless because of the preferential treatment given by the court. In this way, both sides of the court are offended."

This was naturally just a joke, but Daoyan and the others did not dare to respond. The reality was similar, whether it was students from the south or the north, they were all trying hard to get more treatment.

Under such circumstances, if someone makes a call, it might really cause some small disturbance. Some people may think that if the matter is made bigger, the court will have to compromise and make concessions.

This is not the case that the crying child gets the milk, but some people are too clever and will do anything to achieve their own interests.

"I know about this. We should prepare for it." Zhu Yunhuan laughed. "If someone really makes a fuss, it will be a good thing."

This is what Zhu Yunhuan really thought. If someone really caused trouble at this time, he would definitely think it was a good thing, as it would give him the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

I hope some people can be smarter, but not be too clever, because that will definitely not lead to a good ending.

After carefully discussing the examination, Zhu Yunhuan said, "Let Duke Wei go to the examination room to take a look. This time, let the prince of Duke Ying guard the examination room to ensure peace."

Asking Xu Huizu to inspect and investigate, etc., is naturally a recognition of him. In the eyes of others, these are also a kind of affirmation of Zhu Wenyao, who makes this kid's uncle Xu Huizu.

As for asking Fu Zhong to be responsible for security during the imperial examination, it was not simply to prevent trouble.

This also includes cheating, collusion with examiners, etc. Once these are discovered, they need to be dealt with by someone with authority.

Fu Zhong was not only a noble, but also a relative of the emperor. Moreover, he was simple-minded and honest, and he was not afraid of offending anyone. The civil officials could not afford to offend him, let alone offend him.

As for the insult to civility, there is no need to mention it. In order to be able to take part in the imperial examination, those scholars needed to take off their clothes for inspection again and again before entering. Not to mention the soldiers, even some yamen runners could torment the scholars.

Just get through it, and you will naturally be different once you get an official position. Without going through these hardships, how can you achieve success in the future? Even after going through these, many people still cannot become high-ranking officials.

After a busy day, Zhu Yunhuan strolled to the Qianqing Palace.

Old Zhu was happily hugging Zhu Wenyao and teasing him, and Zhu Wenyao was very considerate this time and didn't fall asleep. He was looking at Old Zhu intently, but with a stern face and a serious look on his face.

"Grandfather, I told you that Wen Yao doesn't like to laugh." Zhu Yunxun leaned over and said cheerfully, "No matter how you tease him, he never laughs!"

Old Zhu rolled his eyes at Zhu Yunxun and said, "You are just a little kid, you still don't understand. Wen Yao is smart, he is close to us now."

Thinking about it carefully, Lao Zhu's spirit and energy have improved a lot during this period. Even if there are some nannies and wet nurses, it still cannot change the fact that raising a child is undoubtedly a very hard job, but Lao Zhu enjoys it.

As long as Zhu Wenyao is awake, Lao Zhu will immediately hold him. When Zhu Wenyao is asleep, Lao Zhu will also take a nap on the bed.

"My son has gained some weight and looks fair." Zhu Yunhuan said to Old Zhu with a smile, "If this year was not the year of the imperial examination, I would have opened an additional special examination."

Old Zhu joked, "Next year, there will be an additional special examination. I guess some candidates who failed this year will not return home. I haven't been to court for a long time. Is there someone out there spreading rumors?"

Zhu Yunhuan told the truth, "There are some rumors, and I have also heard that some scholars think that there will be an additional special examination next year."

Zhu Wenyao's birth was naturally a great joyous event, but it had not yet reached the stage where an imperial examination would be held. However, if a new emperor ascended the throne, an imperial examination would be inevitable, which would also be an opportunity for some scholars.

Even if I don't win this year, I have to stay in Yingtian Prefecture. After all, some places are far away from Yingtian Prefecture or Xi'an, and the round trip takes several months.

Since it is a separate exam, there are naturally two examination venues, the Southern List in Yingtian Prefecture and the Northern List in Xi'an.

Old Zhu smiled and said, "They are all smart people. Go find your uncle and Lan Yu. They should both be persuaded to marry."

"Grandfather, you are wrong this time." Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "My second uncle is hiding from people all day long. Except for attending court and sitting in the government office, he hides away as much as possible. And my two sisters used to love to go on outings with the ladies and talented women, but now they also hide from people."

Old Zhu smiled happily, "They have really improved, which is a good thing. It's OK that they can't help you, their qualifications are mediocre. Fortunately, they have some sense and don't cause trouble for you."

At such a sensitive moment, it would be better for some of Zhu Yunhuan's close relatives to keep a low profile. Otherwise, any casual words they say might be misinterpreted, which would not be a good thing.

Zhu Wenyao probably didn't like these topics and suddenly started crying.

Old Zhu calmly stood up and handed the little guy to the wet nurse, because the child was hungry.

Looking at Old Zhu's expression, Zhu Yunhuan understood that the little guy was now truly living in the Qianqing Palace and would not return to the East Palace easily. He had to grow up in front of the emperor.

Forget it. Although Zhu Wenyao is very young, he can still fulfill his filial duties on behalf of his father and grandfather.

(End of this chapter)