The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 132
Fengtian Palace court meeting.

This day was the last court meeting before the year, and several things were decided in the hall, all of which were related to the arrangements for the next year.

First of all, at the beginning of the year, the tombs of the emperors worshiped. The emperor could not go, and the nobles sent to worship on his behalf.

Then there is the great sacrifice at the beginning of the year, the emperor will still go in person, and at the same time explain that after the great sacrifice is celebrated and given a banquet, the civil and military ministers will fast for three days, that is, they can't touch wine and meat, and at the same time they must abstain from the things of the house.

He also talked about the ten-day rest on the Lantern Festival in the coming year.

"Xiaozong Shilu" records: "At the end of the first lunar month, the great sacrifice to heaven and earth was completed in the southern suburbs. After returning to the palace to pay homage to the empress dowager and the empress dowager, the civil and military officials of the Royal Fengtian Palace celebrated the ceremony. Ten days off..."

Because in the coming year, in addition to offering sacrifices, there will be a holiday, so some things will be decided before the year.

In addition to the necessary things, the emperor suddenly and uncharacteristically decided to have two chief examiners in February of the next year.

Li Dongyang and Cheng Minzheng are exactly the same as history.

The meeting is over.

Li Dongyang and Cheng Minzheng were sent to the Qianqing Palace to discuss the details of the next year's examination, while the remaining ministers went out of the palace.

"Why did Your Majesty decide the chief examiner of the Ministry of Rites Examination so early this year? Usually, you have to wait until the end of the first month or the beginning of February to make a decision. But this one is related to the rumors about the exam?"

Xu Qiong, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, went to ask Liu Jian after leaving Fengtian Hall.

Liu Jian remained silent.

Xie Qian said with a smile: "Your Majesty may have other deep meanings. Why should I think about it if I don't know? It's different who is the examiner?"

Xu Qiong glared at Xie Qian.

The scene was somewhat awkward, but Tu Yu came over and pulled Xu Qiong aside, as if he had something to discuss.

……

……

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang was teaching Li Dongyang and Cheng Minzheng face-to-face. Among the eunuchs and eunuchs, only Xiao Jing and Wei Bin were there.

After talking about the necessary etiquette for the examination, Zhu Youtang also specially reminded: "...the two of you are highly respected among the scholars, and you usually receive a lot of scholars. Don't have any private ties with scholars."

"Yes."

Li Dongyang took the order on behalf of the two.

It is said that Cheng Minzheng likes to make friends with young scholars, but Li Dongyang is not inferior to Cheng Minzheng in this aspect.

It's just because Li Dongyang is an elder of the pavilion, or an orthodox civil servant, it is a great honor for others to ask to see Li Dongyang... Unlike Cheng Minzheng, anyone can go to see him...

The threshold for Cheng Min's politicians is too low.

So much so that later when the case of vending questions came out, others would attack Cheng Minzheng, but Li Dongyang was not attacked, and Li Dongyang was even asked to investigate the case, which shows that Li Dongyang and Cheng Minzheng received different treatment in the court.

Then the emperor asked Wei Bin to send Li Dongyang out of Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang seemed to have something else to say, and he wanted to speak to Cheng Minzheng alone, leaving only Xiao Jing to listen.

"Cheng Xueshi, you have been back to the court for nearly a year, and you have done a good job in everything. I will reward you as appropriate. Don't take the things you mentioned earlier." Zhu Youtang first comforted you.

Cheng Minzheng felt aggrieved.

This kind of thing is afraid that it will become a shadow in his heart for the rest of his life.

But it also made him see that he didn't seem to be very popular with those courtiers. Maybe he should really resign after serving the imperial court, and it would be best not to come back.

"The minister takes orders." Cheng Minzheng still pretended to be educated on the surface.

Zhu Youtang said again: "I asked you to cooperate with the Guozijian to select a few candidates for promotion. How is the progress?"

Cheng Minzheng said: "The final list has been drawn up. There are more than 50 people. The articles and insights are good."

"Well, the best ones will be selected, and they will be appointed as Xuezheng in the Guozijian Central Committee, in case they are called." Zhu Youtang said.

Cheng Minzheng was taken aback.

It took a long time to choose, but in the end it was just a few people to be appointed to a Xuezheng?Then why go to such trouble?Some of them are already at the "xuezheng" level, right?
Zhu Youtang asked again: "Is Zhang Bingkuan, whom I told you earlier, on the candidate list?"

"Yes." Cheng Minzheng said thoughtfully. Fortunately, I paid attention, otherwise I wouldn't be able to answer the hall call.

Zhu Youtang smiled and said: "Very good, then this selection, let's use him as the leader."

Cheng Minzheng took a breath.

He thought he heard it wrong, the emperor actually said that Zhang Zhou was the leader of the selection, which meant...

Give and receive in private? !
Zhu Youtang sighed: "Scholar Cheng, you should also know that he has done a lot for the court in the past period of time. I just want to leave a way for him outside the test. If he can't do it this time If he is listed, he will be selected to enter the court in this way. I don't want to delay any more, and let him take the exam next time."

"Your Majesty, is this... wrong?" Cheng Minzheng wanted to remind the emperor.

You are so fond of Zhang Zhou, those of us who are courtiers can understand, but it is a bit too much for you to break the rules and even set up a separate way for him to enter the court.

Zhu Youtang said: "I can't help it either, let Xiao Jing tell you about specific matters. You can't talk about this matter to outsiders, even if it's the son of the country's sacrificial wine! It's up to you how to do it!"

Cheng Minzheng didn't mention how awkward he was.

A question case earlier almost tortured me to death. I just calmed down in the past two days, but the emperor taught me to cheat together to select Zhang Zhou?

