Although the Ming family is very famous among scholars, Prince Chen discovered that they do not like to speak in a bookish manner. He doesn't care about romance when eating, and occasionally he would say that things in the East Market are cheaper than those in the West Market.
Before coming, he was worried that the elders and brothers of the Ming family would play drinking games and pair up, so he read several books of poetry to cram, but in the end, none of them were useful.
"This year's spring rain has come at the right time. I hope the people can have a good harvest." Ming Jingzhou picked up the teacup and said, "Your Highness will return to the palace at night. It is not appropriate to drink outside the palace. I will use tea instead of wine to toast Your Highness."
When they clinked glasses, Prince Chen intentionally lowered the rim of his glass to that of Ming Jingzhou. Ming Jingzhou grabbed his wrist and said, "Your Highness, you can't do that. You are the king, and I am the minister. How can my cup be higher than yours?"
"My father-in-law is the elder and I am the younger. It is natural for the younger to respect the elder."
When the two were fighting and giving way to each other, Jiuzhu put down his chopsticks, held their wrists, and clinked their cups together: "Drink."
The two looked at Jiuzhu and laughed.
For the sake of his daughter, one man strictly observed the etiquette between the ruler and his subjects.
For the sake of the princess, a man put aside his status and respected his elders.
They thought Jiuzhu didn't care about these things, but she saw everything.
The tea has a refreshing aroma and leaves a sweet aftertaste.
"Your Highness, according to the ancestral system, His Majesty can issue a pardon order when he performs the ceremony of conferring the empress to show his love for her. What do you think the pardon order should be?" Ming Jinghai put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, "We are just talking about family matters, Your Highness can speak freely."
"The pardon order is nothing more than pardoning minor prisoners, exempting taxes, and increasing the number of special examinations." The Prince of Chen said without thinking, "People should be punished for their mistakes. Pardoning prisoners is unfair to the victims. How much tax should be exempted and how long it should be exempted are likely to cause disagreements. Only by increasing the number of special examinations can the court recruit talents and avoid opposition from court officials."
More importantly, the civil officials will also support it.
The literati who came to participate in the special examination could not say anything bad about the queen mother, so it could be said that they killed three birds with one stone.
"Your Highness has made a good choice. Many conflicts can be resolved through common interests." Ming Jinghai looked at Prince Chen with satisfaction. This fifth prince was more capable than he had imagined.
The biggest conflict between the civil officials and the mother and son of Prince Chen stems from the various disagreements over the years.
But if one day, the King of Chen suddenly begins to agree with their ideas, their impression of the King of Chen will change drastically.
After dinner, Ming Jinghai asked Ming Jingzhou, "Third brother, find something to do to kill time this afternoon. Don't do those elegant things like throwing pots and composing poems. Do something fun."
"Draw the card leaves?" Ming Jingzhou turned his head to look at Prince Chen: "Your Highness, do you know how to play cards?"
"A little bit." Prince Chen thought, looking at the entire Dacheng, how many people have better card skills than him?
"Then let the four of us men play some cards together, and let Jiuzhu and her mother talk together." Ming Jingzhou asked the servant to get the cards, and taught the Prince of Chen how to get along with his wife: "When women are chatting, they hate us men the most. When we should be squatting in the corner, we must not wander in front of them."
"When a woman gets angry, tsk tsk tsk." Ming Jingzhou whispered, "It can be as scary as it can be."
Prince Chen turned his head to look at Jiuzhu who was sitting and laughing with his mother-in-law, and thought to himself, how scary could it be?
His Jiuzhu is so nice, she will definitely not lose her temper with him.
"Four?" Ming Cunfu looked around and said in confusion: "No, aren't we five men?"
"Go back to your room and read." Ming Jinghai looked at him mercilessly: "A man without achievements and official positions is not worthy of being called a man."
"A man who doesn't even have a fiancée is not a man." Ming Cunfu didn't dare to refute his father. He muttered softly, turned around and ran away.
Ming Jiyuan: “…”
Who are you scolding? !
After the cards were placed on the table and two rounds were played, Prince Chen discovered that although the Ming family were so good at writing articles, he did not expect that their card skills were so poor.
Play whatever cards you have, without considering whether your opponents will bet on their cards.
It's easy to win against them, but it's really difficult to let them win without being discovered that you're letting them win.
"With their poor card skills, they dare to play cards with the prince." Shen Ying glanced at the four men sitting in the pavilion and teased, "The salary of your father and your brother is not enough for them to lose."
"Don't worry, mother. Your Highness will definitely not dare to win against father and brother." Jiuzhu said affirmatively: "Before going to bed last night, Your Highness was still asking me what topics my family likes to use for poetry and lyrics."
"I told him that my father didn't like to recite poetry at home, but he didn't believe it."
"Your father also loved to write poetry before." Shen Ying smiled gently at Jiuzhu: "He has not written it in the past year."
Before Jiuzhu returned to Beijing, he would always drink a pot of wine on the Mid-Autumn Festival Eve. Before half of the wine was finished, a poem about missing his daughter had been written.
Perhaps people who have a fulfilling life are no longer suitable for writing poetry or lyrics.
"I really want to read the poems my father wrote."
"He doesn't like to tidy up his things. He just throws them away after writing. How can we find them?" Shen Ying couldn't bear to show her daughter those poems full of longing, so she changed the subject: "Are you used to living in the palace?"
"Everything is fine. The servants are considerate and attentive. Father and mother often send people to inquire about me." Jiuzhu held Shen Ying's hand: "The Queen treats me as usual."
"That's good, that's good." Shen Ying looked at the hairpins and jewelry on Jiuzhu's body, all of which were made by herself, and knew that what she said was true: "Although your four sisters-in-law are not of low birth, you are not inferior to them. There is no need to be too afraid of them."
