Zhu Di suddenly realized it and showed the letter to Dao Yan with a smile.
Dao Yan shook his head and sighed: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. King Xiang is really smart."
Lao Zhu always couldn't see the poor people being bullied. He couldn't protest from above, but he could protest from below.
Hundreds of poor students from the north went to the palace gate and the Imperial College to complain that the imperial examination was unfair and that the examiners were biased.
This year's imperial examination, Lao Zhu gave full power to Zhu Biao.
Now Zhu Biao is also in trouble: he personally supervises the examination and correction, and there is absolutely no discrimination against candidates from the north.
Candidates from the north have always been weaker than those from the south.
In order to balance the north and the south, we cannot just leave out the outstanding examples from the south and try to include those from the north.
And the admission list has been posted.
If the list is reconsidered because someone is making trouble, then where is the majesty of the emperor?
If this list is released and southern students cry out about injustice, what should we do?
Liu Bowen suggested that he ignore it.
Seeing how determined he was, Zhu Biao took a good look at the admission list.
Four out of ten of them are students from the Imperial College.
In other words, he is the official speaker.
He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Originally, after the Hu Weiyong case, Yan Guan's power in the court grew day by day.
No matter what the imperial edict is, as soon as it is released, some people will jump out to oppose it and find fault.
Only now did he understand the reason why Zhu Mingming knew that Li Shanchang was corrupt, but turned a blind eye.
Because Lao Zhu wants to use Li Shanchang to contain the balanced Yan Guan.
Li Shanchang has no other problems except greed.
It is best to solve the problem of greed and let it go as long as it is tolerable.
If you feel you can't bear it, just ransack the corrupt official's house before he retires and take everything back.
This is to sacrifice the small to grasp the big.
Zhu Biao was deeply aware of the seriousness of this matter and went to Lao Zhu for help.
Lao Zhu pondered for a long time: "There is no need to hold the examiners responsible. I just say that the emperor has given permission to recruit some additional people to admit those who are acceptable in the northern examination. In the next period, you have to keep an eye on the admission list and try to balance the north and the south. . From now on, these people will be used by you, and they are all ministers of the imperial court. This is why we leave this matter to you."
Therefore, ten days after the results of the second imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty were released, a supplementary list was released.
Zhu Di saw that the people recorded this time were all his people, and replied to Zhu Bai with the word "convinced".
-----
Hu Mei accidentally fell down in the mansion. She was speechless, her mouth was crooked, and half of her body was unconscious. She asked Lao Zhu to say goodbye and return to her hometown to live in her old age in Jiangxi.
Lao Zhu sent an imperial doctor to visit Hu Mei.
The imperial doctor came back and said that Hu Mei's qi and blood were in disorder, and the blood overflowed into the brain, causing the stroke. It was an internal wind stroke.
It's difficult to fully return to your previous state. I will walk like this crookedly for the rest of my life, and I can't even hold chopsticks with my right hand, let alone hold a sword, ride a horse, and lead troops in battle.
Hu Mei wrote another letter with difficulty, begging Lao Zhu to let him return to Mianyang for retirement.
Please ask Lao Zhu to arrange the soldiers who are following him properly.
Lao Zhu looked at Hu Mei's crooked handwriting and felt a little sad.
Although Hu Mei has been holding on to these soldiers, she has stayed in Changsha.
Now that he is so ill and still willing to hand over military power, let him go back.
Lao Zhu allowed Hu Mei to retire and left a hundred soldiers to look after the home and nursery. He would leave Changsha after the renovation of his old house was completed.
Qiu Guang, the commander of the Changsha garrison, took over Hu Mei's army from that day on.
Originally, Qiu Guang was arranged by Lao Zhu to take care of Hu Mei in Changsha, but now it is very convenient.
-----
A cold wind came up one night, and Queen Ma accidentally caught a cold and became bedridden.
Lao Zhu was very anxious, but the imperial doctor used various medicines and various methods, and the prince served her day and night, but Queen Ma's condition did not improve and became increasingly serious.
After two months of delay, Queen Ma refused to take medicine.
Lao Zhu was already red-eyed and wanted to kill the imperial doctor: "You quack doctors, do you know how to treat patients? You can't even cure a cold."
Lao Zhu said: "Why don't you take medicine? How can you get better if you don't take medicine? You give us medicine, we are the emperor, you have to listen to me."
Empress Ma sighed softly: "Your Majesty, I am afraid that my life is over and no medicine will work. If I take the medicine from the imperial doctor, it will not be good. The emperor will blame the imperial doctor, so why bother them."
Lao Zhu: "Nonsense, you are still young, how can you end your life span? You still want to be our queen and our wife for at least fifty years."
Empress Ma grabbed Lao Zhu's hand and said, "Your Majesty. I am very satisfied to follow the Emperor my whole life. Don't be sad and take care of your dragon body for the sake of the Ming Dynasty."
The princes, princesses and concubines were all kneeling outside the door.
Empress Ma called Zhu Biao to her side and said: "Your Highness must govern the country with benevolence, staying close to loyal ministers and staying away from villains. Discuss problems with a few people, be friendly to brothers, treat the princess as a guest, and treat the princess as the most important person in the inner palace. Do not be alone. Doting on the side concubine and listening to the humiliation."
Zhu Biao heard that Queen Ma's words seemed like her last words, and he couldn't help crying and nodded desperately.
Empress Ma called in the two princesses and told them to take good care of their consort.
In the end, Queen Ma waved to Zhu Bai: "Twelve, come here."
Zhu Bai came forward with his head lowered.
Empress Ma grabbed his hand and said, "Twelve, I feel guilty. I treated you badly before, but you have always been so filial to me. You have also been of great help to your elder brother."
Zhu Bai felt as if his throat was blocked by a piece of cotton, and said in a trembling voice: "Mother, please don't say that, it will offend your son."
Queen Ma had treated him badly before.
But to be fair, he was not the biological son of Empress Ma, but the son of Lao Zhu's concubine.
So Queen Ma was tolerant of him.
Moreover, Queen Ma presided over the harem impartially, never deliberately mistreating or framing any concubine, and treated all princes and princesses equally. Diligent, frugal, and gentle to others, her demeanor and moral character alone have put her ahead of 90% of the queens in history.
He still has some real feelings for Queen Ma.
Moreover, if the harem was without Queen Ma, it would be very difficult to live in the future, and Concubine Hu Shun would also have a difficult life.
Empress Ma smiled and said, "My mother knows that you have always been very generous and mature. Can you promise me something?"
Zhu Bai held back tears and said, "Mother, please speak."
Queen Ma stared into Zhu Bai's eyes and said word for word: "You must always be loyal to your eldest brother and cannot betray or support those who betray him. If someone betrays your eldest brother, you must stand by his side."
Queen Ma said this in front of Zhu Biao and Lao Zhu, wasn't she hinting to them that I might rebel in the future?
Zhu Bai was shocked and hurriedly knelt down: "I will never dare to be disloyal to my eldest brother. I will definitely risk my life to protect my eldest brother forever."
As long as Zhu Biao doesn't kill him, he will definitely not go against Zhu Biao and cause trouble for himself.
"Ah, that makes me feel relieved." Queen Ma exhausted her strength and lay back.
Lao Zhu grabbed Queen Ma's hand and said, "Don't scare us. Don't leave me alone and go first."
