The seventh day of the seventh lunar month in the 17th year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese Valentine's Day, was also a good day to hold the open, fair and impartial selection examination for the crown prince concubine of the great nephew of the Ming Dynasty!
The rules of the examination were announced to the world in May. All daughters of the Ming Dynasty subjects who were of pure origin and were old enough to have haircuts but were not married could be accompanied by their parents and go to the Yamen of the Ming Dynasty Rites Department to register before the first day of July. Take the crown princess selection exam. Daughters who apply for the exam will be initially reviewed by the palace female officials. If they pass the preliminary review, they can go to Xiyuan to take the exam on the seventh day of July. The person who gets the first place in the exam will be the nephew's concubine!
Those who do not get the first place in the exam, but are among the top 30, can voluntarily choose to become the nephew's chosen servant. If they are unwilling to serve the nephew, they will be given a gold and released.
This is really an unheard-of way of selecting a concubine, that is to say, Zhu Youjian's current prestige is high enough, otherwise the officials in the court would have to use their saliva to drown out this method of selecting a concubine that goes against the ancestral system.
However, even if there were no objections from the direct ministers, the people of the Ming Dynasty still did not accept this method of selecting concubines through examinations, so there were not many innocent female officials and noble ladies who actually went to the Ministry of Rites to sign up. In addition to the "Twelve Golden Hairpins" who had followed Zhu Cixi for a long time, there were only thirty-five honorable ministers who happened to have young girls with hairpins who took their daughters to register.
There are now a total of forty-seven girls, all of whom have put on neat arrow uniforms. Each of them is holding an extremely beautiful sweat horse (Turkmen horse), standing in the corner of the inner school field in the Xiyuan, waiting for them one by one. Entering the venue to demonstrate equestrian and riding and shooting skills... It is said to be open, fair, and impartial, but this subject alone has basically eliminated girls from ordinary people's families.
Of course, in the Ming Dynasty, girls who could ride horses and shoot arrows were not necessarily nobles. Many women from military families and even scholar-bureaucrat families were proficient in riding and archery. For example, Qin Liangyu and her daughter-in-law Zhang Fengyi are also good at riding and shooting, and can lead troops in war.
However, the requirements for several other subjects set by Chongzhen for the crown princess selection examination were a bit high - these subjects are: arithmetic, geophysics, Confucianism, military science, Latin... and more Including martial arts (horseback riding and archery), there are a total of six subjects, each with a perfect score of 100 points. The one with the highest total score is the great nephew.
Moreover, the difficulty of the questions in this exam is not low, and all the questions are at the same level as before Zhu Cixiang fell asleep!
"The people entering now are Wu Sanmei, the daughter of Pingxi Bo Wu Xiang, and the sister of Pingxi Marquis Wu Sangui!"
When the eunuch called out Wu Sanmei's name at roll call, Zhu Cixiang, who was accompanying Zhu Youjian to invigilate the exam, immediately became energetic - she had long legs and was silly and sweet, and she was childhood sweetheart with Zhu Cixiang, their childhood sweetheart...
Wu Sanmei not only looks like Zhu Cixiang, but she is also very handsome in her skills on horseback. Whether she is riding a horse to cross obstacles, riding a gun, or riding a horse to shoot an arrow, she is perfect. Zhu Cixiang can't help but applaud!
"Father, Sanmei's horseback riding skills are better than those of my sons. Full marks should be given!" Zhu Cixiang knew that Wu Sanmei's Confucianism and Latin were poor, and her arithmetic and physical studies were so-so. Only military studies could get high marks, so He simply suggested that Zhu Youjian give Wu Sanmei a perfect score... It was not that he wanted Wu Sanmei to come out on top, but that he was afraid that she would not be among the top 30.
How sad it would be if Wu Sanmei was squeezed out of the top 30!
Zhu Youjian frowned, looking dissatisfied, "Can this also be given full marks? Damu, what do you think?"
"Damu" is Zheng Sen and Zheng Damu. He has just been engaged to Zhu Youjian's daughter, Princess Kunxing, and he is now the prince-in-law.
In addition, he is still an officer in the bodyguard regiment, and today he was invited by Zhu Youjian to be the examiner... His sister Zheng Chagu also has to take the exam. I wonder if he, as the examiner, can be fair and impartial?
"This..." Zheng Sen was in a dilemma because he could already feel Zhu Cixiang's cold eyes!
In fact, it is certain that his sister will become the concubine. Even if Wu Sanmei gets two 100 points, she will not be able to pass the test of Zheng Chagu. Besides, Zheng Chagu’s riding, archery and military skills are not bad either. Those are real skills gained from practicing since childhood!
