The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 192

"Deposed?"

Xiao Jing didn't understand.

Zhang Zhou sighed, looking a little regretful.

Historically, Li Dongyang "deposed" thirteen questionable papers after he received an order to review the examinee's examination papers, and artificially deprived these 13 people of their qualifications as tributes. Many historians speculated that Tang Yin's papers were probably in the Among the thirteen examination papers, the purpose of Li Dongyang's doing this was to quell the controversy——

You see, Tang Yin was not selected, so the criticism of the case can be stopped, right?
Zhang Zhou reminded him this way because he was afraid that Li Dongyang would play tricks, and he would be dismissed even though he passed the exam.

But it doesn't make much sense for Li Dongyang to do this. Even if he doesn't win the Jinshi, he can still be selected by the Jugong to enter the court, and he will go directly to the Imperial Academy for review.

The Imperial Academy is the back garden of the cabinet.

In Zhang Zhou's opinion, Li Dongyang would rather let him pass the Jinshi examination and put him in six departments to observe politics, rather than easily let him enter the Imperial Academy and become the "Prime Minister" of Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Zhou probably told Xiao Jing what Li Dongyang might do.

"Mr. Zhang is saying that in order to quell the scholars' discussions, Mr. Li Ge will depose some of the tributes who are obviously won by...?"

Xiao Jing was puzzled, "After the inner curtain is unsealed, isn't it impossible to make any adjustments?"

Zhang Zhou sighed and said, "That was in the past, this time it involves the problem of vending, if Mr. Li Ge re-examines, with his resourcefulness and prudence, who knows what he will do?"

"Understood." Xiao Jing said, "In addition to going to see Mr. Li Ge, our family may also ask His Majesty for instructions..."

……

……

Zhang Zhou originally wanted to say, you can just mention something to Li Dongyang, why do you still ask the emperor for instructions?
Li Dongyang didn't do anything, just told the emperor like this, wouldn't the emperor think that I have a small belly?
However, Xiao Jing saw that he had no experience in dealing with imperial examination questions and other matters. As the factory owner of Dongchang, he still had to ask the king for instructions if he had anything to do.

This also allowed Zhang Zhou to see that the factory guards of the Ming Dynasty did not have a high status during the Hongzhi period. The factory guards frightened civil servants and generals, and they ransacked people's homes and wiped out their families in an instant. Most of them happened when the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty was extremely inflated. period.

After Xiao Jing left, Zhu Lin received Zhang Zhou again, and then asked Ning Tong to talk to Zhang Zhou.

It probably means...you are here to honor my younger brother, and the matters of the first house and the second house should be handled separately, so as not to make people think that I covet my brother's favor.

Doesn't their second wife like to act as a woman?Then listen to the second child and let his wife come.

"I bid farewell."

Zhang Zhou didn't intend to say anything more to Ning Tong.

At most, when going out, Ning Tong sees off the guests.

When they arrived at the front yard, Ning Tong deliberately walked in front to block Zhang Zhou's way, and said in a resentful tone: "Why do you keep helping him? His ambition is not here. You are actually hurting Zhang Zhou by doing this. he."

Zhang Zhoudao: "Mrs. Zhu, that's not right. You should be called Mrs. An Bian now. No matter how unreasonable you are, you can't get cheap and act good, right? I helped Zhijie get the title, and you said I was harming him... Do you want to say, Did I kill you too?"

"In the past, I only needed to be a little woman and didn't ask about things outside the window, but now I have to go out and deal with too much. But they obviously don't treat me as a family."

Ning Tong lost her temper.

Others don't know about Zhu Feng's habits, but the Zhu family does. In name, Ning Tong is Zhu Feng's wife, but who in the Zhu family doesn't know that their husband and wife relationship is in name only?
This kind of people in the Duke's Mansion are the most snobbish. Ning Tong probably has a strong sense of self-esteem, and always feels targeted, and even feels that the way people look at her is not right.

Zhang Zhou said with a smile: "In my opinion, Zhijie still misses you very much."

"What did you say?" Ning Tong huffed.

You clearly know that kid Zhu Zhijie's preference, yet you actually say he cares about me?

"Hehe, ma'am, you might as well think about it. He could have put you in the boudoir and let you live in the small courtyard without caring about your feelings. But he didn't do that. He let you be in charge of Zhu Zhu from the beginning. The business line of the second bedroom, let you show your face, isn't it just to let you get more respect? Even if you can't be a famous and real couple, I think you should be very good...friends. "

Zhang Zhou thought about the words, and almost wanted to say that you are very good "girlfriends", but after thinking about it, it is more appropriate to use "friends" to describe the relationship between this wonderful couple.

Ning Tong was stunned for a moment.

Before, she was full of resentment, thinking that her family and Zhu Feng had harmed her and made her marry a vase man.

But after listening to Zhang Zhou's analysis, she seemed to feel that that heartless Zhu Feng really seemed to care about her, but it might not be the kind of care of a husband and wife, but more like a kind of care from a friend .

"You can be regarded as sharing weal and woe. He gained status and shared it with you. If you think this is a harm to you and you want to escape, you can choose to make peace. You don't need to resent me every time you see me. What did he bring!"

Zhang Zhou didn't want to talk nonsense with Ning Tong either.

This is a woman in her early 20s who is planning to live a happy married life, but is widowed and full of complaints.

Too much to say.

Besides, he still wants to go back quickly and make preparations for going to Xishan to mine.

Ning Tong frowned and said, "Are you teasing me? I married into Duke Cheng's mansion, so there is still a possibility of reconciliation?"

