The palace examination is equivalent to taking the test again with the emperor's own questions. It is even more solemn than the Gongyuan examination. Early in the morning, all those who are successful will take a bath, wear newly tailored Confucian clothes, wear new Lun scarves, burn incense and worship the ancestors, and wait for the ceremony in the palace. The official came to teach them simple things to do before they could enter the palace.
Zhu Houzhao graciously prepared an imperial banquet, euphemistically called it, to comfort and comfort these students who were studying hard in a cold window.
In fact, he knew that someone was going to cause trouble. He was not going to be soft this time. He first won over a wave of people's hearts and then said, Royal Banquet, this is not something ordinary people can enjoy. Well, Enke, naturally Royal Banquet is also a grace. After the ceremony officer informed them, he led them into the palace.
This is the first time in Ariake. When I heard about the failed candidates, I didn’t know how much I envied these people. They were so lucky. The emperor would still come to the imperial banquet. During the banquet, if I could win the emperor The Sacred Heart is on the rise, is that still a thing?
However, the courtiers were very appreciative of His Majesty's act of being so close, which proved that His Majesty valued them. The late Emperor Hongzhi was not the one to use them to revive the Ming Dynasty. Today, even today, he values them so much that they are unhappy, no matter how unhappy they are. Your Majesty is wise, not a single courtier stood up and said no.
If someone stands up and speaks out, his reputation will definitely be ruined, and the people who will offend are all the scholars in the world. Under the verbal and written criticism, you may die in vain, which is terrible.
Ming Dynasty valued scholars. This has been deeply ingrained. If you want to change it, you can't change it in a day or two. No one wants to change it. Even Zhu Houzhao didn't dare to do it blatantly, so he had to let others do it, such as Yang Shen. Wang Shouren, and Yan Song who is about to enter the palace.
These guys, no matter how famous they are in future generations, it would be a pity not to make good use of them, isn't it?
"Everyone enters the palace and kneels down to thank Long En." The eunuch said loudly.
"Long live my emperor, long live my emperor." All the people prostrated themselves, and no one dared to raise their head to look at the emperor. Although they wanted to, they didn't dare, and they couldn't even take a peek. If they were seen by the imperial censor or the eunuch, they wouldn't do it. It is a serious crime to peek into the sky, and the crime is not light.
Liu Zizhang and Yan Song stood at the front, followed by the candidates from the second list. Because they were among the top three, they were in the front.
But even if they raised their heads, they could not see the emperor's appearance, because today, a jade screen was arranged in front of the throne to block their sight, and only the sound could be heard.
"Pingshen." Zhu Houzhao said calmly.
Liu Zizhang, Yan Song and others took the lead and shouted: "Thank you for your grace, your Majesty, long live my emperor."
"Thank you for your grace, long live my emperor."
Today is not a big court meeting. Except for the six ministers and nine ministers, there are three pavilion elders. Others are not qualified to participate.
"Who are the top three in today's department?" Zhu Houzhao asked.
Xu Qiong stood up and played: "Your Majesty, the top three in this department, Zhu Shou, is not yet here. The other two, Liu Zizhang, second, Tanhua Yan Song, and the second-ranked officials are all absent."
Isn't the number one sitting in the palace, Zhu Houzhao thought proudly, and said lightly: "Oh, we can find out the reason, why is the number one scholar absent?"
Xu Qiongqi Ai didn't know how to answer. The messenger who announced the good news went to the address recorded by Zhu Shou, but he couldn't find him. After that, he checked Zhu Shou's household registration. In the past, such officials often got on the gold list, but later they couldn't find him. When no one inquired about it, he ran back home to report the good news and various strange events.
I originally thought that it would be the same this time, and that the person who ran away was still a champion, but after checking, I found that Zhu Shou actually recorded the household registration of candidates around the capital. The officers who went to investigate came back to report, but there was no such record at all. Man, now Xu Qiong is sitting on the wax, Zhuangyuan Gong has not found this person. Is there anything more bizarre than this?
It is impossible to take back the gold list at the moment. If it is discovered before the list is released, it is possible to make up for it and replace it one by one. It is impossible to say that Liu Zizhang will be the top scorer in this subject, and Yan Song, the future traitor who has won unanimous praise from the examiners, will be ranked among the top three. Two became second place.
