Liu Zhi was a little dizzy. As the deputy examiner, he hadn't actually done much for this year's imperial examination.

Upon returning to the princess's residence, Zhu Zhu was immediately astonished, "Husband, why are you wearing a python robe?"

Emperor Liu Zhi did receive some imperial robes, but they were mostly flying fish robes. The so-called flying fish pattern was a python shape with added fish fins and tail to resemble a flying fish python, not a true flying fish shape. In the present Ming Dynasty, no one dared to wear a flying fish robe like a python robe.

"Your Majesty's grace has bestowed upon me this python robe," Liu Zhi said with a smile, then added with a hint of helplessness, "Your Majesty knows I dislike officialdom, but this time you have sent me to the north, even though the Duke of Ying is leading an expedition."

As expected of someone of the Zhu family bloodline, Zhu Zhu immediately understood. "His Majesty once said that some titles should be awarded, but if you don't have military merits, it won't be easy for you to inherit them. When Qi'er and Lin'er grow up, they can inherit the titles."

Zhu Yunying was a very decisive person, and now the imperial clan had also noticed some things. If it was a cousin or junior whom Zhu Yunying had personally bestowed a name upon, it would basically be 'Qi' or 'Lin'. This was not perfunctory; it was his expectation and a sign of closeness.

All the imperial aunts watched with longing, but none of them received such treatment. The only ones receiving this treatment now are the current emperor's youngest aunt and his two younger sisters, whose children also receive it.

This includes the two children of Princess Ningguo, Zhu Yunying's eldest aunt, whose names were not personally bestowed by Zhu Yunying. Besides the fact that Zhu Yunying was relatively young at the time, the main reason is that although his eldest aunt had taken care of him for a period of time, his younger aunt could be said to have raised him.

Liu Zhi sighed and then said, "I originally wanted to resign from my post and write books, but I can't leave now. Even if I don't think of myself, I shouldn't tarnish my grandfather's reputation. Now we have two children, and we should also consider them. If we don't go to the north, our children will inevitably complain about me when they grow up, and the titles in the Ming Dynasty are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain."

At the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there were quite a few dukes, and many of them were posthumously granted titles. To be honest, the number of marquises at that time wasn't particularly significant, mainly because there were indeed quite a few marquises in the Ming Dynasty.

But now, many nobles have either been stripped of their titles for their lawless behavior or had their homes confiscated due to their involvement in the Hu Weiyong case. This also includes some titles that are actually being downgraded. Therefore, titles in the Ming Dynasty are becoming increasingly 'valuable'.

At this moment, it wasn't just Liu Zhi who felt this way; Mei Yin also felt that she needed to consider some things.

Although he is currently the Emperor Emeritus's favorite son-in-law, and the most trusted and powerful among them, Mei Yin is well aware that once the Emperor Emeritus is gone, his status may begin to decline. Or perhaps the current emperor values ​​family ties, but future emperors may not care as much.

Forget about reaching the highest ranks of officialdom; compared to other imperial relatives, Mei Yin didn't think that far ahead. His current expectation was simply to secure a hereditary title for his own children. Besides, even though he had served as an educational official, he was still the nephew of Marquis Mei Sizu of Runan, and he had also trained troops.

Moreover, even if Mei Yin were to join the army this time, he wouldn't be directly charging into battle on the front lines.

Actually, it wasn't just these two sons-in-law who were going to war at this time; Feng Cheng, his brother-in-law, also needed to go. As the son of Feng Guoyong and the nephew of Duke Feng Sheng of Song, Feng Cheng had never actually inherited his father's posthumously granted title of Duke of Ying.

Ultimately, it was his lack of military achievements that made him so eager to make a name for himself and achieve greater success. He didn't just want to be the Right Commander of the Right Army Commandery; he longed to continue his father's prestigious reputation.

By this time, the candidates had already left the capital. The palace examination was over, but the results would not be announced until three days later. Zhang Xin and others reviewed the papers, selected the top ten, and sent them to Zhu Yunying. Then, Zhu Yunying personally selected the top scholar.

Old Zhu sipped his porridge, his gaze occasionally drifting to his great-grandson. "This time, when selecting officials, don't just look at their talent. The top three should ideally be those with decent appearances, after all, this is your first imperial examination since ascending the throne. The officials to be honored on the imperial street shouldn't be those who are ugly."

Young and talented individuals are naturally more sought after, and if they also have good looks, they would be perfect. If a top scholar had a gray beard and was swaying precariously on horseback, it would be a disservice to the onlookers. Therefore, appearance is also quite important for becoming a top scholar.

Zhu Yunying also had his own thoughts on this and did not hide anything. "Your grandson does indeed intend to select a few with decent appearances. Before the exam, we had someone assess their abilities, and they found that almost none of them were exceptionally talented; they were generally quite mediocre."

Hearing Zhu Yunying say this, Old Zhu understood, "That's fine then, where are there so many people with the talent to save the world!"

Yes, if there were truly so many talented people capable of saving the world, Emperor Zhu Yunying might not be able to rest easy. After all, although the country is generally at peace now, rebellions still occur from time to time.

If he had too many talents to save the world, Zhu Yunying probably wouldn't feel at ease.

For example, the infamous Black-Robed Chancellor, Zhu Yunying, always had that man pray and chant scriptures for his father and mother. The reason? That man supposedly possessed some kind of dragon-slaying technique. Zhu Yunying didn't need those people at all; did he think his empire was unstable enough?

Yao Guangxiao might have been talented, but he was truly of no use to an emperor like Zhu Yunying. So, for all these years, Yao Guangxiao remained a dutiful monk. It would be interesting if he were to reveal his desire to seek refuge with a prince or join a neighboring vassal state.

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