The news that Ding Yuying, a civilian girl, won the "Crown Princess Examination" and won the throne of the Crown Princess swept the Xijing and Wuhan Mansion of the Ming Dynasty in the shortest possible time. This gave the city, which was being shrouded in the scorching heat of Hongxing's 20th summer, a topic that was hotter than the weather.
If there is anything dissatisfying the people of Wuhan Prefecture in Xijing about the Ming Dynasty revived by Zhu Cixi, it is that the country's ruling class is not too people-friendly. Although the Ming Dynasty also had official examinations and opened many universities for the general public, there was also a direct train for poor young people from border areas to go up - the Nine-Border Youth Army! But the essence of the new Ming Dynasty is still a semi-feudal and semi-capitalist regime co-governed by the new aristocracy (Kenan Xungui) and the southeastern capitalists.
While maintaining high efficiency, this regime has somewhat neglected fairness... The upward path left to the middle-level is relatively narrow. Unlike in the past, the middle-level scholar-bureaucrats in the country can rise to the top through the imperial examination and become the most powerful person under the emperor. figure.
However, Zhu Cixiang's semi-feudal and semi-capital Ming Dynasty did not have an imperial examination in the true sense, only the official examination starting from the grassroots officials.
For the middle-level landlords, rich farmers, and businessmen, it is easy for their children to become a minor official, but the official career after becoming a minor official is very bumpy. Except for a few who have a particularly good official career, they will stop at the eighth rank official in their lifetime. Go on...those who can become the elders of the pavilion are now all nobles who have overcome difficulties, and they will most likely be their descendants in the future!
For the scholar-bureaucrats who once guided the country, they were certainly disappointed and dissatisfied. The Ming Dynasty once shared the world with the scholar-bureaucrats, but now it shares the world with the new aristocrats and big capitalists...
But this time the Crown Princess test gave everyone hope for the rise of scholar-bureaucrats!
"What a Ding Yuying! So many noble daughters have asked her to compete with her. She is indeed a good woman from our Jingchu!"
"Is it really comparable? I'm afraid the emperor wants to use her to beat those noble and wealthy businessmen who are doing evil? Now the bandits are like the tail of a rabbit - they won't grow anymore! Once Sichuan and Yunnan are recovered, the world will be peaceful .The Taiping world still needs those nobles who only know how to fight and kill and profiteers who only know how to make money?"
"Yes! To govern the world, we must rely on scholars and scholar-bureaucrats..."
These scholar-bureaucrats living in the market all saw that Emperor Zhu did not trust the new aristocrats and big capitalists. How could the ministers and officials of the two parties in the north and south not understand? Emperor Zhu mobilized his troops to choose a princess who was born from a commoner. Didn't he just look down on these princes and generals?
And in the power structure designed by Emperor Zhu, the princess is by no means an insignificant role!
With a snap, the chess piece landed gently on the chessboard. A chess game has reached a point of confusion. The main reason why it is confusing is that the two people who are talking are not in the mood and just make random moves, so the chessboard is a mess and there is no order at all. .
"Alas! This dynasty's game is like a chess game. I can't see clearly... Fortunately, I am old and can retreat bravely!" The speaker was a gray-haired old man. He is the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, Ke Nangui. Duke Ma Shiying.
After Zhu Cixiang announced that Ding Yuying, a citizen of Yiling Prefecture, was the leader of the entrance examination for Jinling Women's University and would be appointed as the crown princess on a certain date, the old man submitted his resignation.
Of course, Zhu Cixiang would not let him completely retire, and the vacant positions of the Three Gongs and Three Solitaries would still have to be given to him.
The person playing against him was Wei Zaode. Ma Shiying could retreat, but he had to continue to be his "Zhuge Liang" and devote his whole life to the Ming Dynasty.
He was ordered to comfort Ma Shiying today - just as a show!
Hearing Ma Shiying's words to retire, Wei Zaode said with a smile: "The Duke has long been in the position of a highly respected minister, so it's better to retire... We will enjoy endless wealth and glory!"
Ma Shiying smiled bitterly: "Having said that, I am not a gentleman who is not party-minded. His disciples and former officials are all over the world... In the government, he also formed a party with Zheng, Shen, Luo, etc. If I really want anything, what else can I do? Can you get away with it?"
The old man's worries are not unreasonable!
Zheng Zhilong, Shen Tingyang, and Luo Dagong were not very restive because they were the leaders of the southeastern plutocrats. Zhu Cixiang's own Royal Chamber of Commerce and the Southeast Conglomerate have long been integrated into one, and there is me among you, and you among me.