……

……

Cheng Minzheng didn't dare to ask more questions, so he could only follow Xiao Jing to the outside of the palace.

Xiao Jing laughed and said on the road: "Bachelor Cheng, do you understand what His Majesty said?"

"Yes." Cheng Minzheng said in his heart, why didn't he understand, the monarch and his subjects cheated together.

A selection that seemed fair and just was actually to open the back door for Zhang Zhou alone. In the end, no matter what his grades were, Zhang Zhou would be the number one and pave the way for Zhang Zhou.

Cheng Minzheng said with a dejected expression, "Aren't you too impatient for His Majesty to make such an arrangement now that the exam has not yet started?"

Xiao Jing said with a smile: "If the arrangement is made after the test, it will be too deliberate, and there will be more opposition from the court."

"En." Cheng Minzheng nodded, and asked again, "If he is really selected, he will fail the test later. He is still a candidate. What kind of official position will he be given?"

Xiao Jing glanced at Cheng Minzheng with meaningful eyes.

It seems to say, this is what you should ask?

"Scholar Cheng, there are some things that I shouldn't have told you, but since His Majesty has told you frankly that this happened, then our family will not cover it up. What Your Majesty means is that if Zhang Gongsheng really did not get a Jinshi, then we should use it People are selected and entered into the Imperial Academy for review."

"what?"

Cheng Minzheng's jaw almost dropped.

Xiao Jing said: "Scholar Cheng, don't be surprised."

Cheng Minzheng argued: "Even if you are a Jinshi in the middle school, and you are not a Dingjia, you have to pass the exam for three years before you can be sent to the library for review. Why can you do this with one exam? Do this... the courtiers Colleagues will not agree."

Cheng Minzheng felt that the emperor was messing around.

Xiao Jing said with a smile: "Since you asked, our family might as well tell you something more, Your Majesty does not plan to select a good scholar after this palace examination, as for the admission of Zhang Gongsheng, it is because of his meritorious service. You should also know that the epidemic in the capital, the acne of the little princess, the disaster in the Qingning Palace, and the earthquake in Xinye were all detected by him. He was effective in teaching the prince in the East Palace. Just give it to the Hanlin for review. He's been treated badly!"

"Eunuch Xiao, even if he is really talented in this area, wouldn't it be good to let him enter the Qin Tianjian?"

Cheng Minzheng was also in a hurry, obviously there was a way to enter the imperial court without passing the imperial examination, why must the rules be broken to let Zhang Zhou enter the Hanlin Academy?

This is pulling me into the water.

What kind of tribute was chosen, but the emperor was going to send people into the Hanlin Academy to become the Hanlin review that Jinshi dreamed of. Didn't I become an accomplice?

Originally, those ministers had objections to me, and if I let others know that I was involved, it would be easy for me to be skinned and cramped.

Xiao Jing shook his head, and said seriously: "No, His Majesty feels that even if Mr. Zhang is given a supervisor of the Qin Tianjian, he will be humiliated. Besides, Mr. Zhang also explained that he is not good at measuring the sky. It should be handed over to someone who is good at it!"

"what?!"

Cheng Minzheng was completely speechless.

From Xiao Jing's address to Zhang Zhou changed to "Mr. Zhang", he understood how much this Zhang Zhou is now.

The owner of Dongchang should be polite to Zhang Zhou. What qualifications does Cheng Minzheng have to object?
It's just that he couldn't figure it out. If Zhang Zhou didn't know how to calculate the sky, how could he accurately say things like Qingning palace disasters, epidemics, and earthquakes?
Could it be that this kid didn't want to enter the Qin Tianjian, so he said that on purpose?
"Scholar Cheng, you seem to have a lot of opinions. Have you forgotten what books you read before?" Xiao Jing felt upset when he saw Cheng Minzheng talking so much nonsense.

It is for you to arrange work, you are good, question this dissatisfaction with that, who gave you the courage?
When Cheng Minzheng heard it, his brain buzzed.

Xiao Jing didn't hide it either, and instead said in a cold tone: "Before, His Majesty asked Dongchang to check your mansion and Hanlin Academy. I saw a lot of books in your study, some of which you were reading. As for which ones are there?" ... Do you want our family to remind you one by one?"

"No... no need."

Cheng Minzheng was very frightened.

Li Dongyang felt that his inner thoughts were being pryed into the so-called vend case before, why didn't he, Cheng Minzheng, have this feeling?

It was only after Dongchang finished the investigation that he was "innocent" that this matter did not develop further.

It's like the exam question "Four Sons Achievement", Cheng Minzheng thought about it afterwards, isn't this the exam question he is proud of, and wants to use it in a future main exam?

Xiao Jingdao: "Scholar Cheng, someone asked our family to tell you that some of the sects and servants in your house are not very disciplined, and like to accept bribes so that those students can pay a visit to you. If you can't even manage the family well , how can you achieve something in the court?"

Cheng Minzheng was about to ask, who said this?

But he held back.

He thought about it, he seems to have seen a lot of scholars recently, the door seems to be very loose, and he can hand in invitations by himself, maybe it is because he is a master who likes to make friends with young people.

"You can do it yourself, Master Cheng." Xiao Jing said, "Our family doesn't want to cause trouble, but the errands entrusted by His Majesty have to be completed. Don't worry, even if the selection of the Imperial College is finalized, and the result is reported, this memorandum He will also stay in the middle school, and only after the spring of the next year, if it is confirmed that Mr. Zhang is not selected, His Majesty will use this result to select him. The result has nothing to do with you Cheng Xueshi."

Cheng Minzheng hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Then please trouble Eunuch Xiao."

"Easy to say, easy to say."

Only now did Xiao Jing put on his usual kind and amiable smile, as if there had never been any misunderstanding or displeasure before.

(End of this chapter)