"Kong Taichang's youngest daughter committed suicide?" The fourth prince asked in shock, "When did it happen?"
"I heard that he hanged himself last night. He was only discovered at dawn today."
"He hanged himself in Bodhi Temple."
"It was really suicide, wasn't it homicide?"
"Didn't the Emperor cancel her engagement with His Highness the King? Why did she hang herself?"
"The specific circumstances are unclear, but it seems that he was not killed by others."
"Don't you know, since she was discovered secretly becoming a monk, her reputation has been ruined."
"Some time ago, His Highness the King interceded for their family, which made her reputation even worse."
"Everyone is scolding her for being ungrateful. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to bear it."
"She was originally a famous and talented woman in the capital. Because of this incident, her reputation was ruined. Hanging herself is normal."
"When I heard that her family was imprisoned, she wanted to commit suicide, but she certainly didn't dare to commit suicide at that time."
"I guess she waited until the limelight of the incident had passed before hanging herself."
"I feel like I have no face to live in this world."
"Oh, what a pity."
"What's wrong with accepting this engagement honestly in the first place?"
"It's really a pity that a beautiful lady of a generation has passed away just like this."
The fourth prince listened to the discussions of his colleagues for a while and then returned to his seat.
Taichang Cheng and Shaofu Cheng sat opposite the fourth prince, copying historical materials and discussing the suicide of Kong Taichang's youngest daughter.
"Your Highness, do you think Kong Taichang's youngest daughter really hanged herself?" Taichang Cheng asked.
The fourth prince intuitively felt that Kong Taichang's youngest daughter did not hang herself, but this was just his feeling.
"Hard to say."
Shaofu Cheng had a different view than his brother: "I don't think it's surprising that Kong Taichang's youngest daughter committed suicide. After all, her reputation is ruined. Reputation is really important to her daughter's family."
"She has already become a monk, so why does she care about reputation?" Taichang Cheng had a guess in his mind, but he didn't dare to say it here. "It's definitely not suicide."
The fourth prince said: "Whether he really hanged himself, I should be able to test it."
When Kong Taichang learned that his youngest daughter had hanged herself, he took his wife and son to Bodhi Temple and did not come to attend today's morning meeting.
In the morning, the ministers did not report the matter to Emperor Wu of Zhou. After all, they did not know the details of the matter.
This morning we mainly discussed the spring plowing situation in various places.
Every year during spring plowing, yamen in various places must go to the court to report on their local spring plowing conditions, such as the condition of the cultivated land, the condition of the seedlings, the condition of the plowing cattle, etc.
Spring plowing is related to this year's grain harvest, and Emperor Wu of Zhou attached great importance to it.
Judging from the reports from local government offices, spring plowing in most places is going very smoothly, but the situation in a few places is not very good.
These few places are due to lack of water. There has been almost no rain in these places since September last year, and even now there has not been a drop of rain. If it doesn't rain again, spring plowing in these areas may be finished.
Whether spring plowing can go smoothly depends on God.
If God doesn't rain, there's nothing the local officials can do.
Fortunately, the harvest in these places last year was not bad. If spring plowing cannot be carried out smoothly this year due to drought, they will still have food to eat.
After discussing the spring plowing situation in various places, Emperor Wu of Zhou asked Sun Kui to announce his resignation.
The next day, Emperor Wu of Zhou asked King Dai and the young minister of Dali Temple to go to Bodhi Temple to carefully investigate the suicide of Kong Taichang's youngest daughter.
After Emperor Wu of Zhou explained this matter, he discussed the affairs of Yangzhou with He Xiang.
Last night, Emperor Zhou Wu received a secret letter from Taishi Liu. He wrote in the letter that everything was going according to plan.
Emperor Wu of Zhou mainly discussed with He Xiang who to send to Yangzhou next.
This time, Emperor Wu of Zhou wanted to completely eliminate the officialdom in Yangzhou. Judging from the situation reported by Taishi Liu, there are only a few officials who can stay and continue to be appointed in the Yangzhou officialdom.
Yangzhou's geographical location is important, so we must be cautious in rearranging officials this time.
All new officials who go to Yangzhou to take up posts cannot be transferred from the capital. If all were transferred from the capital, the number of officials in the capital would be reduced by half.
What Xiang He meant was to transfer some officials from various places to Yangzhou.
Officials who are lacking in various places can be selected from recommended personnel, or some outstanding students from Imperial College can be selected to serve. Or you can select outstanding students from local colleges to serve.
After discussing the officials who were to be transferred to Yangzhou, Prime Minister He said goodbye, left the Royal Academy, and returned to Lanyuan Pavilion to work.
Emperor Wu of Zhou sighed: "There is a lack of talented people."
In the past ten years, academies have been established all over the Zhou Dynasty. These academies have no threshold, and anyone with talent can enter and study. Although many outstanding students have been trained, only half of these outstanding students can become officials. Therefore, the imperial court has always been short of talented people.
