Zhu Yunwen seems very obedient, mainly because he has nothing to rely on now and has completely given up on some unrealistic ideas.

Looking at his obedient 'second brother', Zhu Xiong Ying asked, "Did Yun Wen hear any news about today's imperial examinations?"

Zhu Yunwen glanced cautiously at Zhu Xiong Ying, and after a moment's thought, said, "I have heard some things. Scholars in the south are full of resentment. The writings of scholars in the north are indeed lacking in refinement."

Zhu Xiong Ying remained noncommittal, but continued to ask, "Oh? There are quite a few civil officials and learned scholars in the court who have submitted memorials hoping that the court can re-examine the papers. I have also seen them, and the papers of the scholars from the North are not inferior."

"Your Majesty, I believe that the scholars of the South are exceptionally talented, and their writing is ornate and elegant." This struck a chord with Zhu Yunwen, who continued, "I have also discussed this matter with my subordinates, and the literary style is even more prevalent in the South..."

Zhu Xiong Ying interrupted directly, saying rudely, "Oh? Do you know that I am the one who graded the papers?! I personally approved the list of candidates for the provincial examination, and in a few days, it may very well be the Emperor himself who will preside over the palace examination."

Zhu Yunwen was speechless, not knowing what to say, and also feeling that he couldn't understand his elder brother's thoughts.

Seeing Zhu Yunwen's appearance, Zhu Xiong Ying sighed and said, "Go back and pack your things, prepare to go and supervise the army. If you want to study the classics, then study the classics, I will never object. But Yunwen, remember this well, you are a member of the Ming imperial family! I have told you before not to study so hard, but you just wouldn't listen. Now go back and don't listen to other people's noise."

Sweating profusely, Zhu Yunwen slunk away from the Qianqing Palace. The boy seemed quite frightened and lacked confidence.

Seeing Zhu Yunwen's behavior, Old Zhu shook his head and said, "Yunwen still lacks vision. This child grew up in the deep palace and was raised by women, so he lacks boldness and courage."

“He is different from my grandson. He has been studying the classics since he was a child. Not to mention his grandfather, even when his father was alive, he didn’t care about Yunwen’s studies.” Zhu Xiong Ying spoke up, trying to exonerate Zhu Yunwen. “In the end, everyone doesn’t have too many expectations for him. They just hope that he will be a wise prince.”

Old Zhu nodded. He believed he had a lot to say about education and was quite proud and confident about it.

Putting aside everything else, let's just talk about his sons. The eldest son received imperial education from the start, making him an outstanding heir apparent, which was the fundamental reason why the crown prince was able to control the court. As for the other children, the older ones were all exceptionally talented as well.

At least the five children raised by the late Empress Ma were all exceptionally talented and each had their own merits. The only difference was the focus of their education; the Crown Prince was always taught according to the requirements for the heir apparent.

As for the imperial grandson, Emperor Zhu was also very proud of his eldest grandson, who was also an outstanding heir apparent. He was not lacking in strategic thinking and tactics, and his skills and cunning were also very sophisticated.

At this moment, Wang Chengen also said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, the officials kneeling at the Meridian Gate will probably have to spend the night here."

We underestimated the resolve of these civil officials. Several fainted, but they got up and continued to plead for their lives. It seems these people have no intention of returning; they intend to continue kneeling at the Meridian Gate to plead for their lives.

Zhu Xiong Ying said expressionlessly, "The palace will be closed soon. Throw them all out. If they want to kneel outside the capital, let them. I want to see how many people still want to drag this out."

As Wang Chengen went to deliver the imperial decree, Old Zhu, chuckling, suddenly said, "Ying'er, you probably want to see more Confucian scholars get involved, don't you? You'd be even happier if those people from the Confucius Mansion stepped forward, wouldn't you?"

"Grandpa, you can't hide my thoughts from your grandson." Zhu Xiong Ying chuckled, making no attempt to conceal his intentions. "Originally, I did intend to stabilize the hearts of the scholars in the north and also to limit the power of the civil officials in the south. But I didn't expect these people to be so decisive. Well then, let's make a big scene, and I'll wait and see!"

Old Zhu immediately became smug and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Think about the Empty Seal Case, the Hu Weiyong Case, and how your father reacted. Go back and think about it, then come back and tell us tomorrow!"

Zhu Xiong Ying was not fooled and said, "Grandfather, those cases back then weren't handled by my father alone. He just went with the flow and made things bigger. I'm doing the same thing now. I'll just wait for things to escalate further so I can take everything down and reshuffle the deck."

"Our swords are sharp, our soldiers are strong, these scholars should be afraid!" Old Zhu said to Zhu Xiong Ying with great pride, "Don't underestimate these scholars, they all have backbone! But Ying'er, if we suppress them, make them unable to raise their heads or stand up straight, then none of them will dare to bare their teeth at us!"

That's really true. We really can't treat these people too well, otherwise they'll take advantage of us and start to think that things are a given.

During the Song Dynasty, scholars enjoyed a high social status; it was practically a paradise for them. But under the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, they were all labeled as "the lowest of the low," yet they obediently followed orders. Many scholars even remained wholeheartedly loyal to the Mongol Yuan, who viewed them as the lowest class.

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, then said with a hint of contempt, "Grandson wants to break the arrogance of those scholars and break their spines. Otherwise, they will still dare to go against us, and they will still think about resigning from their posts and retiring to the countryside. They are dreaming!"

"We're ruthless towards scholars, but you're even more ruthless towards them!" Old Zhu laughed, but still reminded her, "Ying'er, don't go too far. Although we are the chosen ones, we still need these scholars to govern the world. Don't offend them all. At the beginning of our uprising, it was too difficult to find a decent scholar!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!