The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 183 No Fairness at All
At night, inside Kunning Palace.

The emperor's family of four had just finished dinner, and Zhu Houzhao had not yet returned to the East Palace.

Zhu Houzhao was sitting on the stool, with his head drooping but his eyebrows raised upwards, and he sneaked a sharp look in his eyes, as if someone owed him tens of thousands of taels of silver and hadn't paid it back.

"Giggle..."

Zhu Xiurong's laughter came.

In front of Zhu Xiurong was a wooden box of glass beads, at least a few hundred.

Zhu Xiurong was pitiful and wronged during the day, but at night she became the happiest person in the world.

"Prince, come here!"

Zhu Youtang called his son aside.

Zhu Houzhao said eloquently: "Father, why did you give the imperial sister so many glazed beads? My son has to set rules for her."

"What are the rules? I didn't expose you in front of your mother. If you have to give everything, others can have it. Do you think all the subjects in the world can live by your kindness? They give it to you, not you. them!"

Zhu Youtang educated his son.

Zhu Houzhao said, "Isn't the world ours?"

"Humph!"

Zhu Youtang said, "It seems that you should learn more. If the water carries the boat, the water will capsize the boat. How can we govern the world well in the future? As a ruler, he will succeed in helping the world, and he does not own The world and the whole world are your subjects, you have to do your best to let them have it, and you can only have it if the people are rich."

Zhu Houzhao frowned, obviously he didn't want to accept this kind of education.

In the palace, he felt that his father was the second child, he was the third child, and even his mother had to stand aside.

Now he actually told him that all this is not his, but was given to him by others. As the prince of Ming Dynasty, how could he accept this idea?
"Don't argue with your sister, she is your closest relative, no matter whether I'm here or not, you have to treat her kindly." Zhu Youtang said.

Zhu Houzhao said curiously: "The emperor father and the queen mother are also close relatives of the minister..."

Zhu Youtang rolled his eyes at him and said: "Some things, you will understand when you are older. Go back to the East Palace to make up your homework. The children of the common people all insist on reading at night by lighting the lamp, so you should concentrate on your studies." It's time. Come and send the prince back to the East Palace."

"I still have to talk to my father and queen mother... I'm not in a hurry to leave..."

……

……

After all, Zhu Houzhao is just a child who has not yet reached the age of eight.

Let him live in the East Palace since he was a child, let him receive independent education, Zhu Youtang and his wife seem to be very willing in this regard.

Zhu Youtang stood at the gate of Kunning Palace, watching the lantern flames as his son and his party went away, only to turn around to find that Xiao Jing had been standing beside him for a long time.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang has been notified to let him arrive at Fengtian Hall tomorrow morning, when the servants will lead him into the palace." Xiao Jing said.

"Yes." Zhu Youtang nodded, "Is there any news from the Gong Yuan?"

Xiao Jingdao: "This matter has not been discussed in the court, and your Majesty, you have not issued an order to go to the Gongyuan. It is estimated that the paper will be opened in two days, and I might have missed it. But Dongchang had already handed in a note before, and ordered not to follow Cheng The bachelor read the dossier and guessed that he did not have access to the content of the Zhu juan, so the performance given to Zhonghua Chang is quite untrue."

In Hua Chang's memorial, it was specifically mentioned that Cheng Minzheng had agreed some code words with the cheater, so that even if the ink scrolls were transcribed into Zhujuan, Cheng Minzheng could still find the corresponding scrolls and exchange them privately.

The emperor had listened to Zhang Zhou's words earlier and told Nei Lian that Cheng Minzheng was not allowed to review the papers. It could only be said that the suspicion of privately giving and accepting accusations was dispelled, but the accusations would still remain.

It can't be said that someone stopped it, and the result didn't happen. He, Cheng Minzheng, didn't make an appointment with anyone in advance.

"What else did Dongchang find?" Zhu Youtang was not in a hurry to announce this matter before, probably because he knew that this matter should not be too impatient.

What is the truth has become the most important thing.

More importantly, it is to dispel the suspicion of scholars, and the Ministry of Rites will try to gain a fair reputation.

Under this premise, in fact, the interests of some people involved in the case, including part of the truth, can be sacrificed. In history, Cheng Minzheng, Xu Jing and Tang Yin were sacrificed for the sake of the overall situation.

Who cares what the truth is other than the parties involved?
They all stand on their own standpoints and only see the beneficial side of the incident, regardless of the overall situation.

Xiao Jingdao: "Return to Your Majesty, Dongchang found out that there is no real witness for Hua Chang, but it is just based on rumors. There are many discussions among folk scholars, saying that they saw Mr. Zhang discussing the test questions with others, and also had a relationship with Tang Yin." The private conversation was when it was arranged for them to visit the master..."

"Bastard!" Zhu Youtang became angry when he heard it. Those ministers who were emotional wanted to say that I arranged for the Jiangnan undergraduate candidates to meet Wang Jia and Liu Ji, and I went to help them get the questions?
Didn't I also become an accomplice?

Xiao Jing was also a bit dumbfounded, and sighed slightly: "Now those people are just talking about some false and far-fetched rumors. The day Mr. Zhang met Tang Yin, it was under the watchful eyes of everyone, and there was no topic of discussion. Never see each other again."

"Unreasonable!"

Zhu Youtang didn't care much about the truth at first, but now that Zhang Zhou was also involved in the case, he felt angry.

He felt that the civil servants were targeting Zhang Zhou and deliberately pulling Zhang Zhou into the water.

Now the emperor has become the person who cares most about the truth besides the few people involved in the case.