If we want to clean up the southeastern plutocrats, the bad debts of the two major banks and the plummeting land prices in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Yangzhou will cost Emperor Zhu at least 100 million...
But Ma Shiying represents the Southwest Military Group. The Southwest Military Group has fought with Dashun for so many years, but has not won any battles. That is to say, it recently succeeded in sneak attacks on Niulanguan Pass and Wanzhou, killing Wu Ruyi, the rogue Jiedushi envoy, and ending Kui's feud. Liaison between the state capital and Chongqing government.
But that's it. The Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan Army's attack on Chongqing Prefecture has made little progress, and the rogue bandits in Kuizhou Prefecture are still stubborn.
It seems that the Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan armies are only good at this, why are they still here?
It seems that the world is about to be unified, and the hero's "safe period" is coming!
Can Ma Shiying not worry?
"No, not so..." Wei Zaode waved his hands repeatedly, "Your Majesty is a merciful king. He chose Ding Yuying as the crown princess. He only chose Ding Yuying because she was from the common people and easy to teach. It was not that she had any talent for overcoming difficulties. Dissatisfied."
He paused and said with a smile: "And after choosing a concubine for the prince, there are also King Fu, King Shen, King of Guangdong (Zhu He Hao has the same mother and brother, named He Kun), King Yue (Zhu He Hao has the same mother and brother, named He Zhen), Six kings, including King Ao (Zhu He'an) and King Xu (son of Fei Zhen'e, named Heyuan), want to choose concubines. These six kings must marry the daughters of the Xungui family. Your Majesty, the granddaughter of the Duke of Guo is not as good as Just marry the fourth prince, His Royal Highness King Yue!"
It turns out that Wei Zaode is still here to be the matchmaker! Proposed marriage for King Zhu Hezhen of Yue.
Ma Shiying looked at Wei Zaode and asked, "Who is your wife betrothed to?"
Wei Zaode said: "I am betrothed to the Emperor's second son, His Royal Highness the King of Guangdong."
"Where is the emperor's eldest son?" Ma Shiying asked, "Is he Wu Ahuan from the Wu family?"
"It's probably her," Wei Zaode nodded, "Luo Xiaohe from the Luo family seems to have promised Prince Fu... This is such a close family! Shen Xiulan from the Shen family has given to Prince Xu."
"What about Zheng Min?" Ma Shiying asked again, "She won't marry Prince An, right?"
"Yes, that's King Qing!" Wei Zaode said with a smile, "Don't you understand what your Majesty means? Prince Fu married the daughter of Grand Duke Luo, and the queen's son King Qing married Marquis Zheng's daughter."
This is a marriage between the northern and southern parties, and it is clearly intended to reconcile the contradictions between the two parties... If Emperor Zhu really wants to kill the donkey, he would like the two parties to fight to the death!
Ma Shiying frowned slightly: "Zheng Min and Prince Qi... I wonder if Duke Quan and Queen can agree?"
Wei Zaode smiled and said, "Can the two of them refuse to agree to the marriage that His Majesty wants to facilitate?"
...
"King Ao..." Zheng Zhilong looked at Zheng Sen, "You agreed?"
Zheng Sen nodded and said: "His Majesty said that he would give the King of Australia a big inheritance... He said it would be no less than the inheritance of the King of the United States."
"Isn't the foundation of the King of Ao the Principality of Yiquan?" Zheng Zhilong shook his head and said, "Although it is the largest on the Malacca Peninsula, it is not that big after all...it cannot be compared with the foundation of the King of United States."
"Maybe there are arrangements?" Zheng Sen frowned and said, "Abba, this marriage cannot be extrapolated! Although Min'er did not become the crown princess, it is better than nothing... and Australia The king is also his legitimate son!"
What he said was somewhat interesting - the prince had no son, and he only had a half-brother, King Ao. If it were gone, wouldn't Zheng Min be the crown princess?
Zheng Zhilong sighed: "Having said that, it still makes people unwilling to accept it! I actually lost to a civilian girl. I wonder what your majesty thinks? Is it true that you can't trust us nobles?"
"Abba," Zheng Sen shook his head and said, "I don't believe it, but His Majesty definitely doesn't want the heroine of the coming court to come from a powerful family like ours... In my opinion, we should stay away from the prince. Please support King Ao properly, and let’s see how big the inheritance His Majesty gives King Ao!”