"Mother, I always feel that there is something wrong with the Fourth Prince's wife." Jiuzhu said, "Is there any dispute between our family and the Sun family?"
"The Sun family is a family of scholars that has been passed down from generation to generation. The Ming family has not produced any great figures for several generations. It was not until your father's generation that your eldest uncle and second uncle passed the imperial examination and your father passed the imperial examination and became the third place, and then they began to become prominent. Later..."
Shen Ying paused and said, "Forget it. We and the Lingzhou Ming family have already separated and established our own clan. We have nothing to do with each other. There is no point in mentioning them again."
"Although the Ming family has a strong reputation in the minds of scholars in recent years, the Sun family doesn't think highly of our family." Shen Ying hesitated for a moment, and chose to confess to Jiuzhu: "Last spring, His Majesty intended to become in-laws with the Sun family, but the Sun family was not very willing."
"But Sun Caiyao has already married the Fourth Prince." Jiuzhu thought carefully and felt that the Sun family did not seem to be dissatisfied with the Fourth Prince.
"Because at that time, His Majesty wanted Miss Sun to marry the Prince of Chen." Shen Ying looked at her daughter's wide eyes, patted the back of her hand, and signaled her not to rush and listen to her slowly: "But before His Majesty officially sent someone to propose marriage to the Sun family, news came out that Sun Caiyao and the Fourth Prince were boating on the lake and were unusually intimate. In addition, the Fourth Prince is older than the Prince of Chen, so this marriage fell on the Fourth Prince."
"Marriage is all about fate. Miss Sun and the Prince of Chen are not destined to be together, so you don't have to take it to heart." Shen Ying took a sip of tea and said, "I told you this because I was afraid that people in the palace would gossip and exaggerate a very simple matter, stirring up a conflict between you and the Prince of Chen."
"Is it because of this that she treats me so strangely?" Jiuzhu was even more puzzled: "Why is it necessary?"
“People’s minds are different. You don’t need to figure out what others want to do. You only need to understand what you want and what you want, and you won’t be confused by others.”
"I just want my family to be well, His Highness and the Queen to be safe, and my two masters to achieve great success in their cultivation." Jiuzhu thought about it carefully and said, "It seems that I have nothing else to ask for."
Those who ask for nothing are fearless.
It seems like he wants nothing, but he actually has great desires.
Shen Ying smiled, her daughter was a sensible person.
Ming Jingzhou, who had rarely won in card games, finally won a few games from his son-in-law. He praised Prince Chen with great enthusiasm: "Your Highness is naturally intelligent. If he calms down and studies hard, he will surpass the other princes in a few days."
As early as in the Ministry of Rites, when he first asked the prince to recite the content of his essay, he discovered that the prince had an extraordinary memory and was able to draw inferences about other situations from one instance, and was a good candidate for the imperial examinations.
Unfortunately, the other party is not interested in studying, and because of his status as a prince, he does not have to worry about his career.
"Father-in-law, you are too kind." Prince Chen opened a hand of Lianhuashun and picked the smallest one and threw it on the table: "You are good at guiding me."
"No matter how good a carver is, he can't carve a flower out of rotten wood." Ming Jingzhou's eyes lit up when he saw the card played by Prince Chen, and he threw the small card in his hand that he almost couldn't get out of it onto the table: "Don't underestimate yourself."
Listening to the father-in-law and son-in-law praising each other, Ming Jinghai almost crumpled the cards into a ball. Could they please consider him?
"I have read all the military books that my uncle lent me last time." Prince Chen looked at Ming Jinghai's cards and lied with his eyes open: "I can't accept it."
"Have you finished reading?" Seeing that no one was willing to take his cards, Ming Jinghai collected all the cards contentedly.
"I didn't expect that my uncle, a civil official, has such a talent for leading troops in battle." The Prince of Chen praised: "If you were a general, you would definitely be a great general respected by everyone."
Ming Jinghai said proudly: "That's right. The master who taught me swordsmanship also said that I have the talent to be a general. But I am more talented in poetry and literature, so I chose the path of imperial examination."
After praising his uncle, Prince Chen also did not forget to praise his elder brother-in-law, and expressed great anticipation for his upcoming appointment to the Dali Temple.
After a round of cards, the three men of the Ming family all won a little, and Prince Chen didn't lose much either. It can be said that both the host and the guests had a great time and were in great joy.
At the beginning of dinner, Ming Jingzhou praised Prince Chen in front of Jiuzhu.
After dinner, night fell and the originally happy mood was gradually replaced by separation. Prince Chen held Jiuzhu's hand and said to the Ming family members who were seeing them off, "Don't worry, elders. I will bring Jiuzhu home often to reunite with you."
"We know that Your Highness can do it." Ming Jingzhou smiled. "Tomorrow at the court, I will propose to Your Majesty the matter of opening the imperial examination. Your Majesty will not agree immediately. Tomorrow afternoon, I will go to Taiyang Palace with some officials from the six ministries to persuade Your Majesty. Your Highness can come to support us. Your Highness does not need to worry about anything else. This is also what His Majesty wants."
Wang Chaoming bowed to Zhou Jingzhou and said, "Thank you, father-in-law. I will remember this."
His father, the emperor, and his father-in-law were helping him win the favor of the civil officials.
"Wait." Ming Jiyuan suddenly remembered the female Taoist priest who came to the Ming family two days ago, and hurriedly said, "Sister, I have something to give you. Your two masters asked someone to bring it to you."
"Master?" Jiuzhu was surprised.
"I was so happy to see you back today that I almost forgot about this." Ming Jiyuan turned and ran: "You and His Highness wait here for a while, I will be back soon."
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