"The servant girl also found out that this case may be related to the house slaves of Cheng Min's government. The gate of Cheng Min's government house accepted bribes from scholars who went to visit, and decided whether they could be recommended by the general according to the price given. .” Xiao Jing said.

Zhu Youtang frowned and said: "Then Cheng Minzheng was accused by Bingkuan, he is not wronged at all! Knowing that he is well-known, he can't even take care of his family, how can he stand in the court?"

Now the emperor is a little bit resentful towards Cheng Minzheng.

The emperor didn't want to admit that the responsibility was on himself, but felt that Cheng Minzheng was a bit suspicious.

Xiao Jingdao: "My servant also heard Mr. Zhang mention it before, and also reminded Cheng Xueshi. Later, Cheng Xueshi seemed to avoid the taboo and never saw the scholar again. But before... After all, it happened."

"Oh! Bingkuan originally wanted to pull Cheng Minzheng, but he ended up getting himself involved. Fortunately, they haven't met formally. It may not be so easy to mention Bingkuan. Go, get old Liu Ge and Xie The elders of Ge are here, as well as Xu Shangshu from the Ministry of Rites, I want to see them tonight."

"Your Majesty, it's late at night."

"What's the problem at night? Tomorrow morning, there will be a public discussion in the court. If we don't see each other now, when will we see you?"

"Yes!"

……

……

Liu Jian, Xie Qian and Xu Qiong were summoned to Qianqing Palace overnight.

Xu Qiong didn't seem to know about this. After all, he had never seen Hua Chang's memorial, but the cabinet had seen the memorial to Guan Bai. They only met Guan Bai, and they didn't give advice on how to deal with it.

Investigating the case is a matter for the Sanju Department, or it is the work of the Jinyiwei of the East Factory. Whether the cabinet votes or not, there is no essential difference in the result.

In the case that there is no real evidence in the investigation, the person can only be sent to the Imperial Prison or Judicial Prison first, and then we can find out.

"You two, what is the matter?"

On the way into the palace, Xu Qiong couldn't help asking.

Xie Qiandao: "Mostly it is because of Huke's participation in the impeachment of Cheng Keqin by Zhong Keqin. Three candidates, Zhang Zhou, Tang Yin and Xu Jing, are also involved. These three candidates are all from Jiangnan. Zhang Zhou and Tang Yin It is also Jie Yuan and Ya Yuan of the Jiangnan Township Examination for undergraduates."

Xu Qiong frowned and said, "Is there something about Zhang Zhou?"

Even Xu Qiong felt a little unbelievable.

Is Hua Chang a reckless man?Although the folks don't necessarily know about Zhang Zhou's affairs, but Hua Chang, who is in charge of household affairs, doesn't even know that Zhang Zhou won the emperor's trust and made meritorious service to the court?
Although the censors have a special status in Ming Dynasty, many of them are not high-ranking officials, but they appear in the court every day, but it is only limited to the six subjects and the left and right. discussed.

And Zhang Zhou was only recently mentioned occasionally in court.

If you pass the Jinshi examination and put six subjects to Shizhong, the general rank is nine years, that is, after nine years of examination, you can be promoted to all six subjects and give Shizhong, and all six subjects are given to Shizhong, which is only the seventh rank.

Don't look at it as a seventh-rank official, but as a Beijing official, if you are placed in a local official position, you will at least start as the deputy envoy of the procuratorate and become the second in command of prison affairs in a province.

As for the censors, the people of the Sixth Division are often the top leaders. Whenever they encounter any direct remonstrance, disobedience, or refutation, these Sixth Division officials often rush to the front, and those who lose their lives because of this Not a lot.

Xie Qian also sighed: "It's not good to involve anyone. You have to involve Zhang Zhou. Your Majesty trusts this person so much. Even if he is really involved in the matter, will Your Majesty really care and intervene?" And there is a risk of being unclear."

"Ha ha."

Xu Qiong could only smile wryly upon hearing this.

Xie Qian meant that Zhang Zhou's involvement in the case may make the case unclear in the end.

That is to say, in the minds of civil servants, the fact that they are inclined to accept the question exists, and they are afraid that Zhang Zhou's involvement in the case will affect the investigation of the case.

Especially the people in the cabinet...

Cheng Minzheng was investigated, they said they wanted justice for Cheng Minzheng, but in their hearts they were suffocating. They wished that Cheng Minzheng would collapse and there would be no more cabinet ministers out of control.

Xu Qiong asked Liu Jian who was on the side: "Mr. Liu Ge, do you think it is really necessary for Zhang Zhou to participate in the quiz?"

Liu Jian was still walking, but when he heard the words, he looked sideways at Xu Qiong.

Xie Qian asked with a smile, "What do you mean?"

Xu Qiong was not from the orthodox civil servant faction, and Ni Yue, the Minister of Rites who was pushed down by him before, was the orthodox civil servant in the eyes of others, so Xu Qiong's position on some matters would be contrary to the orthodox opinion.

Xu Qiong said: "Regardless of Zhang Zhou Jiangnan's status as Xie Yuan, just his status in His Majesty's heart, His Majesty's secret efforts to serve him as an official, and his ability to repeatedly calculate the secrets of heaven, such ability is more due to reputation. Being envied by villains outside, shouldn't be for the sake of getting a problem, ruining your reputation and going to jail, right?"

Xu Qiong is a discerning person.

In other words, he just talked about the most common truth.

So awesome people go to ask questions, what are they trying to figure out?Enough support?
Liu Jian didn't comment, and said coldly: "There is no final case in the investigation, let's discuss it."

(End of this chapter)