Zhang Zhou shrugged: "No other family, but if it's Zhu Zhijie, if you don't mention it to him, how can you know it's impossible? But whether you reconcile or be divorced by him, your reputation will be ruined, it's up to you to choose! Farewell, next time If there is a chance, I will give you the following part of that book..."

"..."

Ning Tong was also a little speechless.

It's fine for Zhang Zhou to give her a very outrageous proposal, but he still remembers about that book?

But thinking about it again, it seems that I am quite similar to the people and things in the book.

"Then can you tell him for me?"

Zhang Zhou had already walked a few steps, and Ning Tong's words made Zhang Zhou stop.

Zhang Zhou turned his head, frowned, looked at the woman up and down, shook his head with a wry smile, and gave her the look of "why don't you do it yourself, you have to pretend to be an outsider", and led her away without answering.

……

……

Qianqing Palace.

Dai Yi reported to Zhu Youtang in detail the suggestions of the Ministry of Rites and the cabinet on the inscription case.

"...The request from the Ministry of Rites, Chang must have heard about it, so I present this memorial, but I am afraid that the rumors may not be true, and the list has not been released, so I don't know if the person who refers to it has ever been selected? Beg as you said. Zou ordered Li Dongyang, together with the examiners of the Five Classics, to re-read all the scrolls in the field, which were favored by Cheng Minzheng, and take them from the public, so as to discuss the matter. The date of opening the list will also be changed to the 29th of this month or On the second day of March..."

Zhu Youtang frowned: "Didn't you tell the court before that Cheng Minzheng didn't participate in the review? Since he didn't review the papers, how could he give and receive them in private?"

Dai Yi replied cautiously: "The ministers of the court know it, but outsiders don't. Hua Chang's participation in the performance said so, and this is probably also the appeal of the candidates in the same field."

In fact, Dai Yi was also reminding the emperor to ask Cheng Minzheng to stop grading papers in advance, and it is best not to publicize it to the outside world.

Because folk scholars would feel that the imperial court knew that Cheng Minzheng had problems, but still let him take the exam, and after the exam, he deprived him of the authority that the examiner should have... Why doesn't the imperial court let us discuss it?
"That's right." Zhu Youtang suddenly thought of something and nodded, "The proposal made by Bingkuan before was also to stop reviewing papers on the grounds that Cheng Minzheng was unwell. He didn't even tell the other inner curtain officials about it. It seems that I was in a hurry again. gone."

Isn't it?
Dai Yi wanted to say.

Zhang Zhou suggested that you ask Cheng Minzheng to withdraw from the examination papers in a low-key manner, but when your Majesty became anxious, you told the ministers about it in the court.

A bit of a bad dish.

Zhu Youtang said: "But this will let those ministers know Bingkuan's prediction on this matter, knowing that Bingkuan will not get involved in the matter, so why not tell them?"

Dai Yi stared.

Can it be like this?
In your opinion, is it more important to pacify the ruling and opposition parties, or to exonerate your brother Bingkuan?No need to ask, Your Majesty, you have already chosen the latter.

Dai Yixin said, it's no wonder those civil servants have such a big opinion on Zhang Zhou, because His Majesty really does everything to help Zhang Zhou, when will I have this kind of treatment?
Not long after, Xiao Jing sent someone back to send a note to Dai Yi, and then Dai Yi went to explain Zhang Zhou's hidden worries to the emperor.

Zhu Youtang frowned and said: "If it is true what Bingkuan said, Mr. Li wants to discard the selected examination papers in the inner curtain according to the standard of quelling material disputes. I'm afraid it will make the situation worse."

Dai Yi was thinking to himself again, Your Majesty, you said that because you were worried that Li Dongyang would dethrone Zhang Zhou's paper, right?

Even if Mr. Li Ge wants to discard some papers, he will have standards, and discuss with fellow examiners, it must be about the matter and not about the person.

Zhu Youtang didn't care about that, he said: "Order the inner curtain of the Gongyuan, since Cheng Minzheng is not involved in the matter of grading and selection of articles, once the scrolls are selected in the inner curtain, they will not be sealed or dismissed at all. Report it to keep the record, and then send someone to investigate.”

"Yes."

Dai Yi didn't dare to suggest any more casually.

He could also see that now Zhang Zhou is whatever he says, even if Zhang Zhou is a candidate for this exam, the emperor doesn't mind letting Zhang Zhou deeply participate in it.

"In addition, the release of the rankings for this exam will be postponed for five days and will be changed to the second day of March."

Zhu Youtang still listened to the suggestions of the Ministry of Rites and the cabinet, and asked Dai Yi to take a pen to give a reply to the memorial, and changed the date of the announcement.

Dai Yi asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, now that Tang Yin, Xu Jing and Hua Chang have been dispatched to the Fusi of Jinyiwei North Township, should they be interrogated strictly? There is also Cheng Xueshi..."

Dai Yi wanted to remind the emperor that among the people involved in the case, there seemed to be a "fish that slipped through the net". Cheng Minzheng, as the most important person, was still dangling in the inner curtain.

"Let Cheng Minzheng temporarily resign from his post and return home to stay idle, and the rest of the matter will be another matter after the results are known."

Zhu Youtang also seemed very tired.

The affairs of the imperial court made him unable to keep up mentally, and it was also related to not taking Li Guang's elixir recently.

But now Zhu Youtang himself knew that it was not a elixir, but a poison.

No matter how uncomfortable it is, you have to get through it.

(End of this chapter)