Emperor Wu of Zhou always felt that such a recommendation was not a good idea, but he could not think of a good way and could only continue to use this recommendation method.
"Your Majesty, as there are more and more scholars nowadays, there will also be more and more talented people."
"I hope so."
The imperial court has really put a lot of effort into cultivating talents. Not to mention anything else, a lot of money is subsidized to major academies every year. The money subsidized to the academy is to help students from poor families.
Sun Kui looked at Emperor Zhou Wu and didn't know whether he should remind him or not.
When Emperor Zhou Wu saw Sun Kui looking at him hesitantly, he raised his eyebrows and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it."
Sun Kui hesitated for a moment, but decided to remind Emperor Wu of Zhou.
"Your Majesty, today is the eighth prince's birthday."
Emperor Wu of Zhou thought it was something, but he didn't expect it to be this. He said calmly: "Same as usual."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You don't have to report this kind of thing to me in the future." Emperor Zhou Wu said in an indifferent tone, "You just follow the rules."
Hearing the displeasure in Emperor Zhou Wu's tone, Sun Kui hurriedly apologized: "This slave deserves to die!"
Emperor Wu of Zhou waved his hand and signaled Sun Kui to retreat.
Sun Kui withdrew respectfully.
Sun Doudou saw his master retreating with a pale face, and hurriedly stepped forward and asked with concern: "Master, what's wrong with you? Were you reprimanded by the emperor?"
Sun Kui took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and face.
"I shouldn't talk too much." After saying that, he raised his hand and slapped himself gently.
Sun Doudou was frightened by his master's appearance and hurriedly asked: "Master, why are you talking so much?"
"Isn't today the eighth prince's birthday? I just reminded the emperor by talking too much, but I didn't expect to offend the emperor." Sun Kui felt chills in his heart when he thought of the emperor's cold and displeased tone just now. "I thought that the Eighth Prince was seriously injured while trying to save His Highness the Crown Prince. On the Eighth Prince's birthday, the Emperor might give him something more. I didn't expect..."
"Master, it's not like you don't know that the Emperor doesn't like the Eighth Prince, why do you say so many words?"
"Isn't it because the Eighth Prince saved His Highness the Crown Prince before?" Sun Kui lowered his voice and said, "I didn't expect that the Emperor didn't treat the Eighth Prince because of this matter... It was me who was too troublesome."
"Master, you better not mention the Eighth Prince's affairs to the Emperor in the future."
"Don't mention it, never mention it again." Sun Kui regretted his talkativeness just now, "Following the rules of previous years, you randomly choose a gift for the Eighth Prince and send it to Xingde Palace."
"Okay, I'll pick it up now."
Sun Doudou moved very quickly and picked out the gift in a short time.
"Master, what do you think of this gift?"
Sun Kui looked at it and said, "Isn't this the inkstone that the emperor used before?" This inkstone was a tribute inkstone, but some time ago, he accidentally dropped it on the ground and broke a corner, so Sun Kui took this inkstone. Put it away.
"Yes, isn't this just a gift for the Eighth Prince?" Sun Doudou said with a smile, "The Eighth Prince will be very happy if the inkstone used by the Emperor is given to him."
"Okay, then you can send it to me." Although a corner was broken, it was harmless.
Sun Doudou took the inkstone with a broken corner and went to Xingdeok Palace.
Although the Eighth Prince was not liked by the Emperor, Sun Doudou would bow politely every time he saw him and never showed the slightest bit of arrogance.
Sun Doudou first bowed respectfully to the Bahuang children, then wished the Eighth Prince a happy birthday, and then gave him a gift, saying that this inkstone was commonly used by the Emperor.
The Eighth Prince said that after he recovered from his injuries, he would personally go and thank Emperor Zhou Wu. He thanked Sun Doudou again.
Yu Hai took the brocade box, then sent Sun Doudou out and gave him a money bag.
Sun Doudou was not polite and accepted the money bag generously.
Yu Hai returned to the house and saw the Eighth Prince opening the brocade box, which was an inkstone.
"Put it on the desk."
"Yes, Your Highness." When Yu Hai took the inkstone, he discovered that one corner of the inkstone was broken and asked in surprise, "Why is it broken?"
In fact, it is not broken, but the top corner of the inkstone is broken, which does not affect its use. Sun Kui felt that one corner of the inkstone was damaged and it was not suitable for Emperor Wu of Zhou to use it again.
"It's not broken." The Eighth Prince said calmly, "It can still be used."
"This..." Although it works, one corner is still broken. Even if the emperor dislikes His Highness, there is no need to give him a broken inkstone.
"This is the inkstone commonly used by my father. It doesn't matter if a corner is broken."
Seeing that the Eighth Prince didn't care at all, Yu Hai felt very sad and felt aggrieved for his Highness.
"Your Highness..."
The Eighth Prince interrupted Yu Hai and said, "I think it's very good. Put it on my desk."
Yu Hai didn't dare to say anything more, so he placed the inkstone on the eighth prince's desk.
(End of chapter)
