In the past, Deng Wenkeng was a man who could handle matters impartially and with integrity, but he lacked flexibility.

Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile, then said, "That's about right. I'll go and make some adjustments in a few days."

That seems to be about right. Zhu Yunying really doesn't need to worry about so many things now. For example, he already has people in charge of his Six Ministries and Nine Ministers. Moreover, among these people, not only are there many trusted confidants, but most of them are also quite capable.

The Ming Dynasty court is now full of talented people, and there is no need to worry about Zhuo Jing affecting the overall situation.

They chatted and laughed with Old Zhu, mainly about important matters of the court. This grandfather and grandson duo truly possessed exceptional abilities, and their control over the court was unparalleled. It was practically impossible to cause trouble for them.

There's nothing to worry about, nothing to care about. Just keep up this pace and rhythm.

The reshuffling of some officials is not a big deal; Old Zhu is now more concerned about Zhu Yunying's next plans.

"Ying'er, tell me, what are your plans for this imperial examination?" Old Zhu asked, speaking quite seriously. "I know you don't like the lineage of the Duke of Yansheng, but these people are, after all, descendants of Confucius, the bloodline of the sage in the hearts of scholars."

Zhu Yunying didn't care and said, "There's no need to worry too much. The Duke Yansheng was only promoted in this dynasty. As for being the head of the civil officials, I won't accept that. This time, we'll just embarrass them and restore their status from the Song Dynasty."

During the Yuan Dynasty, the Duke Yansheng was promoted to the third rank due to his special status and the Mongol Yuan's need to win over the people. This time, Zhu Yunying was 'brought back to his original status'. He was given a certain position and treatment, but he shouldn't expect to be so high and mighty.

This can be considered an explanation to all the scholars in the world, after all, their descendants of Confucius are still a special kind of noble.

Old Zhu nodded, then asked, "Where is Zhang Tianshi from Longhu Mountain?"

This was another special noble family in feudal society. The title of Celestial Master was hereditary and perpetual. It was the successor of Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism, and his disciples, who were the leaders of Taoism.

However, this was also the first time that the title of "Celestial Master" was officially recognized by the Yuan Dynasty under Kublai Khan.

To be honest, Zhu Yunying didn't really approve of the Zhang Tianshi lineage. However, Zhu Yunying was also well aware that religious beliefs still held considerable influence in that era.

“The Taoists are a bit better, as long as they don’t blindly believe in Buddhism.” Zhu Yunying thought for a moment and said, “This Zhang Yuchu is also quite good. He is said to be one of the most learned among all the Celestial Masters in history, and is known as a great scholar of the Taoist school. The Zhang Celestial Master lineage will continue to be awarded the title of Great True Man of the Zhengyi School, and will be in charge of Taoist affairs.”

Old Zhu nodded, seemingly unconcerned that his grandson wasn't too radical. Although it was the Duke Yansheng's special privilege that he had bestowed upon him, Old Zhu knew it wasn't something to worry about. Old Zhu had broken his word quite a few times; one could ask the imperial pardon if one didn't believe him.

“Well then, we’ll take the blame for this bad reputation,” Old Zhu said directly. “Since we were the ones who gave him the title of head of the civil service, we’ll remove it ourselves. After this imperial examination, we’ll hold a court debate, and I’m prepared to be furious. I’m a peasant, and I was deceived by some scholars.”

Zhu Yunying quickly replied, "No need, your grandson can do this."

“You can’t do it!” Old Zhu said sternly and decisively. “Although you have no literary reputation since childhood, everyone knows that you are intelligent and well-read. We are different. We are the founding emperor. We can change ancestral rules, but you can’t. It’s fine for us to go to the position of head of civil officials under the Duke of Yansheng, but it’s a big deal for you.”

Well, while Old Zhu's words make a lot of sense, they're also somewhat exaggerated. Ultimately, it comes down to Old Zhu being overprotective. He's prepared to take all the blame himself; as long as he's alive, he doesn't want his grandson to be criticized.

Although Zhu Yunying was moved, she felt she could try to struggle a bit. But after thinking it over, she decided against it. Old Zhu was determined to protect his son, and Zhu Yunying couldn't resist. Old Zhu, when protecting his son, was unreasonable.

That's about it for now; let's just keep pushing things along.