Hearing the emperor talk about it, Xu Qiong was frightened. This was a big mistake. If the news leaked out, not only would the court lose face, but your majesty would be criticized again. Now that the emperor asked, he had to answer; "Reply." Your Majesty, this matter, this matter, is the mistake of the veteran. The whereabouts of Zhu Shou, the number one scholar, are currently unknown. According to the regulations, if there is no news after seven days, the name of the top three will be cancelled, and he will be replaced one by one. If the veteran is guilty, please judge by your majesty. ." Xu Qiong bowed down and apologized.
Wow, I didn’t see that person yesterday. I thought I would see him during today’s imperial examination, but the examiner unexpectedly answered that the whereabouts of the Number One Scholar Duke was unknown. Is this true?
Zhu Houzhao laughed silently and said nothing. No one behind the jade screen could see his expression, and everyone below was uneasy.
"In this case, let's do it as it is, and tell all the officials in the world to take this as a warning. The Xu Qing family will select talents for the court. They will not shrink back when encountering difficulties. They can be a role model for other ministers. Please help me, dear sir." ." Zhu Houzhao was satisfied that he acted according to his will. Besides, this mistake was his own fault. Is Xu Qiong to be blamed?
Xu Qiong was already impressed by the emperor's talents, and now he was treated with such courtesy by the emperor. He made such a big mistake and still didn't blame him, which made him feel deeply ashamed and heartbroken. The emperor is really a kind and virtuous king, although he has not been in the court recently. , but he still knew what happened. He didn't know what to say to Wang Qiong.
However, can such a majesty be a ridiculous and absurd king?
"I am ashamed, my Majesty. I thank Your Majesty for your grace. I will do my best to repay His Majesty's grace. Long live my emperor. Long live my emperor." Xu Qiong's eyes were red. She looked at Zhu Houzhao behind the jade screen, as if she was seeing the late emperor. , deeply impressed him.
The officials below were also moved by the emperor. Only such an emperor is worthy of their loyalty and service. He is truly a sage monarch. The rumors about the emperor that I heard in the past seem to be true. There is such a sage king in the Ming Dynasty. Why worry about not being able to reappear? prosperous times.
Zhu Houzhao was looking at Yan Song from behind the jade screen. Ever since he knew that Yan Song was also among the top three, he wanted to see this future traitor. At first sight, he was surprised that he was still a pretty boy with a decent demeanor and extraordinary bearing. Standing in the palace, compared with Liu Zizhang and others, he seemed even more eye-catching. He stood out from the crowd, neither humble nor arrogant, polite and well-behaved.
With this appearance and behavior, no one would think that he would become a super traitor later on. But when he met Zhu Houzhao, it was obvious that he had no chance to become a monster. He had power over everything, so don't think about it and help me get money. It's time to use you. It just so happens that Li Dongyang is old and will soon be unable to hold on for a few more years. After a few years of good training, he can be used.
In his previous life, Yan Song filled Jiajing's treasury with gold and silver. Jiajing did not kill him in the end. He just thought about Yan Song's good, so he let him go. When it comes to collecting money, there is one person in later generations who can Compared with him, that is He Shen, who is Qing Qing.
However, there is one biggest difference between the two. The former was helping Emperor Jiajing to get money. Although the end was not very good, he was dismissed from office. The latter was trying to get money for himself, and was finally killed by Emperor Qianlong's son. .
"Pass the decree and grant a banquet." At Zhu Houzhao's signal, Liu Jin shouted directly.
"Thank you, Your Majesty for your grace."
Liu Jin stood behind the jade screen. He had also been seen before, so he never appeared.
The imperial banquet was hosted by Xu Qiong of the Ministry of Rites, and was attended by six ministers, nine ministers and three pavilion elders. No one has ever enjoyed this kind of treatment. Even in the pre-Song Dynasty, scholars had never encountered it. Everyone was moved in their hearts. Your Majesty is really a saint. Sir, once again praise Zhu Houzhao for being there in the sky and not being there on the earth.
During the banquet, Zhu Houzhao distributed royal wine in an informal manner, stirring up the atmosphere to a climax. Someone composed a poem on the spot and dedicated it to the emperor.
Zhu Houzhao smiled happily and said in his heart, who said that the scholars of the Ming Dynasty were not easy to get along with? Is this easy to bribe? You see, if I just treat them a little better, they will be grateful and reciprocate immediately.
Liu Zizhang and Yan Song, as the top three in the palace examination, naturally did not fall behind others. Li Bai wrote hundreds of poems about drinking wine in ancient times. How can people today lose to the ancients? Eight-legged classics and history are their specialty. They shook their heads and quoted classics in an attempt to show off their literary talents. , into the eyes of the emperor.