So Zheng Sen originally wanted to give Wu Sanmei a 100 points, but what did Long Live Lord mean?
Just when Zheng Sen was in a dilemma, Zhu Youjian suddenly spoke again, just three words: "I need more money!"
"How much more?" Zhu Cixiang asked angrily.
Zhu Youjian held out a finger, "10 million!"
"Then father must ensure that the third sister enters the top 30!"
Zhu Youjian smiled and nodded, "Okay!"
"Okay, I agree!" Zhu Cixiang gritted his teeth and offered the long-legged Wu Sanmei 10 million for Silly Baitian!
Zhu Youjian chuckled, "Damu, I think Wu Sanmei's martial arts is really good!"
Zheng Sen breathed out: "Then I'll give you 100 points..."
But in his heart, he was worried about his sister Zheng Chagu... Zhu Cihong really liked Wu Sanmei! Moreover, Wu Sanmei has always been the eldest sister among the "Twelve Beauties". Can she be willing to be the little girl for Tea Girl?
After Wu Sanmei, Zheng Chagu was the second person to join the "Twelve Hairpins", and her status among the "Twelve Hairpins" has always been second only to Wu Sanmei.
In fact, Zhu Cixi also likes her very much... Zheng Chagu is very beautiful, with beautiful features, white skin and tall figure. Except that her figure is not as graceful as Sanmei's, she is worse than Wu Sanmei in other aspects.
In addition, she is also smarter than Wu Sanmei. Not only does she read well, her scores in all subjects are not inferior to Zhu Cixiang's, but she is also very good at life. She has a very good relationship with the other Eleven Chai, and is able to please Zhu Youjian, Queen Zhou, and Zhu Cixiang. She is almost an all-rounder.
Zhu Youjian looked at Zheng Chagu's heroic performance while demonstrating equestrian riding and shooting. He smiled and said to his son: "Boss, this is your true concubine... If you like the girl from the Wu family, let her be your favorite concubine." That’s it, the royal concubine must have both moral integrity and wealth! She’s like Tea Girl!”
Of course Zheng Chagu is "both moral and financial", especially "financial", and especially "generous". Doesn't she mean "both moral and financial"?
"I understand." Zhu Cihong nodded. Of course he knew the powerful relationship - if Zhu Youjian did not recommend Zheng Chagu, Zhu Cihong would give Chagu a "second female lead", Chagu himself, Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Sen They will all be very satisfied.
However, Zhu Youjian has publicly supported Tea Girl. If Zhu Cihong continues to block Tea Girl, he will not be happy. Although Zhu Cixiang is not afraid of the Zheng family, there is really no need to make this enemy...especially when the Zheng family really wants to join them.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Zheng Sen and said, "With the help of the Zheng family, it will be much easier for me to establish the Salt Merchant Bank."
Zheng Sen nodded vigorously and promised for me, Zheng Zhilong: "When Your Highness arrives in Yangzhou, my father will do his best to be useful to you."
Zhu Youjian said to Zhu Cihong at this time: "How much should the tea girl get?"
"Full marks," Zhu Cixiang smiled, "Of course it's full marks... Tea Girl will definitely come out on top this time!"
Zhu Youjian laughed and said, "I think so too!"
Following Chagu Zheng on horseback into the examination room was Shen Tingyang's youngest daughter Shen Qian. She was a gentle and quiet girl from the south of the Yangtze River. She was very delicate, but not as tall as Sanmei and Chagu. However, her riding and shooting skills are also very outstanding, and she is as good as Zheng Chagu.
Zhu Youjian was also very satisfied with Shen Qian and said with a smile: "This girl is not bad, let's give her full marks!"
Zhu Cixiang nodded hurriedly: "Although Sister Qian's talent in martial arts is not as good as that of Third Sister and Tea Girl, her hard work can make up for her weakness... She is indeed a very outstanding woman."
Zhu Youjian laughed and said: "For such a beautiful woman, isn't it too unfair to just be a waiter? How about she be given the title of concubine!"
"Concubine?" Zhu Cixi paused, "Father, I would like to have two concubines, and the other one is for the third sister..."
Zhu Youjian laughed and said: "Brother Chun, it seems that these three sisters were destined to you in the last life! That's all, just give her a concubine... But please remember it for me, your future queen It can only be a tea aunt, and the prince must be the tea aunt’s son! I have already thought of a name, it will be Zhu Tuhao!"
"Local tycoon?"
"No, it's Hehao, Zhu Hehao!"