If you don't bring out some real materials, wouldn't you miss such a good opportunity in vain? But the emperor personally gave a banquet, and six ministers, nine ministers, and three famous academicians from both the government and the public attended the banquet. Where can I find the opportunity?
Several pavilion elders were all smiles and compliments. Your Majesty is still the same. What they were worried about has not happened. Your Majesty is quite a kind and gentle man. I am very lucky for the Ming Dynasty and the world is very lucky.
The banquet ends at noon, and the real palace examination is about to begin.
In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a desk had already been set up, as well as pens, inks, paper and inkstones. This time Zhu Houzhao did not make any mistakes and seriously asked a question about the history of the Eight-legged Classics, which made them all overjoyed. Xu Qiong once again He was blamed by all the candidates and was scolded in their hearts.
However, Liu Zizhang and Yan Song, who were in the top three, were called in. The emperor wanted to test them in person. In the past, this would have been just a formality, with a few casual chats and then it would be over. With Zhu Houzhao, that would not let you pass the test so quickly. , Didn’t that Liu Zizhang say that he had traveled all over the mountains and rivers of Yunnan and Guizhou and wanted to invite himself to become an official in the southwest? I will give you a good test.
Governing the native people, managing the chieftains, how to govern, how to prevent and control the native people, these are all knowledge, the test questions are the test questions, the reality is the reality, it is not just because you have traveled all over the southwest and think you can govern it, ideals and reality will always be the same. There is a difference.
There is no doubt that Zhu Hou's caretakers are genuine. With eight lifetimes of life experience, even a pig can learn to be smart. What's more, he is still a human being, and he is almost a human spirit now.
"My question to you is, do you have any clues?" Zhu Houzhao said calmly.
In fact, Liu Zizhang was a little strange. This voice was really familiar. He seemed to have heard it somewhere, but he couldn't remember it for the moment. But now was not the time to think about this. The emperor was asking questions about politics, so he didn't dare to neglect it.
Liu Zizhang was confident and said: "Returning to the Holy Spirit, students have also thought about this issue. The fundamental reason why the native people of southwest China and the Ming Dynasty are different is the difference in language and customs. If it is the students who govern, this will definitely matter. First and foremost.”
Zhu Houzhao nodded. Most of the native people in the southwest, who speak one dialect in Baishili, live in the deep and dense mountains and forests. Even their own people can't understand their words, let alone the people of the Ming Dynasty. They need to be governed. , it is indeed a difficult problem.
"I ask you, since it is the first priority, how are you going to solve this problem in terms of governance?" Zhu Houzhao asked comfortably while leaning on the throne.
Liu Zizhang knew that his answer had aroused His Majesty's interest, otherwise he would not have talked for so long, and he became more calm and confident, and replied: "If you are a student, you should proceed step by step, try it out in a place near the southwest county, change the customs, and promise to make friends and kiss me." The chieftain clan of the Ming Dynasty, let them support this policy, establish one place, and then govern another place. When everyone discovers the benefits of changing customs, more native people will be willing to leave the mountains and cold villages and move into the city. Then we will gradually push it towards the hinterland of the southwest, advocate governance, and the local people will take Chinese names, speak Chinese, and learn from our scholars in the Ming Dynasty, who will have common surnames. At that time, the southwest will have no worries from now on. Your Majesty, this is the student's Commentary."
Zhu Houzhao thought about it carefully, and the more he thought about it, the brighter his eyes became. He had found a treasure. Unexpectedly, the scholar he met by chance in the restaurant of Xia Guozhao's nephew suddenly made him realize that after the founding of the country, Taizu of later generations, Isn't it just changing customs and advocating that the 56 ethnic groups are one family? Why didn't I think of this? It seems that Enke really found a treasure this time.
I remember Yang Shen also said something similar, why didn't I think of this? It seems that this Liu Zizhang is a talent. Who said that Ming Dynasty was not a good scholar? He just lacked an opportunity.
These words were not what he said himself, but were caused by some historical records of later generations. They were not deliberately slandered and written by others. The real historical records of the Ming Dynasty have long been submerged in the history of Qian Qing.
"That's a wonderful answer. Changing customs and changing customs. With a talented man like Zizhang, the southwest will be more stable, hahaha." Zhu Houzhao laughed and praised.
The laughter spread outside, making Yan Song envious. He didn't know what Liu Zizhang said to make the emperor so happy. It seemed that he had to prepare well and not let Liu Zizhang compete.
